The battle was over. In the east, a halo of sunlight had begun to rise—the night was almost at its end.
"Hakuji, thank you for your help. If it had been just me, I wouldn't have been able to protect the passengers of the Mugen Train," said Kyojuro Rengoku sincerely.
"There's no need to thank me. Though I walk a different path from the Demon Slayer Corps, our goals align. Besides—" Hakuji raised his right fist with a grin, "—I'm looking forward to the day you recover, so we can have a true, exhilarating battle."
Rengoku met his fist with his own.
"It's a promise! I'll be waiting!"
After Hakuji left, sunlight spilled across the land.
"Rengoku!"
The tension that had bound Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke finally broke. With tears streaming down their faces, they threw themselves against him.
In the face of an Upper Rank, they had been powerless, reduced to watching helplessly. They had nearly lost Rengoku forever.
"Don't cry," Rengoku said warmly. "This time, we won! That's something to smile about, not weep over."
But Tanjiro and the others wept harder, their voices heavy with guilt. "We're sorry, Rengoku! We were too weak—we couldn't help you at all!"
"You already did well. From here on, I'll train you myself. My training is harsh—will you be ready for it?" Rengoku's smile shone like fire.
"We're ready!" the three answered in unison, their voices ringing with resolve.
Soon after, the Demon Slayer Corps' support team arrived to tend to the wounded.
As Rengoku was carried away on a stretcher, he thought he glimpsed the figure of his mother.
"Mother…" His eyes grew distant, dazed.
His mother's hand stroked his hair. "Kyojuro, you've done well. You've fulfilled your duty. I will always be proud of you."
A gentle smile spread across his face. "Yes, Mother. I'll continue to give my all."
This time, only Rengoku had suffered grave injuries, along with Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke.
Seven days later, under the careful treatment of the Kocho sisters at the Butterfly Mansion, the four had mostly recovered.
"Tanjiro! Zenitsu! Inosuke! Training begins now!" Rengoku's booming voice echoed from outside.
Inosuke was the first to respond. "Onii-sama! I'm coming!"
Tanjiro followed eagerly.
"Are you insane? Seriously insane?! With wounds this bad, we should be resting until we're fully healed! No way am I going!" Zenitsu cowered in the corner of his room, refusing to move.
Aoi Kanzaki, who had come to clean, noticed him hiding. "Rengoku-sama is calling for training. Aren't you going?" she asked, puzzled.
Zenitsu's face tightened in panic. "Of course not! My injuries aren't healed yet! You understand that, don't you?!"
Remembering how Zenitsu used to harass them with his wandering hands, Aoi smirked mischievously. "Rehabilitation training is important too. Rengoku-sama! Zenitsu is here—he says he can't wait to start training!"
"You traitor!" Zenitsu sputtered, trying to crawl to another hiding spot.
But it was too late—Rengoku himself appeared, seizing Zenitsu's wrist.
"Zenitsu! I didn't expect you to be so eager to grow stronger. Don't worry—I'll teach you with everything I have. Today's training will be doubled!"
"NOOOO!" Zenitsu screamed, struggling desperately, but it was useless. He was dragged outside into the hell of Rengoku's training.
By the end of the day, training concluded. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke sat at the table, cheeks hollowed, eyes lifeless, looking as though their souls had been wrung dry.
Before them was a lavish dinner, but none of them could summon an appetite. All they wanted was to collapse into bed and bury themselves in sleep.
Across from them, Rengoku was eating heartily. With unbelievable vigor, he had already finished his eleventh bowl of rice.
"Why aren't you eating? The food's delicious, and it'll help your bodies recover. Tomorrow's training will be even harsher—you need your strength."
The three shuddered involuntarily at the thought.
"Rengoku… can we rest tomorrow? My wounds still aren't healed…" Zenitsu pleaded, desperate to escape.
"No!" Rengoku barked firmly. "Training cannot be interrupted for even a day. Otherwise today's efforts will go to waste! You said you wanted to become stronger—then you must shed even more sweat!"
The memory of their helplessness in battle weighed on Tanjiro and Inosuke. They never wanted to feel that powerless again. Driven by that determination, they began devouring their meals.
Left behind, Zenitsu sighed in defeat. Resigned, he too began to eat.
Elsewhere, Koyuki and Umi continued their search southward—and at last discovered traces of the Twelve Kizuki.
In the Izu region, they sensed two overwhelming demonic auras, which led them to a small town.
Flames engulfed the settlement. Corpses littered the ground. It had been mercilessly slaughtered.
Hiding in the ruins, Ume pointed ahead. "Koyuki, look! Those two—it's the ones we saw at the Eternal Paradise Faith. That's an Upper Rank… Number One. And the one beside him looks like Upper Rank Six."
Koyuki followed her gaze. Indeed, it was Kokushibō, Upper Rank One, alongside Mandō, Upper Rank Six.
Kokushibō's voice was cold, commanding. "Mandō. Begin the search."
The vacant-eyed Mandō nodded and activated his Blood Demon Art. Countless mirrors materialized around them, reflecting the surrounding landscape.
"…Nothing here. Let's move on."
Kokushibō led Mandō away from the ruined town.
Koyuki and Umi scarcely dared to breathe, suppressing their presence with all their might. Even without direct confrontation, Kokushibō's oppressive aura weighed on them like a mountain.
Only after they left did Umi release a shaky breath. "Hah… That Upper Rank One is terrifyingly strong!"
"They seem to be searching for something," Koyuki said gravely. "Let's follow them."
"Should we notify Hakuji-san and the others?" Umi asked.
Koyuki knew the two of them alone could not hope to oppose Kokushibō and Mando. "Yes. Send word. And inform Yosuke-sama as well. This time, we've found a big catch."
Umi summoned a crow, delivering the report before sending it into the night sky.
They continued their pursuit. For days, they shadowed Kokushibō and Mandō. But the demons' path was erratic, without any clear destination.
Suddenly, Kokushibō halted and turned his head toward the pitch-black forest. "Come out."
Hidden within the trees, Koyuki and Umi froze, hair standing on end.
"Koyuki-onii-san… Did they discover us?" Umi whispered, trembling.
"I don't know…" Koyuki's expression hardened.
"Maybe they're just bluffing," Umi murmured hopefully. "Maybe they haven't really—"
Kokushibō's cold voice cut through the night. "If you won't come out… then I'll drag you out. Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing."
With a swing, he unleashed twin slashes, each carrying countless crescent blades of energy, slicing straight toward their hiding place.
Where the blades passed, trees were severed cleanly, as if carved from tofu.
"Blood Demon Art: Hollow Ice Carving!"
A lattice of crystalline ice walls erupted before them, intercepting Kokushibō's attack.
Kokushibō's lips curled into a chilling smile.
"…What an unexpected delight."
PS: Access advance (100+) chapters at