Raiden's voice sounded calm but sharp as he faced Doma, his white hair shifting with the slightest breeze.
"Tell me how you'll teach me, Doma," Raiden asked.
Doma tilted his head, resting a finger against his lips with a sly smirk.
"Blood Demon Art: Destructive Kill, Chaotic Style!" Doma declared.
The moment the words echoed, Raiden disappeared from Uzui Tengen's line of sight.
Boom!
A sudden blast reverberated across the clearing, drawing every demon slayer's gaze.
When they turned, what they saw was unforgettable.
Doma still smiled, but half his face was crushed inward, revealing only part of what was once there. The grin he wore looked eerily distorted now.
"What…?" someone whispered.
The battlefield fell silent.
Upper Rank Two—Doma—had half of his face smashed… by Raiden… with just one strike?
Was that speed even possible? How had Raiden moved so fast? The onlookers were stunned.
Not only Uzui Tengen, but even Gyutaro and Daki stared wide-eyed.
Doma got hit? Is this Raiden's real power?
Compared to the Raiden who had just fought him moments ago, the current Raiden seemed like a completely different person.
Gyutaro's expression darkened. His gaze toward Raiden turned cold and hostile.
He didn't even use his full strength against me… was it because he underestimated me?
Doma calmly regained his composure and his face magically reformed as though nothing had happened.
His eerie smile returned, though it was now a little less confident.
"This move isn't as powerful as Akaza's," Doma said casually, "Are you not proficient enough?"
Raiden shifted his stance, watching Doma restore himself in an instant. He clicked his tongue. Relying only on Destructive Kill wasn't enough.
Raiden had been studying variations of Destructive Kill, and his strongest was Chaotic Style. But even that only scratched Doma—hardly enough to harm him.
Doma hadn't bothered to dodge, which meant he didn't think the strike was dangerous.
"I don't want to learn that," Doma said with an almost playful tone. "I want to learn Blood Demon Art: Destructive Kill, Compass." His voice had just enough flirtation that anyone else might misinterpret their relationship.
Raiden exhaled and looked at him coldly.
"Fine. I'll teach you, but learning by doing is the fastest way."
There was no emotion in Raiden's words. Doma blinked, his smile faltering as he sensed something different.
Raiden felt… more dangerous now.
Just then, a sharp rush of wind erupted around Raiden.
Objects within two meters were shredded by the blast of air.
Then Raiden slowly drew his Nichirin blade.
Doma's expression changed from smug to surprised.
It was as if some seal had been broken, similar to an awakened state.
Raiden moved again.
Boom!
The ground where he had stood was blown into a crater two meters across.
The raw momentum of his attack made Doma's brows narrow.
This was no trivial strike.
Doma opened his golden fan, sending a frigid blue wind surging toward Raiden.
The cold blast met with Raiden's crimson-gold blade and dissipated instantly, barely slowing him down.
Raiden's blade collided with the golden fan, creating a violent vibration that made Doma's hand go numb.
Raiden closed the gap, bringing his blade right next to Doma's face. Their breaths were visible in the cold air.
"Still want to learn?"
Despite the threat, Doma's smile returned, though it looked forced, unnerved.
"Yes, of course I do," Doma said, trying to sound composed. "I also want to learn about your current state. Can you teach me?"
"Consider it a trade for convincing Gyutaro to trust me," Raiden responded without emotion.
There was a strange connection between Doma and Gyutaro—more than mere rank. Gyutaro actually listened to Doma in ways other Upper Ranks wouldn't.
Doma shifted his stance, pushing the fan forward to block.
"Blood Demon Art: Crystallized Lord!" he announced.
From the fan appeared five small figures of ice—Little Ice Men resembling Doma.
Raiden's smile widened. "I can use that move too."
Doma froze in shock.
He can? My own Blood Demon Art? But how? Humans can't even access Blood Demon Art! Wait… how did Raiden use Akaza's Destructive Kill without it? Does he truly wield Blood Demon Art?
"Blood Demon Art: Crystallized Lord!" Doma repeated in astonishment as dozens of ice figures appeared, both his and Raiden's, clashing in chaotic battle.
Raiden's Ice Men weren't as strong as Doma's, but they were fortified by Destructive Kill, Compass. Even though they wouldn't win quickly, they wouldn't fall instantly either.
"Learning it yourself is the best way," Raiden said, charging again with blade raised.
He knew Transparent World had a time limit. Once it ended, his advantage would vanish. He had to make the most of it.
Clang, clang!
Two heavy strikes knocked Doma's fan aside.
If Doma hadn't exhaled a blast of cold air at the last second, Raiden's blade would have already severed his neck.
"How dull," Doma said with a disappointed tone, raising his golden fan again. "I've been teaching so long and you still haven't learned anything."
Raiden allowed himself a small smile as he heard the tone.
If not for the trembling in Doma's hand, he might have believed Doma was calm.
"So you're giving up on learning?" Raiden asked, voice steady.
With Transparent World heightening his senses, he could see Doma's thoughts clearly—confusion, fear, a flicker of surrender.
Doma didn't answer. His gaze shifted toward the ice figures battling each other.
Raiden moved again, his blade slicing through the space in front of Doma.
"Not focusing during battle isn't wise," he said.
Raiden's blade flashed so fast that Doma barely had time to react. It struck his shoulder, cutting him clean through—not through a vital point, but with enough force to test and overwhelm him.
Doma's severed body healed within a breath, but the force behind Raiden's strike remained unmistakable.