The young swordsmen stepped out into the morning dew, full of spirit as they rushed out of the torii gate. Some had a bit of dirt on them, and the worst was just torn clothes.
This group of young people, led by Tendo and his four companions, stood in a "V" formation in front of Shinjuro Rengoku.
Looking at these young people, Shinjuro was stunned. Did they go on a picnic or something?
He counted them over and over, and then rubbed his eyes in disbelief to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
He knew all too well how brutal the final selection was; it was already impressive if ten out of twenty-five survived.
But the reality was as dreamlike as it was; twenty-five entered, and twenty-five came out.
A survival rate of one hundred percent, something unprecedented in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Uncle?" Tendo gently reminded Shinjuro, who had been staring at everyone in silence.
Shinjuro snapped back to reality, laughed heartily, and returned to his spirited self, saying:
"Congratulations to all of you for passing the final selection! Everyone, keep up the good work!"
Every young boy and girl wore radiant smiles, full of vitality, just like the everlasting wisteria flowers surrounding them.
They had made history, achieving an unprecedented one hundred percent survival rate, all thanks to those standing at the forefront.
Each of them had been helped by Tendo and his four companions, and Murata had the most say in this matter.
In the future, he could boast that he had fought alongside five Hashira.
For the young swordsmen, Tendo and his four companions were undoubtedly dazzling new stars. They gave everyone hope that it was possible to eradicate all the evil demons in the world.
As the most senior member of the Demon Slayer Corps, Shinjuro felt immensely gratified because he saw the future of the Corps in these young people.
The future was in the hands of this group of youngsters, and the decline of the Demon Slayer Corps would soon be a thing of the past.
He snapped his fingers, and the next moment, twenty-five Kasugai Crows flew toward the young people.
In the morning light, the true colors of the Kasugai Crow feathers were revealed; they were not just a monotonous black but a vibrant array of colors like a rainbow.
In fact, every time the final selection was held, the Kasugai Crows prepared were meant for everyone, but the rules prevented every crow from finding a master.
This time, it was not in vain.
The Kasugai Crows chose their masters based on affinity; they circled above everyone but none landed.
Suddenly, the largest crow broke away from the flock and naturally landed on Tendo's shoulder, coldly uttering a few words.
"Give me a name!"
Tendo sized up the Kasugai Crow that had chosen him, feeling a strange sense of being a domineering CEO falling in love with him.
Forget it, as for the name, he smiled and said:
"Let's call you Seiken!"
"How about that?"
"Okay!" The Kasugai Crow nodded, still aloof and exuding an air of dominance.
After a while, all the Kasugai Crows had chosen their masters. If nothing unexpected happened, they would accompany their masters until death in battle.
Next, the swordsmen needed to choose their "Scarlet Sand Iron" and "Scarlet Ore."
These two types of ore were mined from the places closest to the sun, and the Nichirin Blades forged from them were the only weapons capable of harming demons.
Shinjuro pointed to a platform nearby and said to everyone, "Youngsters, choose the ore that belongs to you, and then carve out your future!"
"The future of the Demon Slayer Corps is entrusted to you!"
The ores were all quite similar, so Tendo casually picked a set.
Then, the members of the Inosuke team emerged from the wisteria forest nearby, having been waiting for a long time. They would be responsible for measuring the swordsmen's sizes and then taking the measurements back to headquarters for the tailors to make uniforms.
The ores chosen by the swordsmen would also be taken to the swordsmith village by them.
The Inosuke team members were responsible for the logistics of the Demon Slayer Corps; without them, the Corps would be like a table missing a leg.
Every person who joined the Demon Slayer Corps shared a common goal: to create a world without demons.
"Brother, what's your name?" Tendo casually struck up a conversation. Even if he couldn't see the other person's face clearly, remembering names was still no problem.
The Inosuke team member measuring Tendo paused for a moment, and then a youthful voice rang out.
"My name is Sato Inoue!"
Tendo extended his hand, smiling as he said, "Tendo Kazama, please take care of me from now on!"
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Inoue looked at Tendo in disbelief. After all, it was rare for someone to thank a member of the Inosuke team, who were responsible for logistics and thus didn't receive as much attention as the swordsmen on the front lines.
Most swordsmen took the contributions of the Inosuke team for granted.
"Please take care of me, Tendo-sensei!" Inoue tightly grasped Tendo's hand, remembering his appearance and this respect.
With all preparations complete, the Inosuke team members left Fujikasane Mountain one after another, needing to deliver the items back to headquarters as quickly as possible.
The selected team members then went their separate ways, waiting for their Nichirin Blades and uniforms to arrive before starting their demon-slaying missions.
Shinjuro Rengoku's Kasugai Crow hurriedly left Fujikasane Mountain, eager to bring this good news back to headquarters.
...
Headquarters, Ubuyashiki Mansion.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Kanao were discussing matters when Taro jumped onto Kagaya's shoulder, making a ruckus. Its voice was as passionate as Shinjuro's.
"Master, Master!"
"Great news!"
"Taro, don't rush; take your time!" Kagaya smiled and reassured.
Little Master, there's more to this chapter, please click the next page to continue reading; it gets even more exciting!
"The survival rate of the final selection is one hundred percent; all twenty-five of them survived!"
Upon hearing this, the roster in Kagaya's hand slipped from his grasp. Even the calm Master couldn't help but tremble inside.
A survival rate of one hundred percent!
He unwrapped the letter from Taro's leg, which was written in Shinjuro Rengoku's handwriting.
"Dear Master, congratulations! I believe that in a few years, the decline of the Demon Slayer Corps will definitely be reversed. Tendo, Obanai, Sabito, Giyu Tomioka, and Kyojuro have collectively beheaded ninety-five demons, and the demons on Fujikasane Mountain are nearly extinct.
All five of them have the potential to become Hashira, and thinking of this makes me particularly happy.
Please take care of yourself, Master!"
"Master, what has made you so happy?" Kanao noticed the change in her master's aura and asked.
"Kanao, the future of the Demon Slayer Corps will be incredibly bright; it won't be long before you can become a senior!" Kagaya said excitedly, recounting the contents of the letter.
Upon hearing this, Kanao clasped her hands together, unable to stop the tears from flowing.
This was indeed monumental news.
"Amane, please get me some paper and a pen; I want to write a letter to thank Mr. Kuwajima, Mr. Sakonji, and Mr. Shinjuro for raising such excellent swordsmen!"
Upon hearing this, Amane walked out of the room with paper and pen, wearing a genuinely happy smile.
Ever since her husband took over the Demon Slayer Corps, she had rarely seen him smile so joyfully.
Kagaya wrote fervently, his mind filled with a thought he had never dared to imagine before.
Perhaps the conflict between humans and demons could be resolved in this generation.