Spring peaches fell, summer cicadas departed, autumn maples drifted away.
Time quietly slipped away amidst the monotonous and rigorous training on Peach Mountain.
After nine months of grueling practice, Yasui Ryosuke's transformation was considerable.
He had grown noticeably taller; though still slender, he was no longer a sickly individual who would shatter at a touch.
His pallor had faded, replaced by skin tanned by sunlight and sweat.
"Ha! Ryosuke! You won't beat me today!"
Shota's voice rang out, his figure like lightning, as he rushed towards the finish line first.
"Hmph... hmph... You little brat, what are you so proud of..."
Ryosuke followed closely, only a few steps behind Shota.
Rika lagged slightly, her small face flushed from running, but her steps were steady.
Finishing the training, Ryosuke gritted his teeth as he looked at the glaring "83 days" of lifespan remaining on his system panel.
Yes, even with desperate training and physical enhancement, he had less than three months left to live.
In the center of the dojo, two brand new haori were neatly folded.
One was Shota's favorite deep brown.
The other was Ryosuke's, a deep black base with delicate lightning patterns embroidered in gold thread along the hem.
Jigoro handed two nichirin blades to them.
Rika was too young, and as a girl, her strength was weaker, so she would take the assessment a year later.
"The time for the Final Selection has come. Survive on Fujikasane Mountain."
Jigoro offered no further instructions, merely looking silently at Ryosuke.
According to the training plan, a talented individual like Shota would take a full year to meet the standards.
But Ryosuke was reckless.
He trained when others ate, he trained when others slept, and he was still training when others were training!
With Shota accompanying him in this Final Selection, they could look out for each other.
Ryosuke said nothing, simply gripping the nichirin blade in his hand and bowing deeply to Jigoro before heading down the mountain on foot.
He had to survive!
He had trained desperately for a year, all for this very moment!
"Brother Shota! Brother Ryosuke! Come back safe!"
Behind him, Rika's shouts grew fainter... Fujikasane Mountain was shrouded year-round in a sea of wisteria flowers.
A dreamlike, ethereal purple waterfall cascaded from the mountainside, forming a natural cage.
Deep within the mountain range, the demons captured by the Demon Slayer Corps were imprisoned.
For the Final Selection, they needed to survive inside for seven days.
Beyond the wisteria sea lay a dim expanse.
Demons howled, and a pungent, foul odor permeated the air.
Every inch of this land was steeped in the despair of the fallen.
Ryosuke did not stay with Shota.
Having read the original story, he knew that apart from the Hand Demon, a major bug, most of the demons here had only eaten two or three people and were relatively weak.
He could use them to practice and earn lifespan, preventing Shota from stealing his kills.
"Waaah—!"
With a strange cry, a demon with sharp teeth, a long tongue, and a lizard-like body leaped out of a haystack!
It lunged towards Ryosuke with incredible speed!
Ryosuke crouched, gripping his blade, and as he breathed, a lightning flash seemed to rage around him.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
Chii!
The blade hummed, as if thunder roared!
Ryosuke's figure flashed past, and as his blade erupted, the demon's head was severed, turning to ash.
"Killed a low-level demon, gained 10 days of lifespan, remaining lifespan 92 days."
After a year, the system's voice sounded again.
It works!
Ryosuke was ecstatic; this move didn't consume much of his energy.
This was thanks to the speed and destructive power of Thunder Breathing sword techniques.
Though difficult to learn, Thunder Breathing yielded significant results.
Most importantly, it was cool!
Ten days of lifespan for one low-level demon!
Heheheh~
Ryosuke didn't pause, his figure flickering as he lunged towards another bush from which roars were emanating.
Fighting! So satisfying!
Aside from the Hand Demon, the small fry here were his to butcher...
"Strange, where are the demons? Didn't they say the Final Selection was brutal?"
A swordsman wearing a fox mask walked through the forest, scratching his head in confusion.
Moriyama Akira had been here for six days! Six whole days!
He had been in a ready combat stance since morning, but he hadn't seen a single demon, not even a hair!
No way, man!
Is Urokodaki Sakonji Sensei just trying to scare me?
Just as he thought this, a dark shadow descended from above.
The foul, pungent smell made his pupils constrict.
Damn it!!!
"Awooo!"
A grotesque demon tackled him to the ground, his nichirin blade slipping from his grasp and falling three meters away.
What the heck!
You old demon, you have no honor, ambushing a trainee who's been practicing for two and a half years!
The demon didn't care about that; the lure of human flesh made it open its gaping maw and bite down.
Just as Moriyama Akira was about to cry for help, thunder rumbled in the distance.
Suddenly! A lightning flash streaked past!
A young man in a dark black haori appeared beside Moriyama Akira.
Ting!
