KNY Fanfic: Priceless Smile

Chapter 81: Infinity Train

     As the train started moving, the three boys are now inside. As they walk to search for a certain person, Tanjiro looked back.

'It smells like something's wrong in here.'
He thought.

"So, you're saying that this Rengoku person is a Pillar?" Zenitsu asked.

"Yes, and I would like to ask him about something."

"Do you even know what he looked like?"

"Yes, I also know his scent, I know he's nearby." Tanjiro answered as he shift his eyes to one seat and found him.
"There he is!"

"Tasty!"

As they got closer, they saw the Pillar eating while chanting "Tasty!" again and again.

"Isn't he just a glutton?" Zenitsu asked looking dumbfounded.

"Um.... excuse me, Rengoku-san..." Tanjiro said walking closer to him.

"Tasty!" Kyojuro said looking at him.

".... We know that." Tanjiro replied sweatdropping.

The maids in the train cleaned up and took the bento boxes he finished. Tanjiro sat beside Kyojuro and asked him about the Dance of the Fire God/ Hinokami Kagura after explaining the details to him.

"Oh.... so that's it, huh! Well I dunno! This is the first time I've heard of the Dance of the Fire God/ Hinokami Kagura! But it's great to know that your father was able to apply it in fighting! And that's all!" Kyojuro blurted out, his voice still as lively and loud as it is.

"Huh?! Can't you help a little more?!" Tanjiro exclaimed.

"You should be my tsuguko, my disciple! I'll look after you! Flame Breathing has a long history! In all ages, flame and water swordsmen have been among the Pillars.  Flame, water, wind, stone, and thunder are the basic types of breathing! The other types of breathing branched out from those! Mist is derived from wind!" Kyojuro explained.
"Mizoguchi, what color is your blade?!"

"My name is Kamado and it's black!" Tanjiro answered.

"A black sword?! That's rough! I've never seen a swordsman with a black sword become a Pillar!  And I hear they don't know which line to master!" He said.
"I'll train you at my place so don't worry!"

'What a considerate guy.'
Tanjiro thought.

"GRAAAAAAH! WOAH! WOW! IT'S SO FAST! I'M GONNA JUMP OFF AND HAVE A RACE WITH IT TO SEE WHO'S FASTER!" Inosuke shouted sticking his head out the train window.

"There are limits to idiocy you know!" Zenitsu exclaimed.

"I have no idea when the demon will appear!" Kyojuro blurted out.

His words made Zenitsu look at him in shock.

"NO WAY! A DEMON'S ON THIS TRAIN?!"

"Yep!"

"IT IS?! GYAAH! WE'RE NOT TRAVELING TO IT?! IT'S HERE?! GYAAH! I'M GETTING OFF!"

"Over forty people have disappeared on this train! The corps sent a few swordsmen, but then they all went silent! None of them came back!" Kyojuro informed them.

"OHHH! THAT MAKES SENSE! I'M STILL GETTING OFF!" Zenitsu low-key shouted as he is still freaking out.

(Note: If Kazumi's with them, her eardrums could've possibly been destroyed cause of Zenitsu and Kyojuro's loudness🤣🤣🤣)

"Allow me to inspect your tickets please." The conductor said as he pass by the asleep passengers.

"What?" Tanjiro asked.

"He's going to check our tickets!" Kyojuro answered.

As they hand him their tickets, they saw how unusually pale he is and how he looked like he lack some sleep.

'What is this smell? I smell something bad.'
Tanjiro thought.

"Enjoy your trip."

Kyojuro then suddenly stood up and looked behind the conductor.

"Look out and get back! This is an urgent matter so don't mind the sword!" He said.

The asleep passengers then suddenly woke up and saw a demon. They all freaked out seeing the creature.

"Blood Demon Art was hiding that huge thing! And it was hard to sense it! However.... if you bare your fangs to innocent people...." Kyojuro said unsheathing his sword.
".... my bright red flame blade will burn you to the bone!"

The demon just growled at him as he dashed forward.

'Flame Breathing, first form: .... Unknowing Fire!'

With that in his mind, he killed the demon with a single slash. Blood spurted out from it before falling on the floor.

"Wow! That's an amazing swordsmanship! Please make me your disciple!" Tanjiro praised.

"Sure! I'll make you a great swordsman!" Kyojuro said.

"Me too!" Zenitsu said.

"And me!" Inosuke added.

"I'll look after you all together!"

With that, the trio rejoiced and called him 'aniki'. As the time pass by, they all fell asleep. Inosuke lying down as his legs were on top of Zenitsu's lap as Zenitsu slept in a sitting position. Kyojuro then slept on a sitting position too with his arms crossed and Tanjiro's head resting on his shoulder. Nezuko's box is placed in front of Tanjiro on a seat.

As the train move, lower moon one, Enmu, is standing on one of the train cars.

"Nothing makes me even more happier than to die as a drem."

As everyone of them are now asleep, the conductor who punched their tickets is seen kneeling on the floor talking to a demon hand. It has one eye and a kanji character saying 'dream'.

"I punched holes on their tickets and put them to sleep just as what you said. Please put me to sleep soon too. Let me see my dead wife and daughter. Please, I beg you." The conductor pleaded as he bow his head down low while crying.

"As you wish. You did well. Now sleep and meet your family in your dreams." The hand replied.

Right after that, the conductor felt as if his heart suddenly stopped beating as he fell on the ground. The children watching this thought that he has just fallen asleep. Yet in reality, he has gone to the other side.

"In a little while, the sleep will deepen, so wait here until then. Malevolence and signs of demons will sometimes awaken demon slayers with good instincts. When you close in to tie them up, be careful not to touch them." The demon hand instructed facing the children.
"I have to stay in the front car for a little while. Do your best until my preparations are done. And you may have sweet dreams too!"

"Alright." The children replied in unison.

Without them knowing, Take's hiding underneath one of the seats and managed to hear it all. After that, the children started to move and the demon hand left. Take flew out and to Kazumi landing on her lap.

"You've done well Take-kun." Kazumi said as she caress his back gently.

Kazumi then tilted her head back a bit, her calm demeanor and smile not faltering. The demon's presence ahead clearly filling her senses.

"How pitiful, though they all are older than me, those children got easily deceived."

She's still sitting at the very end of the train, the very last car. Taro's using his feet to grip on Kazumi's haori for him not to be blown away as Kazumi also held him for assurance.

"It doesn't matter how strong demon slayers are. Human motivation comes from the heart, from the spirit." Enmu said as he lift up his arms in the air.
"You just have to destroy their spiritual core. Do that and they become living corpses that are easy to kill. All human hearts are the same—fragile and weak like glasswork."