"I'm sorry, Mother. I have to go. My comrades are still in danger." Rengoku Kyojuro knelt before his mother, tears streaming down his face.
"Go, my child. Although I don't know what's happening, Mother will always support you and love you~"
Rengoku Kyojuro's mother, just as in his memories, spoke gently to her child.
"I'm sorry, Mother..."
Tears flowing, Rengoku Kyojuro silently kowtowed, then drew his sword.
There were many ways to break free from a dream world. Either one's own spiritual strength was powerful enough to see through the deception, or one could kill oneself, or...
Rengoku Kyojuro plunged his sword into his mother's heart. The moment he "killed" his mother, his heart was overwhelmed with grief, the pain making it hard to breathe.
Emotional pain was also a way to awaken from a dream world.
When Uchiha Nagi saw tears begin to fall from the corners of the Flame Hashira's eyes, he knew the other had realized he was in a dream world. Without further hesitation, he moved on to the others.
Then, he opened Tanjiro's eyelids and entered his spiritual world...
The water and sky shared a single color: a blue sky with white clouds, and below, a large lake, crystal clear to its depths. The air was incredibly fresh; everything was so bright and sunny.
This was Tanjiro's heart, pure without a single trace of impurity.
A man, holding a sharp awl, was being guided by several small figures made of white clouds towards Tanjiro's spiritual core.
This man was here to kill Tanjiro, but Tanjiro's spiritual world was still so innocent that it was willing to help him, thus the appearance of the little cloud people guiding the way.
Uchiha Nagi suddenly blocked their path. "Hey, little cloud people, take me to Tanjiro."
The man who had come to assassinate Tanjiro suddenly cried out in terror, "Who... who are you?"
Crack—
Uchiha Nagi showed no mercy to these fallen individuals, directly snapping his neck, just as he had done to the woman in the Flame Hashira's world.
The little cloud people remained pure and untainted, nodding and beginning to lead the way, leaving the assassin's corpse behind.
In the forest, Tanjiro stood by a river, already aware that something was wrong, but he didn't know how to get out of this dream world.
"Tanjiro, the dream is over. Hurry up and come out."
"Hmm?" Tanjiro turned his head, pleasantly surprised. "Uchiha Nagi-nii, what are you doing here?"
Uchiha Nagi nodded. "I came in specifically to wake you. The others outside are still in their dreams. When you're tired of playing, hurry and come out."
Tanjiro said anxiously, "Nagi-nii, I know I'm in a dream, but I don't know how to get out. What should I do?"
Uchiha Nagi rubbed his chin, pondering. "There are several ways a person can be startled awake from a dream. One is by dying themselves. Another is by killing the person most precious to them—pain intense enough to reach the marrow can also awaken someone. The last way is like mine: knowing you're in a dream and having spiritual strength so immense you can break free on your own."
Uchiha Nagi patted Tanjiro's shoulder. "Your spiritual strength is too weak. You only have two choices. I'll go out and check on Zenitsu and the others first..."
"Understood~" Tanjiro took a deep breath. He couldn't bring himself to harm his family, but—
Shing—
With the sound of a sword being drawn, a spray of blood flew from his neck...
In Zenitsu's world, it was pitch black. The person sent to assassinate him was fumbling in the dark, searching for his spiritual core.
[Why... why can someone other than Nezuko-chan enter?]
A gaunt-faced Zenitsu, transformed into a ghost-like figure, was following the assassin, occasionally making noises to scare him.
[Nezuko-chan, where are you, where are you...]
"I don't know! Help me~~" The person, terrified by Zenitsu, ran around in panic.
Perhaps due to his two personalities, even in the subconscious area of his spiritual world, there was still a Zenitsu chasing the assassin in reverse.
Crack—
Uchiha Nagi, without ceremony, stepped forward and directly snapped the assassin's neck.
A smile played on Uchiha Nagi's lips. "Zenitsu, stop playing around and hurry back to the real world. By the way, Nezuko-chan is in danger. If you hurry, you can still make it for a hero-rescues-the-damsel moment..."
With that, Uchiha Nagi withdrew and moved on to the next person.
"Aaaah, wait for me! Nezuko-chan is in danger! I have to get out! Nezuko-chan, I'm coming—" In the next second, Zenitsu transformed into the ultimate simp, frantically trying to rush out of the dream world...
In Inosuke's world, he was leading several people on an adventure, their goal to conquer the train monster up ahead. And in his subconscious spiritual core area, a large, wild boar-like Inosuke was chasing the assassin.
"Could it be that people who aren't quite right in the head have such excellent subconsciouses?" Uchiha Nagi chuckled, watching the scene.
"Whoa, who are you—?!" Inosuke, chasing the female assassin, spotted Uchiha Nagi halfway and quickly stopped.
"It's time to get out, Inosuke. The battle outside can't go on without you. Tanjiro is in danger."
"Awooo— Got it! Lord Inosuke is here..."
On the speeding "Infinite" train, a person in a Western-style suit and formal attire was standing. Although male, his androgynous face and effeminate voice made him look like a "Tony teacher" (stereotypical flamboyant hairstylist) no matter how you looked at it.
At this moment, he was completely bewildered because his Blood Demon Art was being broken, one after another. Not a single one of those demon hunters had their spiritual core destroyed; instead, they were breaking free from his dream world.
"Why? Why hasn't a single one been dealt with?" Lower Moon One, Nightmare, frowned in confusion.
"Hmm?"
Nightmare suddenly noticed several people rapidly approaching him. It was Tanjiro and Uchiha Nagi, accompanied by the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro.
Tanjiro's nose was sharper than a dog's, so with him leading the way, they quickly found Nightmare, who was posing at the front of the train.
"You... those earrings?" Nightmare's pupils contracted as he saw Tanjiro's earrings.
"Flame Breathing~ First Form: Unknowing Fire."
A flash of flame swept past—Whoosh~
Lower Moon One, Nightmare, dazedly touched his own neck. He hadn't even used his Blood Demon Art before the Flame Hashira had slit his throat. Damn it, they don't fight with honor!
A bloody head rolled onto the roof of the train.
"Is it over?" Uchiha Nagi frowned. The Flame Hashira's speed was too fast; it was over before he could even step forward.
Each Breathing Style, perfected by generations of Hashira, had an incredibly powerful, rapid burst technique. For Flame Breathing, the fastest was the First Form.
"Truly surprising. I didn't expect the Hashira's strength to be this formidable. I didn't even have time to release my Blood Demon Art..."
A "Tony teacher's" voice drawled slowly. The head severed by the Nichirin blade hadn't turned to ash; instead, flesh began to grow from it.
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