Chapter 20: The Beginning of the Final Selection
"At the break of dawn, Aizawa stood at the entrance of his estate. The first rays of sunlight pierced the morning sky, while the seven boys stood before him wearing matching Japanese kimono outfits—mostly black, with loose black trousers."
"Among them, Eiad held his older brother Muaz's hand. Ali stood beside Mazen and Hudhayfah, while Muhannad stayed in the back counting yen coins. Beside him, Moamen casually ate rice balls stuffed with meat. In the middle of all this chaos, Aizawa finally spoke in his usual calm tone."
[Aizawa, with his usual silver-eyed stare, looked at the seven:] "Idiots… I mean, children. Training and taking care of you was… interesting. I'll pray for your safety."
[Mazen leaned toward Ali and whispered:] "I'm pretty sure he's about to curse us instead."
[Muhannad stopped counting his money and looked at Aizawa:] "That's only fifty yen. I want fifty more instead of your prayers. Or maybe some new clothes too. May God bless you."
[Aizawa frowned at Muhannad:] "You make me feel like I raised a greedy criminal."
[Mazen lifted his dead phone dramatically:] "Guys, I seriously miss my phone… technology… and PUBG."
[Eiad stood beside his older brother while Muaz smiled politely toward Aizawa:] "Thank you again, Aizawa-san. We can go now."
[Aizawa spoke with a serious face:] "From this moment onward… you walk your own path."
[Hudhayfah muttered quietly in Egyptian Arabic:] "I have a feeling he's plotting something."
[Moamen clapped his hands together jokingly:] "Bro's doing what every anime mentor does—'Go get traumatized and beaten up.'"
[Aizawa pointed forward:] "Go. Head to the Final Selection."
[Hudhayfah leaned toward Muaz and whispered:] "Do you think he's relieved to finally get rid of us?"
[Muaz sighed while scratching his thick black hair:] "I honestly can't blame him. Muhannad stole his money… and some skincare stuff, I think."
[Muhannad shouted defensively:] "It was just borrowing! Actually… it was a gift from Uncle Aizawa!"
[Muaz continued honestly:] "And we failed training too. I only managed one or two forms."
[Ali crossed his arms sarcastically:] "And now the old man can finally rest from Hudhayfah's endless scientific lectures."
[Hudhayfah immediately grabbed Ali by the collar:] "Oh really? Says the guy who solves every problem by yelling!"
[Aizawa interrupted the argument with a cough:] "Only five of you."
[Muaz answered seriously:] "Yes. Moamen and Eiad are too young. Me and the other four will go."
[Moamen raised his hand immediately:] "First objection—"
[Muaz gave him a side glance.] "I'm the oldest here. Decision made."
[Mazen laughed lightly:] "I'm technically one of the kids too and—"
[Before he could finish, Muhannad grabbed Mazen by the shirt and lifted him onto his shoulder:] "Come on, boys. I'll carry this goblin."
"The five finally departed, swords hanging at their waists."
[Muhannad examined the fabric of the uniform:] "Man… this cloth feels expensive."
[While thinking, Hudhayfah curiously asked Muaz:] "So what's supposed to happen in the original story?"
[Muaz rubbed his chin thoughtfully:] "Right now comes the Final Selection. We'll probably meet Tanjiro Kamado, the main protagonist and—"
[Muhannad interrupted immediately, his eyes sparkling at the word "protagonist": ] "Does he have money? Or maybe he needs a legal guardian?"
[Mazen smirked sarcastically:] "Nope. Tanjiro's poor. He only has his demon little sister."
[Then he lowered his voice:] "She can heal poison too."
[Muhannad's eyes widened excitedly:] "Healing poison? Nice. This Nezuko girl will definitely work under my management."
[Ali groaned while waving his dead phone:] "Damn it, I just want internet… or at least my phone back."
[Mazen leaned toward Ali and whispered:] "There's a guy called Zenitsu Agatsuma. We'll use him as our personal electricity source."
[Without hesitation, Ali punched Mazen in the face:] "Don't lean close to me. Your breath smells terrible."
[Muaz sighed and rubbed his forehead:] "We're not heroes from another world… we're literally a traveling circus. Peak Egyptian energy."
"The five kept arguing until they finally arrived at the Wisteria Forest, where countless participants gathered for the Final Selection."
"The group stood out immediately—most of them were taller than the other candidates."
[Muaz gathered everyone calmly:] "Listen carefully. Our first priority is survival. This should be manageable."
[Hudhayfah immediately asked:] "Survive… what exactly?"
[Muaz prepared to explain:] "The demons, obviously—"
[Of course, Mazen interrupted while pointing excitedly:] "Guys! That's Tanjiro over there!"
"The others looked toward Tanjiro, who appeared exactly like in the anime."
[Ali smirked mockingly:] "He's kinda short and cute. That's the protagonist?"
[Hudhayfah stroked his chin analytically:] "He seems calm, kind… and incredibly innocent."
[He glanced sideways toward Ali:] "Probably around your age too. Except you're basically the king of bullying."
[Muhannad rubbed his chin:] "Where's his sister? More importantly, if I pass this exam… do I officially become a Hashira and earn dollars?"
[Mazen puffed his chest proudly:] "I'm going to beat him up."
[Muaz instantly grabbed Mazen from behind and dragged him backward:] "No. We're maintaining peace… at least for now."
"A gentle silence settled over the area. The wind carried scattered wisteria petals through the air."
"Then a small bell rang softly."
"Two children appeared—one with black hair and the other with white hair, both smiling gently."
[Mazen immediately pointed at them:] "Guys, that's Kiriya Ubuyashiki and his sister Kanata Ubuyashiki. And Kiriya is a bo—"
[Muaz instantly choked Mazen into silence:] "You idiot! Are you secretly working for Muzan Kibutsuji or something?!"
"Like in the anime, Kiriya and Kanata began explaining together with synchronized voices:"
"Welcome to the Final Selection. Your test is simple… survive seven days among the demons."
[The first to comment, unsurprisingly, was Muhannad:] "When do we get paid? And is food included?"
[Muaz nearly screamed in frustration but held it in:] "I'm surrounded by complete idiots…"
[Ali cracked his fingers with a crazed grin:] "Now this is getting fun. Finally, some bloodshed."
[Hudhayfah analyzed calmly:] "Logically speaking, if we stay coordinated and avoid stupidity… our chances are actually high."
"Kiriya and Kanata finally announced together:"
"The Final Selection… begins now."
"The atmosphere shifted instantly."
"Muaz sharpened his focus. Hudhayfah's intelligence kicked in. Mazen radiated reckless stupidity. Muhannad burned with determination… for money. Ali desired violence."
"Meanwhile, on the other side, Tanjiro stepped into the forest alone with unwavering resolve."
[As Muaz entered the forest, he pulled out a necklace hanging from his neck.]
"Inside was a picture of himself carrying a child while Eiad stood beside him."
[Muaz whispered only one word:] "Brother."
"And so the test began."
"Will the heroes survive? How will their meeting with Tanjiro unfold? And will the events remain like the anime… or become something far more dangerous?"
End of Chapter
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Sorry for the lack of uploads lately—life stuff and a bit of discouragement from low support. I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a comment or like if you can, maybe even share it. I promise many consistent chapters are coming because I've already planned everything out. And God willing… you'll see truly great writing and characters you'll grow attached to 🥰