Enmu's entire body trembled violently, shaking like a sieve, his pupils spasming as if they were about to burst from their sockets.
That figure…
It was completely different from what his clone had experienced in the dream.
The figure born from Lord Muzan's cellular memories was now deeply etched into his mind, as though every cell in his body were trembling—filled with terror.
Something was wrong. That woman was not normal.
If it had merely been a dream of defeating Lord Muzan, he could have understood it.
But now… why were Lord Muzan's own cells feeling fear?
He had to be dreaming.
…
If this wasn't a dream, then that woman's true identity was something that could not be ignored.
Could it be…
A chill ran through Enmu's heart. Come to think of it, that woman really was different from ordinary people…
If what he suspected was true, then even if he successfully devoured the more than two hundred humans on this train, he would never be a match for her.
No—he had to run.
He had to inform Lord Muzan about this.
Even though he had already fused with the train, Enmu had absolutely no courage to fight Yuko.
Having made up his mind, Enmu prepared to separate his main body from the train.
Tap… tap…
The crisp sound of heels touching the roof of the train rang out. The clamor of the train tracks seemed to vanish at that moment, leaving only those steady footsteps, each one hammering into Enmu's heart like a nail.
Sweat dripped from Enmu's brow as he turned around.
The figure he least wanted to see stood before him.
Yuko looked at him coldly.
"Thanks to you, I think I just had an incredible dream."
Ah—yes, it truly was an incredible dream.
What Enmu could never understand was that within this woman's unconscious realm existed something capable of erasing his clone.
There was a saying: a person's unconscious actions and thoughts are their truest self.
That meant the old man in her understanding was an invincible existence—
An enemy even Lord Muzan could not defeat.
Such a being could not have been born from mere subjective imagination—especially when combined with the memories engraved into Lord Muzan's cells.
Enmu gradually understood everything.
"Just who are you?" Cold sweat poured down Enmu's back as he instinctively retreated with each step Yuko took forward, like a flock of sheep driven toward a cliff.
"Go to hell and guess," Yuko said as she made a motion to draw her blade. Her figure vanished instantly from where she stood.
Not good!
Enmu's pupils shrank sharply. On the one-way passage of the train roof, she had escaped his visual perception through pure speed alone.
They were no longer on the same level.
Before he had any chance to react, Enmu's head was flung high into the air, striking the roof of the train before tumbling off and rolling into the forest below.
His headless body collapsed on the roof and slowly turned to ash.
Inside the train, the sleeping passengers almost all awoke at the same time.
It was as if everything had finally settled.
Yuko looked at the blade in her hand. It wasn't that there was no feedback—rather, it felt strangely subtle.
Combined with the fact that this demon had interacted with them through clones from the very beginning, the answer seemed already within reach.
Yuko flipped down from the front of the train and entered the driver's cabin.
"Who are you?!"
A middle-aged man dressed as a train attendant stared at her in shock.
Yuko ignored him, instead turning her gaze toward the floor at the front of the cabin.
"The stench is strong," she said calmly. "Even I can easily detect it."
As soon as her words fell, minced flesh began erupting from all sides of the steel train, rapidly spreading outward.
The sight was deeply unsettling—sanity-draining—as the flesh surged toward them at terrifying speed.
"Ah!" the attendant screamed.
Yuko grabbed the back of his collar and retreated with him into the rear carriage.
The moment she exited, the entire driver's cabin was engulfed by writhing masses of flesh.
The inside of the train became filled with blood and meat, as if they were trapped inside the body of some gigantic monstrous insect.
The stench of decay spread everywhere, making it hard to breathe.
A fleshy worm extended from the mass, its tip bearing Enmu's head, drifting toward Yuko.
There was no smugness on his face—only terror.
"This Mugen Train is already under my control. In other words, the lives of over two hundred people are all in my hands."
"If you want to kill me, go ahead and try. Let's see how many more people you'll send to the grave with me."
Yuko's expression remained flat.
"Did you forget something?"
"…What?"
"There isn't only one Demon Slayer on this train."
As her words fell, fierce sounds of battle erupted from the rear carriages.
"Damn it!" A trace of panic appeared on Enmu's face.
He was completely overwhelmed now, unable to handle both sides at once.
Others were wreaking havoc, preventing him from using civilians as hostages.
And this strange woman in front of him—killing him was as easy as slaughtering livestock.
Enmu clenched his teeth, frantically calling out in his mind,
"Lord Muzan! Lord Muzan!"
This woman was abnormal—she would undoubtedly become a grave threat to Lord Muzan.
He had to let Lord Muzan know.
But Muzan was not a god. His control over demons was not absolute.
From too great a distance, he could not read the thoughts in a demon's heart.
Yuko, unaware of Enmu's thoughts, calmly asked,
"Before I kill you, there's something I want to ask."
"Upper Rank Three—'Akusa'. Where is he?"
Enmu froze.
"Upper Rank? How would I possibly know where they are?"
Those arrogant beings never spared a glance for demons like him, even fellow members of the Twelve Kizuki.
Yuko frowned slightly.
From the tail of the train to the front, she truly had neither seen nor sensed any other demons.
Could it be…
Her expression suddenly sharpened. Without turning her head, she reached back and pressed downward.
Yuko glanced over her shoulder, her face cold.
"What are you doing?"
The attendant, holding a sharp weapon, had his wrist pinned by Yuko. Sweat drenched his forehead as he grit his teeth and shouted,
"Don't interfere with my dream!"
He gripped the weapon with all his strength, yet couldn't move it forward even an inch.
"Are you an idiot?" Yuko snapped. "Can't you see? This thing is a demon."
"So what? As long as it lets me—"
Yuko struck the back of his neck. His body went limp and collapsed to the floor.
Some people couldn't be reasoned with—only beaten into understanding.
At that very moment, taking advantage of Yuko being momentarily delayed by the attendant, Enmu seized the chance.
From the train's fleshy walls, thick, arm-sized whips lashed out toward her.
Dense black flashes of blade light swept through the air, severing the whips one by one.
The gap in strength was simply too great.
Despair filled Enmu's face.