A grotesque demon, enormous in size, slowly stood up, using a nearby chair for support. With a shrill screech, it lunged straight toward Lucas and the others inside the train."Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"A blazing arc of crimson flames erupted in the narrow train corridor. In one swift and clean motion, Kyojuro Rengoku's sword sliced the demon down the middle.The massive creature didn't even have time to react. It disintegrated into ash in the blink of an eye, disappearing without leaving so much as a trace behind."So strong…" Tanjiro murmured, eyes wide with awe.Zenitsu and Inosuke were equally stunned, frozen in place as they took in the sheer overwhelming power of the Flame Pillar. The heat of the flames still lingered in the air.Lucas, however, was not distracted by the display. His attention had already shifted upward. He was trying to pinpoint Enmu's exact location.With the appearance of that demon, the train's demonic aura had intensified drastically, like a balloon that had suddenly burst, releasing all its pressure."There's another one," Kyojuro said sharply, sensing movement from the front car. Without wasting a second, he drew his blade again and charged ahead.Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke followed suit, drawing their Nichirin swords and racing after the Flame Pillar.That left Lucas alone with the silent, lifeless-eyed train conductor.He gave the conductor a passing glance, then calmly walked toward the door connecting the train cars.Now it was his turn to act.Kyojuro and the others would be falling into Enmu's dream trap any moment now. This was the perfect window for Lucas to attempt his own objective: adding Enmu as a friend.Sliding open the door, Lucas pulled down half the window and let the cold night air whip across his face.Gripping the outer handrail, he swung his body upward and landed on the roof of the train car with effortless grace.Balancing easily, Lucas scanned the top of the train. In the dim moonlight, he spotted a lone figure standing in the distance, facing the wind.Enmu.The demon stood motionless, his hands resting calmly at his sides."Hm? Did I miss someone?" Enmu muttered to himself, turning lazily toward Lucas. "As expected, humans are unreliable. No matter. I'll gift him with a lovely dream soon enough."Enmu's voice was eerily cheerful as he looked Lucas up and down."Good evening~ You were supposed to be having a pleasant dream right now," Enmu said sweetly. "But you seem to have resisted. Why is that? Don't you desire a beautiful dream, too?"A system panel suddenly flashed in Lucas's mind.> [Inferior Rank One: Enmu][Race: Demon][Rank: Kanoe][Comprehension: Medium][Aptitude: Medium][Talent: None][Skills: Blood Demon Art: Compulsory Hypnotic Whispers (Profound), Hypnotic Eye (Profound), Dream (Proficient), Dream Rope (Proficient), Remote Medium Dream (Proficient)...]Kanoe rank?Lucas's eyes narrowed.He knew very well what Kanoe rank represented. He had personally broken through that realm. The gap between Kanoe and the ranks beneath it—Xin and lower—was massive.So how had Enmu, at this rank, been defeated in the original story by Tanjiro and Inosuke, who were both at Xin rank at the time?Was something changed because of me?Perhaps Muzan, knowing of Lucas's existence, had given Enmu more blood than originally planned—boosting his strength drastically.That could also explain Enmu's altered behavior and the presence of this secondary demon earlier. If that were the case, then Lucas had to act fast. If Enmu became smart enough to devour all the passengers before being stopped, things would become exponentially harder.Still, Lucas's priority wasn't just to defeat Enmu—it was to test something first."I enjoy beautiful dreams as much as anyone," Lucas said with a faint smile. "But before I have one… can we be friends?"He wasn't expecting much, especially after seeing Enmu's panel. Medium aptitude and comprehension weren't attractive to Lucas anymore, and while the Dream skills were interesting, they weren't essential.Still, it didn't hurt to try. If Enmu agreed, great. If not, he'd be cut down.Enmu paused, then tilted his head. "Of course," he said, his voice still syrupy sweet. "Why not?"In truth, he had already guessed who Lucas was.So this is the one Lord Muzan warned me about… the slayer in the white cloud-patterned robe.Enmu's heart raced with excitement. If he could kill Lucas, Muzan had promised him enough blood to rival the Upper Moons.He could practically taste it—the strength, the transformation, the future that awaited him.He wouldn't mind pretending to be friendly if it got him that reward.> [Ding!][Successfully added Inferior Rank One Enmu as a friend!][Detected intimacy level: 'Initial Acquaintance'. Granting random reward...][Obtained Skill: Dream (Proficient)][Would you like to fuse the skill now?][No]Lucas's lips curled upward.He hadn't expected this to go so smoothly. The skill he'd wanted from Enmu—Dream—was granted right away."Well then…" Lucas said cheerfully, "thank you. In return, let me give you a beautiful dream too."His smile gleamed dangerously in the moonlight.Enmu narrowed his eyes. Something didn't feel right. Lucas was far too composed.Still, the desire for Muzan's promised reward drove him forward.Enmu raised his hand. A wide mouth opened on the back of his palm and aimed directly at Lucas."Sleep—"Shlick!Before the word left his mouth, Enmu felt a sharp, searing pain in his arm.His wrist had been severed cleanly—and was now flying through the air."Too slow," came Lucas's voice, whispering in his ear like a death knell.Enmu froze.I didn't even see him move.Was he… on the level of a Pillar?No. Worse. Faster.This can't be happening...His body was still fusing with the train. He couldn't afford to waste time on Lucas. He had to retreat—regroup—use his full power.Enmu tried again."Sleep—"Slice!This time, Lucas cut off his head."Didn't I just say you were too slow?" Lucas muttered, sheathing his blade.Enmu's head tumbled to the side, expression frozen in disbelief.The severed head's eyes glared at Lucas, the veins on his forehead bulging as rage took over."That man—Muzan—was furious when he told me to kill you," Enmu spat. "And now… I understand why."Suddenly, thick, fleshy tendrils burst forth from the roof of the train, cradling Enmu's head in a mass of writhing red-black flesh.He was merging with the train."You're really starting to piss me off," Enmu growled."Funny," Lucas replied, calmly adjusting his grip on his sword. "I was just about to say the same."This time, Enmu didn't attack with his body.Instead, his Blood Demon Art took center stage.Dozens of grotesque eyes appeared along the fleshy tendrils surrounding his body. Each was marked with the kanji for "Dream."No matter how fast Lucas moved, if he made eye contact with even one of them, he'd fall into a dream.That's it... fall asleep… just look at one...Enmu smiled wickedly.But then—Slash!A blinding flash of light cut through one of the major tendrils, and with it, several of the eyes burst and vanished.Enmu's expression twisted in confusion.My Blood Demon Art failed again? How?It was supposed to be automatic. A single glance at the dream-marked eyes should've activated the spell.There shouldn't be any blind spots!He was covered in those eyes!Why isn't it working?!Lucas stood across from him, his face calm, eyes sharp and unwavering. No hesitation, no confusion, no signs of a dream taking hold.It was as if the Blood Demon Art had no effect on him at all.Enmu continued regenerating, staring at Lucas with a mix of shock and dread.Who… what is this guy?He had expected a strong opponent, sure.But this—this was something entirely different.
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