Kokushibo's confusion vanished the moment Raiden's face came into view, as the thunder and flames slowly faded.
Speckles... awakened at such a young age.
For a brief moment, Kokushibo did not know whether to admire Raiden's terrifying talent or regret it.
Aside from Yoriichi, no one who awakened the Demon Slayer Mark had lived past the age of twenty-five.
Now, it was his turn.
Raiden spoke calmly, lowering his Nichirin blade to his side as he faced Kokushibo.
He admitted to himself that seeking Kokushibo out so recklessly had been a mistake, one that had nearly cost him his life. Still, this battle had allowed him to stand at the edge of death and truly feel it.
That experience might not grant the same explosive power as awakening the mark, but it was valuable in its own way.
As his voice settled, Kokushibo's expression tightened.
A strange pressure filled the air.
Before he could react, a sharp crack of electricity tore through the battlefield. An overwhelming force locked onto him.
Kokushibo looked up, momentarily stunned.
Bolts of lightning twisted through the sky like living serpents, coiling and striking as they followed his every movement.
Wherever he moved, the lightning pursued, enclosing him.
His frown deepened.
This was not good.
Beneath the darkened sky, Raiden's smile sharpened. The power of the mark surged through him, filling him with excitement.
His eyes gleamed with intensity, brimming with battle hunger.
A deafening thunderclap erupted.
In an instant, Raiden's body dissolved into lightning, surging toward Kokushibo.
Thunder roared. Flames flared.
The battlefield lit up like a raging storm.
Their figures flickered through the chaos, clashing again and again.
This time, Raiden felt none of the earlier frustration. Instead, it was Kokushibo who struggled to keep pace.
If Raiden had relied solely on Breathing Techniques, Kokushibo would not have been troubled.
But the strange Blood Demon Art Raiden wielded complicated everything.
Defend against it, and his focus would split. Ignore it, and the damage would accumulate.
Neither option was ideal.
Seeing Kokushibo forced into this position, Raiden's fighting spirit surged even higher.
As long as the Demon Slayer Mark remained active, neither of them could easily kill the other.
He did not need to stall for time anymore.
He only needed to fight.
As dawn approached, faint light crept along the horizon.
Raiden noticed it immediately.
He glanced at the rising glow, then back at Kokushibo.
He had already had his fill.
If Kokushibo continued, he would be gambling his life against the sun.
Kokushibo's voice remained calm, though unwillingness lingered beneath it.
"Next time, I will not give you another chance, Raiden."
Despite his pride, Kokushibo did not act recklessly. His figure disappeared into the fading darkness.
Raiden clicked his tongue.
"Next time? You'll just get beaten worse."
This time, he had underestimated Kokushibo.
Next time would be different.
With greater strength and full mastery of Moon Breathing, he would crush him without hesitation.
His talent was not for show.
As silence returned to the battlefield, the three Demon Slayer Corps members finally relaxed.
The tension drained from their bodies all at once.
They never wanted to experience such a battle again.
That had been Upper Rank One.
And Raiden had fought him evenly.
Even without delivering the killing blow, what they had witnessed was enough.
They had seen true terror.
And Raiden had stood against it.
"Take care of the civilians whose homes were destroyed. I'm heading back."
Without waiting for a response, Raiden waved casually and turned away, heading toward the Demon Slayer Corps base in Kawamoto.
After facing Kokushibo, his urgency to grow stronger had only deepened.
One of the slayers he had saved instinctively reached out, wanting to stop him.
He had questions.
Had Raiden saved him intentionally?
Was Kaigaku's death planned?
But when he saw Raiden's slightly weary back, the words caught in his throat.
Those questions no longer mattered.
Raiden had risked his life to protect them.
That alone was enough.
Back at the base, Raiden found a small room to rest.
It was modest, but he did not care. This was only temporary.
Once he fully integrated Moon Breathing, he would return to Headquarters.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki had already urged him multiple times to come back for training.
Sitting down, Raiden exhaled slowly.
Then he focused.
Moon Breathing was different from the five basic Breathing Techniques. It originated directly from Sun Breathing, making it more complex and powerful.
Although he had mimicked parts of it during the battle, true mastery was still far away.
A voice echoed in his mind.
Do you wish to integrate Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon, Infinite?
"Yes."
The moment he answered, darkness swallowed his vision.
Then, a soft glow appeared.
Moonlight.
A gentle breeze brushed against him, cool and calm.
Raiden felt weightless, as though he were floating.
Behind him, a crescent moon rose silently, its pale light wrapping around him like a quiet shield.
Within that glow, a figure appeared.
Dancing beneath the moonlight.
Kokushibo.
As the figure moved, power flowed into Raiden's body.
Knowledge followed.
The Sixth Form revealed itself piece by piece, its movements, its rhythm, its essence.
Because of his earlier experience, the integration proceeded smoothly.
In just a short time, it was complete.
Raiden opened his eyes.
His hand gripped his Nichirin blade.
Around him, faint crescent-shaped slashes shimmered into existence, lingering in the air.
He nodded, satisfied.
Not only had he mastered the Sixth Form, but his strength had advanced even further toward the level of a Hashira.
This battle had been worth it.
Once he returned to Headquarters and developed the remaining forms, his power would rise again.
As for Kokushibo...
Raiden smirked faintly.
Next time, he would not let him leave.