I don't want to be an elf!

Under the influence of the breathing technique, the crimson light in her eyes gradually faded.

"Indeed, learning breathing techniques was the right choice," she murmured to herself. "Without the aid of breathing techniques, I probably would have gone into berserk mode halfway through the battle and would have ignored the plan."

"Waaaaah!"

Just then, the sound of a ship's horn came from behind.

Kotori Itsuka looked back and saw a completely black steam train approaching from the railway several kilometers away.

"It should be one."

Kotori Itsuka stretched her body, holding the Nichirin Blade in one hand and the Scorching Demon in the other, and walked towards the train.

Her purpose in appearing here tonight was not to deal with the Blue-Striped Ghost.

The Blue-Striped Demon was just a chance encounter.

"Let me deal with the Mugen Train before the original plot gets to this point."

Chapter 18 Cannon Mode

Based on the original storyline, the plot should be progressing to the point where Kyojuro Rengoku leads the main characters to resolve the Mugen Train incident.

On this train called "Mugen Train" lives a demon named Enmu, the number one Lower Rank demon among the Twelve Demon Moons.

His abilities are extremely strange; he possesses a blood demon technique that pulls people into their dreams and kills them within those dreams, making it impossible to defend against.

However, the resourceful and courageous protagonist team successfully resolved the nightmare and rescued more than two hundred passengers on the bus.

However, the day that the Mugen Train incident was resolved became the last day that Rengoku Kyojuro lived.

This was not because of Lower Moon One's dying counterattack.

Rather, it's because the main characters have encountered an even stronger opponent.

The third upper moon, Akaza.

To prevent her nominal brother from perishing here in this world like in the original story, Kotori Itsuka decided to leave Asakusa and rush to Kyushu to resolve the incident before Kyojuro Rengoku could act.

With Kotori Itsuka's strength, neither Lower Moon One nor Upper Moon Three would be a match for her.

The reason I had to resort to tactics after fighting for so long with a blue-striped demon that wasn't even a lower-ranking demon was simply because the opponent was too fast.

Relying on this guy's Blood Demon Art, in terms of speed alone, he is even faster than most of the members of the Twelve Demon Moons.

If you don't first show weakness and let the other party think that it has the ability to eat her, you might just scare the ghost away.

Although Kotori Itsuka is not opposed to having demons join the organization, she will not show any mercy when facing evil spirits.

Since she is immortal anyway, what would be considered a serious injury to other elf girls is just a minor injury to her that will heal itself in a little while.

Seeing the Mugen Train speeding towards her, Kotori Itsuka, who had recovered from the battle, used her spiritual power to levitate in the air and stepped onto the locomotive at the front.

Just as she stood firm on the locomotive and prepared to take her next step, shredded flesh, resembling plants, sprouted from the locomotive's steel.

The shredded meat came together and quickly formed a humanoid creature.

The Lower Moon One, Nightmare, appears here.

The ghost, with its androgynous beauty, slightly opened its mouth, as if it wanted to say something.

However, Kotori Itsuka didn't give him any chance to speak. With a swing of her giant axe, she smashed a large hole in the metal of the locomotive.

Then, with a light leap, he jumped into the carriage.

Nightmare's expression froze on his face.

This person from the same clan doesn't seem to be very polite.

"Hey, is there anyone else on this bus?"

Upon entering the driver's cab, Kotori Itsuka, ignoring the train conductor's bewilderment, held her Nichirin Blade and Scorched Demon to his neck: "I don't have time to waste with you. Answer me in three seconds."

"Uh, yes, I do!"

Although the train conductor, dressed in a crisp uniform, was confused about the situation, his professional ethics prevented him from answering the question.

Despite feeling the coolness and heat on both sides of his neck, he still complied with Kotori Itsuka's request immediately and answered her question.

"how many?"

