Inner circle of Mount Fujikasane
A figure dressed in a blue haori with cloud and water patterns was slowly walking on the fallen leaves.
"Rustle--!"
Suddenly, from the shadows of the three ancient trees on the left, two mutated demons with twisted bodies sprang out!
"You brat! Your bone marrow smells so good—prepare to die!!"
Two bone claws tore through the night, closing in on them from above!
In the blink of an eye!
Tanjiro's ankle slid almost imperceptibly to the right, his body moving like a leaf floating in a gale, narrowly escaping through the gap between the two intersecting claw-like winds!
The left thumb gracefully pushes open the hilt!
"Clang--!"
Draw your blade! Slide forward! Horizontal slash!
The azure blade traced an arc in the darkness.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Two hideous ghost heads shot into the sky in response, turning into ashes in mid-air with an expression of extreme astonishment.
"Call..."
Tanjiro flicked his wrist, steadily sheathing the Nichirin Blade.
He reached up and touched the tip of his nose, letting out a somewhat listless sigh:
"Honestly, Grandpa Urokodaki described the selection process as incredibly dangerous, but so far we've only encountered weaklings who crumble at the slightest touch!"
"An opponent of this strength wouldn't even serve as a warm-up..."
However, before his complaint could fully dissipate into the night!
"Boom--!"
Without any warning!
A devastating shockwave erupted from the very center of Mount Fujikasane!
A chaotic sense of oppression spread wildly along the earth's crust, and ancient trees within a radius of several miles were violently blown outwards and fell by the gale!
"Clatter!"
Tanjiro's right foot, which had been about to step out, froze in mid-air.
His incredibly sensitive nose was instantly filled with a strong odor!
That was an extremely intense Demon Aura!
A turbulent storm brewed deep within Tanjiro's eyes:
"Didn't they say that Mount Fujikasane only has demons for newbies to practice on?!"
"What on earth is this ferocious and malevolent aura that seems to have crawled out of the deepest hell?!"
"This sense of oppression..."
"No! Something terrible has definitely happened!"
Tanjiro's relaxed and carefree expression was instantly replaced by a solemn look.
"If such a monster were to Mount Fujikasane, the other examinees who rushed there wouldn't even last a second; they would be torn to shreds instantly!"
"Total Concentration: Sun Breathing--!"
With a roar in his lungs, two streams of scalding white breath shot out from Tanjiro's nostrils!
"Bang!"
The rock beneath his feet cracked open, creating a large crater. Tanjiro's figure tore through the air, transforming into a dazzling crimson streak, charging forward against the immense, violent pressure!
At the same time,
On a rocky slope on the southwest side of the inner circle.
"Wow haha! The pig is advancing suddenly! The pig is advancing suddenly!!"
A berserk youth wearing a boar mask and shirtless was wielding two dented, serrated swords, slaughtering a group of unfortunate fodder demons!
Inosuke Hashibira completely defied convention; his movements were like those of a ferocious beast from the mountains. With his left foot planted on the chin of one demon, he sliced off the shoulder of another with his right sword, all while emitting a strange laugh.
"Weak! Too weak! You bunch of hornless wild dogs aren't even qualified to sharpen my knife!"
"Bring out your best fighter!"
Just as he kicked a ghost away...
The towering column of air that erupted from the core area suddenly transformed into a tangible storm, sweeping across the rocky slope!
"Whoosh--!"
The strong wind blew Inosuke's boar bristles backward!
The few remaining evil spirits around were so frightened by the Demon Aura emanating from a powerful superior that they knelt down.
However,
An ordinary person would be terrified and paralyzed by this oppressive aura, but this simple-minded wild boar boy's skin hairs stood on end in excitement!
Inosuke clashed his twin swords together in front of his chest, sparks flying, and he let out an excited, strange cry:
"Hahaha! I can feel it! My whole body is stinging!!"
"Mountain God! This must be the mountain god awakening!!"
Completely unaware of danger, Inosuke, relying on his beast-like instincts, charged straight towards the core area, kicking up clouds of dust as he howled!
On the northeastern edge of the inner circle,
"Waaaaah! Help! Gods, help me! Buddha, help me! Tanjiro, where are you?!"
A boy wearing a bright yellow triangular-patterned haori (a traditional Chinese garment) swung his legs like two rapidly spinning Fire Wheel, frantically fleeing through the forest!
Behind him, two monstrous demons with eight tentacles each and a hideous face were chasing after him, cursing wildly as they went:
"Stop right there! You little brat who only knows how to cry and whine! You've run around this tree thirty-seven times already! If you've got the guts, pull out your knife and fight us fair and square!"
"I won't pull it out! I'd rather die than pull it out! Pulling out a knife means taking responsibility!!"
"You two ugly monsters, stay away! My meat is sour! Eating it will not only give you diarrhea, but it will also make you lose your hair and turn you into balding monsters!!"
Just then...
The raging winds around us seemed to be extinguished by an invisible hand!
The two tentacled demons that had been running arrogantly behind them collapsed to the ground under the overwhelming Demon Aura, and were even so frightened that they lost control of their bladders on the spot!
Zenitsu, who was running wildly, was completely terrified!
"It's... it must be a lie! Why would there be such a monster in these wretched mountains?!"
At the top of a towering, sheer cliff.
A cold wind howled, blowing against a graceful and aloof young woman.
Kanao stood serenely on the edge of the cliff, her beautiful black hair tied in a single side ponytail, the pink butterfly hair ornament trembling slightly in the night.
Faced with the violent shockwaves that shook the sky from the core area, the owls and demons in the surrounding forest had already screamed and fled in panic.
Only Kanao's unfocused purplish-pink eyes remained calm and undisturbed.
Logically, she should remain in place until the seven-day selection process concludes.
However--,
The girl's right hand quietly reached into the pocket at her waist and took out a slightly cool copper coin.
"A coin can only show heads or tails, but your heart holds countless possibilities!"
"In the time to come, I hope you can try to listen to your inner voice!"
"The voice in my heart...?"
Kanao lowered her long eyelashes and gave a slight push with her thumb.
"Bite--"
A crisp, melodious metallic sound rang out in the night sky.
The copper coin tumbled in the moonlight, tracing a beautiful, shimmering arc, before settling gently into the girl's soft hand!
"Flower Breathing-- "
Kanao toes, her whole body like a phantom butterfly, silently cutting through the thick night and flying towards the core area.