As the evening sun gradually dipped below the mountains, Guest stood waiting in line among the passengers at the station, clutching a ticket and luggage to board the Mugen Train.

There were two reasons for boarding this train today: a mission and a vacation. Recently, forty passengers who boarded this train had gone missing, and the lower-ranking slayers who were sent to uncover the truth had also vanished.

Therefore, Guest's mission was to rescue any survivors and eliminate the cause, presumed to be a demon. This unintended train journey was also a vacation, as the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps had promised a formal paid leave once the mission was complete.

Wondering if the missing people were still alive and if they themselves could return safely, Guest boarded the carriage. After sliding the luggage into the overhead rack, Guest leaned back against the slightly stiff seat and looked out the window at the now pitch-black darkness.

Since there were no strange signs or disturbances yet, and it would take some time for the train to depart due to the large number of passengers, Guest closed their eyes to rest for a moment and conserve energy. ...They shouldn't have done that. They shouldn't have ignored that sticky gaze felt from somewhere.

•••••

...When Guest groggily regained consciousness and slowly opened their eyes, it was still dark. ...No, it wasn't just outside; the inside of the train was dark and filled with a chilling aura. There was almost no sound to be heard, despite how many people had boarded.

Realizing something was terribly wrong, Guest hurriedly tried to get up and grope for their Nichirin Sword—

"Shh— you mustn't, darling. Everyone is having such wonderful dreams, so you have to be quiet~"

A sweet, dreamy voice that sounded androgynous—hard to tell if it was a man or a woman—drifted up from below Guest's knees. Simultaneously, a cold hand was felt resting on Guest's lap.

Looking down, Guest saw a man with a pretty, feminine face kneeling at their feet. He was pressing down on Guest's knees with his hands to prevent them from standing up, staring up dreamily. For some reason, a deep flush seemed to be blooming on his pale skin.

Guest instinctively knew. This man before them was the demon they were tasked to eliminate. Even though he likely knew exactly what Guest was thinking, instead of attacking, he simply breathed heavily with a deep blush, muttering something under his breath.

"...Haa... Beautiful, so beautiful... ...Stay here forever, with me..."