I don't want to be an elf!

His body had merged with the train and could not be separated.

Feeling the heat rapidly approaching, he slowly closed his eyes.

"boom----!"

The next moment, a blazing beam of fire struck the front of the train.

The steel carriages evaporated instantly, like ice and snow meeting flames.

The flesh, blood vessels, and bones hidden beneath the sheet metal were also reduced to nothingness under this temperature that could melt everything.

Even the most powerful self-healing ghosts need time to heal.

However, under this violent attack, Nightmare had no time to repair her body.

Every inch of his body was instantly reduced to nothing by the extreme heat.

But the blazing beam of fire did not stop.

It traversed every carriage of the train until it completely destroyed the infinite train and derailed, before disappearing into the world.

Looking at the wrecked and broken-down train before her, which at first glance didn't even look like a train, Kotori Itsuka exhaled a breath of stale air.

This strike was the strongest she had ever unleashed.

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 caused Kurumi Tokisaki to suffer a defeat, the destructive power of the Cannon Mode Burning Demon is still terrifying.

Looking at the mess she had left behind, Kotori Itsuka scratched her head.

This railway will not be able to continue operating in the short term.

However, the benefits of killing Nightmare are clearly greater than the damage caused.

"It's a pity you didn't come."

After waiting a while longer, but failing to see Akaza, the Upper Moon Three, appear, Kotori Itsuka sighed regretfully.

Although her stamina is not as good as other fighting-type Pokémon, she didn't actually expend that much energy tonight.

When fighting the Blue-Striped Demon, he mostly used breathing techniques, and he only needed to use a single cannon shot to defeat Nightmare.

Even if Akaza were to actually appear, Kotori Itsuka is confident she could defeat him.

If we're lucky, we might be able to use words to awaken his memories of his human days and get this Upper Moon Three to join Ratatoskr.

"However, after thinking about it carefully, I think I should just forget about it."

On second thought, Kotori Itsuka abandoned the idea of ​​luring the Upper Moon into Ratatoskr.

It's not that she can't do it.

Rather, the risks and rewards are disproportionate.

If that coward Muzan Kibutsuji found out that one of his most trusted subordinates had defected and, like Tamayo, escaped his curse, who knows whether he would choose to launch a full-scale war or call on all his subordinates to go into hiding.

At least Kotori Itsuka thinks the latter is more likely.

Although Japan is not a large country, if this guy really wanted to hide, it would be impossible for Kotori Itsuka and her few subordinates to find him.

"Since Akaza didn't come, then forget it. Tonight's harvest was already enough."

After putting away the scorching demon and retrieving Tanjiro Kamado's Nichirin Blade, Kotori Itsuka left the scene of the accident.

"Let the professionals handle the rest."

----------

----------

Three hours later.

The Flame Pillar, clad in a flame-patterned haori, and the Insect Pillar, clad in a butterfly-patterned haori, arrived 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 what had happened.

After learning the general situation, the two Pillar-level members who were carrying out a mission nearby were immediately summoned.

Originally, this matter was not worth the two Pillars intervening at the same time.

However, according to the two Demon Slayer Corps members, they encountered a super-fast demon while slaying demons, and just when they were about to face a life-or-death crisis, an organization calling itself "Ratatosk" saved them.

Furthermore, Tanjiro Kamado, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps who defected more than a month ago, and his sister have also joined the organization.

This is no longer just a simple demon-slaying mission.

This is also a major event concerning another third-party organization besides demons and the Demon Slayer Corps, as well as the defectors of the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Indeed, there are signs of a battle here."

Standing before a withered tree, Shinobu Insect Pillar examines the remaining clues, gazing at the scorched earth and tree trunk in deep thought.

Ghosts leave no trace after they die.

Because they can only deduce what happened at the time by looking at the clues left behind during the battle.

"A demon that wields fire?" Butterfly thought to herself, "It seems this is where the Swift Demon and Ratatosk's Fire Demon fought their final battle... But who won in the end?"

This problem didn't take Shinobu Kocho too long.

Because when she was called away by the other members and brought to the train, which was completely destroyed, two kilometers away, she knew which ghost had survived.

If the train conductor and ticket seller hadn't been trembling in fear, and if the details of what happened hadn't been revealed to them, the Demon Slayer Corps members probably wouldn't have recognized it as a train at first glance.

"incredible......"

Shinobu Kocho examined the train wreckage, her beautiful eyes flashing with a strange light: "Was this also caused by Blood Demon Art? What kind of Blood Demon Art could turn a newly built train into this state?"

