"Ara~"
Shinobu Kocho her older sister's hypocritical expression, Shinobu's purple eyes darted around, and a mischievous grin immediately appeared on her face.
"Sister, this is what you call 'a young girl in love'~"
"She's not even married yet, and she's already thinking of him in every way? Tsk tsk tsk, it's true what they say, 'a daughter grows up and leaves home'!"
"Do you think Mr. Giyu will come to propose marriage right after this assessment is over? Should I call him 'brother-in-law' or continue calling him 'Mr. Giyu'? Ugh, I'm so conflicted!"
"Little Shinobu!"
Kanae's face flushed bright red instantly!
She was both embarrassed and annoyed, and reached out to cover her sister's mouth. The two sisters immediately burst into laughter and started making a ruckus.
As they approached the exit, they unexpectedly ran into Kirikawa once again.
Kirikawa looked even more miserable than she had a few days ago.
Clearly, with the biggest threat, "Speed Demon," gone, the remaining weak demons are enough to give him a run for his money.
The moment Kirikawa saw the Kocho Sisters, his body instinctively shuddered.
He quickly lowered his head, stepped aside, and adopted a respectful posture as if to say, "I'm just a passerby, please don't look at me."
Shinobu Kocho, seeing his cowardly appearance, raised an eyebrow. Her little mouth, already prepared with three hundred sarcastic remarks, had just opened...
But as they passed by, Kirikawa suddenly bowed ninety degrees and shouted in an almost screaming voice:
"Kanae! Shinobu Kocho! Thank you for your immense kindness! I, Kirikawa, will never forget it! From this day forward, I am willing to go through fire and water for you!!"
"..."
The words that Shinobu Kocho to say were swallowed back down.
She paused for a moment, then scoffed dismissively, turned her head away, and couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention to this guy who seemed a little off.
Kanae maintained her gentle smile and nodded slightly to Kirikawa in response.
But there was an obvious sense of polite yet distant aloofness in that smile.
Just kidding, she was about to meet Mr. Giyu, and she didn't want to cause any unhappiness because of some unnecessary misunderstandings.
Beyond the Mount Fujikasane, before that familiar sea of purple flowers.
The five or six surviving swordsmen stood there, each with a different expression.
They were all dressed in rags, covered in blood, their faces filled with relief and exhaustion at surviving the ordeal.
However, at this moment, all of their eyes were focused in the same direction, and the expressions on their faces were remarkably consistent.
Stunned, his face filled with horror.
On a platform not far away, a figure stood quietly with his arms crossed.
He was a boy who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.
He wore a peculiar haori, half dark red and half snow white, and stood tall and straight like a pine tree, with his long black hair casually tied back.
His features were cool and handsome, as if carved from the finest jade, untouched by any worldly concerns.
Those icy blue eyes, calm as a still, icy pool, simply stood there, and an invisible yet palpable sense of terrifying oppression enveloped the entire platform, making everyone present almost unable to breathe!
"Water... Water Hashira... Giyu Tomioka?!?!"
In the crowd, someone, in a trembling, dreamlike tone, called out that resounding name.
"Boom--!"
The entire platform erupted in chaos!
"Oh my god! It's Lord Water Hashira! Am I dreaming?!"
"Why is Lord Water Hashira here? Could it be... could it be that something major has happened in Mount Fujikasane that we're unaware of?!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind?! How dare you make such a racket in front of Lord Water Hashira!"
"I never imagined... that I would actually see this legendary 'strongest swordsman' in my lifetime! Even if I don't pass the Final Selection, it'll all be worth it!"
The survivors lowered their voices, whispering excitedly, their eyes filled with fanatical worship and awe as they looked at the figure.
However, Giyu Tomioka seemed oblivious to everything around him.
His icy blue eyes were fixed intently on the exit of the forest shrouded in Wisteria ahead, as if trying to see through the entire space there.
"Quack--!"
A cawing sound, as if the crows were about to breathe their last, rang in his ears.
He saw an old crow, noticeably larger than a normal crow, with sparse and messy feathers, perched precariously on his shoulder, complaining frantically in an accusatory, tearful tone.
"Giyu! You heartless brat! Do you want to make my old bones fall apart on your way to see your sweetheart?!"
"You forced me to fly a journey that would normally take half a month in just three or four days! I've flown more in these few days than I've ever flown in my entire life!"
"My feathers have been almost ripped off by the wind! My wings are still cramping! And my back... it's about to break!"
"Look at me! Look at how haggard I look! If you have any conscience at all, hurry up and find me something to eat!"
"I want to eat the finest millet! And drink the sweetest spring water! Otherwise... otherwise I'll... I'll die right here! o(╥╥)o"
As Kanzaburo spoke, he became more and more agitated. In the end, he burst into tears, covered his face with his wings, and let out a tremendous, fake cry.
However, despite his messenger crow's spectacular performance, which was comparable to that of an Oscar-winning actor, Giyu Tomioka's face remained unchanged, with the same expressionless face as a perpetual iceberg.
He didn't even bother to give it a glance out of the corner of his eye.
His entire being was already focused on that one and only outlet that held all his thoughts.
Finally--
Under everyone's gaze, two incredibly beautiful figures, completely out of place with the somber atmosphere around them, slowly emerged from the sea of purple flowers.
The girl walking in front wore a pink butterfly-patterned haori. She was tall and beautiful, with a gentle smile like the warm spring sun on her face, like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
The girl following behind her was wearing a purple butterfly-patterned haori. She was petite with delicate features and a pair of bright purple eyes that sparkled with a cunning and lively light.
They were so pure and beautiful, as if they didn't belong to this mortal world.
The moment they saw them, the eyes of all the survivors present almost popped out of their sockets!
This... this guy went to participate in the Final Selection?!
Are you sure you didn't go to some scenic spot and have a luxurious seven-day vacation?!
When Giyu Tomioka saw that familiar figure appear unharmed before him, his tense heart finally relaxed completely.
His eyes, which had been like a frozen pool for millennia, melted silently at that moment.
A fleeting, gentle smile of relief, which he himself was unaware of, flashed across his lips.
Just then, the pink figure also noticed him.
The girl's smile faltered slightly upon seeing him, then blossomed into an unprecedentedly radiant and dazzling brilliance!
It was a pure, heartfelt surprise and joy, without any impurities!
"Giyu!!"
A clear, melodious call, filled with boundless joy, gently rang out from the platform.