Final Selection

"Thank you all for coming tonight to take part in the Demon Slayer Corps' final selection. The demons captured by our swordsmen are confined here on Mount Fujikasane. They cannot leave, because wisteria grows from the foot of the mountain to halfway up its slopes. Beyond this point, however, there is no wisteria. Survive in the area ahead for seven days, and you will pass the final selection."

The two explained the basic requirements in level voices. Upon hearing that they only needed to survive for seven days to pass, some of the candidates breathed a sigh of relief, while others grew tense.

They did not have to kill any demons, only stay alive. That alone hinted at how vicious demons were.

Once the two finished speaking, they stepped aside to clear the path up the mountain. The candidates set off, walking step by step toward the mountain where demons lurked.

"Sis, what kind of strategy do you think we should use?"

"Strategy? Kill, of course! Kill everything! Go on a killing spree!"

"..."

Chinatsu folded her arms across her chest and puffed two streams of air from her nostrils. Beside her, the corner of Tanjiro's mouth twitched. He thought it would be better to play it safe at a time like this...

Suddenly, his nose caught the scent of a demon. Almost instantly, he pinpointed it directly above him.

"Sis, watch out!"

Tanjiro immediately drew the sword at his waist and struck toward the source of the demonic scent.

Swish!

His blade rang out with a sound as clear as flowing water. Tanjiro had only intended to block the charging demon's attack, but in the blink of an eye, his sword severed its outstretched hand.

Tanjiro: Huh? Was... was it trying to scam me???

Tanjiro blinked in bewilderment. This was completely different from what he had imagined. Were the demons here... all this weak, or was this one faking it to trick him?

It had to be... the latter, right?

Tanjiro tightened both hands around his sword, breathing in and out to complete the cycle of Water Breathing. Just then, his nose caught another demonic scent.

Behind her! Behind Sis!

Tanjiro turned to warn Chinatsu, only to see that she had already drawn her sword and quickly raised it behind her, blocking the attack of a demon that lunged at her barely a second later.

Chinatsu took a deep breath, then spun sharply into a horizontal slash, unleashing Water Breathing's First Form, "Water Surface Slash." The demon behind her was beheaded in an instant.

"Tanjiro, hurry up with yours, too."

"Oh... r-right!"

At her words, Tanjiro quickly snapped out of his daze and focused on the low-level demon before him, which was regenerating the arm he had cut off.

If Sis could do it, so could I!

Tanjiro took a deep breath. He did not need to deliberately enter "Total Concentration" to bring out the power of his sword techniques. He and Chinatsu had already mastered "Total Concentration: Constant," keeping their bodies in a low-consumption version of "Total Concentration" at all times.

"Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

Tanjiro stepped forward, rippling currents bursting from his blade. In the blink of an eye, he stood behind the demon that had been in front of him.

As the sound of flowing water faded, the demon's head parted from its body.

"Nicely done! What a fine Water-Adjusting Beheading!"

Chinatsu applauded with her eyes narrowed into happy crescents. The corner of Tanjiro's mouth twitched. Though he was already used to his sister's nicknames for the various Water Breathing techniques, he still could not help correcting her.

"That was Fourth Form: Striking Tide..."

Joking aside, Tanjiro was more astonished by how easily he had dispatched the low-level demon before him.

Was I actually really strong now?!

Tanjiro tightened his grip on his sword, excitement and joy lighting up his face. After all, during his two years of training in the mountains, his sister had outclassed him at every turn. His opponents had always been either her or Master Urokodaki, so he had believed his strength was still nowhere near good enough.

So I was already this strong!

Tanjiro had only enjoyed that realization for a few seconds when Chinatsu landed another "Love Chop" on his forehead with a soft thump. She had not put much strength into it. She knew perfectly well how hard his skull was; hitting him harder would only hurt her.

"Are you still planning to hide out until it's over?"

"No! Since I have the power to defeat demons now, of course I should kill as many as I can!"

"Good! That's the spirit. I'll take the east, and you take the west. How does that sound?"

"No problem!"

Tanjiro and Chinatsu decided to split up and sweep the demons from Mount Fujikasane, just as Sabito had done years before-especially that vicious demon that clearly had no business being in a beginner area.

"Water Breathing: Water-Adjusting Beheading!"

Chinatsu wielded her sword, using Water Breathing's Fourth Form as she raced ahead and efficiently dispatched the vicious demons she encountered.

The demons on Mount Fujikasane were all low-level ones. Anyone who survived among them for seven days could become an official member of the Demon Slayer Corps. The rule set a reasonable bar for entry.

Yet a demon had appeared on Mount Fujikasane that was clearly a whole level stronger than the others. It ruled the mountain, snuffing out many promising candidates who should otherwise have been capable of passing.

Of course, for anyone who had mastered "Total Concentration: Constant," whether it was this "Demon King of Mount Fujikasane" or a crowd of low-level demons, the only difference was one slash or a few.

After slaying several low-level demons that had come courting death along her route, Chinatsu still had not found this "Demon King." Wondering whether she had run past it or whether it was in Tanjiro's area, she stopped and turned to head back.

Just then, she caught sight of a girl nearby wearing a pink, kimono-like outfit.

Kanao Tsuyuri!

In the original story, she was the strongest person taking the final selection at this point. She had trained under the Flower Hashira, one of the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps. If low-level demons lined up before her and came to die one by one, she could even become a new Hashira by fulfilling one of the only two conditions for promotion: killing fifty demons.

Of course, under the same circumstances, replacing Kanao with Chinatsu or Tanjiro would not make much difference. If low-level demons came at them head-on, one at a time, all of them, having reached the "Constant" level, could dispatch them with ease. At most, stamina might become an issue.

Then again, most demons were not the type to live in groups. Finding fifty alone would take a great deal of time, never mind all the things that could go wrong during a fight and get someone killed...

After spotting Kanao, Chinatsu momentarily abandoned the idea of turning and running back. Instead, she fixed her eyes on Kanao.

A low-level demon stood before Kanao, attempting to make her its prey and feast on her. Chinatsu had to say that this demon really knew how to pick an opponent. It had probably decided she would be easy to bully because she looked so harmless.

The demon opened its mouth, baring its sharp fangs. After gathering its strength, it lunged fiercely at Kanao, extending its equally sharp claws.

Swish!