Chapter 19: Ratatoskr Debut Battle
It is like the sun in the dark night, illuminating the entire dark forest.
The energy that was too hard to look at was like a roaring fire dragon, melting everything in its path.
The land, the tracks, or the incoming tentacles.
The oncoming beam of fire was reflected in Nightmare's empty eyes, and he stood on the roof of the car in a daze.
It is hard to imagine that there is someone in this world who can possess such power.
But he couldn't run away.
His body has merged with the train and cannot be separated.
Feeling the heat approaching rapidly, he slowly closed his eyes.
"boom----!"
The next moment, a beam of blazing flames hit the front of the train.
The steel carriage was like ice and snow encountering flames, vaporizing in an instant.
The flesh, blood vessels, and bones hidden under the iron sheet also disappeared into nothingness under this temperature that could melt everything.
Even a Demons with extremely strong self-healing ability needs time to recover.
However, under this violent attack, Nightmare did not have any time to repair his body.
Every inch of his body was instantly turned into nothing by the extreme heat.
But this beam of blazing flame did not stop.
It passed through every car of the train until it completely destroyed the infinite train and derailed it, then disappeared between heaven and earth.
Looking at the broken metal in front of her that was completely destroyed and didn't even look like a train at first glance, Kotori Itsuka let out a breath.
This attack was the most powerful one she possessed.
Although its power is obviously much smaller than that of Tohka Yatogami's final sword, as one of the few abilities in the original work that made Tokisaki Kurumi suffer a defeat, the destructive power of the cannon mode's scorching demon-killing weapon is enough to be shocking.
Looking at the mess she left behind, Kotori Itsuka scratched her head.
It will be impossible for this railway to continue to be open to traffic in the short term.
However, compared to the damage caused, the benefits of killing Nightmares are obviously greater.
"You didn't come? What a pity."
After waiting for a while, Kotori Itsuka sighed regretfully when she failed to see the Upper Three Akaza.
Although her stamina is not as good as other combat-type Spirit, the consumption tonight is actually not that great.
When fighting the blue-striped Demons, he used breathing techniques more often, and solving the nightmare only required one artillery attack.
Even if Akaza really appears, Kotori Itsuka is confident that she can defeat him.
If you're lucky, you might be able to use your mouth to awaken his memories of his human days and let this Upper Three join Ratatoskr.
"But after thinking about it carefully, I decided to forget it."
After thinking it over, Kotori Itsuka gave up the idea of persuading the Upper Ranks to join Ratatoskr.
It's not that she can't do it.
Rather, the risks are not proportional to the benefits.
If that coward Muzan Kibutsuji knew that one of his most trusted subordinates had defected and escaped his curse like Tamayo, who knows whether he would choose to go to war or call on all his subordinates to hide.
At least Kotori Itsuka thinks the latter possibility is more likely.
Although Japan is not big, if this guy really wants to hide, it will be difficult for him to be found by Kotori Itsuka and her men alone.
"Since Akaza isn't here, forget it. What we've gained tonight is already enough."
After putting away the Burning Demon Slayer and recovering Tanjiro Kamado Nichirin Sword, Kotori Itsuka left the scene of the accident.
"Let the professionals handle the follow-up."
Three hours later.
The Flame Pillar, wearing a flaming feather robe, and the Insect Pillar, wearing a butterfly feather robe, came here with a group of Demon Slayer Corps members.
Not long ago, two seriously injured members of the Demon Slayer Corps returned to their base in a nearby city and reported the situation.
After learning the general situation, two Pillar-level members who were performing tasks nearby were immediately mobilized.
Originally, this matter was not worthy of the two pillars taking action at the same time.
However, according to the two Demon Slayer Corps members' own accounts, they encountered a demon with extremely fast speed when they were slaying demons. Just when they were about to fall into life-and-death crisis, an organization calling them Spirit Ratatoskr saved them.
In addition, Tanjiro Kamado and his sister, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps who defected more than a month ago, also joined the organization.
This is no longer just a simple matter of
This is also a major event that concerns another third-party organization other than demons and the Demon Slayer Corps, as well as the defectors from the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Indeed, there are traces of fighting here."
In front of a withered tree, Insect Pillar Shinobu Kocho observed the remaining clues and fell into deep thought as she looked at the scorched earth and tree trunk.
Demons leave no trace after death.
Because they can only infer what happened at the time through the clues left during the battle.
"A Demons that uses fire?" Butterfly thought, "It seems that this is the place where the speed Demons and Ratatoskr fire Demons had their last battle... But who won in the end?"
This question did not take Shinobu Kocho too much time.
Because when she was called away by other members and arrived at the badly damaged train two kilometers away, she knew which Demons was the last one to survive.
If the train conductor and the conductor had not been still trembling here, and if they had not told them some of the stories that had happened, the Demon Slayer Corps members would probably not have been able to recognize that this was a train at first glance.
"incredible..."
Shinobu Kocho looked at the wreckage of the train, her beautiful eyes flashing with surprise: "Is this also caused by blood demon magic? What kind of blood demon magic can make a new train that has only been running for a short time become like this?"
"According to eyewitnesses, it was pierced by a blinding beam of fire, causing it to become like this."
After completing the initial questioning and learning some important information from the conductor and the ticket inspector, Kyōjurō Rengoku came over and asked, "What level do you think a Demons who can do this has reached?"
"I don't know." Shinobu Kocho shook her head honestly, "But I can say that in terms of destructive power, it is stronger than any Demons I have ever seen."
"I feel the same way."
"Did you get any other information from the witnesses?" Shinobu Kocho continued to ask, "For example, why did the flame-controlling Demons want to destroy the train?"
"Obviously, there is also a Demons hiding in this train." Kyōjurō Rengoku replied, "According to the two survivors, after a strange girl threw them off the train, they saw an even stranger man who could control tentacles appear on the train."
"So the flame Demons not only killed two Demons, but also saved two people?"
"Including the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, there should be four."
"Ratatoskr... Interesting." Shinobu Kocho chuckled. "What about the girl's appearance? Do the two survivors still remember it?"
"Yes." Kyōjurō Rengoku nodded, "A girl with red hair and red eyes, who looks to be around fifteen years old, and is underdeveloped."
"snort..."
Shinobu Kocho hesitated for a moment.
Looking at Kyōjurō Rengoku in front of her, she seemed to have suddenly remembered something and said jokingly, "She sounds a lot like your sister?"
Upon hearing this, Kyōjurō Rengoku was stunned.
He had never made such an association before Shinobu Kocho said it.
Because there is no need at all.
"Kotori is still meeting her pen pal in Asakusa."
Kyōjurō Rengoku shook his head.
"Besides, she's not a Demons. This is no fun."