When Hayashi heard these three key words, his heart suddenly tightened!
Going to the swordsmith village to retrieve the blade of Tsugikuni Yoriichi could wait.
Teaching the Pillars the mark could wait.
But if he arrived too late, who knew whether Rengoku Kyojuro would encounter Akaza?!
Hayashi stood up suddenly, his expression anxious:
"I'm going to find Rengoku Kyojuro now!"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya didn't ask why Hayashi was so nervous; he only nodded calmly:
"I'll have someone send you there immediately."
Outside the headquarters, Hayashi froze when he spotted a black car parked quietly by the gate.
This vehicle looked eerily familiar—an old model, the very same one the hidden corps used to ram Muzan Kibutsuji when he was in his grotesque "giant infant" form during the final battle.
In design, it resembled a Chevrolet from the early 20th century. The Ubuyashiki clan's reputation as a wealthy, resourceful family was once again confirmed.
In the driver's seat sat someone Hayashi knew well—Momoki Haruko.
The moment she saw him, her eyes sharpened with urgency.
"Yoriichi san, please get in at once!"
The car bolted forward the instant he settled in. A force pressed against his back as Haruko navigated the mountain roads with terrifying skill. Even at high speed, her steering was smooth, steady—and when sharp turns came, she leaned into them with a drift-like precision that stunned Hayashi.
He glanced sideways at her calm yet intense face and asked casually:
"Where did you learn to drive like this?"
Haruko replied, her gaze fixed on the road:
"I first learned in my hometown, Gunma Prefecture. I was originally trained to serve as the driver for the eldest daughter of a wealthy family there."
Her tone shifted slightly, tinged with memory:
"But one day, while escorting her back to our hometown at Mount Haruna, we were attacked by a demon. By sheer luck—and speed—I escaped with her. Afterward, my lady praised me as the 'Driving God of Mount Haruna.'"
Hayashi stiffened. A dangerous feeling of déjà vu surged through him. He asked carefully:
"Your family… wouldn't happen to run a tofu shop, would it?"
Haruko's beautiful eyes widened in shock:
"Eh?! How do you know that?"
Hayashi gave a dry laugh, not answering further.
Gunma Prefecture. Mount Haruna. A tofu shop…
There was no mistake. The person beside him was none other than the legendary Racing God of Mount Akina, transposed into this world!
The Station Bento
Thanks to Haruko's divine driving, they arrived near the station just after sunset. Hayashi quickly scanned his surroundings and spotted a small shop selling bento.
Inside, a booming, heroic voice rang out:
"UMAI!!!"
Hearing that familiar exclamation, Hayashi finally relaxed.
There, seated with radiant eyes and an overflowing aura, was none other than Rengoku Kyojuro.
The moment he saw Hayashi, his eyes blazed brighter still:
"Yoriichi san! Have you also been dispatched to investigate this train incident?!"
"How mortifying! It seems my own strength was not enough to ease the lord's worries!"
Hayashi waved his hand and chuckled:
"No, Kyojuro. The Master trusts you deeply. I only heard of your mission and decided to come on my own accord. Think of me as your partner, here to lighten your burden."
He sat down beside Kyojuro, accepting a bento box offered by him. Opening the lid revealed glossy white rice, fragrant slices of beef… and a halved boiled egg with an oddly bluish yolk.
Hayashi blinked, then discreetly pushed that box aside and swapped it for another that contained only rice and beef. He picked up his chopsticks, tasted a bite—
His eyes widened.
"Delicious!"
Kyojuro's hearty laugh shook the shop:
"UMAI!!!"
Rengoku Kyojuro laughed in his bright, heroic voice as he set down his chopsticks:
"This bento is truly delicious! And coincidentally, my father once saved the owner of this shop. To protect others in the same way fills me with honor!"
Hayashi's hand froze mid-air, chopsticks hovering.
A faint unease stirred in his chest — a disharmony that he couldn't name.
Then a shrill scream tore through the carriage.
"You monster! Get away from my granddaughter!"
Bang!
The sound of a bento box smashing against flesh echoed, sharp and desperate.
Hayashi's unease deepened, the déjà vu coiling tighter around his heart. He had seen this somewhere before.
Rengoku Kyojuro surged to his feet, his entire body blazing with momentum like a flame breaking free. With a thunderous step, he smashed through the thin wall of the compartment.
Hayashi followed with his eyes — and the scene unfolded:
A hulking, bald demon with striped markings grinned viciously, clutching a little girl with round glasses by the throat. Her small hands clawed uselessly at his grip, her face turning purple, eyes drowning in terror.
A few steps away, the old bento-shop owner's body still leaned forward, arm outstretched from the desperate throw she had just made. Her empty hand trembled, her eyes fixed on the demon with horror and resolve.
Rengoku drew his Nichirin blade in one fluid motion.
"Breathing of Flame—"
A single blazing cut cleaved the demon apart. Its body turned to ash before the girl even hit the ground.
Hayashi exhaled softly. The sense of disharmony crystallized into certainty. His lips curved in a grim smile.
He stretched out his hand into empty space — and his palm caught something.
The air rippled. Space itself twisted violently.
A figure in a black coat, with a square brand-like mark on his cheek, was dragged from the distortion. Hayashi's grip was already locked around his neck.
The false haze vanished instantly. The déjà vu dissolved. The train, the bento, the attack — reality settled into its rightful shape.
Hayashi's eyes hardened. His voice was low, sharp with anger:
"Is it fun—adding filth to other people's meals? Is it fun—twisting their dreams?"
His grip tightened.
"Answer me, Enmu!"
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