Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

That was the remnant of Asuka's spiritual pressure strike, which had clung to him during the recent storm strike, tearing a corner of his Shinigami armor.

This spiritual energy was like an unquenchable wildfire, constantly gnawing at his clothes.

Aizen tried touching the seemingly alive flame, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Oh? That's interesting..."

Chapter 56 Severing

"Mr. Hell, Mr. Asuka! Wake up! We're under attack!"

Inside the carriage, Tanjiro, having broken free from his dream, quickly knocked out several accomplices connected by Blood Demon Art ropes, attempting to attack his companions in his dream, while loudly calling out to the two Pillar-level swordsmen.

But for some reason, Mr. Rengoku was alright; he was able to react to Tanjiro's words in the slightest.

The birds, on the other hand, were completely silent, their breathing extremely faint.

What happened?! Was Mr. Asuka attacked in his dream?!

Tanjiro was shocked and quickly checked the rope connecting Asuka's wrist.

To his surprise, he discovered that the other end of the rope was the flight attendant who had checked his ticket.

But he was already dead.

No, I can't waste any more time here!

If Nezuko hadn't headbutted Tanjiro, making him smell blood, he'd probably still be dreaming.

"Nie Douzi, you stay here. It's dangerous outside. Don't go anywhere!" he commanded in a deep voice to the bewildered Ni Douzi.

Tanjiro made a decision: he would first find the demon controlling the dreams on this train and find a way to wake everyone up!

He rushed out of the carriage, climbed onto the roof, and was immediately met with an overwhelming, ghostly aura!

The person who started all of this was standing at the front of the car.

The First Moon of the Lower Moon: Nightmare.

"Oh? You're awake? Good morning~"

Nightmare's voice, with its nauseatingly affected quality, pierced through the whistling wind and reached Tanjiro's ears: "Why are you up so soon? I gave you such a wonderful dream."

He grinned, revealing a sinister smile:

"Or do you want to have a nightmare where your whole family is brutally murdered?"

Tanjiro's forehead veins bulged, and his hand holding the Nichirin Blade turned slightly blue.

"Hehe, actually what I like most is to let people have a beautiful dream first, followed by a nightmare~" Nightmare completely ignored Tanjiro's reaction and continued to talk to herself: "The twisted expressions of humans are truly an unparalleled delicacy."

"Shut up!" Tanjiro roared, flames of rage burning in his chest. "Don't you dare toy with people's hearts! I'll kill you!"

Although the demon before him was a Lower Moon demon, Tanjiro would never back down because of it.

We're all still in a fake dream, and we don't know if we'll encounter any danger!

He must defeat the evil spirit before him as soon as possible!

"Water Breathing - Pick-up Form: Life Flows!!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Tanjiro swung his sword, the Nichirin Blade drawing a cold, azure arc in the moonlight.

Braving the fierce wind, it charged headlong towards the nightmare at the front of the car!

However, Nightmare simply smiled dismissively and didn't even move an inch.

"Blood Demon Art: Whisper of Sleep! Sleep!"

Om-!

Just as the blade was about to touch Nightmare's skin, Tanjiro felt the scene before him suddenly distort, and his mind went blank for a moment.

An overwhelming sense of drowsiness washed over him like a tide, causing him to lose his balance instantly, and his consciousness began to sink into darkness.

"Sleep now...go back to that blissful dream..."

The nightmare's whispers were like a curse, causing Tanjiro to instantly succumb to its power.

Zaomen's house, a snowy night.

"Brother, try this!" Mi Douzi picked up a piece of roasted sweet potato and handed it to his mouth with a sweet smile.

Tanjiro unconsciously opened his mouth, and a sweet and warm taste melted on his tongue.

No!

A voice inside him suddenly awakened him:

"Don't be fooled! This is a dream! We're fighting a ghost!"

"My family... they were all murdered by Mujina Kibutsuji!!"

An overwhelming grief swept over us, piercing the false illusion of warmth.

The intense tearing sensation caused Tanjiro to curl up in pain.

"What's wrong, Tanjiro?" His mother looked at him with concern.

"Brother, are you feeling unwell?" Mi Douzi's pure eyes were full of concern.

Tanjiro, be strong.

My father's voice came calmly and deeply, as if it had penetrated the barrier of my dream.

Cut it off!

An unprecedented determination and courage rose within Tanjiro!

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the fake family members around him, whom he longed for day and night.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured.

