31. Enmu

"Tanjiro...Nezuko..." Hana gasped as she finally woke up.

She gasped for air, jerking awake and launching upright. Sweat beaded her forehead as she took in her surroundings. Her breathing was unstable, her body still trembling with lingering fear. She sighed as she realized that she was back on the train.

"Hana!"

She snapped her head to the side. She saw Tanjiro and Nezuko looking at her with worry in their eyes.

"Hana!" Tanjiro called. Without hesitation, Tanjiro reached out and pulled Hana into a gentle embrace. Nezuko hummed and curled closer to her.

"Hey, hey... it's okay," he murmured softly, rubbing small circles on her back. "You're safe now. It's over."

"It's alright. You're fine." He cooed softly.

Her breathing slowly came back to normal.

"Tanjiro! Nezuko! Are you all right?" she asked softly.

Nezuko clutched her head and hummed softly. Hana gave a small, gentle smile and looked around.

Zenitsu and Inosuke seemed fine, but Rengoku was restraining a little girl in a chokehold. Around them, ropes connected their wrists to several others.

"What's this? Rope?" Tanjiro asked, inspecting the cords on his wrist.

Hana sniffed it, realising that it smelled like the ticket. Tanjiro noticed too and pulled out his own ticket, a faint demonic scent drifting from it.

They both approached Rengoku. Tanjiro looked at Nezuko.

"Nezuko! Please burn everyone's rope off!"

Nezuko nodded and obeyed.

Hana and Tanjiro shook Zenitsu and Inosuke awake.

"Inosuke, Zenitsu! Wake up!" she urged, shaking them, but they stayed still.

Nezuko approached with a soft hum, and Hana smiled as she patted her head.

"Thanks. You did a great job, Nezuko."

Nezuko hummed happily.

Hana looked at Zenitsu and Inosuke, shaking her head.

"It's no good. These two won't wake up. What are we supposed to do?"

Then she turned to Rengoku.

"Rengoku-san," she began.

Suddenly, the girl Rengoku held lunged at Tanjiro with a weapon. Hana shoved him aside, stepping forward to shield him.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

The girl turned, stance firm.

"Get out of our way! Thanks to you, we won't have dreams!" Two others flanked beside her.

"Why are you being silent? If you're awake, you'd better help us out! You may have tuberculosis or whatever, but if you don't do your job, I'm going to tell him! Then he won't show you any dreams!" the girl shouted at the boy sitting nearby.

The boy then stood up.

Is that the boy who was connected to me? Tuberculosis... he's sick. Poor children... The demon took advantage of them. Her eyes darkened.

From the corner of her eye, Hana looked at Tanjiro, who nodded at her.

Suddenly, both siblings lunged at the two attackers, Tanjiro at one, Hana at the other, and the pair collided with the attackers, striking the back of their necks and causing them to faint. Seeing this, the girl rushed towards Tanjiro, but Hana hit her too, causing her to crumble to the ground.

"You wanted to live inside a happy dream, right? I know. I wanted to stay in mine too. If only reality were the dream," Hana whispered with a sigh, noticing the boy looking at her.

Tanjiro and Nezuko rushed to her and pulled her into a hug. She smiled at her siblings, patting their backs.

"Thank you," the boy murmured.
"Be careful," the boy warned.

Hana nodded and turned to Tanjiro.

"Tanjiro, I smell something foul outside. I'll go check it."

"I'll come with you," Tanjiro said.

"No, Tanjiro, I'll be fine. Promise. Stay here with Nezuko. Wake everyone and help them."

She patted his back before rushing out.

Tanjiro nodded reluctantly. He gave a comforting smile and watched her leave.

---

Hana rushed outside, following the scent.

The demon's scent is so strong, even in this wind... Was I asleep in such an awful scent? Even if each car was closed off and airtight, I can't believe I was asleep. I was so useless.

Hana stepped on top of the train and froze as she saw the demon standing there.

The demon turned to her, amused.

"What? You're already awake? Good morning," the demon waved at her. "You could have stayed asleep."

It's him, she thought.

"Why did you wake up? Didn't I show you a happy dream?" the demon frowned.

"I could have shown you a dream of your family being slaughtered too. Would you have liked it? Of course not, it would've been painful. Did you like it when I showed you a dream where your father came back to life?"

He smiled at her cruelly.

"I can also show you your siblings' death."

Hana clenched her fists around her sword, rage filling her chest.

"The truth is, I love to show people nightmares right after their happy dreams. I just love the sight of distorted human faces. I just can't get enough of it, looking at misfortune, misery," he sneered.

"However, I usually don't let my guard down. It may take time, but I'll kill the Demon Hunters. I mixed my blood with the ink in the ticket. Once the collector punched it, the spell activated. Even though it was a hassle, it's difficult to notice. Not important enough. It will be your reality till you realize. Yet, how did you manage to wake up? And in such a short time? Even though human desire for happy dreams is so enormous."

Hana pulled out her sword, having had enough.

"Don't you dare intrude on people's hearts," she growled angrily. "I won't forgive you."

"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"

Hana lunged at the demon.

"Blood Demon Art: Whisper of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis. Go to sleep."

Hana almost lost consciousness. But she suddenly awakened and attacked, forcing Enmu to dodge her slashes. He used his Blood Demon Art constantly, but Hana kept waking up and regaining consciousness each time.

"Why is my Demon Art not working? No, that's not possible."

"Go to sleep," he tried again and again, but Hana kept saving herself through sheer will.

"Why is it not working? No... that's not it. Yes! She's been falling under my spell, but she's killing herself in order to wake up," the demon realized.

