Chapter 175 — The Return Train
Ren helplessly shook his head.
Then he suddenly took two steps backward.
Suddenly, two bolts of lightning tore across the night sky.
The next moment—
Ren's figure shot away.
That's right.
Ren had taken a different route.
He directly stepped onto the side of the train and then onto its roof, rushing forward.
The violent lightning frightened the passengers, and they screamed.
In an instant, everyone's attention was drawn toward Ren.
"He's so handsome!"
One girl turned her head and exclaimed.
"Ahhhh! Why did I have to meet a god beyond my reach at my age?!"
"Girls, I'm in love!"
Every girl aboard the train was captivated by Ren.
Then they quickly chased after him in the direction he had disappeared.
Only Zenitsu remained where he was, lowering his head in thought.
Why did that lightning feel so familiar?
This Dragon Hashira seems to have used all of my techniques!
The train started moving.
Under Ren's control, the Mugen Train set off once again.
However, this time, its destination was truly home.
The passengers aboard the train were filled with laughter and joy, a stark contrast to the deathly silence when Ren had first arrived.
The demon had been driven away.
The nightmares that had tormented them had disappeared as well.
Everyone was in high spirits.
Especially the members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
They had even killed an Upper Rank demon this time.
That was an incredible achievement.
Although they had merely provided assistance, that didn't stop them from boasting about it!
At the front of the train—
Just as Ren had expected.
There were countless girls outside.
There was nothing he could do about it.
His charm was simply too overwhelming.
Sometimes, it couldn't be hidden even if he wanted it to be.
After Ren became tired from driving, he summoned a clone to take over.
And so, the train slowly departed, gradually making its way toward its final destination...
Blue skies.
White clouds.
Clear and brilliant sunshine.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, atop the mountain, the Butterfly Mansion welcomed a new group of visitors.
Inside the surgical treatment room—
"Kiyo, Sumi, Naho, be gentle, all right? If you're too rough, it'll hurt!"
Zenitsu wiped away exaggerated tears while crying dramatically.
At present, the patients receiving treatment at the Butterfly Mansion were Kyojuro Rengoku, Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke Hashibira.
The attendants were Kanao Tsuyuri, Aoi Kanzaki, Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho.
Of the four patients, apart from the Flame Hashira, most of their injuries weren't particularly serious.
They mainly needed bandages.
They had come here simply to report that they had returned safely.
"Why do I have to register here?! It wasn't this troublesome the last time I came!"
Inosuke crossed his arms over his chest and spoke roughly.
"I don't know who came up with this stupid idea. It's so annoying."
After saying that, Inosuke noticed that all the girls in the Butterfly Mansion were staring at him.
Aoi Kanzaki put her hands on her hips and said sternly,
"This was specially established by Master Ren to make it more convenient for adults to receive medical treatment. If you don't like it, then don't come next time!"
"What?!"
Inosuke was startled at first.
Then his expression changed.
"So it was Master Ren! No wonder the Butterfly Mansion is now as neat and orderly as the mountain where I used to live!"
"I, the great Inosuke, like it!"
"All right, Inosuke. Talk less."
Aoi spoke impatiently.
"Where is Ren?"
Kanao, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly asked,
"Why haven't I seen Ren?"
Tanjiro answered,
"Master Ren has something to take care of. He said he had to drive the train back first, and then he would return."
"Is that really so?"
Kanao's eyes suddenly dimmed.
But they quickly brightened again.
As long as she knew Ren was safe, she was relieved.
At that moment, Tanjiro seemed to notice something.
"Miss Kanao seems really concerned about Master Ren!"
Hearing this, Kanao lowered her head without saying anything.
Aoi shook her head and smiled from the side.
"Tanjiro, you should talk less too. Why don't you tell us what Master Ren did instead?"
Tanjiro smiled.
"Okay!"
Then Tanjiro told everyone everything Ren had done aboard the Mugen Train.
The girls in the room were utterly dumbfounded when they heard it.
What?
He had killed another Upper Rank?!
Indeed, everyone was stunned.
They rubbed their ears and repeatedly confirmed what they had heard before finally becoming certain that they hadn't misheard.
Ren had killed another Upper Rank!
In other words, ever since Ren had escaped—
First, he had killed an Upper Rank while imprisoned in an underground cell.
Then, on his way to the Entertainment District, he had killed another Upper Rank.
After that, he had worked together with the Sound Hashira to kill another enemy.
And finally, on his way home, he had taken down yet another one?
Were they listening to the plot of a science-fiction movie?
The more they heard, the more confused they became!
Although the girls of the Butterfly Mansion had always believed Ren to be incredibly powerful—
Hadn't the Hashira who came here for treatment said that Upper Ranks were extraordinarily powerful?
Had they remembered incorrectly?
At this moment, Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira, stepped forward to explain.
"That's right. Ren really did it. If it weren't for him, I might not have made it back either."
Kyojuro wasn't lying.
Without Ren, he would have fought Akaza himself.
Although Kyojuro had awakened his Mark and used Flame Breathing—
He still might not have been able to kill Akaza.
He himself could have suffered severe injuries as well.
Fortunately, Ren had been there.
Ren's intervention had directly resulted in Akaza's death.
This not only shocked the Flame Hashira, but also made him reevaluate Ren's strength.
He remembered that Ren had originally been his disciple.
Even back then, Ren had already displayed extraordinarily powerful talent.
Everything that had happened since then—and the results before them—proved that Kyojuro hadn't misjudged him.
Ren truly was the most talented person the Demon Slayer Corps had seen in several hundred years.
Now, the Flame Hashira had personally confirmed it.
The girls at the Butterfly Mansion completely believed it.
"I knew Master Ren had to be incredibly strong!"
Kiyo's eyes sparkled.
"That's right! Even the Flame Hashira himself says that our Master Ren at the Butterfly Mansion is one of a kind!"
Sumi nodded enthusiastically.
"Looks like the previous Hashira weren't all that amazing after all. Master Ren is the strongest!"
Naho proudly declared.
The corner of Kyojuro's mouth twitched.
For some reason, he felt as though he were being treated differently...
"That's wonderful."
Beside him, Kanao suddenly curled her lips into a smile.
It blossomed like a flower coming into bloom.
It was her first smile in several days.
The last time everyone had seen her smile had also been when she learned that Ren was safe.
At this moment, Kanao felt a warm sensation spread through her heart.
She really liked the way everyone praised Ren.
It made Kanao feel incredibly satisfied.
The girl's thoughts gradually drifted into the distance.
The voice in her heart was deafening.
Ren, I'll be waiting for you at the Butterfly Mansion.
The sun rose in the east and eventually set in the west.
As the blazing sun gradually descended toward the horizon, the sunset slowly sank into the distance, gathering up the last traces of its desolate afterglow.
Ren's clone drove the Mugen Train alone, traveling across the vast and boundless land.
Meanwhile, Ren's true body remained inside one of the train cars.
At present—
There were no passengers aboard the train.