I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 382 The Banquet

Of course, this was just a fleeting thought.

But at this moment, feeling the pure and fervent gratitude and joy surrounding him, almost overwhelming him, Riley took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed these distracting thoughts. He knew clearly that these Demon Slayer Corps members before him, with their clear eyes and excited emotions, were completely different from the beasts he deeply loathed in his memory. They were truly respectable warriors, harboring lofty ideals, risking their lives one after another for the safety of complete strangers.

As countless thoughts raced through Riley's mind, and he swiftly decided to "go with the flow and enjoy the moment," the perceptive and meticulous Stone Pillar, Gyomei Himejima, standing beside him, clearly noticed Riley's fleeting, subtle awkwardness and silence. He stepped forward imperceptibly, his towering, mountain-like frame perfectly diverting some of the attention focused on Riley, and responded in a booming voice, tinged with tears yet brimming with power:

"My lord, you flatter me. There's no need for such formalities." He clasped his hands together, tears streaming down his resolute face. "The fact that we were able to achieve complete victory in this battle and end a thousand years of darkness is due to a confluence of circumstances, and even more so to the protection of Heaven for us, the righteous ones. We were merely fulfilling our duty as swordsmen."

He abruptly changed the subject, turning everyone's attention to Riley, his tone filled with genuine admiration: "Moreover, in the final battle, especially at the crucial moment of defeating Muzan Kibutsuji, Mr. Spider-Man was the one who made the greatest contribution and exerted the most effort! He single-handedly turned the tide and created an incredible miracle, allowing us all to return safely without anyone perishing!"

"Yes, my lord!" Love Pillar Mitsuri Kanroji immediately nodded vigorously in agreement. Wiping away tears of joy and excitement, her pinkish-green eyes curved into beautiful crescents, her excitement overflowing. Perhaps overwhelmed with emotion, she almost instinctively hugged the Serpent Pillar Obanai Iguro, who was frozen in shock and whose ears had turned bright red from the sudden intimacy. She jumped and danced with joy, exclaiming, "Everyone's back safe and sound! That's wonderful! And from now on, there will be no more man-eating demons in the world! No one will be harmed by demons like our family and friends were! Isn't this a tremendous joy? I think we should have a big feast to celebrate!"

Her energetic actions and sincere words immediately inspired many people around her, and their faces lit up with smiles of deep empathy.

However, a flat, emotionless voice rang out from the side: "What do you mean by throwing a big banquet to celebrate... I think you're just hungry and want to take this opportunity to ride on Mr. Spider-Man's coattails and have a legitimate reason to eat and drink to your heart's content, right?"

The speaker was none other than Yoshiyuki Tomioka, the Water Pillar. He maintained his usual expressionless demeanor, as if he were merely stating an objective fact.

Kanroji Mitsuri instantly blushed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She quickly released her grip on Iguro Obanai (who seemed to let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but also looked slightly disappointed), and frantically waved her hands, explaining, "Hey! Giyuu-kun! What kind of nonsense are you spouting! Ah, no, no! I mean, I didn't mean that at all! I was genuinely happy for everyone, and I was celebrating the victory...!"

Her increasingly exaggerated explanations, coupled with Yoshiyuki Tomioka's earnest sabotage, immediately drew a burst of good-natured laughter.

"Hahahaha! What does it matter, Kanroji!" The Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa, unusually refrained from his fierce expression, laughing and patting his stomach. "I think this is a great suggestion! After fighting for so long, I'm starving! Celebrating victory and filling your stomach don't conflict at all!"

"That's right, that's right!"

"Great! Let's have a banquet! Let's have a banquet!"

"Quickly bring out all the best food and wine from the warehouse!"

The atmosphere instantly reached a climax, filled with the relief of surviving a catastrophe, the ease of being relieved of a heavy burden, and immense, pure joy. The flickering firelight illuminated every smiling and hopeful face, as if to completely dispel the darkness that had lasted for thousands of years and illuminate a brand new, bright future.