CHAPTER 285: CHAPTER 36: BOARDING THE MUGEN TRAIN, ENMU’S TERROR

The Ubuyashiki Estate.

Iguro Obanai had arrived to report the recent happenings to Kagaya Ubuyashiki. But the moment his eyes landed on Rengoku Kyojuro standing within the grounds, he paused in surprise.

"Flame Hashira? What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to scout the situation with the demon on the Mugen Train?"

With his usual thunderous voice, Rengoku replied, "Ah, yes! That was my original plan. However, Mr. Ron said he was interested in going instead!"

"Mr. Ron... is going alone?"

Obanai’s eyes widened slightly.

"He’s not alone. Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Hashibira Inosuke are accompanying him. It was originally their mission, after all."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who had been quietly holding a scroll in his hand, smiled gently. "Perhaps Mr. Ron wants to give them a bit of real-world experience."

Obanai nodded slowly in understanding.

He had heard rumors too—Ron had taken those three under his wing for guidance and training.

...

At the Mugen Train platform.

"T-This thing... this is it, right? The so-called Lord of the Land... The ruler of this territory... That sheer size, that oppressive aura—there’s no mistaking it!"

Inosuke was standing frozen before the massive Mugen Train, his body trembling slightly as tension and alertness overtook him. "It looks like it’s asleep now, but that’s no reason to let our guard down!!"

Zenitsu blinked, completely baffled. "What the hell are you even talking about? That’s a train."

"Shhh! Keep your voice down! Stay calm!"

"No, you stay calm!"

"I’m going in first!"

Zenitsu quickly grabbed Inosuke’s arm in panic. "What are you even planning to do?! Tanjiro, help me stop this lunatic!"

Tanjiro, one hand thoughtfully resting on his chin, stared seriously at the Mugen Train. "Zenitsu’s right. Inosuke, stand down."

Inosuke whipped his head around to look at him.

Tanjiro added with a solemn nod, "It could be the guardian deity of this land... Attacking it out of nowhere wouldn’t be wise."

"So even you don’t know what it is!!"

Zenitsu completely lost it.

"I told you—it’s a train! A train, get it?! A mode of transportation, something people ride! You pair of country bumpkins!"

"Train? So the ’train’ that the crow mentioned... it’s this thing?" Tanjiro finally connected the dots.

Zenitsu paused. "Wait, the crow told you that?"

"Boar Rush!!"

Wearing his signature boar’s head, Inosuke suddenly launched forward, slamming his skull full-force into the side of the train.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zenitsu shrieked. "Stop that! You’re embarrassing all of us!!"

Ron stood a short distance away, quietly watching the chaotic trio with an amused chuckle.

Zenitsu snapped his head toward Ron in desperation. "Mr. Ron, could you please say something to these two?!"

"Shh."

Just then, a whistle blew as a security guard came running toward them, having heard the commotion.

"What are you kids doing?!!"

Zenitsu froze. "A-Ahh! They’ve got swords on them too...! Someone call the police! Quick, call the police!"

"This is bad, this is really bad!!"

Realizing the situation had spiraled, Zenitsu immediately grabbed Tanjiro and Inosuke by the arms. "Run!!"

"Mr. Ron, you too—hurry!"

He turned to look—

But Ron, who had been right there just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

"Over here."

Zenitsu heard his voice and quickly turned.

Ron was already sitting inside the train, by a window seat, casually waving at them.

"He boarded... When did he get in?!"

Zenitsu was dumbfounded.

But this was not the time to dwell on it—he tugged Tanjiro and Inosuke, sprinting at full speed to shake off the guards chasing them.

Meanwhile, already seated comfortably aboard the Mugen Train, Ron heard the chime of the system within his mind.

[Ding! Location detected: Mugen Train. Qualifies as a sign-in spot. Proceed with sign-in?]

"Sign in."

[Sign-in successful. Rewards granted: +10 Vitality, +10 Mental Strength.

Current Sign-in Points — 10.]

...

After evading the guards, the trio bought their tickets and entered the train, making sure their swords were safely hidden.

Inosuke was visibly excited. "WOOOOOOAH!! We’re inside its stomach!!"

