The four of them arrived at the station, guided by the directions from their Kasugai Crows.
The Infinity Train had recently resumed operation, and the station was already filled with passengers. The long queue stretched forward like a snake, people murmuring and bustling all around.
Lucas raised an eyebrow as he looked at the crowd forming in front of the train.
Enmu really was a fool, he thought.
With so many hostages available, the demon hadn't taken advantage of the situation at all. If Enmu had just consumed a few passengers early on and combined that with the blood Muzan had gifted him, things might have played out differently. It might've made it harder for Tanjiro and the others to defeat him.
But no, Enmu had been obsessed with watching humans struggle in their nightmares. That obsession cost him his life.
He didn't even get to unleash his full power before he died.
Still, that worked in Lucas's favor. Less effort spent on Enmu meant he'd be in better condition when it came time to face Akaza—the real test of the Infinity Train arc.
That fight… was the most critical of all.
After waiting in line for a while, Lucas finally received a small rectangular ticket from the booth. He flipped it over in his hand, examining it closely.
Is this how Enmu traps people in dreams? Just by clipping this ticket?
It was a deceptively simple method—so subtle, so hard to guard against.
If Lucas hadn't known the story ahead of time, even he might have fallen into Enmu's dream trap.
"Mr. Lucas, what are you staring at?"
Tanjiro's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Inosuke, stop ramming into the train! It's not a demon, you idiot! You're embarrassing us!" Zenitsu scolded loudly.
Lucas shook his head and responded casually, "Nothing. I just heard this mission might be serious. I was thinking about how to approach it."
He didn't mention anything about the ticket or Enmu's trap. There was no need. Thanks to Nezuko, the others would wake up on their own, even if he did nothing.
Besides, this was the perfect chance to see if Enmu was a suitable candidate to add as a "friend."
The idea of befriending Enmu gave Lucas a slight headache.
With most demons, if friendship failed, he could just kill them.
But Enmu… was different.
The demon's mind was twisted and fanatical. Force wouldn't work on someone like him.
Still, Lucas wasn't overly concerned.
If Enmu turned out to be a lost cause, so be it. Lucas already had enough strength and confidence to walk away from a Lower Moon.
Enmu's talent and Blood Demon Art were appealing, sure—but not worth begging for.
After a bit of chaos caused by Inosuke's antics at the station, the group finally boarded the train. They made their way to the car where the Flame Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku, was seated.
"Delicious!"
"Delicious!"
Lucas had barely stepped into the aisle when he heard Rengoku's booming voice echo through the car.
Pushing open the sliding door, he walked straight in and sat down across from the Flame Pillar.
Rengoku looked surprised to see him but immediately brightened, holding out a bento box with shining eyes, as if encouraging Lucas to taste it and acknowledge its flavor.
Tanjiro approached a bit more hesitantly. He bowed politely and greeted Rengoku, then introduced Zenitsu and the ever-arrogant Inosuke.
Lucas took the bento without a word and sampled a bite.
He had to admit—it was good. Far better than the usual dry rice balls served at headquarters.
"Why are you here?" Rengoku asked, still munching happily. "Are you on a mission?"
Lucas paused mid-bite, then slowly looked toward Tanjiro and said,
"He's talking to you."
Tanjiro blinked, confused. Me? But Rengoku was looking straight at Lucas when he spoke, wasn't he?
Still, seeing Lucas's calm expression, he chose to go along with it.
"Our Kasugai Crows gave us orders," Tanjiro explained. "They said the number of victims on the Infinity Train was increasing, and we were to rendezvous with the Flame Pillar."
"DON'T STICK YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE WINDOW, YOU PIGHEAD!!" Zenitsu screamed as Inosuke tried climbing up to peek outside.
Rengoku nodded firmly. "A joint mission. Understood!"
Lucas calmly opened a second bento and continued eating. Since it wasn't his turn to act yet, he figured he might as well refill his energy.
"I also have something to ask the Flame Pillar," Tanjiro added. "It's about my father."
Lucas's chopsticks froze mid-air.
Sun Breathing?
That didn't add up. In the original story, Tanjiro only unlocked Sun Breathing after killing Rui. But Rui had been killed by Lucas instead. So when did Tanjiro awaken that power?
Was it after fighting the Spider Demon Father?
Lucas chewed thoughtfully on a soft-boiled egg and quickly opened Tanjiro's stat panel.
Sure enough, under his skills list was a new entry:
Sun Breathing: Waltz.
"Your father?" Rengoku asked. "What about him?"
"He's sickly," Tanjiro explained, "but he could perform the Kagura dance in the snow, even in freezing conditions."
"Amazing!" Rengoku exclaimed without hesitation.
"That's why I want to ask you something," Tanjiro continued. "Have you ever heard of Sun Breathing? I instinctively used it when I fought the Spider Demon Father. It's a form I remember from the Kagura my father used to perform when I was little. If you know anything… please tell me."
Lucas glanced at Rengoku, curious how he'd respond.
"Sun Breathing?" Rengoku raised his voice dramatically. "I'm sorry. I've never heard of it!"
Lucas's face twitched. It would take him some time to get used to Rengoku's... overly enthusiastic way of speaking.
"You should become my Tsuguko!" Rengoku suddenly declared. "I'll take good care of you!"
"Huh?" Tanjiro blinked, clearly caught off guard. He wasn't sure how the conversation had jumped from his father to an offer of apprenticeship.
Lucas didn't comment. He understood why Rengoku would make such an offer. Tanjiro's potential with Sun Breathing was remarkable. In the original timeline, the idea of him becoming the Flame Pillar's Tsuguko had briefly been discussed—but then interrupted by the arrival of demons.
So… is the plot starting now?
Lucas finished the last bite of his bento, wiped his mouth, and sat up straighter.
"I'm talking to you, Lucas!" Rengoku suddenly shouted, making Lucas flinch slightly.
To me?
He looked up, mildly confused. Was Rengoku offering him the role of Tsuguko now?
"Become my Tsuguko! I'll make you stronger!" Rengoku said with burning passion in his eyes.
Lucas was about to reply when the sliding door at the end of the car opened with a click.
A pale, gaunt conductor entered, moving with mechanical precision. He held a pair of metal clippers and silently began checking tickets.
Lucas's nose twitched.
There was a trace of demonic aura on the conductor—subtle, faint, and almost indistinguishable amidst the background scent of the Infinity Train.
He watched as the conductor clipped ticket after ticket, his dull eyes devoid of emotion.
Soon, he reached their group.
Tanjiro seemed to notice something strange about the man, but still handed over his ticket.
Click. A standard notch appeared.
After clipping tickets from Rengoku, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, the conductor came to Lucas last.
Lucas silently extended his ticket.
As the conductor reached out with his clippers, a strange flash occurred.
A kaleidoscope of brilliant colors filled his vision—reds, purples, blues, and greens swirling together like a dream. For a moment, something flickered in his dull eyes.
But the moment passed just as quickly.
The colors faded. Reality returned like a wave washing over him.
Confused, the conductor looked around.
He was standing at the end of the car now. Had he already clipped that boy's ticket?
He must have.
Shrugging it off, the conductor returned to his duties. All he wanted now was to sleep—a long, peaceful dream…
"It's starting."
Lucas gripped the hilt of his Nichirin blade.
That foul stench… After half a month, he hadn't smelled anything this repulsive.
The ceiling lights above them flickered rapidly, flashing white, then yellow, then off entirely.
And then—
A massive demon appeared before the train.
It stood tall with horns curling from its head and several eyes gleaming from its face.
The Infinity Train arc had begun.
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