Episode 284: The Man Who Fell Before the Dawn
『 Tanjiro's body grew weaker and weaker, his hand so powerless that he could barely hold onto Nezuko.
Yet even so, he responded to Muzan with unwavering resolve:
"You're talking nonsense! Because I understand them, they are people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for others. They all hope that no one else will ever have to endure the pain and sorrow they once experienced."
Tanjiro used all his strength to refute Muzan's fallacies. Muzan, isolated and alone, naturally could not understand how kind his companions were.
However, at this moment, Tanjiro's hand finally let go because it lacked that last bit of strength, and his body fell into a bottomless darkness.
Just at this critical juncture, countless hands suddenly reached out to him from all directions, firmly gripping his arms.
"You guys… you finally arrived…"
As Tanjiro looked at this scene, feeling the warmth radiating from those hands, tears couldn't help but well up in his eyes.
Seeing that Tanjiro was about to escape his control, Muzan became extremely anxious.
"Stop! I beg you! Become my successor, become the new Demon King!"
"In this entire world, only you can do this. Can't you see that clearly?"
"You are the chosen one!"
"Only you! Only you can reach the realm of the perfect ultimate life form!"
Even as Muzan screamed repeatedly, it couldn't stop what was happening. Because his friends were all here, supporting Tanjiro.
At this moment, whether it was friends who had passed away or comrades who were still alive, everyone was doing their utmost to help him.
"Everyone…"
Familiar voices converged into the same sentence:
"Come back quickly… Tanjiro… Let's go back together…"
As more and more arms pulled him upward, Tanjiro finally broke free from the shackles Muzan had set.
And deep in the darkness, Muzan was still roaring incessantly:
"No… don't leave me… don't leave me here all alone!"
Ultimately, Tanjiro broke free from all restraints and fell into a brilliant sea of flowers.
Sunlight filtered through the petals, gently spilling onto him. As the petals drifted down, Tanjiro slowly opened his eyes.
Sure enough, at this very moment, everyone was surrounding him, covering their faces with their hands, and weeping softly.
Nezuko was the first to regain her composure, calling out her brother's name loudly.
Looking at the boar-headed figure, Tanjiro asked:
"I-I'm sorry… you're hurt… are you alright…"
As he spoke, tears kept sliding down Tanjiro's face.
And the boar-headed one, Inosuke, was also weeping profusely, unable to say a single word.
Finally, having confirmed that Tanjiro had truly returned safely, everyone cheered with excitement.
Inosuke finally squeezed out a long-overdue sentence:
"These little wounds of yours are nothing… You'll have to spend your whole life compensating me… Oh… and my wife…"
Hearing this, Nezuko jumped in shock, while Giyu let out a long sigh of relief.
Despite possessing the astonishing strength of a Hashira, it was a miracle that he could hold on until now.
Then, the siblings hugged tightly and cried. Although this journey had been incredibly arduous, they had ultimately made it through.
Not far away, Kanao lay on the ground. A corps member told her that Tanjiro had woken up. Watching the crowd hugging and crying, she revealed a smile.
At this moment, Tanjiro happened to turn his head and see her, thinking to himself:
"Thank goodness… she's still alive…"
The two smiled at each other, their eyes full of tears.
In a small hut outside the cheers of the crowd, Yushiro and Chachamaru were hiding inside.
"Hmph… I knew it… you wouldn't die…"
Yushiro, who was usually fierce-looking, also revealed a smile at this moment, with teardrops hanging on his face.
After speaking, he took out a hairpin from his pocket and kept murmuring:
"Lady Tamayo… everything is over…"
At this moment, he could no longer hold back, and tears flowed down uncontrollably.
Amidst the cheers, this long and arduous battle finally came to an end. With Muzan's disappearance, this thousand-year confrontation would also conclude. 』
/Screen goes black.
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "Great, in the end, we won." ]
[ Kocho Shinobu (Demon Slayer): "A thousand years of struggle, it has finally ended in victory today." ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "Great, finally, I can watch over my Nezuko properly." ]
/"Ding! Third Scene: " The Battle of Infinity Castle, The Final Moment of the Demon King Muzan " ends."
/"Ding! Third Scene: Easter Egg- " The Man Who Fell Before the Dawn: Even If My Body Is Destroyed, I Will Surely Slay the Demon "."
[ Kiryu Sento (Kamen Rider): "The man who fell, before the dawn?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Look at the sentence after that; it should also be something that happened in your battle." ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "…Big, Big Brother…" ]
[ Kyojuro Rengoku (Demon Slayer): "So, this time it should be me, huh? Not bad, fighting for the new dawn that is to come." ]
[ Boothill (Honkai: Star Rail): "The man before the dawn, Muddle-Fudging, my cybernetic body is leaking oil too." ]
[ .....]
