The Railway Journey Begins
And here we are at the season finale of Breath of the Rifleman! It's been quite a ride so far, and with no guest review questions this week, the only thing left to do is read on! Also, a quick shout out to Noble Eight, Lonetaker and groche9655 for their input on this and the last few chapters. Now then, onto the story!
Daytime: Butterfly Mansion
'Just a little faster!' thought Subaru as he narrowly missed his target by only a hairsbreadth. Kumon's training regimen had been brutal, well it still was brutal, but it was undeniable that there were results. The Matagi's body had never felt stronger and he'd even managed a couple of nights of uninterrupted sleep thanks to getting a better grasp of Total Concentration Constant. Now here he was again, attempting to catch Kanao.
The big difference this time, she actually had to struggle to stay ahead of him as he narrowly missed grabbing her arm yet again. 'Now's as good a time as any to get a little better at it,' thought Subaru as he breathed in just a little deeper, 'Breath of the Rifleman Form 5: Mountain Stride!' The board cracked under his foot as he launched himself forward and over his quarry, surprising her as she attempted to right herself and run the other way. But the brief moment of hesitation was all the Rifleman needed to reach out and grab ahold of her shoulder, before falling to the floor.
"Ow," grunted Subaru as he opened his eyes, "did I win?" The sound of the three helpers cheering was confirmation enough, though it was ruined by the following comment from Kumon.
"Congratulations," he said, "now work on not falling with the next girl you chase Private Genny, unless you like groveling like a bitch in the dirt."
"Let's just move onto the cup game," said Subaru with a sigh. And much like tag, this too would go much differently than most of the times prior. The Demon Slayer could not only keep up with Kanao using a more perfected blocking technique, he was just fast enough to snatch one cup before she got a hold of it and stopped short of throwing it in her face. "I'll say it again, I can be a gentleman when I want to be."
"You're still grabastic shit to me," said Kumon, "Now move over and let Tzatziki here have a go."
"Uh sir, my name's really Tanji-," the boy started to protest before Kumon turned his blind glare on him.
"I believe I said you were up, numb nuts, now get in there!" He emphasized his point by kicking Tanjiro in the backside to get the game of tag started. And it would prove to be as equally intense as Subaru's was. The Matagi could see the veins standing out on his friends head as he swiped at Kanao again and again, each attempt even closer than the last as he chased her around the dojo, keeping pace almost the whole time. Then, at long last, he managed to get close enough to grab her wrist and win the game.
Tanjiro applied this same amount of intensity and concentration to the cup game as he blocked the Tsuguko girl again and again. He didn't let up against her for even a moment until finally, he managed to grasp a cup and was about to throw the medicated water in her face before suddenly stopping and placing it on her head. The three helpers weren't sure at first if it counted as a win, but given the circumstances they counted it as a victory for the swordsman. "Now look at that," said Kumon as he stood in front of Zenitsu and Inosuke and pointed at the two slayers, "it's amazing what you can do when you put in some fucking effort! Now are you two pukes sufficiently motivated yet, or do I have to reach up and pull the tiffany cufflinks out of your asses?!"
"We're sorry sir! We promise we'll do better sir!" They replied fearfully. Fortunately for the terrified boar fighter and blond slayer, they were saved from answering the next question by the arrival of a Kasugai crow and Subaru's falcon, Shika. "Your weapons shall be arriving soon, your weapons shall be arriving soon!" exclaimed the Crow as Shika landed on Subaru's arm and told him much the same.
"For real!" exclaimed Inosuke as he remembered that he too had broken his swords.
"What do you think 'Hartman'?" Asked Aoi, using the Instructor's odd American nickname, "let them have fun for a little bit?"
"I'll let them get reacquainted with their weapons," said Kumon before reaching out and grabbing Zenitsu by the head, "but only the ones who are actually getting them back. As for you, time for another run on the obstacle course, Private Scumbag!" Zenitsu looked back fearfully before he was yanked out the door towards the obstacle course by the blind instructor. As for the other three, they hastily made their way to the entrance of the mansion once Tanjiro caught wind of Haganezuka's scent.
"Yahoo!" exclaimed Inosuke all the way there, not only happy to have his swords back but also happy to not be under scrutiny by Kumon for a little bit.
"There they are," said Tanjiro happily as they exited the mansion gates and saw Haganezuka, Hidan, Izayoi and a fourth swordsmith, whose name they didn't know, approaching. "Hey, Mr. Haganezuka! Long time no see!" For whatever reason, the swordsmith suddenly gave the bundle he was carrying and his hat to the other smith before running forward at a very quick pace.
