"This… how long has it been? Ten minutes?"
Hozhi muttered under his breath as he stared at the completely cleared East District.
Ten minutes.
That was barely enough time to travel from the West District to the Izakaya and then here without stopping.
Yet within that span, Raiden had eliminated four demons across multiple districts.
Danki inhaled slowly, his thoughts tangled.
Raiden's strength had long surpassed what he imagined. The rank announced by the Kasugai Crow no longer felt reliable.
"Let's move," Haruto said, forcing himself to steady his voice. "It seems Raiden has already handled this area. We should head to the South District and check on Yuna."
He could not understand how someone so young could wield such terrifying power.
When they arrived in the South District, they saw Yuna standing motionless in the street.
His pupils were slightly unfocused, his mouth parted as if he had witnessed something beyond reason.
"Yuna," Hozhi called. "Was Raiden here?"
The familiar voice snapped him out of it.
He turned abruptly and rushed toward them, eyes shining with excitement.
"That was Raiden, right? He's unbelievable. You have no idea. The Wind Demon didn't even have a chance. It opened its mouth, and he just looked at it and said, 'Useless.' The next second, its head was on the ground. I didn't even see him move."
His hands moved animatedly as he spoke.
That Wind Demon had been a constant nuisance these past days. It was not weak. It was far from harmless.
And yet it had died as easily as a candle being snuffed out.
Hozhi and the others exchanged faint smiles. They had already experienced something similar.
Yuna blinked at their calm expressions.
"Wait… you already know?" he asked, confusion creeping in.
He suddenly froze.
"You were supposed to be guarding your areas. Why are you here? Don't tell me…"
His eyes widened.
"The Wolf Fang Demon too?"
Hozhi nodded.
"One strike," he said with a bitter smile. "Just one. Its head fell before we could even react."
Yuna stared at him.
"One strike? That was a demon near Kanoe rank."
His mind raced.
Even if Raiden were a Kanoe Slayer, defeating such a demon so cleanly was excessive. That was closer to Hashira level strength.
"And now," Haruto said quietly, "only the one at Golden Pavilion Temple remains. Should we follow him?"
The demon at the temple was not particularly powerful. Any of them could have handled it alone. That was why they had assigned a weaker Corps member to monitor it.
Given what they had just witnessed, following Raiden felt unnecessary.
"Let's return to the Izakaya," Hozhi decided. "By the time we get there, Raiden will likely have finished."
Meanwhile, at Golden Pavilion Temple.
A massive demon crawled backward across the wooden floor.
It stood nearly two and a half meters tall, muscles bulging beneath bark-like skin. Its shoulders were wide, its body covered in black and dark red horns shaped like brutal weapons.
Ancient markings glowed faintly across its skin, pulsing with a sinister purple hue.
Its small head seemed disproportionate to its enormous frame. Crimson eyes flickered with a mix of rage and fear. Thick saliva dripped from its fanged mouth, staining the temple floor.
Despite its fearsome appearance, it trembled.
Its massive claws carved deep grooves into the wood as it retreated until its back pressed against a towering Buddha statue. The statue's calm expression contrasted sharply with the demon's panic.
The irony was almost poetic.
When it had been human, it never believed in salvation.
Now it sought it.
Raiden stood before it, white hair catching the dim temple light.
The demon's lower body had already been severed. Only its upper half remained, struggling weakly.
"Upper comprehension," Raiden murmured to himself. "Not bad."
This was the first demon he had encountered in Hirai with such potential outside the Twelve Kizuki. The others had been mediocre.
The Fire Fox Demon's Blood Demon Art had caught his attention briefly, but nothing came of it.
Perhaps this one would be different.
He crouched in front of the Horned Demon, smiling faintly, his expression almost gentle.
"How about we become friends?"
The words sounded absurd in the quiet temple.
The Horned Demon shook violently.
"Don't kill me," it pleaded. "I haven't eaten anyone. The people I captured, they're still alive, I swear."
Raiden's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Stop," he said calmly. "Just answer the question. Are you willing to be friends?"
The demon swallowed.
"I am. I'm willing."
Its voice trembled, stripped of pride.
In front of the young man with white hair, even something built like a war machine had chosen survival over dignity.
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