"Swoosh, swoosh."
Several figures flew in from a distance, their expressions growing heavy as they took in the ruined battlefield.
"Mitsuri-san, are you alright?"
Shinobu Kocho scanned the area and hurried over to Lucien and Mitsuri, who were catching their breath.
Every Pillar had now arrived:
Water Pillar, Giyu Tomioka
Insect Pillar, Butterfly Shinobu
Flame Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku
Sound Pillar, Tengen Uzui
Love Pillar, Mitsuri Kanroji
Mist Pillar, Muichiro Tokito
Serpent Pillar, Obanai Iguro
Stone Pillar, Gyoumei Himejima
Lucien had only previously met Kyojuro and Shinobu-san; this was his first time meeting the other Pillars.
"I'm fine! But Lucien is seriously injured," Mitsuri said, shaking her head as she looked at his pale face.
"Didn't you say Kibutsuji Muzan came?" Tengen Uzui asked, surveying the chaotic terrain—only craters, shattered walls, and ruin remained, but Muzan himself was gone.
"He already escaped," Mitsuri replied.
"You two drove him off?" Gyoumei's voice trembled with surprise and relief. Tears shone in his eyes. Though Mitsuri was strong, Muzan was no ordinary demon—and yet here they were.
Mitsuri nodded. Lucien had told her that if anyone asked who had forced Muzan back, she should say it was both of them. He had insisted she take the lead, that he was only there to support her. Despite not fully understanding why, Mitsuri complied.
"Let's return to the estate and discuss this in private. Our Master is probably waiting," Shinobu Kocho said, glancing subtly at Lucien.
To her eyes, Mitsuri looked like she had hardly been in a fight—while Lucien's disheveled state told a very different story. She also knew Mitsuri well enough to notice when she lied: her two fingers would begin to twirl unconsciously.
A few minutes later, four Kakushi carried Lucien back to the Love Estate on a stretcher. Originally, he was supposed to go to the Butterfly Estate—where injured Demon Slayers were treated and rehabilitated under Shinobu-san's charge—but Lucien had refused.
As he lay on the stretcher, he sighed. His wounds looked severe, yet he could heal them in moments if he pushed his regeneration. The real drain was his stamina.
He also knew Mitsuri would tell everything about the fight. She simply couldn't hold back. But that was fine—at least for now, no one would suspect he had bested Sanemi Shinazugawa.
But Muzan remained a wildcard: he knew about Sanemi. Lucien needed to be ready for anything.
Muzan had proven far stronger than Lucien had expected. Consuming him would not be easy. Killing him was out of the question; his regeneration was too powerful.
Could Lucien strike when the sun rose? But Muzan could always slip into the Infinity Castle through Nakime, avoiding sunlight.
Could he ask Tamayo for the four medicines? Perhaps they weren't developed yet. Could he somehow pierce Muzan's five brains and seven hearts all at once? That was nearly impossible—unless he shredded him entirely.
There were several possible options:
1. Rely on sunlight.
2. Use Tamayo's four medicines.
3. Destroy all his vital organs in one blow.
4. Master Sun Breathing.
5. Upgrade the Nichirin Blade to a Crimson Blade, a weapon hot enough to burn cells instead of just slicing them.
The first three paths seemed either too difficult or unavailable. Sun Breathing was the legendary Dance of the Fire God practiced by Tanjiro, but Lucien didn't know it. The Crimson Blade, on the other hand, could suppress Muzan's regeneration—just as Yoriichi Tsugikuni's attacks once did, centuries ago.
But how did one create a Crimson Blade? Lucien thought back: heat. If one concentrated all their power into the Nichirin Blade through breathing, rising its temperature until it glowed red—that might form a Crimson Blade.
He recalled the first demon he'd ever killed: it had been burned alive. Demons didn't just fear sunlight—they feared extreme heat, because it could destroy their cells. Their regeneration depended on their cells dividing rapidly, and intense heat could stop that.
Lucien also reviewed the power system of the Demon Slayer Corps. He knew there were roughly four key power tiers:
Mastering a breathing style.
Achieving Total Concentration: Constant, after which some become Pillars.
Awakening the Demon Slayer Mark, which drastically enhances strength, raises body temperature to 39 °C, heart rate above 200 bpm, and allows you to overdraw your lifespan—but shortens life.
Entering the Transparent World, where your body seems translucent, time slows, prediction and evasion sharpen, and you can see into the opponent's muscles and blood flow.
On the demon side, the concept of Boundary Breakthrough existed—and Muzan had clearly achieved it. That meant even if his head was severed, he could reattach it with sheer will.
Lucien's goal was not just to kill Muzan. He wanted to devour him. The Crimson Blade seemed his best chance. But to create one, he might need the Demon Slayer Mark or Transparent World. Lucien had reached Constant with Thunder Breathing, but so far no sign of the Mark or any world-transcending ability.
As the Kakushi carried him back to the Love Estate, somewhere in the dark alleys of the city, Muzan reappeared. He devoured a few unsuspecting people, then returned to a normal-looking form—but his expression was deeply displeased.
How dare a mere human contend with him bare-handed? Even the legendary Yoriichi could only reach him through Sun Breathing and a Crimson Blade. That opponent earlier… Lucien—if he ever mastered Sun Breathing or forged a Crimson Blade, he would be more dangerous than Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself.
Muzan felt a creeping dread.
He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was standing inside the Infinity Castle.
"Nakime," he called. "Summon the Twelve Kizuki."
Nakime knelt nearby, plucking her biwa quietly. One by one, eerie figures materialized around them:
Upper Moon One, Kokushibo
Upper Moon Two, Douma
Upper Moon Three, Akaza
Upper Moon Four, Hantengu
Upper Moon Five, Gyokko
Upper Moon Six, Daki
Lower Moon One, Enmu
Lower Moon Two, Rokuro
Lower Moon Three, Gyukimaru (Gyuu)
Lower Moon Four, Zeroshiko
Lower Moon Six, Kamanue
Muzan's lips twisted into a sinister smile.
_____
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