Ding.
"Successfully added Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho as a friend."
"Detected friendship level: Friend. Two rewards granted."
"Talent: Superior."
"Comprehension: Superior."
"Fuse Talent: Superior now?"
Raiden stood still for a moment, genuinely caught off guard.
Friend?
He had expected acquaintance at best. He and Shinobu had sparred for days, but most of their exchanges were quiet, restrained, professional. There had been no long conversations, no dramatic turning points.
So how had their relationship jumped directly to Friend?
He replayed everything in his mind.
The only significant moment had been at the Hashira Meeting, when he drew his Nichirin blade without hesitation to protect Nezuko. Shinobu had witnessed that.
Was it because of that? Because he stood firm when nine Hashira surrounded him?
Perhaps her opinion of Tanjiro had shifted that day. Perhaps her view of him had as well.
After considering it carefully, that explanation felt the most reasonable.
"Training will be at the same time tomorrow."
Shinobu's voice pulled him back. She smiled gently, patted his shoulder, and walked past him.
As she moved by, the brightness in her eyes softened into something nostalgic.
When Raiden had stood before the Hashira and defended Nezuko without flinching, she had glimpsed a shadow of her older sister, Kanae Kocho.
Kanae had believed in coexistence between humans and demons. She had hoped for understanding instead of endless slaughter. That hope had died with her, taken by Upper Rank Two, Doma.
Shinobu could not abandon her hatred. Yet she also could not abandon her sister's final wish.
So she smiled. Always smiling. Even when her heart was heavy.
But after speaking with Tanjiro, and now watching Raiden, the weight inside her chest had eased slightly.
Perhaps her sister's dream was not completely impossible.
Raiden exhaled quietly. A faint fragrance lingered in the air where she had stood.
Expectation.
So she was placing hope in him.
He gave a faint smile.
"My turn! Duel! I want a duel, Ratarou!"
The atmosphere shattered instantly.
Raiden's expression darkened as Inosuke leapt onto the training floor, pointing dramatically.
Ratarou?
At least his previous mispronunciations had been close. This was creative in the worst way.
Inosuke charged forward, shouting incoherently about Beast Breathing.
He barely made it two steps.
Bang.
He flew backward faster than he had rushed in, slamming into the wooden wall and sliding down in a defeated heap.
Silence.
Zenitsu stared in admiration.
"His head is unbelievable," he muttered. "How many times has he been sent flying now? I lost count."
Tanjiro winced. He had warned Inosuke countless times. It never worked.
Raiden clapped his hands lightly, turning to leave. Then he paused, reconsidered, and walked back toward the slumped boar headed swordsman.
He crouched beside him.
"That's it?" he asked softly.
Inosuke's upper body snapped upright.
"I will duel you to the end, Riden Bastard! Bastard!"
He grabbed for his Nichirin blades, only for Tanjiro to restrain him.
"Inosuke, your arm is dislocated. You cannot move like that."
"I am not dislocated!"
Raiden straightened and glanced at the system panel hovering in his vision.
Nothing.
Last time, provoking Inosuke had increased their intimacy level instantly. He had gained Superior Talent because of it.
He had assumed teasing him again would push it higher.
Apparently not.
No progress bar. No explanation.
He almost felt insulted.
Half a month passed.
Raiden sat in the Butterfly Mansion courtyard, breathing steadily. Since synchronizing the five major Breathing Forms, his growth had accelerated noticeably.
Two days after the Hashira Meeting, he had advanced to D rank. At his current pace, reaching C rank would take perhaps another half month.
"Raiden! Raiden! We have a new mission!"
Zenitsu burst into the courtyard, breathless with excitement. Tanjiro followed, carrying Nezuko's box on his back. Inosuke lingered behind them in an aggressive stance, as if ready to charge at any moment.
"A mission?" Raiden opened his eyes calmly.
The Mugen Train.
He had been waiting.
Half a month without fusing a new ability had left him restless. Traditional training was steady, but slow.
Making friends was far more efficient.
Lower Rank One Enmu and Upper Rank Three Akaza were ideal targets.
He currently possessed four Superior Talents. He needed one more.
Akaza almost certainly carried Superior level attributes. Befriending him would be valuable regardless. Enmu's Blood Demon Art was also tempting if no Superior Talent appeared.
And beyond that, the mission offered another opportunity, Kyojuro Rengoku.
If he could deepen their relationship, perhaps another Superior Talent would fall into place.
"Raiden, you do not look surprised," Zenitsu said suspiciously. "I heard we are going with the Flame Hashira. My Grandfather said every Hashira is unbelievably strong. Is that true?"
Tanjiro nodded. "You have met him before, Raiden. What do you think?"
"Powerful," Raiden answered without hesitation. "Extremely powerful."
Rengoku had nearly dragged Akaza into the grave with him. That alone spoke volumes.
Zenitsu blinked in surprise. Raiden rarely spoke so firmly about anyone.
"Are you ready?" Tanjiro asked.
"Already ready."
"Beast Breathing!"
Raiden pressed down Inosuke's charging head with one hand while replying to Tanjiro as if nothing unusual were happening.
"Give me a moment to change."
He tossed Inosuke aside casually and returned to his room.
He removed his training clothes and changed into his usual white haori patterned with faint clouds. Clean, simple, distinct against his white hair.
As he fastened the final button, he reviewed the events of the Mugen Train in his mind.
First, Enmu would use enchanted tickets to place everyone into dreams. He would manipulate children to destroy their spiritual cores. Nezuko would awaken and break the illusion with her flames. Tanjiro would kill Enmu using Hinokami Kagura.
Then Akaza would appear.
Rengoku would stand alone.
Raiden's eyes sharpened.
If he wanted to befriend Enmu, he needed contact before the dream collapsed.
As for Akaza, strength was the language he respected. Display enough of it, and Akaza would initiate the offer himself.
Raiden picked up his Nichirin blade and slid it into place at his waist.
He stepped outside.
"Let's go," he said lightly. "Time to meet the Flame Hashira."
___
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