Off to the selection

Every morning, Kirishima Bupai appeared at the training grounds right on time.

Holding a branch, he beckoned to Tanjiro. "Come on, let me see what you've got!"

Each time, Tanjiro mustered his courage and charged, only to be beaten in two or three moves without any chance to fight back.

Sometimes the branch struck his head, sometimes he was tripped to the ground, and sometimes an invisible force even sent him flying.

Although he took a terrible beating every time, Tanjiro improved at an astonishing pace.

Kirishima Bupai's attacks seemed casual, yet they always pinpointed his weaknesses.

This forced him to adjust his breathing and improve his movements quickly.

Through repeated failures and reflection, his understanding of Water Breathing deepened, and he grew increasingly agile.

After all, not everyone had the chance to spar with someone who was practically invincible in this world.

One day...

One week...

One month...

By then, a year and a half had passed since the two first arrived on this mountain...

And Nezuko had been asleep for a year and a half, too...

Finally, after a sparring session one day, Tanjiro dragged his exhausted body over to the enormous boulder from before.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing to the rhythm of Water Breathing, then abruptly drew his wooden sword and slashed at the boulder.

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"

Crack!

With a sharp crack, the boulder that had once left him helpless actually split in two under a single stroke.

Tanjiro froze. He looked at his slightly trembling hands, then at the split boulder, his eyes filled with incredulous joy.

He had done it! He had really done it!

He walked over to the nearby pond and looked at his bedraggled reflection.

His face was smeared with dirt, his clothes had several tears, and his hair was as messy as a bird's nest.

But his eyes were exceptionally bright, shining with determination.

Just then, Kirishima Bupai walked over, leisurely munching on an apple.

Tanjiro turned and bowed deeply to Kirishima Bupai, his voice sincere. "Mr. Bupai, thank you."

"If it weren't for you, I couldn't have improved this quickly."

At those words, Kirishima Bupai raised an eyebrow and swallowed the apple in his mouth. "What are you thanking me for? I was just bored and wanted someone to stretch my muscles with."

Despite his words, the mockery was gone from his voice, replaced by a barely perceptible warmth.

The two returned to the cabin and started a fire to cook.

Tanjiro washed and chopped the vegetables, while Kirishima Bupai handled the cooking.

Surprisingly, Kirishima Bupai was actually a decent cook, though he ate astonishingly fast.

He practically swept through a large pot of rice and several plates of stir-fried dishes all by himself.

Looking at the empty plates, Tanjiro scratched his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bupai. I think I ate..."

Kirishima Bupai waved him off. "Nothing to do with you. I was too hungry."

He glanced at the door, a mischievous grin curling his lips. "Besides, I just wanted to annoy that old man and see if he'd throw a fit when he came back."

For some reason, whenever he annoyed Sakonji Urokodaki, he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.

It was like... horsing around with family. Surely it couldn't be because he enjoyed picking on the elderly?

Just then, Sakonji Urokodaki pushed the door open and entered.

Sure enough, he frowned at the empty plates on the table.

Tanjiro hurriedly stood. "Mr. Urokodaki, I'm sorry! We ate everything. I'll make you another meal right now!"

"No need."

Kirishima Bupai suddenly spoke up, pointing at Urokodaki's Tengu Mask. "The old gentleman learned his lesson long ago. He definitely ate before coming back."

He paused, then added, "If you don't believe me, look. There's still a grain of rice stuck to his mask."

Sakonji Urokodaki instinctively touched his mask and, sure enough, found a grain of rice.

His aged face reddened. He cleared his throat awkwardly and took a large amount of food out of the basket on his back.

There were fresh vegetables, large cuts of meat, and several bottles of sake.

"We'll make an exception today and have hot pot."

As Sakonji Urokodaki spoke, his eyes involuntarily flicked toward Kirishima Bupai. "For a certain someone, this shouldn't count as very much."

