Tetsu no Sosuke smiled. "What you'll face once you leave this mountain is beyond anything you can imagine! The stronger you are, the better your chances of surviving."
"Has the Demon Slayer Corps... always faced such brutal conditions?"
Tanjiro asked.
Tetsu no Sosuke nodded. "Actually, things are much better now. Automaton Puppets and a few little gadgets, used creatively, have greatly improved the survival rate in the Demon Slayer Corps. Before that..."
He trailed off with a soft sigh.
A single trial could wipe out nine out of ten novice Swordsmen, if not more.
And once those Swordsmen became Demon Hunters, their chances of dying on a mission were even higher.
Especially when they faced powerful demons. Even if they charged in together, the outcome was still tragedy.
Tetsu no Sosuke had seen many scenes like that.
Human lives... when faced with demons, they often seemed to count for nothing.
Tanjiro did not wait for Tetsu no Sosuke to finish. He drew a deep breath and clenched his fists. "I'll give it everything I've got! No matter what comes!"
"No matter what comes..." Tetsu no Sosuke glanced back at him and smiled. "Hold on to that spirit! Tanjiro... keep pushing forward. I'll be waiting for you up ahead."
Tanjiro froze. His mouth fell open, and his eyes went a little blank.
The last time he had seen Tetsu no Sosuke, he had known the man would become strong someday.
And now Tetsu no Sosuke was a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps!
He was among its finest fighters.
Urokodaki Sakonji had heard about the recent battle at the Hammer Hut through a letter from Giyu Tomioka.
After reading it, Urokodaki Sakonji had been full of praise for Tetsu no Sosuke. He believed Tetsu no Sosuke possessed exactly the kind of