At the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters—
Kyōjurō Rengoku, Tanjiro, and the others had just received their new assignment: the Mugen Train.
Of course, the mission notice hadn't mentioned Chika by name.
Technically, only Tanjiro's crow had delivered orders—to him, Zenitsu, and Inosuke.
But that didn't stop her.
The Master's not stupid, Chika reasoned. He knows my situation. If he didn't say who exactly should go, that means I'm included by default!
And even if, somehow, he had specifically excluded her, she would've just come up with another reason to justify tagging along.
Either way—
The Mugen Train arc isn't happening without me.
"Everyone ready? Hurry up! Kyōjurō's already left—we've gotta catch up!"
Chika waved her arm wildly as she shouted, looking for all the world less like a Demon Slayer heading for battle and more like a teacher herding kids on a school field trip.
Kyōjurō had indeed departed first; his orders had arrived earlier.
Chika couldn't exactly barge in and tell him, "Wait! You're supposed to leave with us!"—not without sounding like a lunatic who knew the future.
So, catching up it was. The real story didn't begin until they were all on board anyway.
Under her direction, Tanjiro and the rest came rushing out. Nezuko insisted on coming too.
They'd tried to convince her to stay behind, but her stubborn resistance left them no choice but to bring her along.
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Nezuko—and Chika Kamado.
The five of them turned westward, their steps quickening toward their destination—
the Mugen Train.
Soon, they arrived at the station through which the train would pass.
But they didn't dare enter.
Their Demon Slayer uniforms were far too conspicuous, and the swords at their waists were real steel.
The Edict Against Carrying Blades had been issued back in the Meiji era, and now in Taishō, the Corps remained an unofficial organization.
Getting caught with weapons wasn't a joke—it was a ticket to a police cell.
What then? Ask the Master to bail them out?
Or go on the run and get a wanted poster printed for their troubles?
Better to avoid police attention altogether.
So, they waited at a ramen shop near the station—
because, as Chika put it, "A full stomach makes for better demon-slaying."
It just so happened the shop was running a special:
Pay once, eat any ramen, all you can eat.
That was all Chika needed to hear.
Her eyes sparkled with a determination more intense than any battle spirit.
"Boss, all of us are joining the all-you-can-eat deal! That's okay, right?"
"Of course! Absolutely!"
The shop owner grinned widely. A handful of skinny kids like this? How much could they possibly eat? Easy profit!
But when Chika caught that overly cheerful smile, she couldn't help but grin too.
You're happy. I'm happy. Everyone's happy. Perfect!
With that, she dug in.
After the first bowl—
The owner happily served her another.
After the fifth—
His smile started twitching.
After the tenth—
Cold sweat dripped down his temple.
Sure, the noodles were cheap—but he'd been generous with the toppings for the promotion.
He'd expected three bowls to be the limit for any normal person.
But Chika… was no normal person.
"Slurp!Slurp!Slurp! Delicious!"
By the time the distant whistle of the departing train echoed through the station, Chika was still polishing off her latest bowl, finally gulping down the broth with a satisfied sigh.
"Thanks for the meal! I'll come again sometime~"
"Co… come again…?"
The owner stood frozen as she dabbed her lips with a napkin, tossed it aside, and left with her group.
Fully fed. Fully energized.
Energy MAX.
They dashed toward the station. Buying tickets was out of the question—sword inspection would get them caught instantly.
So… they decided to sneak on board.
As the train gave a long, sharp whistle and began to roll forward, the station guards relaxed.
Once the wheels started turning, the chances of anyone sneaking aboard dropped to zero—or so they thought.
After all, who could possibly jump onto a moving train?
The officers shrugged and turned away.
That's when a blur of figures shot out from the shadows.
Train's moving? Perfect timing.
Like wind slicing through the night, they sprinted along the platform and leapt—
Clang!Thud!Bang!
One by one, they landed neatly on the rear car.
Justice-defying stowaways.
Inside the train, they were giddy.
Chika pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh!"
Everyone instantly quieted down. She opened the door to the rear car and slipped inside.
The interior was calm and peaceful.
Passengers sat reading, dozing, or gazing out the window—unaware that a demon had already claimed this train as its hunting ground.
Of course, the bliss of ignorance was exactly what the Corps existed to protect.
They passed through several cars before finding their target.
"Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!!"
Before they even saw him, they heard him.
The aura of Kyōjurō Rengoku filled the entire car with his boundless energy.
He was seated mid-car, devouring boxed meals at a speed that defied reason.
When Chika approached, he finally paused mid-bite.
"Oh? Chika? And everyone else! What brings you here—another mission?" he asked, surprised but cheerful as always.
Chika nodded and took a seat beside him.
"The number of victims keeps increasing, so we came to assist."
"Is that so? That's splendid!" Kyōjurō laughed, folding his arms proudly.
"With the two of us together, this mission will end in total victory!"
His laughter boomed through the car, full of confidence and flame.
Meanwhile, in the shadowed corridors of the train, the Lower Moon One had already arrived—
and quietly began his work.