The Good Demon [KNY]

Part 24: How Do You Fight a Train?

"Nezuko! Protect the others!" Tanjiro said as he and Akai ran outside. Tanjiro grabbed the top of an open window and maneuvered his body into a flip so he could land on the top of the train.

"Damn..." Akai was partially impressed by Tanjiro's acrobatics. "Okay, my turn..." Akai lept to the window Tanjiro had grabbed and latched his hands onto it like Tanjiro had before. He began to use the maneuver Tanjiro had used, and seemed to be pulling it off.

"I got this!" Akai thought with determination.

Slip

"Oh fuck."

Thud

Akai's hands slipped and he fell off the train.

"Akai!" Tanjiro whipped around and yelled.

"It's alright! I'll catch up!" Akai got up quickly and began sprinting to keep pace with the train. He noticed that a few cars forward, the demon was waiting for them. "Hey! He's there! Get him!" Akai said as the train sped off. Tanjiro nodded and turned away to pursue the demon.

Akai rolled onto his knees and scrambled to get up. "Have to help him!!!" Akai thought frantically. He heated his legs and burst forward. He sprinted along the side of the train until he reached the one Tanjiro and the demon was on. Akai hopped up and stuck his nails into the frame of the train. He hauled himself up and stood to the side of Tanjiro. The demon, who was talking to Tanjiro, turned to him.

"It looks like your clumsy friend has arrived." Enmu commented. "As I was saying, I showed you both especially nice dreams. If I wanted, I could've given you terrible nightmares. Such as showing you the deaths of your families." Enmu said. Akai and Tanjiro gritted their teeth at the thought of that. "Next time, I should show you a dream where your father comes back! And I should show you your father's death at the hands of Muzan!" Enmu clasped his hands together, deciding on what he'd torture them with once he got them asleep.

"Stay out of people's heads!!!" Akai pulled out his knife.

"Don't thoughtlessly trample into people's dreams!" Tanjiro drew his sword.

"Water Breathing... Tenth Form: Dragon of change!" Tanjiro's blade flowed and left a trail of a dragon's body made of water. The dragon's head sat next to the blade, ready to bite through whatever the blade struck.

"Breath of The Cosmos... Third Form: Wrath of the Cosmos!!!" Akai heated his limbs and crouched, ready to rush towards the demon in front of him.

Akai and Tanjiro broke into a sprint and dashed rowards Enmu in Tandem. Enmu simply raised his hand, which grew a small mouth.

"Blood Demon Art: Compelling Hypnotic Whisper." Enmu spoke.

"Sleep..." The hand said. Suddenly, Akai and Tanjiro were hit with a mysterious feeling. Akai and Tanjiro felt their eyelids snap shut as they began to fall.

"...!!!" Tanjiro gritted his teeth the hardest he could and forced his eyes open. He regained his footing and continued the charge towards Enmu. Akai woke up, more sowly that Tanjiro and followed close behind the water breather.

"Sleep! Sleep!" Enmu's hand repeated, but Akai and Tanjiro held strong.

"Why won't they sleep? Wait... The moment they realize they're asleep, they kill themselves and wake up!" Enmu realized.

----------

Akai awoke in his bed.

"Hey, Son!" Akai's dad walked in.

"Sorry, dad." Akai said and closed his eyes.

"Wait what?"

Akai screamed and let himself superheat and explode, destroying himself and his dream dad in the process. He had to do this over and over again each time Enmu put him to sleep. And even though he knew the dad he was seeing was fake, it pissed him off.