A massive battle raged across the clearing.
At its center stood an absurd yet terrifying sight, a plushy, tentacled, octopus-like monster known as Luchan, locked in combat against the Demon Slayer Corps. The scene felt almost mythic, like heroes clashing against a Demon King pulled straight from a legend.
The number of Demon Slayers present was far greater than before. In fact, everyone participating in Hashira Training was here.
How had it come to this?
The answer was simple. Those who arrived earlier had failed the trial. And since none of them left, the newcomers simply joined them. The numbers kept growing, yet no one withdrew.
Because of that, the Hashira made a decision.
Rather than separating the trainees, they would send everyone here to complete this training together and to finish it together.
The Hashira themselves were not idle either. One by one, they were in the process of awakening their Demon Slayer Marks, aided by Akira's device.
All of them, except one.
The Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyōmei, stood apart from that path. At twenty-seven years old, he already knew the truth.
The moment his mark awakened…
that day would become the day he died.
That was the current situation.
At this very moment, all the Demon Slayers were attacking Luchan at once. Wooden swords flashed, and Breathing Styles were unleashed in rapid succession.
Yet every single attack was seen through and countered.
The reason was Akira's newly mastered Transparent World.
Thanks to it, he could effortlessly block and parry their strikes, reading their movements before they were fully formed. After days of using the Transparent World against countless Demon Slayers, Akira had grown far more proficient with it.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a true visual ability.
Because of that, Erika's vision-sharing couldn't synchronize with it, leaving the two unable to share this perception.
Once, back when they had time to breathe, Erika had asked him about it. "What exactly is the Transparent World, anyway?"
Akira had answered calmly.
"It's a state where you stop relying on your senses and instead perceive internal motion, muscles, bones, blood flow, intent…"
Erika had stared at him blankly.
"Speak human."
Akira sighed.
"Okay. Simpler. It's like X-ray vision."
Erika froze.
"WHAT?!"
She immediately covered herself with her arms and stepped back.
"That's not okay!"
Akira burst into laughter.
"Relax! It's not that kind of X-ray vision! It's not even really vision. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen it before…"
WHAM.
The punch landed squarely on his face, sending him crashing backward into the grass.
"IDIOT!!" Erika screamed.
And on that day,
Akira was almost beaten to death. Again.
Back in the present.
Because of the Transparent World, Akira was practically unstoppable. With Erika's ribbon tentacles providing constant support, Luchan itself became an unstoppable force.
This was a battle where only high-level Demon Slayers could even approach.
Lower-ranked slayers never made it past the tentacles. They were knocked down almost immediately, beaten back before they could even get close.
Among the few who could engage Akira in close combat were Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Kanao.
Zenitsu technically could as well, but since he wasn't asleep, he was currently doing nothing but screaming, crying, and running around in panic.
They were strong, without question.
But against Akira with the Transparent World, they were easily beaten back.
"Hinokami Kagura—Solar Heat Haze!"
Tanjiro rushed toward Luchan, blade blazing.
"Beast Breathing, Second Fang—Slice!" Inosuke roared as he charged in.
"Flower Breathing, Fourth Form—Crimson Hanagoromo."
Kanao followed with precise, elegant movements.
Meanwhile, Zenitsu continued screaming incoherently somewhere in the background.
Akira didn't activate any Breathing Techniques.
He didn't need to.
With the Transparent World, he could see straight through their forms, their posture, muscle tension, breathing rhythm, and the flaws hidden within each strike.
With calm precision, he countered them one after another, striking their weak points using his two wooden swords and forcing them back.
Erika's tentacles moved in to follow up.
But before they could strike.
BANG!
From the side, Genya fired his pump-action double-barreled automatic shotgun.
Rubber bullets slammed into the tentacles, knocking them aside and deflecting the attack.
Immediately after, Genya threw something.
A grenade.
The entire battlefield was swallowed by thick smoke as the others retreated.
Yes, those were Akira's creations, made specifically for Genya.
The smoke contained wisteria, but it wasn't very effective against Akira, since he wasn't a demon. And with the Transparent World active, he could still perceive their movements clearly.