『 The screen begins—
A train slowly departed from the platform.
Toot-toot-TOOT—!
As the train's whistle blew long and loud, and the train carrying a full 205 passengers started moving, three clumsy teenagers rushed over and jumped onto the train in hot pursuit.
At the same moment.
"Delicious!"
"So delicious!"
"Another box!"
Kyojuro Rengoku sat in the carriage, devouring eel rice, one portion after another, without stopping.
The bento boxes in the attendant's hands had already piled up into a small mountain, and his face was somewhat numb.
The passengers on the train watched, dumbfounded; no one had ever seen someone who could eat like this.
Each bento box weighed at least 300 grams!
For most people, one was enough to be full, and even if it were a famous gluttonous superman, they might not be able to finish so much.
It seemed that Kyojuro Rengoku was not only a Demon Slayer warrior but also a hidden genius of massive appetite.
Tanjiro Kamado, Inosuke, and Zenitsu Agatsuma were all shocked speechless. Was this a super glutton or the Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?
All the bento boxes combined must have weighed dozens of pounds.
However, all this food seemed to disappear into a black hole, without causing the slightest change in Kyojuro Rengoku's body…
Just like a bottomless pit, the soft and delicious eel, along with the sauce, was continuously stuffed into his mouth.
Tanjiro Kamado sat somewhat nervously beside Rengoku, cautiously inquiring about the Hinokami Kagura.
Although he knew the other party was actually very kind and friendly, because he was a senior he respected, he felt he still had to appear more composed; otherwise, he would likely be treated to Shinobu Kocho's special 'candied chestnut' training upon returning. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "So hungry, feels about the same as Paimon." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "???" ]
[ .....]
〜Demon Slayer World〜
Demon Slayer Corps—
After seeing this scene, everyone burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, it cracked me up, as expected of Kyojuro Rengoku!"
"This personality hasn't changed at all… Hahaha, he eats so much, every time I see him eating, I wonder if he's actually human."
"Haha, actually, I suspect that too. If Kyojuro Rengoku were a demon, he would definitely be a gluttonous demon; those demons couldn't eat that many bento boxes."
Although they all knew what the title represented this time.
However.
They had also seen before that their efforts had not been in vain, and in the end, that Demon King Muzan had died right in front of them.
Therefore, any sacrifice was worth it.
Not to mention that, in their world right now, the senior Yoriichi Tsuguko was still looking for Muzan's location.
So, sometimes being able to laugh is a good thing.
—
『 Just as the train started checking tickets, the lights in the carriage flickered, and the atmosphere suddenly became eerie, as if uninvited guests were about to appear.
Kyojuro Rengoku's expression immediately became solemn, his brows furrowed as if he sensed something wrong.
The original joyful atmosphere in the carriage disappeared without a trace. He quickly stood up from his seat, "Conductor, something might happen here, please step back."
"This is an emergency situation, please don't mind the fact that I brought a sword on board!"
From somewhere came a noise, and a monster with spiral horns on its head, a twisted and terrifying face, and three deformed heads suddenly appeared in the carriage right in front of Kyojuro Rengoku.
The surrounding passengers were stunned upon seeing this, not understanding what was happening, let alone guessing how this hideous monster had broken into the carriage.
But looking at the monster's appearance, it seemed to be specifically sent to give Kyojuro Rengoku experience points…
"To be able to hide such a massive body so perfectly, is this some kind of Blood Demon Art?"
"Even the presence is well-hidden!"
"However, if you intend to harm innocent people, my Blazing Slash will make you taste the feeling of being burned to ashes!"
Hearing Kyojuro Rengoku's calm and powerful voice, a white vortex formed around him.
Then, extremely hot flames burst out from the scabbard, and immediately after, a Nichirin sword engraved with a fire dragon pattern was drawn.
Gripping the Nichirin sword flashing with flame brilliance, Kyojuro Rengoku assumed a slashing stance.
As the fluid Flame Breathing spread, the temperature in the entire carriage rose rapidly. Everyone present felt as if they were in a desert under the scorching sun, and sweat kept sliding down their cheeks.
"Flame Breathing—First Form: Unknowing Fire—!"
He rushed toward the multi-headed monster with lightning speed. Before the opponent could react, he had already circled behind it.
And with a fierce slash at its neck, the blade wrapped in rolling flames instantly severed the monster's head from its body.
From the cross-section, it was clearly visible that the demon's body was already filled with scorching flames, and the disgusting figure instantly burst and scattered in the air, turning into ashes and drifting all over the floor…
"So strong… cut off the demon's head in one strike…"
Tanjiro Kamado was shocked by Kyojuro Rengoku's power. He only saw a flash of fire, and the three-headed demon in front of him had already lost its head.
