'A demon killed a demon?'
Tanjiro stared blankly at the female demon, Youmei.
'Can a demon kill another demon? And she's not Muzan Kibutsuji... also, why didn't that demon fight back?'
Tanjiro felt the demon's scent within the train gradually dissipating. After it was gone, the scent of this female demon before him became clearer.
'The scent she's giving off is the same as Lady Tamayo's...'
Tanjiro suddenly realized.
'There's no foul odor like other demons.'
'Could it be that she doesn't eat people? That she's a demon who fights for humanity, like Lady Tamayo and the others...'
But this speculation was instantly abandoned the moment Tanjiro saw the several heads hanging from her waist.
Those were undoubtedly human heads!
'And the wounds on the severed necks are the same as that other demon's!'
'She killed them!'
Tanjiro's grip on his Nichirin Sword tightened.
'An evil demon that kills people is the same as an evil demon that eats people!'
'They should all be slain!'
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form—"
The sound of flowing water suddenly rang out...
"Young Kamado," Kyojuro Rengoku's voice suddenly came from behind Tanjiro.
Tanjiro felt a large hand press down on the wrist he was using to swing his Nichirin Sword.
The sword technique halted, and the flowing water vanished.
"Mr. Rengoku?" Tanjiro looked at Kyojuro Rengoku with confusion, only to find that the other was staring intently at the female demon, his face grave.
"Stand back," Rengoku said in a low voice.
Although Tanjiro was a bit bewildered, he was very obedient and retreated behind him, standing together with Inosuke and Zenitsu, who had just climbed onto the roof of the train.
The three of them just watched as Kyojuro Rengoku and the female demon opposite him stood in a silent standoff.
The Mugen Train had been fused with and controlled by Enmu, but Youmei had killed him.
Therefore, the speeding Mugen Train was also slowly coming to a stop.
The screeching sound of the iron wheels grinding against the tracks filled the air.
"Who are you?" Rengoku asked Youmei, who was fiddling with Enmu's head.
But Youmei seemed not to have heard, as she was watching and playing with Enmu's head with great curiosity.
"Why were you able to kill a demon? Why hasn't that demon's head disintegrated?" Rengoku continued to ask.
But Youmei had no intention of responding.
Kyojuro Rengoku frowned, his haori fluttering in the evening wind. He raised his Nichirin Sword and said, "Since you have no intention of answering, then I shall eliminate you!"
The final word having been spoken, Rengoku no longer hesitated.
"Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!"
Flames gathered on the blade of his sword, and with Rengoku's downward slash, a brilliant flame blossomed and rushed towards Youmei.
But before the slash of the Nichirin Sword could arrive, Youmei suddenly held up Enmu's head, facing Enmu's face towards Rengoku.
"Blood Demon Art: Control the Dead."
Enmu's eyes suddenly snapped open. His expression changed, like a manipulated puppet. His mouth opened, and Enmu's voice from before he died came out: "Blood Demon Art: Compulsory Hypnotic Slumber Whispers."
The voice spread out like a sound wave. In that instant, Rengoku lost consciousness, his face became still, and he slowly began to fall.
But the moment before he fell, Rengoku's eyes opened again. Relying on his powerful spirit and will, he awoke from the dream.
The flames that had dissipated because he had entered the dream reappeared, still carrying a mighty force as they slashed down towards Youmei.
"This is useless," Youmei seemed to think that Enmu's Blood Demon Art, which had been broken in an instant, was quite pathetic. So she used Enmu's head to block Rengoku's fiery slash.
Instantly, Enmu's head was split open by the flame-wreathed attack.
It turned to ash and dissipated into the air.
"Can you give me your head?" Youmei, who had used Enmu's head to block the slash and thus delayed it for a moment to dodge, raised her bright red arm, pointed a finger at Rengoku, and asked.
"No!" Kyojuro Rengoku's reply was incredibly resonant.
"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
Rengoku's Nichirin Sword thrusted forward, and the flames of his Flame Breathing clinging to the blade formed a tiger of fire that shot straight towards Youmei.
"Blood Demon Art: The Dead's Lament."
Youmei took the head of Hu Yan from her waist.
"Woooo... wooooo..."
Faced with the attacking flame tiger, the head shockingly opened its sorrowful eyes and let out a series of mournful wails.
In an instant, all the flames, as if entering a vacuum, were instantly suppressed by some unknown force and dissipated into thin air.
'This demon...'
'Is not easy to deal with.'
Rengoku judged in his heart.
'Her Blood Demon Arts should rely on those heads. I need to close the distance, not give her a chance to take out a head and cast a technique.'
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
The most basic technique of the Flame Breathing style, and also the simplest.
Charge, slash.
Just that simple.
And because it was the First Form, he had long since perfected it.
'Judging by her speed just now, if I use my breathing technique at full power, I should have a chance to cut off her head before she can react.'
Kyojuro Rengoku's fighting spirit flared. He used his breathing technique to its maximum. His breaths became long and deep, and from time to time, flames would escape from the corners of his mouth with his breaths.
"Destructive Death: Disorder."
A deep voice came from somewhere.
"Mr. Rengoku, watch out!"
Tanjiro's anxious voice came from behind.
Immediately after, Kyojuro Rengoku's vision blurred, and a figure suddenly appeared before him.
A demon with short, pink hair, golden pupils, pale skin, his entire body covered in countless deep blue tattoos representing a sinner, blood-red fingernails, wearing a short purple-red jacket, and with prayer beads hanging from his ankles!
He faced him and continuously threw out fists that carried an extreme wind pressure.
Rengoku's stance changed in an instant. From an attacking stance, he instantly switched to a defensive one, meeting the opponent's fists that were coming at him like a meteor storm.
"Such powerful force!"
While blocking, Kyojuro Rengoku truly felt the terror of this demon's power.
'This absolute sense of pressure and such a dense demonic aura coming from the confrontation...'
'He is definitely a member of the Upper Ranks!'
Suddenly, Rengoku noticed the characters engraved in the other's eyes: "Upper Rank" and "Three."
'Upper Rank Three...'
Rengoku suddenly remembered what Lexon had said...
[The top three Upper Ranks are especially powerful.]
'So it's true...'
'He really is incredibly strong...'
'Lexon was right...'
Rengoku agreed with Lexon's words in his heart.
But he still held firm and continuously blocked the punches with his Nichirin Sword. But in the end, a moment of carelessness led to him being hit by a punch.
His ribs were broken, blood overflowed from his mouth and nose, and his entire body was sent flying backward, slamming hard into a large tree by the roadside.
"Mr. Rengoku!" Tanjiro called out worriedly.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]