Gold represents Thunder, blue represents Water, cyan represents Wind.
Are these truly the five fundamental Breathing Forms? If all five were gathered, could they return to their origin and merge into Sun Breathing?
At the thought, Raiden's white lashes lowered slightly, and a faint light flickered in his eyes.
Sun Breathing was the progenitor of all Breathing Forms. Yoriichi Tsugikuni had once used it to overwhelm Kibutsuji Muzan, turning the Demon King's name into a lingering nightmare. If Raiden could grasp even a fragment of that power, then facing an Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki would no longer mean certain death. He could at least trade blows.
That alone was extraordinary.
An Upper Rank demon stood on equal footing with a Hashira. They did not hold back. When they fought, they killed. The gap between a full powered Upper Rank and a restrained Hashira was obvious.
Still, the excitement in Raiden's chest gradually cooled.
The inheritance of Sun Breathing had long been severed. The five fundamental Breathing Forms were only fragments derived from it. To reconstruct the origin from its broken branches would be nearly impossible.
Rather than placing his hopes on some miraculous fusion within his mind, it would be more realistic to wait for Tanjiro Kamado to fully awaken the Hinokami Kagura. The dance carried the legacy of Sun Breathing, though Tanjiro himself had yet to comprehend its depth.
Just as Raiden expected, the brilliant lights of the five basic Breathing Forms gathered together yet showed no sign of merging.
Thunder, Water, Stone, Wind, and Flame intertwined, forming a complex network of power within his consciousness. It resembled a miniature pentagram, each point pulsing faintly with every breath he took.
With each inhale and exhale, Raiden felt a subtle dizziness.
This strength, this overwhelming surge, was it truly his?
Before, whenever he shifted from one Breathing Form to another, he needed a brief adjustment. The transition lasted only seconds, but in battle even a heartbeat could decide life or death.
Now there was no transition.
Each breath activated all five Forms simultaneously.
Power flooded his limbs, refined and harmonious. Thunder sharpened his speed and explosive force. Water sustained his stamina and vitality. Stone fortified his defense and endurance. Flame amplified his attack. Wind honed his strikes, making them swift and nearly imperceptible.
He felt terrifyingly strong.
If he entered the Transparent World now, even Tengen Uzui might not easily suppress him. Only two months had passed. If Tengen saw him now, perhaps the former Sound Hashira would finally acknowledge him as an equal.
Raiden allowed himself a faint smirk before forcing it away.
He continued observing the changes within. Gradually, the five lights softened, their brilliance stabilizing. The rapid surge in his growth slowed until it settled completely.
He had not broken into the next rank, but it was close. A matter of days at most.
Yet what interested him more was not rank, but practical strength.
Before gathering the five Forms, he had been like a young wolf testing its fangs. Now he was a tiger revealing its claws.
With his current power, defeating Enmu, even enhanced by Muzan's blood, would be within reach. Upper Rank Three, Akaza, remained far beyond him. However, if he fought alongside Kyojuro Rengoku, he could decisively influence the battle. Even if killing Akaza proved impossible, ensuring Rengoku's survival would not.
Among the Hashira, only Shinobu Kocho had yet to be added to his growing network of allies. Timing would be key. After her conversation with Tanjiro tonight, her guard would be lower.
He would send the request then.
As his realm stabilized, exhaustion finally caught up to him. The day had brought both gains and strain.
Raiden lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
Far away, within the Infinity Castle.
"Kyougai is dead. Lower Rank Five is also dead."
Muzan Kibutsuji stood in a silk kimono, crimson eyes gleaming coldly.
Kyougai's death meant little. His strength had never qualified him for the Twelve Kizuki. But Rui had possessed genuine potential. Yet even he had fallen.
Were the Lower Ranks truly this worthless?
Did Muzan truly need such failures to search for the Blue Spider Lily?
And then there was that man, Raiden.
A pharmacist who claimed to assist in gathering rare ingredients, yet in truth a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps. The audacity.
Muzan's expression darkened at the memory. He had placed hope in that man. The thought alone made his skin crawl.
If even a mere swordsman could not be eliminated, what purpose did the Lower Ranks serve?
"The Lower Ranks. Summon them."
Nakime's fingers brushed the strings of her biwa.
Zheng.
Five figures materialized within the shifting halls of the Infinity Castle.
With another strum, they were drawn together onto a single platform.
Aside from Enmu, the others struggled to hide their fear.
"Kneel."
Muzan's voice was quiet, yet suffocating.
One demon attempted to speak in trembling flattery.
"Did I permit you to speak?" Muzan replied coldly. "Answer only what I ask."
"Rui is dead. Lower Rank Five is dead. Tell me, why are the Lower Ranks so weak?"
Silence filled the chamber.
"Becoming one of the Twelve Kizuki is not the end. It is the beginning. Devour more humans. Grow stronger. Become useful."
"In the past century, the Upper Ranks have never changed. They kill the Hashira time and time again."
"But you? How often have the Lower Ranks been replaced?"
The pressure intensified. Killing intent saturated the air.
A stray thought crossed one demon's mind, a flicker of resentment.
Muzan's eyes narrowed.
"Did you say something?"
A grotesque arm burst forth, lifting the demon by his lower body.
"I am sorry! Lord Muzan, please, forgive me!"
The plea ended in an explosion of blood.
Another attempted to flee. A slight motion of Muzan's wrist was enough. The head of Lower Rank Three appeared in his hand.
"From this moment forward, the Twelve Kizuki will consist only of the Upper Ranks. The Lower Ranks are dissolved."
He tossed the severed head aside as though discarding refuse.
One by one, they died.
Only Enmu remained.
"And you?" Muzan asked.
Enmu spread his arms, smiling with twisted delight. "To be killed by your own hand, and to hear the screams of others before me, I could not ask for greater happiness. Thank you for leaving me for last."
Muzan regarded him silently.
"I will grant you more blood."
Enmu's pupils dilated.
"Kill the demon slayer wearing hanafuda earrings, and you will receive more."
"Kill the one with white hair and cloud patterned clothing, and I will grant you blood equal to an Upper Rank."
From Rui's final memories, Muzan had seen it clearly. Raiden's strength surpassed that of the boy with the earrings.
The biwa echoed once more.
Zheng.
___
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