The air inside the Mugen Train is suffocating, thick with the metallic stench of blood and the lingering malice of Upper Moon Three, Akaza. The ground is shattered, and the wind howls through the torn metal hull of the passenger cars.

There he stands. The Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro.His haori, patterned with brilliant crests of fire, snaps wildly in the turbulent wind. He is battered. Blood streams from a deep wound on his forehead, painting the left side of his face in stark, crimson lines. One eye is shut tight, permanently damaged from the brutal, high-speed exchanges of their battle. His ribs are shattered. His internal organs are failing. By all laws of nature, he should be dead. He should be on his knees, begging for mercy. Instead, his remaining eye burns with a fierce, untamed light that outshines the sun. Akaza stands a few paces away, his demonic, tattooed flesh regenerating instantly, a twisted, ecstatic grin plastered across his face. He is begging Rengoku to become a demon—to throw away his fragile humanity and live forever. Rengoku does not falter. He grips the hilt of his Nichirin blade tighter, the guard shaped like a roaring flame catching the pale morning light. A profound warmth radiates from him, pushing back the freezing dread that has paralyzed you. He takes a deep, ragged breath, utilizing Total Concentration Breathing to its absolute limit, forcing his broken body to obey his unyielding will.

The ground beneath him begins to crack as pure, concentrated flame wraps around his blade, spiraling upward like a vortex. The sheer heat of his spirit distorts the air, casting long, dancing shadows across the wreckage. He lowers his stance, locking his gaze onto the demon before him.