Tanjiro twitched his nose as a scent—stronger than Zenitsu's usual scent—drifted into his nostrils.
He wanted to help Lucas, but the fierce battle and the overwhelming presence of the Lower Five demon swordsman made it impossible. If anything happened to Zenitsu at this point, everything would collapse!
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
Just as Tanjiro's worry surfaced, a blinding streak of lightning tore through the dense forest. Although it wasn't as fast or intense as Lucas's earlier technique, it was still a force to be reckoned with.
Clang!
Zenitsu poured all his strength into his blade as it crashed against Rui's neck.
The impact made his hands tremble, and then—with a dull snap—his Nichirin Blade shattered in two at the point of contact.
Zenitsu stood frozen, gripping the broken sword, his mind blank.
Is this... the hardness of a demon's neck?
No wonder Lucas couldn't cut it earlier…
Rui, the Lower Five demon, turned his head coldly, his emotionless eyes locking onto Zenitsu.
That technique… the same breathing method as him?
He gently touched the shallow wound on his neck. Though not as deep as the one Lucas had inflicted, the cut was still impressive.
Are they from the same school?
He remembered what he said earlier—that their bond was fake.
Then what is this? What kind of bond do they really share?
He curled his fingers.
Zenitsu, still catching his breath, suddenly felt the world spin.
When his vision cleared, he was hanging in midair, suspended by silken threads.
"Now, let me see just how real that bond of yours is," Rui said calmly, staring down at Lucas, who was also trapped in spider silk.
He moved his fingers again, tightening the threads around Zenitsu, making them dig deeper into his skin.
Just then, Rui noticed something odd—Lucas was smiling.
He froze.
Out of the thousands of reactions he had predicted—fear, pain, struggle—this calm, eerie smile was not one of them.
Was he insane? Or was this just some show of confidence?
Suspicious and annoyed, Rui commanded more silk to strike Lucas like a swarm of white, snaking threads. They twisted and swam through the air, targeting him with deadly precision.
But Lucas didn't move.
Just as the threads neared—about a meter from him—they suddenly disintegrated, cut to pieces as if an invisible blade had sliced through them. The fine white strands fell to the ground like wilted flowers.
Rui's pupils shrank in shock.
What just happened? Did he use a blade? A long-range attack? Some hidden trick?
His gaze grew sharper as he closed his palms together, summoning more silk in an attempt to wrap around Lucas.
Thousands of threads spiraled around him—but none could cross the invisible one-meter boundary surrounding him. No matter how they struck, wrapped, or compressed, they fell short.
Lucas still didn't move. He simply stood, eyes cold, watching Rui with calm detachment.
Compared to Lucas's explosive speed, this strange technique was far more unsettling.
"What makes you think you have the right to threaten me?"
The voice rang out coldly from within the web.
In the next instant, Rui blinked—and Lucas was gone.
His senses screamed danger. He looked around frantically.
"Looking for me?"
Rui spun around—and Lucas was right there, standing calmly beside Zenitsu, who was now free.
When did he get there? When did he cut the silk? How didn't I sense it?
Lucas's expression had changed. The fiery determination in his eyes was gone. What remained was a chilling stillness.
He had been holding back, considering how to make friends with Rui. But seeing Zenitsu's bravery, Lucas realized he had let Rui get too comfortable, too arrogant.
Zenitsu had successfully unleashed Thunder Breathing's First Form—completely conscious and in control.
It meant Zenitsu had grown stronger, no longer needing to rely on critical moments to awaken his strength.
Lucas smiled briefly.
Was it because I kept giving in that Rui thought he could control me?
His smile faded. His eyes sharpened.
If you won't listen when I talk nicely... then don't blame me for being forceful.
Zenitsu was one of Lucas's bottom lines. Anyone who crossed that line had to pay.
"Zheng!"
The crisp sound of a blade being drawn echoed, and Rui was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of impending death.
He instantly surrounded himself in thick, blood-soaked spider silk, forming a nearly impenetrable cocoon.
Yet, despite the reinforced defense, the danger didn't subside.
Instead, it grew stronger.
He stared at Lucas, who hadn't moved—still calmly watching.
Why does it feel like he's waiting for me to finish defending?
A breeze rustled through the trees. Rui blinked—and Lucas vanished again.
This time, no afterimage, no blur—nothing.
Where did he go?
Time froze.
In the next heartbeat, thunder roared.
A blinding light shot toward Rui. His body screamed to move, to react—but he couldn't. He was paralyzed, locked in place by an invisible force.
"SWISH!"
The sound of steel slicing through flesh was clear.
Lucas's Sun Blade slashed Rui's neck with surgical precision.
It was a flawless strike.
Even Rui's hardened spider silk defense crumbled like paper under the weight of Lucas's attack.
Rui's head nearly separated from his body, only held in place by a few stubborn threads—fragile, trembling, and likely to snap with the gentlest breeze.
Lucas remained calm throughout.
His expression didn't change. His eyes didn't waver.
He wasn't interested in glory or rage—only resolution.
This time, Lucas had held back, ensuring the blow was fatal but not instantly killing.
If Rui rejected his friend request again, then… he wasn't worth having as a friend.
Lucas walked up slowly and squatted beside Rui's mangled body.
He gently lifted the demon's head, staring directly into his fading eyes.
"One last question..." he asked coldly.
"Would you like to be friends?"
There was no smile on Lucas's face—only a chilling aura that seeped into the air around him.
Rui's gaze was blank.
He still hadn't recovered from the shock of being completely overpowered.
His vision blurred, but the image of Lucas slowly overlapped with another figure in his memory—the one he'd seen during his most helpless moment.
That man… the one on my sickbed… the one I saw in my dreams…
Master Muzan…
Lucas's terrifying presence and overwhelming strength reminded Rui of Muzan himself.
That aura... it inspired fear and awe at the same time.
Unconsciously, his body responded.
"...Willing..."
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