The desolate land was swept by the chilly night wind, and under the pale moonlight, two industrial-era trains lay silently on the cold tracks.
Inside one of the train cars, several conductors cautiously peeked out through the windows, carefully observing the situation outside as the sounds of battle gradually faded.
For these ordinary people, everything that had happened tonight was far too intense.
Whether it was the grotesque and terrifying Demons or the black-clad swordsmen with their extraordinary skills and colorful sword slashes, all of it had left the conductors utterly shaken.
One conductor, who had previously not believed in gods or demons, was now praying more fervently than anyone else for divine protection.
"Gah! S-so terrifying! What kind of monsters are those?!" one conductor gasped, his eyes wide as he took in the gruesome battlefield outside the train.
Most of the Demon corpses had already turned to ash, leaving behind the bodies of fallen Demon Slayers and a few remnants of Demons that hadn't yet dissipated.
Even so, the glaring bloodstains and mangled flesh scattered across the ground sent shivers down the spines of the conductors.
****
Meanwhile, the Demon Slayers, having survived the fierce battle, began to move in silence.
Those unharmed or lightly injured helped tend to the wounds of their severely injured comrades, while others collected the bodies of those who had fallen.
Though the battle's outcome was remarkable—two Lower Rank Demon Moons had been slain, including the strongest among them, Lower Rank One and nearly a hundred other Demons had been eliminated—this glorious achievement, rare even in the centuries-long history of the Demon Slayer Corps, brought little joy to the faces of the Slayers.
Instead, their expressions were heavy and solemn.
Not only because of their fallen comrades, but also because, in the final moments of the battle, they had experienced a nearly overwhelming sense of despair.
The sudden appearance of that Demon, its hellish figure, its demonic visage, and its suffocating blade flashes—almost all of the twenty-plus Demon Slayers who had perished had died under those moonlit slashes.
"Serpent Hashira-sama, let us tend to your wounds."
"No! All of you, back off!" Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, whose forehead was completely stained with blood, angrily shooed away the two Demon Slayers who had tried to help him.
He slowly pressed a hand to his chest, the faint stinging and his blood-soaked uniform a constant reminder that, had it not been for Giyu's assistance, he would have died at the hands of that six-eyed Demon.
At this thought, Obanai's humiliation and rage burned even fiercer.
"Damn it! I'm still not strong enough! Not strong enough! That six-eyed Upper Rank One! I won't admit defeat!"
Meanwhile, the Water Hashira Tomioka Giyu clutched the wound on his left side, his face pale as he limped toward a busy figure.
"Ahhh!! It hurts! It hurts! Tanjiro, am I going to die? No way, I haven't even held a girl's hand yet! Waaah, I don't wanna die! Tanjiro, before I die, can I at least hold Nezuko's hand? Then I could close my eyes in peace..."
Zenitsu, his orange-yellow hair matted with tears and snot, looked utterly pitiful, as if he might keel over any second.
Yet Tanjiro, who was treating his wounds beside him, couldn't help but feel exasperated—Zenitsu's injuries didn't even seem as severe as his own.
Nezuko crouched beside her brother, tilting her head as she watched the wailing Zenitsu.
But the kind-hearted Tanjiro didn't say anything.
Instead, he kept comforting him.
"Zenitsu, it's okay. You just broke a few bones and have some external injuries. You'll be fine. Once we get back to the Butterfly Mansion, you'll recover in no time."
"Really? Tanjiro, you're not lying to me, are you? It hurts so much! Waaah, don't comfort me—just let me hold Nezuko's hand and pass away peacefully..."
"Eh, Zenitsu, you..." Tanjiro reached out and stopped Zenitsu's hand from pointing at Nezuko.
"Hmph! Useless blondie! So weak! You're nothing like me! If that bastard hadn't run away, I'd have chopped him up!" The boar mask buzzed with Inosuke's booming voice.
Of course, his words would have been more convincing if not for his two nearly mangled arms.
"Tanjiro, I'm sorry. I couldn't avenge your family for you."
From behind Tanjiro came Giyu's voice, heavy with regret.
But Tanjiro didn't mind at all.
Instead, he quickly turned around, suppressing his own pain and said.
"Giyu-san, please don't blame yourself. You did everything you could. Fighting an Upper Moon is already incredibly dangerous, let alone when another powerful Upper Moon appeared. If not for your protection during the battle, none of us might have survived. So, Giyu-san, we should be the one thanking you."
"Tanjiro..." Giyu's usually stoic expression softened.
Faced with his sincere junior, he found himself at a loss for words.
Both Obanai and Giyu had suffered serious injuries.
Only the Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyoujurou had come out relatively unscathed.
After slaying Mukago, by the time Kyoujurou arrived at the battlefield where Giyuu and Obanai were fighting Akaza, an unexpected turn of events occurred—Upper Rank One suddenly appeared, his overwhelming power bringing the battle to an abrupt end.
Giyu and Obanai were severely wounded, and the two Upper Moons vanished from the battlefield.
Kyoujurou, unable to join the final fight, had no choice but to assist the other Demon Slayers in eliminating the remaining demons.
Thus, when Shinichi and Shinobu rushed to provide reinforcements, it was Kyoujurou who greeted them.
However, even this battle had left a deep impact on Kyoujurou.
The usually cheerful and spirited young man now wore an uncharacteristically solemn expression.
"It really was Upper Rank One?!" Shinichi received a firm confirmation from Kyoujurou, his grip on the Nichirin Blade at his waist tightening until his knuckles turned white.
So it was that demon after all!
"That creature is extremely powerful. It almost seems to understand Breathing Techniques—even appears familiar with our own methods. In any case, it's very strange," Kyoujurou said uncertainly.
Though he hadn't engaged Upper Rank One directly, he'd clearly witnessed the final moments of the battle involving Tomioka and the others.
The image of that Upper Rank One wielding a blood-patterned longsword remained vivid in Kyoujurou's memory.
"Why did the Upper Moons suddenly retreat? What exactly happened? According to Rengoku-san, that Upper Rank One possesses tremendous strength. So why would it flee with Upper Rank Three? Could there have been internal strife among the demons?"
Beside Shinichi, Shinobu frowned as she spoke.
Both Shinichi and Kyoujurou fell silent.
Regardless, this battle was undeniably a victory for the Demon Slayer Corps.
Combined with Shinichi and Shinobu's achievements—four Lower Ranks and over a hundred demons slain—this was an indisputable triumph!
....
The dawn's light pierced through the darkness.
As sunlight spilled across the vast land, all Demon Slayers simultaneously raised their heads.
The slowly rising sun seemed to symbolize the future of their organization.
Yet before they could savor this victory, grim news arrived with the supporting Kakushi Members.
Shinichi's body suddenly stiffened, his heterochromatic eyes displaying helplessness for the first time.
"Old man..."