After bidding farewell to Tanjiro, Raiden turned to Zenitsu, who was still dazed from the encounter.
Raiden grabbed Zenitsu by the back of his collar and began ascending Mount Fujikasane, the demon-infested forest looming ahead.
Zenitsu's eyes snapped open. He flailed his arms wildly.
"Raiden, what are you doing? Don't rush!"
"Raiden, please don't go any further. There really are demons… what if they eat us?"
Raiden ignored him and surveyed the surroundings. Tall trees loomed overhead, their interwoven branches casting deep shadows across the dim forest.
After a short walk, Raiden halted. Behind him, Zenitsu froze as if struck by paralysis.
"There's a sound… over there, Raiden… it's harsh," Zenitsu whispered, pointing toward the dense forest ahead.
Raiden tilted his head. With Zenitsu's talent, he could hear it too. Though it was his first time seeing a demon up close, curiosity tinged his calm demeanor.
From the shadows emerged a gaunt figure. Its blood-red eyes bulged slightly, and sharp bone spurs lined its arm.
Bone Demon
Race: Demon
Rank: Mizunoto
Aptitude: Inferior
Quality: Low
Talent: None
Skills: Pounce (Mastered), Bite (Mastered)
"What luck, two little humans at once. I'll be full this time," the demon hissed, extending a forearm-length tongue and licking its lips.
Raiden quickly scanned its attributes. His initial curiosity vanished instantly. Making friends with demons was one thing—but this one was useless for his goals. Not a single attribute was worth noting.
The Bone Demon noticed Raiden's dismissive expression. Its small frown furrowed the nonexistent eyebrows. Disgust? Disdain? What kind of reaction was this?
Annoyed, the Bone Demon clenched its fists, bone spurs protruding further.
"Run, Raiden! He's going to pounce!" Zenitsu yelled, instinctively stepping forward to pull Raiden away.
But Raiden remained unmoved, like a statue. Zenitsu struggled in vain, his hands grasping Raiden's arm, but it was immovable.
Finally, seeing Raiden still calm, Zenitsu drew his long sword and positioned himself in front of him, trembling.
"No… I can't leave him… if I run, Raiden will be in trouble," Zenitsu muttered, gripping the hilt tightly.
Raiden smiled faintly, sensing the warmth in Zenitsu's resolve.
The Bone Demon sneered, its gaze on Zenitsu's quivering sword hand. Foolish little humans, it thought, easy prey for the Demon Slayer Corps. It licked its bone spurs with its long tongue, then lunged.
Zenitsu's breath quickened instinctively, sword tip flickering as he tried to anticipate the attack.
"Don't be nervous… Grandfather said…"
Before he could finish, the Bone Demon was almost upon him. Its foul-smelling tongue whipped toward Zenitsu. His mind went blank—but Raiden remained calm.
Suddenly, clang! A golden flash of lightning illuminated the forest.
In an instant, the Bone Demon split in two at the neck, collapsing forward. Its head rolled to Zenitsu's feet.
Zenitsu stared at the severed head in disbelief. Dead…? Was that the sound of a sword? He instinctively looked back—Raiden was slowly sheathing his long sword, his expression calm, mouth dry.
Was Raiden the one who struck? But he had barely passed basic training…
Yet the strike had been unmistakably Thunder Breathing, First Form. Zenitsu had only ever seen such mastery in his Grandfather. When did Raiden become this strong?
"Raiden… you…" Zenitsu was speechless.
Back at Peach Mountain, Raiden had mostly played a support role. He had barely trained, moving through the courtyard or taking care of Zenitsu. And yet now… his strength surpassed even expectations.
"I had an epiphany after leaving Peach Mountain and learned Thunder Breathing," Raiden said casually.
"You… learned Thunder Breathing in two days??" Zenitsu's jaw dropped. He had endured a year of grueling training without mastering it. And Raiden had done so in two days?
Overwhelmed, Zenitsu hugged Raiden tightly.
"You should have told me sooner! I almost thought we were going to die!"
Raiden glanced at Zenitsu's golden hair, a faint smile on his face. He had expected his strength to intimidate Zenitsu—but the boy's joy at his power was unexpected.
After dealing with the Bone Demon, Raiden and Zenitsu pressed deeper into the forest. They encountered a few more demons, one after another. Each was dispatched in a single strike. Raiden killed them as easily as slicing vegetables. Zenitsu could barely track the fleeting sword light.
The current Raiden was truly formidable—stronger than even Kaigaku.
"Zenitsu, I'm going to rest. You keep watch."
"Me? Okay… okay." Zenitsu nodded, nervous but determined. He wanted to be useful.
Raiden sat cross-legged, though he didn't need rest; dealing with the demons was effortless. He merely sought an excuse to merge Tanjiro's talent and track down the Hand Demon.
System:
Do you choose to merge talent: Line of Seizing now?