Hana kept lunging at the demon while he dodged swiftly.

"She's insane!" His eyes widened as he channeled his attack again...

Suddenly, Hana was at her old house.

Her younger sister Rotaka was standing in front of her, sobbing.

"Why didn't you save us? Why didn't you help us?" she cried, her small hands trembling, her face streaked with tears.

Suddenly, Shineru came towards them and pushed Hana away.

"What were you doing while we were being slain?" he said coldly, eyes filled with bitter disappointment.

"How did you survive?" Rotaka whispered, clutching her arm, her voice breaking.

Hana's throat tightened. Her vision blurred.

Then, she blinked and suddenly she was in front of her father.

"Pap-" she began, but was cut off when her father threw a bowl at her head.

"Why do you think you're here, you useless kid? You're good for nothing," he said sharply, his tone cutting deeper than any blade.

Hana's heart clenched. No... not him too...

Suddenly the scene shifted again. She was standing near her family's bodies, their faces pale, lifeless, their eyes open but empty. Blood soaked the floor beneath her feet.

She slowly turned and saw her mother there, standing among them.

"You should have been the only one to die," her mother said, voice trembling but cold. "How dare you go on living without a care? You can't even take care of your siblings. You disappoint me, Hana. I hate you..!"

Hana's hands shook violently as her eyes filled with tears.

"No... no... no..."

The smell of blood filled her lungs. Her family's faces, so gentle once, were twisted by accusation and grief.

Nezuko and Tanjiro appeared behind her, looking at her with hatred.

"It's all your fault," Tanjiro yelled at her.

Suddenly Hana snapped back to her senses, gasping, trembling with anger and pain.

"There's no way my family would say that!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "Don't you dare insult my family!"

She lunged at the demon again, her blade gleaming with fury. With one last cry, she struck, beheading him.

She breathed out shakily, staring at the demon's body.

He wasn't as tough as I thought...Could this be a dream too? Or was this demon weaker than him? she thought, remembering Rui.

She gasped as the demon's head suddenly started regenerating.

"He's alive..."

"The look on your face is so lovely," the demon laughed, his voice mocking. "The look I've been wanting to see. You want to know why I'm not dead after you decapitated me, don't you? Fine. Since I'm in a good mood, I'll tell you. It's because the body over there was no longer my main body. Same with this head talking to you, it merely looks like me, but it's not. While you were dozing away, I fused with this train. Every inch of this train has become my blood, flesh, and tears."

He grinned wickedly.

"Look at your face. Do you understand now? In other words, approximately two hundred passengers on this train are food that will strengthen my body even more, as well as my hostages. Do you think you can protect them all? All these people on this train, from one end to another, by yourself? Can you keep me from eating them?"

Hana's eyes widened as he disappeared into the train.

"What should I do?"

The most I can do is protect two cars...I can't guarantee everyone's safety...

"Rengoku! Zenitsu! Inosuke! This is no time to be sleeping! Wake up! Tanjiro! Nezuko!"

She shouted, stumbling on the top of the train.

Suddenly there was a huge bump in the roof of the train, and Inosuke jumped out.

"Alright! Explosive awakening!" He landed on the roof. "Lord Inosuke's comin' through!"

Before she knew it, Inosuke appeared before her as he burst through the roof of the train, Tanjiro following after him.

"Follow me, damn minions!"

"Inosuke! Tanjiro!" She sighed.

"It's not safe anywhere on this train anymore! We have to protect the sleeping passengers!" Hana immediately warned him.

She added, "This whole train turned into a demon!"

Her words made Inosuke chuckle.

"Oh! I knew it! So, I was right all along!" He rambled.

Inosuke wasted no time and jumped back into the hole he created, slashing away any potential threat or harm to the sleeping passengers using his breathing style.

While Inosuke protected his own designated fort, a flare of hope lit up within her. Inosuke's holding on his own... I gotta protect the other cars too!

"I'll take care of the ones in the back! Go to the front of the train!" Hana told Tanjiro, running down the train.

"Right!" Tanjiro did as asked and ran to the front of the train. Hana burst through one of the doors and took out her sword.

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!" She cut through the flesh reaching toward the passengers, but it kept on growing back. She landed, seeing more flesh emerge again.

From the cart next to her, she heard a thundering sound.

Was that thunder-like sound from the rear cars? I don't know what's happening... Is Zenitsu awake? Where's Rengoku-san? Nezuko?

She rushed forward, swinging her sword to protect the passengers.

I'm too busy protecting the passengers in here. This is bad. What should I do? Are the passengers on the other side safe?

She swung her sword again, attacking the demon charging toward her.

Damn, it's so cramped...

It's so hard to swing my sword.

Suddenly, the train trembled, and Hana stumbled and fell to the other side.

What's happening? Was this another demon attack?

Hana stumbled, then found herself face-to-face with Rengoku offering her a steady hand with a smile.

"Hana." He said.

"Rengoku-san!" she exclaimed.

"I was pretty thorough with my slashing on my way here, so it should take the demon a while to regenerate. There's no time to waste, so I'll keep it busy."

"Okay," she nodded.

"This train has eight cars in total. Your brother and I'll protect the rear five. Your sister and the yellow boy will be in charge of the rest. You and the boar-headed boy will go look for the demon's head while keeping an eye on those three cars."

"This train has eight cars," Rengoku said, voice clear as a bell. "Your brother and I will guard the rear five. Your sister and the yellow-haired boy will hold the front. You and the boar-headed boy take the middle and find the head. No matter its form, the demon has a head. Find it. Strike true."

Hana nodded and moved without another thought.