Makomo

Early that morning, Kanzaki Kumo got up early as usual.

After breakfast, accompanied by Kuwajima's concerned reminders, Kuwajima handed his Nichirin Blade to Kanzaki Kumo, then stepped forward to straighten his clothes.

Looking at the boy before him, not yet fourteen-a child who should have been playing without a care, yet would set out on the cruel path of slaying demons starting today-Kuwajima wavered.

His rough hands held the hem of Kanzaki Kumo's clothes without moving for a long while, as though he wanted to keep him there just like that.

"Teacher, we had an agreement." Kanzaki Kumo placed his hands over Kuwajima's and eased them away from his clothes, bit by bit. His movements were slow but firm.

He knew what Kuwajima was thinking, but he did not believe he should use his youth as an excuse to hide in the rear with a clear conscience.

It would have been one thing if he lacked strength, but now his abilities far surpassed those of the vast majority of swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps. His conscience would not let him keep hiding in the rear.

Besides, as long as demons existed, nowhere in this world was absolutely safe.

Becoming an official swordsman as soon as possible, growing through actual combat, looking for opportunities to rewrite some tragedies, and trying to plan a better future-those were the things Kanzaki Kumo believed he should do.

Since he had been reincarnated into this world, he had to do something.

Not for some grand ambition like saving all living beings, but simply so he would have no regrets.

"Go on, then, you little brat. It's only been a year, and your wings are already strong enough for you to fly away..." Seeing how determined Kanzaki Kumo was, Kuwajima pulled his hands free and turned his back, almost as though he were sulking.

"I'm leaving, Teacher. Wait for my good news." Kanzaki Kumo bowed deeply to the old man who was his teacher, his friend, and his elder.

Kuwajima said nothing more, merely waving a hand with his back to Kanzaki Kumo.

Straightening up, Kanzaki Kumo turned and strode out of the little courtyard where he had lived for over a year, heading toward Mount Fujikasane.

Mount Momiji was not particularly far from Mount Fujikasane, and since he did not have to worry too much about conserving his stamina during the day, Kanzaki Kumo arrived before noon.

Mount Fujikasane was a very unusual mountain. A dense ring of wisteria grew around its slopes, and the wisteria here never withered, no matter the season.

Wisteria was a plant that demons loathed, and the poison extracted from it could even kill weaker demons outright.

That was precisely why this mountain had been chosen as the site of the Final Selection.

The demons on the mountain were all weak creatures deliberately captured and brought there by high-ranking swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the dense wisteria ensured they could not escape.

Those taking part in the selection only needed to survive on the mountain for seven days to pass.

Recalling the rules of the Final Selection as he admired the sea of purple flowers along the way, Kanzaki Kumo climbed at an unhurried pace to the terrace halfway up the mountain.

This was where the participants gathered, and where they would have to return once the selection ended.

Quite a few people had already gathered there, most in groups of two or three. They were probably students of the same Cultivator, or had known one another before joining the Demon Slayer Corps.

A few stood alone off to the side, clearly without companions.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the chief examiner, stood with his two daughters on a small terrace closest to the wisteria.

"Kagaya, it's been a while."

Kanzaki Kumo approached and greeted him quietly. After more than a year of exchanging letters, he had truly become friends with Kagaya Ubuyashiki, a boy burdened with heavy responsibilities at such a young age.

In an era that placed such importance on hierarchy, this should never have happened. But Kagaya Ubuyashiki was too young, and beneath the heavy pressure he bore, he too longed for someone who could befriend him without caring about his position or status.

As it happened, influenced by the memories of his previous life, Kanzaki Kumo believed deep down that everyone was equal.

And so the two had hit it off immediately.

"Kumo, you're here. I thought Mr. Jigoro wouldn't let you come." At the sight of Kanzaki Kumo, the gentle smile already on Kagaya's face grew a little happier.

"What else could I do? If I really lacked the ability, I could certainly use my age as an excuse to hide in the rear. But since I have the strength to kill demons, how could I justify staying back and enjoying the peaceful life the Demon Slayer Corps' swordsmen uphold?" Kanzaki Kumo merely shrugged at Kagaya's teasing.

Just then, Kanzaki Kumo paused slightly. He had noticed the faint yet hideous purple marking Kagaya had concealed beneath the hair at his forehead.

Kagaya merely gave him a look signaling him not to say anything, and by tacit agreement, neither mentioned it.

Hinaki and Nichika Ubuyashiki blinked their large, bright eyes as they watched this boy, whom they had met only once before, chatting so familiarly with their father.

But they had always been taught not to reveal their emotions in front of outsiders. Thus, despite their intense curiosity, neither asked any questions, and both maintained the same gentle smiles Kagaya Ubuyashiki had worn at first.

Kanzaki Kumo also knew that Kagaya needed to maintain his public image, so after a brief exchange, he stepped aside and found an empty spot to wait for the examination to begin.

Everyone taking part in the examination cast curious or appraising looks his way, but he ignored them all.

He simply scanned the crowd on his own. With his keen powers of observation, he could see the marks sword training had left on their hands and some of their unconscious physical movements. These details offered glimpses of their strength.

After a quick scan, Kanzaki Kumo spotted someone who surprised him.

She was a petite girl with short black hair that fell just past her shoulders. She wore a slightly altered pink kimono patterned with cherry blossoms, revealing her fair calves, with a sleeveless black jacket over it.

Even at rest, her delicate little hand remained on the hilt of her Nichirin Blade. A smiling fox mask decorated with blue flowers concealed her face, but her clothing and mask had already given Kanzaki Kumo a rough idea of who she was.

Makomo, a student of the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki.

A lovely girl who also possessed considerable talent, yet had died young because of the Hand Demon, an overpowered starter-area boss.

He simply had not expected to take part in the same Final Selection as her.

But this was good, too. He would not have to worry about being unable to find the Hand Demon.

After all, that creature had managed to hide on Mount Fujikasane for decades, so its ability to conceal itself was probably considerable. Kanzaki Kumo really could not guarantee that he would find it.

But with a student of Sakonji Urokodaki taking part in the selection, he only needed to follow her.

Sakonji Urokodaki had personally captured the Hand Demon and brought it to Mount Fujikasane, so its hatred of his students had long since reached its peak. That fox mask was the key item it used to determine whether someone was Sakonji Urokodaki's student.

Recalling those details, Kanzaki Kumo could not help inwardly complaining. The Hand Demon had killed one group of Sakonji Urokodaki's students after another, yet the former Water Hashira had only questioned his own teaching ability, rather than wondering whether a demon had appeared on Mount Fujikasane that novice swordsmen had almost no hope of defeating.

As a former Hashira, could he really not judge the abilities of his own students?

The greater possibility was that the Final Selection was a longstanding rule of the Demon Slayer Corps, established and continued by successive heads of the Corps. Under the influence of hierarchical thinking, this former Hashira was unwilling to question those successive leaders and could only question himself.

Without dwelling on it further, Kanzaki Kumo shook his head slightly and focused his thoughts on the selection about to begin.

It was then that he noticed the girl had actually sensed his gaze and turned to meet his eyes.

Kanzaki Kumo saw curiosity and puzzlement in the eyes beneath her mask, along with what seemed to be a slight furrowing of her brows, but after that single glance, they both looked away.

For Kagaya Ubuyashiki had begun reading out the examination rules, which meant the examination was about to begin.