The dust of battle began to settle, revealing the five Egyptians and Tanjiro standing over the evaporating remains of Hikaru's head. The demon's face was a mask of pure, unadulterated shock.
"How... how could I die so quickly?" Hikaru's voice was a ghostly rasp, fading with his flesh. "I thought... I thought this was going to be an epic struggle!"
Huzaifa pulled out a notepad, jotting down a quick analysis before looking up with a deadpan expression. "Logically, you're right. But practically... well, let's use the Egyptian term. This was *Kousa*—pure nepotism and bad luck for you."
Mohannad, still riding the high of victory, pumped a fist into the air. "Listen up! Any demon who doesn't have a bank account is going to die! No money, no mercy!"
Mazen leaned toward Huzaifa, whispering, "I think Mohannad's been working for the Tax Authority too long. I'm starting to worry he'll try to audit Muzan."
Huzaifa nodded, covering his mouth to hide a smirk. "He'd do it. The Warrior of Financial Might. Not Star Breathing—Money Breathing."
As Hikaru's form continued to turn to ash, he whispered, "My brothers and I... we had dreams... great ambitions..."
Ali's voice cut through the sentimentality like a jagged blade. "Let me guess: one of those goals was killing us? Yeah, real noble."
Mohannad suddenly struck a dramatic, theatrical pose. "Honestly, Hikaru, the fans can never forgive you. One of your brothers tasted Moaz-kun's blood and then had the audacity to praise Douma. That's a cardinal sin."
Mazen sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. The Demon Slayer Corps just became a comedy troupe."
A heavy silence followed as everyone stared at Mohannad. Moaz, still leaning heavily on Tanjiro's shoulder, muttered under his breath, "Dammit... is Mohannad going to start a business based on my near-death experiences?"
Ali, never one for half-measures, placed his boot firmly on what remained of Hikaru's skull, slowly applying pressure. His eyes were dark with a lingering grudge. "Why didn't you kill Huzaifa while you had the chance?"
Huzaifa's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You bastard! Look at Tanjiro—he's well-raised and respectful. That's it, Tanjiro is my brother now. You're fired!"
Tanjiro let out a nervous, awkward laugh, his voice characteristically gentle. "Guys, please... let's try to be kind to one another."
Mazen snickered. "Kindness? In this group? Tanjiro, it's bickering in the morning and war at night. Get used to it."
Tanjiro smiled softly, his expression turning thoughtful. "Actually... I can smell the truth of your emotions. Ali-san, even though you speak harshly, you were terrified for your brother Huzaifa."
Ali flinched, his face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Liar!"
Mazen nudged Ali's shoulder, whispering loudly, "Careful, Ali. This kid can smell feelings like a stray dog smells a butcher shop."
Tanjiro continued, his eyes shining with innocence. "And Mohannad-san, your fear for Moaz-san was overwhelming. It shows a powerful bond."
Mazen's eyes narrowed as he aimed his pistol jokingly at the redhead. "Listen, Carrot-top. My name is Mazen. Don't talk about me like I'm some background character, got it?"
Tanjiro's gaze then drifted to Ali's foot, still planted on the demon's head. His voice remained polite but firm. "Ali-san... please move your foot. Even for a demon, it is not right."
The fierce Ali looked ready to argue, but something in Tanjiro's gaze made him relent. He sat back on a rock, crossing his arms. "He's just a kid... but he's too nice. It's annoying."
Moaz, struggling with his injuries, looked at Tanjiro. "Tanjiro... why the kindness? He was a monster."
"Moaz-san," Tanjiro replied with a sad smile. "That demon wasn't just a monster. I smelled the scent of deep regret. If we saw Douma, we'd smell infinite evil. If we saw Kokushibo, we'd smell jealousy. But they were all human once. They had families and dreams. We must punish the one responsible for turning them."
The group was momentarily moved by Tanjiro's words—until Mazen broke the mood. "Fine, fine. But I'm still taking the kill-credits for the bonus points!"
### The Selection of Souls
The trial ended. As the sun rose on the final day, the twins, Kuina and Kanata, appeared with serene smiles.
"Congratulations to the survivors," Kanata began. "You are now part of the Corps."
"Indeed," Kuina added. "You will each be assigned a Kasugai Crow for communication, and you will choose the ore for your Nichirin swords."
Tanjiro looked around at the Egyptians, a sense of relief washing over him. "Everyone made it. We're all alive."
Mohannad looked at Tanjiro with a calculating glint in his eye. "You smell emotions, huh? I could turn that into a goldmine." He pulled out a piece of paper with a sly grin. "Sign here to be my slave—I mean, my best friend."
Moaz groaned. "Mohannad, stop it."
"Fine, fine," Mohannad laughed, tucking the paper away. "It's a deal anyway."
Nearby, Mazen was looking around suspiciously. "Where is he?"
He felt a hand on his shoulder and screamed, spinning around with his gun leveled. "Hands up!"
