Early that morning, a Kasugai Crow delivered an order, instructing Shinobu to proceed west to the Shin'etsu region as soon as possible and rendezvous with the Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyu.
According to reliable intelligence, the Myoko Mountain area in the Shin'etsu region might be the headquarters of the Eternal Paradise Faith, which the Demon Slayer Corps had been paying special attention to.
Recently, several more cases of young women disappearing had occurred, with all clues ultimately pointing to this area.
Considering the Mugen Train incident, although it was the work of a Lower Moon Kizuki, an Upper Moon demon was lying in ambush behind it....
The leads for this incident had come suddenly, and it was unclear what dangers might exist. Therefore, Oyakata-sama ordered the two to investigate together.
If they discovered the situation was wrong, they could immediately retreat without fighting.
During this period, Shinobu had also been temporarily staying at the Rengoku Residence, observing Kyojuro's recovery, and carrying out tasks such as instructing at nearby recovery facilities nearby.
When the order came down, she needed to leave.
Taka, who had basically figured out how to operate Flame Breathing and planned to return to Hayama to visit his master,
upon learning that Shinobu was about to undertake a mission where an Upper Moon might appear, changed his mind:
"I'll go with you."
"Taka... you've only just recovered. Don't push yourself."
"I don't think it's pushing myself." He said seriously. "Upper Moon demons are very strong. You are not a match for them."
".....Taka-san, could you not put it so directly?"
Although Shinobu was smiling, the corners of her eyes twitched slightly, and her smile wasn't as warm.
When dealing with Taka, she couldn't always maintain her gentleness, otherwise she'd be internally injured by this guy who, like Giyu, didn't know how to talk.
After conveying this last-minute decision to Oyakata-sama, the three of them set off westward.
Why three people? Because Shinobu's Tsuguko, Tsuyuri Kanao, had also been specially summoned to accompany her on the mission.
After Tanjiro had opened Kanao's heart with their conversation, this young girl had become much more talkative.
At the very least, it was no longer a situation where Taka would say something and get no response.
So, the three bid farewell to the Rengoku Family and boarded a train heading for the Shin'etsu region.
Although Taka had developed some resistance to this mode of transport, it was simply too convenient. It would reach their destination in just one day, so he silently followed Shinobu onto the train.
In the daytime carriage, there were far more passengers than at night. Three people were squeezed into the same row of seats. It was Taka's first time seeing such a scene.
He couldn't help but think, 'If the Mugen Train had had this many passengers back then, could I have saved them all....'
"Taka, you haven't been having nightmares lately, have you? I noticed your sleep has been very peaceful these past few days."
Seeing Taka somewhat ill at ease, Shinobu asked casually.
The three of them sat in the same row, Kanao on the inside, Shinobu squeezed in the middle.
Fortunately, they were both relatively slender, so even with three people sitting together, it wasn't too crowded.
Taka shifted slightly, giving her some room, while he half-straddled the aisle: "....Ever since experiencing the Lower Moon's nightmare, it's been much better. At least, it's not so unpleasant."
Regarding that dream, Taka had thought a lot lately.
Enmu's Blood Demon Art had probably inadvertently triggered the projection of Aizen deep within his stream of consciousness.
Perhaps because Aizen was the very reason for the nightmare's existence, or perhaps as that person said, his constantly unsealing Reiatsu was the root cause of the frequent nightmares.
In any case, since that battle in the Inner World, Taka had rarely dreamed of those non-existent fantasy worlds, or the past and future dreams of those around him.
As for the future, whether Aizen's figure would reappear, he didn't know.
"Speaking of which, I heard that Lower Moon used some kind of... trick to create beautiful dreams?"
With so many people around, Shinobu didn't use the term [Blood Demon Art], to avoid causing unnecessary attention.
Taka nodded. "Unfortunately, I didn't have any beautiful dreams. Instead, I met someone I didn't want to see."
"Haha, it wasn't Tomioka-san, was it?"
"....Of course not. It was an enemy."
"You should continue taking the herbal medicine for a while longer. Get your mental health in order...."
".....Forgive my intrusion, you two...."
