Sabito

"The Rumble Hashira? Is that the swordsman rumored to be the scapegoat?"

Watching Muzan and Akaza depart, Kokushibo could not help but feel a flicker of curiosity toward this "maverick" swordsman.

Clang... A zither chimed softly, and the space shifted.

Within the otherworldly Infinity Castle, silence descended once more.

Early morning, at the foot of Mt. Sagiri, in front of two humble wooden cabins.

Sabito, Makomo, and Tomioka Giyu were taking turns in their daily mandatory sword practice.

Judging by the sparring, Sabito was the strongest of the three, followed by Tomioka Giyu, while the younger Makomo seemed to be just tagging along.

A plump, pitch-black Kasugai Crow flashed across the sky above their heads.

Makomo, whose attention was the least focused, was the first to spot this peculiar Kasugai Crow.

She hurriedly looked toward the two sparring and shouted:

"Sabito! Tomioka Giyu! Look, there's a Kasugai Crow in the sky!"

"But this Kasugai Crow is so fat!"

As she spoke, Makomo stuck out her tongue, her expression full of naive charm.

Just then, a tall young swordsman with a large iron pot on his back, two long swords hanging at his waist, and an air of travel-worn exhaustion, slowly stepped into their field of vision.

Looking at the "familiar" trio before him, Kujo Tachibana smiled slightly, then let his gaze slide down.

He landed it on the man who would become the most disliked member of the Demon Slayer Corps—Tomioka Giyu!

(Tomioka Giyu: I, Tomioka Giyu, am not disliked! Yes, that's it!)

Studying the still-youthful Tomioka Giyu, Kujo Tachibana could not help but sigh inwardly:

Tomioka Giyu, you were much cuter when you were a child!

The troubles of adulthood are beyond your imagination...

The trio exchanged puzzled glances.

Who was this strangely dressed swordsman?

In the end, it was Sabito who stepped forward and asked, "May I ask what business you have on Mt. Sagiri?"

Kujo Tachibana smiled gently and explained in a soft voice:

"I was just passing through and thought I would pay a visit to a senior."

"Is it Master Urokodaki Sakonji?" Makomo tilted her head and interjected.

Kujo Tachibana nodded.

"Does that mean you're a member of the Demon Slayer Corps too?" Makomo's eyes lit up as she said excitedly.

As they were talking, the former Water Hashira, Urokodaki Sakonji, wearing his tengu mask, walked over quickly from the cabin.

"Hello, you must be Mr. Urokodaki Sakonji! I am Kujo Tachibana of the Demon Slayer Corps." Seeing Urokodaki Sakonji approach, Kujo Tachibana took the initiative to introduce himself.

After sniffing the scent on Kujo Tachibana, Urokodaki Sakonji nodded:

"Rumble Hashira, I have long heard of your great name!"

Following this, Urokodaki Sakonji led Kujo Tachibana into the cabin, brewed a pot of tea, and the two sat opposite each other.

"I wonder, Rumble Hashira, what brings you to Mt. Sagiri?"

Kujo Tachibana shook his head and said very politely:

"Senior, there is no need for such formalities; you may simply call me by my name."

"I was just passing by the vicinity of Mt. Sagiri and thought I would come to visit you, Senior."

The brows behind Urokodaki Sakonji's tengu mask furrowed slightly before smoothing out again; he did not ask any further questions.

He realized that Kujo Tachibana was not telling him the whole truth; Urokodaki Sakonji's nose had caught a hint of a lie.

However, the aura of justice and kindness on Kujo Tachibana was even stronger, and Urokodaki Sakonji believed that Kujo Tachibana would do nothing detrimental to the Demon Slayer Corps.

In truth, Kujo Tachibana had come to Mt. Sagiri specifically for other matters, though for Urokodaki Sakonji, this matter...

It should be a very good thing indeed!

Three days later, at the foot of Mt. Sagiri.

One large and two small youths set off together toward Mt. Fujikasane, the site of the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection.

Sabito frowned, curiously staring at the tall Kujo Tachibana walking ahead.

"Young Sabito, is there something the matter? Why do you keep staring at me?" Kujo Tachibana asked without even turning his head.

Sabito scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed, before looking at Kujo Tachibana's back and saying with unusual seriousness:

"Tachibana-san, I heard from Master that you are the Rumble Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"And that you are currently the strongest swordsman within the Demon Slayer Corps."

"For a powerful swordsman like you, time must be incredibly precious!"

"Why would you follow us to Mt. Fujikasane?"

