Nezuko Awakens and a Personal Nichirin Blade

On the morning of the seventh day of the Final Selection, sunlight pierced the mist that shrouded Mount Fujikasane year-round and fell upon the survivors.

At the foot of the mountain, the girls in kimono bearing the Wisteria crest stood silently before a sparse gathering of swordsmen who had passed the trial. Of the dozens who had come seven days ago, fewer than ten remained. The air was thick with the exhaustion of those who had survived, grief for lost companions, and a trace of anticipation for the new world ahead.

Moyu stood at the edge of the crowd, his training clothes stained with dust and dried blood. His expression remained calm, but his azure eyes were deeper than they had been seven days ago, as though they held more information and power that defied description. He surveyed the survivors. Tanjiro looked tired, but his eyes were bright and resolute; he had clearly grown during the trial as well. Zenitsu Agatsuma was still trembling with fear, clutching his Nichirin Blade and muttering to himself. Inosuke Hashibira, wearing his boar's head mask, stamped his feet impatiently, brimming with animal vitality. Kanao Tsuyuri, with a butterfly perched on her hand, the ill-tempered Genya Shinazugawa, and several minor characters who had not been described in detail in the original story also stood there, each bearing wounds.

[Final Selection survival mission complete. Survived seven days. Ordinary demons slain ×68, special demons slain ×2. Overall rating: S.]

[Rewards: coins +15,000 (base survival reward + kill rewards), Nichirin Blade resonance increased to 100% (temporary weapon), overall Breathing Style proficiency greatly increased.]

[New stage unlocked: Demon Slayer Corps member.]

The system notifications sounded in Moyu's mind, but he felt little reaction. To him, the seven days of killing and rescue had been more like an intensive course of combat training, further honing the coordination between Azure Flow Breathing Style and Six Eyes. After the Shadow-Stealing Demon, he had encountered no other abnormal demons of the same caliber, as though it really had been a chance mutation. That reassured him somewhat, though he did not let his guard down entirely.

"Congratulations, everyone, on passing the Final Selection," the girl leading the group said softly. "From today onward, you are all members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Now, please select the tamahagane that will be used to forge your personal Nichirin Blades."

Another girl presented a tray lined with black velvet, upon which lay several pieces of dull ore of varying sizes. This was the rare tamahagane.

The survivors stepped forward to choose in order. Relying on his keen intuition, Tanjiro picked a piece of tamahagane that looked ordinary but felt "warm" to him. Zenitsu practically closed his eyes and grabbed one at random, while Inosuke snatched the largest piece.

When Moyu's turn came, he did not immediately reach out. His Six Eyes flickered faintly as his gaze penetrated the surface of the tamahagane, analyzing its finest internal structures and energy conduction properties. All the pieces were of excellent quality, but he needed one best suited to carrying the energy of Azure Flow Breathing Style, with its qualities of both "flow" and "precision," and capable of resonating well with his Six Eyes.

His fingers finally settled on a dark piece of tamahagane that seemed to have tiny points of starlight flickering within it. In the vision of his Six Eyes, its atoms were arranged with exceptional regularity, and its energy channels were completely unobstructed. It faintly resonated with the breathing cursed energy in his body.

"I'll take this one." Moyu picked up the tamahagane. It felt cool in his hand, yet he could sense its restrained potential.

"Very well." The girl recorded his choice. "Forging your personal Nichirin Blades will take time. In approximately fifteen days, your Kasugai Crows will deliver them to the addresses you register. Now, please follow us to change into your uniforms and receive your Kasugai Crows."

The rest of the process was simple and efficient. Moyu changed into the Demon Slayer Corps' standard black uniform and donned a Mizunoto haori over it, marking him as a member of the lowest rank. A sharp-eyed crow landed on his shoulder. This was his messenger, a Kasugai Crow.

"Then we part ways here. May fortune favor you all in battle." The girls bowed in farewell.

After leaving Mount Fujikasane, Tanjiro was eager to return to Mount Sagiri and share the good news with Master Urokodaki. More than that, he wanted to check on Nezuko as soon as possible. Moyu naturally went with him.

The journey back was much easier than the trip there. The two traveled swiftly, and three days later, the familiar outline of Mount Sagiri came into view.

"Master Urokodaki! Nezuko! We're back!" Tanjiro shouted from a distance, his excitement plain to see.

