"Raiden!"
Tanjiro exclaimed in surprise.
He had no idea how deeply Raiden's Ghost King's Aura had shaken Tamayo and Yushiro. All Tanjiro could tell was that Raiden's movements had become smoother, more refined, as if every motion carried quiet authority.
Raiden nodded at Tanjiro.
"Relax. I have no hostility toward demons like Miss Tamayo. I only wish to befriend her."
Tamayo remained silent, her eyes fixed on him.
Zenitsu, standing off to the side, stared at Raiden with unease. He had heard those same words before.
Whenever a demon agreed to befriend Raiden, that was usually the moment their head left their body.
Are these two going to die too?
Seeing Tamayo and Yushiro's guarded expressions, Raiden gave a casual shrug.
He understood their caution.
Even though he was deliberately suppressing the Ghost King's Aura, the pressure woven into his presence could not be erased so easily.
"Looks like I'll need to show a bit of sincerity."
Raiden leaned against the stair railing, tilting his head slightly.
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air.
Boom.
A temari ball flew past Raiden's ear and smashed into the wooden wall behind him, blasting a gaping hole through it.
Before anyone could react, dozens more followed.
This time, there was no destruction.
Clang.
Every temari ball that passed Raiden split cleanly in half and dropped to the floor.
Tamayo trembled.
So fast.
Was that his sword just now?
She glanced at Zenitsu, who was still frozen beside Raiden, then back at Raiden himself.
There was no doubt.
Raiden turned slowly, clearly intending to deal with the intruders before continuing his discussion.
Outside the house, Susamaru felt her temari balls being destroyed and narrowed her eyes.
"The Demon Slayer inside has some skill," she said with a twisted smile. "Doesn't that excite you?"
"Don't get blood on me," Yahaba replied coldly, stepping aside.
From the smoke-filled gap in the wall, a figure emerged.
Susamaru did not bother identifying him. She hurled the temari balls in her hands again.
Clang.
They split apart instantly.
Her smile faded.
She threw faster.
Again, every ball was cut in half.
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
There was no pattern to her attacks. Hitting one might be coincidence. Repeating it was impossible.
Yahaba sensed something was wrong. He moved behind Susamaru, his arrow-marked eyes locking onto the figure advancing through the smoke.
[Susamaru]
[Race: Demon]
[Rank: Kinoe]
[Blood Demon Art: Temari Manipulation]
[Yahaba]
[Race: Demon]
[Rank: Kinoe]
[Blood Demon Art: Koketsu Arrow]
As Raiden's form became clear, both demons froze.
Their lips trembled.
A word nearly escaped.
Lord.
Who was this human?
Why did he carry the presence of Kibutsuji Muzan?
Not the same, but terrifyingly close.
Their arrogance vanished, replaced by unease and instinctive fear.
Yahaba's arrows remained locked onto Raiden, but his fingers shook uncontrollably.
"Care to be friends?"
The words landed lightly.
Susamaru and Yahaba stiffened.
Friends?
A human asking demons to be friends?
Susamaru inhaled sharply, then snarled and hurled a temari ball with all her strength.
She believed in only one Ghost King.
Kibutsuji Muzan.
Anyone who carried his shadow was a blasphemy that needed to be erased.
The temari ball screamed forward.
Two more appeared in her hands.
She froze.
He was gone.
Before she could react, her vision tilted.
She could not move her head.
Raiden's smiling face filled her sight.
"Next time, don't interrupt someone else's conversation. It's rude."
Her gaze drifted downward.
Her body was gone.
All she saw was Raiden's bloodstained hand.
"Temari…"
Inside the house, Tanjiro stopped cold.
This was not the Raiden he thought he knew.
Raiden stood calmly, holding Susamaru's head, his voice low and composed.
If not for the blood, it might have looked almost intimate.
The illusion shattered instantly.
The Raiden who smiled gently was the same Raiden who killed without hesitation.
Zenitsu was no longer shocked, only resigned.
He had seen this too many times.
"Want to be friends?"
The demon nods. The demon dies.
"Want to be friends?"
The demon refuses, gets beaten, nods, and dies anyway.
Raiden watched Susamaru dissolve into black smoke, then turned to Yahaba.
"Have you decided?"
Throwing balls held no appeal to him.
But arrows?
Those were interesting.
Yahaba swallowed hard.
Susamaru was strong. Muzan had sent them together because they were equals.
Yet she was dead.
And he had not even seen how.
Raiden's presence crushed him.
"I… I'm willing," Yahaba stammered. "I'll be your friend."
[Ding]
[Successfully added Arrow Demon: Yahaba as a friend]
[Friendship Level: Initial Acquaintance]
[Reward obtained]
[Blood Demon Art: Koketsu Arrow]
[Fuse now?]
[No]
Zenitsu shut his eyes.
When he opened them, Yahaba's head was already rolling across the floor.
Zenitsu stared in disbelief.
He had agreed.
So why was he dead?
Is this really how Raiden treats friends?