Kujo Tachibana couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing this, thinking to himself:

You brat! When you get caught by the Hand Demon and are about to be eaten, let's see if you still think I'm wasting my time.

Kujo Tachibana then spoke up:

"You sure have a way with words, kid!"

"But what you're actually asking is why I'm neglecting my duties."

"Why am I following you to Mt. Fujikasane instead of out there slaying demons?"

At this point, Kujo Tachibana paused with a haughty air and let out a soft "hmph!"

Only then did he continue:

"Do you really think that's possible?"

"The reason I'm following you is, of course, because I have a mission!"

"However... this is a classified mission that only Hashira-level members are privy to!"

"Since neither of you are even official members yet, I cannot tell you!"

"I can only warn you: do not let your guard down for a single moment on this journey! The enemy could appear at any time!"

As he said this, Kujo Tachibana turned his head.

He looked at the two of them with a grave expression!

The two youngsters were instantly taken in by Kujo Tachibana's bluff, completely bewildered.

Throughout the journey, they were on edge, jumping at every sound and shadow!

The two didn't dare to be careless for a second, wishing they could keep one eye open even while sleeping...

It wasn't until they both arrived safely at Mt. Fujikasane, sporting dark circles under their eyes, that they realized they had been played!!

But in reality?

A classified mission, my foot!

Of course not; it was just a pretext Kujo Tachibana used to brush off Sabito and tease the two of them.

As for slaying demons?

Give me a break, Kujo Tachibana had been on assignment for a whole year!

Can't a guy take a few days off?

Although Kujo Tachibana's true purpose wasn't just to take a vacation.

Even a capitalist wouldn't work someone this hard, and Ubuyashiki Kagaya certainly wouldn't.

He had already reminded Kujo Tachibana several times to return to headquarters for a proper rest.

And while he was at it, to meet the other Hashira.

It wouldn't do to be in the Demon Slayer Corps for years without ever visiting headquarters, would it?

In truth, Kujo Tachibana's plan this time was to finish his business at Mt. Fujikasane and then return to headquarters to offer some suggestions to his boss.

The company's recruitment system was seriously flawed!

And it was a major problem; the current recruitment method was far too simple and crude!

Surviving seven days on Mt. Fujikasane was all it took to pass the exam, which completely failed to filter for exceptional talent.

Taking the initiative to fight for seven days and surviving would pass you, but clinging to someone else's coattails for seven days would also pass you.

Weaklings banding together to barely survive could pass, and even just finding a hole to hide in for seven days without dying would pass!

In short, this selection method could not filter out the slackers or the lucky ones!

And that was only the first issue!

The second!

Promising recruits with potential were likely to perish due to carelessness or the desire to protect others; Sabito was a living example of this.

As the most gifted swordsman of his generation, he had nearly cleared out Mt. Fujikasane to save fellow examinees harmed by demons.

When he was exhausted, he encountered the Hand Demon, whose strength rivaled that of a Lower Moon, and was ultimately defeated and killed.

He was a budding talent with the potential to become a Hashira, so why did the Demon Slayer Corps let him wither before he could even bloom?

Third!

Those who come to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps final selection are all reserves who have already undergone training, ranging from one year to as long as two or three years.

These people are not trash! They are talents!

They are a group of talents who possess noble ideals, fear no sacrifice, dare to face demons head-on and fight them, and have undergone formal training!

Even if they lack the talent to be swordsmen, couldn't they do other work?

These people have all mastered Breathing Styles!

Taking a step back, their physical and mental fortitude is also stronger than that of ordinary people!

Even if they didn't join the Demon Slayer Corps or the Kakushi, if they stayed among the common folk, couldn't they still help the Demon Slayer Corps by providing some intelligence?

Yet, most of them die during the entrance exam. A massive crowd comes to participate, but only a handful of kittens survive?

Being a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman is already a profession with a very high mortality rate, and the number of reserve members sacrificed during the entrance exam is even higher.

In summary, Kujo Tachibana feels!

The Demon Slayer Corps entrance exam is set up extremely unreasonably!

Kujo Tachibana feels that it cannot help the Demon Slayer Corps select excellent talents.

Nor can it provide the Demon Slayer Corps with a numerical advantage in swordsmen; its only function is to keep the total number of Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen from being too high or too low.

Kujo Tachibana truly cannot understand how, with such a backward selection method, the Demon Slayer Corps has managed to fight against Kibutsuji Muzan for a thousand years?

Could it be that they are just two weaklings pecking at each other?

Kujo Tachibana shook his head, hurriedly dispelling the strange thoughts in his mind!