"According to witnesses, it was pierced by a blinding beam of fire that caused it to turn like this."

Having completed the initial questioning and gleaned some important information from the train conductor and ticket inspector, Rengoku Kyojuro approached and asked, "What level do you think a demon capable of this level has reached?"

"I don't know." Shinobu Kocho shook her head honestly, "but I can say that in terms of destructive power alone, it is stronger than any demon I have ever seen."

"I feel the same way."

"Did you get any other information from the witnesses?" Shinobu Kocho continued, "For example, why did the fire-controlling demon want to destroy the train?"

“Clearly, there’s a demon hiding in this train as well,” Kyojuro Rengoku replied. “According to the two survivors, after a strange girl threw them off the train, they saw an even stranger man on the train who could control tentacles.”

"So that fire demon not only killed two demons, but also saved two people?"

"If you include the Demon Slayer Corps members, it should be four."

“Ratatosk... Interesting.” Shinobu chuckled lightly. “What about that girl’s face? Do the two survivors remember?”

"Hmm." Rengoku Kyojuro nodded. "A girl with red hair and red eyes, who looks to be around fifteen years old and is underdeveloped."

"Humph......"

Shinobu Kocho pondered for a moment.

Looking at Rengoku Kyojuro in front of her, she seemed to suddenly make a connection and said jokingly, "Sounds a lot like your sister?"

Upon hearing this, Rengoku Kyojuro was taken aback.

He hadn't made that connection at all before Shinobu Kocho said it.

Because there's absolutely no need for it.

"Kotori is still meeting with her pen pal in Asakusa."

Kyojuro Rengoku shook his head.

"Besides, she's not a ghost, this is no joke."

Chapter Twenty: Upper Moon Extermination Battle (Combined)

Ratatoskr's name quickly spread throughout the Demon Slayer Corps.

Regarding this third-party organization whose allegiance was unclear, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the master to whom the Demon Slayer Corps served, did not issue any clear instructions. He simply told everyone to be on high alert and to immediately report to the nearest base should any incident that might be related to Ratatoskr occur.

Although Ratatosk has shown a friendly attitude so far, not only killing two demons but also saving members of the Demon Slayer Corps and ordinary people involved in the battle, in the eyes of the Demon Slayer Corps, it is ultimately an organization with demons as its members.

Most importantly, they did not know how many members the organization actually had.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki mobilized all available connections and channels to investigate Ratatosk's background, but to no avail.

Over the next two weeks, there were occasional reports from Demon Slayer Corps members claiming to have encountered individuals who identified themselves as Ratatoskr while slaying demons.

It's as if this organization crawled out of a crack in the rock.

While Kagaya Ubuyashiki was fretting over the appearance of Ratatosk, Kotori Itsuka was also fretting over another problem.

She simply couldn't recruit any new members.

After bringing the Kamado siblings, Tamayo, and Yushiro into the organization, she couldn't find any other people she could recruit.

In the demon camp, she encountered almost exclusively man-eating demons, and they all seemed to enjoy it.

As for the Demon Slayer Corps, those who join either harbor deep hatred for demons or are there to carry on the spirit of their predecessors. Unless someone is persecuted like Tanjiro Kamado, they would never consider leaving the Demon Slayer Corps.

Not to mention, although the Demon Slayer Corps doesn't give holidays, the organization's benefits are quite generous by today's standards.

Not only do they provide lodging and food in every city, but they also send a large sum of money to the families of those who are killed in action.

This is something that the newly established Ratatosk could not have done.

After all, Kotori Itsuka in this world has neither luxurious warships that fly in the air nor a powerful investor behind her.

Even the demon-slaying work required her, as the commander, to be personally involved. For the past two weeks, she has been running all over Japan to boost the Demon Slayer Corps' reputation.

She hadn't forgotten that the first side quest required having high reputation among both the human and demon factions.

In order to achieve the first side quest as perfectly as possible, after Tanjiro Kamado finally mastered the highest level of breathing techniques, she and the Kamado siblings split up and spent the time spreading the influence of Ratatoskr.

That's why not only the Demon Slayer Corps noticed them, but even the demons noticed them.

Both Kotori Itsuka and Tanjiro Kamado could sense that the demons they encountered were becoming increasingly powerful.

After all, bad reputation is still reputation.

Another week passed.

After confirming that Ratatosk had attracted enough attention from both the human and demon factions, Kotori Itsuka reunited with the Kamado siblings.

"Commander, what are we doing here?"