"Actually, the logic is so simple even a child could grasp it."
"My physical body has long since ceased to exist. The 'me' speaking to you now is a mere projection. The moment you all fell into those sweet, honeyed dreams, I had already fused as one with this train!"
Aoi looked at Enmu, then down at the roof vibrating violently beneath her feet. A chill surged from her toes to the top of her head—no wonder they couldn't kill him by severing his head. No wonder the train was shaking so unnaturally. From the very beginning, this entire locomotive had become Enmu's skin and bone!
"Oh, look at that wonderful expression! To put it simply, every one of the two hundred-plus passengers on this train will become the fuel for my body!"
"Every single one is my hostage. Do you really think you two can protect them all?" With a final sneer, the demon vanished from their sight.
What do we do? What do we do?!
With just her and Tanjiro, there was no way they could shield every passenger. They had to wake Rengoku-san, Zenitsu, and Inosuke immediately.
Aoi grabbed Tanjiro's hand and bolted back toward the carriages. "Tanjiro, we have to wake Rengoku-san and the others! We can't hold out alone!"
They reached the carriage where the others lay in a deep slumber. Nezuko was already there, desperately trying to use her Blood Demon Art to wake them, but her flames were having no effect on the hypnotic spell.
Suddenly, the System's voice rang in Aoi's mind.
[Ding! Detecting the Host's intense desire to wake the others. Issuing Mission: Kiss Tanjiro Kamado for no less than one minute.] [Reward: Dawn Bell. When rung, it dispels all illusions within a three-meter radius.] [Penalty for Failure: None.]
Aoi was momentarily speechless. Now? At a time like this, the System is still pulling this kind of nonsense?!
"Tanjiro!"
Aoi lunged forward, grabbing his collar. Before he could process the shock in her eyes, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips firmly against his.
The moment their lips met, Tanjiro's brain went completely blank. His cheeks burned as if they were literally on fire, and he completely forgot how to breathe.
Aoi's hands trembled against his uniform. She had only one thought—one minute, I have to hold on for one full minute!
The System's countdown ticked away in her mind, each second feeling like it was being pulled through molasses.
[Ding! Mission Complete! Reward: Dawn Bell has been dispatched!]
As soon as the notification sounded, a small, crystalline bell engraved with golden patterns materialized in Aoi's palm.
The icy touch of the metal snapped her back to her senses. She released Tanjiro's collar as if it were white-hot, stumbling back two steps. She didn't even dare to look him in the eye.
Tanjiro remained frozen, his eyes wide and vacant. The warmth of the girl still seemed to linger on his lips. He raised a hand to touch his mouth, his ears turning a deep, vivid red.
Aoi took a deep breath, shoving down her inner turmoil, and gripped the Dawn Bell tightly.
Ring—ling—! Ring—ling—!
The crisp, clear chime sounded like shattering ice on jade. It resonated through the carriage, striking the ears of the three sleeping slayers.
Kyojuro Rengoku's eyelashes fluttered violently. His knit brow smoothed out, and his eyes snapped open. Those flame-like pupils flared with a sharp, piercing clarity, and his hand instantly flew to the hilt of his Nichirin Sword.
Zenitsu woke up next, whimpering as he sat up. He was dazed for a split second before the violent shaking of the train sent him screaming into the air. "Waaaaah! Is it a demon? Is there a demon?! Tanjiro, save me!"
Inosuke simply exploded upward with a roar. His wild gaze swept the surroundings, his nose twitching as he bared his teeth. "I smell something disgusting! Where is it? I'm gonna skin that bastard alive!"
"Thank goodness, everyone's awake!"
Just as Aoi let out a sigh of relief, the carriage was suddenly overrun by writhing, fleshy masses of meat.
"Hahaha! So what if you're awake?" Enmu's voice oozed through the gaps in the flesh, dripping with a nauseating, viscous quality. "This train is my body! This meat is my flesh! Even if you're awake, you're nothing but prey trapped in my stomach!"
Everyone immediately began hacking away at the slimy meat with their Nichirin Swords. However, where one piece was severed, new flesh surged forth instantly—a relentless, surging tide that seemed impossible to deplete.
Zenitsu's face was deathly pale, but he swung his sword wildly with his eyes squeezed shut, his voice shaking. "Why won't it stop coming?!"
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
A blast of intense flame wreathed in a sharp blade-wind tore through the air like a streak of morning light, incinerating the surging wave of flesh. The meat sizzled and popped, dissolving into foul-smelling black smoke. The cloying atmosphere in the car lightened instantly.
The writhing flesh seemed to recoil from the searing heat, pulling back in unison.
Rengoku turned to the group. "We split up! I will take responsibility for the last five carriages. The rest of you handle the others. We must find the demon's neck!"
"His neck?" Tanjiro asked, confused.
"Exactly! Every demon has a neck. I will search for his vitals while I fight. Stay sharp and do your best!" With those parting words, he turned and charged toward the rear of the train.
The flames on his Nichirin Sword flared out several feet, resembling a surging fire dragon. Everywhere he passed, the slimy meat was reduced to charred ash, leaving nothing behind.
Aoi moved into action immediately. She and Nezuko took charge of protecting the passengers; Tanjiro and Inosuke were tasked with finding Enmu's core, his "neck"; and Zenitsu was stationed behind them to guard against sudden flesh-tentacles.
Inosuke leapt onto the roof of the train, huffing with indignation. "Dammit! Getting orders from that 'Big-Eyes' guy..."
"But... he seems... he seems really strong. It pisses me off!"
Tanjiro called out, "Inosuke! We need to focus on the first three cars!"
"I know that! Besides, I already found it! I found that demon's weak spot!"
"Is it in the engine room?" Tanjiro realized.
"That's right! It's right up front! The vibe coming from the front makes me want to puke!"
"Understood! Let's go!"
On Aoi's end, the pressure intensified. The meat masses that had been repelled by the Dawn Bell seemed to break free from their restraint, surging toward the passengers with renewed ferocity.
"Wood Breathing, First Form: Sprouting Slash!"
Aoi let out a low cry, the emerald light on her blade flaring up. Wreathed in the sharp, piercing aura of a new sprout, she slashed through the meat before her.
Zenitsu—his "inner self" now online—shouted, "Thunder Breathing: Thunderclap and Flash!" A bolt of purple lightning tore through the carriage in a blur. The leading mass of flesh was cleaved in two before it could even twitch, dissolving into black smoke.
Nezuko followed closely behind them, her palms erupting with flames to turn any stray tentacles to ash. The two girls and the demon fought with seamless coordination.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the very depths of the train.