"Uh, Tanjiro," said Subaru as he spotted something shiny in Haganezuka's hands, "you may want to start running." His friend looked confused for a moment before Subaru pushed him out of the way in time to keep him from getting stabbed as the smith went racing right by them.
"M-Mr. Haganezuka," said a now very nervous Tanjiro. It turns out the shiny object the swordsmith had in his hands was a carving knife.
"How dare you break the sword I made in two," said Haganezuka in a low and dangerous voice, "YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE!"
"I'm sorry," said Tanjiro quickly, "but I actually came really close to being killed, and my opponent was one of the insanely strong Kizuki-."
"That has nothing to do with it!" Exclaimed Haganezuka as he began furiously poking Tanjiro in the face. "The one to blame is you, it's all your fault! It broke because you're pitifully weak! My sword would never have snapped if you were strong! So now I'm gonna kill you!" And the chase resumed as Tanjiro was chased back and forth around the front gate by a knife-swinging Haganezuka.
"I fail to see what one's physical strength has to do with a weapon's durability," commented Subaru before Hidan held up one of his cards that read, "Webley please." "Alright, but it's probably frowned upon to shoot your co-workers."
"You needn't worry about that Sir Slayer," said Izayoi as Hidan smacked Haganezuka across the back of the head with the butt of the revolver before handing it back to Subaru.
"Nice going," complimented the Matagi, "and we just so happen to be at a mansion with a hospital ward."
"Yeah, but I can't imagine he'll be too happy when he wakes up," noted Aoi as she and Shinobu had come out to watch the spectacle.
"There's no need to worry," wrote Hidan on another one of his cards.
"We'll just yank his pants down, splash him with some sake and women's fragrances, hang some undergarments on his head and tell him he slipped and fell chasing a terrified host girl at one of the nearby brothels," said Izayoi. Obviously, this statement got more than a few raised eyebrows.
"It's not the first time we've had to bash his head in for something and then cover our tracks," wrote Hidan, "we do this about three to four times a year." Most everyone merely sighed at the situation before heading inside while Izayoi got to work.
A Few Minutes Later: Within the mansion
"Mr. Haganezuka has always been a passionate man," noted the unnamed swordsmith who had shorter black hair and a black hakama. Like his coworker, he too wore a clown mask. "He loves his swords even more than people and even among the other sword-forgers of our homeland there's no one else like him."
"Yes, he is certainly unique," said Tanjiro, still nervous at the thought of the man waking up. He and everyone else were currently sitting in one of the larger rooms of the mansion.
"There's passionate and then there's borderline psychotic," said Subaru, "Ya'll need to keep an eye on that guy before he actually does kill someone."
"We'll worry about that little detail," wrote Hidan as he held up one of his cards.
"Anyway, my name is Kanamori," said the other swordsmith with a polite wave, "I'm the one who forged Master Inosuke's swords. It would thrill me to no end if they prove useful in battle." As he said this, Inosuke was holding his twin swords in each hand as the nichirin steel changed color. "Beautiful aren't they? the dull sheen of that indigo-grey is quite neat."
"I'm honestly happy for you Inosuke," said Tanjiro, "your other swords were chipped all over."
"Uh Tanjiro," said Subaru, "I hate to point this out, but the chipping on those blades was intentional. Our favorite boar boy likes to tear flesh with a blade instead of just slice it."
"Intentional chipping?" Said Kanamori as Inosuke ventured out a short ways into the garden and picked through a few rocks before finding one he liked, which he then proceeded to use to beat chunks out of his new blade until it resembled the sword he had before.
"Better," said the Boar Boy in a huff of satisfaction. But he was obviously the only one who thought so.
"I'll kill you, you miserable wild brat!" Roared Kanamori as Tanjiro and Subaru had to hold him back. Inosuke, of course, ignored his ravings and proceeded to do the same thing to the other sword until they were both masses of chipped blades. "That's it you little bastard!" You're a dead man!"
Both Slayers had to admit that for a swordsmith he was surprisingly strong when he was angry. Fortunately, Izayoi happened to be returning just about then as he and Hidan proceeded to give the Webley treatment to the angered swordsmith before the shinobi dragged him off to the hospital ward. "So," said Subaru now that things were a bit calmer, "are you or Izayoi gonna try to kill me for beating up my weapons so badly?"
"I'm a bit more patient than either of those two," wrote Hidan on his card, "And besides, there's a lot I've yet to learn about the stress tolerances of the firearms and other assorted weapons I've been working on. So this is something of a learning experience for me." The weapons-maker then proceeded to unwrap the bundle he'd brought with him, revealing Subaru's nicely repaired 1895 Winchester and his bayonet with a new blade on the end.
