The Spider Demon seemed to sense that the wounds on its body were different from those it had suffered in the past.
It bared its fangs and let out a strange, anguished wail while frantically clawing at the wounds covering its body.
Not long after, Noe and Akino also arrived at the clearing.
Both of them were startled by the sight before them.
Cold Cry stood there, enveloped in a dense layer of cold air.
This was the first time Noe had seen Cold Cry in this state. With just one glance, she felt a chill run through her entire body.
The temperature around him had dropped so drastically that it felt as though they had suddenly entered the depths of winter.
The Spider Demon finally realized that the prey before it was not easy to deal with.
The cold air was seeping into its wounds and eroding its body from within. Its already low body temperature continued to drop.
The cold not only made it feel uncomfortable all over, but also significantly reduced its mobility.
"The girl is injured and unconscious. You two take her back to the others and bandage her wounds first. I'll hold off this Spider Demon."
"Thank you!"
Akino's eyes filled with tears of relief.
He hurried to the rock and gently called out twice.
"Yuka... Yuka."
Yuka slowly opened her hazy eyes.
Her lips moved as though she wanted to say something, but before she could make a sound, she fainted again.
Her clothes had been torn to shreds, and wounds of various sizes covered her body. Blood continued to flow from several of them.
"I... I'll stay and help you."
Noe gripped her sword and stepped behind Cold Cry.
Her body temperature was different from that of an ordinary person, so the surrounding cold air did not affect her as much.
"No need. You should protect the other two."
Cold Cry glanced at her.
"Tonight is the final night of the selection. It's also the last night the demons can hunt freely. They will definitely be even more desperate than they were during the first night."
Even more desperate than the first night?
Noe finally realized the gravity of the situation.
Cold Cry had known from the beginning that the final night of the Final Selection would be extremely dangerous. Yet he had never stopped her and the others from remaining on Mount Fujikasane.
Why?
Could it be because of her?
A strange emotion surged through Noe's heart.
She glanced at Cold Cry, who stood surrounded by white mist, and then softly said:
"Take care of yourself."
After that, she quickly walked toward Akino and the injured Yuka.
Before Akino could react, Noe took Yuka from him and carried her onto her back.
Akino hadn't expected this girl, who looked even thinner and smaller than him, to possess such astonishing strength.
She carried Yuka, who weighed several dozen jin, as if she weighed almost nothing.
The moment Noe hoisted Yuka onto her back, the muscles in her arms bulged visibly.
Akino was stunned.
Only then did he finally realize that the two people before him were simply on a completely different level from him and Yuka.
They were the ones who had truly come to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection.
As for him and Yuka...
At best, they had only come to serve as food for the demons.
The two quickly made their way down the hillside.
Meanwhile, Cold Cry and the Spider Demon entered the second round of their battle.
Suddenly, the Spider Demon shook its body.
Cold Cry's eyes narrowed.
The creature was molting.
The Spider Demon's back suddenly split open along a long seam.
First, its bald head emerged from beneath the old skin.
Then came its torso.
Finally, its arms and six legs emerged one after another.
As the old skin peeled away, the ice that had frozen to its surface also fell off.
After completing its molt, the Spider Demon looked even more bizarre.
Its body seemed to have shrunk considerably. Its skin was smooth and taut, reflecting a brownish-yellow sheen beneath the moonlight.
Previously, its six legs had looked as though they had been forcibly attached to its torso.
Now, however, they appeared to have become perfectly integrated with its body.
Its spine also seemed even more flexible than before.
It was obvious that the Spider Demon was growing stronger through molting.
With every molt, its body seemed to become more complete.
Without the layer of frozen ice restricting its movements, the wounds on its body began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Spider Demon let out a strange cry and launched another attack.
This time, it was even faster.
In the blink of an eye, it had rushed in front of Cold Cry.
Fortunately, the area within one meter of Cold Cry's body was completely enveloped by his cold air.
That one-meter distance was enough.
With his perception of temperature, Cold Cry could clearly detect the Spider Demon's movements and react in time.
