29. Rengoku Kyojuro

Tanjiro slid open the compartment door, and the first thing Hana heard was a delighted yell.

“Delicious!”

Kyojuro Rengoku’s voice rang out like a thunderclap through the carriage, bright and full of energy.

“Delicious! Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!”

Hana jumped slightly, startled by his voice. Passengers nearby turned to stare, whispering in confusion, while Rengoku continued eating with enthusiasm that could only belong to him.

“Is that the Flame Hashira guy?” Zenitsu whispered, wide-eyed.

“Yep,” Hana nodded, trying to hide a smile.

“Not just some random foodie?”

“Yep,” she repeated.

Zenitsu blinked. “He’s really loud…”

They exchanged awkward glances before walking over. Hana tilted her head politely.

“Rengoku-san?” she said softly.

“Delicious!” he replied, not looking up.

“Rengoku-san…?” Tanjiro tried again, a little louder.

This time Rengoku turned sharply toward them, his eyes blazing with life. “Delicious!”

Tanjiro chuckled nervously. “Uh, yes… that.”

Finally, Rengoku swallowed the last bite of his food and smiled brightly. “Ah! I remember you! We met at Master’s manor."

He then looked over to hana and smiled.  "hana!"

“Ah, yes,” Hana replied, a little surprised. “Hello again, Rengoku-san.”

Tanjiro bowed politely. “I’m Tanjiro Kamado, and this is my older sister, Hana Kamado. These two are our fellow Demon Slayers Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira.”

“Ah, Hana! It’s great to see you again!” Rengoku said, beaming. “So…how was your date with Tomioka?”

“D-date?!” Hana squeaked, her face turning red. She waved her hands quickly, her voice dropping to a shy whisper. “It wasn’t a date."

Tanjiro blinked, confused. “Giyuu-san?”

Hana quickly shook her head, cheeks still flushed. “It’s nothing!” she muttered under her breath.

Rengoku’s booming laugh filled the air again, light and warm. Then his attention shifted to the box on Tanjiro’s back. “And that box there…”

Hana glanced at it briefly. “Our younger sister, Nezuko,” she said softly.

“Right! The demon we saw that day, huh? Since the Master has given his approval, I shall say no more!” Rengoku patted the seat beside him. “Come, sit here!”

Doing as asked, Hana sat beside Rengoku while Tanjiro took the seat across from them. Zenitsu and Inosuke sat nearby, looking curiously around the moving train.

“So! What brings you here? A mission?” Rengoku asked, his grin never fading.

“We received an order from Kasugai Crow.” Tanjiro explained. “The casualties on the Mugen Train are increasing. Our orders were to join you.’”

Rengoku nodded firmly. “Right. That’s the situation. Got it!”

“Also…” Hana leaned forward slightly, her tone more serious now. “There’s something we wanted to ask you, Rengoku-san.”

“What is it? Go on,” he said, eyes sharp despite his cheerful tone.

“It’s about our father!” Hana began carefully.

“Your father?” Rengoku asked.

"He was sickly" tanjiro explained. 
 
"Sickly, you say?" Kyojuro asked. 
 
"But even when it was cold, cold enough to freeze your lungs, he could still perform a Kagura dance in the snow," Tanjiro said softly. 
 
"That's good to hear" Kyojuro smiled warmly. Tanjiro exhaled softly. 
 
"About that.." Tanjiro raised his voice. 
 
"What's up?" Rengoku also raised his voice. 
 
"Hinokami Kagura... The Dance of the Fire God! I instinctively channeled the Kagura dance I saw as a kid." Tanjiro explained. 
 
"If you know anything about that, Rengoku-san... I was hoping you'd tell us." Hana asked. 
 
Rengoku blinked, then laughed warmly. “Sure! But I know nothing! I’ve never even heard the term ‘Hinokami Kagura’ before! Still, it’s good that your father’s Kagura helped you in battle. Good for you! That’s it for this conversation, though!!”

Hana sighed softly, disappointed. Tanjiro scratched the back of his neck. “Wait! there’s really nothing more?”

Suddenly, Rengoku’s eyes sparkled. “You two should become my Tsuguko! I’ll look after you both!”

“Hold on a second!” Tanjiro stammered, panicking. “And just what are you looking at?”

“Flame Breathing has a long history,” Rengoku continued, completely unbothered. “In every era, there’s always been a Flame and a Water swordsman among the Hashira! Flame, Water, Wind, Stone, Thunder those are the fundamental breathing techniques! All the others are offshoots. Mist, for example, comes from Wind!”

He leaned forward with boundless energy. “What colour are your swords?”

“Both of ours are black,” Hana replied calmly.

“Black swords, huh?” Rengoku laughed heartily. “That’s a tough one!”

“It is?” Tanjiro asked curiously.

“I’ve never known a swordsman with a black sword who became a Hashira. Nope! On top of that, they say those with black blades never find which style to master!”

Hana let out a quiet hum, thoughtful. Rengoku grinned wider.

“Come to me, and I’ll train you both! You can rest easy now!”

Hana chuckled softly, her eyes warm. He’s strange… but caring. I can sense his strong sense of justice from his scent.

“Awesome… so fast!” Inosuke suddenly yelled.

He had his upper body hanging out of the train window, wind roaring past him.

