northernbook Chapter 144 A Tragic Dream
Chapter 144 A Tragic Dream
The howling wind poured in through the windows of the Infinite Train, and the steel wheels roared as they rolled on the rails. The entire train sped through the night like a runaway beast.
Inside the driver's cab, Enmu watched as Tanjiro, his body wreathed in crimson flames, charged toward him with a sword in hand.
He instinctively stiffened, a surge of uncontrollable tension welling up inside him.
"Wait, wait... You should... you should continue sleeping!"
Nightmare spoke blankly, her tone filled with a panicked disbelief.
But the burning rage emanating from Tanjiro at that moment was so real that it terrified him.
But before he could finish speaking...
Tanjiro's eyes widened in anger, flames suddenly surged around his body, and his breathing became heavy and sharp.
"Hinokami Kagura: Waltz!"
A low shout echoed from the front of the car, and blazing flames, centered on the Nichirin Blade, transformed into a perfect crimson ring of fire, slashing fiercely towards Nightmare's body.
The blade sliced through the air, sending waves of heat rolling in. But the moment the blade touched Nightmare's body, Tanjiro's resolute expression instantly turned to astonishment.
The feel of this cut was completely off.
There was no resistance as it cleaved through flesh and blood, no tangible sensation as it severed the ghost's body; it was as if a knife had been plunged into a wisp of smoke, empty and powerless.
Before the nightmare could even utter a scream, its body vanished like scattered white smoke into the front of the car, leaving no trace.
"How could this be...?"
Tanjiro missed his attack, sheathed his sword, and stood there, staring at the empty cockpit with a deep frown.
He immediately looked around warily, but all he saw was the familiar train engine, the instrument panel, the control lever, the cramped space—everything was exactly the same as in reality.
Inosuke was still fast asleep on the ground, the boar head mask covering his face securely, his breathing even accompanied by steady snores, completely undisturbed by the commotion.
A hint of doubt crept into Tanjiro's mind. He looked down at his hands, then gazed at the empty space ahead, muttering to himself.
[Didn't I already break free from the dream? How could this happen... how could this situation occur?]
Despite his confusion, Tanjiro immediately suppressed his doubts, walked quickly to Inosuke's side, shook his body vigorously, and called out anxiously.
"Inosuke, wake up! Wake up! There are ghosts here, we're still in danger!"
He shook him again and again, his voice growing more urgent, but Inosuke on the ground remained unresponsive, still deep in a dream, as if isolated from the world.
Tanjiro's unease grew stronger as he looked at his motionless companion.
He immediately gripped his Nichirin Blade, turned sideways to firmly protect Inosuke behind him, his whole body tense, and vigilantly scanned the small cockpit.
To confirm the demon's whereabouts, he subconsciously used the demon's keen sense of smell and sniffed around intensely.
But that sniff made him freeze.
There's no smell at all here.
There was no chilling ghostly aura emanating from Nightmare, no stench of blood, and no burnt smell of flames.
Even the smell of engine oil that a train should have when it's running has almost disappeared.
"Strange, why is there no taste..."
Tanjiro muttered to himself, and the next second, his eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted violently, and an extreme sense of terror surged up his spine.
He stiffly turned his head, looked again at the sleeping Inosuke behind him, held his breath, and sniffed hard in Inosuke's direction.
This time, he stumbled back several steps in a panic, his face turning deathly pale.
An incredibly terrifying fact, one that sent chills down his spine, clearly surfaced in his mind.
"Is this... still a dream?!"
He had not broken free from Nightmare's Blood Demon Art at all; the lucidity, the flames, and the slashes just now were all part of a deeper illusion!
Realizing this, Tanjiro looked in horror toward the rear of the train, his heart pounding and a sense of foreboding washing over him.
Meanwhile, inside the train carriage, Nidouzi, who had already "awakened," was completely unaware of the flaws in the illusion.
She ran frantically through the swaying carriage, her face pale and her eyes red.
From her perspective, the entire Infinite Train had long since become a living hell.
Inside the carriage, flesh and blood were flying everywhere, tables and chairs were broken, countless innocent passengers lay in pools of blood, limbs were scattered all over the floor, and the pungent smell of blood filled every inch of the air.
The howls of the demons and the screams of the humans still seemed to echo in her ears, causing Midouzi's heart to sink to the bottom.
She ran wildly and finally reached the carriage where Kyojuro Rengoku was.
But the scene before her made her freeze in place, and she was completely overwhelmed by immense panic.
That fiery, ever-passionate, and radiant Yanzhu, like the sun itself.
He lay in a pool of blood, one arm severed, a huge, gruesome hole torn in his chest, blood staining his robe. He was lifeless, devoid of any breath.
"How could this be... how could this happen! How could this be!"
Mi Douzi was so anxious that she was about to cry. Her voice trembled and tears welled up in her eyes.
She bit her lip hard, and the next second she remembered the most important person to her, and murmured in a low voice.
"Brother... Zenitsu... Inosuke..."
She fought back her tears, quickly took off her cherry blossom haori, and gently covered Kyojuro's cold body with it.
Then, without looking back, he turned around and continued running frantically through the carriage, desperately searching for his companion.
From Rengoku Kyojuro's perspective, the Flame Pillar had already "awakened" in the illusion.
What he saw was also a fragmented hell on earth.
None of the passengers in the carriage survived; they all died tragically, their limbs mangled, and blood soaked the floor—a horrific sight.
Kyojuro walked forward silently, expressionless, with no flames around him, only an extremely heavy aura.
He slowly opened the door to the next carriage, and the scene that came into view made even the usually unyielding Flame Pillar tremble slightly.
In the center of the carriage, Kamado Nezuko, Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Hashibira Inosuke lay dead in pools of blood.
Their deaths were incredibly tragic; their remaining heads were all facing his direction, their eyes wide open, unable to close their eyes in death, as if silently questioning him.
Why didn't you protect us?
Where has your duty as a Pillar gone?
Kyojuro watched the scene before him silently, his face extremely grave.
Those eyes were completely still, yet they exuded a chilling stillness.
He remained silent for a long time, then slowly lowered his head and spoke softly, his voice calm yet carrying a profound understanding.
"Is that so...? I understand...!"