But then, Inosuke changed the subject.
"After I rescue him, I'll pull out all his hair!!"
"There's no need to be like that…" Tanjiro replied helplessly.
After Inosuke left, Tanjiro opened his eyes, looked up at the sky, and murmured,
"Haa—it's almost dawn… haa—adjust your breathing, quickly! I still have to go save people…"
"Nezuko, Zenitsu, Rengoku-san, please believe… everyone will be fine…"
At that moment, Rengoku Kyojuro suddenly appeared with his usual passionate voice.
"It looks like you can use Total Concentration Breathing all day. I'm impressed!"
"Rengoku-san…" Tanjiro called out in a daze.
"Total Concentration Breathing Constant is the first step to becoming a Hashira!"
"But to truly reach the level of a Pillar, we must go even further!"
Then, Rengoku Kyojuro looked at Tanjiro's bleeding abdomen and said:
"You need to focus more. Sharpen your breathing control and direct your nerves to every corner of your body."
Listening to Rengoku's guidance, Tanjiro adjusted his breathing rhythm again and again.
"Pay attention to your blood vessels—especially the ruptured ones. Focus!"
Finally, Tanjiro sensed it.
At once, Rengoku instructed:
"There! Right there! Stop the bleeding! Block the blood flow!"
Noticing Tanjiro was tensing up too much, Rengoku tapped him lightly on the forehead.
"Stay focused!"
Suddenly, Tanjiro took several deep breaths in quick succession and stared blankly at the sky.
Seeing his state, Rengoku smiled knowingly.
"Good. You've stopped the bleeding successfully."
"Mastering your breathing to the extreme can help you do many things.
We may not be omnipotent, but we can become stronger than our past selves!"
"Yes!" Tanjiro answered, eyes gleaming with determination.
Rengoku smiled warmly.
"Everyone is safe! Though many are injured, none are in danger of death. Don't push yourself too hard…"
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion behind them. The ground split, and dust billowed up.
The Upper Rank Three—Akaza—had appeared!
***
Meanwhile, Tomioka Giyu had almost completely recovered his stamina.
Rengoku was right—training his breathing to the limit had greatly improved his recovery rate.
"Phew… Luckily it's not far. I've got to get there immediately!"
"The battle may have already begun!"
Recalling the route on the map, Giyu took a deep breath and leapt forward.
"Water Breathing, Ninth Form (Modified): Flowing Shadow Bubble!"
With that, Tomioka raced through the forest at incredible speed. Empowered by his technique, the terrain posed no obstacle.
Elsewhere, near the front of the Infinite Train, Rengoku stood firm, his voice steady:
"No matter your reasoning, I will never become a demon!"
"…Really now," Akaza muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Suddenly, he stomped the ground—
The earth cracked beneath his feet, and a snowflake pattern emerged.
"The ritual begins: Destructive Death—Compass Needle!"
(Electronic music cue: intensifies)
"If you won't become a demon… I'll kill you instead!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Akaza vanished and appeared right in front of Rengoku.
Rengoku didn't flinch. He anticipated Akaza's attack and reacted immediately.
Bang—
Rengoku blocked Akaza's punch and twisted his wrist to deflect the strike. At the same time, he slashed diagonally upward.
Akaza bent back and dodged with inhuman speed. At the same moment, he wound up a counterattack.
With his right hand drawn back, he aimed a brutal punch at Rengoku's head—hoping to capitalize on the follow-through of the Flame Hashira's sword swing.
But Rengoku was no novice. As he swung, he also tilted left, narrowly avoiding Akaza's fist.
Yet his new posture left him momentarily off-balance.
Akaza pounced on the opening, spinning to deliver another punch—
But Rengoku ducked, crouching low, evading the blow cleanly.
Then, mimicking Akaza's own technique, Rengoku countered from below with a tricky upward slash toward Akaza's head.
Akaza had no choice but to retreat, the attack too precise to meet head-on.
All of this happened within seconds—at speeds so fast that even Tanjiro, watching from afar, couldn't follow.
Akaza, forced back, wasn't angry. On the contrary, he smiled.
"So far, I haven't killed a Flame Hashira."
"And none of the others have accepted my offer. Why do you think that is?"
Despite a slash to his right wrist, Akaza showed no sign of concern.
"As a fellow martial artist, I just can't understand why only a chosen few become demons."
Rengoku said nothing. He was focused completely on Akaza's movements.
Akaza healed too fast. Even when dismembered, his body regenerated instantly.
He continued, as if lamenting,
"It's so tragic… watching such talented warriors grow old and weak."
"That's why you should die now, while you're young and strong, Kyojuro!"
Then came another devastating punch.
Bang—
Rengoku caught it, though his wrist throbbed from the impact. He didn't let it stop him.
Instead, he slashed upward with force, forcing Akaza to leap into the air.
He ignored Akaza's words—he had one goal: defeat Akaza and protect everyone aboard the train.
Suspended midair, Akaza twisted and unleashed several ranged attacks.
"Destructive Death: Air Type!"
Rengoku scanned the area, alert. The attacks were invisible—but he trusted his instincts.
Bang—
An invisible shockwave slammed into his blade.
His hands went numb, but there was no time to recover.
More shockwaves followed. Blow after blow.
But Rengoku used the rhythm of the attacks to readjust his sword and respond with calculated precision…