"One, one ticket inspector," the train conductor said慌张地, "This is the last train, there aren't many passengers to begin with, plus there have been a few strange murders recently..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Kotori Itsuka kicked open the driver's cab door.

The scorching demon vanished, and she leaped down, holding the Nichirin Blade in one hand and the train conductor's collar in the other.

"what!"

For ordinary people, jumping off a train traveling at nearly 100 kilometers per hour would only result in being smashed to pieces.

Thinking he had encountered a madman dragging someone to suicide, the train conductor covered his eyes and screamed as if he were about to die.

But after waiting for a long time, the expected pain did not come.

He tentatively opened his eyes and found himself sitting safely on the grass beside the railway tracks.

The strange man who had just dragged him out of the car had disappeared somewhere.

Just as the train conductor's mind went blank, the door of another carriage in his train was violently kicked open.

Kotori Itsuka jumped off the train carrying another bewildered ticket inspector and placed him next to the train conductor.

Are you sure no one's there?

The two stared blankly at Kotori Itsuka, neither of them answering.

"No one's here?"

Kotori Itsuka plunged her Nichirin Blade between the two, nearly tearing their clothes.

They both snapped out of their daze and shook their heads vigorously, fearing that the knife might be plunged into them at any moment.

After confirming once again that there was no one else on the train, Kotori Itsuka turned around without hesitation and jumped back onto the back of the departing train.

"you……"

At this moment, Nightmare, which was just at the front of the car, has moved to the rear.

The body he is in now is not his true form.

His body had become one with the train, hidden beneath the floor of the locomotive's cab.

What's here is merely a piece of flesh he created for communication.

The entire train is part of him.

That is why he was able to move freely on the train.

Just as he uttered the word "you," intending to ask why the other person was there and why they had taken the members of the car away, Kotori Itsuka ignored him once again.

He brushed past Nightmare without exchanging any words or thoughts, heading straight for the train engine.

Nightmare's eyes twitched a few times.

He didn't know what this unfamiliar member of his own race wanted to do, and therefore didn't know whether he should take action.

Just as he was hesitating about what to do, Kotori Itsuka, who was running wildly, had already reached the locomotive.

Then, he pushed off with both feet and leaped into the air.

A giant axe appeared in his hand.

Standing on the tracks of the Infinite Train, Kotori Itsuka held her giant axe horizontally, pointing it at the train in front of her.

"Scorching Demon Annihilation - Cannon Mode!"

The axe blade retracts, and the mechanism changes.

The next moment, the pitch-black muzzle appeared where the axe blade had disappeared.

Within this, the force that caused the surrounding air to distort rapidly converged.

Sensing the surging energy within, Nightmare's face showed shock and anger.

At this moment, he finally understood what the girl was trying to do.

With a wave of her arms, several tentacles made of fleshy strands, with strange eyes and mouths at the top, lunged at Kotori Itsuka.

Forced into a deep sleep.

This is one of the abilities that Nightmare's Blood Demon Art granted him.

Once you hear a sound coming from the tentacles, or make eye contact with the eyes on the tentacles, you will fall asleep.

Such an ability is simply impossible to defend against.

If Kotori Itsuka had shown hostility, alerting Enmu and forcing the two to fight on the train, things might have been quite tricky.

But Nightmare missed her chance.

Kotori Itsuka will not give him another chance.

The energy gathered in the cannon muzzle quickly reached its limit.

Kotori Itsuka grinned and pulled the trigger.

"boom----!"

Chapter Nineteen: Ratatosk's Debut Battle

As the trigger was pulled, a beam of flame, hot enough to melt steel, shot out.

Like the sun in the night, it illuminates the entire dark forest.

The overwhelming energy was like a roaring fire dragon, melting everything in its path.

Land, railway tracks, or even the approaching tentacles.

Nightmare stood blankly on the roof of the car, the oncoming beam of flame reflected in her empty eyes.

It's hard to imagine that anyone in this world could possess such power.

But he couldn't escape.