The moment the ribbons lunged toward Raiden at an almost imperceptible speed, the crisp draw of a sword echoed sharply through the room.
"Clang!"
Raiden shifted slightly, a golden flash streaking in front of him. The instant his blade met the ribbons, a metallic tearing sound rang out. The ribbons, unstoppable moments ago, were severed cleanly in two, their momentum vanishing as the tattered strands drifted slowly to the floor.
Daki's eyes narrowed, her expression tightening. Even as an Upper Moon, she couldn't track that sword clearly. This fighter moved unlike any Pillar she had faced. She had expected her strike to catch him off guard, yet Raiden had reacted with unerring precision. Surprise flickered across her face, then vanished, replaced by heightened vigilance.
Raiden stood poised, one hand resting lightly on his sword's hilt. The severed ribbons lay near his feet, streaked with black blood. His calm gaze met Daki's.
"Don't rush. I need to confirm something first," he said quietly.
Daki's brows furrowed. Being controlled by the opponent, especially after her attack was effortlessly blocked, was unbearable.
"And what is it you need to confirm before you die?"
Raiden twitched his nose and muttered, "Didn't bring it? Oh well, I'm sure you'd summon it back even after dying." He sniffed, noting the absence of the distinctive silk sash, then dismissed the thought. Time was too precious for trivialities.
"What nonsense are you muttering?" Daki snapped, irritation threading her words.
"Nothing important. Just one question before we continue," Raiden replied, his tone casual.
"?"
"Would you like to be my friend?"
Raiden inclined his head slightly. He knew such a direct attempt at friendship would likely fail, yet he still wanted to try.
"Friend? You?" Daki froze, bewildered. A demon and a demon slayer were natural enemies, yet he offered friendship instead of begging for mercy. Why?
Daki shook her head, dismissing the thought, and sneered, "Friend? Are you even worthy?"
Raiden's expression didn't falter. Not only had he expected this, but he also anticipated the next move—someone was about to get hurt.
"Clang!"
Raiden vanished from sight. Daki reacted quickly, yet she could not match his speed. The air grew bone-chilling with killing intent. Her demonic instincts sensed danger, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Her ribbons, alive with motion, swept around, trying to locate him through touch. Every strike met only empty air.
A faint "whoosh" cut through the tension—another ribbon destroyed. Daki's heart constricted. She turned, spotting Raiden emerging from a golden light, his blade carving an impossible boundary in the air.
Under his strike, her once-strong ribbons split effortlessly. One half fell to the ground, the other floated weakly. The remaining sashes, like living entities, surged to block him, but Raiden's eyes, sharp and focused, saw only Daki.
His body moved in perfect synchrony with his thoughts. A slight tilt, a tap of his right foot, and he shot forward like an arrow. The blade left a dazzling arc, its cold gleam slicing through the dim neon lights, cutting the very air.
The moment his sword met the ribbons, time seemed to freeze. It wasn't steel clashing but the effortless cut of a knife through silk. The patterns on the ribbons warped, fibers whispering under the sharp strike like leaves in light rain.
Momentum carried Raiden forward, propelling him to a superior position. One end of a ribbon brushed the ground, the other drifted through the air like a broken dream.
Daki retreated, leaping from the window to create distance, but Raiden was always a step ahead. As her feet pushed off, he appeared before her, close enough to feel his breath.
With a playful tone, he murmured, "A bit slow. Want to call your Older Brother out?"
Daki's pupils constricted. How could he know of Older Brother? Muzan and Tongmo-sama alone had seen him, yet Raiden seemed aware. Could he be one of the rare survivors?
Shocked, Daki's ribbons surged again, forcing Raiden back gently to a distant eave.
"To deal with you, he doesn't need to appear," she muttered, composing herself.
"Don't need to? These flimsy ribbons are useless against me," Raiden said, pouting slightly. Her ribbons, though lethal, were trivial. He didn't even need Compass Needle, much less Transparent World. In his current state, he could overpower her easily.
"Flimsy ribbons?!" Daki's expression twisted into fury. A person with no aesthetic sense, unable to appreciate such art, who even dared belittle her craftsmanship? Her anger ignited like wildfire, veins throbbing, face flushing. The air around her grew heavy, saturated with killing intent.