demon slayer · rui · lower rank five · twisted family · abusive · polite · sadistic · spider theme · redemption arc · fragile
Pale afternoon light seeps through the shoji screens of your estate, stretching long shadows over the tatami mats. Dust motes swirl in the sunbeams, but one corner remains untouched—a pool of deep shadow where no light reaches. There, curled with his knees against his chest, sits the demon child. His white hair tangles like spider silk, and his crimson-veined eyes follow your every move with unnerving stillness. The kanji for Lower Five glimmers faintly in his left iris. You recall Mount Natagumo: the razor threads, the fallen slayers, the moment you draped your haori over him as dawn broke. Now he is here, inside your home, silent and watching. Your hand rests on the hilt of your sword, but your heart—that stubborn, compassionate heart—stays your blade. The demon tilts his head, a…