The mountain rose before us like a silent threat.
Dark. Towering. Wrapped in mist so thick it looked like the earth itself was holding its breath.
This was the Final Selection.
Seven nights.
No help. No food. No escape.
Survive—or disappear like the others.
That was the only rule.
We stood at the base in silence. Dozens of us. Boys and girls. Older teens. Children, about 12-14 years old. Some trembling. Some trying to look brave.
I stood near the back. Not hiding, just watching.
I didn't speak to anyone. Not because I didn't care—but because I didn't need to.
Everyone had their reasons for being here.
Mine?
I never wanted to see another family destroyed again.
Not like mine.
The gate opened without a word.
And we walked in.
The forest swallowed us whole.
The air was strange—heavy and still, like something was watching.
The trees leaned in, their trunks wide and twisted. Moss crept up their sides like old scars. No birdsong. No wind.
Only footsteps. And silence.
I walked with measured steps, hand on my sword. Eyes sharp. Breath steady.
Total concentration. Every inhale timed. Every exhale quiet.
Some kids bunched together. Others sprinted off in panic.
I just kept walking.
Then came the first scream.
Far off. Sharp. Cut short.
I didn't flinch.
I kept moving.
Then—
A flicker of movement in the canopy above.
A shape dropped from the trees.
Yellow eyes. Long arms. A jagged mouth.
A demon.
No time to think.
My blade was already moving.
"Shadow Breathing. First Form—Veiled Fang."
I stepped through the shadow of a tree. My sword found its mark.
The demon's head hit the ground.
Ash scattered across the roots.
I exhaled.
The first of many.
Hours passed. Then night.
Everything changed.
The air grew colder.
The screams multiplied.
One came closer—ragged, desperate.
I followed it. Quiet. Controlled.
A boy. Maybe twelve. Pinned under a broken branch.
Two demons circled him. Long limbs. Black tongues. Smiling.
I didn't hesitate.
"Shadow Breathing. Second Form—Ghost Step."
I vanished from sight.
Reappeared behind one. My blade sang. Its head fell.
The other turned too late.
A quick slash.
Gone.
The boy looked at me like I was a ghost.
His lips trembled. "T-thank you…"
I nodded once. "Run north. There's a clearing. Others may be there."
He didn't move at first.
Then his legs found strength.
He ran.
I disappeared into the trees.
The next night was worse.
I found a girl—a demon had her by the throat. It lifted her like she weighed nothing.
I moved fast.
Too late.
Her neck snapped.
The demon turned, laughing.
I didn't scream. I didn't curse.
I just moved.
"Shadow Breathing. Third Form—Eclipse Fang."
My body twisted through the air like a ribbon.
The blade carved a perfect arc.
One cut.
Two cuts.
Three.
The demon staggered, healing fast. Flesh twisting.
I didn't let it finish.
I kept cutting. Faster. Deeper.
Until it stopped moving.
Until nothing remained but ash.
At some point, I lost track of time.
I didn't sleep. Only rested when I had to.
I drank from streams. Ate wild roots.
Everything else was fighting.
Every demon I killed, I remembered its face.
Its eyes.
The way it screamed.
But I never hesitated.
One night, I stumbled into a clearing.
Four kids huddled near a small fire.
One had twin braids and a scratch on her cheek.
Another held a thick stick, gripping it like a sword.
The third was silent. Face pale. Eyes red from crying.
The last had chipped teeth and a nervous laugh.
They looked up when I entered. Didn't speak.
I sat near the edge of the fire.
The warmth reached my fingers. My joints ached.
They didn't ask who I was.
Eventually, the girl with braids said, "You've been fighting."
I nodded.
The boy with the stick asked, "How many?"
I shrugged. "Enough."
A moment of silence.
Then they laughed.
Not because it was funny.
But because they needed to.
The one with chipped teeth reached into a cloth pouch.
Pulled out a half-squished rice ball.
Held it toward me.
I took it.
"Thanks."
It was dry. But warm.
On the fifth night, I climbed a tree to rest.
From above, I could see flashes of battle between the branches.
More kids were still alive than I expected.
But not many.
I spotted a demon below me—long legs, dragging fingers like blades.
It was stalking someone.
I dropped without sound.
Landed behind it.
One cut.
It didn't even have time to scream.
I disappeared before the boy it had been stalking could see me.
Sixth night. I was tired.
Not from fighting.
From caring.
From seeing the fear. The failure. The small victories that meant nothing the next day.
A girl begged me to stay with her after I saved her.
Said she couldn't sleep alone anymore.
I helped her build a shelter out of fallen branches. Told her how to keep watch in shifts with another kid nearby.
She asked if I was scared too.
I told her yes.
That helped her smile.
Then I left.
Seventh morning.
The sky turned soft gold through the trees.
The air smelled of moss and blood.
A crow landed on my shoulder.
"Caw! Final Selection complete! Caw! Survivors, proceed down the trail!"
Its voice was loud and cheerful.
Didn't fit the forest at all.
"Ryo Tsukihara! Caw! You are now a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!"
I blinked at it.
"…Thanks."
"Caw! You're welcome!"
It tilted its head. Blinked.
Then flew off.
I looked around.
We had started with dozens.
Only a handful remained.
Some limped.
Some cheered.
Some cried quietly into their sleeves.
I just breathed.
At the base of the mountain, a table waited.
On it—stones.
Not ordinary ones.
Nichirin ore.
They shimmered faintly under the sun. Subtle colors hiding inside them.
Each one unique.
Each one waiting to choose someone.
We were told to pick one.
I passed my fingers over a few.
Then stopped.
One of them felt warm. Almost like it was breathing.
I picked it up.
"This one," I said.
The old man at the table raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting choice. It suits you."
I didn't know what he meant.
That night, I sat alone on the roof of the old Corps lodging house.
The stars above shimmered through a veil of cloud.
My sword rested across my knees.
My hands were sore. My arms ached. But I wasn't tired.
I had passed.
Not just the exam.
I had passed something inside me.
I wasn't the same boy who walked up the mountain.
Not anymore.
I watched the stars for a long time.
Didn't smile.
But I didn't feel empty either.
Just… quiet.
Alive.
And ready for what came next.
To Be Continued…