Chapter Text
A loud horn whistled overhead as clouds of dark gray smoke steadily blew upward toward the pale orange sky above. Zenitsu stared at the large machine the smoke chugged from, his grip on Tanjiro’s haori increasingly getting tighter at the second. In front of them was the ill-fated train that had been reported to be plagued by a demon for weeks now, which they would soon be boarding.
They were doomed.
“Gyahh! Wha… W-what the hell is that thing?!” A gruff voice exclaimed close by.
Zenitsu looked over, raising an eyebrow as Inosuke pointed at the large machine before them with surprisingly terror in his shaky finger.
“I-is this the master of the land? The one that controls it?”
Inosuke swirled back to face both Tanjiro and Zenitsu, puffs of smoke blowing out from the nose of his boar mask in excitement as he continued to eagerly point at the large train.
“See how long it is! So intimidating! No mistake! Don’t let your guard down you two! This thing will attack us once it awakes!”
Zenitsu stared back, his nervousness immediately being replaced by total bewilderment. Surely his ears misheard it. There was no way that Inosuke really thought the train in front of them was an animal, right?
No wait, this was Inosuke. Of course, he would think such a thing.
“It’s a steam engine, Inosuke,” Zenitsu corrected with a deep sigh. “Haven’t you ever seen one before?”
“Shush, Monitsu!” Inosuke interjected with a wave of his hand. The wild boy crouched forward on his knees as he reached for his twin swords, readying himself to attack the train in front of him.
“I will lead the charge!”
“It’s a machine, Inosuke!” Zenitsu shouted, but Inosuke completely ignored him. With panic, Zenitsu quickly turned to Tanjiro and tugged on the redheaded boy’s haori, praying that Tanjiro would be enough to stop Inosuke before the rowdy boy struck the train with his swords. They could not let Insouke damage the priceless machinery.
“Tell him, Tanjiro!”
Tanjiro nodded at Zenitsu’s plea and the kind boy commanded Inosuke to stop. Instantly, Inosuke froze at Tanjiro’s voice, releasing his hold over his swords. Seeing Inosuke coming to a still, Zenitsu felt his body sag in immediate relief. He was thankful that Inosuke usually listened to Tanjiro. If Inosuke had managed to attack the train, the three of them would have surely been chased away by the officers around them or worse, taken into custody.
“Huh?! Why you stop me, Kobachiro? I wanted to attack it!”
“You can’t do that, Inosuke,” Tanjiro replied and Zenitsu watched as the red-haired boy smiled earnestly, his eyes aglow with awe.
“This could be the guardian spirit of this land. It may not be a good idea to attack it so suddenly.”
Zenitsu couldn’t help the small noise of exasperation that escaped his lips once he registered what Tanjiro had said. His only remaining source of sanity had just outrightly called the machinery in front of them a god.
A god of all things.
‘These country bumpkins…’
Massaging the migraine he could feel coming, Zenitsu stomped his foot forward and furiously pointed at the train before them.
“It’s a train you two! A steam engine! A vehicle that carries people! NOT A GOD!”
“Eh, Chenitsu?! You’ve met this god before? Then why didn’t you say so?! Tell me how to strike it down! I want to be the one to conquer it!” Inosuke commanded with a fist raised to the air in glee.
“A train, Inosuke! IT’S A TRAIN!!!” Zenitsu shouted, so done with his friend’s antics. It was a wonder how his friends were even still alive with how little they knew of the world outside their respective mountains.
After giving a short impromptu lecture to his friends about what a train was and that no, it could not be attacked (Inosuke) and no it was not a god (Tanjiro), Zenitsu led his friends inside one of the train’s compartments. The officer standing by the door eyed them with suspicion but thankfully did not stop them from questioning them. The inside of the compartment was already packed with various people of different ages, but none of the seated passengers seemed to care to glance at the trio. Zenitsu was grateful for that. They practically stood out as it was. They were not dressed like the people around them and were even carrying swords (wrapped in cloth that Aoi provided for them to use to hide), something a normal person would not be taking onto a train. Zenitsu was at least thankful that he had sent Chuntaro to stick with Tanjiro and Inosuke’s crows outside on the train, He was positive that any chirp Chuntaro made would only cause unwanted attention on them, which was something they did not need at all.
Beside Zenitsu, Tanjiro gave a glance around as he eyed the car with fascination.
“People sit here?”
