After waiting until Muzan had truly left the area, Lucas leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, his chest heaving slightly.
The feeling of brushing past death… it was a little too exciting for comfort.
Throughout the entire encounter, Lucas had relied on the Hidden Ghost's talent, [Concealment], to mask his presence. By suppressing his aura to the absolute minimum, he had avoided alerting Muzan to his existence.
Yet, despite all that caution and effort, the reward he received from the system didn't seem quite right.
Furrowing his brow, Lucas opened his system panel and checked the newly obtained aura listed for fusion: Ghost King's Appearance.
"Wait... did Muzan even have this skill in his panel just now?"
A line of text suddenly flashed across the system interface:
> [Detected: Intimacy level with Muzan Kibutsuji insufficient for first meeting. Awarding special reward instead.]
Lucas stared blankly at the message.
Not even a first meeting? Muzan did talk to him, didn't he?
Another notification popped up immediately after:
> [Muzan Kibutsuji did not officially acknowledge the host. Muzan Kibutsuji maintains a strong rejection toward the host.]
[Therefore, relationship status with the host cannot be confirmed beyond basic acquaintance.]
Lucas felt like screaming.
So after spending half a day avoiding death just to earn a skill, he didn't even get a real ability from Muzan?
But then he read the skill description more carefully:
> [Ghost King's Appearance: Grants the user a majestic and commanding aura.]
[Effect – Deterrence: In battle, your overwhelming presence psychologically affects enemies, reducing their attack and defense power. (Effect is doubled against demons)]
Lucas blinked.
Wait a second… this wasn't as useless as he initially thought.
If he could reduce a ghost's offensive and defensive capabilities simply by being near them, wasn't that effectively the same as increasing his own strength?
While it might not be as flashy as a Blood Demon Art, the strategic advantages were clear.
> [Do you wish to fuse the aura now: Ghost King's Appearance?]
[Yes]
The moment he confirmed, Lucas waited for some kind of reaction. A flash of light, a pulse of energy, anything.
But… nothing.
No light. No sound. Not even a hint of vibration.
> [Fusion successful]
Lucas frowned. That was it?
Closing his eyes, he tried to sense any internal changes. For a while, he felt nothing—just a faint tingle, so subtle it was almost ignorable.
But when he opened his eyes and moved slightly, he felt it.
His stance was naturally firm. His body felt lighter, more coordinated. Each motion he made was calm and precise, as if his limbs were responding with instinctual grace. Even the simple act of breathing carried a strange weight, a subtle presence.
Lucas gently waved his arm.
Though silent, it seemed like his movement disturbed the air itself—leaving behind ripples of invisible pressure.
"…Not bad."
He might not fully understand the extent of the aura's power yet, but he was confident it would prove useful.
"It's time to find Zenitsu and the others," he muttered, cracking his neck with a relaxed grin.
Now that he had resolved things with Muzan—for now—it was time to move on to the next goal: befriending Tamayo.
Lucas hurried back to the place where Tanjiro had earlier rescued the civilians, but by the time he arrived, the crowd had already scattered.
Only Zenitsu remained, standing alone and glancing around nervously.
When Zenitsu saw Lucas approaching, he immediately ran over.
"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, noting Zenitsu's hesitant expression.
"J-Just now…" Zenitsu stammered. "Just now, there were… ghosts. They showed up and… they were helping Tanjiro…"
His voice trembled slightly. "Does this mean Tanjiro is connected to demons?"
That theory didn't sit right with Lucas. If Tanjiro was aligned with demons, why would he go out of his way to save others?
"You saw them?"
Zenitsu shook his head quickly. "No, I didn't see them. But I heard them. Two voices—ghosts. They were helping him."
Lucas followed Zenitsu's gaze as he pointed to the street on the left.
Using the remaining scent trail left by Tanjiro and Zenitsu's directions, they soon arrived at a quiet, dead-end alleyway.
"Lucas, why are we—"
Zenitsu was just about to question why they had come here when his eyes widened.
He could hear it—faint voices. Both human and ghostly, coming from the wall in front of them.
"But… this is a wall. Where's that sound coming from?"
Lucas stepped forward without hesitation.
"Let's go in."
He stretched his hand toward the wall—and to Zenitsu's shock, his arm passed through it effortlessly, as if the barrier were nothing but an illusion.
Zenitsu stared in disbelief as Lucas disappeared through the wall. Then, not wanting to be left behind, he quickly followed, his heart pounding.
He couldn't help but feel that Lucas already knew what was going to happen.
---
Inside the hidden residence, Yushiro, who had been calmly seated, suddenly sat upright, his eyes sharp with alertness.
"Someone is entering!" he warned.
Tamayo's expression hardened.
Her existence was precarious. Muzan hunted her as a traitor, and the Demon Slayer Corps rejected her for being a demon. No matter who was intruding, caution was paramount.
But before she could react, Tanjiro spoke up.
"Mr. Lucas? And Zenitsu?!"
His tone was filled with surprise and relief.
He recognized those scents—one was Zenitsu, who had recently helped him, and the other was Lucas, the mysterious man who had left a strong impression.
"You know them?!" Yushiro asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. "Did you lead them here?"
Tanjiro waved his hands, trying to calm him down.
"No, no! Mr. Lucas is a good person. So is Zenitsu!"
Yushiro didn't seem convinced. He turned toward Tamayo, silently seeking her opinion.
Tamayo gazed into Tanjiro's sincere eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.
Yushiro sighed and stood up, preparing to retrieve the guests from the courtyard.
But before he reached the door, footsteps echoed from the staircase nearby.
A figure slowly descended.
He stepped into the light, casually holding onto the railing and smiling politely at the group below.
"Miss Tamayo, it's our first meeting. I look forward to getting along."
Tamayo and Yushiro both froze.
They stared at the man in front of them. Handsome, calm, smiling—yet radiating a terrifying pressure.
Was he human… or ghost?
Because his presence… felt exactly like Muzan's.
Yushiro's hand instinctively drifted toward the talisman on his waist. He didn't activate it, but the gesture betrayed his tension.
Tamayo took a small step backward, unease growing within her.
She had spent years running from Muzan. She knew his aura well—this pressure, this heaviness—it wasn't something that could be faked.
But Lucas… was human. She could sense it clearly.
And yet…
The aura surrounding him was slowly aligning—becoming indistinguishable from Muzan's. That majestic, commanding aura that only the Ghost King could possess… it now radiated from Lucas.
Tamayo clenched her fists silently. Could this man… truly be human?
---
> [Tamayo]
Race: Ghost
Realm: Level E
Comprehension: Superior
Qualification: Medium
Talent: None
Skills:
– Medical Skills (Mastery)
– Blood Demon Art: Visual Fantasy Fragrance (Mastery)
– Blood Demon Art: Daytime Magic Fragrance (Mastery)
– Blood Demon Art: Accommodating Fragrance (Mastery)
…
> [Yushiro]
Race: Ghost
Realm: Sin
Comprehension: Medium
Qualification: Medium
Talent: None
Skills:
– Blood Demon Art: Hidden Eyes (Mastery)
– Handicrafts (Mastery)
…
As Lucas stood calmly at the bottom of the stairs, surrounded by cautious gazes, he remained composed.
He hadn't planned for this moment to feel so heavy, but the aura was working even more effectively than he anticipated.
Not only had he impressed Muzan—he had inherited a portion of his oppressive majesty.
And now, even demons like Tamayo and Yushiro instinctively hesitated in his presence.
A strange silence settled over the room.
Lucas smiled slightly.
"Shall we talk?"
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