Tanjiro's eyes widened in surprise. "That's so much food! Thank you, Mr. Urokodaki!"

The three sat around the stove, the broth bubbling in the pot and giving off a tempting aroma.

After three rounds of drinks, Sakonji Urokodaki looked at Tanjiro and spoke seriously. "Tanjiro, you've completed all your training. I have nothing more to teach you."

Tanjiro's heart tightened. "Mr. Urokodaki..."

"But you must remember," Urokodaki interrupted, "the demons you'll face from now on will be far stronger and more cunning than anything you encountered in training. Never let your guard down."

Tanjiro nodded firmly. "I understand!"

Urokodaki then looked at Kirishima Bupai. After a moment's silence, he said, "Kirishima, boy, you're very strong. Staying here tormenting an old man is truly a waste of your talents."

Kirishima Bupai raised an eyebrow. "What? Trying to kick me out?"

"I'm not kicking you out."

Urokodaki shook his head. "If you're bored, why not take part in the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection?"

"With your strength, you'll certainly pass."

"Then you can see a wider world and meet stronger opponents."

Seeing how serious he was, Kirishima Bupai paused, then smiled. "Sounds kind of interesting. All right, I'll go."

He had spent long enough on Mount Sagiri anyway. It really was quite boring.

Tanjiro looked at Kirishima Bupai in surprise. "You're taking part in the Final Selection too, Mr. Bupai?"

"The Demon Slayer Corps will definitely be delighted to have someone as strong as you join!"

While Tanjiro was still reeling in surprise, Urokodaki had already taken two masks from the cabinet and handed them over.

"These are Disaster Ward Masks. Wearing one can protect you from demons to a certain extent."

He pointed to the mask with the more intricate, refined pattern. "This one's for you, Kirishima, boy."

Then he began explaining demons. "A demon's strength depends on how many humans it has eaten."

"The more it eats, the stronger it becomes, and the faster it regenerates..."

Tanjiro listened intently, committing this knowledge firmly to memory.

Early the next morning, a knock at the door woke Tanjiro.

He opened the door to find Sakonji Urokodaki standing outside, holding a freshly washed black coat.

It was the same Vergil-style coat Kirishima Bupai had worn when he first arrived.

Since there was no need to look cool during everyday training, Kirishima Bupai had long since changed into ordinary clothes and tossed it into a corner. Who would have thought...

Kirishima Bupai had also been woken. He came out and froze at the sight of the coat in Urokodaki's hands.

Urokodaki handed him the coat, his voice even. "It's clean. Put it on. You can't go to the Final Selection looking too shabby."

Kirishima Bupai took the coat. It felt soft in his hands and carried a faint scent of sunshine.

Looking at Urokodaki, he suddenly opened his mouth wide in an exaggerated expression. "Wow, old man! You're really going to make me cry my eyes out!"

Although his words were exaggerated, his eyes were full of surprise and a barely perceptible touch of emotion.

Sakonji Urokodaki turned his face away and snorted. "Enough nonsense. Hurry up and pack. Get ready to leave."

Watching this, Tanjiro couldn't help laughing.

He felt that these two, who seemed constantly at odds, had actually long since come to see each other as family.

The three quickly packed a few things and arrived at the foot of Mount Sagiri.

Sakonji Urokodaki looked at them, his tone serious. "The Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane is dangerous. You must be careful. Remember, staying alive is what matters most."

"Don't worry about your younger sister. I'll take good care of him. I'll be right here waiting for your good news."

"Yes!" Tanjiro nodded firmly.

Kirishima Bupai patted Tanjiro on the shoulder. "Let's go. Let's show those little demons what real strength looks like."

He put on his black coat, his silver-white hair slicked back without a strand out of place, and instantly returned to his outrageously swaggering self.

Sakonji Urokodaki stood where he was, watching their figures recede until they disappeared into the thick mist. Only then did he sigh softly, turn, and walk back up Mount Sagiri.