"Even though I saw it last night, it still feels breathtaking—wisteria blooming out of season." Hiru strolled leisurely at the front. "Ah, such beautiful blossoms, forever blooming to bind away sin… how moving."
Sabito had long grown used to Hiru's odd remarks and replied smoothly, "I heard they used a special method to make it happen."
"That's impressive! Wisteria usually takes at least three years to bloom after being planted, and it only flowers from late April to early May." Hiru raised a hand to lightly brush the drooping petals and smiled. "And the blooming period lasts at most half a month. To make it bloom eternally like this—what an incredible sight."
"You sure know a lot, Hiru."
"Well, I once grew wisteria myself because I wanted to use the flowers as pigments," Hiru said with a sigh. "The color was lovely, but the blooming season was too short. And the pigments oxidized and faded so easily that they couldn't be preserved. I gave up in the end…"
Sabito couldn't help laughing. "Hah, you're younger than Giyu, yet you talk like you've lived for decades."
"I'm much older than you think…"
"Didn't Yoriichi just come of age recently? You're three years younger than him, so only a bit older than me." Sabito smiled faintly. "Besides, with your personality, I doubt anyone would believe you're older than me."
Hiru turned to Yoriichi with slight confusion: Brother, did you tell Sabito you just came of age?
Yoriichi shook his head: I only said I'm already an adult.
Hiru nodded thoughtfully: As expected, humans really love to fill in the blanks.
As they chatted, the group reached the platform halfway up the mountain.
Sabito glanced around. "Looks like there are quite a few candidates this year…"
"Less than fifty counts as 'many'?"
"Yes, that's already a lot," Sabito said, turning to Hiru. "Our teacher said that in some past years, there weren't even twenty participants. Not everyone has the resolve to keep walking this path."
"Less than twenty, huh… that really is few." Hiru looked around, his gaze skimming past two quiet white-haired girls standing near the mountain entrance and over the gathered examinees. Just as he was about to look away, a shadow behind Sabito caught his attention.
A question mark seemed to form in Hiru's mind.
[What's this? That wasn't there before, was it?]
Sabito didn't notice—or perhaps just didn't care about—Hiru's look and went on, "To inspire more people to carry on, I've got to work even harder!"
Giyu stayed silent, tightening his grip on his sword as his eyes sharpened.
"You'd better be careful," Hiru said, frowning slightly as the shadow behind Sabito grew denser. "Getting too fired up might just get you killed."
"Haha, don't underestimate me—I'm strong." Even without seeing his face, one could imagine the smile beneath Sabito's mask. "If I can save more people, they'll carry our ideals forward. More people will join the fight against demons, and the world will grow more peaceful. Isn't that a wonderful thought?"
Yoriichi nodded slightly, the faint smile on his lips widening. "Indeed. The inheritance of will never dies."
"Brother, don't tell me you're getting swept up too…"
"Killing a few demons to create more successors—isn't that a good thing?"
Hiru pursed his lips and said nothing.
The weak could only save others for a moment, not a lifetime. "Inheritance"? It was only delaying their deaths.
Soon after, the two small white-haired girls they'd noticed earlier stepped gracefully into the center of the clearing. They looked identical, except one wore a red ribbon and the other a yellow one.
Their movements were perfectly composed as they took turns speaking.
"Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming to the Final Selection."
"Many demons captured alive by Swordsmen are confined within Mount Fujikasane."
"They cannot leave because of the wisteria that blooms from the mountain's base to its midpoint."
"Demons hate wisteria and therefore do not try to escape."
"But above this point, there are no wisteria flowers."
"If you can survive seven days on the upper slopes, you will pass the trial."
"Now then, the Final Selection officially begins."
"We await your safe return."
As the twins finished, the candidates began moving toward the forest entrance behind them.
Sabito waved to Yoriichi and Hiru. "Then Giyu and I will head out first. Let's meet here afterward and go to Mount Sagiri together!"
"Alright. Stay safe," Yoriichi nodded. "Hiru, let's go."
Hiru followed, looking a bit downcast. "More trouble again…"
"Think of it as training. You haven't had proper practice in a while." Yoriichi led the way into the woods. "You'll be fine without me, right?"
"Yeah, no problem." Hiru nodded. "I may not be as strong as you, brother, but I've got plenty of strength. Cutting down demons is easy."
"Ah… the swordsmith who forged your sword would cry hearing that." Yoriichi shook his head helplessly. "Then, see you in seven days."
Hiru raised a hand lazily. "Got it—"
Watching Yoriichi's back as he disappeared into the trees, Hiru stood still for a moment, lost in thought. "Maybe I should go find Sabito after all… that shadow's bothering me. He went this way, didn't he? Eh, whatever. I'll just leave it to fate."
Choosing a random path, Hiru wandered into the forest and soon encountered a demon. The creature burst out from the trees, laughing wildly. "Cawaha! It's been ages since I last ate a human! Looks like I'll feast tonight!"
"Can't even tell the difference, huh…" Hiru's expression twisted in disgust. "What's the point of low-level demons like you existing? Just to disgust people?"
"Already trembling and talking nonsense? Then let me devour you!"
Hiru sidestepped the lunging demon, his brow furrowing as he drew the long sword at his waist. When the demon attacked again, he cut it down in one clean strike. "How dull."
Just as he was about to sheath his sword, the demon's voice rose again. "You actually severed my neck, gagaga! But without a Nichirin Blade, I won't die! Humans tire eventually—so it's you who'll die, gagagaga!"
Hiru turned to see the demon reattaching its head, then looked down at the ordinary blade in his hand, lost in thought.
[I still want to learn mask carving, so I have to stay hidden. I can't reveal my demonic abilities yet. Besides, I don't have my brother's technique—using Breathing Styles and pure grip strength to turn an ordinary blade into a Bright Red blade…]
"This is bad," Hiru muttered, his face hardening. "I didn't think this through before we parted…"
"Gagagaga! Be a good meal for me!"
"Guess there's only one way left…" Hiru sighed as the demon lunged again. He shifted his stance, lifted his leg, and drove a straight kick into the creature.
A deep rumble echoed through the forest. The demon was gone. But if one looked closely, the nearby plants were stained evenly with a spreading red—flesh that twitched faintly before turning to ash in the wind.
"It's not just the Nichirin Blade or sunlight that can kill demons." Hiru slowly lowered his leg, eyes cold as he looked at the bloodstained ground. "Even a demon that can regenerate will die if the damage in an instant exceeds its limit of recovery."