Chapter 81: Ripper Demon [Part Two]

Arriving at the Infinity Train repair shop, the interior was brightly lit, with the clanging of metal echoing from time to time.

Zero and Rengoku Kyojuro each carried a large bag of bento boxes as they walked into the repair shop.

Before them, an Infinity Train locomotive rested on the railway tracks inside the repair shop, the two characters 【Infinity】 carved into its front.

"Infinity Train…"

"This aura of a demon… although it's not very thick, there's still some lingering."

"Mmm, indeed."

"Hey, you two over there…" Just as the two were talking, a repairman walked out from the side and said to them: "This area is off-limits."

"Good evening. The two of us were commissioned by the Railway Administration to deliver bento boxes to you." Rengoku Kyojuro explained.

"I see… Hey, someone's delivering bento, take a short break and come eat."

Seeing this, all the workers in the repair shop stopped what they were doing and gathered together one after another.

Rengoku Kyojuro and Zero opened the packages and distributed the bento boxes to every person present.

"Take this one to A-Chen in the break room."

"Yes, foreman."

Afterwards, the worker took the bento and headed toward the break room in the back. Rengoku Kyojuro opened his mouth to ask the foreman: "Why was the Infinity Train sent here?"

The foreman answered: "Who knows?! The Infinity Train itself clearly couldn't have any problems, yet the whole city's been spreading rumors about a man-eating train. Of course we're not willing to accept that! So if we're going to restore service, we have to do the most thorough maintenance possible, then put it back into operation!"

"Restore service?"

"Right, tomorrow night. That's why we…"

Before he could finish, Zero and Rengoku Kyojuro sensed the aura of a demon.

Immediately after, shouts rang out from near the break room in the back!

Seeing this, the two immediately rushed toward the break room.

In no time, when the two arrived, they found a bald demon at the break room door with its back to them, its body covered in tattoo-like markings resembling those of a sinner.

He was the Ripper Demon.

The worker who had just brought the bento to the break room saw this scene and was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

The bento in his hand also dropped to the floor.

Zero drew his Sun Wheel Scythe and was just about to step forward to finish him off, but was stopped by Rengoku Kyojuro.

"Zero, that guy has a hostage. Leave it to me. You protect the others!"

"Mm."

Afterwards, Zero helped the worker on the ground to his feet and sheltered him behind himself.

The Ripper Demon turned around, clutching tightly in his arms the young man called A-Chen, his sharp nails embedded in his chest cavity, blood flowing freely.

"A-Chen!"

"Foreman!"

The foreman and the remaining workers all came to the back of the break room.

"Everyone fall back, don't go over there!" Zero stood in front of everyone.

Rengoku Kyojuro pressed his finger against the sword guard and shouted: "Release that boy!"

"Demon Slayers? Hehehe… What big talk!" the Ripper Demon sneered, his eyes looking down on the two Demon Slayers before him.

"Hm? Sniff… sniff… What's this smell?" The Ripper Demon caught a scent in the air that disgusted him greatly.

Looking at the beef hotpot bento at his feet made him feel extremely nauseous.

"Ugh! What a disgusting smell!" He stomped the bento on the ground flat with one foot.

"After becoming a demon, the taste of human food makes me feel utterly sick!"

Seeing the bento being trampled by the demon like that, Rengoku Kyojuro felt very displeased: "That bento was made with the wholehearted effort of someone I know. Take back what you said!"

The Ripper Demon, however, was unimpressed. He tightened his grip on the hostage and said: "Disgusting is disgusting! When I find something tasty, I eat it. When it's nasty, I torment it for a night for fun!"

"So the little girl from last night was someone you hurt, right?" Zero asked, a blood-red cold light flickering in his eyes.

Seeing that gaze, the Ripper Demon felt a hint of fear and didn't dare to continue locking eyes with Zero.

"You're right, that was my doing too~ Last night I tormented her for a long time. In the end I got bored, so I left."

"I see~ I thought you sensed our arrival, which is why you left so quickly!" Now Zero understood why the Ripper Demon had departed so hastily. "Looks like you're quite confident in your own speed, Ripper Demon~"

"That's… of course!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…

The Ripper Demon clutched his hostage, the tattoos on his body glowing blue, darting here and there.