Zenitsu nodded at Tanjiro’s question. “It’s a vehicle, Tanjiro. You don’t really stand around in it. You usually take a seat and relax or do something quietly until you reach the next destination.”
Zenitsu paused at that thought and narrowed his eyes over at Inosuke.
“Which means you, Inosuke.”
But Inosuke had already sprung forward.
The rambunctious boy dashed to the side, laughing boisterously as he shoved his head out from the opened window near them. Zenitsu gritted his teeth and stomped over to his ill-mannered friend who had barged so casually between the young couple sitting near the window. He apologized to the frightened wide-eyed couple, who were both obviously petrified at the overzealous boy before them, and pulled Inosuke back to the aisle. Making sure he held a tight grip on the back of Inosuke’s pants to keep the boy from taking off again, Zenitsu turned back to Tanjiro, pointing down the aisle to the next train car before them with his other hand.
“I hear Rengoku-san further down in one of the cars near the front. He sounds like he is making a lot of noise though.”
Tanjiro chuckled softly, a small, sweet smile forming on his face.
“Thank you, Zenitsu.”
Zenitsu waved off the blush he felt coming, instead opting to give a tight smile in return. With no other words to exchange, the trio trekked forward, going through each train car as they looked for the Flame Hashira. Zenitsu didn’t remember getting a good look at Rengoku back at the pillar meeting, but based on what he heard from how the Hashira acted, he seemed to have a flashy personality. And based on what he could hear from a few cars down, the guy was loud and jovial as well. Now that he remembered, Tanjiro had also mentioned that the Hashira had bright-colored hair and eyes as well. It made sense given how loud he was at that dreadful meeting.
Eventually, the trio reached the door before where Rengoku was seated. Nervously, Zenitsu felt his hand tightened into a shaky fist, nails slightly digging into the palm of his hand. He knew realistically, that Rengoku could not harm him and Nezuko, but that fear was ever still present in the back of his mind. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was still terrified of his superiors. Rengoku had been one of the many who had been against him and Nezuko being kept alive. He had wanted the two of them to be put to death. Just as he went through with Shinobu weeks ago, Zenitsu dreaded what Rengoku would say to him now.
Would he look at him the same way Shinobu did, eyeing him with so much contempt and hate behind a forced smile that was so obviously fake?
Zenitsu stiffened as something took hold of his clenched hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. He eyed the calloused hand over his own, his sight moving upward until his gaze reached the face the hand belonged to. Tanjiro smiled back at him, a small, radiant smile that instantly brought comfort to Zenitsu’s tight chest.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right here by your side, okay?”
Zenitsu’s hand went limp, the anxiety immediately seeping away. He felt his lips quiver, unable to say anything except to give a slight nod in return. He knew no matter how much he wanted to kneel over from the nauseating apprehension churning in his stomach, he could not let his friend down.
Not Tanjiro.
‘ I have to do this for him. ’
He had to trust his friend.
Tanjiro nodded at Zenitsu’s answer and slid the compartment door open. The trio barely took a step in before they were stopped by a loud, thunderous voice that echoed throughout the small train car.
“Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!”
Zenitsu flinched at the deafening voice. The flame Hashira was just as loud as he remembered, maybe even more so now that they were standing in the same room as him. And judging by the tone of the voice, it seemed Rengoku was in a positive mood. The Hashira was in the distance seated by the aisle eating from a bento box with a stack of empty bento boxes sitting next to him on an empty seat. It just seemed odd that Rengoku had to call out ‘delicious’ after every bite he took.
After regaining their composure, Tanjiro beckoned for Zenitsu and Inosuke to follow. Once they were close enough to the seated Hashira, Tanjiro called out to their enthusiastic superior.
“Um excuse me, Rengoku-san?”
“Delicious!”
“Rengoku-san?” Tanjiro asked more clearly.
“Delicious!”
“Rengoku-san.”
“Delicious!”
“Rengoku-san!” Tanjiro shouted as politely as he could.
Zenitsu exhaled softly, leaning forward in exhaustion as Tanjiro continued to try to get the over-enthusiastic Hashira’s attention. They certainly had their work cut out for them, didn’t they?
