Love Breathing, Sixth Form: Cat Leg Love Wind
As Lucien and Wang Xu moved away, Mitsuri Kanroji and Shinobu Kocho launched coordinated attacks on the Demon clones.
At first, the two clones had been almost indistinguishable from the originals, but as the main bodies withdrew, the clones' power began to falter noticeably.
Mitsuri spun gracefully, her whip-like Nichirin Blade slicing through the air, forming a deadly tornado that engulfed one clone entirely.
On the other side, Shinobu combined her Insect Breathing with Kanao's Flower Breathing, overwhelming the second clone.
Together, the three women maintained the upper hand, giving Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Inosuke only the ability to watch helplessly, their bodies barely clinging to life.
To the west of Mt. Natagumo, Zenitsu struggled against the Spider Brother, poisoned by the spider venom.
The transformation into a spider-like state was approaching rapidly.
Suddenly, the forest exploded with a massive shockwave, followed by a golden lightning bolt that shattered trees and sent dust spiraling through the air.
The Spider Brother and Zenitsu instinctively turned toward the disturbance and noticed two figures had appeared in the air and on the ground, seemingly from nowhere.
[Snap… Crackle…]
Lucien held his Nichirin Blade in one hand and a kukri in the other, shrouded in golden lightning.
He stared at Wang Xu, who hovered mid-air on transparent threads, his expression grave and calculating.
Wang Xu's hands twitched, controlling the threads with careful precision.
Neither the Spider Brother nor Zenitsu dared move, both sensing the overwhelming aura and shrinking back in fear.
Lucien shot upward like a streak of lightning, while Wang Xu descended from the sky.
The ground within ten meters fractured like spiderwebs, Lucien's feet sinking into the soil before he vanished in a flash.
Wang Xu appeared without warning, threads clashing with Lucien's kukri, both fighters spitting blood from the impact.
Wang Xu's right foot, shrouded in threads, hooked downward, forcing Lucien to block with his kukri.
A violent storm of dust and debris swept across the area.
Lucien knelt on one knee, heat flushing his face, and extended Hardening through his leg into the ground.
A crystal spike erupted, impaling Wang Xu, who coughed a foul spray of blood, shocked by the sudden ability.
[Five-Color Thread]
Wang Xu's hands extended, forming clawed fingers shimmering with threads that encircled Lucien.
Lucien blocked with both kukris, sparks flying, but Wang Xu's threads sliced continuously, threatening to pierce through to his back.
Lucien hardened his entire body, striking Wang Xu's chin with a foot amid sparks and blood, deforming the Demon's face.
Wang Xu retaliated immediately, sending a thin thread toward Lucien's left hand.
Even with Hardening, the thread severed it cleanly.
A powerful gust swept through the area, causing Zenitsu and the Spider Brother to cling to trees to avoid being blown away.
When the dust settled, Lucien stood tall, five deep wounds visible along his back, his left arm severed at the shoulder.
High-temperature steam rose from his body as colorful, five-colored light spread across his wounds—the regenerative power of his Titanization healing him.
Across from him, Wang Xu's chest and chin injuries regenerated even faster, demonstrating his extreme resilience.
Lucien's face remained cold, though his heart was heavy.
Wang Xu's strength rivaled even Kibutsuji Muzan.
The stakes of the battle left Lucien wary; the Nichirin Blade alone could not pierce this Demon unless transformed into a Crimson Blade, which he had not yet mastered.
Stalling until dawn seemed the only option.
"There shouldn't be one like you. Who are you?!"
Wang Xu planted himself on the ground, refraining from further attacks to confirm something.
Lucien remained silent, weighing whether to reveal his identity.
"It seems you're also a transmigrator."
Lucien decided to reveal his hand, hoping for alliance or mutual understanding.
A subtle smile spread across his face.
"Earth!" he announced, using the shared term for their homeland.
Wang Xu's expression relaxed slightly.
Lucien continued, smiling. "Meeting a fellow countryman in another world is truly fortunate."
"It is fortunate. My sixth sense tells me that if I consume you, I will gain unexpected benefits."
Wang Xu's face remained indifferent, yet his intent was clear.
"That is not interesting. Arrogance leads to death."
Lucien's amethyst eyes narrowed, the cold light sharp in his gaze.
Wang Xu revealed his true hostility, hands dangling threads as his aura rose continuously.
[Boom!]
Their collision echoed like two trains crashing.
Wang Xu's threads lashed out wildly, while Lucien, holding both blades, parried relentlessly.
From a distant vantage point, the golden lightning surrounding Mt. Natagumo illuminated the chaos.
Lucien had pushed Thunder Breathing to its absolute limit, integrating Soru, his speed approaching sound itself.
Yet Wang Xu's movements perfectly matched him.
Lucien briefly reflected.
He still had reserves and only needed to stall until dawn.
Killing this Demon now was impossible.
Wang Xu's speed, regeneration, and offensive capabilities were all superior or equal, leaving Lucien with a tense certainty.
There were three hours left until sunrise.
[Da da da…]
Lucien's kukri vanished, replaced by a Gatling, unleashing a hail of bullets at Wang Xu.
The Demon's eyes momentarily widened in surprise.
Wang Xu moved effortlessly through the barrage, threads weaving around him with precision.
Lucien's face darkened.
Closing in to fire at close range was risky—Wang Xu would retreat or counter.
The Demon's offensive potential was versatile.
[Bullet Thread]
Threads shot from Wang Xu's fingers like piercing bullets, tearing through trees and rocks alike.
A moment of inattention left Lucien's shoulder riddled with bullet-like cuts.
His eyes flared in anger.
"Did he consume the String-String Fruit?" he muttered internally, recognizing the similarity.
Wang Xu's skill in dodging dense projectiles suggested Observation Haki, possibly from the Pirate World.
Lucien's suspicion grew: his opponent might not only be a fellow transmigrator but also had experience in another universe.
____
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