Among all the Blood Demon Arts Lucas had absorbed so far, Destructive Kill – Compass was the one he looked forward to the most.This was no ordinary technique—it was the very core of Upper Moon Three Akaza's power. Without it, Akaza's overwhelming dominance on the battlefield would've been significantly reduced. Now, that same skill was within Lucas's grasp.Destructive Kill – Compass allowed its user to sense and track the flow of an opponent's fighting spirit. Once the Compass was active, it became like a magnetic field—every movement, attack, and defensive maneuver could be predicted and countered with surgical precision.And the more intense the opponent's fighting spirit, the stronger the Compass's reaction. The technique would lock onto the target's intent, increasing the user's strike accuracy with devastating effect.However, the Compass wasn't without its flaws. If an opponent could conceal their fighting spirit—or suppress it through special means—the effectiveness of the Compass would diminish drastically. That's why during their battle on the Infinity Train, Akaza had failed to predict Lucas's attacks once Lucas entered the Transparent World. His fighting spirit had vanished from perception, rendering the Compass blind.Now, it was Lucas's turn to master it.He sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, slowly calming his breathing. Each inhale and exhale became deeper, more refined. Gradually, his heart rate slowed, his muscles relaxed, and his mind fell into a state of absolute clarity—like a still lake reflecting the moonlight.As Lucas focused, a rich and heavy bloody aura began to spread through the room.The fusion of an Upper Moon's skill wasn't something that only affected the user—it altered the very space around them. Air currents shifted subtly, and even the tatami beneath him seemed to hum with spiritual energy.Within Lucas's spiritual vision, the Blood Demon Art: Destructive Kill – Compass took shape.Unlike typical energy flows or visualizations, this appeared as a hexagram floating before him—its six symmetrical points glowing with platinum light. Interwoven lines shimmered like celestial circuitry, and within each etching lay the combat instincts, experience, and refined killing intent of Akaza himself.Lucas reached out mentally to the hexagram, and in that instant, a flood of information surged into his consciousness.The core principle of the Compass—the perception of fighting spirit—unfolded before him in exquisite detail.He felt every principle, every countermeasure, every nuance of sensing intent. It wasn't merely about detecting movement—it was about reading intention, instinct, and even subtle shifts in aggression.It was like hearing someone speak through emotion alone, without words.As the fusion deepened, Lucas's awareness expanded. It was as if an invisible net had covered the space around him, capturing every sound, movement, and change in energy. The flow of the air, the bend of the wooden walls, the shift of light—all of it was processed through the Compass's framework.Then, something changed.Though his eyes remained closed, Lucas could "see" the entire room. Each object—walls, shelves, paper scrolls, even the fluttering curtains—radiated faint strands of fighting spirit.These spiritual threads varied. Some were calm and subdued, like the still air in winter. Others surged wildly, chaotic and intense.The most vibrant, of course, was his own—shining like a blazing golden star, pulsing with controlled power and overwhelming intent.At that moment, Lucas truly understood the potential of the Compass.With each passing second, the system etched itself deeper into his being. Pathways formed within him—not physical, but spiritual—allowing him to track and interpret fighting spirit as naturally as breathing.A subtle tremor passed through his mind.His spiritual world suddenly expanded again, as if a veil had been pulled away, revealing a vast horizon. His realm began to rise—Late C-rank… Early Otsu-rank… Mid Otsu-rank…The ascent stopped there, but Lucas was more than satisfied.As the realm advancement settled, Lucas noticed something else: his breathing had changed.Each breath he took now slightly strengthened his physique.It was barely perceptible, but real.Ten thousand breaths in a day meant ten thousand micro-improvements. In time, that would snowball into a meaningful advantage.He opened his eyes and stood slowly, the wooden floor creaking softly beneath him.Excitement burned in his chest.This was it—the moment to test what the Compass could truly do.Lucas focused his fighting spirit, channeling it downward into his feet. The floor beneath him shimmered as a hexagram pattern began to emerge.Unlike Akaza's snowflake formation, Lucas's Compass took on a different aesthetic—platinum lines forming sharp angles interlaced with deep blue veins. Each of the six points glowed softly, resonating with the energy pulsing from his core.It was elegant, yet terrifying. Mysterious, yet precise.The Compass had fully awakened.With a simple wave of his hand, Lucas launched an experimental strike.A wave of fighting spirit shot out like an invisible blade, its power compressed so tightly that it distorted the air itself. The wave zipped toward the far wall, causing a sharp whistle to echo through the room.Just before impact, Lucas made a subtle hand gesture. The wave dispersed, vanishing into harmless wind.The room fell silent again, save for the faint rustling of a hanging scroll disturbed by the breeze.Lucas raised an eyebrow.His control had never felt this refined before.But more than that—it was the precision. The Compass wasn't just amplifying his perception; it was refining it to superhuman levels.He took another breath and activated his spiritual perception once more.This time, his gaze extended beyond the room. He looked toward the window, observing the tree branches swaying in the wind.Their movements were slow, natural… until he noticed something odd.A faint green flicker sparkled within the fighting spirit on the branches.Lucas blinked. Was that real?He held his breath and watched again. The green hue faded.Then he inhaled gently—and the flicker returned.So it wasn't an illusion. It was a response to breath.Lucas grinned.It wasn't just the Compass detecting this—it was the synergy between Destructive Kill – Compass and his Slit Line Perception, another one of his skills.The two had synchronized.While the Compass gave him macro-scale awareness of fighting spirit, the Slit Line enhanced micro-detail, allowing him to pierce through even suppressed spiritual energy.This meant that even someone using the Transparent World to hide their intent—like Lucas had done—could not escape his perception anymore.Even someone like Akaza.Now that was a terrifying thought.Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Lucas pondered the next steps.What if he layered Transparent World over Compass Needle?Would he become completely untouchable?Akaza had always been one of the hardest enemies to face—his regeneration was absurd, and his speed was on par with the fastest Slayers. But if Lucas could see through Akaza's attacks before they even started, and hide his own intent completely…The balance of power would shift.Suppressing Akaza would no longer be his goal.He could kill him.That was a far cry from their battle on the Infinity Train. Back then, despite temporarily suppressing Akaza and landing a few clean hits, Lucas hadn't truly injured him. Those wounds had healed within seconds.But now…Now, he could cause serious, permanent damage.And if the opportunity arose, finish him off.Suppressing and killing—those were two completely different concepts.The former was a delay.The latter was an end.Lucas slowly relaxed his stance and deactivated the Compass. The hexagram beneath him faded, and the energy in the room settled.His thoughts turned to the final reward he had yet to absorb.The one that had quietly waited while he explored the powers of Akaza.Superior Talent.By itself, a Superior Talent might not seem as appealing as a Blood Demon Art. It was more abstract, more general. But what Lucas had in his possession wasn't just one…It was five Superior Talents.And when combined, those five would fuse into a pure Superior Talent core—something on an entirely different level.The kind of breakthrough that couldn't be achieved through skillbooks or training alone.Lucas sat down again, heart pounding slightly in anticipation.Everything so far—Dream, Transparent World, Destructive Kill, Slit Line—had been preparation.Now, it was time to unlock his full potential.The final step awaited.---
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