Chapter Twenty Eight: Deep Sleep


Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke all board the Mugen Train for their mission to accompany the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku. Inosuke was ecstatic this was his first time riding a train so this was all new and exciting for him.

Inosuke couldn't contain his excitement and started interrupting the other passengers on the train which earned him a scolding from Tanjiro.

'Inosuke i know you're excited but stop acting like a child and disturbing to other passengers' said Tanjiro, the maroon Demon Slayer was also excited for this was also his and his sister's first time riding a train but they contained their excitement unlike Inosuke. Zenitsu was also quite annoyed with Inosuke's behavior.


It wasn't hard for them to find the Flame Hashira. As they were entering another train car, they heard a man shouting Umai!. They followed the voice and it lead them to a man with a fiery appearance with red eyes and blond hair with red highlights and a white haori with red flame patterns. Tanjiro recognized him from the day that he and Nezuko gave their report on what happened on MOUNT NATAGUMO. Kyojuro ignored them as he was happily eating, but Tanjiro and Nezuko still bowed and Tanjiro formally introduced himself and his sister and comrades. Once Kyojuro finished his meal, he finally turned his attention to the teenagers in front of him and said.

'Tanjiro!, Nezuko! its good to see you again!' Kyojuro was happy to see the Tsugikuni siblings again he was so impressed by them back at the Hashira meeting and he hoped to take them in and make them his Tsugukos. As Zenitsu was trying to control Inosuke's antics, Tanjiro and Nezuko were having a conversation with Kyojuro. When the Flame Hashira asked them why they are on the train, they responded by saying that they have received word from a Kasugai Crow to accompany him.


'In our family we have this tradition, every new years eve my grandfather would preform a dance called The Hinokami Kagura,i was wondering if you have heard about it before?' Tanjiro asked hoping that the Flame Hashira might give him some information but unfortunately Kyojuro did have any knowledge about it either.

'Your grandfather must have been a great warrior' said Kyojuro praising Tanjiro's grandfather for his skill in battle.

'But our grandfather wasn't a demon slayer...he was a humble charcoal burner' said Tanjiro.


Kyojuro declared that Tanjiro and Nezuko should become his Tsugukos, Kyojuro then went on to talk about the long history of Flame Breathing and explained how their has always been a Flame Hashira and a Water Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps and explained the five fundamental breathing forms, Flame, Water, Thunder and Stone, and how other forms were derived from them, Kyojuro then asked the siblings what color are their Nichirin Katanas. Tanjiro said that his is a beautiful purple Katana that resembled the night sky, while Nezuko said that her's is a black Katana.

'I inherited my Nichirin Katana from my father and mentor, he taught me Moonbreathing a breathing style that he created himself long ago.' said Tanjiro.

'Was your father a Demon Slayer or came from a family of Demon Slayers?' asked Kyojuro, since that was the only way that Tanjiro could have inherited a Nichirin blade, he also never heard of Moonbreathing.

'Our father is a samuri, but we don't if he or anyone on his side was a Demon Slayer, father never liked to talk about his past and everyone on our father's side has passed away so we don't know much about them' said Tanjiro.


Kyojuro then went on to express his concern about Nezuko's black Nichirin sword, saying that he has never heard of a Hashira with a black blade.

'Yah we know about black Nichirin blades, our uncle or father's brother had a black Nichirin sword, it was an even darker shade of black than mine,and we know there is a believe that black Nichirin blades are a curse and omen and that people who have them die a horrible and untimely death, but thats just a superstition' said Nezuko she wasn't going to let some dumb superstition scare her!, though what happened to uncle Yoriichi does make her worry, but big brother Tanjiro is here for her so she should be safe as long as they stay close with each other.


Kyojuro admired Nezuko's courage and he again asked the Tsugikuni siblings exuberantly to train with him, and claimed that he can now rest with his questions answered, but the siblings quietly declined. As the Hashira rests, Tanjiro while noting that Kyojuro seems strange, senses that Kyojuro is a caring man with a strong sense of justice.


'I'm gonna run outside and race and see who's faster!' yelled Inosuke as he sticks his body out a window to marvel at the train's speed, Zenitsu angrirly tried to pull him back and said, 'There's a limit to stupidity you know, that is dangerous!'.

Tanjiro was angry with worry at the sight, the boy quickly rushed to the window and using his strength grabbed both Zenitsu and Inosuke and pulled them out of the window, wich freaked them out, Tanjiro was even stronger than they thought!.

'Don't you ever do that again! you could have been killed you reckless pig!' scolded Tanjiro, those two could be such a handful sometimes.


Kyojuro told Inosuke to stop warning that a demon may be nearby, Zenitsu started to freak out at the Hashira's words...he thought that they were traveling to the demon...he never knew that they were in its presence!. Kyojuro mentioned that frothy people have disappeared on board and the Demon Slayers sent to resolve the issue have yet to respond back either, hence why a Hashira like Kyojuro was deployed. Zenitsu went into shock and fear as the Train Conductor entered the car to punch their tickets.