His speed was so fast that only a flash of blue light could be seen streaking past.

The workers had never seen anything like this and fled the area in terror.

Some, paralyzed by fear, had trembling legs and couldn't move.

Zero felt these people were somewhat in the way, but thought better of it, and continued holding his Sun Wheel Scythe, standing in front of them to protect them.

If it were up to him, he would have long since stepped forward and cut down that Ripper Demon in one slash.

To put it bluntly, if not for Rengoku Kyojuro's sake, he couldn't be bothered with whether these people lived or died.

Afterwards, the Ripper Demon stopped in a corner and said: "Catch me if you can, hehehe…"

Rengoku Kyojuro: "It seems when it comes to running away, you can indeed be called unrivaled! However, the victim from last night has been rescued by us and is out of danger! She'll recover soon and won't be left with a single scar!"

Ripper Demon: "Hah! So what if you saved her? She'll live in fear forever!"

Rengoku Kyojuro: "She won't! Even if it's a wound of the heart that's hard to heal, we will spend however long it takes to treat it!"

Ripper Demon: "Since you're so righteous, let me teach you a lesson. I'll go hunt down that woman."

Rengoku Kyojuro: "It's useless. She's already been hidden by us in a safe place. You'll never find her!"

"Tch!" The Ripper Demon hadn't expected the Demon Slayer to be so meticulous in his work.

But when he saw the flattened beef hot pot bento box not far away that he himself had stepped on, he immediately laughed and said: "Then I'll go kill that bento seller, that's the station bento, right? I know where it is?!"

"They have nothing to do with me!" Seeing that the Ripper Demon was about to go cause trouble for that pair of granddaughters, Rengoku Kyojurou had just prepared to make a move to stop the Ripper Demon.

But unexpectedly, the Ripper Demon tightly gripped the hostage in his hands, his fingernails digging in even deeper, forcing Rengoku Kyojurou to stop his steps.

"Don't move! If you want to save them, then you'll have to be faster than me! But before that... I'll kill this guy in my hands first!"

The Ripper Demon was about to strike, to tear the hostage in his arms in half, but unexpectedly, Rengoku Kyojurou was faster than him!

Puchi!

A flash of blade light, and the Ripper Demon's hands were precisely and cleanly severed!

The hostage also safely broke free from his grasp.

Seeing the situation turn bad, at the very instant his arms were severed, the demon swiftly fled the repair shop.

Following the railway tracks, he left this place at top speed.

Running while laughing loudly, he was going to find the granddaughter pair selling bento at the station, and then kill them!

The instant the demon left, Zero immediately took out the medical kit, came before the hostage, and gave him some emergency treatment.

Just then, the cry of a Kasugai Crow came from outside the repair shop.

"This way! This way! Over here!"

Behind the Kasugai Crow, four swordsmen followed.

Running into the repair shop, they formed a circle, on guard against the surroundings at all times.

"Lord Rengoku! Lord Zero!" The one who said this was one of the female swordsmen.

Rengoku Kyojurou nodded, then said: "Zero, I'll leave this place to you for now! I'm going to find that Ripper Demon, to prevent anyone from being killed!"

"Mm, I understand, I'll be right there!"

Then, Rengoku Kyojurou came outside the repair shop, following the route the Ripper Demon had just taken, and gave chase!

"Total Concentration Breathing..."

Tap! Tap! Tap...

His running speed grew faster and faster, then he transformed into a trailing shadow of flame, vanishing in an instant.

Not long after Rengoku Kyojurou left, after Zero finished the emergency treatment, he also injected a dose of analgesic, then left the remaining matters to the swordsmen now present.

"I've finished handling things here, I'll leave the rest to you, I'm going to check the situation."

"Yes, Lord Zero Pillar!"

Coming outside the repair shop, he took out the 【Light Energy Flight Device】 and strapped it to his back.

Whoosh!

Spreading its wings, he swiftly gave chase, leaving behind only a streak of red flowing light.

Before long, he caught up with Rengoku Kyojurou.

…………

On the other side, Grandma Koh pulled a cart of freshly made bento to the train station, ready to open up shop.

Behind her, her granddaughter Koh was pushing the cart with all her might.

"Honestly, Koh, why won't this child of mine ever listen..."

