CHAPTER 286: CHAPTER 37: ENMU’S TRUE FORM, THE CRAWLING MASS OF FLESH

As Enmu’s spirit collapsed into ruin—

That grotesque hand with a mouth that could lull people to sleep instantly disintegrated into ash.

And the dream world it had conjured shattered just as suddenly.

Tanjiro and the others jolted awake from their blissful dreams.

"...This is... we’re still on the Mugen Train."

Tanjiro looked down at his hands, slowly piecing things together. "Was that just a dream...?"

He thought of the family he saw in that dream. A soft smile, tinged with sorrow and longing, surfaced in his eyes.

"...It really has been so long..."

"What the hell just happened?!"

Zenitsu, now wide awake, clutched his face with bloodshot eyes and screamed in disbelief, "I was just about to hold Nezuko’s hand! Why did I wake up now of all times?! Can’t I even enjoy a nice dream?!"

Tanjiro couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Just as he was about to respond, a strange scent drifted into his nose. His smile faded, replaced by sharp alertness as he scanned the area.

There was a peculiar odor permeating the entire train car.

And the atmosphere... it felt off. Unnatural.

"Don’t tell me..."

His instincts kicked in. Something wasn’t right.

"So, you noticed?"

Tanjiro looked up to see Ron sitting calmly across from them, elbow propped on the armrest, chin resting on his hand. He was smiling at the three of them.

With a serious look, Tanjiro asked, "Mr. Ron, do you know something?"

"You were all caught in a demon’s Blood Demon Art just now. That’s what pulled you into the dream worl—"

Ron had just started to explain when a girl suddenly lunged forward with a short blade, aiming straight for Tanjiro.

Tanjiro’s eyes narrowed. In a flash, he grabbed her wrist.

He took a closer look.

A human. Not a demon.

"Why... Why did you wake up?! Why couldn’t you just keep sleeping?! We wanted to keep dreaming too!"

The girl burst into tears, shouting at Tanjiro with raw emotion.

Tanjiro was stunned, baffled by her outburst.

Zenitsu scratched his head in utter confusion. "I have no idea what you’re talking about..."

Several other boys and girls approached, weapons in hand. Their faces showed hesitation and fear.

"Why are they attacking us? Are these guys our enemies?" Inosuke muttered, frowning.

"No... I don’t really know either," Tanjiro replied, still trying to process everything.

Ron took a slow sip of tea, his tone calm and unhurried. "They were lured in by the dreams Enmu—Lower Moon One—offered them. That’s why they’re attacking... not just you, but all of us."

"Lower Moon One?!" Zenitsu’s voice shot up an octave.

Tanjiro’s expression turned grave.

"We... we have to complete the mission!"

The group of teens suddenly rushed them. Tanjiro didn’t hesitate—within moments, he had knocked every single one of them unconscious.

"I can smell it... the scent of that demon... Mr. Ron, I’ll leave these people to you. Zenitsu, Inosuke—let’s move!"

With that, Tanjiro drew his Nichirin Blade and bolted in the direction of the scent.

"Don’t order me around!" Inosuke shouted, pulling out his dual swords and chasing after him.

"Eh?! You want me to go too?!" Zenitsu whined, but still ran after them.

Once the three left the carriage—

Nezuko, now shrunk and biting her bamboo muzzle, crawled out of her box and looked around, a bit lost.

Ron smiled and extended a hand toward her. "Over here."

Nezuko saw him, her eyes lighting up, and climbed into the seat beside him, resting her head on his lap as he gently patted her head.

Ron opened up his system inventory to check the effect of the Perfect Humanization Serum.

Once injected, any demon—regardless of strength—would be completely turned back into a human within three days.

Even Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King himself... would be no exception.

If I use this potion on Nezuko right now... she could become human again.

Ron gently stroked her head as that thought crossed his mind.

"I’ve gathered enough check-in points to leave this world. Looks like it’s time I moved on..."

He had been trying to figure out a way to leave this world, and while searching for answers, he’d simply gotten involved in various events along the way. But now that he finally knew the method, and had met all the requirements, there was no reason to linger.

It was time to pick up the pace.

...

Meanwhile, on the roof of the train, Tanjiro and the others stood face to face with a grotesque and writhing figure—Enmu, now on his knees, his flesh twisting and shifting.

"This thing... is Lower Moon One?" Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly, his expression grave.

"Tanjiro, this guy’s acting really weird," Inosuke said warily.

Tanjiro narrowed his eyes and looked closely.

Enmu’s body was spasming uncontrollably, his fingers clawing into his face. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, and his entire face was twisted with terror. Dozens of mouths had sprouted all over his body, each letting out the same horrifying murmurs—

"Impossible... Impossible... Impossible... Impossible..."

"Eeep!! So creepy!!" Zenitsu shrieked and jumped behind the other two, trembling.

Tanjiro didn’t know what had caused this reaction, but one thing was clear—now was the time to act.

Water Breathing, Tenth Form—Constant Flux!

Like a coiling dragon of water, Tanjiro’s form twisted through the air with fluid grace, blade flashing blue as he slashed straight at Enmu—

—And decapitated him.

But something was off.

Even with his head severed, Enmu’s body didn’t vanish. In fact, it started convulsing more violently. Instead of dying, he began to regain his composure—as if the fear that had paralyzed him had finally begun to lift.

"He’s not dead?!" Tanjiro gasped, watching as Enmu’s neck sprouted a mass of squirming flesh, turning him into a boneless abomination.

The three of them stared in horror as the monstrosity began to speak again—gleeful, almost manic.

"Ufufufu... Ohhh, I love that look on your faces! To thank you for helping me escape my nightmare, I’ll let you in on a little secret—why I didn’t die even after you sliced my head off."

"You see, that head you just chopped off? That wasn’t the real me."

"It was just for show. A puppet."

"My true body... has long since fused with this entire train. This locomotive is my blood... my flesh... and my bones."

"!!" Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke all went pale.

"Wait... does that mean... everyone on board... is in danger?!" Zenitsu’s voice cracked, his whole body shaking.

"Bingo," Enmu grinned, his many mouths stretching wide with malicious glee. "Everyone on this train... is a hostage. My bait."

"Can you save them all, I wonder?"

"You bastard!!" Tanjiro’s teeth clenched with fury as he stared down the demon.

At that very moment—

Across all eight cars of the Infinity Train, grotesque masses of flesh began to emerge.

The walls, floors, and ceilings started to ripple as fleshy tumors pushed out from the train’s innards. From within those lumps, sharp fangs protruded, splitting the surface into gaping maws that looked like monstrous mouths.

They crept, twisted, and slithered forward.

And in Ron’s car, where Nezuko sat peacefully beside him, those same disgusting chunks of flesh began to sprout. From walls, ceiling, and floor, they pulsated and expanded, reaching out—forming twisted, gnarled demon arms that slithered toward the sleeping passengers.

The nightmare had only just begun.