"Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
Without the slightest hesitation, and not even a single extraneous thought!
The moment Muzan's icy gaze turned his way, the power within Cheng Mo erupted like a volcano!
His lungs heaved like bellows, drawing in the wild power of lightning!
The Lightning Release Armor's brilliant blue electrical arcs instantly covered his entire body, emitting a heart-palpitating crackling sound.
His muscle strength and nerve reaction speed skyrocketed!
This Thunderclap and Flash far surpassed any he had performed during his training on Mount Peach!
Under the terrifying amplification of the Lightning Release Armor, Cheng Mo's figure did not transform into golden lightning, but rather into an even more violent, more swift blue-white lightning spear!
The speed was extreme!
It even exceeded the limit of Muzan's turning reaction!
Whoosh!
A dazzling streak of lightning flashed across the void, striking with pinpoint accuracy at the tentacle containing the deadly demon blood.
There was no clang of metal, only a grating sizzle, like a scorching blade cutting through decaying flesh!
That incredibly tough tentacle, before "Jingzhe" (awakening of insects) which contained the nichirin blade's radiance and the wild power of lightning, was instantly severed as if a hot knife through butter!
The moment the severed tentacle flew out, Cheng Mo, with quick eyes and hands, grabbed a portion of it and threw it into the compass space.
The absolute stillness characteristic prevented the tentacle from dissipating.
The remaining tissue fell onto the snow, rapidly turning into black ash and vanishing.
The deadly demon blood also failed to inject into Nezuko's body.
All of this happened in a flash of lightning!
It wasn't until Cheng Mo's figure solidified in front of Nezuko that Muzan fully turned around.
For the first time, Cheng Mo's figure, along with the never-before-seen wild blue-white lightning coiling around him, was clearly reflected in his plum-red pupils!
Cheng Mo instinctively pulled with his left hand, pushing the girl, who was disoriented from fright and blood loss, towards Tanjirou, who was stumbling towards them from behind.
"Catch her!"
"Nezuko!" Tanjirou finally stumbled to his sister's side, and was then almost overwhelmed by the sight before him and the terrifying smell of blood.
Cheng Mo had no time to spare for Tanjirou, his voice urgent and cold: "Take her back!"
The moment he saved the person, he suddenly turned, facing those plum-red eyes filled with shock and savagery!
The Lightning Release Armor was maintained at full power, blue-white electric snakes wildly darting across his body, emitting a threatening hiss, making him appear like a god of thunder descending.
Blinding electrical arcs crackled, illuminating the surroundings in flickering light, and the powerful energy field even caused dust and snowflakes on the ground to levitate.
His nichirin blade, "Jingzhe" (awakening of insects), was held horizontally in front of him, lightning and Nichirin radiance intertwined, exuding a heart-palpitating aura of destruction.
He did not adopt an offensive stance, but rather sank slightly at the knees, his blade tip angled towards the ground, his entire body enveloped in wild lightning, forming a perfect, impregnable defensive and deterrent posture!
He knew full well that his novice Lightning Release Armor and limited Chakra wouldn't last long, but Muzan didn't know that!
He absolutely couldn't initiate an attack and fall into a war of attrition; he had to scare him off!
Muzan's plum-red pupils suddenly contracted.
The burst of speed Cheng Mo had just displayed definitely surpassed that of an Upper Rank Demon!
It even caught him slightly off guard.
The blue-white lightning energy covering the opponent's body was even more unprecedented!
It was extremely strong, filled with a wild aura of destruction, and at the same time, it mixed with the sun's aura on the nichirin blade, creating a sense of oppression that he found extremely repulsive and alarming.
Instantly, Muzan elevated Cheng Mo's threat level to the highest!
A powerful individual with unknown strength, extreme speed, and the ability to use a nichirin blade must be eliminated!
"What are you?"
Muzan's voice was bone-chillingly cold, carrying a hint of offended rage and inquiry.
Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished like a ghost!
The next moment, several incredibly sharp blood-colored claw blades tore through the air, simultaneously attacking Cheng Mo's vital points from extremely tricky angles!
