Mizunoto Swordsman

The seven-day survival period had passed, and the Final Selection at Mt. Fujikasane was over. Only a handful of people emerged from the mountain.

Of the nearly fifty participants at the start, fewer than twenty remained. That was only because Sabito and Suzuki Mufeng had come to their rescue.

They all carried a chilling air of bloodlust, and determination shone in their eyes. They seemed reborn, like divine weapons forged through countless trials, now revealing their edge. Only now did they truly qualify as warriors.

Everyone had gained something from this Final Selection. Ever since killing the Hand Demon, Suzuki Mufeng had felt his mental strength increase several times over in a single night. It seemed to be a gift from the souls of his fellow disciples.

He could even clearly sense the movement of the air. If he focused, he could see everyone's movements slow down countless times, allowing him to strike with pinpoint accuracy.

During that time, he had returned to the Trans-Dimensional Space once. JoJo Mufeng and Hokage Mufeng had examined him and confirmed that there were no side effects. They even firmly believed this might be a precursor to unlocking the Transparent World—a key, so to speak.

As for Suzuki Mufeng's wish to learn other Breathing Styles, the three of them each offered their own suggestions.

"Uchiha Sasuke's a stubborn mule. He can't get the hang of Water Breathing, but he seems determined to keep at it. That's a waste of his talent. I suggest he learn Thunder Breathing first, so his big brother here can teach him and help him get over that hang-up."

"Thunder Breathing sounds great. If I ever get into trouble fighting Yoshikage Kira, I can use my speed to escape. I guarantee he won't even see my taillights."

"I agree, too. In the martial arts world, speed is unbeatable. That way, when the Paramount War comes and they start blasting away, I'll be able to escape."

After a discussion among all of them, Suzuki Mufeng decided to learn Thunder Breathing first. In the meantime, they also discovered something.

Time flowed at different speeds in their respective worlds. Only seven days had passed in the Demon Slayer world, while several months had gone by in the Naruto world. In the JoJo world, it had been a week or two. As for the One Piece world, they couldn't tell, since Mufeng from that world had gone offline early.

It seemed they still hadn't fully explored the Trans-Dimensional Space. With the Final Selection over and the swordsmen needing to choose their ore for forging their swords, they soon logged off.

After chatting for a while, the Ubuyashiki Sisters came out and stood before a table covered with purple cloth.

"Congratulations on passing the selection."

"First, we'll hand out your uniforms."

"We'll take your measurements and then mark your ranks: Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto. You are currently at the lowest rank, Mizunoto."

"Next, you'll choose the Tamahagane that will be used to forge your own Nichirin Swords."

"Forging will take around ten to fifteen days. Your swords will be delivered to you by swordsmiths."

The Ubuyashiki Sisters suddenly clapped their hands, and more than twenty Kasugai Crows landed on their shoulders.

"From now on, a Kasugai Crow will accompany each of you, mainly to relay messages."

"Please begin choosing your Tamahagane."

The Ubuyashiki Sisters pulled away the purple cloth, revealing more than twenty pieces of Tamahagane.

"Your Nichirin Swords will be your weapons for slaying demons from now on, and your lives will depend on them. Please choose carefully."

As soon as they finished speaking, not a single person stepped forward to choose a piece of Tamahagane. Instead, everyone's eyes turned to Suzuki Mufeng, who had four Nichirin Swords hanging from his waist.

"It seems everyone wants you to go first. They'd like you to choose your Tamahagane before them. Go ahead, Mufeng."

Suzuki Mufeng had single-handedly slain two-thirds of the demons on Mt. Fujikasane. The remaining third had been killed by Sabito and the others working together.

Everyone had witnessed Mufeng's strength. They respected him from the bottom of their hearts, and a strong swordsman like him deserved to be the first to choose the Tamahagane for his Nichirin Sword.

"Please come forward and choose your Tamahagane, Lord Suzuki Mufeng." x2

The Ubuyashiki Sisters invited him with smiles, their eyes revealing a hint of curiosity. After all, a swordsman fresh from a trainer's care who had nearly wiped out all the demons on Mt. Fujikasane alone was unprecedented in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps. It was only natural to be curious.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll take this one."

Suzuki Mufeng didn't hesitate. He took the piece of Tamahagane that felt the best to him. Sabito came up next to choose, and before long, all the pieces had been claimed.

All they had to do now was return to Mt. Sagiri and wait for their Demon Slayer Corps uniforms and forged Nichirin Swords.

As they prepared to return to Mt. Sagiri together and report that they were safe, Suzuki Mufeng stopped and spoke.

"Sabito, please tell the old master I'm safe. I want to learn Thunder Breathing first and improve my strength as quickly as I can."

"In such a hurry? All right, then. I hope you learn well."

Sabito didn't say much more, simply offering him his best wishes.

"Here, this flower crown is for you, Mufeng. May fortune favor you in battle, and may you wipe out every demon in the world."

Makomo rose onto her tiptoes and placed the wisteria flower crown she had just woven on Suzuki Mufeng's head.

Giyu Tomioka punched Mufeng in the shoulder. "Come back soon. The next time we meet, you won't be able to beat me."

"You mean you'll surpass me by then? I look forward to that day. Until we meet again, everyone."

Suzuki Mufeng turned and left, leaving the three of them watching his retreating figure. A thought rose in their hearts: they had to become stronger than they were now, strong enough to stand beside Suzuki Mufeng.

Meanwhile, in a secluded, quiet courtyard house, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat peacefully on the tatami. A Kasugai Crow flew into the room and landed on his finger. He leaned closer, pressing his ear near the crow's beak.

"So twenty-seven children passed this Final Selection? Suzuki Mufeng nearly wiped out every demon on Mt. Fujikasane by himself. Another exceptionally talented child has appeared.

"And this child plans to learn another Breathing Style? He has both talent and diligence. Perhaps this child is the turning point. Muzan Kibutsuji, I will eradicate you once and for all in my generation!"

His emotions surged, and his already frail body was drained of what little strength it had left. His eyelids had begun to droop. He needed to sleep for a while.

As Suzuki Mufeng set off to find Jigoro Kuwajima, the Thunder Breathing trainer, he suddenly realized there was a serious problem: he didn't know the way!

"I was so focused on saying goodbye that I completely forgot to ask for directions."

Just then, the Kasugai Crow landed on Suzuki Mufeng's shoulder and said respectfully, "Lord Mufeng, I know where the former Thunder Hashira lives. Let me be your guide for the time being."

It then bowed solemnly to Mufeng, looking every bit like a gentleman among crows.

"Allow me to add something, Lord Mufeng. Headquarters has sent word that many young women have gone missing in the town just ahead, to the left. They hope that Lord Mufeng, as a Mizunoto, will go and provide support.

"The location of this mission is right on the way to our destination. You don't need to worry about delaying your journey, Lord Mufeng."

Slaying demons was the duty of every member of the Corps. Even if it meant taking a detour and losing time, now that he knew about it, he couldn't just stand by.

"Let's get going."