"Inside your stomach, you mean!! Are we starting a fight now?!"

"Shut up!!" Zenitsu snapped, thoroughly fed up.

Eventually, the three reached Ron’s seat.

Ron was enjoying a hot gyunabe bento, accompanied by some sake he had bought at the station earlier.

Looking up at them, he smiled. "You’re here. Have a seat."

The trio settled into their seats, and Tanjiro gently placed down the wooden box on his back that carried Nezuko.

Moments later...

The train began to move.

Inosuke clambered up onto the window, letting out an "OOOOOOOH!" as the scenery started to blur by.

"I wanna run alongside it!! Let’s see who’s faster!!"

"Even idiots should have some limits!!"

Ron had finished his bento and took a small sip of sake, eyes twinkling as he glanced at the three boys sitting across from him.

"Do you guys know why you were sent here?"

The three of them turned their heads toward him.

Zenitsu tilted his head. "No clue. Do you know, Mr. Ron?"

"If you don’t know, then it’s fine."

Ron shrugged and reached into his coat, pulling out a small snack to nibble on leisurely.

The three exchanged confused looks with one another.

Just then, the door connecting to the next compartment slid open.

A peculiar-looking train conductor stepped into the car.

"Tickets, please... may I see your tickets?"

"What?"

Tanjiro looked puzzled.

Zenitsu explained, "When you’re on a train, the conductor comes around to check your tickets."

"I see..."

As the conductor approached,

Tanjiro’s nose twitched slightly. His expression tensed.

"Hm? This ominous scent... What is it?"

Ron, who was nibbling on a snack, noticed the change in his expression and gave a curious smile.

You can sense it, can’t you?

Tanjiro...

Once the odd-looking conductor—who had been keeping his head lowered the entire time—checked everyone’s tickets, he muttered:

"All done..."

The moment he said that—

a massive, grotesque demon emerged into the aisle behind him.

The surrounding passengers gasped in horror.

"What is that?!"

"A monster?!"

"Why would something like that be on this train?!"

"A demon!!"

Tanjiro and his companions immediately tensed up. They leapt to their feet, gripping the hilts of their Nichirin swords tightly.

"A body that massive... and yet I couldn’t even recognize?"

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Tanjiro’s forehead.

"A demon that can hide its presence... Is it using some kind of Blood Demon Art?"

"There’s a demon on this train?! This is terrifying, I want off!!"

Zenitsu screamed in panic.

"Blood... I want blood..."

The demon opened its gaping maw and swung a thick arm toward a terrified passenger.

"Stop!!"

Tanjiro’s eyes narrowed. He kicked off the ground, drew his blade, and dashed forward with blinding speed.

Water Breathing, First Form.

Water Surface Slash!

With one clean swing, he sliced the demon’s muscular arm clean off.

"HRAAAAH!!"

Inosuke was right behind him.

Wielding his dual blades, he drove them both into the demon’s chest and slammed its massive body straight into the carriage door.

Zenitsu clutched his head and trembled violently.

Why is there a demon here of all places?!

This train is so cramped, and it’s speeding down the tracks—there’s no way to escape!

Could this situation possibly get any worse?!

"Those kids..."

"They’re... fighting that monster?!"

The passengers looked on in stunned disbelief.

Ron narrowed his eyes. With a mere thought, an invisible ripple of golden-red energy spread out from his body.

Conqueror’s Haki—precisely released.

In the blink of an eye—

every remaining passenger in the carriage fainted on the spot from the overwhelming pressure.

Tanjiro and Inosuke worked in perfect sync in the narrow train aisle, engaging the demon in close quarters combat.

After blocking a heavy blow from the demon,

Tanjiro unleashed his technique.

Water Breathing, Seventh Form – Piercing Rain Drop Thrust.

The blade pierced through the demon’s neck, and with a swift slash, he decapitated it cleanly.

As the demon disintegrated into ash, Tanjiro exhaled and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Well done, Tanjiro!"

Tears welling up in his eyes, Zenitsu threw himself at him. "I knew you could do it! Thank you for saving me!"

Tanjiro sighed, "Zenitsu, don’t forget—you’re a Demon Slayer too."

