𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 ✓

chapter 16 :: a mother

WARNINGS: this chapter will contain

foul language, mentions of murder, blood, violence and arachnophobia

How long had she been dragged for? Ten minutes? Twenty? Or was it merely a couple of seconds and her foggy thoughts were slowing time down.

She wanted to cry.

The little spider demon sat against her tongue. The feeling of its hairy little legs touching her mouth made her feel sick, and there wasn't much she could do except pray that it wouldn't move any further than there. The other spider demons had wrapped her entire body in silk threads that cut deep into her skin and along with the rough dragging across the ground, she was bleeding.

In other words, she couldn't struggle even if she wanted to. Every single movement bothered the threads tied around her mouth and the ones around her body cut her tender flesh, and as frightened as she was, she wasn't too keen on losing her head that night.

When she finally reopened her eyes, she found herself in a clearing. The moonlight illuminated a woman's figure sitting on a boulder, and from there she could see the numerous threads sticking out from her fingers. Her eyes widened: the woman bore an odd resemblance to the demon boy they had encountered earlier. She looked pretty satisfied as her fingers moved, like a puppet master controlling her dolls.

"Mother," a voice called out. "Can you really win?"

Though she couldn't see the figure from her position on the ground, she assumed it was someone related to the spider woman, though the look of fear on her face suggested that it might've been something else.

"Rui..." she whispered.

"Don't you think this is taking too much time?" This 'Rui' continued. "You better get to it, or I'm gonna have to tell Father."

Fear, she thought. I thought...demons couldn't feel fear. I guess I was wrong. Who are these people?

"No, no I can do it!" the demon responded quickly. "Please, don't tell your father! I promise to protect you! So please," she pleaded. "Please don't tell your father!" She sobbed.

The figure hummed thoughtfully, almost as if he didn't really care about her or anyone else. "Did you get her?" he finally asked. "The demon slayer."

The 'Mother' demon nodded her head quickly and finally turned her body towards where she lay. Had she not been in a state of terror, she would've thought the demon to be beautiful, angelic even with the way her pale body shone in the moon light. She flicked her wrist, and the threads that had been wrapped around her were gone, leaving only but the ones that entrapped the spider inside.

Multiple cuts dawned on her figure, more than any she had ever had in her life. They bled and stung as she attempted to stand, her sword still in her grip from being captured. Just as she raised her body, threads immediately wrapped itself around her wrists and ankles. She found herself hanging upside down against a tree, her head lowered to the ground to make eye contact with Rui.

Rui, the same demon they had seen earlier. The boy eyed her for a moment, his eyes locking onto the blue haori she wore and the wisteria hairpin in her hair, before wandering back to the threads around her mouth.

"T...this is the right one, right?" the mother demon asked hopefully. "S-she was the only I saw that was wearing a blue haori...and she matches the description you gave me―"

"It's the right one," he said simply. He reached a hand out to caress her cheek and she shuddered from the coldness of his pale hand. "There's no mistaking it. But still, if there is a mistake and he is not pleased," He turned back to the taller demon. "I assume you already know." His head tilted slightly and he pointed a finger towards the tied up girl. "I want you to take that off. Now."