I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 366 [3 Chapters Combined] Giyuu Tomioka, the "Talking" One

And just as Komaji appeared, drawing everyone's attention...

Unbeknownst to anyone, a soft and pure white glimmer of light flowed quietly from Riley's fingertips, like a warm, living stream, and gently flowed into Shinobu's body.

With the infusion of this energy, Shinobu Kocho, who was stunned and temporarily forgot the excruciating pain coming from all parts of her body due to the Upper Moon Three's "abandonment of darkness for light" change that was far beyond her comprehension, suddenly felt an indescribable warmth that instantly flowed through her limbs and bones!

Especially during the previous battle, due to the use of breathing techniques, a large amount of extremely cold air containing the energy of the Blood Demon Art was inevitably inhaled, causing each breath to feel like being pierced by countless ice needles, and the organs that had entered a state of chronic necrosis...

After this strange warm current passed by, the burning, tearing sensation quickly subsided and healed, just like ice and snow melting in the sunlight!

Although the damaged alveoli and trachea are not visible to the naked eye...

But Shinobu Kocho could clearly feel that her body was recovering at an extremely fast speed and was full of vitality again.

Moreover, the physical strength she had expended in the battle with Doma was rapidly restored and replenished under the nourishment of this gentle yet powerful energy, like parched land receiving rain after a long drought, even surpassing her peak condition!

Besides that, what truly stirred up a storm in Shinobu's heart was...

However, what truly terrified her and nearly made her cry out in shock was—

With the miraculous healing of her internal and external injuries, Shinobu Kocho clearly felt...

For so long, in order to deal with Doma, he took advantage of Doma's habit of devouring women, calculated that he was not strong enough and would most likely be defeated and devoured by Doma. So he resolutely took poison day after day, and the wisteria poison that was enough to pose a fatal threat to any Upper Rank Demon accumulated in his body...

That was what she considered her ultimate trump card, her last resort to take down her enemy...

Under the influence of this gentle yet "absolutely purifying" power, they were easily dismantled, purified, and completely eliminated! It was as if they had never existed in her body!

How...how is this possible?!

She turned her head sharply, her violet eyes widening to their limit as she stared incredulously at the mysterious figure standing to the side, dressed in a strange black battle suit.

Although Shinobu had already heard about "Spider-Man" from Tanjiro and others before this...

But now, having witnessed his methods firsthand, Shinobu's eyes were filled with utter shock and bewilderment.

even……

It was a sense of panic and helplessness after the final plan, which was buried deep in the heart and had no intention of leaving the Infinite City alive, was completely disrupted and destroyed.

Just then, Riley, having put away the horse charm again, began to walk towards the gap he had forcibly broken open when he had charged ahead.

As Riley passed by Shinobu Kocho, whose body was trembling slightly and whose expression was complicated, his steps paused almost imperceptibly.

Riley didn't look at her; his gaze remained fixed on the passageway ahead.

But a calm, gentle, and incredibly clear voice, like a whisper, entered Shinobu's ears directly, carrying an undeniable certainty.

Cherish your life.

He paused briefly, as if to emphasize his words.

"It's not worth trading one life for that kind of scum."

Then came another sentence that went even deeper into her heart, as if it saw through the deepest obsession and loneliness in her soul.

"Just like you chose to believe in Kanao... try to believe in your companions who are standing beside you now."

"..."

The moment Riley finished speaking, Shinobu Kocho's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints!

He got it!

The moment Riley finished speaking, Shinobu Kocho's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints, and she even stopped breathing!

He got it!

He not only saw through the fact that his body had been eroded by toxins for a long time.

Even her deepest secret—the battle plan she had only vaguely revealed to her adopted sister Kanao before the battle began—was already completely understood!

This insightful ability, which seemed to read minds and cut straight to the heart, made Shinobu Kocho feel a chilling and terrified sensation, even more so than Doma's cold Blood Demon Art.

She couldn't help but glance deeply at Riley's masked profile out of the corner of her eye. She felt a mixture of relief that this mysterious and powerful figure was on her side, and an unease that her thoughts had been completely exposed.

But soon, that word of advice, clearly from a comrade's perspective and brimming with concern, pierced through the frozen lake of her heart like a warm light. It stirred uncontrollable, complex ripples within her heart, which had been as still as a stagnant pool, where she had resolved to face death today in order to achieve final victory. This caused Shinobu Kocho to unconsciously shift her gaze towards Giyu Tomioka, who was closest to her.

To survive...?

Relying on...companions?

