Did Everyone Pass?

Mt. Sagiri, night.

"Whew... whew..."

Tomioka Giyu gasped for breath as he suddenly sat up from the ground.

Sabito used the stick in his hand to shift the rabbit over the campfire, keeping it from burning, then turned to Giyu and said gently:

"Giyu, you're awake! Mr. Tachibana has already left. He said your injuries weren't serious. Just rest for a few days and don't fight."

"You must be hungry, too! Don't worry, the rabbit will be ready soon."

Tomioka Giyu nodded dazedly. Looking at Sabito, he murmured:

"I just had a dream. I dreamed that you died!"

"Then I passed the Demon Slayer Corps selection."

"Later, I even became the Water Hashira..."

"And then? What happened after that?" Sabito didn't seem bothered at all by the fact that "he had died." Instead, he urged Giyu to continue.

Giyu recalled the dream, which was already growing hazier in his mind. After a moment, he finally spoke:

"After that..."

The formal Demon Slayer Corps recruit examination at Mt. Fujikasane, seven days later.

Kayama Shinichiro, the Demon Slayer Corps' Kanoe-ranked member in charge of this recruitment examination, stared in confusion at the youths gathered on the platform halfway up the mountain.

There are quite a lot of people who passed...

Are this year's recruits really all so strong?

Let me count. One... two... three... thirty-nine!

Kayama Shinichiro sucked in a sharp breath after finishing the count!

"What?!"

"Did I mess up this assignment?"

"Did all the demons on the mountain sneak away?"

Not a single recruit had been eliminated!!

If he really let every one of them pass,

the Tamahagane he'd brought wouldn't be enough.

(Tamahagane: The ore used to make Nichirin Swords.)

This had never happened before in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps!

Just as Kayama Shinichiro gripped his Nichirin Sword and headed for the mountain trail, intending to go up and investigate,

Kujo Tachibana, having searched Mt. Fujikasane and confirmed that no one else was still alive, came down from the mountain as well.

As he walked, he held a booklet and rapidly wrote in it.

It contained some of Tachibana's personal thoughts and suggestions based on this seven-day examination.

It also included information about this class of recruits: their personalities, fighting styles, growth potential, and suitable paths for development, among other things.

All of it was meant for Ubuyashiki Kagaya to review.

That was why Tachibana was confident he could change the Demon Slayer Corps' selection process!

Compared to the rough method of simply surviving for seven days, his approach was far more scientific!

Kujo Tachibana was sure Ubuyashiki Kagaya would see that.

"R-Rumble Hashira! What are you doing here?" Kayama Shinichiro happened to run into Kujo Tachibana at the entrance.

Kayama Shinichiro gazed at Tachibana, visibly excited, his eyes burning with fervent admiration.

As luck would have it, Kayama Shinichiro, who was in charge of this recruitment examination, had encountered Mukago, Lower Moon Four of the Twelve Kizuki, during a demon-slaying mission.

Fortunately, Kujo Tachibana had been nearby and not only saved Kayama Shinichiro,

but also killed Lower Moon Four, Mukago, with a single strike!

Kayama Shinichiro had been utterly awestruck. And after hearing the endless stories of the Rumble Hashira's heroic deeds that followed,

how could he not be won over by Kujo Tachibana?

"Shinichiro!"

"Good. You look full of energy!"

Kujo Tachibana nodded. It was good to see someone he knew; that would save him the trouble of explaining everything.

"Yes! Rumble Hashira, Kayama Shinichiro, Kanoe-ranked member of the Demon Slayer Corps, greets you!" Kayama Shinichiro straightened his chest and spoke loudly to Kujo Tachibana.

"The unusual circumstances surrounding this examination were actually my doing."

"This had nothing to do with you. I'll explain the situation to Master later."

After explaining a few things to Shinichiro, Kujo Tachibana led him over to the recruits.

Looking at their youthful faces, Kujo Tachibana spoke loudly:

"Hello, everyone. I'm Kujo Tachibana, the Rumble Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"I want to apologize to all of you!"

"Because I acted on my own, your examination took an unexpected turn!"

As he spoke, Kujo Tachibana bowed deeply to the youths before him.

When he straightened up, Kujo Tachibana continued:

"Based on my personal observations, the following twelve people meet the standards for joining the Demon Slayer Corps!"

"Of course, this is only my personal opinion. When I call your names, please step forward!"

"Urokodaki Sabito, Tomioka Giyu, Murata Hikoichi..."

The youths whose names weren't called began whispering among themselves.

Kujo Tachibana nodded at the twelve youths who had stepped forward, then looked at everyone and continued:

"Young people! You are all brave. But after these seven days of examination,"

"have you really thought it through?"

"Are you truly suited to becoming swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"And fighting demons isn't the sole responsibility of swordsmen!"

"The Corps' Kakushi have an equally important role!"

"If you think you don't have what it takes to be a swordsman, you're welcome to join the Kakushi!"

Kujo Tachibana turned to look at the twelve youths he had just called forward.

"I want to give every one of you a choice, including the twelve of you!"

"If you wish to join the Demon Slayer Corps as a swordsman, please go to the left and line up!"

"If you're willing to join the Corps as Kakushi, please go to the right and form a line as well!"

"If you don't want to choose either, stay where you are!"

A moment later, Kujo Tachibana looked at the two lines: thirty-one people to the left and only eight to the right. He sighed softly!

He seemed to have done a lot, and yet he also seemed to have done nothing at all...

Who knew whether even half of the thirty-one people on the left would still be alive a year from now? The path of a Demon Slayer had never been an easy one.

After a moment, Kujo Tachibana looked at the youths before him and nodded.

"I respect your choices!"

"I look forward to fighting alongside you all in the battles to come!"

With that, Kujo Tachibana smiled brightly at the youths.

Three days later, at Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.

Kujo Tachibana sat facing Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

Kujo Tachibana was playing with a baby who was six months old. She was the eldest of Ubuyashiki Kagaya's five children, Ubuyashiki Hinaki.

Little Hinaki had soft, fine white hair, purple eyes, and a tiny cherry-like mouth above a delicate nose.

She was truly a beauty one couldn't help but feel tender toward.

It was worth mentioning that all five children had been born in the same birth!

In other words, they were quintuplets!

The third child, Ubuyashiki Kiriya, was a boy. The other four were girls.

And now, their Master, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, had to give up his precious time with the children because of Kujo Tachibana, stuck working overtime in misery.

All because Kujo Tachibana had brought him a small booklet titled "Demon Slayer Corps Talent Selection Plan!"