Sakonji Urokodaki stood before the cabin, his hands clasped behind his back and his Tengu Mask on as always. Seeing his two disciples return safely, and especially sensing how much more refined their auras had become, the Tengu Mask gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Welcome back." Urokodaki's voice was calm, but carried a trace of relief.

Tanjiro rushed straight to the wooden box beside the cabin and carefully opened it. Moyu followed him over (he was very fond of Nezuko too).

Inside the box, Nezuko remained curled up and asleep, a bamboo tube in her mouth and her breathing steady. But a careful observer would have noticed that her complexion was rosier than before and her skin had a healthier glow, as though sleep had brought not only rest, but also some slow, beneficial change.

"Nezuko..." Tanjiro gently stroked his sister's hair, his eyes reddening. "We did it. I'm a member of the Demon Slayer Corps now! Soon I'll find a way to turn you human again!"

As though stirred by Tanjiro's voice and presence, Nezuko's eyelashes trembled. Then her pink, diamond-like eyes slowly opened.

"Mmm..." She made a faint nasal sound. Her gaze was a little dazed at first, but when it focused on Tanjiro's face, her eyes immediately curved into crescents. Though she could not speak, anyone could see her joy.

Then Nezuko turned her gaze to Moyu, who was standing beside Tanjiro. When her eyes met his azure ones, she froze for a moment. Then her large eyes lit up with intense curiosity and... a sense of closeness.

She reached out her small hand and grasped in Moyu's direction, making muffled sounds as though urging him to come closer.

Tanjiro was somewhat surprised. "Nezuko? What's wrong?" He remembered that Nezuko was supposed to be wary of strangers, unlike her family.

Moyu felt a stir in his heart and crouched down to meet Nezuko's gaze. His Six Eyes quietly activated, and he "saw" that the flow of energy within her was highly unusual. Unlike the foul darkness of an ordinary demon's, hers was a pure, warm body of energy imbued with a powerful will to protect. The aura of his Azure Flow Breathing Style, as well as the Six Eyes' own tranquil, profound quality of perceiving the essence of things, seemed to have a natural attraction for this pure energy.

Nezuko seemed even happier when Moyu came closer. She stretched her little hand toward him and finally caught a finger hanging at his side. Her touch was cool, yet impossibly soft. She rubbed her cheek against his finger and let out a contented "Mmm," like an affectionate kitten.

Even Moyu's ever-calm heart could not help but stir. He reached out with his other hand and gently rubbed Nezuko's head, his movements somewhat awkward but tender enough.

"She seems to like you a lot, Moyu," Tanjiro said, watching in surprise and delight. The fact that his sister had taken a liking to Moyu meant his aura made her feel safe.

"Perhaps it's because of my eyes, or my Breathing Style," Moyu explained. "Her energy is very pure, and its nature isn't incompatible with my power."

Urokodaki, who had been observing quietly nearby, spoke. "It seems Nezuko is in better condition than expected. She can distinguish the aura of good from evil. That's a good thing."

Over the following days, Moyu and Tanjiro stayed on Mount Sagiri for the time being. While waiting for their Nichirin Blades to arrive, they trained more deeply and adjusted to their identities as members of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Tanjiro continued studying how to combine Hinokami Kagura with Water Breathing, trying to uncover the secrets of Sun Breathing. Moyu focused on consolidating Azure Flow Breathing Style and attempted to convert the enormous sum of coins he had newly acquired. He spent 8,000 coins to fully master Nen Ability: The Four Fundamental Principles and perfectly integrate it into Azure Flow Breathing Style, bringing his energy control and mental strength recovery to a new level. He saved the remaining coins for emergencies.

Nezuko gradually spent more time awake. She was very well-behaved, spending most of her time quietly beside Tanjiro or curiously watching Moyu train. She seemed especially fond of the azure breathing cursed energy flowing around Moyu as he trained, and often watched it in a trance. Once, when Moyu finished training, he found Nezuko sitting on a nearby rock, her chin propped in both hands as she stared at him without blinking. He had no idea when she had settled there. When he looked over, she immediately gave him a brilliant smile, though the bamboo tube hid most of it, and waved her little hand vigorously.

Moyu chuckled and walked over. He took a wild fruit wrapped in a clean leaf from his pocket and offered it to her. He had picked it on the way back; it was sweet and juicy.

