"Who killed him?"
Giyu Tomioka asked suddenly.
"Raiden… Raiden did."
As Murata said the name, an unexpected sense of calm washed over him.
It was strange. Just hours ago, he would never have imagined feeling reassured simply by thinking about that white-haired swordsman. But after witnessing Raiden cut down a member of the Twelve Kizuki with his own hands, Murata's perception of him had completely changed.
Calling someone younger than himself by name alone now carried weight rather than disrespect.
"Raiden?"
Shinobu Kocho frowned slightly. It was an unfamiliar name.
She was well aware of most notable Demon Slayer Corps members, especially those with exceptional talent. Yet she had never heard of anyone named Raiden.
She glanced at Giyu. He shook his head silently. He had not heard the name either.
"Yes, Raiden," Murata said quickly, afraid they might doubt him. "He defeated a member of the Twelve Kizuki by himself."
"By himself?"
This time, even Giyu's brows knit together.
Was Murata certain he understood what he was saying?
"Are you sure the demon you saw was truly one of the Twelve Kizuki?" Shinobu asked gently, keeping her tone polite.
"Yes," Murata answered without hesitation. "Lower Moon Five. I saw the numbers in his eyes."
At first, Murata had only suspected the demon's identity due to its overwhelming aura. But during the final exchange, when Raiden struck, Rui's hair had shifted just enough.
Murata had seen it clearly.
The kanji for "Lower" in one eye. The number Five in the other.
There was no mistaking it.
At those words, all remaining doubt vanished.
Only the Twelve Kizuki bore such markings. No other demon was worthy of carrying them.
If that was truly Lower Moon Five, then the question became far more troubling.
Who exactly was Raiden?
To defeat a Lower Moon alone meant he was already far beyond ordinary Corps members. And yet neither Hashira had heard his name.
"Where is Raiden now?" Shinobu asked.
"He went to hunt down the remaining demons. I do not know where he is at the moment," Murata replied, then pointed west. "Tanjiro and the others are over there, still fighting."
At the mention of Tanjiro, Giyu paused.
Tanjiro Kamado. The boy from Final Selection.
So soon after joining the Corps, he had already encountered a Twelve Kizuki?
Giyu did not speak. Instead, he turned and walked in the direction Murata indicated.
Shinobu followed with a thoughtful smile.
She wanted answers too.
---
The forest to the west was dim and heavy with the scent of blood.
"Inosuke, are you alright?"
Tanjiro shouted anxiously.
Inosuke had just been smashed into a tree by the Spider Demon Father. What should have been the final exchange had gone terribly wrong the moment the demon used its Blood Demon Art.
Both of their Nichirin blades were broken.
"I am perfectly fine, Kamaboko Gonpachiro!"
Inosuke yelled back, even as pain shot through his dislocated ribs.
If he said it did not hurt, then it did not hurt.
Tanjiro's expression remained tense. His breathing was ragged, his lungs burning from overexertion. Without a blade and without strength left to spare, the situation was dire.
He should have called Raiden.
If Raiden were here, this demon would not be such a threat.
At this rate, they might die.
The Spider Demon Father lumbered forward, towering over Inosuke. Inosuke tried to counterattack, but the broken blade was knocked away effortlessly.
A massive hand closed around Inosuke's head and lifted him off the ground.
The grip tightened.
Tanjiro's pupils shrank.
Somewhere deep inside him, something ignited.
Clutching the remains of his blade, Tanjiro forced his body forward.
Water Breathing forms flashed through his mind, one after another, but none were enough.
Then, in desperation, another memory surfaced.
His father.
The dance beneath the sun.
As his breathing aligned, heat surged through his body.
Flames burst forth from the broken blade, crimson light flooding the forest.
"Sun Breathing, Waltz!"
A burning arc, like a small sun given shape, swept toward the Spider Demon's neck.
This time, the demon's flesh did not resist.
Its neck split cleanly, melting away like snow beneath blazing sunlight.
The body collapsed.
Tanjiro's strength gave out at the same moment.
He fell to the ground, gasping, his vision blurring as he reached weakly toward Inosuke.
"Do not move," a gentle voice said. "You will worsen your injuries."
A sharp sting pierced his back as medicine was injected.
"Tomioka?" Tanjiro murmured.
"You did well," Giyu replied.
"And her?" Tanjiro asked, glancing weakly toward the woman kneeling beside Inosuke.
"Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho," Giyu answered. "Are there any other demons?"
"Probably not," Tanjiro said slowly. "The strongest one was already killed by Raiden. Zenitsu defeated another, and Inosuke and I handled two."
"Raiden?" Giyu repeated.
"He passed Final Selection with us," Tanjiro said, his eyes lighting up despite his exhaustion. "He is incredibly strong. Even the Twelve Kizuki could not stop him."
Giyu's eyes sharpened.
From the same batch?
That meant this year.
A swordsman who had passed Final Selection only months ago and already killed a Lower Moon?
Another Muichiro Tokito?
Nearby, Shinobu had been listening quietly. Her expression finally shifted into open surprise.
To defeat a Twelve Kizuki so quickly, even Kanao could not have done that.
Raiden's potential was alarming.
Tanjiro nodded, preparing to explain everything from the beginning.
"Yes, at the time, Raiden…"
---