It was Ali, who threw his hands up in a mix of fury and surrender. "You idiot! Put that thing away!"
"What if you were a demon?" Mazen challenged. "Wait, Ali and a demon are basically the same thing."
Ali ignored the jab, looking curious. "Who are you looking for? Who's the target?"
Mazen pointed a serious finger toward a blonde boy in the distance. "Zenitsu."
Ali, confused, asked, "Did he hit you or something?"
Mazen shook his head. "He masters Thunder Breathing. If we play our cards right, we can turn him into a human generator. I can charge my phone and finally play *PUBG*."
Ali stared at him, bewildered. "How exactly do you plan to extract electricity from him?"
Mazen pulled out a wooden stick with terrifying confidence. "I'm going to stick this... in his 'back-end'."
Ali's eyes widened as he lunged for the stick. "You pervert! Give me that! Who the hell taught you physics?"
### The Crows and the Ore
As they bickered, the Kasugai Crows descended.
Mohannad looked at the bird on his shoulder. "How much is this crow worth on the market?"
The crow shivered, its voice cracking with panic. "Caw! He wants to sell me! Caw!"
Huzaifa's crow sat in silence, observing him. "If you try to analyze my greatness," Huzaifa warned the bird, "you'll probably die from the complexity."
The crow let out a mocking caw. "I'll die of laughter, more like! Caw!"
Ali's crow landed directly in his curly hair, pecking at his forehead. "Caw! This is very comfortable! A perfect nest!"
"You impudent bird!" Ali roared, trying to throttle it. "I am King Ali!"
Mazen was doubling over with laughter until his own crow landed. "Great," the bird muttered. "I'm stuck with a monkey."
Mazen stopped laughing, his face darkening as he aimed his gun at the bird. "You son of a... I'll kill you!"
*Bang! Bang!*
Mazen's random shots sent the crows scattering. Kanata, usually unflappable, trembled slightly. "I see how they defeated a demon," he whispered to himself. "It wasn't skill... it was pure, unadulterated insanity."
Meanwhile, Tanjiro watched Moaz. Moaz was smiling gently, scratching his crow under its beak.
"Moaz-san," Tanjiro said, curious. "Do you like animals?"
"Yes," Moaz replied softly. "Especially cats."
The crow leaned into Moaz's touch. "Wonderful... keep going... this is the life... Caw!"
"It seems even the animals love you," Tanjiro remarked.
Finally, it was time to choose the ore. Mohannad rushed forward, grabbing the shiniest rock. "This will be the greatest sword because I am the most handsome! The Hashira rank and my two-thousand-dollar bonus are coming!"
Huzaifa rubbed his chin, analyzing the pile. "Philosophically speaking, the best ore has a texture that is both rugged and comforting." He picked a solid-looking stone. "Excellent, Huzaifa-sama."
Ali rolled his eyes. "If this guy had passed physics, we'd be in trouble. My turn." He chose a stone that looked heavy and brutal, a wicked grin showing his teeth. "I'll burn every demon to a crisp. Starting with Huzaifa."
Mazen chose a jagged, rough stone. "My bullets will crush Kokushibo's neck. Think of the bonus!"
Tanjiro used his sense of smell to pick his ore, then looked at Moaz. "What will you choose?"
Moaz reached out, his hand closing around a stone that was deep black with faint white veins. "This will be my weapon," he whispered. "The one to change all this sorrow."
### The Reunion
The group decided to travel with Tanjiro back to Urokodaki's house, as Aizawa's place was too far. When they arrived, Moaz froze in shock.
Standing there with Nezuko were Iyad and Moamen.
"How did they get here?" Moaz asked, leaning on Tanjiro. "Weren't they with Old Man Aizawa?"
Iyad saw his brother—injured and pale—and sprinted toward him. "Brother! Are you okay?"
Moaz tried to smile, raising a shaky hand. "I'm fine, really."
Moamen didn't hesitate, leaping into a hug that knocked both of them to the ground. "Brother Moaz! I was so scared for you!"
Moaz winced in pain but patted Moamen's head. "It's okay... just a few broken ribs."
The two younger boys pulled back, looking at him with deep suspicion. "Broken ribs?" Moamen cried. "You say that like it's a sprained ankle!"
"I can literally see the fractures," Iyad added, worried.
As Moaz lay on the ground with his brothers piled on top of him, he looked up to see Urokodaki in his red mask, standing beside Aizawa.
"It seems your students have succeeded," Urokodaki said calmly. "Now, let us see the next steps."
Aizawa nodded, a rare, faint smile touching his lips. "Yes. Let the rehabilitation begin before I let them loose on the world."
Moaz looked at Aizawa, his eyes sharpening with resolve. "I want to know more. Especially about Shin... and his demons."
**End of Chapter 23**
*Leave a comment: Who was your favorite character this chapter? Any suggestions for the journey ahead? Don't forget to Like and Follow!* 🫠🤗