"Raiden!"
Muichiro's voice rang out, filled with shock the moment he saw him.
Just moments ago, he and the Stone Hashira, along with four other Hashira, had been fighting Kokushibo together.
At the start, the five of them working in unison could barely hold Kokushibo back.
But once Kokushibo activated his Demon Slayer Mark, the situation quickly worsened. His crescent blades became far more dangerous, and even a slight mistake could result in serious injury.
Several Hashira, including Muichiro, were already wounded.
Muichiro had just tried to seize an opening to decapitate Kokushibo in a single strike, only to realize too late that the opening had been deliberate.
Kokushibo had planned to kill him first and reduce the pressure on himself.
As the blade filled with eyes closed in, Muichiro's mind raced through countless possibilities, but none offered a way out.
He had already prepared himself to take a fatal blow.
Then the space of the Infinity Castle shifted.
"Raiden?"
Kokushibo and Akaza both locked their gaze onto him.
Kokushibo frowned slightly, confusion flashing across his face. He could not understand Nakime's actions. Was she gathering the Hashira to eliminate them all at once? Was she not concerned about interfering with Muzan's recovery?
Akaza's expression darkened. The memory of the Infinity Train still lingered. Because of Raiden, he had returned empty-handed and allowed his opponent to grow stronger.
"Looking for this?"
Raiden snapped his fingers lightly.
An eyeball engraved with a number appeared in front of them.
Most of it had already faded, leaving only part of the character "Three" visible.
The sudden appearance caused both demons to tense.
"This… Nakime?" Kokushibo muttered, his tone low and wary.
"If she's dead, why is the Infinity Castle still standing?"
The same thought crossed both their minds.
Nakime had been the core of this place. If she died, the entire structure should have collapsed.
Yet here it stood, stable as ever.
Kokushibo's eyes narrowed.
"Something is wrong. That eyeball appeared out of nowhere…"
Only Nakime should have been able to manipulate space within the castle.
And yet, Raiden had just done the same.
The contradiction left them momentarily stunned.
Then Akaza understood.
His expression changed instantly, a surge of realization hitting him.
Raiden had taken control of the Infinity Castle.
"Tch. I should be catching up with old friends, but this isn't the time. Maybe later."
Raiden shook his head slightly.
If Muzan were not recovering, he might have taken the chance to toy with them. A drawn-out fight could even make things more interesting.
But right now, efficiency mattered more.
As his voice settled, everyone's attention fixed on him.
Standing above them, Raiden stepped forward slightly.
The ground beneath him began to glow, revealing a complex six-pointed compass pattern.
Every line and angle was precise, radiating a cold and oppressive presence.
His aura shifted completely, from calm to razor sharp.
"Blood Demon Art: Destructive Kill, Compass…"
Akaza's eyes narrowed, disbelief flickering within them.
He knew that technique better than anyone.
He had heard that Raiden could replicate abilities, but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.
Raiden had fought him once, and learned it?
That level of talent was monstrous.
Raiden stood at the center of the formation, his fingers faintly glowing as his presence fused perfectly with the technique.
The air trembled as the energy intensified.
Akaza could feel it clearly.
This was not imitation.
Raiden had mastered it to a level equal to, or even beyond, his own.
Then it got worse.
Under Akaza's gaze, lightning-like markings spread across Raiden's cheek.
They pulsed with energy, shifting from deep blue to pure white, like lightning breaking through storm clouds.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form, Thunderclap and Flash, Godspeed."
White mist escaped Raiden's lips.
Then he vanished.
No one could tell if it was the castle's power or his own speed.
Kokushibo and Akaza reacted instantly, their bodies tightening.
Raiden's earlier strike had already proven how dangerous he was.
Even Kokushibo now felt a level of pressure he had never experienced before. The strength Raiden displayed was disturbingly close to Muzan.
The moment Akaza heard his voice, his own Destructive Kill technique activated beneath him.
But as it spread, his expression changed.
An overwhelming presence flooded the field.
The speed, the intensity of killing intent, it surpassed anything he had anticipated.
It was too fast.
Far too fast.
He saw the blade.
But his body could not respond.
A flash of cold light filled his vision.
"Pfft."
By the time anyone realized what had happened, it was already over.
Akaza's head rolled across the ground.
Upper Rank Three had been beheaded in a single strike.
^_________^
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