"W–We… did it…"
Tanjiro dropped to the ground with a thud, his chest heaving.It wasn't the same as killing a human, but the weight in his hands—the thud of flesh and bone—didn't feel all that different. The only true difference was that killing a demon didn't bring guilt.
He'd done well. Even better than Chika had expected. She'd assumed he would hesitate—but this time, he hadn't.
Then again, in the original story, his hesitation came from doubt—wondering if the rock in his hands could even crush a demon's skull. But here, armed with a steel axe, there was no need for hesitation. One or two blows were enough.
Chika was just about to raise her hands to applaud him when she heard clapping from behind her.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
A man wearing a tengu mask stood there, silent as a shadow, his presence sudden and weightless. His footsteps had been exactly as described—quick and soundless.
"Well done," the masked man said as he approached, still clapping. "Fast, precise, and clean. Your movements exceeded my expectations. You're the child Giyu mentioned, aren't you? You've done better than I thought."
The mysterious elder—just as they'd hoped—was none other than Sakonji Urokodaki, the famed trainer of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Tanjiro blinked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly."I just followed my sister's plan, sir. It was all her idea."
"Oh?" Urokodaki tilted his head. His gaze shifted to the girl in the wheelchair. "Yours?"
He hadn't heard about her from Giyu. The "wheelchair girl" was a complete surprise. And that ambush—executed so sharply—had been her plan?
He studied her quietly. "Then tell me—if this boy hadn't been able to finish the demon off, what would you have done? Fled? Or fought?"
"Of course I would've fought," Chika replied calmly. "Honestly, the fact that Tanjiro finished it so cleanly already exceeded my expectations."
"Oh?" the masked man said again, intrigued. "So you did have a backup plan."
From his perspective, it was simple. If the boy failed, the situation would have turned instantly—one human against a raging demon, while the other was a defenseless girl in a chair. Yet the girl before him didn't fit that picture.
Before the thought could finish forming, Chika slowly stood up from her wheelchair.Her legs trembled faintly, but she stood tall.
"So that's it," Urokodaki murmured. "A feint. You wanted the demon to think you were helpless, to lure it into exposing itself so Tanjiro could strike."
He thought he'd unraveled her secret—and in truth, his assumption wasn't entirely wrong. But Chika didn't bother correcting him.If anything, letting him think that worked to her advantage. It made her look clever. Reliable.
Beside her, both Tanjiro and Nezuko panicked at once."Big Sister!!""Sorry!!"
Chika clasped her hands together and bowed lightly. "I'm sorry for worrying you both."
Urokodaki's eyes softened behind the mask. For a moment, he saw flashes of his old students—young faces, filled with fire and hope.
The first rays of dawn spilled across the forest. Tanjiro squinted at the blinding sunlight—then froze.
"Nezuko!"
He spun around in panic. She couldn't stand the sun. He followed her scent to the shrine they'd fought in, where she'd already taken cover in the shade. Relief flooded his face.
Then, without a sound, Urokodaki appeared behind him."You're Tanjiro Kamado, right?"
"Y–Yes, sir! I'm Tanjiro Kamado!"
The boy straightened, nerves written all over him. He already knew who this was—the man Giyu had sent him to find.
If Giyu Tomioka was strong, then the man he respected must be even stronger.
And indeed, Sakonji Urokodaki was no ordinary man.He was the former Water Hashira—once among the strongest of all demon slayers.
"You killed that demon using your sister's plan," Urokodaki said seriously. "That means it won't count toward your trial. I'll have to test you myself—to see if you have the strength to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
It wasn't immediate acceptance, but Tanjiro's eyes lit up regardless. "Understood!"
"Good. Carry your sister, and follow me. I'll take care of your other sister."
And so, an odd sight appeared along the mountain roads—a tengu-masked elder sprinting faster than a young man could run, pushing a wheelchair as if it weighed nothing. Behind him, Tanjiro gasped for breath, trying to keep up, the box on his back bouncing with every step.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.How is this old man so fast?Not only fast—but steady. For hours, his speed never dropped.
Chika, meanwhile, was caught between awe and exhilaration.The wind whipped through her hair; the wheels rattled beneath her.
This… this is incredible!
It didn't feel like a wheelchair—it felt like a roller coaster ride through the mountains.
By the time they reached the foot of Mount Sagiri, the sky had shifted from night to dawn, then dusk again.
Tanjiro staggered, barely able to stand, bracing his hands on his knees."Haa… haa… Do you… acknowledge me now?"
Urokodaki's voice was calm. "The test is only beginning. Climb the mountain. I'll take care of your sisters."
He briefly explained what awaited Tanjiro—the traps, the scent tests, the grueling climb. Tanjiro swallowed hard, then straightened and began the ascent with determined eyes.
Once the boy disappeared among the trees, Urokodaki turned toward Chika. Behind the mask, his gaze sharpened with a strange glint of curiosity.
"Girl," he said quietly. "May I have a word with you?"