The five each presented their tickets, but the carriage light flickered, followed by a lousy scent detected by Tanjiro. The Conductor thanked them, but the man's odd demeanor alerts Kyojuro as well and he reveals his blade, advising the man to overlook his sword as it is now an emergency. As the lights flickered again, a massive demon emerges from plain view, frightening the passengers and startling the Demon Slayers. Kyojuro wondered if its Blood Demon Art has hidden its body.

'However, if you bare your fangs at innocent people, my bright red flame blade will burn you to the bone!' Kyojuro warned as he unsheathed his sword.


The demon roars and charged at Kyojuro who retaliated with Flame First Form: Unknowing Fire. Speeding forward and decapitating the demon instantly. The four young Demon Slayers were amazed by his feat, but Kyojuro warned that there are still demons on board. Kyojuro moved on ahead and Tanjiro, Nezuko and Inosuke followed.

'Ah guys please wait don't leave me behind' said Zenitsu in a scared and timid voice, the last thing he wanted was to be left alone in a demon infested train!.


The lights flickered again but the conductor and passengers vanished, having run to the other side to avoid the demon. Once they reached the next cart, they saw the passengers fleeing from a demon. Kyojuro observed his enemy waiting for the right moment to strike. The demon tried to attack a lone passenger, Kyojuro warned the monster that he will be its opponent. Inosuke tried to attack the demon head-on, ignoring Tanjiro's advice to save the passenger first, believing that he can do both simultaneously, but the demon extended his arms to grab Inosuke. Suddenly Kyojuro rushed in and saved Inosuke, and then he turned back to save the passenger, Kyojuro then advised the passenger to exit the car to safety.

Now with no passengers left, the Flame Hashira unleashed Flame Breathing Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun, killing the demon in one swing!. An amazed Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke, all cheerfully asked to be to be Kyojuro's Tsugukos, to which he happily accepted them all.


Later that night


All the Mugen Train's passengers were soundly sleeping, the conductor from earlier rushed into an empty car and began begging on the floor, adding that he had done what he was told. The man began to cry...begging to be reunited with his late wife and daughter. That was when a disembodied hand appeared!. It was a sickly pale white color and it had an eye and a mouth!. The hand began to speak!...it had a male voice, the hand commended the conductor for his excellent work before calmly whispering 'Go to sleep' suddenly causing the conductor to fall asleep. The hand was then met by four children asking him what to do, the hand mentioned letting their slumber grow deeper since perceptive Demon Slayers can still sense demons and awaken, warning the children not to touch them as they tie the rope.


'Tanjiro...are...you alright son? You're distracted, stay focused' Tanjiro heard his father's voice speak. The boy was incredibly surprised to see his father again, the two were in a forest standing near a river.

'Now i remember I'm learning from my father!' thought Tanjiro this was whare he and his father would train.

' Sorry dad ' replied Tanjiro as bowed in apology. The Demon Slayer had still not realized that he is trapped inside a dream and that he is still asleep on the train!.


Back with Enmu


Enmu was outside, standing on top of the locomotive, the Lower Rank One comments that they are lucky to die while dreaming. To Enmu all Demon Slayers are still human no matter how powerful they are, and like all humans they are driven by the heart and spirit just like all others. He planned to kill them by simply crushing their spiritual core. Human cores are fragile and weak. The children that Enmu had recruited had began to tie the wrists of four out of the five Demon Slayers with their own, they wanted to tie Nezuko as well but there were only four of them, they will let the other Lower Moons deal with her. Once they finished tieing the ropes, the children all closed their eyes and counted to ten.


Back with Tanjiro


Tanjiro was sparring with his father, and as the two were fighting, Tanjiro's body started to remember the hours of training that he had done in the real world and Tanjiro jumped high into the air and said, 'Hinokami Kagura: Dance' as he came down, his father blocked the attack and said.

'That..is..our...lesson for...today, i see that...you...have been...practicing the...Hinokami Kagura along...with...your...Moonbreathing, now let's...wash..in...the..river...before we...returne home' Michikatsu said to his son as they went to the river nearby. Once they finished washing their hands and faces, the father and son headed home, where they were reunited with the rest of the family, Nezuko, Hanako, Takeo, Shigeru and Rokuta were all there!. Tanjiro began to break down and cry, they were all baffled by this odd behavior, they thought that it was because Tanjiro was exhausted from today's training, so father ordered him to get some well earned rest, in response to his father's advice, Shigeru ran to his eldest brother and placed a blanket over him, making Rokuta laugh and Hanako annoyed. But Tanjiro was unbothered, he was glad to be home with his family and said that he might have just had a bad dream.


Back with Enmu


Enmu mutters that when humans keep falling deeper into the dream, they eventually stop breathing, and even if a demon attacks, they won't sense it. Enmu, sensing that Tanjiro is falling deeper and deeper into his dream, whispers to him 'You are falling...you are falling...into a dream. It's a deep slumber...they can...no longer awaken'.


Author's Note: what is are your favorite moments from the Mugen Train Arc?