Chapter 17: Game within a game, the attraction of blue red spider lily!
Dragon Breathing, Flame Form, Burning Wings!
Arthur's crisscrossing slashes were like a giant dragon flapping its wings, and the scorching flames instantly shattered the layered pillars of flesh, the brilliant firelight reflecting Enmu's face, twisted in horror.
"How can this be? Why! Why are you the only one who can't be hypnotized!"
"A trash technique that doesn't even count as a Demonic Eye, and you think it can affect me?"
Arthur's voice was cold, his gaze passing over the screaming Enmu, piercing directly towards the locomotive behind him, which was constantly spewing thick smoke.
Even if Enmu had completely merged with the Infinity Train, his vital point still existed.
At the connection of the train's head, the most concentrated demonic energy undoubtedly indicated the location of his true body.
Arthur suddenly inhaled a large amount of air, and a crimson magical power radiated from his body, like a ferocious blood-colored cape fluttering behind him.
Since the reconnaissance and the search for the true body were both complete, it was time to make this runaway train stop completely!
"You said you were one with the train, and absolutely unkillable, right?"
"I'll show you just how simple it is to hit a stationary target!"
Arthur pushed off with his feet, his body suddenly shooting forward, his speed even more rapid than the speeding train.
He stood firmly on the tracks ahead, and above his longsword, wind pressure rapidly condensed.
Dragon Breathing, Wind Form, Roar!
Where the sword's edge pointed, a raging storm transformed into a ferocious tornado, instantly engulfing the entire train head!
Countless wind blades furiously cut through the proliferating pillars of flesh, and beneath the steel train body, stark white bones were revealed—
That was precisely the demon's spine, hidden at the bottom of the train's head.
Arthur's figure flashed into mid-air, his longsword drawn back fully, and he launched another attack.
Dragon Breathing, Rock Form, Savage Tail!
Clang!!!
The intense clang of metal was deafening, like the ringing of an ancient temple bell.
This strike was powerful and heavy, like a giant beast swinging its long tail, incredibly violent.
The train's head was forcibly torn from the tracks in a truly shocking manner, leaving only the carriages to continue sliding due to inertia.
This was the purest, most primal aesthetic of violence.
Screech—!
The uncoupled carriages slowly came to a halt, their wheels grinding against the tracks with a teeth-grating shriek.
The pillar of flesh connecting to Enmu's head was also mercilessly severed by the storm, leaving only the dying demon to futilely re-coalesce his broken body.
"Damn it! Damn it! It shouldn't be like this!"
"My plan was so perfect, yet I couldn't even devour a single person!"
"It's all their fault! It's all those damned Demon Slayers' fault!"
"Why could just two people cut off so many of my tentacles? Why would that demon girl protect humans?"
"And that terrifying guy... why was hypnosis completely ineffective on him? Why can humans be this strong?"
Just as Enmu was cursing maniacally, Arthur had already arrived in front of him, casually picking up the rapidly decaying head.
"Tell Muzan Kibutsuji for me, the blue spider lily is with me."
Before his words finished, he took out a vacuum medical bag from his 懷, inside of which was a blue flower, carefully preserved.
Enmu: ???
The demon, whose mouth had long since shattered, could not speak, but his remaining will was cheering wildly.
That was a craving from the deepest part of every cell, the supreme desire of the Demon King who had bestowed his demon blood upon him, for the plant before him.
A few seconds later, Arthur flicked off the ashes clinging to his palm, held the so-called "blue spider lily" up to his eyes, and a faint smile touched his lips.
"Now, we'll see if he takes the bait."
...
On the other side, Kyojuro Rengoku and Tanjiro were carrying passengers to the open ground, again and again.
Although Arthur had only selectively destroyed the Infinity Train's locomotive, the violent tornado storm couldn't just stop on command.
The subsequent carriages were consequently impacted, and the passengers, still in a hypnotic state, all suffered varying degrees of bumps and scrapes.