A demon's life force lies in its neck; once cut, it can never be revived—of course, it has to be with a Nichirin sword.
"There's another one! Follow me!"
Sensing the disgusting scent of a demon emanating from the front carriage, Kyojuro Rengoku immediately took action.
When he arrived, a group of panicked passengers was running toward him.
Suddenly, a monster with four eyes and looking like a spider emerged from the top of the carriage.
Facing this terrifying 'Spider Demon,' Zenitsu Agatsuma, trembling all over, hid behind Rengoku and shouted:
"What… what is that thing… its limbs are so long!"
"Let me handle it!" Inosuke charged forward valiantly; he didn't take these monsters seriously at all.
Just as his serrated Nichirin sword was about to hit the 'Spider Demon's' leg, something unexpected happened—several blood-red tentacles suddenly popped out from the side of the monster's body, heading straight for Inosuke and sending him flying.
In the blink of an eye, Rengoku had easily caught the hit Inosuke and placed him aside.
Then, he did not immediately counterattack the monster but continued to organize the remaining passengers to evacuate. This was his principle: never allow innocent people to be hurt.
After everyone was safe, deal with these guys.
"That's it, let's end this quickly."
With a calm and confident expression, Rengoku was completely unaffected by the disgusting enemies.
Immediately after, he soared into the air and quickly performed 'Flame Breathing Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun' beneath the monster.
A light in the shape of a fire moon flashed in the carriage, and the 'Spider Demon' ultimately met the same fate as the previous three-headed demon, vanishing into thin air almost instantly in front of Rengoku.
All the evil demons were eliminated. Watching the process, Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke, who had just recovered, all shouted excitedly: "Too amazing! Boss, your skills are simply awesome!"
"Please… please take us as your disciples!"
"Sure, I will train you to become top warriors."
Zenitsu Agatsuma's face was filled with joy, and he added, "Count me in too!"
"Count me in!" Seeing that the other two had found a sense of belonging so quickly, Inosuke certainly didn't want to fall behind. "Don't forget to count me in too!"
Right now, they looked like those manga characters from over twenty years ago… like a group of happy little fish circling around Rengoku, shouting with full awe: "Rengoku-aniki! Rengoku-aniki!"
The empty carriage was filled with the happy but slightly magical laughter of Kyojuro Rengoku and the others, which made the surrounding passengers feel very at ease. 』
『 .....』
〜Demon Slayer World〜
Tengen Uzui held his stomach and laughed loudly:
"Hahaha, these three are really interesting, cracked me up!"
"They must have been infected by Kyojuro Rengoku's laughter, hahaha!"
Giyu Tomioka.
"Unexpectedly, killing a demon can also make the atmosphere so pleasant, as expected of Kyojuro Rengoku!"
Mitsuri Kanroji remembered the days when she used to hunt demons with Kyojuro Rengoku; they were also full of laughter and joy.
Kyojuro Rengoku, a man who could laugh loudly and happily no matter the situation. With him by your side, you don't need to worry about your own safety. As long as the Flame Hashira has not fallen, he will never allow you to be hurt.
Kyojuro Rengoku, really too cool!!
—
『 Shortly after the celebration, the exhausted group, including Kyojuro Rengoku, Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and others, all lay on the train seats and fell into a deep sleep.
The most interesting part was that Inosuke was actually sleeping exceptionally sweetly on Zenitsu's lap.
Sure enough, these two are still the best partners…
At this moment, the screen perspective shifted. The conductor who had checked the tickets for Kyojuro Rengoku's group earlier ran to a carriage at the front of the train, knelt on the ground, and cried to the front:
"I have followed your instructions, clipped the tickets, and let those people fall asleep. Please hurry… let me enter the dreamland too!"
"I want to see my late wife and children."
"I beg you, I beg you… Enmu"
The conductor kept begging while kneeling. Suddenly, a severed hand with eyes and a mouth fell from the ceiling, "You did a good job~"
"Have a good dream of reuniting with your family~"
This severed hand was none other than the Lower Rank Demon Enmu. He revealed a ferocious smile, and after using his ability, he immediately made the young man in front of him fall into a deep sleep.
He could create all kinds of dreams for humans, whether they were sweet dreams or nightmares, and completely control the young man in front of him through this method.
Behind that severed hand were four children, who were also little tools bound by Enmu using beautiful illusions.
These children longed to see their deceased family members in their dreams, and for this, they would stop at nothing. This became their most urgent wish at the moment.
In this cruel reality, the dream of being reunited with their families became the only hope that supported them to continue moving forward. 』
『 .....』