Ryoma looked at the spot where the Hand Demon had vanished, his eyes complex.
Makomo, Sabito… perhaps some of Sakonji's regrets could be alleviated?
"Ryoma! You…"
Tanjiro hurried forward, looking at Ryoma, who was breathing slightly heavily, and spoke hesitantly.
Ryoma shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his somewhat cold face. "It's nothing… just a bit of physical exertion."
He looked towards the empty space again, his voice carrying a mix of relief and solemnity. "This can be considered revenge for Urokodaki-sensei's disciples who were massacred by that demon. I hope their souls can rest in peace."
Tanjiro silently looked at the spot where the Hand Demon had dissipated. His keen nose detected a scent of "sadness" in the air, filling his eyes with sorrow.
He felt the sadness emanating from the Hand Demon in his dying moments, and also thought of the deceased Makomo, Sabito, and their teacher, Sakonji.
"Ryoma, Urokodaki-sensei…"
Ryoma raised his hand, gently patted Tanjiro's shoulder, and continued, "You don't need to worry too much about Urokodaki-sensei."
"Tanjiro."
Ryoma looked him directly in the eyes, his expression more serious than ever before. "Remember that feeling just now. Anger can give you strength, but it can also make you lose judgment. A swordsman who cannot control their emotions... Their blade will only harm themselves."
Tanjiro understood that his previous actions were too impulsive and could only nod in response.
"Alright,"
Ryoma sheathed his sword, his movements somewhat slow.
"Since the Hand Demon has been dealt with, I'll take my leave first."
He turned and waved his hand with his back to Tanjiro, his voice a faint, weary whisper. "There's more than just this one demon in Mount Fujikasane. I still have some things to do. You must be careful and do what you need to do."
Before his words faded, his figure leaped a few times and disappeared into the depths of the moonlit forest, leaving behind only a whisper that seemed to melt into the night wind.
"We'll see each other again after the Final Selection."
...
For the next few days, Ryoma mostly stayed on the mountaintop. If a demon came looking for trouble, he would deal with it. If no demons appeared, he would quietly meditate and comprehend his own power.
Ever since Ryoma's magic power was no longer suppressed, and he could even use it to cast spells, he discovered that in this world, the recovery rate of his internal magic power was significantly slower compared to the Fairy Tail World.
Aside from a few demons that initially sought out Ryoma, there was no trace of any demons afterwards. It was unclear if they were all scared away, or if most of them had been killed.
This was the first time Ryoma had expended a large amount of magic power, and he was quietly experiencing the process of its recovery.
Ryoma then realized that the magic power was being generated by absorbing a strange energy through breathing, which was then converted.
Since magic power itself did not exist in this world, even if his internal magic power adapted to the rules of this world, it was unlikely to recover directly.
The seven days of the Final Selection passed in a flash.
Ryoma once again passed through the wisteria flower sea and arrived at the starting platform.
At this moment, there were only six people on the platform, and one or two of them were individuals whose lives Ryoma had saved.
Not long after Ryoma took his stand, Tanjiro also returned to this area, dragging his weary body.
However, seeing Tanjiro's somewhat dejected expression, it was clear that he had not obtained the answers he sought from the demons.
Indeed, those demons, who had largely lost their sanity, were not very capable of communication. Furthermore, there was originally no method in this world to turn a demon back into a human.
The first demon in this world—Kibutsuji Muzan—was merely a monster that had mutated from a failed evolution due to an incomplete drug.
All demons were born from being infected with his cursed blood. Even if Muzan were to retract his blood, that demon would likely collapse from being unable to withstand the transformation.
Tamayo later developed a human-transformation drug with help from various sources, and used her self-developed drug to ambush Muzan.
Tanjiro saw that including himself, there were fewer than ten people on the platform, while at least twenty had participated in the selection. His expression grew even more melancholic.
"Ryoma…"
Seeing Ryoma in front, Tanjiro walked up to greet him, but then didn't know what to say.
Ryoma nodded, not pressing Tanjiro about his experiences.
"Welcome back, everyone."
Clear, childlike voices broke the silence.
The two kids who had previously served as the chief examiners for the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection emerged from beneath the wisteria trees on either side.
"Congratulations, everyone."
"It's wonderful that you are all safe and sound."
Genya's face was twisted in a snarl, glaring fiercely at the two kids, and he grumbled impatiently, "What do I do next? Where are the swords?"
But the two kids did not respond to Genya's words, continuing with their own process.
"First, please accept your uniform allocation and undergo body measurements, then your rank will be inscribed."
"There are ten ranks in total."
"Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe , Kinoto and Kinoe."
"Currently, everyone is at the lowest rank, Mizunoto."
Genya, seeing the two kids talking to themselves about matters unrelated to his question, spoke again, "Where are the swords?"
It was then that the two kids began to introduce information related to swords.
"Today, for forging your swords, please select Scarlet Ore. From start to finish, the sword will take ten to fifteen days to forge."
Then they clapped their hands, summoning several kasugai crows. Oh, and one little sparrow mixed in.
After explaining and assigning each member their corresponding kasugai crow—
"Are you kidding me?!"
Genya's patience completely ran out.
He violently swatted away the kasugai crow perched on his shoulder and roared, "I don't care about any crows! Give me the color-changing katana now!"
Genya walked towards the two kids, about to reach out and grab one of their hair.
Ryoma's body moved, leaving only an afterimage in his original spot, as a cyan-blue arc of light flashed out.
Genya didn't even see how Ryoma appeared between him and the kid. He only felt a sudden chill on the side of his neck, and a cold sensation instantly pierced his skin, reaching straight to his throat.
Time seemed to freeze.
Genya's outstretched arm stiffened in mid-air, his arm muscles spasming from the sudden halt. Every hair on his body stood on end at that moment.
His outstretched hand was frozen in mid-air, mere millimeters from the kid's hair.
He painstakingly rotated his eyeballs and saw a cold ice blade resting against the side of his neck, its edge perfectly aligned with his carotid artery. The chilling cold pierced his skin, making his entire bloodstream feel as if it were about to freeze.
A few wisps of white, ice crystal-like cold air were subtly seeping out, instantly congealing the tiny beads of blood on his skin into crimson ice shards.
"Control your hands."
A cold voice echoed in Genya's ear, calm yet carrying an undeniable deterrence.
"Otherwise, next time your head…"
The voice paused slightly, and the coldness emanating from the ice blade suddenly intensified. Genya could even feel the blood flow in his neck slowing down due to the low temperature.
"…might not be on your neck anymore."
This understated remark, however, poured into Genya's mind like the chilling ice of the Nine Hells.
Genya's skin was numb with cold, yet the sharpness of the blade felt even clearer. The shadow of death had never been so close.
His gaze passed over the ice blade, which emitted a deadly chill, and met Ryoma's eyes.
Ryoma stood just a step away from his side, with no intense emotions in the depths of his eyes. His posture seemed casual, but it felt as if the blade would instantly strike down if he made any sudden movement.
"You… you bastard! Go on, just try it!"
(End of Chapter)
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