Homecoming

Looking at the table of tamahagane before him, Lin Guang tried reaching out to it with the power of the Ice-Ice Fruit.

Wisps of cold air radiated from Lin Guang, and everyone felt the air around them grow a little colder.

"Doesn't it feel a little colder around here?"

"We barely dared to rest for seven days. We're all drenched in sweat, so of course a breeze would make us feel cold."

"That makes sense."

Only Tanjiro and Kanao, who stood beside Lin Guang, knew that the chill was coming from him.

Tanjiro looked at Lin Guang and thought, Is Lin Guang using a Breathing Style to choose his tamahagane? How should I choose mine? Should I use a Breathing Style like him?

Soon, Lin Guang sensed a piece of tamahagane that was compatible with the Ice-Ice Fruit's power.

He looked toward a slightly whitish piece of material at the corner of the table.

"I'll take this one." Lin Guang picked up his chosen material, then turned and stepped aside.

Tanjiro relied on his keen sense of smell to choose his steel, while Kanao simply picked a piece at random.

Once Lin Guang and the others had made their choices, it was the other youths' turn. Some of them, however, made no move and simply stood quietly to one side, as though they had no interest in Nichirin Blades.

Seeing this, the two little girls spoke.

"If you don't wish to become Demon Slayers, or feel that you aren't strong enough, you may join the Hidden Department."

"The Hidden Department handles logistics for the Demon Slayer Corps. Aside from miscellaneous duties, its main task is cleaning up battlefields. It's much safer than slaying demons."

After going through this selection, these youths had gained a clear understanding of their own strength. They had no intention of trying to coast through, because doing so would mean death the next time they encountered a demon.

Hearing the two little girls mention a logistics department, those youths breathed a sigh of relief.

"That sounds good. I'll join the Hidden Department, then. I'll still be doing my part for the Demon Slayer Corps."

And so, a group of them joined the Hidden Department. A small number remained inexplicably confident in their strength and still chose to join the Demon Slayer Corps.

Half an hour later, the Demon Slayer Corps' selection officially ended, and the youths gathered on Mount Fujikasane gradually dispersed.

Afterward, Lin Guang and Tanjiro said goodbye to Kanao and went their separate ways from her.

Lin Guang and Tanjiro prepared to return to Mount Sagiri and wait for the swordsmiths to deliver their custom-forged Nichirin Blades.

It was already night when they returned to Mount Sagiri and arrived at Urokodaki's little wooden house.

With a bang, the door was kicked open. Then Lin Guang and Tanjiro saw Nezuko step out of the house.

The instant Tanjiro saw Nezuko, the worry that had weighed on his heart for a year finally lifted.

"Ah! Nezuko, you're awake?"

When Nezuko saw Tanjiro, she ran toward him.

The siblings embraced, and Tanjiro lost control of his surging emotions and burst into tears.

"Why did you suddenly fall asleep? And why wouldn't you wake up? I thought you were going to die!" The emotions Tanjiro had held back for two years finally poured out before Nezuko.

Sakonji Urokodaki happened to witness the scene. After exchanging a look with Lin Guang for a few seconds, he dropped the firewood in his hands and walked toward Lin Guang and the siblings.

Lin Guang smiled. "We're home."

Sakonji Urokodaki gathered Lin Guang, Tanjiro, and Nezuko into an embrace. Beneath his mask, tears flowed down his face as he murmured, "You... all came back alive and well."

Both Lin Guang and Tanjiro had returned alive. The tragedy that had befallen Sabito and Makomo had not repeated itself with them, and the shackles around Sakonji Urokodaki's heart finally broke.

Because almost none of his students had survived the selection, Sakonji Urokodaki had asked about Mount Fujikasane and learned that a demon there seemed to be specifically targeting his students.

But the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection prevented Sakonji Urokodaki from interfering in matters on Mount Fujikasane, so he had blamed himself for everything.

At last, Lin Guang and Tanjiro's return had become the key that unlocked the shackles binding Sakonji Urokodaki.

Lin Guang and Tanjiro bathed and changed, washing away seven days of exhaustion, then ate their fill.

Sakonji Urokodaki asked them about the Final Selection.

With an unspoken understanding, neither Lin Guang nor Tanjiro mentioned that they had split up.

When Sakonji Urokodaki heard that Lin Guang and Tanjiro had killed the Abnormal Demon, the shackles in his heart vanished completely.

"I see. So you killed the Abnormal Demon."

"Yes," Tanjiro and Lin Guang answered in unison.

"At last... It's truly remarkable that you both made it back." Feeling a sense of release, Sakonji Urokodaki praised Lin Guang and Tanjiro.

Then Sakonji Urokodaki continued, "There are many kinds of demons. Those that can use special supernatural techniques called Blood Demon Arts are demons with special abilities."

"From now on, you'll probably fight demons like that, too."

Lin Guang smiled. "No matter what kind of demons they are, I'll destroy them all!"