Nezuko's eyes lit up as she accepted the fruit. Though she could not eat it, she hugged it tightly to her chest like a treasure, then rubbed her head against Moyu's arm in thanks.

"What an adorable little one." Even the usually silent Urokodaki would occasionally show a hint of warmth when he saw Nezuko and Moyu interacting.

During that time, the Kasugai Crows brought their first mission orders. They were all investigations into suspected demon sightings in nearby areas and were not very difficult. Moyu and Tanjiro went separately and completed them with ease. Moyu's Kasugai Crow seemed to have inherited a trace of his calm, reporting missions concisely, while Tanjiro's Kasugai Crow was a bit of a... chatterbox.

Fifteen days flew by.

One afternoon, cawing rang out from the sky. Two Kasugai Crows swooped down, each carrying a long bundle wrapped in cloth, and landed in front of Moyu and Tanjiro respectively.

"Blades! The blades are here! Moyu! Tanjiro! Your Nichirin Blades have arrived!" Tanjiro's Kasugai Crow shouted.

Moyu took a deep breath and untied the cord around his bundle. A flash of cold light met his eyes.

The scabbard was a deep indigo, nearly black, but showed a subtle gradient under different lighting. The hilt was black, bound in dark blue wrapping. Its guard was a simple circle, made of a material that resembled iron but was not quite iron, with faint, delicate azure patterns at its center.

He gripped the hilt and slowly drew the blade.

A clear, ringing note sounded, like a spring flowing through a mountain stream. The blade bore a strange coloration: rather than a single color, it gradually shifted from nearly transparent at the spine to a clear azure toward the edge, finally concentrating into a deep, dark blue line at the cutting edge, as though the entire starry sky had been condensed upon it. As light played across the blade, starlight faintly flickered.

When Moyu infused a trace of Azure Flow Breathing Style's cursed energy into the blade, the entire sword seemed to spring to life! Azure light blazed, and the "starry sky" on the blade seemed to come alive. Tiny points of light revolved slowly like stars, resonating perfectly with Moyu's breathing and heartbeat. He could feel that the sword was like an extension of his arm. Its efficiency in conducting breathing cursed energy had reached an astonishing level, and it consumed less energy as well.

[Personal Nichirin Blade obtained: Azure Star]

[Quality: exceptional (can grow)]

[Attributes: excellent energy conductivity and adaptability. 100% compatibility with Azure Flow Breathing Style/Six Eyes. Can evolve as the user's strength increases.]

[Special effect: Azure Star Rotation (passive) — slightly increases the user's energy recovery speed and technique power.]

"What a beautiful sword!" Tanjiro exclaimed. His own Nichirin Blade had also changed color, turning black as the night. But when he channeled his Breathing Style into it, the blade took on a faint, dark red sheen that echoed the nascent Sun Breathing within him.

"It seems you've both received swords that suit you." Urokodaki nodded as he looked at the two utterly different Nichirin Blades, both of which held immense potential. "A sword is a swordsman's soul companion. Treat them well, and they will answer your will."

Moyu gently stroked Azure Star's cool blade, a feeling of reassurance welling up in him. With this personal Nichirin Blade, his combat strength would rise to another level.

That evening, Tanjiro excitedly practiced with his new sword in the clearing. Its black blade traced sharp arcs through the twilight, and the occasional spark-like flash of red revealed the extraordinary power within it.

Moyu stood to one side, quietly feeling Azure Star's rhythm in his hand. He swung it gently, using no forms, only the simplest chops, slashes, thrusts, and upward cuts. Azure blade light left faint afterimages in the air, like meteors streaking across the night sky.

Nezuko sat beneath the eaves, looking at her brother and then at Moyu. Her large eyes followed the azure blade light, and she occasionally made muffled sounds of admiration as her little feet swung happily in the air.

The setting sun's last rays stretched their three shadows, harmonious and warm. Their brief rest was about to end, and the road ahead would surely be filled with more hardship and battles. But for now, what filled Mount Sagiri was the bond between companions and anticipation for a new journey.

Moyu sheathed his sword, his azure eyes gazing into the distance. His life in the Demon Slayer Corps had officially begun. And his goal was far more than simply slaying demons. He would personally overturn those endings he could not accept.