~~~~~~~
After Rengoku had finished the rest of his meal (a total of seven more bento boxes), the flame Hashira gave his undivided attention to Tanjiro, who wasted no time asking the Hashira what he needed to know about his father’s technique. Surprisingly, Rengoku listened to Tanjiro’s explanation in silence, only speaking momentarily to ask further questions about what Tanjiro had experienced in the fight with Rui. Once Tanjiro had finished speaking, the flame Hashira hummed in thought before deciding to speak.
“Unfortunately, I do not know anything about the ‘Dance of the Fire God’. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
Zenitsu exhaled softly as his shoulders slumped forward slightly in disappointment. If what Rengoku said was true, then the trio made this trip for nothing. Even despite Rengoku’s status, he had no information to offer to Tanjiro. And even worse, they still had a demon to defeat- a demon they should never have been assigned to kill to begin with.
“Hmm, on the other note, why don’t you become my disciple?” Rengoku suddenly asked.
“Eh?” Tanjiro’s voice resounded with deep confusion.
Rengoku gave a hearty laugh before looking over to where Zenitsu and Inosuke sat on the other side of the aisle. Although Zenitsu was wearing his mask, he felt his body instantly freeze at Rengoku’s intensive gaze. He shuddered, hands gripping tightly to his haori as he tried to steady his breathing. There was no reason for him to panic now of all times, not when they were around so many people. He couldn’t cause a scene.
But Rengoku’s golden red eyes had him rooted to his seat, terrified.
“In fact, how about all three of you become my disciples?” Rengoku continued, finally turning away from Zenitsu back to Tanjiro. “I’ll train all three of you to become the next pillars of the Demon Corp!”
“Disciple?” Inosuke muttered by Zenitsu’s side in confusion, who had opened the window next to him to lean his head out. Zenitsu released a shaky breath, glad that Rengoku was no longer looking at him before proceeding to answer Inosuke’s question.
“It means he will teach you his techniques,” Zenitsu whispered to Inosuke. “Although I don’t know how he would, given how we all use different breathing styles.”
“That doesn’t mean you cannot learn Agatsuma-san!”
Zenitsu flinched. He thought he had said that quietly, but it seemed Rengoku had heard him. Although, Rengoku didn’t sound angry. He was frighteningly loud, but not angry. It had to mean he wouldn’t hurt him. And wait, was he hearing right? Did the flame Hashira actually just address him?
“Y-you? What?” Zenitsu stuttered, shocked that Rengoku was talking to him.
Rengoku gave another booming laugh. “While it is true that breathing styles are different in techniques and movements, it shouldn’t stop you from learning. It is just as important to understand your comrades’ fight styles just as well as your own. In that way, you will know where to cover each other's weaknesses and strengths.”
Zenitsu didn’t reply as he silently processed Rengoku’s surprisingly thoughtful advice. He had never thought of it that way, but it made sense. There was no way of knowing what abilities demons possessed until the last moment of a fight, which could in turn cost someone’s life. If there was a chance to challenge that unpredictability, then the ideal way was to become familiarized with those they fought with. That could change the direction of a fight in an instant.
Zenitsu wondered if that advice could have saved all those individuals who had been lost back at Natagumo Mountain.
“Still, I must admit, I am still puzzled by you, Agatsuma-san.”
Zenitsu flinched.
And there it was- Rengoku’s denial of his status as a demon slayer. He expected this to happen. Rengoku would look at him with contempt now and say hurtful things to him, implying that he should have died back at the meeting. Like Shinobu, he would openly declare that he would not accept him and Nezuko, even if their master said otherwise.
It was going to hurt to hear that all over again from someone he wanted to trust and respect.
But unlike last time, Zenitsu realized he wasn’t alone.
Next to Zenitsu, Inosuke snapped his head away from the window the second he heard Rengoku's comment. Zenitsu heard the faintest grunt from Inosuke as the pig-headed boy leaned forward next to him as if Inosuke was challenging Rengoku to say anything else. And Tanjiro, who sat on the other side of Rengoku, stiffened. The red-haired boy quietly furrowed his eyebrows and pinched his lips, wordlessly looking over to Rengoku with a heated gaze.
They were the smallest of reactions, easily overlooked by anyone, but Zenitsu was touched by it all the same. It made him instantly feel safe.
“But Oyakata-sama believes in you and Kamado-san’s sister. I trust my master. That is why I have decided to offer my hand to you if you ever need any advice. I see potential in all three of you.”