"But I’m weak,"

Zenitsu replied seriously.

Tanjiro was left speechless.

He turned to Ron. "Mr. Ron, you knew there was a demon on this train, didn’t you?!"

"More or less," Ron said, popping another snack into his mouth. "Over forty people have gone missing on this train in a short time. The Demon Slayer Corps sent several swordsmen to investigate, but they all disappeared too. Originally, Rengoku was supposed to accompany you today... but I found the whole thing more interesting, so I came here instead."

"I see..." Tanjiro nodded in understanding.

"That scared the life out of me... but now it’s over, right?"

Zenitsu sighed in relief, patting his chest.

Inosuke sheathed his swords and glanced at the unconscious passengers around them.

"What’s with these people? Did they all just fall asleep or something?"

"That was me,"

Ron said casually. "Didn’t seem like a good idea to let them panic."

"Well, sure... but making everyone faint at once?"

Zenitsu stared at him, stunned. "How’d you even do that...?"

Ron gave him a smile. "Simple. Want to try it?"

"N-No thank you."

With the demon eliminated, the three returned to their seats and gradually let their guard down.

The train sped on.

Sleepiness crept in. One by one, their eyes shut.

Up on top of the train stood the Lower Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki—Enmu—smiling softly.

"To die in a dream... truly a blissful end."

Inside the train car, after finishing his snack and sipping his sake, Ron leaned back and closed his eyes.

He could feel the power of Enmu’s Blood Demon Art at work—and a faint smirk tugged at his lips.

"Trying to drag me into a dream with that flimsy power?"

"How foolish."

If he so wished, a burst of his Conqueror’s Haki could obliterate that demon’s spiritual core on the spot.

...

"No matter how strong a Demon Slayer may be, a human’s true source of power lies in their heart and spirit. Once that ’spiritual core’ is shattered, they’re nothing more than walking corpses."

Standing atop the train, Enmu stretched his arms out into the wind, a serene smile on his face.

"The human heart... is as fragile as glass."

Suddenly—

his expression darkened.

"There’s one... who hasn’t entered the dream? What’s going on?"

He closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses.

As the master of dreams, Enmu specialized in mental manipulation—using dream threads and nightmare eyes to lure victims into illusions of his own design.

At that moment, he was using the conductor as a vessel. The dream threads connected to the tickets held by the four passengers extended like tendrils, probing into their inner worlds.

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke had all succumbed—his mental tendrils had slipped into their hearts, dragging them into their crafted dreams.

But the fourth one...

That one was different. A wall, dense and towering beyond imagination, had sealed off their mind. His tendrils could not even scratch its surface.

"He won’t enter the dream? Impossible..."

A deep unease crept into Enmu’s heart.

A pitch-black mental realm.

The octopus-like spiritual form of Enmu hovered before an enormous, seamless iron wall—so vast and solid it felt eternal. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t breach it.

"No... No way! A human heart can’t be like this!!"

Enmu was in disbelief.

You really want in that badly...?

Inside the train car, Ron smirked in his sleep act.

Fine, I’ll let you take a peek.

A crack appeared in the iron wall before Enmu.

From it, brilliant white light spilled out.

Enmu froze in shock, then grinned with excitement.

"I knew it! Every human heart has a flaw somewhere!"

He quickly extended his tendrils toward the opening.

But the moment they passed through that crack—

Enmu saw something.

A meteor, engulfed in flame, crashed from the sky.

A black blade sliced the heavens in two.

Someone raised a fireball like a sun itself.

Another figure threw a single punch that shattered a volcano.

Oceans froze.

Islands crumbled.

Scenes of utter apocalypse flashed before him, shaking him to the core.

"Wh-What is this?!"

And then, he heard a voice—

"Didn’t you want to pull me into a dream?"

Enmu looked up.

And saw a towering figure standing at the edge of the sky.

A being regal and unyielding, reigning over a land where even gods walked.

Those piercing blue eyes looked down upon him—

and in that instant, Enmu finally understood what it meant to be an insect before a giant.

"Is this... a god...?"

His spiritual world shattered entirely.