His gaze shifted to Lorne again. Although the young man was exhausted, his eyes and demeanor might be more suited for wielding a blade.
Just then, the demon's head slowly regained consciousness.
It couldn't feel the existence of its body. Its blood-red eyes glared maliciously at Lorne and Tanjirou, squeezing out a roar from its throat:
"Bastard! I'll kill you! Come here! I'll gnaw you until not even bone fragments are left!"
However, its curse was interrupted by a golden light.
In the sky, the first ray of dawn pierced through the clouds, penetrating the intertwined branches and leaves, accurately casting its light on the demon's head.
"Ah!"
A shriek, so piercing it sounded inhuman, rang out.
Where the sunlight touched, the demon's skin sizzled, and a strange flame erupted from its flesh, incinerating all its malice and curses.
In the blink of an eye, that head turned to ashes in the morning light, scattering with the wind, as if it had never existed.
"Nezuko!"
Tanjirou cried out in alarm. Seeing this terrifying sight, his first thought was of his sister!
He frantically looked around and finally saw his sister, tightly curled up and hiding from the sun in the shadow of a dilapidated shrine not far away, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.
Urokodaki Sakonji silently watched all of this. He had received an urgent message from the Demon Slayer Corps' kasugai crow, informing him of demon activity nearby, and had rushed over, but unfortunately, he was still a step late; someone had already been killed.
He happened to encounter Lorne and Tanjirou confronting the demon, and he also wanted to see how the young man recommended by Giyu was, so he didn't intervene immediately.
Now that the matter was settled, he walked into the shrine, moved the victim's body out, dug a pit nearby, buried it, and clasped his hands together to pray for the departed soul!
Lorne watched this scene, his heart complex. Prayer might be useless, but it was the only thing the living could do for the deceased.
In this world where even death found no peace, a little ritual might be the last dignity left to "humans."
He silently found a few unknown wild flowers nearby and gently placed them in front of the newly piled earth grave.
Since he had already come to this world, and didn't know when he could return, he had to interact with the extraordinary powers of this world and ensure he had a certain degree of self-preservation here.
The Demon Slayer Corps was his only choice.
In some respects, this world was even more dangerous than the Fairy Tail World!
After praying, Urokodaki stood up and turned to Lorne:
"This old man is Urokodaki Sakonji. You have a good disposition and a certain understanding of demons. Do you... want to join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Yes!"
Lorne answered without hesitation,
"My name is Lorne. You are from the Demon Slayer Corps, right? I originally wanted to see if I could find someone from the Demon Slayer Corps."
Now that he wanted to contact people from the Demon Slayer Corps, especially a trainer, this person in front of him was the most suitable, so he naturally couldn't miss this opportunity.
Urokodaki Sakonji did not immediately respond to Lorne but instead turned his gaze to Tanjirou, who had just confirmed his sister's safety and walked out of the shrine.
"You are the one Tomioka Giyu introduced, aren't you?"
Tanjirou, hearing that the person was Mr. Urokodaki Sakonji, whom he was looking for, also quickly responded:
"Yes, my name is Kamado Tanjiro, and my sister's name is Nezuko."
Instantly, Urokodaki's aura became incredibly sharp, and his eyes fixed on Tanjirou as he asked:
"Kamado Tanjiro, answer me! If your sister Nezuko... eats a human, what will you do?"
"—!!"
Tanjirou was struck as if by lightning, his body stiff, his pupils suddenly contracting. He had never thought about, nor dared to think about, this question.
Urokodaki Sakonji's brow furrowed even more under his mask, deepening his disappointment, and he turned his gaze to Lorne, wanting to hear his answer.
Seeing Urokodaki Sakonji's gaze on him, Lorne spoke without much hesitation:
"I can't be sure, but I might kill her with my own hands. Perhaps she would be in extreme pain if she became like that, so it would be better to let her be freed early. Then,"
He paused, a hint of darkness flashing in his eyes,
"I will follow her to apologize for my incompetence."
Lorne indeed couldn't imagine it, but if he really had a sister in this world who turned into a demon under Kibutsuji Muzan, perhaps death would be a better destination.
Urokodaki's eyes under his mask seemed to soften for a moment. He was clearly much more satisfied with Lorne's answer than with Tanjirou's.
After hearing Lorne's words and Urokodaki Sakonji's instruction, Tanjirou also made a promise that he would never let such a thing happen, and if it did, he would personally kill Nezuko and then commit suicide to atone.
Urokodaki Sakonji looked deeply at Tanjirou. Although it wasn't entirely his own decision, at least... he had a clear stance.
"Then, we will now begin the test to see if you have the qualifications to become a demon slayer swordsman."
He said to Tanjirou,
"Carry your sister on your back and follow me."
Then, he tilted his head slightly, and his Tengu mask turned towards Lorne:
"You, since you also want to join the Demon Slayer Corps, come along as well."
With that, Urokodaki Sakonji began to run down the mountain.
Tanjirou didn't dare to delay. He immediately rushed to the shrine, carefully carried the wooden box containing Nezuko on his back, and strenuously chased after him.
Lorne's eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and, without hesitation, also quickened his pace, sprinting towards the direction where Urokodaki Sakonji had disappeared.
The wind whistled in his ears. His lungs felt like burning charcoal, and each breath brought a searing pain.
Lorne stared intently at the figure ahead, which seemed leisurely but was as fast as a phantom. He knew that this was Urokodaki Sakonji's deliberately slowed pace.
Fortunately, his body, tempered by magic for seven years in the Fairy Tail World, had good physical fitness. Even though both his soul and body were in a period of fatigue after crossing worlds, he could still barely keep up.
He glanced back out of the corner of his eye. The young man carrying the wooden box—Tanjirou—already had his forehead drenched in sweat, his steps faltering, and was relying on sheer willpower to keep up behind him.
The sun gradually set. When the last lingering rays of the afterglow shone on a solitary hut at the foot of the mountain, the long run finally came to an end.
"Ha... hah..."
Running from dawn till dusk, Lorne felt all his strength drained. He supported himself with his hands on his knees, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.
Tanjirou, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll with all its bones removed. He couldn't even maintain a kneeling posture, slumping completely.
He used his last ounce of strength, squeezing out broken syllables from deep in his throat:
"This... this way... will... you... acknowledge... me?"
Urokodaki Sakonji silently turned around, his gaze under the Tengu mask slowly sweeping over the two of them, lingering for a moment especially on the young man who had carried his sister to the finish line.
He slowly removed his headscarf, pushed open the creaking wooden door, and his voice was steady, without a hint of emotion:
"The test... is only just beginning. Let's go up the mountain!"
After settling Nezuko inside the house, Lorne and Tanjirou once again followed Urokodaki's footsteps, venturing into the depths of Mount Sagiri, which was gradually being swallowed by the night.
Lorne was secretly astonished by Urokodaki Sakonji's inhuman physique—after such an intense sprint, he could still lead the way with steady steps, his breathing long and even, as if he had only gone for a stroll.