Infinite Train

"Feed...feed, feed...this...this, this, this!!!"

"What kind of creature is this?!"

In Saitama Prefecture, inside Omiya Station, Asuka and his crew, having traveled for several days, finally arrived before their mission target.

Looking at this colossal steel beast, entirely black and cast from steel, with the word "Infinity" prominently displayed on its front, Inosuke was too excited to speak.

He pointed excitedly at the body of the Infinite Train: "Is that... the Lord of the Earth! The one who rules this land!"

"Huh? What are you talking about? This is a train! A train is..."

"There's no mistake...this terrifying deterrent...stay alert! This thing seems to be asleep! We can't let our guard down!"

"So this isn't it at all..."

Zenitsu, with a pained expression, was still trying to explain the concept of a steam train to Inosuke, who had already gripped his Nichirin Blade at his waist, ready to engage the behemoth in a direct battle.

"Beast Breathing - Part Three..."

"Wait! Inosuke!" Tanjiro stopped Inosuke. "Don't do anything rash. He might be the guardian deity of this land!"

"Wait... what are you two doing..." Zenitsu looked at the two speechlessly, shocked that there were such isolated people: "This is a train! Do you understand? A means of transportation, just like an oxcart or horse-drawn carriage! You two are from the countryside!"

He looked at the bird, seeking some help, but found that the bird was also lost in thought:

"This is a train... How does it work? There are clearly no animals pulling it..."

"It's over... This mission is over..." Zenitsu thought from the bottom of his heart.

However, just before Inosuke was about to cause an even bigger disturbance, Asuka still managed to play a part as the captain:

"Let's not talk about that now, get on the train." He gestured with his chin, indicating to his team members to look at the railway police with rifles on the platform in the distance: "These people may not be good at catching ghosts, but we can catch people illegally carrying knives. Don't cause trouble."

As he spoke, he carefully stepped onto the train's passageway, searching for his seat.

"Mr. Asuka, that's the first class! Ours is over here!" Zenitsu sheathed his Nichirin Blade and anxiously followed behind, pointing out the way to the group of people who had never ridden a train before.

As the sun gradually set, the train slowly moved forward.

The train involved in the accident was a nighttime Joetsu Line special train that originated in Saitama Prefecture and terminated in Niigata.

The terrain along the way was complex, with many mountain tunnels, and the fog added to the gloomy atmosphere.

Therefore, some people speculate that the disappearance of these passengers was due to the Ministry of Railways angering the mountain god by quarrying rocks and laying railway lines...

"Let's go."

The passengers were all seated, and Asuka was about to begin her mission: "First, find Flame Pillar and meet up with him."

Strangely enough, Asuka had already unleashed her spiritual pressure before even getting into the car.

This car exudes a strong ghostly aura, but its source cannot be found.

With each step he took, the bird felt as if he were stepping on a demon's body, a feeling that made him very uncomfortable.

Was it hidden in some corner of the car? Or... was it an Upper Moon demon? Was it a remnant of demonic energy left behind because of its overwhelming power? How strange.

We need to find the Flame Pillar immediately and quickly identify the problem here.

"Hey! Toriyachiro! Let's have a race!" Inosuke excitedly pounded on the carriage wall, making dull thuds that drew the attention of several passengers nearby.

"How about we jump out and race the Lord of the Earth! This thing is huge! Awesome!"

"Inosuke, keep your voice down!" Zenitsu quickly grabbed him, glancing nervously around. "We can't cause a commotion!"

The four of them walked through the narrow aisle of the train carriage, searching for the blond figure.

However, Tanjiro's expression always seemed a bit strange.

He always felt there was a faint, lingering smell in the air that made him feel drowsy.

"Don't let your guard down, there's a ghost in this car." Asuka noticed Tanjiro's expression and whispered a reminder.

Tanjiro's expression changed, but he didn't say anything. He just gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Blade tightly and carefully supported the wooden box behind him.

His most precious younger sister, the demon girl Nezuko, was sleeping there.

Finally, they passed through several carriages and arrived at the more spacious and bright first-class area.

The seats here are more comfortable, and there are fewer passengers.

However, almost the instant they stepped into the carriage, a powerful shout, as fiery as a burning flame, instantly drew everyone's attention!

"tasty!!"

A very conspicuous man sat upright next to the seat near the front of the car.

He had long, brilliant golden hair, with bright reddish-gold tips, and some hair stood up like burning flames.

Beneath two thick, sword-like eyebrows were piercing, golden-red eyes that seemed to hold an inextinguishable fighting spirit.

"Mmm! Delicious! Absolutely delicious!"

At this moment, he was devouring the food inside a huge lunchbox with astonishing speed, holding it in both hands.

Upon closer inspection, there was a dense stack of empty lunch boxes around me.

A loud and energetic voice echoed through the carriage, reaching the ears of Asuka and the others clearly even from a distance.

This person is none other than Rengoku Kyojuro, one of the Nine Pillars—the Flame Pillar!

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were all stunned into silence by the exaggerated way the food was being eaten and the overwhelming aura emanating from it.

"Is this the Flame Pillar...? He's just an ordinary glutton..." Zenitsu looked at Asuka with some uncertainty.

Asuka didn't answer, but simply led the three of them closer to Rengoku Kyojuro and calmly greeted him:

"Mr. Purgatory, it's been a long time."

"Oh! It's Asuka Boy! Delicious!"

His voice was loud and clear, filled with unreserved enthusiasm, as he ate his bento box with gusto.

"What brings you here? Are you on a business trip? Hmm! You look very energetic!"

"Hmm." Asuka waved her hand, gesturing for Tanjiro and the others to find seats, while she herself sat opposite the Flame Hashira: "I'm here to support the Mugen Train mission, and they are my team members."

"I see! That's a great arrangement!"

The bird glanced around at the other passengers in the carriage, making sure no one was eavesdropping, before speaking earnestly:

"Mr. Purgatory, have you noticed? There's a ghost on this train."

"Hmm! Yeah! A very strong demon! I wonder when it will appear!"

"Hmm, the entire train carriage is filled with ghostly energy. Could it be the Upper Moon demon?"

Kyojuro Rengoku crossed his arms, his expression turning serious, but the Flame Pillar's hearty smile remained:

"The upper moon? I don't know! I arrived a day earlier than you, and I haven't spotted the ghost on this train yet!"

"Upper Moon? Finally, a decent one has arrived!" Inosuke roared excitedly upon hearing Asuka's words, rubbing his fingers on the hilt of his Nichirin Blade.

Zenitsu was on the verge of fainting: "Aaaaaah! Upper Moon?! The whole train is filled with demonic energy?! Is it too late for me to jump off?! Help—!"

The bird raised its hand to stop their noise and continued:

"It's not certain yet, but we can only conclude that the ghost on this train is definitely not simple. We need to proceed with caution."

"Hmm! Such a calm judgment! As expected of Asuka! She already has the magnanimity of a Pillar!"

"Also, Tanjiro has something to ask you." Asuka gestured for Tanjiro to sit beside her and continued, "The Kamado family seems to have passed down a kind of blessing dance called Hinokami Rhapsody through generations..."

The topic suddenly shifted to himself, and Tanjiro was taken aback for a moment, then immediately straightened his back:

"Yes...yes! I want to ask Mr. Rengoku about my father..."