Taking advantage of the break in moving passengers, Kyojuro Rengoku summoned his Kasugai Crow, preparing to report the situation on the Infinity Train to headquarters first.
"Hmm, I've generally understood the situation."
"Mr. Arthur, will Muzan Kibutsuji really target you?"
Arthur counted the number of passengers and shook his head.
"I said before, at most, it's about a seventy percent chance."
Tanjiro, who had just carried down two more passengers, looked confused.
"Why? Didn't you say Muzan Kibutsuji has been searching for the blue spider lily his entire life?"
Arthur shrugged helplessly: "So what? Who made the one I have a fake?"
"A fake!?" x 2
"Keep your voices down, we can't be sure if there are other demons lurking nearby."
Facing their shocked gazes, Arthur reached into his bosom again and pulled out the previous medical bag—
The blue spider lily inside had long since vanished.
"That blue spider lily was created by me using Projection Magic. Because I referenced Ms. Tamayo's research data from over the years, it could achieve a seventy percent likeness."
"Oh, by the way. Projection Magic is a special ability from my hometown, which can replicate items that have existed in reality."
"Not only is it extremely difficult to cast, and consumes a vast amount of energy, but its duration is only a few short minutes, making it quite impractical."
After hearing Arthur's explanation, Kyojuro Rengoku and Tanjiro finally understood.
It turned out that the blue spider lily was fake from beginning to end; Arthur was completely trying to catch a tiger with an empty hand!
Kyojuro Rengoku nodded repeatedly: "Not only can it lure Muzan Kibutsuji to reveal himself, but it also prevents him from truly getting what he wants. It's truly a well-thought-out plan!"
Arthur waved his hand: "Let's talk about these things after the matter is completely resolved; alright, let's all put in more effort, there are still quite a few passengers left."
...
Meanwhile, as Arthur and the others were handling the aftermath, a demon was rapidly approaching the location of Enmu's demise.
Akaza moved nimbly through the mountains, his speed like a bullet from a gun as he weaved and dodged.
His location was closest to Enmu, so he received Muzan Kibutsuji's command.
He was ordered, at all costs, to eliminate the three Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen and seize the blue spider lily from their hands.
As an Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki, Akaza knew how deep his master's obsession with the blue spider lily was.
Coupled with the constantly echoing urges in his mind, he finally arrived near the Infinity Train wreckage half an hour later.
"I see them! Demon Slayers!"
A surging fighting spirit erupted from Akaza's body, and he instantly flashed in front of Tanjiro, punching directly at his head, a vital point!
Flame Breathing, Second Form, Rising Scorching Sun!
An upward curving slash fiercely met the demon's iron fist.
Kyojuro Rengoku's swift swordsmanship, like a blazing flame, not only precisely neutralized Akaza's attack but also left a deep, bone-visible wound on his arm.
Only then did Tanjiro suddenly awaken, quickly drawing his Nichirin Blade from his waist and adopting a defensive stance.
"A demon!?"
Kyojuro Rengoku's brows furrowed: "Goukou shounen, retreat to the back carriages and find Mr. Arthur! This demon is not one you can handle!"
As his words fell, his eyes were fixed on Akaza, whose demonic energy was unusually dense before him.
The opponent wore a martial arts gi suitable for movement, his skin pale beneath his peach-colored short hair, and his golden eyes were clearly inscribed with the characters 'Upper Rank' and 'Three'.
"Upper Rank Three!?"
Unlike the highly vigilant Kyojuro Rengoku, Akaza calmly retreated a dozen meters, casually shook his arm, and his previously severed limb healed completely in an instant.
"A beautiful counterattack, you—are a Hashira, aren't you?"
Kyojuro Rengoku asked in a deep voice: "Didn't you come for the blue spider lily? Why did you attack Goukou shounen first?"
Akaza sneered: "Isn't that obvious?"
"Weak humans don't deserve to live in this world; just looking at them makes me sick to my stomach!"