The Spider Demon suddenly changed direction and rapidly circled behind him.
When it saw an opening, it leaped into the air and pounced directly toward the back of Cold Cry's neck.
Although the Spider Demon wasn't especially powerful, its movement speed was astonishing.
It had also developed its own hunting method.
First, it would use its terrifying speed to close the distance with its prey.
Then, it would suddenly leap forward and snap the prey's neck.
By ending the battle in an instant, even prey stronger than itself could potentially be killed before it had time to react.
Unfortunately, it had encountered Cold Cry.
Without even turning his head, Cold Cry swung his sword in a horizontal slash.
The Nichirin Sword swept through the air, carrying a flurry of ice crystals as it precisely cut toward the Spider Demon's throat.
The ice crystals collided with one another, producing a soft, tinkling sound.
The Spider Demon let out a strange cry.
At the last moment, it tilted its head backward and raised both hands, forcefully blocking the Nichirin Sword.
The blade struck its palms.
The Spider Demon landed on the ground in a strange upright posture before rapidly retreating.
It quickly escaped the range of Cold Cry's cold air.
Its movements were so bizarre that it looked almost like a strange, upright mantis shrimp.
After creating some distance, the Spider Demon lowered its head and examined its palms.
Two straight, white lines had been cut across them.
Cold air seeped from the wounds.
Yes.
There were only two white lines.
Its palms hadn't even been cut open.
Although Cold Cry hadn't used much force in that attack, the moment his blade struck the Spider Demon's palms, he had clearly felt as though he had slashed against a metal plate.
After molting, the Spider Demon had not only become faster.
Its defensive power had also increased significantly.
The Spider Demon changed its attack direction several more times.
However, it was never able to break through the one-meter radius around Cold Cry.
The surrounding cold air continued to make it feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Although it was unwilling to give up, its patience was rapidly running out.
It had always killed its previous prey in a single attack.
Throughout Mount Fujikasane, aside from the powerful demon at the summit, which it instinctively avoided, there were hardly any other demons it feared.
Yet now, it had suffered a setback against an outsider.
The Spider Demon felt that its status had been challenged.
It let out several strange cries.
Then, using all its strength, it began rapidly circling around Cold Cry.
Its body moved faster and faster, attempting to disrupt his vision before seizing the opportunity to attack and snap his neck in one decisive strike.
But the Spider Demon didn't know that Cold Cry did not rely solely on his vision to detect its movements.
How could he not understand what it was planning?
Since the creature was so desperate to prove its superiority, Cold Cry decided to give it an opportunity.
He deliberately withdrew the cold air and aura surrounding his body.
His expression also relaxed, creating the illusion that he had lowered his guard.
Sure enough, the not-so-intelligent creature fell for it.
The moment Cold Cry turned his head and exposed his back, the Spider Demon immediately stabilized its body.
Then, with all its strength, it lunged forward.
Once it had leaped into the air, changing direction would not be easy.
The Spider Demon was convinced that this attack would succeed.
"Ice Breathing, Fifth Form: Swift Ice Thorn!"
Just as the Spider Demon thought it was about to bite through Cold Cry's neck, a flash of white light pierced through its throat.
The attack was so fast that the Spider Demon had no time to react.
Only then did it realize that it had been tricked.
Endless fear immediately appeared in its eyes.
The Nichirin Sword had pierced through its throat.
And now—
The blade was slowly cutting through its neck.
The Spider Demon began struggling frantically.
Low, incoherent screams escaped from its mouth as it gripped the blade with both hands, desperately trying to pull its body away.
At the same time, its six legs kicked wildly toward Cold Cry.
Cold Cry slowly turned around.
He faced the ugly Spider Demon directly.
It possessed a human face.
Yet its body had evolved into such a grotesque form that its long, flexible spine and six legs made it resemble some kind of monstrous crawling creature.
The sight only made the coldness in Cold Cry's eyes deepen.
The Spider Demon continued to struggle.
But the Nichirin Sword remained firmly embedded in its throat.