"Hey.... he-hey hey.... Th-this this this!!!"
"What kind of creature is this!!!"
At Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Taka and his group, who had been traveling for several days, finally came face to face with their mission target.
Staring at this pitch-black, steel-cast steel beast, its front emblazoned with the large characters [Infinity], Inosuke was speechless with excitement.
He pointed excitedly at the body of the Mugen Train: "This is it, right... The lord of the earth! The one who rules this land!"
"Huh? What are you talking about? This is a train, a train is—"
"No mistake... This terrifying deterrent force... Stay sharp! This thing seems to be asleep! We can't be careless!"
"So I'm telling you, this is not—"
Zenitsu grimaced, still trying to explain the concept of a steam train to Inosuke, but Inosuke had already gripped the Nichirin Sword at his waist, preparing to engage this beast in decisive battle.
"Beast Breathing: Third—"
"Wait! Inosuke!" Tanjiro stopped Inosuke's movement. "Don't act rashly. Maybe it's the guardian deity of this land!"
"No... What are you two doing..." Zenitsu looked at them speechlessly, shocked that there could be people so isolated from the world. "This is a train! A train, you know? A mode of transport, just like an oxcart or horse-drawn carriage! You two country bumpkins!"
He looked at Taka, trying to seek some help, only to find Taka also lost in thought:
"So this is a train... How does it move? There's no animal pulling it...."
'This is hopeless... This mission is hopeless...' Zenitsu thought from the bottom of his heart.
But just before Inosuke could cause a bigger disturbance, Taka finally played his role as squad leader a little:
"Forget about that for now. Let's get on board." He lifted his chin, indicating for his squad members to look at the railway patrolmen carrying rifles on the distant platform. "Although these people can't catch demons, they can certainly catch us for illegally carrying swords. Don't cause trouble."
Saying this, he cautiously stepped onto the train's passageway, looking for their seats.
"Taka-san, that way is first class! Ours are over here!" Zenitsu carefully sheathed his Nichirin Sword and anxiously chased after them, guiding the few who had never ridden a train before.
The sun gradually set, and the train slowly moved forward.
The affected train on this run was the night-time Joetsu Line special express, departing from Saitama Prefecture with its terminus at Niigata.
The route had complex terrain, passing through many mountain forests and tunnels, and the misty conditions added a layer of gloom.
Therefore, some rumors claimed that the missing passengers were due to the Railway Department angering the mountain gods by cutting through mountains and laying tracks....
"Let's go."
The passengers were all seated. Taka was about to begin their operation. "First, find the Flame Hashira and rendezvous with him."
Strangely enough, before boarding, Taka had already expanded his Reiatsu.
This train had a very strong demonic aura, but he couldn't find its source.
With every step, Taka felt as if he were walking on the demon's body. This feeling made him very uncomfortable.
'Was it hidden in some corner of the carriage? Or... was it an Upper Moon? Were these remnants of demonic aura left because its power was too great? How could it be so eerie?'
He needed to find the Flame Hashira immediately and identify the problem here as quickly as possible.
"Hey! Torataro! Race me!" Inosuke excitedly pounded on the carriage wall, producing dull thuds that drew sidelong glances from nearby passengers. "Let's jump out and race the lord of the earth! This thing's huge! Awesome!"
"Inosuke, keep your voice down!" Zenitsu quickly grabbed him, looking nervously around. "You can't cause a commotion!"
The four of them walked through the narrow carriage aisle, searching for that figure with golden hair.
However, Tanjiro's expression was somewhat strange.
He kept feeling a faint, drowsy scent in the air.
"Don't let your guard down. There's a demon on this train." Taka noticed Tanjiro's expression and warned him in a low voice.
Tanjiro's expression changed. He said nothing, only nervously gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Sword and carefully held the wooden box on his back.
Inside slept his most precious sister, the demon girl, Nezuko.
Finally, they passed through several carriages and arrived at the relatively spacious and bright first-class area.
The seats here were a bit more comfortable, and there were fewer passengers.
But almost the moment they stepped into the carriage, a voice as scorching as burning flames, full of power, instantly drew everyone's attention!
"Delicious!!"
Near the seat closest to the locomotive sat an extremely striking man.
He had brilliant, flame-like golden-yellow hair, the ends bright gold-red. Parts of his hair stood up, like burning flames.
Beneath his two thick, sword-like brows were piercing gold-red eyes, seeming to hold an never-extinguishing fighting spirit.
"Umu! Delicious! Truly delicious!"
At that moment, he was with both hands holding a huge lunch box, devouring its contents at an astonishing, whirlwind pace.
Looking closely, a pile of empty lunch boxes was stacked densely beside him.
His resonant, energetic voice echoed through the carriage, reaching Taka and the others' ears clearly even from a distance.
This person was one of the Nine Hashira, the Flame Hashira… Rengoku Kyojuro!
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were all momentarily speechless, stunned by this exaggerated eating manner and the overwhelming powerful aura.
"So this is the Flame Hashira... Isn't he just an ordinary foodie...." Zenitsu looked uncertainly at Taka.
Taka didn't answer. He simply approached Kyojuro with the other three and greeted him calmly:
"Rengoku-san, long time no see."
"Oh! It's Taka boy! Delicious!"
His voice was as loud as a bell, full of unreserved enthusiasm, and he was still eating his lunch box ravenously.
"What brings you here? On a mission? Umu! Very energetic!"
"Yes." Taka waved his hand, signaling Tanjiro and the others to find seats, while he sat opposite the Flame Hashira. "I'm here to support the Mugen Train mission. They are my squad members."
"I see! An excellent arrangement!"
Taka scanned the other passengers in the carriage and, after confirming no one was eavesdropping on them, spoke seriously:
"Rengoku-san, have you noticed? There is a demon on this train."
"Umu! Yes! A powerful demon! Who knows when it will appear!"
"Yes, the demonic aura permeates the entire train. Could it be an Upper Moon?"
Kyojuro crossed his arms, his expression becoming serious, but the hearty smile of the Flame Hashira did not disappear:
"Upper Moon? I'm not sure! I arrived a day earlier than you, and I haven't found the demon on this train yet!"
"Upper Moon? Finally, a decent opponent!" Inosuke heard Taka's words and growled excitedly, his fingers rubbing against the hilt of his Nichirin Sword.
Zenitsu, on the other hand, was about to faint. "Eeek! Upper Moon?! The whole train is filled with demonic aura?! Is it too late to jump off now?! Help—!"
Taka raised his hand, stopping their noise, and continued:
"It's not certain yet. We can only conclude that the demon on this train is definitely not simple. We must proceed with caution."
"Umu! A very calm judgment! Just as expected of Taka! You already have the bearing of a Hashira!"
"Also, Tanjiro has something to ask you." Taka had Tanjiro sit beside him and continued. "The Kamado Family seems to have passed down a prayer dance called Hinokami Kagura for generations...."
Suddenly put on the spot, Tanjiro was taken aback, then immediately straightened his back:
"Ye... yes! I wanted to ask Rengoku-san about my father..."