"It should be mentioned that this new barrel uses a different caliber of rifle round," explained Izayoi as he came walking back into the room, smelling a bit of sake and women's fragrances. ".303 British rounds are what your rifle will be taking now, mostly in case you need to make use of the Lee Enfield rifle and it's scope again."
"Only if the rounds actually have the wisteria on them this time," commented Subaru as he accepted his weapon and the new rounds before examining them a bit.
"A terrible oversight on my part," said Izayoi with a low bow, "I offer no excuses for my mistakes on that night."
"Well I'd be more upset if things had worked out differently," said Subaru with a shrug, "but no one died and only one person got hurt, so there's not much to be mad about. Just keep up delivery on the cool weapons and I'll probably forget the whole thing."
"I am honored for your acceptance of my continued service," said Izayoi as he moved back up to a kneeling position.
"Things are gonna get more difficult from here on out," said Subaru, "we'll need all the help we can get."
"Then we shall also put forth our best efforts," Wrote Hidan, "When we're not keeping the other smiths off your backs that is." A short laugh was shared by the group at that statement.
The Next Day: Butterfly Mansion
The time was almost upon them. Which Aoi Kanzaki believed was good news given the amount of noise that was currently filling up the training yard. Subaru had been putting his rifle's new barrel through it's paces while also practicing his blindfold shooting with the firearm. Suffice it to say he was getting relatively good at it.
Thankfully, though, her ears were saved by Tanjiro telling Subaru he was about ready. But first, the pair came around to wish her a farewell. Tanjiro's idea obviously, though he was clearly unaware that his Matagi friend had already thanked her earlier that morning. "So you're both heading out now," guessed Aoi as she turned away from the laundry she was hanging, "well even if our time together was short, I'm still glad we got to spend it with you."
"Ah, you're gonna make me blush," remarked Subaru, "I didn't know we made such an impression on you."
"I was mostly referring to Tanjiro," said Aoi as she turned back to her laundry, "he was a model patient and a hard worker while he was here. But I suppose I should at least thank you for helping keep those other two in line. So good luck to you both and take care."
"And thank you for looking out for us even when you're already so busy," said Tanjiro, "thanks to you, we can all go back into battle." For whatever reason, his words made Aoi grasp the sheet she was tending too a little tighter as she hung her head low with a frown.
"You don't need to thank me," she said, "after all, it was only through sheer luck that I survived Final Selection. And now, I'm too afraid to go into battle because I'm nothing but a coward." She pulled down the laundry sheet as her soured mood showed on her face.
"That doesn't matter to me," said Tanjiro, surprising her a bit, "since you helped the both of us, you're part of us now. And we'll carry your emotions onto the battlefield."
"You got a better way to explain that," remarked Subaru, "I'm not going around telling people Aoi's inside me. Do you even know the weird looks people are gonna give us?"
"I don't think it'll be that big a deal, now I need to get changed," said Tanjiro as he hadn't yet put on his demon slayer uniform, "Alright, if we get hurt again please look after us, okay?!" Tanjiro didn't give Aoi time to respond to that as he went racing off. Subaru merely sighed at his friend's overly kind demeanor for what might literally have been the thousandth time.
"Your friend is, strange," said Aoi as she looked on with a questioning but much happier expression than before.
"He's always been overly nice," said Subaru, "until recently I wouldn't have believed it possible for him to hate anything."
"And what about you?" Questioned Aoi, "do you think I'm a coward for not wanting to go into battle?"
"Not particularly," replied Subaru, "It's only because I want to help my friend and the love of my life that I even became a demon slayer in the first place. As you know I'm a Matagi, hunting is my culture. What you may not know is there's a lot more that goes into it than just shooting an animal. Likewise, the Demon Slayer Corps would've never survived all these centuries if fighters were the only thing they had. You're helping out quite a bit in your own way, and at the very least Tanjiro and I are grateful for that."
The Rifleman turned and walked on then as Aoi pondered his and Tanjiro's words. It truly was strange for her, like a weight had been lifted that she didn't even know she was carrying.
A Short Time Later
"Alright cocksuckers!" Said Kumon as he and the helpers set down some of the largest training gourds they had in front of the four demon slayers. "Your final test before you leave this place! If you cannot blow into these things like a fucking whale hole I will beat you like one of those funky pinatas!" If that wasn't motivation enough, Subaru didn't know what was as each of them grabbed their own gourd and filled it up with all the breath their lungs could muster. Amazingly, after a few moments all four of the gourds burst at the same time.
