"Hiss-"
With the sound of tearing flesh, huge, tumor-like lumps bulged from the wooden walls on either side of the carriage. Then the lumps burst open, and countless thick, disgusting tentacles covered in slime and eyeballs sprouted from every direction like wildly flailing demons, frantically coiling around the passengers to strangle them.
"Serpent Breathing, First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!"
An eerie, razor-sharp flash of sword light suddenly lit up the carriage. Obanai Iguro slipped through the narrow carriage like a snake, his wavy Nichirin Blade tracing impossible arcs as he instantly sliced three approaching tentacles into countless scraps of flesh. Foul blood splashed onto the seats, corroding them with a hiss.
"Tch. What an utterly disgusting Blood Demon Art!" Obanai kicked away a segment of tentacle that was still writhing, cold killing intent flashing in his mismatched eyes. Kaburamaru, the white snake around his neck, hissed warnings, guiding him clear of attacks coming from his blind spots.
The train had completely fused with that Lower Rank demon. Fighting here was now no different from fighting inside the demon's stomach.
As Obanai swung his Nichirin Blade, he glanced toward the other end of the carriage out of the corner of his eye.
There, Takanashi Rokuno and Shinobu Kocho still sat side by side with their eyes tightly closed. Yet, in an eerie and staggering sight, not a single one of the rampaging tentacles could come within two meters of them.
A layer of dark blue, almost tangible arcane energy slowly radiated outward from Rokuya's body. This power brimmed with violence and destruction. The instant any approaching tentacle touched those dark blue waves, it melted into a puddle of foul-smelling blood with a hiss, like ice thrown into lava, without even a chance to struggle. Not even ashes remained.
"This guy... his