Chapter 49 – The Anomaly at Mount Fujikasane
In truth, the Final Selection—the last trial for recruiting new members into the Demon Slayer Corps—had been in a worrying state for well over a decade now.
The Corps had stood for more than a thousand years. Ever since Kibutsuji Muzan rose as the Demon King, the Ubuyashiki family had established this organization to fight him. Their war had been waged for centuries without pause.
Though the Corps never boasted massive numbers, they had always managed to maintain a balance—keeping around three hundred active members at all times.
Each year, many veterans would fall in battle against demons. Their places would be taken by those who survived the Final Selection.
That cycle had allowed the Corps to endure for generations.
But in the past ten to fifteen years, the number of successful candidates had steadily declined.
Veteran swordsmen who should have retired were forced to remain on the front lines due to the lack of fresh recruits.
—That was why Ubuyashiki Kagaya and the Hashira placed such importance on the new training method Hikaru had brought. They hoped it would produce more young swordsmen strong enough to enter the field immediately.
Yet… the results of the Hikaru-Style training were not as significant as they had hoped.
A heavy silence settled over the meeting grounds.
The evening breeze stirred, brushing past Ubuyashiki Kagaya's long black hair. Though blind, he could clearly sense the tension hanging in the air.
"…Everyone," Kagaya spoke softly, yet with quiet authority.
"Our situation has reached a critical stage."
"Does anyone have thoughts they wish to share?"
As the highest-ranking members of the Corps, the Hashira had the right to voice their opinions on its future.
"Ha ha… well, I suppose this was bound to happen sooner or later," Kyojuro Rengoku spoke up first. His voice rang bright and energetic, as open as his expression.
"The Final Selection may be strict, but I'd rather it be that way… than send unprepared recruits to their deaths, only to strengthen the demons they face."
The words, though harsh, reflected the bitter truth of their world.
Anyone who joined the Demon Slayer Corps had to accept their fate.
"Exactly! A strict selection is far better than a pointless death!" Tengen Uzui added, his shoulders moving to some rhythm only he seemed to hear.
"U-um… could I say something…?" Mitsuri Kanroji timidly raised a hand, her voice almost lost in the air.
Kagaya gave her a gentle nod. "Please do."
Her cheeks flushed at once, her soft pink hair swaying slightly as she lowered her gaze. It wasn't romantic—it was respect. For all members of the Corps, Kagaya was like a father.
"This year's participants… I saw them before the test. None reached Tsuchinoto rank, but they seemed promising."
"Mount Fujikasane… it's supposed to only have low-ranked demons, ones that may have eaten only a person or two. They should have been able to make it through."
That uncertainty in her tone hung in the air.
"…Then isn't it obvious?" Sanemi Shinazugawa cut in, his brows drawn tight. "If they weren't strong enough, they shouldn't have taken the test in the first place."
His tone was sharp, his scarred face all the more severe.
No one rushed to reply. Giyu Tomioka remained silent, his expression pensive, as if remembering something unpleasant.
Mitsuri lowered her shoulders and stayed quiet.
"…So the problem lies in the candidates' quality," Kagaya murmured. "Perhaps we need to review our training methods from the ground up…"
Throughout the discussion, Hikaru had stayed silent.
He simply watched the exchanges between the Hashira, deep in thought.
From the moment Kagaya mentioned the Final Selection, one place had come to his mind—
Mount Fujikasane.
The trial grounds surrounded by wisteria blossoms blooming year-round. The flowers released a fragrance that demons hated, keeping them trapped inside and preventing any from the outside from entering.
Most demons within were weak, feral things—driven only by killing instinct.
The place was meant for beginners, not for elite swordsmen. So it made sense that the opponents weren't supposed to be dangerous.
But… what if—
Hidden among them was a demon intelligent enough to think?
One who could plan, avoid danger, bide its time, and only prey on the weakest?
If so…
Then the low pass rate wasn't because the candidates were too weak—
It was because the opponent wasn't one they were ever meant to face.
"…Could that be the real problem?" Hikaru exhaled softly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
The Hashira heard it.
Their hearing was too sharp to miss.
"Hikaru-san," Kagaya asked, "have you realized something?"
"It's just a theory."
Hikaru lifted his head. "The Final Selection is meant for beginners—and beginners are, naturally, weak."
"But if there's a demon inside Mount Fujikasane stronger than intended, the results could be disastrous."
"That's impossible!" Rengoku said immediately. "We personally captured all the demons in there! None of them were strong!"
"Maybe not back then. But what about now?" Hikaru's reply was calm.
"That mountain has been in use for years. If—even once—a demon slipped past our notice and preyed on candidates year after year… its power would grow far beyond the norm."
Rengoku paused.
He knew Hikaru's words weren't baseless.
A low-ranked demon might start as nothing more than a mindless beast. But after consuming a single human… it began to regain thought. Enough to choose its targets carefully.
Avoid the strong.
Hunt the weak.
Such a demon… would be impossible for a beginner to defeat.
The Hashira exchanged glances.
Even Giyu Tomioka, silent until now, lifted his gaze to Hikaru. His eyes sharpened—remembering something.
The Final Selection he had once taken part in. One of the lowest pass rates in the last twenty years.
'Hikaru-san… is right,' Giyu thought.
"…We've been too focused on the surface."
Hikaru let out a slow breath, then said,
"Mount Fujikasane is encircled by wisteria. No demons from outside can get in, and none inside can get out. But that doesn't mean the place is free from internal problems."
"Stability for years doesn't mean it can't be broken."
His eyes turned toward Kagaya.
Though sightless, Kagaya seemed to face him in return—
As if he could feel the weight of Hikaru's gaze.
His pale eyes reflected no light.
But in that quiet moment… there was a depth of understanding in his expression.
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