He looked at the spot where the Hand Demon had vanished, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Makomo, Sabito... perhaps some of Urokodaki-sensei's regrets could be alleviated?
"Brother Luo En! You..."
Tanjiro rushed forward, looking at the slightly panting Luo En, hesitating to speak.
Luo En shook his head, forcing a smile onto his somewhat cold face:
"It's nothing... just a bit of physical exertion."
He looked towards the empty space again, his voice carrying a mix of relief and solemnity,
"Now... this can be considered revenge for Urokodaki-sensei's disciples who were massacred by it. I hope their souls... can rest in peace."
Tanjiro silently looked at the spot where the Hand Demon had dissipated. His keen nose detected a scent of "sadness" in the air, filling his eyes with sorrow.
He felt the sadness emanating from the Hand Demon in its dying moments, and also thought of the deceased Makomo, Sabito, and Urokodaki-sensei.
"Brother Luo En, Urokodaki-sensei..."
Luo En raised his hand, gently patted Tanjiro's shoulder, and continued:
"You don't need to worry too much about Urokodaki-sensei."
"Tanjiro,"
Luo En looked directly into his eyes, his gaze more serious than ever,
"Remember how you felt just now. Anger can give you strength, but it can also make you lose judgment. A swordsman who cannot control his emotions, his blade... will only hurt himself."
Tanjiro understood that his previous actions had been too impulsive, and could only nod in response.
"Alright,"
Luo En sheathed his sword, his movements somewhat slow,
"Since the Hand Demon has been dealt with, I'll be leaving first."
He turned, waved his hand with his back to Tanjiro, his voice carrying a hint of weary vagueness.
"There's more than just this one demon in Fujikasane Mountain. I still have some things to do. You must also be careful and do what you need to do!"
Before his words faded, his figure leaped a few times and disappeared into the depths of the moonlit forest, leaving behind only a whisper that seemed to merge with the night wind.
"...We'll meet again after the assessment."
For the next few days, Luo En mostly stayed on the mountaintop. He would deal with any demons that came looking for him, and when none appeared, he would quietly contemplate his power.
Ever since the magic power within Luo En was no longer suppressed and he could even use it to cast spells,
He also discovered that in this world, the recovery rate of his magic power was significantly slower compared to the Fairy Tail World.
Apart from a few demons that initially sought out Luo En, there were no traces of any demons afterward. He wasn't sure if they were all scared away or if most had been killed.
This was the first time Luo En had consumed a large amount of magic power, and he was quietly experiencing the process of its recovery.
Luo En only then realized that it was by absorbing a strange energy with each breath and converting it into magic power.
After all, magic power itself didn't exist in this world, so even if his own magic power adapted to the rules of this world, it was unlikely to recover directly.
The seven days of the Final Selection passed in a flash.
When Luo En's figure once again passed through the wisteria flower sea and arrived at the starting platform,
At this moment, there were only six people on the platform, and one or two of them were individuals Luo En had saved.
Not long after Luo En had settled, Tanjiro also returned to the area, dragging his weary body.
However, looking at Tanjiro's somewhat dejected expression, it was clear that he had not gotten the answer he wanted from the demons.
Indeed, those demons who had mostly lost their sanity were not very capable of communication, and furthermore, there was no method in this world to turn a demon back into a human.
The first demon in this world—Kibutsuji Muzan—was nothing more than a monster that mutated after a failed evolution using an incomplete medicine!
All demons were born from being tainted by his cursed blood. Even if Kibutsuji Muzan were to withdraw his blood, that demon would probably collapse from being unable to withstand the transformation!
Tamayo later, with help from various parties, developed a demon-to-human drug and used her self-developed medicine to ambush Muzan.
Tanjiro saw that including himself, there were fewer than ten people on the platform, while at least twenty had participated in the assessment, and his expression became even more melancholic.
"Brother Luo En..."
Tanjiro also saw Luo En ahead, approached to greet him, but then didn't know what to say.
Luo En nodded, not asking about Tanjiro's experiences.
"Welcome back, everyone."
Clear, childish voices broke the silence. The two young girls who had served as the chief examiners for the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection emerged from beneath the wisteria trees on either side.
"Congratulations to everyone!"
"It's truly wonderful that you are all safe and sound!"
Genya Shinazugawa's face was contorted in a snarl. He glared fiercely at the two girls, growling impatiently:
"So what do I do next? Where are the swords?"
But the two young girls did not directly respond to Genya Shinazugawa's words, continuing with their own procedure.
"First, please receive your uniform allocation, undergo body measurements, and then have your rank inscribed."
"There are ten ranks in total."
"Kinoe!" "Kinoto!" "Hinoe!" "Hinoto!" "Tsuchinoe!" "Tsuchinoto!" "Kanoe!" "Kanoto!" "Mizunoe!" "Mizunoto!"
"Currently, you are at the lowest rank, Mizunoto."
Seeing the two young girls talk about things unrelated to his question, Genya Shinazugawa spoke again:
"Where are the swords?"
It was only then that the two young girls began to introduce information related to swords.
"Today, for forging your swords, please select 'Tamahagane' steel. From start to finish, the sword will take ten to fifteen days to forge."
They then clapped their hands, summoning several kasugai crows! Oh, and one little sparrow was mixed in!
After explaining and assigning each member their corresponding kasugai crow,
"What a joke!"
Genya's patience completely ran out. He violently swatted away the kasugai crow perched on his shoulder and roared:
"I don't care about any crows! Give me the color-changing sword now!"
Genya Shinazugawa walked towards the two young girls, about to reach out and grab one of their hair.
Luo En's body moved, leaving only an afterimage in his original spot, as a cyan-blue arc of light streaked out.
Genya didn't even see how Luo En appeared between him and the girl. He only felt a sudden chill on the side of his neck, and an icy sensation instantly pierced his skin, reaching straight to his throat!
Time seemed to freeze. Genya's outstretched arm stiffened in mid-air, his arm muscles spasming from the sudden halt, and all the hairs on his body stood on end at that moment!
His outstretched hand hung in mid-air, mere millimeters from the girl's hair.
He painstakingly rotated his eyeballs, only to see a cold ice blade pressed against the side of his neck. The blade perfectly aligned with his carotid artery, and the chilling coldness penetrated his skin, making his entire body's blood feel as if it would freeze.
Several wisps of ice crystal-like white cold air seeped out, instantly solidifying the tiny beads of blood on his skin into crimson ice shards.
"Control your hand!"
A cold voice echoed in Genya's ear, calm yet carrying an undeniable deterrence.
"Otherwise, next time your head..."
The voice paused slightly, and the coldness emanating from the ice blade suddenly intensified. Genya could even feel the blood flow in his neck slowing down due to the low temperature.
"...might not be on your neck anymore!"
These understated words, however, poured into Genya's mind like the freezing cold of the Nine Hells.
Genya's skin was numb from the cold, yet the sharpness of the blade became even clearer; the shadow of death had never been so close!
His gaze went past the deadly cold ice blade and met Luo En's eyes.
Luo En stood a step away from his side, with no intense emotions in the depths of his eyes. His posture seemed casual, but it felt as if the blade would immediately strike if he made any sudden move.
"You... you bastard! Go on, try it if you dare!"