In contrast, Riley acted as if he had only done a trivial, taken-for-granted little thing.

His face, covered by a black mask, turned slightly to the other side, following Shinobu's gaze. Giyu Tomioka, who had just fully recovered from the dizziness of high-speed movement, was now gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly. He instinctively stood in front of Shinobu, shielding her with his body, his eyes sharp as an eagle's as he scrutinized Komaji and Doma, pausing briefly.

Then, Riley's gaze swept over Shinobu Kocho, whose inner turmoil was currently palpable and whose expression was complex and difficult to discern.

His gaze subtly swept back and forth between the two men.

The black eyepiece gleamed slightly, concealing a playful smile in its depths.

Then, Riley simply flicked his wrist, leaving a small camera behind at the scene.

He then reached out and patted Tanjiro's shoulder, who was also drawn to Komaji's attention but remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Doma's every move.

"Let's go, Tanjiro."

"Huh? Gone...gone? Where did they go?"

"Where else can we go? Of course, we'll go and slay other evil spirits."

Riley's tone was as indifferent as if he were saying, "The weather's nice today." It was as if everything he did, from the moment he easily severed Doma's limbs, was just casually brushing the dust off his shoulders.

Having said that, Riley turned around without hesitation and strode into the deeper, darker passage of the Infinite City. He completely left the chaotic battle behind, adopting an attitude of detachment and unwillingness to get involved in any more trouble.

"But...but the battle here isn't over yet! Mr. Spider-Man! Are we...are we really just going to leave like this?"

Tanjiro snapped out of his daze, glancing at Inosuke, Komaji, and Doma still locked in a standoff, then at Shinobu, who was pale and "still injured" (actually, she was frightened by Riley), and at Mr. Tomioka, who was on high alert. His face was filled with anxiety, worry, and deep hesitation.

"And Akaza... he was once the Upper Moon Three, it's really not possible he'll suddenly..."

"Akaza is no longer here. You heard what he said. The one standing here now is 'Fist Pillar'."

Riley didn't pause in his steps, nor did he turn his head. His voice carried along the corridor, tinged with an enigmatic quality.

"As for Giyu and Shinobu, you don't need to worry about them at all... In a sense, what's coming next is their 'family business'."

"So, it's time for us 'spectators' to leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure was swallowed up by the shadows of the passage.

Tanjiro stared blankly in the direction Riley had disappeared, then turned back, anxiously looking at the still tense battlefield. His fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.

On one side is the mysterious and powerful partner, and then the departing figure.

On one side were his comrades, who were about to face a fierce battle (in his view)...

Ultimately, the almost blind, unconditional trust in Riley, built upon his numerous previous stunning performances, prevailed.

Tanjiro gritted his teeth, as if making a firm decision, and shouted loudly to Shinobu Kocho, Giyu Tomioka, and Inosuke who had just arrived at the center of the battlefield: "Shinobu-san! Giyu Tomioka-san! Inosuke! And... and that... Komaji-san! You all have to be careful!"

Immediately, he turned around resolutely, sheathing his Nichirin Blade with a sharp "clang." Without looking back, he quickly followed Riley's departing direction, his figure disappearing into the dimly lit passage.

With Riley and Tanjiro leaving, the atmosphere in the arena instantly became subtle.

For example, after sensing Riley's presence fading away until it completely disappeared from the perception range, confirming that this terrifying demon had truly left.

The fear and unease that had been weighing on Doma's mind because of Riley's presence vanished instantly.

Almost the instant he noticed Riley leaving, he instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted.

The next second, Doma's torso, which had its limbs severed at the root and seemed to be only able to writhe helplessly, underwent an astonishing transformation!

The granulation tissue, which originally regenerated at a snail's pace, seemed to have suddenly been freed from some invisible constraint, and began to proliferate, stretch, and shape at a frenzied speed visible to the naked eye!

In just a few breaths, the complete arms and legs were formed! Fair skin quickly covered them, perfectly connecting with the original body, without showing the slightest trace of injury.

During this process, Doma even leisurely stretched out his newly healed hand, calmly picked up the pair of golden folding fans from the side, unfolded them with a "snap," and casually waved them in the air, creating a large amount of cold mist that permeated his surroundings, as if announcing his return to everyone.

This astonishing regeneration speed undoubtedly proves that Doma's previous collapse and ugly struggle did not indicate a lack of regenerative ability...

Faced with Riley's absolute power, Doma, knowing that even if he regained his limbs, it wouldn't change the situation, instinctively chose to show weakness and hide his strength, waiting for the opportunity to turn the tide.