"When I say I want to help, I absolutely must help."

Arriving at the station, on the second floor a station attendant was keeping the night watch.

"Good morning." Koh called out toward the second floor.

"Oh, you're here early again today."

…………

Swoosh!

The Ripper Demon quickly arrived at the station, and on the platform sniffed the air.

Sniff~ sniff~

"Found it!"

Following the scent in the air, he swiftly tracked it down.

After Koh and her grandmother had everything prepared, they hung up the price tags.

"Phew~ finally done!"

Just then, the Ripper Demon, who had tracked the scent, appeared in the dark corridor not far from Koh's side.

Koh still thought it was the station attendant, and was just about to open her mouth to speak.

But upon seeing that figure's face, she was instantly shocked, breaking out in a cold sweat from fright.

"I smell it, I smell it~ your body is covered in the stench of bento!"

The Ripper Demon walked out from the dark corridor, his face full of mockery as he said: "I have no grudge against you, if you want to blame someone, blame those two Demon Slayers!"

Smack!

A box of beef hot pot bento smashed onto the Ripper Demon's head, and the smell the bento gave off made him extremely disgusted and nauseous.

"Koh, run!" Koh's grandmother shouted.

Seeing this, Koh swiftly ran toward a nearby door, opened it, jumped from the platform down onto the railway tracks, and sprinted off wildly.!

But before she had run far, the Ripper Demon caught up, one hand tightly gripping her throat and pressing her down onto the tracks, unable to move!

Just as he raised his other hand to deliver the killing blow, a streak of red flowing light and a figure of flame appeared in the distance, rushing over.

Seeing the situation turn bad, the Ripper Demon swiftly leapt away.

Although he escaped danger, one of his legs was also severed.

When he clearly saw those two figures, a wave of fear welled up in his heart.

In midair, the white-haired Demon Slayer spread a pair of black-and-white wings behind him as he hovered, still holding the little girl from before in his arms.

On the ground, the flame-haired Demon Slayer held a Nichirin Blade in his hand, and at his feet lay a demon's leg that had just been severed.

"An... angel?!" Little Fu, being princess-carried in Zero's arms, exclaimed.

Seeing this, the Ripper demon did not dare delay at all. After completing his regeneration, he immediately ran into the train station.

Even if he had to kill that old woman, it would be enough to make these two Demon Slayers regret it!

Arriving before Little Fu's grandmother, he shouted with a face full of rage: "Old woman, you actually dared to throw a bento at me!"

Seeing this posture, Little Fu's grandmother thought she was going to die and slumped to the ground.

But just as he was about to kill her, Rengoku Kyojurō once again appeared behind the Ripper demon.

"You two Demon Slayers... how exactly did you catch up."

Rengoku Kyojurō did not say much, and directly executed a sword technique.

Flame Breathing. First Form. Shiranui.

The high-speed charging slash had not even been clearly seen before it had already beheaded him.

The beheaded Ripper demon, wearing an expression of shock and unwillingness, turned to ash and dispersed into the air.

Little Fu's grandmother knelt on the ground, saw Rengoku Kyojurō's back, and recalled memories from twenty years ago.

Back then, she was still young.

With her own daughter, on a stormy night, they encountered a demon!

At that moment, a Demon Slayer who looked exactly like the one before her appeared, slew the demon, and saved the mother and daughter.

The same back, the same technique, and the same hair color and haori.

"Was it you who saved us... saved me twice..." Little Fu's grandmother wept.

"Grandma..." Little Fu was set down by Zero and came to her grandmother's side.

"I will absolutely never forget, that face, that haori... I... and Little Fu's mother, were saved by you twenty years ago."

Hearing these words, a ripple stirred in Rengoku Kyojurō's heart. He turned around and said: "That should be my father! I inherited my father's cause, taking the slaying of demons as my heavenly duty. Being able to protect you just as my father did is my honor!"

"Sigh... this is still a bit hard to believe..." After going through this whole series of events, Little Fu's taut nerves finally relaxed. Kneeling on the ground, she said: "Sorry, Grandma, I even said ghosts don't exist..."

"Hahahaha... no, that's perfectly fine. Not knowing of demons' existence, never encountering demons, and then passing away peacefully—that is truly a wonderful life!" Rengoku Kyojurō said boldly.

