Lucas felt as though his entire body had been re-woven by an invisible hand—it was incredibly light. He exhaled a turbid breath, quietly sensing the changes brought about by the fusion.
Each breath he inhaled now was deeper, fuller, and far more powerful than before.
---
Host: Lucas
Race: Human
Realm: Xin
Comprehension: Superior
Aptitude: Superior
Talent: Echoing Ears
Skills:
Bandaging (Proficient)
Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash (Proficient)
Thunder Breathing Second Form: Inadama (Mastered)
Thunder Breathing Fifth Form: Heat Lightning (Mastered)
Total Concentration Breathing: Constant (Proficient)
---
"Jumped two levels? So this is what proficient-level Total Concentration Breathing: Constant feels like?" Lucas murmured, staring at the realm indicator that now read "Xin."
Not only had he leapt over "Ren," but he had gone straight into the "Xin" realm.
More surprisingly, Lucas could feel it—he wasn't far from the next level: "Geng." It felt as if he just needed a few more days of polishing and strengthening.
After giving his body a good shake, Lucas went back inside to grab something to eat. Normally, a few rice balls would have been enough to satisfy him. But today, his body's demands were different—he ended up eating more than twenty before finally stopping.
With his strength replenished, Lucas returned to the courtyard and drew his blade. It was time to master the remaining forms of Thunder Breathing.
Back when the Old Man was training Zenitsu, Lucas would always watch from the sidelines. Though he hadn't had much comprehension back then and couldn't grasp the Old Man's instructions, his memories of the techniques had remained.
Now, those fragments of memory became valuable guides.
Faint sparks of electricity began to flicker around Lucas.
He started with the Third Form: Mosquito Thunder.
The key was to rotate rapidly around the enemy while creating ripple-like trails of lightning in his wake. The high-pitched screech from the friction of his movement mimicked the sound of a swarm of mosquitoes—hence the name.
Lucas surged forward.
He spun, leaving behind a ripple of electric arcs—and sure enough, the sound of a buzzing mosquito swarm followed.
He had successfully performed the Thunder Breathing Third Form on his first attempt.
Lucas stood frozen, staring at his blade. The same form that had once baffled him… he had now executed effortlessly?
Reflecting on the experience, he realized two things: first, his comprehension had improved significantly, and second, his high proficiency in the First, Second, and Fifth Forms had likely accelerated his progress.
Could it be that mastering one form naturally strengthened the others?
Eager to test his theory, Lucas began practicing the Fourth Form: Distant Thunder and the Sixth Form: Roaring Thunder.
And again—he succeeded on his first try with both.
The Sixth Form posed slightly more difficulty, but still, his growth was undeniable. With the support of Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, his mastery advanced rapidly.
By midday, Lucas had already elevated the Third and Fourth Forms to mastery.
As for the Sixth Form, it was still a bit of a challenge—mainly due to how energy-consuming it was. After performing it twice in a row, Lucas found himself out of breath.
Just as he was catching his breath, a wailing voice echoed from outside the courtyard.
"Lucas!! Come out, I'm going to die!"
Lucas sighed and opened the door.
There, lying in the dust, was Zenitsu, covered in tears and grime.
"Waaah! Lucas! I'm really going to die this time!"
Lucas looked down at the pitiful sight, expressionless.
"Got caught again?"
"Mm-hmm," Zenitsu whimpered. "I tried to escape to the foot of the mountain, but Grandfather caught up to me and beat me again! Look!"
He pulled up his sleeve, showing bruises along his arm.
Lucas sighed and turned back toward the house to fetch ointment. But Zenitsu wasn't done.
He latched onto Lucas's leg with a death grip.
"Lucas, if I keep training like this, I'm really gonna die…"
A few veins popped on Lucas's forehead.
"Let go."
"You must live on without me… Don't cry for me."
"Let. Go."
"Marry a beautiful girl… have a couple of children… name one of them after me…"
"..."
Zenitsu completely ignored Lucas's deadpan expression and continued with his dramatic monologue.
Lucas fought the urge to kick him away and dragged himself toward the house, leg still trapped in Zenitsu's grip.
—
That afternoon, Zenitsu was once again dragged off by the Old Man to train, and this time Lucas joined them.
Zenitsu was sent to the back mountain to train alone, while Lucas followed the Old Man to Peach Mountain.
Under the clear sky, Lucas began practicing his newly learned forms under the Old Man's watchful eye.
His mastery of the Third and Fourth Forms increased rapidly. By the end of the session, even the difficult Sixth Form had reached the mastery level.
The Old Man raised an eyebrow when he noticed how unbalanced Lucas's proficiencies were. But after watching Lucas improve so quickly, he dismissed the thought.
"The Final Selection begins the day after tomorrow," the Old Man said as Lucas sheathed his blade. "You and Zenitsu will need to leave tomorrow."
Lucas nodded—this matched the timeline he'd anticipated.
"The outside world isn't like Peach Mountain. Don't underestimate any demon. You—"
"Grandfaaaather! Is training over yet? Please say it is!" came Zenitsu's whining voice from the back mountain, cutting off the Old Man's words.
Both Lucas and the Old Man winced. Here we go again.
"Take care of Zenitsu when you're out there," the Old Man said after a sigh.
Lucas nodded. It wasn't a surprising request. The Old Man's relationship with Zenitsu was like that of a father and son, but Lucas and Zenitsu had also grown up together. Even if he hadn't been asked, he would have looked after Zenitsu. After all, Zenitsu had even given him four system rewards.
Still, Lucas couldn't help but think… Zenitsu might not need protection for long.
The Old Man turned toward Lucas and spoke more seriously. "You must be careful, too."
Lucas's fingers twitched slightly. He nodded again.
Later, when Zenitsu saw Lucas standing there, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Lucas was training with them too? But didn't Grandfather always say Lucas had no talent?
His confusion lasted only a moment.
Then he broke into tears and lunged at Lucas, hugging him tightly. No matter how Lucas squirmed, he wouldn't let go.
After crying for a solid five minutes, Zenitsu finally let go.
He turned to the Old Man with a tearful face.
"Grandfather…"
"Hm?"
"No training tomorrow, right? Just for tomorrow?"
The Old Man's tone softened.
"No need to train tomorrow."
Zenitsu's eyes lit up like the sun.
"Really?! Are you serious? This is the best day of my life!"
But the joy didn't last long.
"The Final Selection for you and Lucas is the day after tomorrow. You'll both have to leave tomorrow," the Old Man added.
Zenitsu froze. His hand, raised in celebration, stopped midair.
"Final... selection?"
Right. Grandfather had mentioned it before—the selection to become a Demon Slayer.
It would be held at Fujikasane Mountain, where demons captured by the Corps were kept.
"Grandfather," Zenitsu squeaked, "Lucas and I can't possibly survive the selection. We're gonna die…"
He looked at Lucas. "Lucas hasn't even trained for that long! He definitely won't survive…"
The Old Man gave Lucas a long, thoughtful glance.
He didn't reply—but his eyes told a different story.
If Lucas can't pass the selection, then no one can.
---
To be continued...
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