The sky slowly brightened, the pale light of dawn spreading like the first breath of a new day.
On a desolate mountaintop, Lucien sat on a three-meter leather sofa, a bottle of strong liquor in one hand and a cigarette in the other. His legs were crossed as he stared out over the cliffs, the early morning wind brushing against him.
His spiky crimson hair fluttered violently, looking like a blazing fire from a distance.
Beside him lay Nezuko, beaten and broken, her body on the verge of collapse.
Two kukri blades pinned her to the ground. Her bloodshot eyes burned with wild hatred, filled with the desire to tear Lucien apart.
Lucien did not care about the murderous glare she directed at him. He simply watched the brightening horizon.
After killing Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka and Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro, Lucien had dragged Nezuko here.
Once he arrived, he rolled the Dice twice.
The Water Hashira and the Serpent Hashira were nothing but supporting characters to him.
"Random Uncertain Hair Dye."
"A box of Whisper pads."
Those were the rewards he received.
His hair had turned fully crimson, making him look even more delinquent than before. With the spiky style, he almost resembled Vegeta from Dragon Ball.
The random hair dye meant that his hair color would shift unpredictably. It might be crimson today, green tomorrow, or something else entirely.
That didn't matter, it was free after all.
But the box of Whisper pads annoyed him a little.
Lucien slowly exhaled cigarette smoke, then took a swig of the liquor. It burned harshly down his throat.
He leaned back against the sofa like someone who had walked through hell and back.
"Do you know why I didn't kill you when I killed Tanjiro?"
Drawing his gaze away from the rising sun, Lucien glanced at Nezuko, still pinned down by the blades.
"I will kill you," Nezuko hissed, her voice distorted with rage. But her injuries were too severe. Her energy and stamina were nearly depleted, and her cellular regeneration was practically frozen.
Lucien's tone remained calm.
"The reason I kept you alive is simple. I want you to adapt to sunlight."
Then, without warning, his expression darkened, his Amethyst eyes flashing with fury.
"I never expected to fall into the hands of you three. That was a Senzu Bean. A whole life. Wasted."
He clenched his jaw.
"Adapt to the sunlight. Only then do you have any value left."
Lucien suppressed his killing intent. Every time he remembered the Senzu Bean being wasted, a part of him wanted to slice Nezuko apart.
But he held back.
If Nezuko could adapt to sunlight, then after he devoured Muzan, he would gain the same ability.
If she couldn't… then her death would mean nothing to him.
The sky brightened gradually.
When the first ray of sunlight touched the earth, the world stirred awake.
Finally, the sunlight reached Nezuko.
Lucien prepared himself to watch her burn to ash.
But fate favored surprises.
"When did you adapt to sunlight?"
Lucien's eyes widened in shock and excitement.
The warm golden rays washed over Nezuko like a gentle veil, yet there was no pain, no smoke, no flames.
She remained completely unaffected.
Lucien stood up from the sofa, walked toward her, and yanked one kukri out. Grabbing Nezuko by her hair, he lifted her into the light completely.
Still no reaction.
"Hahahaha…"
Lucien burst into wild laughter.
An unexpected blessing had fallen into his lap.
Now that Nezuko had fully adapted to sunlight, he had no more concerns.
Once he devoured Kibutsuji Muzan and transformed into a Demon, consuming Nezuko afterward would grant him eternal life and immunity to sunlight.
With that power, even Wang Xu would become easier to confront.
Lucien basked in the joy, then continued exposing Nezuko to the sunlight, especially during the harsh midday rays.
When Nezuko endured an entire day of sunlight without issue, Lucien confirmed his conclusion.
---
Swordsmith Village was a settlement of artisans who forged Nichirin Blades.
Yesterday, under Muzan's orders, Upper Rank Four Hantengu and Upper Rank Five Gyokko arrived here searching for the legendary Blue Spider Lily.
For nearly a thousand years, Muzan had pursued this flower, believing it would free him from the weakness of sunlight.
Once the two Upper Ranks arrived, they began slaughtering the swordsmiths and interrogating anyone they could find.
Things went smoothly—until Wang Xu appeared.
A head suddenly flew into the sky.
Hantengu's headless corpse fell stiffly to the ground.
Nearby, Gyokko trembled as he stared at Wang Xu floating in mid-air.
Sharp, needle-thin threads rained down from above, piercing Hantengu repeatedly. Within seconds, his body withered.
Wang Xu absorbed every drop of his blood and every nutrient in his body.
Gyokko's mind froze, too stunned to react.
Only when Hantengu was nothing but an empty husk, blown away by the wind, did Gyokko manage to breathe again.
"I've been waiting for you."
It had been ten days since Wang Xu's battle against Lucien in Yoshiwara. Five days ago, Wang Xu arrived at the Swordsmith Village.
He already knew the Demon Slayer story. He knew Hantengu and Gyokko would come here for the Blue Spider Lily.
So he came first.
He had to wait for them.
The Hashira were nearly extinct thanks to him and Lucien.
Even the former Hashira were long dead.
The Demon Slayer Corps was essentially finished. There were few targets left among the humans, forcing Wang Xu to turn his sights to Demons.
But finding Demons wasn't easy.
So he waited here.
"Rui… how are you this strong?"
Gyokko trembled violently. The opponent in front of him looked like a Lower Rank Demon, yet the fear he felt was the same fear Muzan commanded. It tore at him from the inside.
"How hideous."
Wang Xu looked down on him from above.
Gyokko's face contorted. His pale body, yellow eyeballs, green lips, purple fins, and reversed facial features made him look like an artistic mistake.
In the next heartbeat, Wang Xu vanished.
Gyokko felt a chilling sensation behind him.
A sharp kick landed.
The shockwave blasted through several buildings, and Gyokko spat a mouthful of blood as he shot backward through the air.
Wang Xu reappeared instantly.
Before Gyokko could land, Wang Xu appeared above him and executed a brutal downward kick.
The ground within thirty meters exploded.
Gyokko's chest caved inward, blood gushing from his mouth.
Without giving him a moment to recover, Wang Xu twisted his body and launched another kick that sent Gyokko flying again.
The sky filled with afterimages as Wang Xu kicked Gyokko back and forth, like a ball kicked between two goalposts.
A massive explosion shook the area.
Gyokko lay in ruins, disfigured and barely recognizable.
Wang Xu descended and extended his sharp blood threads, stabbing them into Gyokko's failing body.
"Sp-spare me…"
Half of Gyokko's face had turned to pulp, and he could barely speak through the blood.
Wang Xu ignored him.
The threads greedily absorbed every drop of flesh and blood. Gyokko's body shriveled rapidly.
Within moments, he became nothing more than an empty skin that crumbled into dust.
Wang Xu closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of devouring an Upper Rank Demon.
He relished the feeling of becoming stronger.
---
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