"Because... because..."
Faced with Kanzaki Kumo's question, Aoi Kanzaki hung her head and stammered for quite some time, her face growing a little red, but she simply could not get a full sentence out.
Anxious, nervous, and a little ashamed, Aoi Kanzaki lowered her head even further over her poor showing, yet she could not help wanting to know whether the others were growing impatient or looking down on her because of it, so her eyes kept darting upward.
To her surprise, none of those seated showed any impatience or urged her on. They simply waited calmly or offered encouragement with their eyes.
Seeing this, Aoi Kanzaki managed to calm herself and say what was on her mind.
"As a Demon Slayer Corps Swordsman, I don't even have the courage to face a Demon. During the final selection, I couldn't even hold my Nichirin Blade steady when I encountered one. If the Flower Hashira hadn't arrived in time, I might already have..."
She still could not finish. Having only just been eliminated from the final selection, she was still unable to say the word "die," which frightened her so much.
So she bowed her head sharply again, her eyes squeezed shut and her body so tense that she trembled involuntarily, waiting for everyone present to criticize her, or even scold, mock, and laugh at her.
But to her surprise, none of that came. After a silence that was not long but left Aoi Kanzaki's heart pounding, Kanzaki Kumo's calm, gentle voice rang out.
"Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. When faced with something that can threaten your life, fear is any living creature's most instinctive response. It's precisely because fear is so universal that courage is so precious."
"The first time I encountered a Demon, I screamed for help