Finally, the day of the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane had arrived.
With only a few days left until the exam began, candidates from every corner of the country were already on the move. Coming from the north, south, east, and west, it took time to converge upon the wisteria-covered slopes of Mount Fujikasane.
For Tanjiro, the time to depart had come.
On this day, everything was in order. Master Urokodaki had prepared every necessity: the traditional clothing Tanjiro would wear and a spare Nichirin sword for the journey.
Brimming with spirit, Tanjiro dressed himself and buckled the sword to his waist. Standing at the threshold of the house, ready to leave, he looked at his master, Urokodaki, then at his senior, Horitake. Finally, his gaze lingered—tender and lingering—on his sister, Nezuko.
Nezuko was still deep in her slumber, tucked beneath the quilts, breathing softly and rhythmically.
He reached out and gave his sister's head one last, lingering pat. His heart had never felt more resolute.
Don't worry, Nezuko, he promised silently. I will pass the Final Selection. I will join the Demon Slayer Corps, and I will find a way to turn you back into a human!
As if reading the thoughts swirling in Tanjiro's mind, Horitake spoke up from the side.
"Tanjiro, you're not in this alone. I'll also be searching for a way to restore a demon to humanity. Nezuko's plight is my own. I won't give up on her."
Tanjiro looked at Horitake, moved by his words, and nodded solemnly.
In truth, Horitake was already thinking several steps ahead. He already had a strong lead regarding Nezuko's restoration—Lady Tamayo. However, with the Final Selection looming, he couldn't breathe a word of it. Bringing it up now would only clutter Tanjiro's mind; if the boy lost his focus and failed the exam because of it, the loss would be irreparable.
So, Horitake chose to keep his secret for now. When the timing was right, he would tell Tanjiro and perhaps even escort the siblings to Tokyo to find Lady Tamayo himself.
While Horitake was lost in thought, Tanjiro turned to Master Urokodaki. His voice was steady and firm. "Master Urokodaki... I'm off."
Because of the red Tengu mask, no one could see the old man's expression, but Horitake could hear the tremor of emotion in his voice.
"Go," Urokodaki said. "Give it your all. You must pass!"
Tanjiro nodded with absolute confidence.
Finally, Horitake couldn't resist a few last-minute instructions. "Oh, one more thing, Tanjiro. My junior brother and sister are also participating in this Final Selection. There's a good chance you'll run into them."
He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "If you see them, a simple greeting is enough. There's no need to team up. This exam is meant to be a crucible for all of you. Your strengths are relatively equal, and you're all quite capable. If the three of you stick together, the training effect of the mountain will be lost."
Tanjiro tilted his head, processing the advice. "I understand. Horitake-senpai's juniors... they must be wonderful people. If we can be friends, I'd certainly like to get to know them."
"Relax, Tanjiro. Don't make this look like a life-or-death parting," Horitake joked, waving a hand to lighten the atmosphere. "With your current strength, as long as you don't do anything reckless, passing the Selection won't be a problem. If you have the energy, kill a few extra demons for me on Mount Fujikasane. Make a name for yourself and show the Corps exactly what you're worth."
"Yes, Horitake-senpai! I'll work hard!"
The tension in Tanjiro's chest dissipated at Horitake's casual banter. His nerves settled, replaced by a focused calm.
In reality, Tanjiro knew Horitake was right. He wasn't arrogant, but he had a clear understanding of his own progress. The low-level demons trapped on Mount Fujikasane likely weren't his match anymore. Even against a stronger foe, he felt he had the tools to win. The only thing he lacked was actual combat experience against demons—and that was something only blood and battle could provide.
With a heart full of confidence and anticipation, Tanjiro gave his final farewell.
"Master Urokodaki, Horitake-senpai... Goodbye!"
With those words, he turned and stepped through the door. With his Nichirin sword at his hip, he began the descent down the mountain, heading toward the distant Mount Fujikasane.
Urokodaki watched the boy's retreating back, his mind a whirlwind of complicated emotions.
Horitake, however, was far more relaxed. He sat back down next to Nezuko's bed and glanced at the old master. "It'll be fine, Master Urokodaki. You don't trust my judgment? Tanjiro is definitely going to pass."
The Tengu mask turned toward Horitake, and Urokodaki's voice carried a hint of a smile. "I believe so as well. I have full confidence in him."
Now that Tanjiro was gone, there was no one left to keep Horitake in check.
His behavior turned rather shameless. Sitting beside Nezuko, he started poking her cheek again. Poking wasn't enough, so he moved on to light pinching, seemingly finding endless entertainment in the sleeping girl's soft features.
Beside him, Master Urokodaki felt an imaginary vein throb on his forehead. "Horitake... are you really that bored?"
"Hmm?"
"You are the Heaven Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps. Shouldn't your schedule be packed with missions? What kind of prestige do you gain by spending all day bullying a sleeping girl?"
Horitake paused his "nefarious" hand and chuckled. "I may be a Hashira, but my workload isn't always heavy. The Corps usually only calls on me for the troublesome cases. Right now, there aren't any missions that require my direct intervention, so I'm relatively free. I have another role at Headquarters, but I'm in no rush to head back."
Urokodaki sounded skeptical. "If there's work at Headquarters, why stay here?"
"Because of Nezuko, of course."
"Because of Nezuko?"
"Exactly. If I'm not mistaken, she's due to wake up any day now. I plan to stay right here by her side to take care of her. Ideally, I want the very first thing she sees when she opens her eyes to be me!"
Urokodaki stared at Horitake, his silence speaking volumes of his disbelief. "Is... is seeing you first really that important?"
Horitake shrugged. "Who knows? It might not matter to others, but it matters to me. Have you ever noticed how it works with ducklings, Master? When they hatch, they fixate on the first thing they see and treat it as their mother. They develop an immediate dependency and follow it everywhere."
He grinned mischievously. "I don't know if it works the same way for demons, but if the first thing Nezuko sees is me, it'll leave a deep impression. Once I've made that impression, the 'romance route' becomes much easier to navigate."
Hearing this bizarre logic, Urokodaki felt another wave of frustration. Yet, in some twisted way, he actually felt there might be a grain of truth in the nonsense.
After a moment of thought, Urokodaki raised another concern. "Nezuko's greatest bond is undoubtedly with Tanjiro. When she wakes up and realizes the first person she sees isn't her brother, but you... won't she be horribly disappointed? What if she just starts crying and throwing a tantrum?"
Horitake, who had been looking so smugly confident a moment ago, suddenly froze.
He blinked, his hand hovering over Nezuko's cheek. He hadn't considered that.
Wait... that's actually a very real possibility.
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