A Righteous Beatdown

The lights inside the train flickered on and off, and the entire space was filled with an eeriness and silence.

When the lights came on again, the Flame Pillar, Tanjiro, and the other two were slumped back in their seats, completely unconscious.

The train conductor, who had just been checking tickets, knelt down like a puppet, staring blankly at the slowly opening ghostly hand before him.

You did a great job.

"Whee."

Go to sleep.

"Bang."

The train conductor collapsed to the ground, his expression serene and vacant, having fallen into a deep sleep.

"Dream of being reunited with your family."

The ghostly hand coldly looked down at the three sleeping figures, and behind it slowly appeared several petite but empty figures—the little girls it controlled.

It gently raised a finger, drew out a thin, transparent rope made of ghost blood, and tied it to the wrist of each sleeping person.

"Go, follow this rope, and slip into their dreams."

"Find the core of the spirit... and then... destroy it completely."

The Demon Hand was very confident. As one of the Lower Moon demons, it could easily take down several Demon Slayer Corps. All it had to do now was destroy the softest part of their hearts.

However, the next second, it was shocked to find that Tanjiro and the other two had all woken up at the same time, and pairs of sharp and vigilant eyes were locked on it.

"How is this possible? It's ineffective?" Ghost Hand said in a trembling voice.

Inosuke sneered, "Captain Kakashi made us practice this trick hundreds of times already."

"Your Blood Demon Art is no longer effective against us," Tanjiro said firmly, "Because we have an unwavering resolve."

Just as the demonic hand was about to control the thread-puller, Tanjiro swiftly severed the transparent threads it was using with a clean, decisive blade.

As the young men and women he was trying to set up with collapsed one after another, Tanjiro whispered, "I'm sorry."

He then closed in at high speed, delivering several clean and swift hand chops to knock out the puppeteers controlled by the ghost hand one by one, and incidentally, he also severed the ghost hand itself.

"On the roof of the train," Tanjiro sniffed softly, "There's a very strong demonic aura."

The three exchanged a glance, then together lifted the top of the carriage, easily jumped onto the roof, and ran towards the Train.

A fierce wind howled in the night sky as the train sped forward, the ghostly aura growing stronger with each passing Train.

Soon, a demon appeared before the three of them, its pale and eerie face bearing the words "Lower Moon One" —Enmu.

"It seems you are the mastermind behind all of this."

Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly. "We will never let you hurt anyone again."

Enmu chuckled coldly, "You were able to awaken from my Blood Demon Art, so you must have some strength. However... in my dream world, I am the true god."

The wind still howled across the top of the Train as it sped forward, like a sharp blade piercing the pale night.

At this moment, Enmu, the Lower Moon One of the demons, slowly straightened up with his pale and twisted body. "You dare to destroy my Blood Demon Art... You're simply... courting death."

Its words were full of contempt, and ghostly energy surged from its body. Tentacles formed by blood demon magic danced as if they were alive, sharp as spears, enough to easily pierce through human flesh.

The three steadied themselves, while the top of the train trembled violently with the high-speed movement, sparks flying from between the metal connecting rods, making the battlefield even more tense.

"Get ready." Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly, his eyes resolute. "Let's go together."

Despite not fully unleashing their stored power through the "Eight Gates Formation" technique after recent rigorous training, the three have still seen a significant improvement in their physical abilities and combat prowess.

This enhancement permeates every muscle and every nerve ending, enabling them to achieve explosive power, reaction speed, and endurance that are unattainable for ordinary Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen.

"Roar!!" Inosuke roared, "Beast Instinct... Full Throttle!!"

He gripped his twin swords and unleashed them like arrows released from a bow, stomping his foot so hard that the metal plate on the Train's roof dented slightly.

With its high-speed advance, it appeared almost indistinctly before the demon, shouting, "Let me chop off all your tentacles!!"

The sharp, serrated blades danced, creating an impenetrable net of blades. "Beast Breathing - Space Tear," each strike severing the demonic tentacles like a sharp blade.

"No... impossible... my Blood Demon Art actually...?" Enmu cried out in surprise, but just as it was filled with doubt, a crimson shadow was already close by.

"Hinokami Kagura... Fire Dance"

Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade, flame-like sword energy enveloping his entire body. With a horizontal slash, crimson flames erupted along with the blade, simultaneously shredding the demon's tentacles and showering them with blood like rain on the Train's roof.

"Thunder Breathing... one strike... as swift as lightning."

A golden light shot out with the sound. Zenitsu, relying on his recent rigorous training and the high speed granted by his pure physical abilities, transformed himself into a golden meteor, instantly circling the demon body. "One... two... three... three consecutive high-speed slashes!!"

Golden rays pierced through Enmu's body, leaving three fatal wounds.

Enmu stammered, "What... what is this...?"

It had never seen such speed and destructive power unleashed purely by humans. "The Blood Demon Art... it can't suppress it at all..."

On the top of the Train, the three figures left afterimages as they moved at high speed. Sparks, blood rain, and golden light constantly intertwined in the battle area, creating a beautiful yet deadly scene in the night sky.

Ghost blood gushed from its wounds, leaving thick, sticky bloodstains on the top of the train.

A despicable attack? No, it was pure strength unleashed through the perfect teamwork between partners.

"We... don't rely on others... we can defeat the demons with our own fists."

Tanjiro's voice was firm. "We have comrades... we have faith... we have the determination to protect those we love."

"Roar!!"

Inosuke roared, "Dare to mess with the Demon Slayer Corps?! I'll make sure you're nothing but ashes!!"

Zenitsu gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly. "This... is the... shared sentiment of the three of us."

The three of them threw punches simultaneously, like an incomparably sharp spear, piercing straight into Enmu's chest. "Destroy!!"

This fatal blow, unleashed by the combined efforts of the three, shattered Enmu's entire body, scattering blood and ashes with the night wind until they were completely annihilated.

The top of the Train finally fell silent, save for the whirring sound of its high-speed movement and the cold, piercing gaze of the stars in the night sky.

A despicable encirclement? Wrong, this is a righteous gang beating!

After the battle, the three slowly sheathed their Nichirin Blade.

"Just now... wasn't there a fleeting moment... when we could change something on our own?" Tanjiro said softly.

"Hey," Inosuke sheathed his twin swords behind his back, "We can always do it."

Zenitsu put away the Sun Wheel. "It seems... we don't always need to rely on others."

The top of the Train fell silent for a moment, with only the night breeze blowing gently.

The next moment, the expressions of the three people suddenly changed.

"Something... is... wrong?" Tanjiro said softly, "The demonic energy... is starting to gather again."