The train gave a low whistle as it entered a long tunnel, swallowing the light. The windows turned black, and for a brief moment, everyone fell silent.
The train rattled along the polished tracks, golden rays of afternoon light slipping through the windows. Inside the carriage sat the six Soul Slayers — Takuma‚ Kaito, Noboru, Hakari, Noelle, and Renjuro.
Renjuro sprawled lazily across two seats, one leg up, laughing at his own joke.
Renjuro spoke "City mission, huh? Probably just another slime-faced demon hiding in a well. I'll get bored before we even find it!"
Noelle deadpan "Maybe you'll trip and fall into the well instead."
Renjuro spoke "At least I'd make it look cool."
Hakari giggled while Noboru shook his head, muttering,
"You'd make it look stupid. Again."
Takuma, seated quietly by the window, finally spoke, his voice calm and playful.
"All that noise. I can tell this will be a long ride."
Takuma laughs lightly. "Renjuro-kun‚ if you crave excitement‚ go wrestle a demon barehanded."
Renjuro spoke. "Don't tempt me Captain‚ You know I might."
Everyone chuckled and Kaito seated besides Hakari looking outside the window cracked a smile.
Once again everyone quieted a little — though Renjuro grinned wider.
Takuma's gaze stayed fixed outside the window as the landscape rolled by.
"The four of you‚ Kaito‚ Hakari‚ Noboru and Noelle‚ you all fought that lower rank Pentad barely in the Smith's Village. But don't mistake survival for strength. The battlefield doesn't care how loud your attack names are — only how long your soul can stand the fire."
Kaito's eyes flickered up, listening. Hakari and Noelle sat straight, like students before a strict teacher.
Then Takuma looked directly at Noboru.
"Especially you, Noboru. You have two natures inside you — stone and lightning. You think that makes you strong, but it's what makes you unstable."
Noboru looked down, hand tightening on his sword's hilt.
Takuma spoke again. "Your heart must be steady as stone before lightning strikes — or you'll burn yourself from the inside."
There was a moment of silence. Even Renjuro didn't crack a joke this time.
Then Takuma turned to Kaito.
"And you, Kaito… power without restraint is just destruction. You carry the fire — but remember, flames can guide… or consume."
Kaito nodded, quietly. His left hand brushed his chest where the pain from overusing his majutsu against Tanzai still lingered.
The Banter Returns.
Renjuro leaned back with a grin.
"So, in short — don't get yourself killed, don't fry your organs, and don't burn the train. Great motivational speech, Captain."
Takuma chucked. "If it sticks in that thick skull of yours, I've done my job."
Hakari says teasingly. "You sure he even has one?"
Renjuro frowned. "Hakari-chan, that's mean. I definitely have one. It just… takes breaks."
Noboru snorted a laugh, and Kaito let a faint smile slip. The tension broke. For a moment, the six of them just existed like a mismatched family — loud, messy, and warm.
As the train began to slow down, the captain's tone softened again.
Takuma said. "Enjoy this peace while it lasts. Once this train stops, the world will ask again what kind of warriors you are."
Outside, mist rolled along the valley. The reflection of the fading sun turned the train's windows orange — like embers glowing in the dusk.
Kaito's hand rested on his katana. Noboru leaned back, staring out the opposite window.
Both silently wondered: When the next battle comes… will we still burn bright, or turn to ash?
The train's rhythmic clatter softened as the group moved to the dining car. The air was thick with the smell of simmering broth and freshly grilled skewers. Lanterns swayed gently overhead, casting a golden glow over the long wooden tables.
Renjuro was the first to sit, immediately grabbing a plate of dumplings.
"If missions always started with free food, I'd be the strongest Soul Slayer alive."
Hakari rolling her eyes "You'd just be the fattest one."
"That's muscle! …In progress."
The group chuckled. Takuma sat at the end of the table, quietly pouring himself tea. His posture was straight, but his presence filled the room like a calm fire — warm aura that made even Kaito feel less guarded for once.
Takuma said softly ."Eat well. A warrior's stomach should never be empty before battle."
Noelle laughed and said joking. "Captain, you always sound like an old monk for your young age."
Takuma replied. "That's because old monks live longer than cocky rookies."
Renjuro nearly choked laughing. Hakari hid her grin behind her bowl. Even Kaito's lips curved slightly.
As the food arrived — bowls of rice, steaming miso, fried fish — the chatter quieted. Kaito stirred his soup absentmindedly, lost in thought, his arm still wrapped in light bandages.
"You overused your flame majutsu again, didn't you?"