The three helpers cheered at their success while Kumon simply nodded his head. They were then swiftly sent to the gate, but as they were about to leave, Kiyo held out a basket of rice balls. "Please go out and defeat tons of demons!" The three of them said happily. Inosuke, unsurprisingly, moved to scarf them all down at that very moment but was quickly stopped by Zenitsu who wanted to save at least a few for the road.
"We'll do our best," said Tanjiro as Inosuke ignored Zenitsu and started eating some of the rice balls anyway. This quickly led to the blond slayer struggling to stop him. Subaru simply sighed before he noticed someone familiar approaching.
"Hey, ain't that our favorite water pillar?" Asked Subaru as he pointed him out to Tanjiro. Upon noticing him, the swordsman happily rushed over with the Matagi a short distance behind.
"Mr. Tomioka," said Tanjiro as he stopped in front of him.
"Are you both heading into battle now?" Asked the Hashira.
"We're about as ready as we're gonna get for the moment," said Subaru.
"I have heard that all four of you mastered Total Concentration Constant," said Giyu, receiving an affirmation from the both of them, "good, you both should keep at it."
"Mr. Tomioka," said Tanjiro, "about Nezuko…thank you so very much. I had no idea you were putting your life on the line for her and us. I honestly don't know how I can repay you."
"You can thank me by doing good work," replied Tomioka, "carry out our mission as demon slayers and kill demons." With that final word, the Hashira vanished in a flash of movement.
"We will," said the two slayers at the same time before looking back over to see the Helpers looking a little upset.
"All of you please take care," they said with somewhat teary eyes.
"Ah, you're all so heartbroken having to say goodbye to me aren't you," said Zenitsu innocently, "I can stay behind if you want!"
"Master Zenitsu," said Kiyo, "please try to learn about being considerate and respectful of girls."
"Uh, right," said Zenitsu as he deflated a bit from hearing her comment.
"And if I recall, Kumon's gonna be hanging around here for a little while longer," Subaru pointed out, "you realize you'd have to put up with him too if you stayed behind, right?" Zenitsu turned pale at the thought as images of the angry blind instructor beating him with his wooden sword flashed through his mind.
"Well if that's settled then, it's time," said Tanjiro as they all gave one final wave and began walking down the road, "Let's head out!"
A Day or So of Travel Later: The Station of the Mugen Train
"Hey….Hey, Hey!" Said Inosuke as he gazed upon the mass of iron and steel machinery in front of them as steam shot out of the top of it. "What in the world is this creature?! Could it really be the master, no, the ruler of this land?!" The Boar Fighter moved back over towards the others as he examined the numerous passenger cars attached to it.
"Look how long it is. With something this intimidating there's no mistake! Even if it looks like it's sleeping, don't let your guard down!"
"It's not some monster," said an annoyed Zenitsu, "it's a train. Have you never seen one before?"
"Shh, just stay calm," said Inosuke as he clamped a hand over Zenitsu's mouth, "just let me lead the charge!" The slayer reached to draw his dual blades before Subaru stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"I'd advise against that," said the Matagi, "you already broke one pair of swords. You try and batter this thing they'll eventually snap from striking iron too many times."
"And besides," said Tanjiro, "you might actually be attacking the guardian spirit of this land. Either way, it's best if you not just attack suddenly."
"Did you not hear me," said an even more annoyed Zenitsu, "it's a train, a railway train. Basically a vehicle for transporting people you country bumpkins!"
"We know," said Subaru, "but do you really want to try taking the time to explain it to Inosuke?"
"I'd actually like it if you explained it to me, Subaru," said Tanjiro, "is this thing the 'train' the crow was talking about?"
"Well I only know what Father told me," said Subaru, surprised his friend really didn't know, "but the long and short of it is this thing somehow uses steam to power that massive bulk up front to pull all these other cars behind it. And people ride in the cars to get from one place to another." Tanjiro nodded his head with an 'Oh' expression on his face before the three of them noticed Inosuke was backing up to get a running start.
"Now what's he up to?" Questioned Zenitsu. The group quickly got their answer as Inosuke roared and charged right at one of the passenger cars.
"Comin' through!" he exclaimed as he rammed his head against the wooden siding of the car.
"No, stop!" Yelled Zenitsu, "you're gonna embarrass all of us!" The sound of a whistle stopped him from going any further as a pair of men in conductor's uniforms came rushing over.