The next second, to the astonishment of his family, Tanjiro drew his Nichirin Blade without hesitation!

He swung the knife in a backhand motion, the cold blade carrying the resolve to sever everything, resolutely slicing towards his own neck!

puff!

The intense pain came not only from the body.

This decision to give up time with family and shatter those heartwarming moments pierced Tanjiro's heart!

The roof of the Infinite Train.

"Cough—ah!"

Tanjiro suddenly opened his eyes, his body convulsing from the intense pain transmitted through his mind.

But he cannot fall, because he is still fighting! He is still on the roof!

He forcibly steadied himself, once again channeling his flowing sword energy, and charged towards Nightmare once more!

"How is this possible?" Nightmare was somewhat incredulous, and immediately raised her left hand: "Go to sleep!"

Om-!

The intense mental shock hit Tanjiro so hard that he rolled his eyes and fainted.

But almost instantly, he regained his balance and broke free from the nightmare!

Charge after charge, hypnosis after hypnosis.

On the roof of the roaring carriage, Nightmare and Tanjiro put on a waltz of swordplay, constantly dodging and weaving back and forth.

"Ineffective? Why is it ineffective for you?"

While dodging Tanjiro's attacks, the lower moon demon moon kept pondering...

"It's not invalid...you lunatic..."

He realized that Tanjiro wasn't unhypnotized; rather, every time he fell asleep, he would immediately come to his senses and commit suicide!

In other words, in those few dozen seconds, he had already attempted suicide countless times!

Even if it's a dream, the pain is real.

Isn't he scared?

"Since that's the case, then I'll let you have the most painful nightmares!"

Om-! !

The warm fire suddenly went out, turning into cold ashes.

The sweet aroma of food was replaced by an overwhelming, pungent smell of blood.

The entire family of Zao Men fell in pools of blood.

Her mother, Kui Zhi, went from a gentle smile to a blank stare, and a deep, bone-revealing laceration on her neck was gushing black blood.

The younger brother, Takeo, stopped fighting. His small body was covered with ferocious claw marks, and he stared at him with unseeing eyes.

Hanako, the younger sister, and Rokuta, the woman in her arms, turned into two cold corpses.

Sitting beside him, Mi Douzi's long, black hair was stained with dark red blood, and her once pure and innocent eyes were now filled with endless resentment and pain.

"Tanjiro...why...why are you the only one who survived!"

"Tanjiro..." His mother's head tilted at an unnatural angle, her empty eyes looking at him: "You useless thing... why didn't you protect us..."

“It’s all your fault…” Takeo and Shigeru whispered.

"To live a life of utter despair by myself alone..." Hanako sneered.

Even the most innocent and naive Rokuta uttered a cold question:

"What were you doing when we were being killed?!"

"How dare you still be alive!"

...The venomous voices converged into sharp, curved blades, constantly tearing at Tanjiro's heart!

"How could my family say such a thing?!"

In reality, Tanjiro was furious and roared as he broke free from the hypnotic nightmare!

"You are not allowed to...insult them!!"

Tanjiro's Nichirin Blade roared down with uncontrollable rage, slicing through the air with astonishing power!

laugh--!!

The blade pierced flesh, striking Nightmare's neck with deadly force!

puff--!!

The deep blue spiral blade's light was unstoppable, severing Nightmare's head and sending it crashing heavily onto the car roof!

Heh... Heh...

Tanjiro, breathing heavily and trying to calm his anger, still felt uneasy.

He didn't feel like he had killed the nightmare; the ghostly aura hadn't dissipated...

"Could this also be a dream?" he wondered.

Just as Tanjiro was hesitating, the severed head of Nightmare spoke on its own:

"That lord said... besides the pillars, the most important things are killing you who wears the earring, and also killing the black-haired boy..."

"I understand that feeling perfectly now..."

Gurgle...

A chilling change is taking place!

Suddenly, the steel car body emitted a writhing, grotesque sound as if flesh were writhing!

The train's cold, metallic shell was quickly covered by dark red flesh and blood coated with viscous fluid!

Thick, pulsating veins grew from the connecting points of the carriages!

In just a few breaths, the entire Infinite Train transformed into a gigantic, terrifying monster of flesh and blood!

The nightmare's head, after a series of writhing movements, connected to a gigantic tentacle, which opened its mouth menacingly:

"What a pity... while you were all sound asleep, I had already merged with the train!"