Kaito froze mid-sip.
"…Just pushed it too far."
Takuma replied more serious. "Fire isn't strength, Kaito. It's hunger. It grows until it burns the one who wields it. You must learn when to feed it and when to let it rest."
Beside him, Noboru had been quietly eating — until Takuma turned his gaze toward him too.
"And you, Noboru. You've awakened lightning, but your heart trembles. Why?"
Noboru hesitated, glancing at his hands.
"It's… not the power I'm scared of. It's what it takes from me." Noboru thinks to himself. "My gramp died because of this.."
Takuma spoke. "Then learn to make it give something back. Every ability demands a price, but a true slayer learns how to pay it without breaking."
Noelle smirked softly.
"Deep words as always, Captain. You sure you're not writing a book?"
"If I were, you'd all be in the chapter titled 'Hopeless Students of Kazuki."
Renjuro snorted out. "Hey! I'd be the comedic relief!"
Kaito spoke quietly ."Exactly."
Everyone laughed again. Even Hakari, couldn't help but giggle.
The train whistled faintly as it began to pass through a fog-covered bridge. Outside, lights from distant villages flickered like stars beneath them.
Takuma leaned back, his cup of tea steaming softly in his hand.
"You all remind me of when I started. We used to think courage meant swinging harder. Then we realized — courage is what keeps your blade steady when your hands are shaking."
For a moment, the car fell silent. The faint clatter of wheels and the whistle of wind filled the pause.
Kaito spoke quietly. "Were you scared back then, Captain?"
Takuma: smiling faintly "Every day. Still am. But fear is what keeps a man alive long enough to find his purpose."
Renjuro looked like he wanted to make a joke — but for once, he didn't.
Noelle looked away, hiding a small smile. Hakari leaned her head against the window, watching the stars streak by. Noboru rested his hand on his sword, feeling the quiet warmth of resolve settle in.
The train lights dimmed slightly as the conductor's voice echoed through the hall.
"Next stop: Shibuya City — arrival in two hour."
Takuma finished his tea and stood, stretching.
"Rest while you can. Once we step off this train, peace will be a luxury again."
Renjuro leaned back with a grin.
"Yeah, but at least we'll have full stomachs."
Noelle said. "And I'll have a headache because of you."
The laughter returned — light, genuine, and fleeting. Outside, the night deepened.
Takuma stretched, standing near the end of the dining car.
"We'll reach Shibuya City around two. Get some rest. The air there never sleeps — you'll need your strength."
Renjuro groaning "At two in the morning? I'm fighting my pillow first."
Noelle rolling her eyes "You'd still lose."
Takuma says. "Enough. Sleep before I make you run laps on the train roof."
The captain's voice was calm but carried that familiar edge — the one that made everyone obey without arguing.
One by one, the group slipped back to their compartments. The train swayed softly, its rhythm almost like a lullaby. Hakari and Noelle shared a quiet conversation before drifting off — small, tired smiles across their bunks
Noboru sat cross-legged for a while, cleaning his new blade before finally closing his eyes. The faint glow of the lamp shimmered across his sword before fading into darkness.
At the far end, Takuma sat near the window, his coat draped loosely around him. He wasn't asleep — not really. His eyes stayed half-open, watching the endless dark roll past the glass.
Kaito approached quietly, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Takuma said looking up at Kaito through his own sleepy eyes."You should be resting."
Kait shrugs, sitting anyway "Can't sleep. The train's too quiet."
Takuma gave a faint chuckle.
"You'll miss the quiet when it's gone."
A few moments passed in silence — only the sound of the train and the soft flicker of a lantern overhead. Then, without realizing, Kaito's head began to lean to the side… resting gently against Takuma's shoulder.
Takuma looked down, surprised for only a heartbeat. The boy's breathing had already slowed into steady rhythm — exhaustion finally taking over.
For a long moment, Takuma didn't move. Then, with a small, almost invisible smile, he adjusted his coat and pulled it slightly over Kaito's shoulders.
Takuma quietly. "Rest while you can, Kaito-kun… the fire's got a long road ahead."
Outside, the mist began to thicken along the tracks, swallowing the stars whole.
Far behind the train, on the rails glinting silver under the moonlight, something stirred. A thin silhouette shimmered — its shape wavering like smoke, its eyes faintly glowing blue.
The air bent around it, warping the night itself.
"Shibuya… the city of illusions…"
And then it vanished, as if the darkness had swallowed it whole.
Inside the train, Takuma finally closed his eyes, Kaito asleep at his side, the others dreaming down the corridor.