Chapter 158: Thunder Dragon Form!
Although Ren himself didn't think it was anything particularly remarkable, the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps certainly didn't see it that way.
No one dared claim that they could kill an Upper Rank demon.
And those who could kill an Upper Rank demon and escape completely unscathed were even rarer.
Therefore, Ren's victories must have come at an enormous cost.
After killing three Upper Rank demons, the price Ren had paid must have been unimaginable.
Inosuke was the first to speak. He gave a heavy snort, his voice low and solemn.
"Master, I, the great—no. I've never submitted to anyone before, but today, I will follow you. I will be your disciple forever!"
"Oh… Huh?"
Ren froze for a moment.
When had Inosuke become his disciple?
How come I didn't know about this?!
Zenitsu, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but say, "Hey, buddy, you two seem really close! Is he your master?"
Then Agatsuma Zenitsu excitedly grabbed Ren's hand.
"This is my master!"
Inosuke immediately flew into a rage.
"Get lost! I'm the senior disciple! You're still a junior, you yellow-haired brat!"
The two immediately began bickering and roughhousing, drawing laughter from the surrounding passengers.
Kyojuro and Tanjiro nearby were laughing as well.
Tanjiro gently stroked the wooden box on his back and softly asked, "Nezuko, did you sense it too?"
The scarred boy felt the movement coming from inside the box. He sniffed lightly before speaking with understanding in his voice.
"Yes. Lord Ren has a faint scent about him. It's very familiar… almost like Mother."
Inside the wooden box, Nezuko responded:
"Mm~! Mm!"
Suddenly, Nezuko burst out of the box, pushing the lid aside as she crawled out.
Tanjiro was startled.
Why had his sister suddenly come out?
What if she frightened the passengers around them?
Still, Tanjiro wasn't worried that Nezuko would hurt anyone.
As long as Nezuko wasn't exposed as a demon, ordinary people couldn't tell what she really was. They would usually just assume she was a little girl who liked keeping a bamboo muzzle in her mouth.
However, Nezuko's sudden appearance really did give Zenitsu a fright.
"Nezuko~! Did you come out to cheer me on too? You support me too, right?! This is just…"
Unfortunately, before Zenitsu could finish speaking, Nezuko suddenly lunged straight at Ren!
"Nezuko, don't!"
Tanjiro shouted in horror.
He firmly believed that his sister would never eat a human, and he trusted absolutely that she would never hurt Lord Ren.
But Ren hadn't been present at the last Hashira meeting!
In other words, based on everything Tanjiro knew, Ren didn't know about Nezuko's existence!
At the very least, Tanjiro wasn't certain that Dragon Hashira-sama knew!
If Ren didn't know about Nezuko, what would happen if a demon suddenly lunged at him?
He would kill her before anyone could react!
No wonder Tanjiro was so nervous.
Agatsuma Zenitsu was even more nervous!!
If the bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko was the bond between siblings, then the bond between Zenitsu and Nezuko was that between a goddess and her devoted worshipper.
Sometimes, the power of a fanatical admirer was even more terrifying than that of family affection!
"Thunder Breathing…"
A sudden electronic-like voice sounded.
Under these circumstances, Zenitsu had actually forced himself to switch states and unleashed his ultimate technique!
Ren's eyes lit up.
He immediately activated his Transparent World.
[Transparent World deployed!]
[A transparent world unfolds before your eyes!]
[The surrounding world appears to move one hundred times slower relative to your perception!]
[You see Nezuko suspended in midair, drooling. You see affection in her eyes. Has she found one of her own kind?]
[You see Inosuke's boar mask suddenly fly off. Caught completely off guard by the sudden turn of events, he even thinks that the yellow-haired guy can't beat him and is deliberately trying to pick a fight!]
[You see the panic in Tanjiro's eyes.]
[You see calmness in Kyojuro's eyes.]
Everything before you is completely within your grasp.
You begin concentrating on Zenitsu's movements.
[His lungs are working rapidly. His meridians are expanding. His breathing method is exceptionally powerful, accompanied by the deep rumble of thunder.]
[Every muscle throughout Zenitsu's body is continuously changing shape. In your eyes, although the transformation isn't perfect, it is remarkably well coordinated with his physique. From this, you deduce that if he exerts the strength of his entire body at once, his speed will reach a terrifying level!]
You begin thinking…
[You are connecting this with his Breathing Style…]
[You suddenly have an epiphany. You have learned Thunder Breathing—First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!]
You enter a state of deduction!
[From Thunder Breathing—First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, the following variations can be deduced: Thunderclap and Flash—Sixfold, Thunderclap and Flash—Godspeed, and Thunderclap and Flash—Thunder God!]
[By combining the First Form of Thunder Breathing with Dragon Breathing, you create a new Dragon Breathing form—Thunder Dragon Form!]
You have pioneered a new Breathing technique.
You begin contemplating…
For a moment, Ren's thoughts drifted far away.
But by the time he finished thinking everything through, Zenitsu hadn't even used Thunder Breathing yet!
Once the Transparent World was activated, Ren's thought process could easily outpace Zenitsu's.
That didn't necessarily mean his actual physical speed was faster, however.
Everyone knew that Thunder Breathing was one of the fastest Breathing Styles of them all.
Even Ren didn't dare underestimate it.
Fortunately, Zenitsu's current strength was still limited.
Combined with Ren's heaven-defying comprehension, it didn't take long for him to find a countermeasure.
Thunder Breathing?
Ren smiled faintly.
Then his body began to tremble violently!
It wasn't fear.
Nor was it an outward expression of any emotion.
Ren was doing it deliberately.
Your body begins vibrating at a high frequency!
You are imitating the movements of a bee!
You contract your muscles, accumulating strength and preparing them for the next muscular movement!
You begin breathing.
Your body requires oxygen to carry out both aerobic and anaerobic activity!
[You begin imitating the transformation method of your opponent's cells, condensing your cells into forms most suited to the overall structure and transformation process!]
You gain a deeper understanding of your own body!
[Your blood circulation begins accelerating. Your body temperature rises. Your Demon Slayer Mark unconsciously emerges. You close your eyes!]
You sense thunder rumbling within the silence.
You feel the thunder roaring inside your body!
[Your Dragon Breathing has entered Thunder Dragon Form!]
"Thunder Dragon Breathing, First Form—Thunder Spark!"
The name was something Ren had come up with on the spot.
He instinctively murmured the words under his breath, and by the time the final syllable left his lips, his body had already accelerated into a blur.
A deep rumble of thunder suddenly echoed through the center of the train.
It sounded like rolling thunder approaching from the heavens, gathering power and waiting to unleash itself!