The train was moving at high speed, though "high speed" was relative; it probably topped out around eighty kilometers per hour. Watching the scenery continuously recede outside the window, Uchiha Nagi felt a sense of deja vu, as if he had returned to a past life, to the era of squeezing onto crowded "green-skinned" trains. By the time he had grown up, something even more advanced than trains had appeared—high-speed rail. However, when traveling to very remote places, he had still taken these slow-moving trains. Due to the recent news about the "Ripper," many people didn't dare to travel by train, so the carriage was empty, occupied only by Murata and Uchiha Nagi. Uchiha Nagi was eating a bento box he had bought before boarding, as was Murata.
"The Flame Hashira-san set out earlier to investigate the missing persons and those Demon Slayer Corps members who mysteriously disappeared. It all happened on that 'Infinite' train," Murata said. "According to the message from the crow, Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro-san has already headed towards the 'Infinite' train. After that train had its incident, many people felt something was wrong, and it was sent back to the repair yard for overhaul..."
Before Murata could finish speaking, Uchiha Nagi interrupted him— "Murata, look over there..." "Hmm?" Murata glanced outside and was instantly petrified. The bento in his hand fell completely. "What is......?"
Outside, in the pitch-black night, two figures were moving rapidly, their speed several times faster than the train. A dark blue figure flashed past along the railway, barely visible in the dark night, like a bolt of lightning. The other figure was far more ostentatious. The air around its body was literally burning, resembling a fireball as it sped along, closely pursuing the figure in front.
"Is that—His Excellency, Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro?" Murata said in astonishment.
"Murata, you don't need to follow. I'll go," Uchiha Nagi said, flinging open the window and leaping out. "Ah... Wait, Uchiha-dono~" However, Uchiha Nagi had already vanished—
In the dark night, the Flame Hashira's spectacular flames were incredibly conspicuous. Uchiha Nagi had no trouble tracking him at all. Nevertheless, the crow on his shoulder dutifully flew in the sky, guiding the way. [This way, southeast—] [This way, southeast—]
Running at full speed, Uchiha Nagi could catch up to them, but a ninja's principle was never to expend all stamina running in an unknown situation. So, Uchiha Nagi maintained a safer speed, trailing behind the Flame Hashira. Though slower, it would ensure he had enough stamina and strength to engage in battle upon arrival. But it wasn't slow either; a Jonin's speed was close to eighty kilometers per hour, roughly the same as the train... It was just that compared to the Flame Hashira's spectacular high-speed-rail-like velocity, it was indeed much slower.
Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro seemed to have noticed someone following him, but he was in a hurry to chase down and deal with the opponent ahead, so he didn't stop. By the time Uchiha Nagi arrived, the battle seemed to be mostly decided. A demon with a broken leg was limping, holding an old woman hostage. The Flame Hashira stood opposite it, holding a little girl.
"Come on, let's make a bet! See if you can cut off my head before I kill this old hag....." The demon, probably knowing a Hashira had arrived and it couldn't escape, was somewhat frenzied.
"Hmm? It's you, the newly promoted Hashira. What was your name again?" Rengoku Kyojuro said with a smile.
"My name is Uchiha Nagi..." Uchiha Nagi was a bit speechless because as the other man spoke, his eyes were completely focused straight ahead...
"Oh, right! You're very strong, I heard them say. You've learned several Breathing Styles, a genius even more amazing than Muichiro. Let's deal with this fellow first, then we can catch up."
"Deal with me? Are you two fools? I've already killed the old hag~" the demon holding the old woman hostage said with a savage expression. Because while the two of them were talking, it had already killed the old woman and its leg had finished regenerating. The Flame Hashira's Nichirin blade seemed to carry a flame enchantment that made wounds inflicted by it incredibly difficult to heal.
"Hmm? What's wrong with you? You clearly let the person go yourself, why do you still say you killed her?" Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro said with a laugh.
"I let the old hag go?" The dark blue-skinned demon looked down and saw its hands were empty. "This...? When?" Looking closely, the old woman was already scrambling and crawling far away. Looking back at the two in front, it only noticed a pair of red eyes.
"The moment you saw my eyes, you were already dead....." Uchiha Nagi stated calmly. The instant it had seen Uchiha Nagi's Sharingan, it had fallen under a genjutsu. The moment its hand moved, its neck had been severed by a flash of flame. Everything it thought had happened had occurred within an illusion.
"What a special technique. Faster than my blade," Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro praised.
"You flatter me. Genjutsu is ultimately a minor art. Your blade is faster. I was hoping to ask for your guidance on Flame Breathing," Uchiha Nagi said with a smile.
"No problem! Hahahaha!" Rengoku Kyojuro laughed heartily. "And your Nichirin blade is also of the fire attribute! If we weren't of similar age, I would have wanted to take you as my Tsuguko! Hahaha..."
"Damn it... Damn it all..." a faint, unwilling whisper. The demon with supercar speed was slowly turning to ash. Its luck was abysmally bad, encountering two powerful individuals when it wasn't even a Lower Moon—it was truly one of a kind.
The rescued old woman, tears streaming down her face, murmured to Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro, "Twenty years ago, was it you who saved me and my daughter? The same hair, the same face..."
Rengoku Kyojuro sheathed his sword with a dashing air. "Oh, you're probably talking about my father. Twenty years ago, he was also a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, but he's retired now."
"Grandma~" A little girl with glasses ran over crying and hugged her grandmother. "I'm sorry, Grandma! I shouldn't have said things like there are no demons in the world!"
"No, that's perfectly fine. For ordinary people, not encountering demons, not knowing about them, and dying of old age is the best," Rengoku Kyojuro said with a smile.
The next day— The morning sun shone on the train station. Everything from the previous night seemed like a dream, vanished without a trace, including that dark blue supercar demon.
"Here, these are for you~" The little girl and the old grandmother, both smiling, handed something to Rengoku Kyojuro and Uchiha Nagi. "Thank you for saving us last night."
"Ah, wonderful! I didn't eat anything yesterday and I'm still starving now! Then I'll pay to buy them all!" Rengoku Kyojuro said happily.
"No, no, this is to thank you for saving us. No money needed," the old grandmother quickly replied. Watching the two sides, one insisting on gifting, the other on paying, Uchiha Nagi rolled his eyes, unable to watch any longer, and said directly, "Don't be polite. We have money. Lots of money..."