A subtle tremor rippled outward like waves spreading across still water, growing more noticeable with each passing moment.
A gentle breeze drifted through the courtyard. Yet the instant it brushed against Raiden's body, it seemed to slow and pulse with rhythm, as though drawn by some unseen force, flowing with his breath across the training ground.
It was an indescribable presence, neither hot nor cold, but carrying a power that made the soul quiver.
Sunlight once warm and dappled through sparse leaves now seemed to orbit Raiden, forming a faint halo around him.
The strange, solemn sight filled Tanjiro and the others with awe.
Raiden's eyelids rose slowly, revealing eyes deep and steady as ocean depths.
He exhaled, and the breath felt tangible, causing nearby leaves to sway though no wind stirred, dust dancing in its wake.
Tanjiro sensed Raiden's shift, his heart thumping in sudden recognition.
Inosuke, hidden beneath his boar's head, momentarily paused, fingers tightening as he held back all the questions he wanted to shout.
Right now, Raiden felt distant, unknowable — a force rather than a friend.
With a sharp, metallic whisper, Raiden's arm flicked, and as if pulled from thin air, a long Nichirin blade appeared in his grip.
The blade shimmered like a living fragment of sunlight, gleaming with golden brilliance as though it had captured the last glow of the day.
It reflected light with impossible sharpness, each flicker seeming to carve tiny cracks into the air itself.
Raiden moved with a grace that felt effortless, but his speed was beyond what the eye could follow.
In the training ground he was everywhere and nowhere at once, his presence flickering across space without ever lingering.
His waist twisted, his shoulder tilted, and he became the flash of a blade weaving through wooden stakes.
There was a "whoosh," soft yet piercing, like a thread slicing through a seam in space.
Time felt suspended.
Then a series of gentle crackling sounds broke the stillness, not like colliding strings or jade, but like sturdy wood splitting with quiet precision.
The once solid wooden stakes were cut with such finesse that wood chips hovered in the air for a heartbeat.
Then, in slow motion, they drifted to the ground like autumn leaves falling.
"…How has Raiden gotten so much stronger?" Zenitsu muttered from the edge of the courtyard, his neck hunched in disbelief.
He'd spent the last two months sharpening his own Breath technique, even earning praise from Shinobu for his rapid progress, yet Raiden's growth put his own efforts into perspective.
After watching Raiden's display, Zenitsu could only think that if Raiden ever became a demon, no one could stop him.
Raiden's lips curved with a quiet satisfaction as the word "incomplete" disappeared beside Transparent World on his status panel.
At last he had fully mastered Transparent World.
During these two months of rest Raiden had refined every skill he knew while exploring the depths of Transparent World.
Superior Talent truly was absurd — while he honed techniques, his realm did not lag behind. Having just reached Middle Pillar last month, this month he already stood on the brink of Upper Pillar.
Right now, Raiden's strength was enough to crush Doma.
Even against Kokushibo, Raiden could now endure, if only for a while.
He had considered asking Tanjiro about the Speckles, but Tanjiro's explanation had been too abstract. All the chaotic onomatopoeic descriptions left Raiden still struggling to grasp how to trigger them.
Everything was ready, he simply needed the Swordsmith Village incident to begin.
The Swordsmith Village incident sparked when Tanjiro's blade shattered during his battle with Gyutaro, forcing him to seek out the swordsmiths.
Even with Raiden's help, Tanjiro couldn't avoid that fate, his Nichirin blade would still break.
Tanjiro's request to go to Swordsmith Village and consult Hotaru Haganezuka had already been accepted by their master.
When Raiden learned of this, he submitted his own application to Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Kagaya approved without hesitation, Raiden's strength proven through relentless clashes with Upper Moons, making him a valuable asset to the Corps.
Their departure for Swordsmith Village was scheduled for tomorrow.
Raiden used this time to prepare his own strategy for the upcoming arc.
He considered the main figures likely to appear in Swordsmith Village: the Mist Hashira, the Love Hashira, Genya Shinazugawa, Upper Moon Five Gyokko, and Upper Moon Four Hantengu.
With Tanjiro guiding him, the Mist Hashira would be easy enough to befriend.
The Love Hashira was already a friend, and Raiden planned to strengthen their relationship while seeking deeper comprehension.
Genya offered little reward that captured Raiden's interest.
Gyokko's Blood Demon Art was intriguing, and Gyokko's playful personality suggested that Raiden could charm his way into a connection.
Hantengu should also be easy — timid and cowardly, a display of Raiden's strength followed by a straightforward request for friendship would likely work.
His focus was simply on any disturbances his presence might cause during the incident.
Which Upper Moon would actually appear?
Doma and Akaza posed no real threat.
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