After his limbs had fully recovered, Doma stood up again and gently moved his newborn limbs. His signature, seemingly compassionate but actually nauseatingly hypocritical smile reappeared on his face like a brand.

Even the shock of surviving this ordeal made Doma's smile even more "radiant," given his already twisted psychology. The lingering fear in his rainbow eyes had vanished, replaced by a sense of superiority from regaining control over life and death, and a keen interest as if he were looking at a novel toy.

Clearly, in Douma's eyes...

As long as this black demon is not around.

Then he's invincible!

He looked at what was before him with great interest, a scene that he found utterly "comical".

A gruff-voiced but cute-looking savage who looked somewhat familiar.

A fool who gave up eternal life and chose to revert to being a weak human.

A quiet guy who seems inexplicably annoying.

In addition, there's the petite, cute, and hardworking girl who's far from posing a threat to him...

That evil spirit just left like that...

Do they think that these rabble, if they joined forces, could deal with him, the Upper Moon Two?

Or do they really think that their regenerative abilities are so weak that they are helpless after their limbs are cut off?

interesting……

Regardless of the specific conjecture, they all point to one answer.

That is, the black demon never took him seriously.

This feeling of utter humiliation from being completely disregarded drove Doma to the brink of madness far more than the physical pain he endured.

Even the fake smile that should have remained unchanged for a time froze and distorted for a brief moment.

Even the folding fan he was gripping tightly creaked under the weight of the pressure.

But soon, Doma's attention was drawn to a commotion coming from not far away.

His gaze followed the cacophony of noise that filled his ears, landing precisely on Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho.

As soon as Riley left, Giyu Tomioka frowned deeply.

With a shift in his gaze, Giyu Tomioka quickly swept over Doma, whose limbs had been regenerated and whose aura had surged again, before turning his head to Shinobu Kocho beside him.

It's worth mentioning that although Giyu Tomioka had heard about "Spider-Man" from Tanjiro many times, it was only after the battle of the Infinity Castle that Giyu Tomioka truly met Riley in person for the first time.

Even after witnessing Riley effortlessly sever Doma's limbs with overwhelming power, Giyu Tomioka still perceived this mysterious black-clad powerhouse as someone similar to Gyomei Himejima—a swordsman with superhuman strength and exceptional skill.

This is why Giyu Tomioka, who has a severe lack of knowledge about Riley, could not imagine and never realized that in addition to his terrifying physical skills, Riley also possessed extraordinary abilities such as the Horse Charm, which could instantly heal all injuries.

This resulted in the fact that during the brief, almost negligible contact between Riley and Shinobu Kocho, Giyu Tomioka was completely unaware that the power of the Horse Talisman had already quietly activated, completely eradicating all of Shinobu's injuries, toxins, and the fatigue accumulated from her recent battle with Doma, restoring her to an unprecedentedly excellent state.

Therefore, from Giyu Tomioka's perspective, Shinobu Kocho is still the comrade who has just survived a fierce battle.

The bloodstains on her haori were still wet, displaying a striking dark red color.

Although she tried to suppress her breathing, a barely perceptible rapidness and erratic rhythm could still be heard. [This wasn't due to exhaustion, but rather because she was somewhat frightened by Riley.]

In Giyu Tomioka's mind, this was undoubtedly proof that Shinobu Kocho's physical strength had been completely exhausted and that her internal organs had been severely damaged!

In this state, witnessing firsthand the almost tangible, obsessive, and insane flames of hatred burning in those violet eyes towards Doma made Tomioka Giyuu's heart sink.

All the things I witnessed pointed to one conclusion...

If Shinobu is allowed to charge at Doma again in this state, whose strength has not been weakened much, what will happen?

There is a high probability that Shinobu Kocho will lose control of her emotions or become physically unable to withstand the attack during the battle, thus revealing a weakness and ultimately meeting a tragic end!

This deep concern for his companion's situation instantly overwhelmed all other thoughts in Giyu Tomioka's mind.

So much so that while Doma was undergoing regeneration, Giyu Tomioka, who appeared calm on the surface but was actually full of inner turmoil, had already made his decision.

He darted forward and, without hesitation, stretched out his arm, forming a solid barrier in front of Shinobu Kocho, who had just finished neutralizing the poison, redrawn her Nichirin Blade, and was about to launch an attack.

Then, meeting Shinobu's puzzled gaze, Giyu Tomioka's usually expressionless handsome face twitched briefly as he tried to express concern and "let me do it."

