Shuya stood in the Butterfly Mansion courtyard, black lightning crackling across his body like living snakes. One moment he was there. The next he was gone, reappearing dozens of feet away before the air even caught up.
The crackle of thunder followed a heartbeat later.
He wasn't teleporting. He was just moving so damn fast the human eye couldn't track him.
Shuya rubbed his fingers together and watched the black lightning arc between them. A month had passed since that night with Shinobu and Kanae. A month of trading Hantengu's Blood Demon Arts to his contractors through Equivalent Exchange, then syncing the powers right back through his contracts.
He'd given the lightning staff to Saya. The wind fan to Shizuka. The spear to Rei. The drums to Shizuka again because she was his first and he liked spoiling her. He kept the sound-wave ability for himself. The last thing he needed was one of the girls accidentally screaming in his ear at the worst possible moment.
Saeko and Yuriko still hadn't gotten anything new. Saeko didn't need it. She'd walked away from her fight with Yoriichi with something better than any stolen art.
Shuya exhaled and let the black lightning fade. He was getting good at it. Fast. Almost Godspeed level. But something still felt off. Like the power was missing an edge.
A glowing red orb of aura drifted toward him through the air.
Shuya frowned. "The hell is that?"
It looked familiar. Too familiar.
He reached out and touched it.
The moment the orb sank into his chest, red lightning exploded across his skin. His eyes snapped open.
"Holy shit. It actually works like that?"
He tested it immediately. The red lightning felt different from the black. Less vicious, more responsive. When he pushed it through his body, his speed jumped from three times normal to five. Cleaner. Faster. Better for movement.
Miles away, in a pitch-black house, Kaigaku staggered to his feet.
He'd spent the last month eating other demons, hunting them like prey, growing stronger in the dark. Today he'd finally re-awakened his Blood Demon Art. Red lightning this time. Stronger than before. He'd actually believed he was Upper Rank material.
Then the power ripped out of him.
A glowing red orb tore free from his chest and shot into the sky.
Kaigaku dropped to his knees, clawing at the air like a madman.
"No! No, no, no—my art! My fucking art!"
He screamed until his voice broke.
Back in the courtyard, Shuya stared at the red lightning dancing across his fingers and started laughing.
Equivalent Exchange wasn't a one-time deal. If the demon re-awakened the art later, the power still came to him. He could farm this. Mass-produce demons with Muzan's blood, let them grow, and keep harvesting.
The thought was almost too good.
He was still grinning when a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Shuya-san~"
He turned.
Something large, soft, and extremely enthusiastic slammed straight into his face.
"Shit—!"
Two massive, warm weights smothered him completely.
Shuya's world went dark for the second time that day.
This time, he didn't mind nearly as much.