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Kanae Kocho wasn't the type to pry. If her little sister didn't want to talk, she wouldn't force it. She trusted that when the time came, her sister would reveal her secrets on her own.
Kanae and Alex deliberately changed the subject, chatting casually as they walked. It felt almost like a spring outing—sitting on a blanket, snacking, sipping drinks, and taking in the scenery around them.
After resting for an hour, they got up and continued on their journey.
They reached the nearest town, then caught a train to the Infinity Train station. Luckily, Sakura Country wasn't huge, so it only took half a day to reach it.
By this time, Kyojuro Rengoku, Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke Hashibira were already aboard the train. Alex and Kanae were boarding at the second stop.
After waiting for over two hours, the train finally arrived as dusk settled.
Even before stepping on, Alex caught the unmistakable stench of demons.
"Ugh… that's foul," he muttered with a grimace.
"You can actually smell demons?" Kanae asked, clearly surprised.
"Yeah… it's terrible. I bet you wouldn't like it," he said with a small, teasing smile.
His body had been purified by sacred fire and further enhanced when he became a God Slayer. His senses were practically superhuman—his sense of smell rivaled even Tanjiro's.
"Even so, I'm curious… what do demons actually smell like?" Kanae asked, smiling.
"You're a curious one, aren't you?" Alex shook his head, then deliberately blocked part of his sense of smell so he wouldn't be bothered by it.
After checking their tickets, they boarded the Infinity Train.
They picked a seat at random, then asked a crew member for some food. The snacks they'd eaten earlier hadn't filled them up at all. Now, they could finally eat properly.
Alex, however, wasn't hungry. With his God Slayer body, he could go without food for days without any harm. As long as he had divine power flowing through him, his body would keep functioning.
"You're not eating?" Kanae asked, a little concerned.
"I'm fine. You go ahead," he said, shaking his head.
Most of the food on the train was traditional Sakura Country fare, which didn't suit him. Sushi, for example—the rice was cold, the raw fish had a strong smell—he just couldn't eat it.
Cooked dishes like tempura, oden, takoyaki, eel rice, and udon were fine, but anything raw was off-limits.
"You don't want it? Perfect, I'm starving anyway," Kanae laughed. Since training under Alex, her appetite had grown significantly. She and the others, Shinobu and Kanao, had gotten used to four meals a day, plus a late-night snack, with huge portions each time. With all that intense training, she had to keep up or she'd burn more energy than she consumed.
"Go ahead, it's all yours," Alex said, leaning back by the window. Outside, the night scenery blurred past. There was something meditative about sitting on an old train and watching the world slip by.
But Alex didn't get to enjoy it for long. A crew member came to recheck the tickets for the newly boarded passengers.
When Alex handed over his ticket and got it back, he noticed something—an enchantment had been placed on it. It was high-level, definitely a Blood Demon Art.
It had no effect on him, but Kanae immediately felt its power.
"Tch… that Enmu is trickier than I thought. He can affect even a Hashira," Alex said with a small smirk, deciding not to remove the curse. This was part of her training, after all. He didn't intervene unless her life was in danger.
Once the crew member left, Kanae finished her boxed meal, threw away the container, and wiped the grease from her mouth in the bathroom.
By the time she returned, sleep had already claimed her. She yawned, slumped into her seat, and quickly drifted off.
Alex smiled faintly, opened the group chat, and started streaming.
Alex: @Shinobu, your sister's off to a rough start—she's been hit.
Shinobu: Hit? Was the demon really that strong?
She wasn't worried—Alex was here.
Misaka Mikoto: So this is Shinobu's sister? She's gorgeous!
Yotsuya: Yeah, she's got this gentle aura… like my mom.
Hestia: Haha, looks like my new follower is amazing.
Sen Takatsuki: Time to kill some demons! Can't wait to see what they're like.
Alex: Combat-wise, they're no match for you ghouls, but their Blood Demon Arts are versatile and dangerous.
Sen Takatsuki: I know, I've watched the Demon Slayer anime you sent me. I just really want to fight a demon king in that world.
Alex: Forget it. If you come, the Demon Slayer Corps would definitely see you as a demon. They wouldn't understand you like Shinobu does.
Sen Takatsuki: Hmph, you're just scared of trouble.
Alex: …
After a bit of chatting, the train began to change.
Everyone aboard fell into a deep sleep. On the walls, disgusting layers of rotting flesh started to appear, sprouting tendrils that bound passengers and began consuming them piece by piece.
Just as Alex wondered whether he should intervene, Kanae shattered the nightmare on her own.
Her eyes snapped open, her fighting aura flaring. With lightning-fast precision, she drew her Nichirin Blade and slashed through the decaying flesh and tendrils around her.
Seeing Alex sitting calmly beside her, she pouted, a little hurt.
"You knew the ticket-checker was trouble all along?" she asked, voice tinged with annoyance.
"Yeah," he said casually.
"Then why didn't you warn me?" Her pout deepened.
"Cough… this is your training. If I helped, would it still count?" he said, barely suppressing a smile.
"You're doing it on purpose," she muttered, rolling her eyes, though she let it go.
Alex changed the subject. "The Flame Hashira and Tanjiro are probably facing the same thing. Go help them."
"And you?" she asked.
"I'm just watching. As long as it's not life-threatening, I won't intervene," he said, relaxed.
Kanae sighed. She had no choice but to handle it herself. Using her breathing techniques, combined with her fighting aura, she easily surpassed Hashira-level strength. Swordlight flashed, severing all the tendrils and rotting flesh in the carriage.
Alex nodded in admiration. Former Flower Hashira or not, in just one month, she'd fully mastered both fighting aura and Sword God Style.
Meanwhile, Lower Moon One, Enmu, fused with the train, turned pale.
"Damn it! Two Hashira?" he roared in frustration. He had planned to distract the Flame Hashira with hostages, then finish off Tanjiro and the others—but with two Hashira present, that plan was ruined. One Hashira would be distracted, sure, but the other would cut him down instantly.
Fear—mixed with intrigue—filled Enmu. Things weren't going as planned, but he was already merged with the train. No turning back. He had to fight.
Alex didn't bother with Kanae and moved toward the other carriages.
Soon, he found the main group. Tanjiro was awake. Zenitsu didn't even need to wake; he was stronger asleep than awake. They'd managed the tendrils and rotting flesh in their carriage, while Nezuko tried to wake the other passengers.
There were also some children. They'd been coerced by demons to attack Tanjiro and his friends, but had been subdued.
The story followed the original closely—just with the addition of a Flower Hashira.
The moment they saw Alex, Tanjiro's eyes lit up. "It's Hashira Alex!"
They'd met at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters during the past month.
Alex directed them, "Go to the front of the train and deal with the demons. Don't worry about this carriage."
"Yes, sir!" Tanjiro grabbed Zenitsu and Inosuke, leapt onto the roof, and ran toward the front.
"Such innocent kids," Alex muttered, shaking his head. They trusted him unconditionally.
Before the Flame Hashira woke, he'd protect these carriages. Snapping his fingers, a protective barrier spell activated. Instantly, everyone inside was shielded. The tendrils and rotting flesh could no longer harm them.
"..."
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