"If possible, I want to visit the One Piece World. Doflamingo is very similar to me!"
As Wang Xu raced through the mountains and ravines, threads flying like deadly whips from his hands, Lucien and he exchanged relentless attacks. Blood sprayed from multiple wounds on both fighters, painting the air with a metallic, coppery scent.
Lucien was at a severe disadvantage, riddled with far more holes in his body than his opponent. Wang Xu's sixth sense allowed him to effortlessly evade Lucien's strikes. Despite the Gatling firing thousands of rounds per minute, the one-minute cooldown between volleys left Lucien vulnerable—a flaw Wang Xu exploited with precision.
Lucien realized then that Wang Xu was not just familiar with the Demon Slayer World—he also knew of the One Piece world. That offhand remark about Doflamingo, even admiration for him, confirmed it.
Damn it, these cheating Reincarnators.
Lucien's plan to defeat Wang Xu before the war BGM cooled down had clearly failed. Without upgrading his Nichirin Blade to a Crimson Blade, victory seemed impossible. Even then, for a Transmigrator like him, conventional logic often failed. Wang Xu's "golden finger" remained an unknown, and potentially lethal, advantage.
With two and a half hours until dawn, Lucien admitted defeat might be imminent. Wang Xu's stamina was nearly limitless, while Lucien relied on his own energy and recovery. The Demon moved like an automatic engine; Lucien was a manual one. Could he truly outlast such a machine?
His amethyst eyes flickered as he weighed his options. Retreat was now the wisest course. A true warrior knew when to stand firm and when to yield. Revenge could wait ten years; survival required prudence.
Swiftly, Lucien conjured an item and hurled it toward Wang Xu.
"Behold my secret weapon."
Wang Xu tensed instinctively, a hint of caution flashing in his otherwise cold eyes. Then a smell—dark and suffocating—filled the air, invading even the soul. Wang Xu's eyes widened.
A pair of black-mist-emitting socks flew through the air. These were the infamous socks Lucien had obtained after defeating Allen and Zhou Wei. According to legend, they could knock out a wild boar with ease. Wang Xu, sensitive to scent despite his demonic nature, staggered as illusions danced before his eyes.
[Snap…]
Lucien vanished like a bolt of lightning, seizing Zenitsu by the scruff of his neck as he shrieked in panic.
Meanwhile, Mitsuri and Shinobu had already dealt with Wang Xu's clones. The clones weakened the further they strayed from the main body, making the battlefield slightly more manageable.
"It's Lucien!" Mitsuri's voice trembled as she spotted the golden streak of lightning.
"Retreat, the enemy is too strong."
Lucien's voice rang solemn, urgent, as he held Mitsuri's lower back. "Grab Shinobu Kocho and the others, we're retreating."
"Yes!" Mitsuri immediately seized Shinobu and Kanao, nodding gravely.
"Idiot, grab those two!" Lucien barked at Zenitsu, who fumbled to secure Tanjiro and Inosuke. Tanjiro, clinging to Nezuko with his remaining strength, barely managed to maintain control.
The group, surrounded by a shield of golden lightning, surged toward the outskirts of Mt. Natagumo like a living arrow.
"Oh my! Is it really okay for us to flee like this?" Shinobu Kocho's voice, though still tinged with her usual calm, betrayed concern as she glimpsed the receding landscape.
"Where there's life, there's hope. Retreat first!" Lucien's tone was firm.
He employed Thunder Breathing and geppo to their maximum, explosions of light and shock rippling across mountains and ridges with every step.
"Ah… he's catching up." Zenitsu's panic escalated as the figure behind them closed in rapidly. The sheer power of the pursuing Demon left everyone paralyzed with fear.
All eyes turned back instinctively: Tanjiro, Inosuke, Mitsuri, Shinobu, Kanao, and Nezuko. Lucien alone ran on the ground, drawing the group along.
"There's no Twelve Kizuki mark in his eyes." Shinobu's smile vanished, replaced with solemn dread.
"This guy… he's more terrifying than Kibutsuji Muzan."
Lucien pressed forward, head down, resolving that if given the choice, he would prefer fighting native Sons of Destiny or major villains over cheating Reincarnators. The natives might know the story's progression—but these Reincarnators had golden fingers and foreknowledge, turning the battlefield into hell.
Without full confidence, retreat was the only option. Survival is priority. Even if it meant fleeing like a drowned dog, Lucien would bolt. Dignity mattered less than life; a second chance was priceless.
"Ah… he's catching up." Zenitsu wailed, tears and snot splattering across Tanjiro and Inosuke.
"So disgusting, I'll chop you to death." Inosuke's broken, battered body and shredded muscles barely restrained his rage at Zenitsu's cowardice.
"Hold on tight, everyone." Lucien's voice cut through panic, resolute. He could sense the approaching presence even without looking back.
"You… what do you want to do?" Zenitsu stammered, trembling.
Mitsuri, Shinobu, and Kanao glanced at Lucien, awaiting his command.
[Boom…]
Lucien stomped, collapsing the ground within ten meters, and shot upward like a cannonball.
[Ah…] The sudden launch into the sky left everyone breathless and terrified, Zenitsu wailing louder than ever.
[Crackling…]
The leap covered hundreds of meters. Golden lightning surrounded the group, forming a beam of light soaring across the horizon.
"Fly… I'm actually flying in the sky." Zenitsu's face streamed with tears, disbelief and awe locking his gaze on the endless starry sky.
[Wow!] The expressions of Shinobu, Mitsuri, and Kanao mirrored his astonishment. Flying felt exhilarating.
"You guys are so heavy." Lucien's dry remark darkened the moment, reminding everyone of the burden they carried.
With Thunder Breathing and geppo, Lucien's speed could have doubled if he were alone. Yet with the party in tow, the pace was still astonishing.
[Oh my, it seems our trouble isn't over yet!] Shinobu's soft chuckle belied the tension.
They looked back. Wang Xu had already caught up.
"How can this be?" Tanjiro's voice betrayed shock; how could a demon fly?
Lucien gritted his teeth. The Demon was tethered invisibly to clouds via threads, soaring at high speed—a technique reminiscent of Doflamingo.
"What to do… what to do…" Zenitsu panicked, calling out for his mother.
"Mitsuri, blast the clouds on both sides; he's using them to fly." Lucien's voice cut through, strategizing under pressure.
If the worst came to pass, Lucien prepared to abandon the group, even eliminate them before escape. Survival came first. Without it, no one could overcome the dawn's light.