The roars and complaints that no one cared about lasted only a little while before the view quickly returned to the group on the mountaintop.
Watching Zenitsu lose his mind, Tanjiro felt sympathy but also struggled not to laugh. He hurried to comfort him:
"Calm down! Look, this sparrow is actually... um, pretty cute too, right? So small and delicate..."
He tried to find its good points.
"Cute?! What good is cute, Tanjiro?!" Zenitsu whipped his head around and shouted at Tanjiro, tears and snot streaming down his face. "We're going to be killing man-eating demons!"
"Can cute feed me?! Can cute scare demons away? Can cute block a blade for me?! Waaaah..."
He abruptly turned to Kirishima Bupai beside him, seeking agreement or a little comfort.
At that moment, a huge, jet-black Kasugai Crow perched steadily on Kirishima Bupai's shoulder, its feathers glossy and its gaze unruly.
The Kasugai Crow was surveying the farce below with a haughty, condescending look.
Faced with Zenitsu's tearful, accusing gaze, Kirishima Bupai merely spread his hands innocently.
A faint smile of someone enjoying the show tugged at his lips. "Don't look at me. This has nothing to do with me. The birds make the choice. Why don't you go ask those girls?"
With that, he tipped his chin toward the twin sisters.
Zenitsu turned his hopeful gaze toward the two expressionless girls, desperate for an explanation, or even just some comfort.
However, the twin sisters simply stood there quietly, like two perfect sculptures of wisteria.
Their eyes were calm and unruffled, as though they had not heard his heart-wrenching accusations at all, and they completely ignored the poor little sparrow trembling in his hands.
Zenitsu looked around again.
Face after face, fellow members looking exhausted, relieved, or amused...
On their shoulders and arms perched black Kasugai Crows, some majestic, some fierce, and some quiet.
Only he, Zenitsu Agatsuma, stood alone holding a little sparrow that did not fit in at all, as though it had wandered onto the wrong set.
The blond boy who had been so worked up, yelling and shouting just moments earlier, instantly looked as though all his strength had been drained away.
The color rapidly drained from his face, only to be replaced by a flush of extreme embarrassment and shame.
Silently, ever so slowly, he lowered his head and carefully raised the little sparrow, still chirping softly, before his eyes.
His lips slightly parted, Zenitsu stared blankly, as though the whole world had lost its color.
He looked like a petrified plaster statue, or an animated reaction image frozen on the words "nothing left to live for."
Looking utterly out of place among everyone around him, he radiated intense despair in Mount Fujikasane's morning breeze.
At last, someone nearby failed to hold it in and snorted with laughter.
That laugh was like a fuse, instantly igniting the suppressed merriment.
Quiet laughter spread through the survivors, adding a touch of absurdity that left one unsure whether to laugh or cry to the end of this brutal selection.
Just then, the two girls spoke again, interrupting the farce.
"Next."
"Please choose your steel."
They lifted the red cloth from the table beside them, revealing rows of rough-looking black stones that gave off a faint sheen.
It was the special steel used to forge Nichirin Blades.
"According to your Breathing Styles and ways of fighting, this steel..."
"Will be forged into your personal Nichirin Blades by dedicated swordsmiths."
Everyone stepped forward to choose the steel they liked.
Genya looked at the crow cawing on the back of his hand, then at the stones, and immediately grew impatient.
He had thought he would receive a Nichirin Blade as soon as he passed the test. He had not expected so many more steps.
His temper was just about to flare when he caught sight of Kirishima Bupai standing at the very front out of the corner of his eye...
He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue...
He did not want another beating from that monster.
Genya could only glare fiercely at the crow, impatiently shake it off, then step forward and pick up a piece of steel at random.
The others also stepped forward to choose, but with an unspoken understanding, none dared make their selection before Kirishima Bupai did.
Tanjiro gave Kirishima Bupai a puzzled look, seemingly asking why he had not chosen yet.
In response, Kirishima Bupai smiled, stepped forward, and casually picked up a piece of steel.
To him, it made no difference what steel his sword was forged from. With his strength, even a wooden stick could unleash tremendous power.
Only after seeing Kirishima Bupai finish choosing did the others dare freely make their own selections.
Once they had chosen their steel, the two girls handed out Demon Slayer Corps uniforms to everyone.
When Kirishima Bupai received his uniform, he froze.
The overall design of this uniform actually bore some resemblance to the Vergil-style coat he was wearing.
Both were mainly black, giving them a very sharp look.
But the details were quite different, with two flowing red ribbons at the back that fluttered in the wind.
It also came with a white-and-gold cloak to wear over it, which looked imposing.
Most striking of all was the large character for "slay" embroidered in scarlet on the front of the cloak, giving it a grim, murderous air.
"Holy shit, that's pretty cool," Kirishima Bupai could not help murmuring.
He held it up against himself and felt that this uniform was practically tailor-made for him, perfectly matching his inner edgelord.
Put "Justice" on the back of this cloak, and it'd really have the right feel! Kirishima Bupai thought with mischievous amusement.
Just then, a crow a full size larger than the other Kasugai Crows suddenly flew in from the horizon.
It also had a purple scarf wrapped around its neck, making it quite distinctive.
The Kasugai Crow flew straight up to Kirishima Bupai and called in a booming voice, "Kirishima Bupai! Kirishima Bupai!"
"For slaying every demon during the Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane, your achievements are outstanding, and your strength is exceptional!"
"Following an assessment by Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, you are hereby promoted directly to Hashira rank!"
"Proceed immediately to Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters to attend the Hashira Meeting! The Kakushi are already waiting at the foot of the mountain. Please depart with them at once!"
Those words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone stunned.
Promoted straight to Hashira?!
Even exceptionally gifted swordsmen needed years of experience and illustrious achievements in battle to become a Hashira.
Yet Kirishima Bupai was a newcomer who had only just passed the Final Selection.
And he had actually skipped every rank, rising straight to the top to become a Hashira?!
This completely overturned everything they knew!
Zenitsu's mouth fell wide open, and he could not speak for a long while.
Now he felt that his sparrow might not be so hard to accept after all.
Compared with someone becoming a Hashira outright, what did his little problem amount to?
Genya's eyes went round, disbelief written all over his face.
He had always taken pride in his older brother, Sanemi Shinazugawa, being a Hashira, but now...
This guy was even more outrageous than his brother had been back then, becoming a Hashira as soon as he joined!
Tanjiro froze too, then broke into a heartfelt smile.
He knew Kirishima Bupai's strength. He deserved that position as a Hashira.
Kirishima Bupai raised his eyebrows. He was not surprised by this result.
"Understood."
Kirishima Bupai nodded to the Kasugai Crow.
He turned to Tanjiro. "I'm heading to Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters."
Tanjiro quickly nodded. "Yes, have a safe journey, Mr. Bupai. I'm going back to Mount Sagiri to see Nezuko too. I wonder if she's woken up."
"Give old man Urokodaki my regards," Kirishima Bupai said.
Before you continue