Walking along the path, Chiba Yo and Kanao, though acquainted, didn't exchange a single word.
She's also a Pillar's successor, so we're comrades now. Isn't it a bit rude not to say hello?
Chiba Yo thought to himself, then turned to look at Kanao. Her expression was still the same, a faint smile on her face, her purple eyes showing no change.
"Um… hello, my name is Chiba Yo, and you are Tsuyuri, right?" Chiba Yo still greeted Kanao.
(In Japanese anime, it seems people only use surnames for those they aren't particularly close to, or for elders.)
Upon hearing this, Kanao turned her head and smiled at Chiba Yo, then turned back to continue on her way.
Seeing this, Chiba Yo also focused on the journey, and the two didn't speak another word afterward.
When the crescent moon hung in the dark night sky, Chiba Yo and Kanao arrived at Mount Fujikasane for the Final Selection, where the wisteria flowers throughout the mountain emitted a special fragrance.
It's truly magnificent!
Chiba Yo couldn't help but exclaim in admiration at the sight.
As they ascended the steps, a platform at the mountain's summit was already crowded with swordsmen with nichirin blades at their waists. Among them, a yellow-haired boy stood out, trembling visibly, looking very scared.
In front of the platform was a red torii gate, and beneath it stood two adorable children, almost identical in appearance, but with different hair colors—one white-haired, one black-haired. Both had a sprig of wisteria in their hair and carried lanterns.
There are really a lot of participants, which also means… the number of people massacred by demons is definitely not small.
Hatred flowed in Chiba Yo's eyes. After the Green-skinned demon last time, he was finally going to face demons again.
This time, I will slay every demon I encounter!
Chiba Yo looked up at the central area of Mount Fujikasane, surrounded by wisteria, and secretly made up his mind.
A moment later, a red-haired boy wearing a blue cloud-patterned haori also arrived.
At this moment, the two children in front of the torii gate spoke simultaneously, and Chiba Yo's attention was drawn to them.
"Thank you all for coming tonight to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection."
Then the white-haired child continued, "Within this Mount Fujikasane, demons captured alive by Demon Slayer swordsmen are imprisoned. But the demons cannot leave."
Then the black-haired child continued, "Because from the foot of the mountain to the halfway point, wisteria flowers, which demons hate, bloom all year round."
The white-haired child continued, "But beyond this point, there are no more wisteria flowers, and demons will appear."
The black-haired child then continued, "Surviving here for seven days is the condition for passing the Final Selection."
Then the two children bowed together, and simultaneously said, "Now, please go safely."
After speaking, the two children made way, and the swordsmen gathered there began to enter the mountain one after another.
Chiba Yo also followed the swordsmen in, but his goal was different from the others; he didn't want to just survive here for seven days, but to exterminate all the demons in this place!
About an hour after entering Mount Fujikasane, Chiba Yo encountered his first demon.
"Hahaha, finally, a human has come in! I'm almost starving to death here."
A demon with an extremely long tongue hanging out crawled out from behind a tree, drooling. Its eyes were filled with green light as it stared at Chiba Yo, like a starved wolf that hadn't caught prey in a long time.
However, it seemed to have mistaken the identities of hunter and prey.
"You, do you really want to eat me?" Chiba Yo asked as he drew his nichirin blade, his cold gaze fixed on the demon before him.
"Less talk! Just be my food!" The long-tongued demon shrieked and charged at Chiba Yo, its sharp claws thrusting directly at his neck.
Whoosh—
Chiba Yo passed by the long-tongued demon, flicked the blood from his nichirin blade, and then sheathed it.
While still in mid-air, a line of blood appeared on the long-tongued demon's neck, and then its head separated from its body and fell to the ground, followed by its body hitting the ground with a thud.
The headless long-tongued demon turned to ash without even uttering a scream.
"So weak…"
Chiba Yo looked back at the long-tongued demon that had turned to ash, and his last bit of worry about the Final Selection vanished.
"Ah!!!! Help!!!!"
A piercing scream echoed through the night sky, startling a large flock of night birds.
Did someone encounter danger? There must be a demon there, right?
Upon hearing this tragic scream, Chiba Yo immediately had a direction and quickly ran towards where the scream came from.
In the jungle, a yellow-haired boy wearing a yellow haori with a triangular pattern was running with all his might, tears streaming down his face as he ran. His actions clearly showed his fear.
"Don't run, come here and let me eat you!"
Behind the yellow-haired boy, a gray-skinned demon was chasing him on all fours.
"Eek!!! No!!! My meat isn't tasty at all! Just let me go!"
The yellow-haired boy shrieked even louder in fear upon hearing the gray-skinned demon's words, shouting as he ran, tears never stopping.
Just then, another demon appeared in front of the yellow-haired boy.
"Living human… food… I'm going to eat you!"
The demon in front charged directly at the yellow-haired boy as soon as it saw him; his earlier screams had already alerted other demons in the area.
"Ah ah ah!!! Help!!!"
Seeing this situation, the yellow-haired boy immediately turned and ran to the right.
Thump! Roll, roll, roll
The yellow-haired boy was only focused on running forward and didn't notice a section of exposed tree root, tripping over it and then rolling away with a scream.
The two demons chasing him also caught up to him at this time.
Just then, Chiba Yo arrived at the scene. Seeing the situation, he immediately drew his nichirin blade and charged forward.
Thud!
After rolling for some distance on the ground, the yellow-haired boy suddenly hit a large tree head-first, then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Second and third demons.
Chiba Yo silently counted, about to reach the two demons.
"Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
However, at this moment, a firm and serious voice rang out, and then a yellow electric flash streaked across Chiba Yo's eyes.
That person just now?
Chiba Yo clearly saw the yellow electric flash; it was precisely the yellow-haired boy who had been running from the two demons. However, at this moment, his eyes were tightly closed, his expression serious, and his nichirin blade, adorned with yellow lightning patterns, sliced across the necks of the two demons in an instant.
Thump! Thump!
Two heads fell to the ground in response.
The yellow-haired boy stood behind the two demons with a large bump on his head, his nichirin blade already sheathed.
"Was I beaten to it?" Chiba Yo somewhat dejectedly sheathed his nichirin blade.