For ordinary people, Rengoku Kyojurō hoped even more that they would not know of demons' incidents or existence; living safely and peacefully was the best.

Seeing this, Little Fu showed a smile she hadn't worn in a long time.

Zero came to Rengoku Kyojurō's side and silently stood beside him. Little Fu, seeing those wings, asked curiously: "Um... are you... an angel?"

"Angel?" Zero smiled slightly and answered: "No, I'm just a Demon Slayer passing by."

"Zero Pillar, my lord! Flame Pillar, my lord! Are you two alright?!" A swordsman they had seen yesterday and two members of the Hidden came running from not far away.

The Hidden members came before the grandmother and granddaughter, learned about what had happened, and conducted some examinations on them.

"We're fine! It's all been taken care of!" Rengoku Kyojurō answered.

"Thank you for your hard work, both of you, my lord."

"Mm." x2

Dawn rose, and a sliver of morning sunlight illuminated the entire sky.

The matter of the Ripper demon thus came to a close.

The three chatted for a while and then each went their separate ways.

Rengoku Kyojurō and Zero, meanwhile, made all their preparations, waiting to board the Infinity Train by nightfall.

Tonight, the truth behind all these events would fully surface.

…………

A day's time, neither long nor short.

Soon it was dusk.

Just as the two of them were entering the train station, Little Fu from not far away called out to them.

"Um... please wait a moment."

The two stopped their steps and greeted them.

Little Fu: "About this morning's matter, I really don't know how to thank you two."

Little Fu's grandmother: "Please accept this, we only have this little thing we can give you two."

Looking at the beef hot pot bento before him, Rengoku Kyojurō was very fond of it.

"Mmm, it's such a pity I didn't get to eat it last night! Now I'm happy!"

Taking the beef hot pot bento from Little Fu's grandmother's hands, he continued: "But, I will still pay for it!"

"No, no, your kind intentions are enough."

"Is that so? Then I'll accept this one, and as for the rest, I'll buy them all!"

"Eh?!!!"

And so, Rengoku Kyojurō once again bought all the bentos. Just as he intended to pay, Zero was one step faster and handed the money to Little Fu.

"Zero, this is..."

"I'm hungry too. It's just that I wasn't able to help much last night, so today I'll buy them and treat you."

"In that case, thank you very much! Hahahaha..."

The two each carried a large bag of beef hot pot bentos, bid farewell to Little Fu and her grandmother, and boarded the Infinity Train.

"Travel safely."

"Whenever you happen to pass by, come visit."

…………

Wooooo… Wooooo…

The Infinite Train let out a whistle, signaling its imminent departure.

Xiao Fu stood by the train window holding a bento and various snacks, hawking them to the passengers.

"Yes, premium bento, thirty-six coins. Would you care for some tea or wine as well?"

Thud!

Not far off, a fellow wearing a wild boar headbutted the side of the train car.

"Wild Boar Charge! Wild Boar Charge! Yi-ya-hahahaha!"

"Idiot, cut it out! It's embarrassing!"

Xiao Fu watched the scene, his face full of confusion: "What's going on? Who are they?"

Beep—!

Two train attendants dashed out from the station platform, blowing their whistles and shouting: "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

"Those guys are carrying swords on them!"

"Officer! Notify the officer at once!"

…………

Wooooo…

The Infinite Train set off.

Inside the carriage, Zero and Rengoku Kyojurou sat in their seats, enjoying beef hotpot bento boxes.

"Delicious!" Rengoku Kyojurou shouted, his hands never pausing for a moment.

Zero ate the bento in his hand, thinking about what was to come.

He had a premonition inside: this journey would not be so simple!

But none of that mattered — at the very least, during this morning's rest, he had prepared everything that needed preparing!

All of his weapons had been stocked with a large amount of 【Energy Crystals】.

This time, even if all the Upper Moons descended, or Kibutsuji Muzan came in person, he would have no fear!

He would make sure they came and never returned!

"Big Brother Zero!"

"Hm? Tanjiro?! You three came too!"

Zero, who had been eating his bento, was somewhat surprised — he hadn't expected the three little Tanjiro and his group to come as well…