The long blade slid back into its sheath, the demon's head severed and turning to ash.
The young man's ink-black hair danced, his demeanor graceful.
"Killed a low-level demon, gained 10 days of lifespan, remaining lifespan 156 days."
A Thunder Breathing swordsman?
Moriyama Akira stood up and thanked Ryosuke.
"Th-thank you, I'm Moriyama Akira."
"Ryosuke, Yasui Ryosuke."
Ryosuke sheathed his sword, his lips twitching when he saw the fox mask he was wearing.
"Your, your master is Urokodaki Sa... Mr. Urokodaki?"
"That's right."
Moriyama Akira nodded.
Oh, the tragedy—
It was Urokodaki Sakonji who had captured the Hand Demon and brought it here all those years ago.
Because of this, the ugly demon harbored an intense hatred for Urokodaki's disciples, reacting to the fox mask as if it were seeing a woman.
It would immediately enter an uncontrolled, frenzied rage!
Based on the current timeline, Sabito and Tomioka Giyu should still be in training.
This guy was from the batch before them.
Ryosuke patted his shoulder, preparing to leave.
"You should be careful."
"Thanks again."
Moriyama Akira thanked him once more.
Ryosuke hadn't walked two steps when a vast, evil aura enveloped them!
"Awooo!!!"
A roar tore through the silence of the night!
As the ground trembled, a monstrous figure, like a small hill, appeared in the distance, its skin grayish-blue, covered in dozens of grotesque, writhing arms!
The Hand Demon's neck was encased by massive arms, its eyes fixed intently on the fox mask Moriyama Akira wore.
"Urokodaki! Another fox brat trained by Urokodaki! Gah gah gah gah!"
The Hand Demon's grotesque laughter was piercing and shrill, filled with endless malice.
"I'll eat you all! I'll tear you to shreds! And the pain Urokodaki inflicted by trapping me here! I'll return it to you tenfold, a hundredfold!!"
See? I told you.
Bad!
Very damn bad!
Moriyama Akira was terrified by the demon before him, instinctively gripping his nichirin blade and retreating two steps.
"No, impossible, how could a demon like you appear here?!"
"Urokodaki trapped me here for 39 years, since the Edo period, the Keio era!"
The Hand Demon roared, countless arms flailing and pounding the ground: "Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Damn Urokodaki! Urokodaki! Urokodaki!"
The terrifying pressure was like a tangible swamp, instantly seizing both of them.
Ryosuke pushed his thumb against the sword guard, his breathing long and steady.
"If you don't want to die, fight!"
No sooner had he spoken than Ryosuke transformed into a streak of light, flashing forward, severing countless arms, and rushing directly for the Hand Demon's neck!
Moriyama Akira reacted instantly, mist swirling around him.
"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!"
His blade flowed, forming a combined attack.
The Hand Demon roared in fury, its severed arms regenerating instantly and whipping like long lashes.
Bang! Bang!
The immense force sent both of them flying.
Ryosuke clutched his chest, spitting out blood.
Moriyama Akira's vision went black, and he fainted on the spot.
Ryosuke was stunned!
Seriously, dude! You're already passed out?!
Demon Slayer Corps? I report! Someone's throwing the promotion exam for me!
At this moment, the Hand Demon's flesh contorted, shooting out several arms to attack again.
In this critical moment, thunder rumbled, and a figure appeared before the two of them.
"Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rolling Thunder!"
Boom!
Lightning flashed, the blade like electricity, and five swift slashes broke through the Hand Demon's attack.
Shota looked back at them.
"Are you alright?"
"Not dead."
Ryosuke stood up and, with Shota, charged forward again.
Thunder raged, severed arms flew.
Though they temporarily suppressed the Hand Demon, they were gradually exhausting themselves.
"This isn't working, we need to cut off its neck!"
Shota parried an attack, saying coldly.
Ryosuke flexed his numb wrist, knowing this was true.
For a demon like the Hand Demon, who had eaten nearly 30 people, its regenerative ability was already extremely exaggerated; it wouldn't die unless its neck was severed!
But the Hand Demon's neck was protected by its massive arms, incredibly tough, and countless arms blocked any approach!
Suddenly!
Shota couldn't react in time and was slammed hard in the side by a sweeping giant arm!
"Pfft!"
Shota spat out a mouthful of blood, crashing into a nearby boulder, his nichirin blade flying from his hand, and a tear appeared in his deep brown haori, rapidly staining with blood.
"Giggle giggle..."
The Hand Demon cackled, closing in on the nearby Shota and Moriyama Akira.
Countless arms, like deadly vines, rapidly coiled around the two of them.
"You motherfucker!"
Ryosuke spat out a mouthful of blood, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes.
If he didn't kill it, no one would survive tonight!
"System! Give me some points!"
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