Lucien spent the entire morning experimenting by the waterfall, working to channel Thunder Breathing into his Nichirin Blade and into his hardened hands. As he pushed his limits, he could feel his stamina draining rapidly.
He was so absorbed in his work that he almost didn't notice when Mitsuri-san appeared behind him, her presence soft and hesitant.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
She stood there silently, fingers twisting in her lap, her head bowed. Finally, in a small voice she admitted, "My lie… it was exposed, and then—and then…" Tears threatened in her eyes, and she trembled with fear that he might be angry with her.
Lucien set down his blade and turned to her, a calm expression on his face.
"Is that all? I expected it from the beginning."
Her eyes widened, blinking up at him.
"Aren't you angry?"
He shook his head, the corners of his lips softening.
"Why would I be angry? I knew you weren't very good at lying. You've never been."
Mitsuri hesitated.
"But…"
"Don't worry too much," he said, standing and reaching to gently pat her head. His touch made her cheeks flush. "You must be tired from last night. Go rest first."
She looked down, twisting her fingers again nervously, then whispered, "Master wants to see you."
"When?" he asked.
"Tonight," she answered after a moment.
"Alright," he said in a quiet tone. "Go back and rest. I'll keep working on the Nichirin Blade, and then we'll go to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters together tonight."
She nodded softly and turned to leave. Lucien watched her go, a subtle frown creasing his brow before he returned to his work.
---
As dusk fell, Lucien rode his bicycle through moonlit roads, Mitsuri perched safely behind him. They were heading back to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. Every sense was alert—if anything felt wrong, he was ready to escape.
He felt vulnerable, especially now: the war BGM was still on cooldown with nine days remaining, leaving him with a fragile sense of security.
When the moon reached its zenith, Lucien arrived at the Headquarters. The lights inside were warm and bright, and as he entered, he saw a gathering of familiar faces: Oyakata-sama, Amane, and all the Pillars.
"Mitsuri," he greeted softly, nodding head as she bowed to Oyakata-sama. Some of the Pillars exchanged glances, puzzled by his informal posture — he sat cross-legged instead of kneeling.
Amane knelt beside them, offering tea.
"What would you like, Lucien-san?"
"Just clear tea, please," he replied.
Oyakata-sama gave Mitsuri a gentle look.
"Please, don't blame her. She's not good at lying." His voice was as calm as a gentle breeze.
"I understand." Lucien glanced at Mitsuri, whose fingers were idly twisting again.
Oyakata-sama continued, introducing those assembled.
"This is Kyojuro, the Flame Pillar, and Shinobu Kocho... Giyu Tomioka, the Water Pillar... Tengen Uzui, the Sound Pillar..."
Kyojuro nodded with his usual bright, direct manner.
"Mitsuri said you could face Kibutsuji Muzan on your own. Is that true?"
Lucien gave a small, rueful smile.
"No, it's not true. I'm not his equal. If you hadn't arrived, I probably would have fled."
His amethyst eyes, calm and deep, seemed to reflect inner strength despite his admission.
Gyomei clasped his hands, offering a quiet chant of "Namu Amida Butsu."
Then Oyakata-sama turned to Lucien with a serious expression.
"Lucien Graves, no one in a century has stood on equal footing with Muzan. Tell us… what did you learn about him?"
Silence fell as all the Pillars leaned in. None of them had fought him directly, nor even recognized him clearly, since Muzan could shift his form at will.
Lucien nodded and began to describe his observations, his voice steady.
---
Meanwhile, high on Mt. Natagumo, battles raged in the moonlit forest. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and several Demon Slayer Corps members clashed with Rui's subordinates — demons created from his twisted "family." Their skin, once human in appearance, had been warped by his power.
Rui's 'family' had no true blood ties. Their abilities were all granted by him, and any who disobeyed his rules suffered brutal consequences: cut apart by his threads, robbed of their minds, or left to die under the unforgiving sun.
But things had changed.
A year ago, on this very mountain, something extraordinary occurred. On the rooftop of the Spider House, under the stillness of night, Rui whispered to himself, "I'm not dead." His eyes snapped open. He sat up, confusion flickering in them before resolve settled in.
Minutes later, he sighed softly. His soul was not the true Rui anymore. He had been replaced by another.
"I transmigrated," he muttered, almost to himself. "Demon Slayer world… Lower Moon Five, Rui."
He touched his pale demon face, pale hair, and delicate hands. Then a manic grin spread across his lips.
His name had once been Wang Xu — an ordinary eighteen-year-old from modern society. Abused by his stepfather, he grew up timid and resentful, alone but for his dreams of escape through stories and anime. In his darkest moments, he imagined taking revenge, but lacked the courage.
Then one fateful night, he snapped. In front of his terrified mother, he used a cleaver. Blood and screams followed. When the man lay still, Wang Xu simply dropped the weapon and walked up to the rooftop. He jumped.
When he woke, he was in this world — as Rui.
Once bullied and silent, he now wielded power. He had fantasized about transmigrating into other worlds so many times. Now his chance had come.
---
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