Luochuan did not hesitate this time; Zenitsu was resting, so he wasn't worried about the other boy noticing the commotion of the fusion. For the past few nights, in order to train Zenitsu's abilities, Luochuan had let Zenitsu handle every demon they encountered.
At first, Zenitsu would simply faint and "log into his main account" to fight. It wasn't until Luochuan intentionally left an opening for a demon to attack that Zenitsu finally changed. His figure, which previously only swung a blade with brute force, transformed into a brilliant flash of lightning to slay the demon attempting to ambush Luochuan.
Although Zenitsu reverted to his escapist self afterward and remained unable to use the First Form consciously, Luochuan was in no hurry. Breaking through the psychological trauma of Zenitsu's childhood required a gradual process. Forcing it would only deepen the shadows in his heart.
The fusion of [Concealment] was not as violent as [Opening Thread] or [Resonant Ears]. Instead, the movement was incredibly restrained, like a bottomless pool of water quietly flowing into every muscle and vessel of Luochuan's body. During the process, Luochuan felt his "presence" gradually fading. Not just his physical form, but even the energy fluctuations within him were quietly shifting, as if merging into the surrounding air.
Once the fusion ended, Luochuan's breathing became light and slow, and his heartbeat was so steady it was almost undetectable. His body was like a stone hidden in the dark of night; even if someone walked right past him, they wouldn't notice his existence.
"Tch, not bad. Better than nothing," Luochuan mused. [Concealment] could only thin out his presence; true invisibility was still unrealistic. But it was a talent nonetheless—who would complain about having too many?
The Ubuyashiki Estate.
A Kasugai Crow wearing a purple ribbon flew into the mansion. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, whose face was largely covered by a pale purple curse, sat on the veranda. Seeing the crow, he slowly reached out his hand to hold it.
"Is that so? A child who reached the Shin (辛) rank before even participating in the selection?" Kagaya was slightly surprised by the news. Was this another genius like Muichiro? He thought about it for a moment but then shook his head. Geniuses like Muichiro were precious and rare; how could there be so many? Still, this child was promising. Given enough time, he might add another "Hashira" to the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Recommended by Jigoro? Then he must be excellent indeed." Kagaya coughed. "It's just... I might not live to see the day this child becomes a Hashira."
He covered his mouth. Even though his body was in agonizing pain, his voice remained as gentle as the winter sun. The Kasugai Crow in his arms rubbed its head against his hand, looking content.
Seven days later.
Luochuan led Zenitsu back to the original gathering point of the selection. Unsurprisingly, besides Luochuan, the same five people remained. Every other swordsman had stayed forever on Mount Fujikasane.
"Oh my god! I finally made it out alive! I almost died in there!" Zenitsu stood in the square and sighed toward the heavens. He had thought that with the powerful Luochuan as a bodyguard, he could just hide in the back. But Luochuan gave him no such chance, forcing him to face those hideously ugly demons. From trembling in fear and fainting to gradually being able to handle ordinary demons, Zenitsu had suffered quite a bit. These days on Mount Fujikasane were more grueling for him than his training on Mount Momoyama.
"Welcome back," Hinaki and Nichika Ubuyashiki appeared once more. After a few pleasantries, the two young girls began explaining the uniforms and the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Before they could finish, Genya spoke up impatiently, "The sword? Where's my sword? Can't you be faster?"
Ignoring him, the girls clapped their hands, and several Kasugai Crows flew down from the sky. "From this moment on, a Kasugai Crow will follow each of you. They are primarily used for communication."
Luochuan looked at the crow landing on his shoulder. It was the size of a normal crow, but its feathers were a deeper black, and its eyes were a purer, darker shade.
"Don't screw with me! I want the sword! Where is it?!" While Luochuan was having a staring contest with his crow, a frantic shout broke the silence. Genya shoved his crow aside, stepped forward, and grabbed Hinaki by the hair. "The sword! Where is it? Give it to me now!"
Luochuan and Tanjiro moved at the same time. Kanao's gaze briefly shifted from the butterfly on her finger. She watched Luochuan, who had appeared beside Genya almost instantaneously, with a look of contemplation. This speed is as startling as the time he killed that crawler.
"You should be more polite," Luochuan said with a smile, gripping Genya's wrist.
"Let go of this child! Or I'll break your hand!" Tanjiro arrived a second later, looking at Genya with a serious expression.
Genya didn't look at Tanjiro. Instead, he stared intently at Luochuan, swallowed hard, and slowly released his grip. Tanjiro was stunned to see Genya yield so easily. What's going on? Tanjiro's nose twitched. Fear? Genya is afraid? What is he afraid of?
Tanjiro followed Genya's gaze and saw Luochuan gently smoothing out Hinaki's ruffled white hair. Is Genya afraid of Mr. Luochuan?
Seeing the fear in Genya's eyes as he backed away, Tanjiro was confused. Luochuan noticed Tanjiro's gaze and returned a slight smile. Over these seven days of selection, Luochuan had used Zenitsu to kill demons at night and practiced during the day. On the third day, his breakthrough finally came, and he reached the Ko (庚) rank.
He was three ranks higher than Genya. Even if Luochuan didn't use much force, the gap in their power was significant. However, Luochuan found it odd—he only used a little pressure; why was Genya's reaction so extreme?
Genya said nothing more, but he cast a fearful glance at Luochuan. He had consumed demon flesh; because of that, his instincts were exceptionally sharp. He was certain that the strength Luochuan showed on the surface didn't even amount to a tenth of his true power. Furthermore, in the glint of the man's eyes just now, there was a flicker of genuine killing intent.