Demon Slayer: Tanjiro becomes a ghost, Nezuko becomes a pillar!

Chapter 146 The Unwavering Flame

"Breath of Flame, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"

The powerful, scorching roar exploded like the blazing sun inside the carriage.

In an instant, the entire Infinite Train, which was completely shrouded in the blood-red illusion, began to tremble violently.

The steel-like body emitted a deep hum, as if even the trajectory of its speeding car was slightly shaken by this intense heat.

The fake flesh and blood began to twist and dissolve amidst the roar.

Those fragmented "corpses" turned into wisps of black smoke.

The crimson mist that permeated the entire carriage dissipated and evaporated at a visible speed, like ice and snow meeting fire.

All the desperate scenes meticulously woven by nightmares proved utterly fragile in the face of this roar.

A blazing, dazzling crimson-gold flame suddenly erupted from the middle section of the train.

As the flames surged, they coalesced into a lithe, fang-baring fire tiger.

Kyojuro Rengoku stood in the center of the Flame Tiger, his body engulfed in an inextinguishable flame.

The flame, like his will, was bright, blazing, and indestructible.

"I'm so ashamed!"

Kyojuro strode forward, the flames beneath his feet spreading slowly like a gentle stream, shattering the crimson illusion wherever he went.

"I never expected there to be such a ghost. Is it a lower moon? Amazing, amazing, it almost fooled me."

As he walked, he flashed his signature hearty smile, as if what he had just experienced was not a despairing illusion that could destroy one's will, but merely a slightly challenging trial.

As the flames of Flame Breath swept across the land, the layers of dreams that Nightmare had painstakingly created were extinguished.

At that moment, everything crumbled, revealing the train's original appearance.

Those passengers who were "brutally murdered" are now resting peacefully in their seats, their brows relaxed, breathing steadily and evenly.

Clearly, they were still immersed in the beautiful dream woven by the nightmare, and had not yet been affected by despair.

"Yes, that's more like it!"

As Kyojuro watched this scene unfold, his smile grew even brighter.

"Everyone is sleeping soundly; this is what a dream should be like."

The flames spread along the floor and walls of the carriage, completely burning away the remaining "bloodstains" and "limbs".

The carriage, which had been shrouded in blood, gradually returned to its clean and tidy state.

As the train approached the rear, Tanjiro stood frozen in place, feeling a surge of intense yet not scorching flames rushing towards him.

He didn't dodge, but simply stood there, letting the fiery tiger slowly circle around him.

The next second, the "corpse of Nidouzi" that had been hanging in the center of the carriage, causing him unbearable pain, turned into sparks and vanished into thin air under the flames.

Tanjiro's vision cleared instantly, and the bloody despair before him was no longer there.

Instead, it was the steadily swaying carriage, the peacefully sleeping passengers, and that tall figure coming against the light, illuminating everything.

"Mr. Purgatory..."

Tanjiro raised his head and stared blankly at the Flame Pillar walking on fire. His originally dim eyes slowly lit up.

"Oh? It's the boy from the kitchen!"

Kyojuro manipulated the flames to burn away the last trace of the illusion, and his gaze instantly fell on Tanjiro, who was kneeling on the ground.

When he sensed with his aura that the boy before him was the demon swordsman who had caused a ruckus at the Pillar Meeting to protect his sister, his smile grew even more delighted.

"I'm so glad you're alright!"

Tanjiro slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the familiar carriage surroundings, and he instantly understood.

It turns out that the heart-wrenching despair I felt just now was still a deep illusion created by the nightmare, from which I had never truly broken free.

He strode up to Kyojuro, his eyes filled with admiration and doubt, and asked impatiently.

"Mr. Purgatory, how did you discover that? That horrific scene left even me utterly defeated, almost on the verge of a complete breakdown..."

Those scenes—the tragic deaths of his companions, the cold figure of Midouzi—every single one struck his soul.

But the man in front of them seemed completely unaffected, easily seeing through the illusion and single-handedly burning away the illusion throughout the entire train.

Seeing the confusion in Tanjiro's eyes, Kyojuro maintained his gentle smile and explained firmly,

"The reason is simple. I don't believe you can be defeated so easily!"

A single sentence, just a dozen or so words, resounded like a thunderclap in Tanjiro's heart.

He stared blankly at Kyojuro, his eyes slightly reddening.

It turned out that it wasn't that the illusion wasn't realistic enough, nor that Kyojuro's will was unmatched, but rather that this Flame Pillar genuinely believed in his comrades.

"Compared to Mr. Purgatory, I...I..."

Tanjiro clenched his fists, a deep sense of shame on his face. His earlier hesitation and fear made him feel incredibly insignificant.

"Don't say that!"

Kyojuro suddenly raised his hand and patted Tanjiro's shoulder heavily.

"Don't compare yourself to me, Kamado boy. One day, you'll be stronger than me."

His gaze was incredibly fervent, filled with undisguised affirmation and expectation, each word clearly reaching Tanjiro's ears.

"As long as you believe in yourself, as long as you believe in your companions, as long as you are willing to use your demonic power to help others and protect those who need protection, you will never be defeated!"

Looking into Kyojuro's fiery eyes and feeling the warmth from his palms.

A surge of unprecedented power welled up within Tanjiro.

This was the first time he had ever felt such genuine recognition from Zhu.

Since becoming a demon, he has lived in constant worry and anxiety, fearing that his power would harm others, and even more so that Nezuko would face criticism and danger within the Demon Slayer Corps because of his existence.

Now, the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyojuro, has accepted him, acknowledged his power, and recognized his original aspirations in the most direct and passionate way.

Tanjiro's chest heaved violently, and his previous feelings of inferiority and confusion vanished in that moment.

He straightened his back, and a determined light rekindled in his eyes—the confidence that came from being recognized, and the courage that came from being encouraged.

For the first time, he felt that he could stand proudly among the Demon Slayer Corps, standing beside his comrades.

"I understand, Mr. Purgatory!"

Tanjiro nodded vigorously, his voice strong and resolute, filled with an unprecedented determination.

Kyojuro smiled with satisfaction as he looked at his completely transformed appearance and patted him on the back.

"Alright! Now that you understand, cheer up!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire carriage. The flames around him subsided slightly, but he still exuded a powerful aura.

"The illusion has been broken, but that evil spirit is definitely still hiding somewhere on the train, and there may be other lower-level demons causing trouble in the dark."

Kyojuro's tone became serious, but it still carried a high fighting spirit.

"Alright, Kamado-kun, let's work together to find the evil spirits hiding in this train and protect these innocent people!"