The speed was too fast for the naked eye to capture!
This strike was both a killing blow and a test.
Cheng Mo's pupils contracted; the [Eyes of Truth] captured the trajectory, but he chose not to completely avoid it with a more agile movement.
That might expose that his speed couldn't always be maintained at its peak, and it might also allow the attack to affect Tanjirou and Nezuko behind him.
He chose the most overbearing, most hardcore method—to take it head-on!
Buzz!
The Lightning Release Armor shone brightly!
Then—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A dense, ear-splitting series of impacts, like striking profound iron, erupted!
Muzan's determined attacks were all forcefully blocked by the wild Lightning Release Armor covering Cheng Mo's body!
Blue-white electrical arcs flickered violently, even scorching away the cold demon blood energy attached to the claw blades, emitting sizzling sounds!
Furthermore, a strong electrical recoil spread up the claw blades, causing Muzan's arm to feel a slight numbness!
What?!
Muzan's pupils contracted violently again, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face!
His attacks were completely defended against?!
He couldn't even break through the defense?!
That lightning energy… was it really so tough and powerful?!
Cheng Mo stood his ground, not moving an inch, only his sword-wielding arm trembling slightly from the immense impact, but the Lightning Release Armor remained stable.
He was secretly astonished by Muzan's terrifying power, but he was also more convinced that his strategy was correct—defense, deterrence!
Taking advantage of the moment Muzan was momentarily startled and uncertain due to this unexpected result, and his offensive slowed slightly, Cheng Mo suddenly raised his head, his icy gaze, piercing through the wildly leaping electrical arcs, locked onto Muzan's inhuman plum-red eyes.
His voice was not loud, but it carried an absolute confidence and an undeniable sense of oppression, as if he were the master controlling the entire scene: "I'm protecting the people here."
His gaze was like two cold electric currents, stabbing directly at Muzan.
"Scram!"
One word, concise and to the point, yet filled with extreme contempt and powerful confidence.
It was as if he could unleash even more terrifying power at any moment, with unfathomable backing.
Muzan's face instantly became incredibly grim, and savage killing intent surged wildly in his eyes.
But his cautious, suspicious, and extremely life-preserving nature instantly overwhelmed his impulse.
The opponent's speed was inconceivable, his defense impenetrable, his energy system unknown, his purpose unclear, and he wielded a nichirin blade… If he continued to tangle, what if the opponent had a hidden ace, or was stalling for time to draw in a large contingent of the Demon Slayer Corps… especially if he stalled until dawn… the risk was too great!
Without knowing the opponent's full capabilities, fighting to the death with such a strange and powerful enemy did not align with his survival principles.
"I've memorized your aura…"
Muzan's voice was as cold as a chilling abyss wind.
He stared intently at Cheng Mo, as if to engrave his appearance, the unique Thunder Breathing and the wild lightning energy fluctuations, and that peculiar nichirin blade deeply into his soul.
The next moment, his body, without warning, transformed into a black-red blood mist, rapidly receding like a tide, dissipating into the dense night.
Leaving behind only a mess on the ground and a thick, lingering smell of blood.
The threat was temporarily averted.
Cheng Mo still maintained his full defensive posture.
The [Eyes of Truth] carefully scanned the surroundings, and only after confirming that Muzan's aura had truly completely moved away, did he slowly let out a breath.
The Lightning Release Armor on his body instantly dissipated, and a strong sense of exhaustion washed over him, his Chakra almost depleted.
He forced himself not to show his fatigue.
Turning around, he saw Tanjirou, holding the unconscious Nezuko, kneeling on the ground, his face stained with tears and despair, as if his entire world had collapsed.
And, the blood-soaked ground and the cold bodies of his closest relatives.
The tragedy, after all, could not be completely prevented.
Cheng Mo silently watched all of this, his eyes complex.
He had changed Kuwajima Jigorō's fate, but he had not been able to completely change the Kamado Family's fate.
But, at least… Nezuko survived.
This was perhaps the biggest variable.