However.
Erika couldn't see through it.
So she was forced to wait.
That brief moment was enough.
It gave the Demon Slayers just enough time to escape.
Just as Tanjiro and the others retreated, another group of Demon Slayers stepped forward, placing themselves directly in Luchan's path to cover their escape.
At the same time.
Someone began pushing the Princess Pinky cart toward the clearing, the finish line.
But Luchan noticed immediately.
Its tentacles shot out, latching onto nearby trees like grappling hooks. With a powerful swing, almost like Spider-Man, Luchan closed the distance in an instant and struck down the Demon Slayers, pulling the cart, sending them flying.
Because of the rules, Luchan couldn't damage the cart itself.
So instead, it abandoned the cart and beat back the Demon Slayers, dragging it, forcing them away.
Another group rushed in to engage Luchan, desperately trying to slow it down.
"Tanjiro! What should we do, Tanjiro?!"
Zenitsu cried loudly, tears streaming down his face as panic set in.
Tanjiro clenched his teeth.
"We can't win like this. We need a plan."
"We don't have time to plan!" Genya snapped. "Whatever we come up with, that guy just counters it immediately!"
"We don't need a plan!" Inosuke shouted. "We just need to beat that monster up!"
"We can't do that!" Zenitsu yelled back. "We need to push the cart first!"
"That won't work either!" Genya replied. "They can catch up instantly. The cart is too slow!"
Then.
Tanjiro froze.
Something clicked.
Slowly, he spoke.
"Do we really… have to push the entire cart to win this?"
Everyone turned to him.
Their expressions were completely dumbfounded.
On the other side of the clearing, Akira and Erika inside Luchan, finished dealing with the Demon Slayers who had rushed them earlier, and immediately gave chase to the others.
But Tanjiro, Kanao, and Inosuke stepped in again, blocking Luchan's path and trying to hold it back.
At the same moment.
Genya threw every remaining smoke grenade.
The entire battlefield was swallowed in thick smoke.
Inside the suit, Erika frowned.
"What's happening? Why did he use all of them?"
Akira answered calmly.
"They're trying to hold us down. It's a diversion. Their real target is the cart."
Erika tensed.
"But I can't see anything in here."
Akira paused, then said,
"Wait. Don't vampires see through mist? Why can't you see this?"
Erika snapped back immediately.
"That's mist. This is smoke."
Akira clicked his tongue.
"Then just use my eyes. I can show you the world."
"Now is not the time for jokes," Erika said sharply.
Still, she activated her vision-sharing ability.
In the next instant, despite the smoke, she could see it.
The flow of energy.
The movement of bodies.
And, most importantly.
Several Demon Slayers are pushing the cart toward the goal.
Luchan surged forward, rushing toward the Demon Slayers pushing the cart, but from the side, every remaining Demon Slayer attacked at once.
The tentacles on Luchan's back whirled violently, spinning like a raging vortex and striking in every direction. Still, Tanjiro and the other elite fighters managed to pin it down, holding the massive suit in place.
They had been fighting Luchan for several days now.
They knew how it moved.
They knew its patterns.
They couldn't stop it forever, but they could hold it for a moment.
And in that moment.
The Demon Slayers, pushing the cart, suddenly threw Princess Pinky-chan into the air.
Inside the suit, Akira realized what was happening instantly.
He tried to rush forward, but the tentacles that were being held down slowed him just enough.
Before Akira and Erika could break free.
Zenitsu leapt.
With a desperate cry, he kicked Princess Pinky-chan midair, unleashing Thunder Breathing, First Form. The plush princess shot forward at blinding speed, flying straight toward the goal.
Luchan tore itself free and charged after her, tentacles snapping through the air.
But just before it could reach her.
Princess Pinky-chan's head crossed into the clearing.
Just an inch.
But that inch was enough.
For a brief moment, the entire forest fell silent.
Then.
Raven and Rose flew across the sky, their voices ringing out together.
"Kaa! Kaa! Match over! Winner: Demon Slayers! Winner: Demon Slayers!"
The clearing erupted.
Everyone cheered.