And like a pin that was dropped, the atmosphere completely changed. Inosuke grunted and went back to sticking his head out of his window while Tanjiro silently curled his lips upward. Zenitsu himself felt his body relax as if an unforeseen weight was lifted from his shoulders. He met Rengoku’s gaze and gave a slight nod in return. He was grateful that Rengoku could not see his far too wide-eyed expression from underneath his mask. He was sure if Rengoku saw how he truly felt, the flame Hashira would question him as Shinobu had. He didn’t need that, not now.
But still, he appreciated that Rengoku didn’t hate his guts.
Tanjiro proceeded to talk to Rengoku some more and by that point, Zenitsu had stopped listening in to their conversation, his attention instead shifting to the rambunctious boy next to him. Inosuke was testing the limits of how much he could lean his body out of the window without completely falling out, even going as far as to proclaim he would race the train if the latter happened. Zenitsu, ever responsible, made sure to pull Inosuke back into the train whenever the pigheaded boy leaned far too out for his liking.
Eventually, the door behind them slid open as a single man stepped into the compartment.
Zenitsu blinked in a daze, puzzled as to why the man behind them sounded so odd. His heart was beating at a frighteningly rapid pace, which didn’t make sense. The man sounded reasonably healthy. And normally, a rapid heartbeat would possibly mean the man was frightened, but Zenitsu didn’t detect any fear from the man’s breathing. What he heard shockingly was desperation.
Which made him question what was making the man so desperate that his heartbeat was beating that fast.
Curiously, Zenitsu turned his sight away from Inosuke to peek around his seat to get a view, his eyes settling on the dark-haired male conductor who was walking quietly from seat to seat to check each passenger’s ticket. The man looked normal, albeit a little too frail with sunken eyes, but there was nothing wrong with his appearance that could be considered abnormal. Still, the way the man’s chest moved upward with each breath he took was alarming.
No, something was definitely wrong.
“Zenitsu?” Tanjiro’s voice echoed from the other side of the aisle.
“Ah, it’s nothing,” Zenitsu replied, looking back at the red-haired boy sitting across from him. He waved his hands back and forth nervously with a slight chuckle. “I just heard the conductor coming in.”
Tanjiro nodded, although Zenitsu could tell that he wanted to question him further. Thankfully, Rengoku had decided to ask the redheaded boy another question at that moment, diverting his friend’s attention. Zenitsu quietly thanked the jovial Hashira and directed his attention back to the conductor. He was a few feet away from them now.
Beads of sweat dotted Zenitsu’s forehead as he struggled to stay calm. The conductor was dangerously close now, but he didn’t want to alarm Tanjiro and the others. Not when there were still so many people around them. But with each step, the haggard man took, Zenitsu’s heart raced faster as the hairs on his back stood up.
He had to do something fast.
‘ Think, Zenitsu. You know something is wrong. Figure it out. ‘
As far as Zenitsu could tell, there was no demon on the train, and if there was, they were well hidden. Was the man perhaps being threatened? No, wait, that didn’t make sense. If threatened, the man would still be terrified. The conductor next to them was barely cognizant and yet, clearly distressed. There had to be a reason.
‘ If so, what can I do? ‘
What could someone like him possibly do?
“Your ticket please.”
Zenitsu blinked, his eyes widening in horror at the frail hand that was now outstretched towards him. The conductor had found his way to him, his sunken eyes looking down at him with little emotion in his dark pupils. Zenitsu stared at the frail hand for several agonizing seconds, before he met the man’s sunken gaze.
His ears didn’t lie. The man was desperate to see their tickets.
“Sir, your ticket please.”
Zenitsu gulped.
“I- I lost it.”
“Huh?” Inosuke shouted next to him. “But I thought you put-“
Zenitsu thrust his hand in front of the pigheaded boy’s mask, stopping Inosuke from continuing. He chuckled nervously as he shrugged, turning back to the conductor.
“I actually lost all three of our tickets back at the station. The wind carried them away right before we boarded.”
Zenitsu felt his friends’ gazes on him as he struggled to keep his composure. He knew they could tell he was lying. He wouldn’t lose their tickets that easily and risked being thrown off the train.
The conductor stared blankly before releasing a deep tired sigh.
“Very well, sir. If you would follow me. I will need you to confirm your and your friends’ identities.”
Before Zenitsu could utter a reply, the conductor turned his attention to Rengoku and grabbed the ticket the Hashira still had out in his hand. The conductor wordlessly punched a hole through the ticket and handed the ticket back to the man. He turned back to Zenitsu, waving his hand for him to follow.
