Nearly two months had passed since the battle at Mount Natagumo, and a month and a half since their encounter with Upper Moon One.
At Nature Manor, Ryou was enjoying his morning tea, prepared by Hina, while Haruka trained relentlessly in the nearby training ground.
"Wrong. Start from the beginning—your Fourth form is incorrect," Ryou instructed calmly, his eyes never leaving his teacup.
"Yes, Ryou-san," Haruka replied, panting heavily, her body drenched in sweat. She restarted her training from the beginning, muttering under her breath, 'Why hasn't the Kasugai crow given me any missions today? Ryou-san's training is too tough and boring. Tatsuya's lucky he managed to escape today!'
'Caw...Caw!'
Just then, Ubuyashiki's Kasugai crow swooped down from the sky, delivering its message in a clear, calm tone. "Ryou-sama, I bring news from Kagaya-sama.
You have been assigned a mission. You are to work with Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro in locating the demon responsible for the people's disappearance on the Mugen Train.
This mission has been assigned to you as per your earlier suggestion. Kagaya-sama has also sent Tanjiro and his group on the same mission."
"Good. I'll set off now," Ryou said, rising to his feet. He then turned back to Haruka whose eyes were shining in relief.
"Remember, just because I won't be here doesn't mean you can slack off on your training. If I find out you have, I'll double your training routine from now on."
"Ryou-san..." Haruka wailed in helplessness, her shoulders slumping.
"If you don't want to die at the hands of a demon, then it's necessary," Ryou replied, his voice strict. He then turned to Yui and Hina and said,
"Keep an eye on her. You two know she's a bit too playful. If she skips any training, let me know."
"Yes, Ryou-sama." Yui and Hina replied in unison, showing a sympathetic glance in Haruka's direction.
"No!!" Haruka screamed dramatically, her voice echoing across the training ground.
--
When Ryou arrived at the train station, guided by his Kasugai crow, he stumbled upon a classic scene: a Slasher Demon was confronting Rengoku Kyojuro. Ryou didn't intervene; instead, he leaned against a nearby wooden wall, watching the scene from a distance.
The Slasher Demon, with eyes wide in disbelief, uttered, "How the hell… did you catch up to me?"
Kyojuro's expression remained bright, his flame-patterned haori billowing in the wind. He spoke, "I thought I told you not to get cocky."
Trying to mask its fear, the Slasher demon challenged Kyojuro. "Why don't we see who's faster? Whether I can slash this old hag's throat first or you can claim my head first."
Kyojuro replied with a confident smile, "No need to put it to the test. You're—"
In the middle of his sentence, Kyojuro took action and executed his First form: Unknowning fire. He rushed forward with blinding speed, a fiery blur across the station platform, and slashed at the Demon's neck, decapitating the demon with flames dancing around.
"—too slow!" Kyojuro finished the sentence.
The demon collapsed to the ground, disappearing into ash.
"Nice, Kyojuro. You've gotten better," Ryou said, clapping his hands as he emerged from the shadows.
"Ryou! You're here!" Kyojuro beamed, his smile as bright as ever. "I was told you'd be joining me, but I didn't expect you to arrive so soon. Hahaha!" His laughter echoed warmly through the night.
Just then, several other Demon Slayers arrived at the scene, their expressions tense and alert.
"Flame Hashira, are you alright?" one of the higher-ranking Demon Slayers asked anxiously.
"Mn. I took care of it," Kyojuro added, dismissing the situation.
"Thank you for handling the situation." The Demon Slayer's expression eased, and his eyes landed on Ryou who was standing next to Kyojuro. He quickly bowed in greeting. "Nature Hashira, you're here as well."
Ryou nodded slightly. "You guys did well!"
"What about the Mugen Train?" the Demon Slayer asked, shifting his gaze between the two Hashira.
"The Mugen Train is currently being repaired and will be back in service tomorrow. However, our problem hasn't been solved yet. A demon that has devoured over 40 people is on a different level than this one. There should be a more powerful demon on the train." Kyojuro said.
As the sun rose, casting a warm glow over the bustling city streets, people began to come out of their homes for work. The news that the Mugen Train was back in service was publicized in the newspaper, trying to attract people to use the train again.
Ryou and Kyojuro decided to take some rest, to ensure they would be at their peak when they board the Mugen Train. Time passed in the blink of an eye.
--
As the sun began to set, Ryou boarded the Mugen train alongside Rengoku, who was carrying two massive bags filled with beef bentos. He had purchased the entire stock from the little girl named Fuku and her grandmother, leaving them both speechless.
Inside the train, Ryou and Kyojuro sat opposite each other by the window. Kyojuro smiled with his usual enthusiasm, holding up a large bento box. "Ryou, let's eat! The bento is delicious, I tried one earlier!"
Without waiting for a response, Kyojuro eagerly unwrapped a box and took a bite, his face lighting up with delight. "It's delicious!" he exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of several passengers. After a moment of awkward stares, they decided to ignore his outburst.
Ryou simply shook his head, amused by Kyojuro. Gazing out the window, his eyes caught sight of Inosuke head-butting the side of the train, while Zenitsu frantically scolded him. Tanjiro also stood close by.
'They are here!' Ryou thought, observing the trio.
At that moment, the train began to pull away from the station, the rhythmic chugging of the engine filling the air. The trio—Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu—raced to board the train, skillfully evading the policemen who were hot on their heels.
After a few seconds, they made their way into the compartment where he and Kyojuro were seated.
Their attention was immediately drawn to Kyojuro, who was devouring the bento box with enthusiastic gusto and shouting, "Delicious!" loudly from time to time.
They were left speechless by Kyojuro, who was enthusiastically devouring the bento box with loud exclamations. Zenitsu asked, "Tanjiro, is he really a Flame Hashira, not some random glutton?"
"He's the Flame Hashira, Rengoku-san!" Tanjiro soon spotted Ryou and exclaimed, "Ryou-san, you're here too!"
"Tanjiro, who's this?" Zenitsu asked.
"He's Nature Hashira, Ryou!"
Ryou gestured to the seat beside him with a welcoming smile. "Tanjiro, come sit down. Are you here on a mission?"
Tanjiro took the seat and answered, "Yes. Our Kasugai crow informed us that the casualties on the Mugen Train are increasing and instructed us to join the Flame Hashira on-site. I didn't know you would be here too!"
"Well...I am here to make sure nothing goes wrong!" Ryou replied casually.
Kyojuro, having finished his bento, finally looked up and noticed Tanjiro "You are the boy from that day at Ubuyashiki Mansion?"
"Yes, I'm Tanjiro Kamado," Tanjiro nodded. He then introduced his companions. "And these are my fellow Demon Slayers, Inosuke and Zenitsu."
Kyojuro's eyes lingered on Tanjiro. "I see. So, the box contains your demon sister?"
"Yes," Tanjiro replied.
Seeing Inosuke and Zenitsu causing a commotion, Ryou reminded them with a playful smile. "Stay alert, you two. A demon could appear at any moment!"
Hearing this, Zenitsu's eyes widened in panic. 'We're not traveling towards the demon but we are already here! I have to get off this train immediately.'
Just then, a Train Conductor entered the car to punch their tickets.
--
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