Inside a certain pharmaceutical merchant's mansion, the atmosphere was quiet and still.Muzan Kibutsuji, currently in the form of a delicate young child, sat beneath a hanging lantern, flipping through a thick volume on medicinal herbs. The pages detailed rare plants, their growth patterns, and their alchemical properties. Despite having read countless books of this kind, Muzan's expression remained focused, a faint glimmer of hope flickering in his blood-red eyes.Perhaps this one holds the key…He was searching for the elusive Blue Spider Lily—a flower of mythical reputation tied directly to his desire: to walk under the sun like a normal human. Though centuries had passed and the Demon King had scoured the world in his pursuit, the Blue Spider Lily remained hidden. Still, Muzan refused to give up.The wind outside rustled the curtains, casting fleeting shadows across the room as moonlight filtered in. The silence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps landing on the balcony.A figure knelt down on one knee—Akaza, Upper Moon Three.His sudden presence shattered the tranquility of the room. The usually proud demon warrior now carried an expression laced with anxiety. He knew the news he brought was far from good."Akaza reporting, Lord Muzan," he said with forced composure.Muzan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly closed the book and placed it aside. His calm black pupils shifted to crimson, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. The sheer weight of his killing intent made the very air feel suffocating.He finally spoke, voice low but full of overwhelming pressure. "Did you find what I ordered you to find?"Akaza's eyes dropped to the ground, not daring to meet Muzan's gaze. "I investigated thoroughly, but… I could not confirm its existence. I failed to locate the Blue Spider Lily.""I see."Muzan's face showed no reaction. It was impossible to tell if he was calm or simply suppressing his rage. It was as if the object of his obsession—the Blue Spider Lily—meant nothing to him.Still kneeling, Akaza continued, his voice cracking under pressure, "I won't give up, my lord. I will devote myself even harder to the search."Silence.Muzan slowly turned, the faint blue veins on his face now bulging as his internal fury grew. The room seemed to tremble slightly, as if nature itself feared his wrath.Then came the chilling question."And what about Enmu?"Akaza's body stiffened. Muzan's tone was frigid, every word like an icicle stabbing at the heart."You didn't report that incident to me. Was it because you were ashamed?" Muzan asked, his voice soft yet soaked in menace.Akaza gritted his teeth. He couldn't deny it.Before he could form a response, Muzan lifted a single finger. A wave of invisible force burst from him, creating a loud whoosh as it tore through the air.Akaza had no time to dodge. The pressure slammed into him like a collapsing mountain.BOOM!Akaza's knees buckled, his chest caved slightly under the crushing force. Blood trickled from his lips."You couldn't even kill a single Flame Pillar," Muzan said coldly, walking slowly toward the window, his back turned to Akaza. "Do you still believe you're worthy of the title Upper Moon?"With every page he had been reading earlier now torn and fluttering to the ground, it was as though Muzan was tearing apart Akaza's pride at the same time. Every page ripped echoed in Akaza's body—cracks appeared on his skin, and blood seeped out of them, splashing onto the cold stone floor."You allowed yourself to be suppressed… by a mere boy," Muzan spat.He glanced over his shoulder. His red eyes gleamed with disdain, flames of fury dancing within.Akaza knelt, covered in blood, trembling under the suffocating pressure, yet dared not utter a word in protest."You disappoint me," Muzan hissed. "Upper Moon Three reduced to such a pathetic state…"Muzan turned once more, walking toward a tall bookshelf. His footsteps were slow, deliberate—each one like a drumbeat echoing through Akaza's ears.He reached out and pulled a thick, well-preserved book from the shelf. Without looking back, he uttered a single, icy command:"Withdraw."The word was final. Muzan didn't even acknowledge Akaza's presence anymore.With pain coursing through every inch of his body, Akaza slowly rose. Though still bleeding, he kept his head down, swallowing his humiliation. Without another word, he turned, stepped onto the balcony, and leapt into the night.Back in the room, Muzan stood silently, flipping through the new book, though his thoughts were far away.The Transparent World… it has returned?His mind replayed the battle between Akaza and Lucas.Though the state Lucas had achieved was imperfect, it was unmistakably the Transparent World—a lost technique dating back to the Warring States Period.Could other legacies have survived?Muzan's grip on the book tightened. For the first time in centuries, he felt a faint sense of unease.That name, that cursed figure from long ago—Yoriichi Tsugikuni—surfaced in his mind.Will Lucas become the second Yoriichi?He shook his head.No. The Transparent World alone is not enough. Without Sun Breathing, he cannot become another Yoriichi.But even that didn't comfort him. Lucas's growth rate was simply too fast. It had triggered a rare sense of urgency in Muzan's heart."Useless trash…" he muttered under his breath, his expression twisted with anger.Akaza had failed. Despite the opportunity to eliminate Lucas before he became a threat, the demon hesitated, underestimated the boy, and now the chance had slipped through their fingers.The rage inside Muzan simmered once more.He had waited centuries. Sacrificed thousands. And now, a mere teenager stood as a potential threat to everything he had built.Lucas must be eliminated… before he can grow any further.Suddenly, the door creaked open.A middle-aged man with a concerned expression poked his head into the room."I heard noise. Is everything alright?"Muzan's red eyes instantly shifted back to black. He adopted the innocent demeanor of a child, turning with a blank face."I'm fine," he said softly, hiding his fury beneath a composed exterior.The man nodded and left without pressing further.Muzan turned back to the window, watching the moonlight shimmer across the trees.---Meanwhile, far from the mansion, Akaza sprinted through the forest, blood still dripping from his wounds. The cold night wind brushed against his skin, but it did little to soothe the storm in his heart."You truly disappoint me."Those words rang louder in his ears than any wound he had received.Suppressed by Lucas? That child?Akaza clenched his fists, his face twisted in pain and fury.The humiliation. The shame. The searing disappointment in Muzan's voice.It burned hotter than the wounds across his body.How did it come to this?He had gone into that battle with confidence. He hadn't taken Lucas seriously at first. But the boy's strength kept growing. That strange state—Transparent World—had caught him off guard.And now Muzan had lost all faith in him.Akaza's breathing grew heavier, his eyes filled with resentment—not just toward Lucas, but toward himself.He had failed.And in the world of demons, failure was unforgivable.---Back in the mansion, Muzan sat alone once more.The moonlight framed his silhouette, casting a long shadow across the floor.His fingers gently flipped another page of the book in his hand, but his mind remained locked on one name:Lucas.He would not make the same mistake again.The next time they met, Lucas would not be given the chance to survive.Because now… he had Muzan's full attention.---
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