“Come with me.”
Tanjiro immediately stood up along with Inosuke at the conductor's command.
“We’ll come along too,” Tanjiro said as he gestured to himself and Inosuke. “We also share responsibility for the lost tickets.”
“I also would be more than happy to accompany them to help clear things up!” Rengoku bellowed with a boisterous smile.
The conductor tiredly shook his head at the trio. “There is no need. One shall suffice.”
The man’s sunken eyes landed on Zenitsu once more.
“Now if you would follow me.”
Zenitsu gulped, but there was no turning back now. He turned to his friends and gave the pair a small wave in return, hoping that would be enough to reassure his friends.
“I’ll be fine, guys,” Zenitsu said with as much confidence as he could voice. He had to ease their worries. It was the least he could do for two of them.
“It will be quick. So don’t worry. Just going to sort this out for us.”
Both Tanjiro and Inosuke still looked hesitant, but thankfully they sat back down in their seats.
“Okay,” Tanjiro replied, but his dark red eyes said otherwise. It was obvious that Tanjiro was torn over the idea of Zenitsu going by himself. And Zenitsu understood. He didn’t want to leave them. The three of them were supposed to stick together, not be separated again like what happened back at Natagumo Mountain. And yet, that was exactly what was happening. They were being separated again.
And it was all Zenitsu’s fault.
But Zenitsu knew his friends understood him now after all they had been through together. He wouldn’t have lost their tickets so easily. That was not something he would do. It was undeniably clear to them that Zenitsu had lied.
And yet, although Tanjiro and Inosuke had no idea why Zenitsu had lied, they were still willing to put their full trust in him.
Zenitsu could not afford to let them down.
“I promise I will be okay.”
“I trust you, Zenitsu,” Tanjiro reassured, his sight never leaving Zenitsu’s form. He let out a soft sigh and his eyebrows shifted downward, lips forming into a tentative frown.
“I trust you. But still…” The kind boy shook his head and he looked back up at Zenitsu, silently conveying all he couldn’t say with his dark red eyes.
“Inosuke and I will still come get you if you don’t return soon, okay?”
Zenitsu quietly nodded his head in agreement, his mouth pinched slightly at Tanjiro’s solemn answer. That was all he needed. Taking a wispy breath, he moved up from his seat and began following after the conductor. Just before they exited the compartment, Zenitsu sneaked one last glance at his friends.
They were both still clearly worried, beats of anxiousness and concern reaching Zenitsu’s ears from their steady breathing.
Zenitsu realized he despised making his friends worry.
Zenitsu gritted his teeth and forced himself to look away from his friends, continuing forward. There was no going back now. He had to do this. For them. The silent conductor led him to the next train car, and the two continued to move down several compartments until they stopped at an empty one.
Only, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t empty. There were several heartbeats belonging to children near the seats towards the front of the train car.
They were hiding.
“Sir, your ticket please.”
Zenitsu moved his gaze away from where the children hid, his eyes meeting the conductor’s own once more. The conductor had decisively moved towards the door, blocking it with his body while Zenitsu wasn’t paying attention. And now, the conductor was once again holding his hand out towards Zenitsu for his ticket, the same ticket that was hidden in the pocket of his uniform alongside his two other friends’ tickets.
Zenitsu shook his head, lips quivering, fighting to keep his body still and composed.
He was trapped.
“I-I told you. I lost them. I can provide different identification for me and my friends if that is okay.”
The conductor didn’t reply to Zenitsu’s offer and only moved closer to Zenitsu, his hand further outstretched towards Zenitsu’s chest.
“Sir, your ticket.”
Zenitsu sucked in a breath, his eyes growing wide in terror. Zenitsu wanted to escape. He wanted to sprint back to the comforting presence of his friends and let them handle the rest, but he fought back against that cowardly urge. He wanted to change and right now, he had to be brave. The fact was he was the only one that could do anything. And at that moment, the conductor wanted their tickets for a reason- a reason that Zenitsu knew in his gut wasn’t right. He had to figure it out. He had to protect his friends from whatever the conductor wanted their tickets for.
He had to be strong for them.
So with all the courage he could muster in his trembling body, Zenitsu swallowed dryly and spoke.
“I don’t have it.”