“It’s dangerous, you idiot!” Zenitsu shouted, trying to pull him back.

“I’m going to race the train and see who’s faster!” he said.

“You can’t possibly be more stupid than this!” Zenitsu scolded.

“That’s dangerous,” Rengoku said calmly. “You never know when a demon might appear!”

“WHAT?!” Zenitsu froze, eyes wide. “You’re kidding, right? Demons show up on this train?!”

“Sure do!” Rengoku chirped cheerfully.

“WHAT?! THEY DO?! We’re not heading toward the demons but we’re here WITH THEM?! Noooo! I’m getting off!” Zenitsu wailed.

“Over forty people have disappeared on this train,” Rengoku said. “The Corps sent swordsmen, but they all vanished. That’s why I, a Hashira, am here!” he said proudly.

Zenitsu burst into tears. “Right, I see! I’m getting off! I’m getting off!”

Just then, a quiet voice interrupted.
“May I… see your… tickets, please?”

The conductor stood by their seats, his tone dull and lifeless.

“What is he doing?” Tanjiro asked quitely.

“The conductor’s going to check your ticket and punch a hole in it,” Rengoku explained.

Tanjiro handed his ticket over first. Hana followed, offering hers calmly though her eyes flicked around warily as the man punched each one in turn.

Then suddenly.

The lights flickered. A low buzzing filled the air.

Rengoku’s bright smile faded instantly. Hana stiffened. Her hand instinctively moved toward her sword as a foul scent drifted through the carriage.

Goosebumps prickled her skin. Her fingers tightened around Tanjiro’s sleeve. “Stay close,” she whispered quietly.

“Thank you… very much,” the conductor said lifelessly before walking away into the dark.

Hana’s senses screamed that something was wrong. Rengoku stood, his expression sharp, voice firm. “Mr. Conductor step back. You could get hurt. This is an emergency. Please overlook that I have a sword.”

The lights flickered again. The air grew heavy, thick with malice. Then a low growl echoed through the carriage.

Hana’s pulse quickened. Her grip on her sword tightened beneath her haori.

From the darkness, a demon emerged. Its massive body slithered forward, movements jerky and unnatural. Passengers gasped and fled to the corners of the carriage.

Rengoku stepped ahead, voice strong and unwavering. “Was it a Blood Demon Art that hid that massive body? I had a hard time detecting you. But if you bare your fangs at innocent people…”

His blade gleamed as he drew it, the fiery metal catching the dim light.
“…my bright red Flame Blade will burn you to the bone!”

The demon roared, shaking the windows. Hana flinched as a gust of wind swept through the train, her heart pounding.

The demon lunged.

Rengoku met it head-on.
Flame Breathing…First Form!

The strike was faster than Hana could follow. The demon’s head was gone in a flash, its body turning to ash before it even hit the ground.

Hana exhaled shakily, eyes wide. “He… took it down in one blow,” she murmured.

Tanjiro smiled in awe. “Amazing…”

Rengoku sheathed his blade smoothly. “There’s still one more. Come with me!”

Without hesitation, Hana and Tanjiro followed him, Zenitsu and Inosuke right behind.

The next carriage was chaos. Passengers screamed and ran for their lives. A demon loomed between a terrified man and the exit.

“You will not lay a finger on that man!” Rengoku shouted.

“Its arms are so long!” Zenitsu shrieked.

The demon twisted grotesquely, sprouting new limbs. Inosuke charged without thinking.

“Inosuke! Wait!” Hana yelled. “We have to protect the passengers first!”

“It won’t matter when I kill it!” Inosuke roared, lunging but the demon’s long arms deflected every strike.

Rengoku moved in an instant, pulling Inosuke aside before the monster’s claws could reach him.

Hana drew her sword, stepping forward in front of Tanjiro. Her breath steadied, fear replaced by focus. Rengoku was already moving again fast as a flame itself.

“You’ll be safe in the next car!” he called to the passengers, ushering them away. “Let’s finish this quickly!”

He lunged, his sword burning bright.
“Flame Breathing… Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!”

The strike cut clean through. The demon shrieked once then vanished into ash.

Silence fell. The only sound was the group’s heavy breathing.

Tanjiro’s voice broke the quiet. “Rengoku-san…that was amazing! Please take me as your apprentice!” he bowed.

“Fine by me!” Rengoku laughed. “You too, Hana!”

Hana smiled warmly. “Thank you, Rengoku-san.”

“I’ll make fine swordsmen out of you both!” he declared.

“Me too!” Zenitsu cried, eyes sparkling.

“Me three!” Inosuke yelled, pounding his chest.

“I’ll train all of you!” Rengoku roared proudly.

“Sir Rengoku! Sir Rengoku!” Zenitsu, Tanjiro and Inosuke cheered in unison.

Rengoku’s laughter echoed through the train, warm and full of life.

As the commotion faded, one by one they sank back into their seats, exhaustion catching up to them.

The gentle rumble of the train filled the silence.

Hana’s eyelids grew heavy. Tanjiro leaned back, Nezuko’s box safely beside him. Zenitsu mumbled something in his sleep, while Inosuke snored loudly.

Rengoku’s steady breathing was the last thing she heard before her vision blurred.

Then,

a voice, soft and distant, whispered through the darkness.

“Go to sleep… have a nice dream… where you can meet your families.”

The train rolled on into the night.