Tanjiro took a deep breath and followed with Nezuko on his back.
Kirishima Bupai shrugged and followed them into the thick fog.
The moment they entered Mount Sagiri, the temperature dropped several degrees, and the fog grew even thicker, making it almost impossible to see a hand in front of their faces.
The air was damp, with a faint, fresh scent of vegetation.
"Stay close. Don't get separated." Urokodaki's voice came from ahead, carrying a slight echo.
Tanjiro quickly answered and followed close behind.
He could sense that something seemed to be lurking in the surrounding fog, making his skin crawl.
Kirishima Bupai paid it no mind, still following leisurely behind.
His senses far surpassed those of ordinary people. Even in fog this thick, he could clearly perceive everything around him.
He could hear a mountain stream flowing in the distance, smell the wild beasts deep in the forest, and even sense the faint fluctuations of energy in the fog.
"This fog is rather interesting."
Kirishima Bupai raised an eyebrow.
He could sense a special power within the fog, one that could interfere with people's senses and even affect their minds.
Ordinary people could easily lose their way here, or even start hallucinating.
But to him, this little trick was hardly worth mentioning.
The group walked through the thick fog for about an hour before a faint light finally appeared ahead.
As they drew closer, the light grew clearer, until a simple hut built halfway up the mountain came into view.
The hut was made of wood and looked somewhat shabby, but it was very tidy.
An oil lamp hung outside, casting a dim yellow glow that looked especially warm amid the thick fog.
"This is where you'll be staying from now on."
Sakonji Urokodaki told Tanjiro, "Go inside and rest. Your training officially begins tomorrow."
"Yes! Thank you, Mr. Urokodaki!"
Tanjiro bowed gratefully and entered the hut with Nezuko on his back.
Urokodaki glanced at Kirishima Bupai again. "If you don't mind, there's another empty hut next door."
"Whatever." Kirishima Bupai waved a hand and headed straight for the empty hut next door.
Urokodaki watched him go, sighed softly, then turned and walked into the depths of the fog.
Kirishima Bupai entered the empty hut. It was indeed very bare, with nothing but a bed and a table.
He casually took off his coat and tossed it onto the table, then walked to the window and looked out at the still-dense fog.
"Mount Sagiri, huh..."
He muttered under his breath, "Why aren't there any Upper Ranks here? I'm really itching for a fight."
As he muttered, he walked over to the bed, sat down, closed his eyes, and began sorting through his thoughts.
The system had already informed him that he had graduated, and the System Shop had opened as well.
Phantom Sword, Beowulf, Yamato...
These three weapons were all Vergil's signature equipment.
Although he could be invincible in this world with any Nichirin Blade, he had to admit that these three weapons really did look cool.
[Current points: 100]
"Points, huh..."
A smile curled at the corner of Kirishima Bupai's mouth. "Looks like I'll have to kill more demons."
After sleeping in, he recalled the details of the anime...
"Muzan Kibutsuji..."
A cold glint flashed through Kirishima Bupai's eyes. "I hope you won't go down too easily!"
Just then, Tanjiro's voice came from outside. He seemed to be talking to Nezuko.
Kirishima Bupai raised an eyebrow, paid it no mind, and continued resting with his eyes closed.
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Tanjiro was woken by a burst of urgent knocking.
He quickly got up and opened the door to find Sakonji Urokodaki already standing outside, still wearing the Tengu Mask.
Nezuko had fallen into a deep sleep. For a demon, this was the best way to conserve strength without eating humans.
"Are you ready?" Urokodaki asked.
"I'm ready!" Tanjiro nodded firmly.
"Good." Urokodaki turned and headed down the mountain. "Follow me."
Tanjiro hurried after him, not forgetting to glance back at the soundly sleeping Nezuko before gently closing the door.
The two arrived at a clearing at the foot of the mountain. Urokodaki pointed at an enormous boulder not far away and said, "Do you see that boulder?"
Tanjiro looked in the direction he was pointing. The boulder was more than twice a person's height, pitch-black all over, and looked exceptionally hard.
"Yes, Mr. Urokodaki."
"Starting today, your task is to split that boulder with this sword." Urokodaki handed Tanjiro a very ordinary-looking sword.
"Split... split that boulder?" Tanjiro's eyes widened as he stared at Urokodaki in disbelief. "Is-is that possible?"
"Nothing is impossible."
Urokodaki's voice was calm. "If you can't even split a boulder, how can you talk about slaying demons? How can you talk about protecting your sister?"
Tanjiro fell silent.
He knew Urokodaki was right. He had to become stronger.
Taking a deep breath, he accepted the wooden sword and gripped it tightly. "I understand, Mr. Urokodaki! I'll definitely split it!"
"Good." Urokodaki nodded. "Begin."
Tanjiro took a deep breath, raised the wooden sword, and charged at the enormous boulder.
He brought it down hard against the boulder with all his strength.
Thud!
With a dull impact, the blade slammed into the boulder, followed by a sharp crack.
The sword snapped in two, while the boulder remained completely intact, without so much as a mark on it.
Tanjiro froze, staring at the broken sword in his hand, his eyes filled with disappointment and frustration.
"Is that all the strength you have?" Urokodaki's voice came, carrying a trace of disappointment. "Too weak."
Tanjiro gritted his teeth, picked up the broken sword from the ground, and continued hacking at the boulder.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dull impacts echoed through the valley. The blade kept breaking, but the boulder still did not budge.
Sweat soaked Tanjiro's clothes, and his arms began to ache, but he did not give up. He kept raising the broken sword and hacking at the boulder, over and over.
Sakonji Urokodaki raised a hand to his forehead and sighed. He was just about to stop him and start teaching him the basics.
But just then, a languid voice came from beside them.
"Hey, listen. Even if you keep hacking away like that until nightfall, you won't split this lousy rock."
Tanjiro turned to look and found that Kirishima Bupai had appeared beside them at some point. He stood with his arms crossed, watching him with interest.
"Mr. Bupai?" Tanjiro was a little surprised. "Why are you up?"
"You were making too much noise for me to sleep." Kirishima Bupai curled his lip. "Look at you, struggling this much just to split a rock, and you want to be a Demon Slayer?"
Tanjiro's face instantly flushed bright red, and he said in embarrassment, "I-I'll work hard!"
"Work hard?"
Kirishima Bupai sneered. "What's the use of brute force alone? You don't even understand the most basic techniques for applying force. No matter how hard you work, you're just wasting your strength."
Tanjiro froze at his words. Full of confusion, he muttered the phrase, "Techniques for applying force?"
Before you continue