Unfortunately, Giyuu Tomioka is not good with words, and his ability to organize his thoughts in language is a disaster.

His lips trembled for a moment, and after holding back for a long time, he could only manage to squeeze out this one sentence.

"He's very strong. You step back and leave him to me."

Upon closer examination, one will find that Giyu Tomioka's true intention is actually quite simple.

That is, to have oneself, who is in relatively good condition and emotionally stable, take the place of Shinobu Kocho to face the powerful enemy head-on, and buy as much time as possible.

So that Shinobu, who was "not yet healed" and "emotionally agitated," could use this time to recover from her injuries after retreating to a safe area, and prepare for the final battle to join forces against Muzan.

But just as Giyu Tomioka never realized that his daily words and actions had caused him to be disliked by the other Pillars.

Giyu Tomioka, whose emotional intelligence is severely lacking, is completely unaware of how harsh and contemptuous his "good intentions" based on a flawed judgment sound to Shinobu Kocho, who has fully recovered and is determined to take revenge herself!

She suddenly looked up at Giyu Tomioka's emotionless profile, and the hatred rising in her purple eyes paused briefly before being instantly overwhelmed by a raging fire of anger.

How much did she sacrifice for this moment?

And now, it's being rejected like this?!

"Oh dear, Mr. Tomioka, do you think I'm weaker than you and unworthy to be Upper Moon Two's opponent? Or do you think that if it weren't for you, I would definitely die at the hands of this demon?"

Her voice was sweet yet dangerous, and her smile was as cold as ice. This startled Yoshiyuki Tomioka, who had just realized something was wrong and was about to explain himself, so he immediately shut his mouth and shivered.

"You're so 'considerate'! But rest assured, I'm in perfect condition right now, perfectly capable of finishing him off myself! No need for you to worry!"

The last few words were uttered by Shinobu Kocho, whose veins were already bulging, almost through gritted teeth, one word at a time.

Faced with Shinobu's anger, Giyuu Tomioka felt a little flustered and tried to explain. But his mind went blank, and he didn't know how to organize his words to express his clumsy concern.

"..."

In the end, Giyu Tomioka fell silent.

She could only maintain her blocking posture, her brows furrowing even more, to express her insistence on letting Shinobu Kocho, this "seriously injured" patient, rest.

Little did he know that his statement seemed more like an expression of impatience, and worse, an admission of Shinobu Kocho's conjecture.

This "speechless" and "insisting on her own opinion" demeanor completely ignited Shinobu Kocho's suppressed anger and her competitive spirit at being "looked down upon."

"Heh...really...I've been thoroughly underestimated."

Shinobu Kocho let out a soft, enigmatic laugh, and twirled her Nichirin Blade in a sharp, whirling motion.

"It seems I must prove to Mr. Tomioka with my actions... that I am not some burden who needs special treatment and should be kept away from the battlefield!"

Although Riley's words before leaving made Shinobu Kocho start to think about the possibility of survival and decide to try to adopt more cooperative combat strategies with her comrades in the subsequent battles...

But this absolutely does not include being looked down upon, excluded from the fight, or treated like a fragile vase by others who protect you so closely!

Thinking of this, Shinobu Kocho's aura suddenly became incredibly sharp.

The murderous intent that had subsided slightly due to Riley's intervention now surged again like boiling magma, mixed with the anger of being "misunderstood" and the determination to prove himself!

With a resolute air, she pushed aside Giyu Tomioka's arm that was blocking her way, and strode forward without fear, standing side by side with Komaji and Inosuke. The tip of her knife was pointed directly at Doma, whose smile was becoming increasingly "pleasant," and she said coldly.

"Doma... we haven't settled our score yet!" Her voice was icy cold.

In contrast, Giyu Tomioka's outstretched arm remained stiffly suspended in mid-air.

He looked at the back of the person who not only didn't accept his "goodwill" but was also filled with inexplicable hostility and anger towards him. He couldn't help but frown, and a rare look of confusion and... a little grievance appeared on his face.

Clearly, with his meager emotional intelligence, he couldn't understand it at all...

Even though I meant well and was worried about the other person's safety.

But so far, apart from Tanjiro...

Why do my well-intentioned attempts to dissuade others always backfire?

Could it be myself...?

Was the message not direct enough, so the other person didn't understand the real meaning they wanted to convey?

Yes, that makes sense, that must be it!

Since that's the case, then next time...

Before you speak, you should think it over carefully, making your words more concise and clear! Even your expression should be more serious to ensure that the other person realizes you are not joking!