"I think getting embarrassed is the least of our problems right now," said Subaru as he adjusted the rug he currently had his rifle wrapped in. Izayoi had suggested he go disguised as a traveling salesman of sorts. The reason being, Japanese citizens were strictly forbidden from carrying firearms in public places. Though he forgot to mention the other thing they were forbidden to carry.
"Hey, these guys have swords!" Exclaimed the shorter of the two conductors as they caught sight of the other three, "Call the police, call the police now!"
"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" Exclaimed Zenitsu as he grabbed Tanjiro and Inosuke, "RUN!" The Matagi was close behind as they dashed off into the crowd and ran around the platform for several minutes. Eventually, they stopped at a far less crowded area and looked around to make sure no other station personnel were around. "Thanks to you we just had to run for our lives Inosuke! Say you're sorr-OW!"
"Will you keep your voice down," Subaru whispered fiercely, "all that running will be for nothing if you lead them right to us."
"And why did we even run from the police in the first place," said Inosuke from his sitting position on the ground.
"The Demon Slayer Corps isn't officially recognized by the government," explained Zenitsu, "by law we're not actually allowed to walk around in broad daylight with swords on our hips. Or a gun for that matter. Moreover, they wouldn't believe us and would likely just get confused if we told them about the demons given how remote many of their activities are."
"So even though we're working so hard to keep them safe, we could still get arrested?" Said Tanjiro.
"Dad mentioned that a time or two now that I think of it," said Subaru, "something about avoiding a panic or whatever. Though it winds up making it harder to do our jobs when no one believes there are demons around."
"Well there's no helping it right now," said Zenitsu, "so let's just hide our swords under our hakamas for the time being." Inosuke chuckled at this before showing off where he'd hidden his swords, in his waistband on his back where they were still completely visible. "Put some clothes on, people can still see them idiot." But a quick errand for a travel cloak would have to wait for the four of them, unfortunately, as the train whistle blew to signal it's departure.
"Guys, I think the train's leaving," noted Subaru as he watched the massive hulk of metal's wheels begin turning and pushing it forward.
"Crap, are the police still around?!" Said Zenitsu as he frantically swept the area with his eyes.
"We'll just have to rush it even if they are," said Tanjiro as Inosuke leapt out and broke into a run.
"I'm taking you on, master of this land!" Exclaimed the Boar Fighter as he ran after the train.
"Hey guys we can't just," Zenitsu tried to protest in vain as both Tanjiro and Subaru took off after the vehicle. It moved with surprising speed despite its size, forcing the first three of them to take a running leap onto the back of the car. Zenitsu was the last one on as he leapt and only succeeded in grabbing onto the railing, forcing him to struggle to pull himself up. Fortunately for the blond slayer, Tanjiro and Inosuke were there in a second to haul him over the railing and onto the back platform of the train car.
"Whew, this thing is fast!" Cheered Inosuke as they looked out at the quickly fading light, watching the trees pass by at incredible speed.
"And it never seems to tire," noted Subaru, "it looks like it could run all night."
"Yes, trains are amazing," said Zenitsu dismissively before glancing at the box on his fellow slayer's back, "by the way Tanjiro, are you sure it's a good idea to bring Nezuko along? I mean the Demon Slayer Headquarters would be a lot safer than here."
"Oh right, you weren't there when one of the great Hashiras stabbed her," Subaru almost spat, "I know the Master ordered that she not be harmed, but I still have my doubts about some of the slayers there."
"And besides, this is what Nezuko wanted too," said Tanjiro with a smile, "the three of us together. Never to be apart again." Subaru nodded and smiled as he put a hand on the box strapped to his friend's back.
"The next leg of our journey starts now Nezuko," he said, "are you ready?" A light tap was his response as memory after memory suddenly flooded his mind. His first meeting with the Kamados, his first gift of wild game to them, the numerous times he'd helped Tanjiro out of a tough spot, his winning of Nezuko's pink kimono, the sight of the rest of her family dead, the two years of training, finding and then losing Muzan, the numerous battles up to this point. But despite all of that, he was no less determined than when he started. If anything, his desire to fight for his friends had only grown. 'I promise, I'll help build a new life for the both of you,' he thought, 'that is a promise.'
And it was a promise, of many happy and horrifying things to come.
And here we are at the ending of the first season of the anime! Now so far I've gotten two answers telling me to hold off on the next part of the story and two that are more or less indifferent. So just asking one more time, should I continue using the manga or should I hold off until the movie and next part of the anime begins. Feel free to leave a comment or review with your answer as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Either way, be sure to stop in as the battle on the train commences! 'Til then.