Raiden had not been in a hurry to merge the breathing styles these past few days for a simple reason. Once his progress toward breaking through to the Super Pillar level reached fifty percent, he began to feel a faint barrier standing between Upper Pillar and Super Pillar.
The further his progress increased, the stronger that feeling became.
He had deliberately saved these breathing styles for that exact moment. The realm advancement gained from merging breathing techniques could also be achieved through his own training, but breaking through a bottleneck was completely different. Hard work alone rarely worked when it came to that.
Raiden intended to use the power gained from merging the breathing styles to forcefully shatter that barrier.
Even if it was not enough to reach the Super Pillar level in one attempt, it would still greatly reduce the pressure of the breakthrough.
"It really was not easy to earn your approval."
"Of course. I am the god of magnificent celebrations, and when it comes to magnificence, Raiden..."
Hearing Uzui Tengen begin another long speech about flamboyance, several black lines appeared on Raiden's forehead.
He really needed to fix that talkative habit.
Forget it. The reward from the increased friendship was already in hand, so Raiden decided to endure it for now.
Fortunately, Tengen was not foolish. The moment he noticed Raiden's expression darkening and showing clear signs of wanting another fight, he quickly said goodbye and left.
Not long after Tengen walked away, a Kasugai Crow landed on the courtyard wall.
This was not Raiden's personal crow. This one wore a purple scarf, and its eyes were noticeably calmer and clearer than the usual ones.
It did not immediately start shouting either. Instead, it quietly watched Raiden, as if waiting for him to call it over.
"Ubuyashiki-sama's Kasugai Crow? Something happening before the final battle?"
Raiden muttered to himself.
If it was just a mission, his own crow could have delivered it. There was no reason for this one to come personally.
Could the headquarters have been discovered? No, he had not received any unusual messages from the Master.
Raiden raised his hand slightly, signaling the crow to come closer.
Since guessing would not help, he might as well ask directly. Besides, with his current importance in the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki would never do anything to harm him.
The crow flapped its wings and landed lightly on his shoulder, tilting its head.
"Master sends his greetings to the Sound Pillar."
The crow's voice was not harsh like the others. Instead, it sounded calm and almost pleasant.
Raiden raised an eyebrow slightly. Could Ubuyashiki even influence the way his Kasugai Crows spoke?
"Thank him for me."
"Master hopes the Sound Pillar can complete an important mission. This mission is crucial for the final battle. Master originally wished to explain it to you personally, but his illness has worsened, and he truly cannot leave. He asks for your understanding."
"No problem. What is the mission?"
Raiden waved his hand casually. Formalities did not matter to him. What surprised him more was receiving a mission at this time.
Muzan was still hiding in the shadows, and no one knew when he would appear.
If the timing was bad and he happened to be away when Muzan attacked, the Demon Slayer Corps might face disaster again. That was something Raiden did not want to see.
Even if some of his relationships carried a practical purpose, he still could not just watch his friends die.
"Master wants you to persuade Lady Tamayo to cooperate with us."
"Tamayo? Cooperate?"
The moment he heard the name, Raiden remembered.
This had indeed happened during the Pillar Training arc. Ubuyashiki had contacted Tamayo and invited her to work with Kochou Shinobu to create medicine to defeat Muzan.
But why did they need him to persuade her?
In the original story, Tamayo only hesitated for a short moment before agreeing to help the Demon Slayer Corps. If anything, Tanjiro would have been the better choice. Nezuko even treated Tamayo like family. If those two went together, Tamayo would never refuse.
Then Raiden suddenly realized something.
Tanjiro and Nezuko could not go.
Tanjiro's strength was still not enough. If he encountered an Upper Rank demon outside, he would be in serious danger. Kokushibo and Akaza were still alive, and neither of them was an opponent Tanjiro could handle yet.
"Yes. Master wants you to invite Lady Tamayo to cooperate with us. After all, Muzan is the enemy of both sides."
"Fine. But Tamayo's location..."
"Do not worry. We already know where she is."
"When do we leave?"
"Whenever the Sound Pillar is ready."
"This afternoon, then."
Raiden's progress toward breaking through to Super Pillar was only a little over twenty percent right now. The four breathing styles he still had were not enough by themselves, so this mission was a good chance to go out and see if he could gain something unexpected.
As for danger, as long as he did not run into Muzan himself, Raiden was confident he could handle anything.
Even if Kokushibo appeared now, escaping would not be easy for him anymore.
Watching the crow fly away, Raiden rubbed his nose slightly.
Whether it was the crow's behavior or the message itself, Ubuyashiki's sincerity was obvious.
No wonder the Nine Hashira respected him so much.
Late in the afternoon, as dusk began to fall, Raiden packed his things quickly and followed the crow north.
They finally stopped in front of a quiet forest.
At first glance, it looked completely ordinary. A gentle breeze moved through the trees, and only a few faint bird sounds could be heard.
But the moment Raiden stepped inside, he immediately sensed something strange.
It felt as if an invisible curtain was hanging in the air. The aura and the sounds on both sides of it were completely different.
Raiden looked at the crow on his shoulder with surprise. The Demon Slayer Corps' intelligence network was far better than he had expected. Ubuyashiki had actually managed to locate such a hidden place.
The crow pointed at a talisman attached to a nearby tree.
Then it flapped its wings and flew straight forward.
Its body looked like a drop of water falling into a river, creating only a faint ripple before disappearing.
Raiden followed immediately.
The moment he crossed the invisible curtain, the scenery changed. A small, quiet villa appeared directly in front of him.
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