The conductor didn’t answer, his eyes only staring listlessly forward at Zenitsu’s trembling form. Zenitsu furrowed his brow, skin pricking at the man’s emotionless expression. The conductor was not even reacting in anger, only staring forward with what little emotion he had in his unmoving eyes.
It was unnerving.
Zenitsu needed to do something.
“S-Sir, is there someone threatening you?”
The air crackled with tension as the conductor’s face suddenly contorted, his jaw tightening just a pinch. His sunken eyes twitched, hardening as they blazed with sharp indignation.
It was the first expression the conductor had made since the entire time Zenitsu had interacted with him.
Which meant Zenitsu had said the wrong thing.
Zenitsu stepped back, a prickling sensation shooting up his spine. His shaky hands raised to the air as he stumbled to reassure the conductor he wasn’t a threat, but it was abundantly clear that was useless. Still, Zenitsu had to try.
“P-Please, my friends and I can help you. Let’s go back and they can explain-”
Thump!
Zenitsu jolted and swirled back, eyebrows raised in alarm as his eyes immediately settled on the seat near the door where the sound reverberated from. There was no one visible by the seat, but Zenitsu’s ears didn’t lie. Behind the seat was a shaking boy, whose heart was beating too loudly for Zenitsu to simply ignore. The child was frightened, obviously petrified at the idea of being caught by Zenitsu.
Which seemed so wrong. Zenitsu would never think about hurting anyone.
Right, Zenitsu needed to help them.
Or at least talk to them to have a better understanding of the situation.
Zenitsu took a step forward and prepared to call out to the trembling child and attempt to alleviate their fear, but a blurry form suddenly entered his peripheral vision from the right. Before Zenitsu could even register what the blurry pale form was, he felt it enclose around his neck as his body was shoved towards the side.
Zenitsu hit the ground hard, a strangled cry escaping from his lips as the wind was knocked out of his chest. He gasped in uneven breaths, black spots forming in his vision as the object wrapped around his neck tightened in return. The edges of the ceiling above him warped and distorted, suddenly becoming unclear. A sickening wave of terror welled up from Zenitsu’s belly. He was going to pass out if he didn’t do anything soon. So he jerked forward, limbs thrashing as he tried to get the heavy object off of him. He needed air. His hands flailed to the air and grabbed onto what was around his neck and his nails dug in, clawing at what he could not see.
A sharp cry from above brought Zenitsu to an immediate halt.
And the conductor’s voice filled the train car with agonized pain.
The object around Zenitsu’s neck loosened, but Zenitsu did not dare move. No, he could not move. Instead, his skin grew ice cold as only one thought echoed through his cloudy mind.
He had hurt the conductor.
Footsteps echoed around Zenitsu and young faces filled Zenitsu’s blurry vision, narrowed eyes glaring down at him from above. Multiple voices resounded around Zenitsu, but they sounded muffled against the ringing in Zenitsu’s ears. Why couldn’t he respond?
“Hu..ry!”
“..eep him down!”
“Find ..the tic..!”
“Do...t let h.. go!”
Zenitsu felt his legs and arms become pinned against the floor as small hands grabbed at his clothes, tugging the fabric harshly in all directions. A surge of nausea twisted in the pit of Zenitsu’s stomach, the taste of bile in the back of his throat so pungent it made me want to reel. He enjoyed physical contact, craved it even, but this felt wrong. So very wrong. It did not at all feel like Tanjiro’s comforting hugs, Nezuko’s gentle pats, or even Inosuke’s careful nudges. It felt dirty, gross, and so discomforting.
He wanted it to stop.
A hand brushed against Zenitsu’s chest where the three tickets tucked in his pocket lay and a sharp cry of joy echoed from above.
And Zenitsu knew.
They had found what Zenitsu had tried to hide.
The tickets.
A flurry of movement and the tall form of the conductor stepped forward in Zenitsu’s spotty vision, the three tickets now clenched tightly in his shaky hand. Zenitsu’s eyes grew impossibly wide and he jolted up, the small hands weighing his body down suddenly being released. There was a cry of shock and panic in the background, but Zenitsu didn’t bother to react to the noise. Instead, he stumbled to his knees and shot up, his hands outstretched for the tickets hanging before him, desperately praying his hand would make it.
The conductor’s gaze met Zenitsu and a manic grin formed under his wide sunken eyes.
“Ah finally,” The conductor whispered. “I can see my wife and daughter again.”
There was a deafening click.
And then, Zenitsu knew no more.