Just as Shinobu was advising Taka, a man's voice, tinged with some concern, abruptly came from across the aisle.
All three looked towards the source.
Speaking to them from across the way was a middle-aged man, looking to be around forty years old.
He was sandwiched between two burly, bearded farmers, his thin frame draped in a dark brown suit, seeming somewhat out of place.
The man wore round-framed glasses on his nose and had a mustache. His gaze was gentle: "Sorry for interrupting your conversation."
He sat much more upright than the two burly men beside him, his hands somewhat nervously folded on his knees. Under his hands was a thick, hardcover medical book. He strove to maintain dignity in the crowded environment:
"Sitting here, I inadvertently heard you mention nightmares, and noticed this young man seemed a bit unsettled..."
"As a doctor, perhaps it's an occupational hazard. When I see someone suffering from discomfort, I can't help but ask a few more questions...."
Taka gave him a long, wary look, somewhat on guard against this stranger who had suddenly spoken.
"Is that so? You're a doctor?" Shinobu, however, reacted differently, her voice tinged with respect.
She also came from a family of pharmacists and had a natural affinity for medical personnel.
The other nodded slightly and carefully took out a simple leather cardholder from his inner pocket.
This movement caused him to poke the burly man beside him, making him repeatedly apologize in embarrassment. Then he spread the cardholder open for Shinobu to see:
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I am Genkuro Fujino, you could say I'm a country doctor."
"Judging by your attire and bearing... are you a young couple out traveling?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Taka had no reaction, but Shinobu was momentarily stunned. A blush crept onto her gentle smile. Even Kanao beside her silently cast a curious glance.
Shinobu repeatedly waved her hand: "No, no, you misunderstand. We're... we're colleagues and friends. It's not like that...."
Doctor Fujino felt he might have said something wrong. He sheepishly put away his identification and looked at Taka: "That was presumptuous of me. By the way, young man, may I ask about your condition?"
"Yes." Taka glanced at Shinobu Kocho, then nodded.
"Do your nightmares accompanied by palpitations, night sweats, or exhaustion? Before bed, do you feel any stomach discomfort, fever, or...."
He inquired in great detail, mostly from the perspective of Western clinical medicine. Even Shinobu felt she had learned something new and quickly jotted it down in her handy notebook.
"....Hmm, I roughly understand. I suggest, besides herbal medicine, you get checked out at a well-equipped modern hospital."
"During this time, you could try drinking some chamomile tea before bed. It also helps calm the nerves." He sincerely advised, and wrote a prescription that looked like scribbles on a piece of note paper: "When you get to a big city like Tokyo, you can show this diagnosis of mine at a pharmacy. It might help you."
"Thank you so much." Shinobu Kocho took the prescription and smiled. "I'll urge him to be careful. By the way, are you also heading to Shin'etsu?"
Doctor Fujino gently put away his pen and paper: "Yes, I'm taking advantage of some rare leisure time to visit relatives in Nagano Prefecture."
"I've been making a living in Sendai and Tokyo until now. I haven't really been to the Shin'etsu region. I heard the snow scenes there are beautiful. I thought I'd stay for a while and experience the local customs."
His tone carried a longing for the tranquility of nature, even though his body was still sandwiched between two burly men, unable to move.
"What a coincidence. We're also planning to go to Myoko Mountain over there."
"Myoko Mountain? That's an excellent choice. They say it's Little Fuji, and there's a legend about Yuki-Onna there. It's worth a visit!"
The two chatted casually, and the originally tedious travel time passed quickly.
Having opened the conversation, Shinobu leaned forward slightly, as if sharing a secret, skillfully guiding the topic:
"Doctor Fujino, since your relatives are over there, have you heard of a cult called the Eternal Paradise Faith? I heard it's quite popular."
"The Eternal Paradise Faith?!"
The gentle smile on Fujino's face instantly disappeared, as if viciously stabbed by something.
His brows tightly locked together, the corners of his mouth turned down, and his originally gentle gaze suddenly became extremely complicated.
His eyes clearly mixed with disgust, and also deep concern.