Tanjiro was utterly confused.
He looked at the other youths participating in the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection.
They were all strangers… yet all of them seemed to know him.
Since when did he become this famous???
"Huh? You don't know?"
Everyone exchanged looks of disbelief.
"Know… what exactly??"
Tanjiro's confusion deepened.
Not only did these people seem to recognize him—
Even the demons earlier acted like they knew who he was?!
At that moment, a girl participating in the Selection waved her hand, and a transparent screen appeared before her.
She quickly explained:
"This ranking video! You're on the list, Tanjiro!
The title says 'Head-Butting Hashira' — that's your nickname."
A boy beside her muttered under his breath:
"With a head that hard, 'Hashira of Headbutts' sounds about right…"
Tanjiro stared blankly at the screen.
He had one too, of course, but during the trial he ignored it completely.
But now…
According to them, he appeared in this ranking video!?
Gulp.
Tanjiro swallowed nervously and opened his own multiversal ranking screen.
Under everyone's gaze, he tapped on the video.
Across the multiverse, viewers continued watching as the progress bar neared the end.
After seeing poor Nezuko cry from pain, most people fell silent.
Every viewer admitted—
They had never seen a person with a harder head than this "Head-Butting Hashira."
The final highlight of the video looked equally dramatic.
On screen appeared a huge, grotesque monster—
A demon whose entire body was covered in arms.
If Tanjiro saw this part first, he would have been shocked out of his mind—
Because this demon was the very same Hand Demon he just encountered moments ago!!
In the video—
Tanjiro fought the Hand Demon and was clearly overwhelmed, gradually pushed back by the demon's endless barrage.
Arms erupted from the ground over and over, limiting his movement.
Tanjiro struggled to dodge, even his breathing rhythm beginning to collapse.
BOOM!!
More massive arms shot upward, tearing through the earth toward him!
With nowhere left to run, Tanjiro had no choice but to leap high into the air.
But everyone knew—
Jumping in battle, especially when forced, was practically suicide.
The Hand Demon smirked with savage delight.
SWISH!
SWISH!
SWISH!
Several thick arms shot toward Tanjiro midair at terrifying speed.
Below him—
A forest of arms.
Ahead—
More incoming blows.
Tanjiro was trapped in a perfect kill zone.
Everyone thought—
This is the end…
But then—
BOOM!!!
A thunderous crack echoed.
All viewers froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
Tanjiro had forced his body downward midair—
And his forehead smashed directly into an incoming arm!!
He used the impact as leverage and redirected his momentum, escaping the death trap.
Even more insane—
The viewers clearly saw the Hand Demon's thick arm cave inward where Tanjiro's forehead struck it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Using the recoil, Tanjiro flipped and landed on top of the arm!!
Sword in hand, he sprinted straight toward the Hand Demon.
The Hand Demon's expression twisted in panic.
Countless smaller arms burst from the large one, attempting to block his advance.
But—
[Total Concentration!!!]
[Water Breathing!!!]
Tanjiro inhaled deeply, blue energy surging around him.
SWISH!
SWISH!
SWISH!
Every obstructing arm was sliced cleanly apart.
Within seconds, Tanjiro was face-to-face with the Hand Demon.
SWISH!
Tanjiro crossed his arms, grasped his Nichirin Blade with his right hand, leaping toward the demon's neck.
[He closed the distance in an instant!?
No matter! My neck is tough!!
He won't cut through it—
I'll crush his head instead!!]
Everyone heard the Hand Demon's arrogant thought.
But then—
Tanjiro swung.
[First Form: Water Surface Slash!!!]
SWOOOOSH!!
It was as if his blade truly transformed into flowing water.
The countless arms protecting the Hand Demon's neck parted like tofu.
SPLASH!!
The Hand Demon's head flew into the air.
His face frozen in disbelief.
[He… actually cut it off…
Impossible…]
The screen faded to black.
Demon Slayer World.
Final Selection Mountain.
The fleeing Hand Demon had seen the entire video.
Watching the reenactment of the exact scene he had just escaped from, his entire massive body trembled uncontrollably.
Because he realized—
He had run from that very same moment!!!
"S-So that means…
If I hadn't run…
I would've died right there!!!"
Seeing Tanjiro rewrite a death trap with a headbutt and then slice off his head—
The Hand Demon's mind went blank.
But moments later—
He burst into hysterical joy.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Good thing I ran!!!
Good thing I ran fast!!!
That Head-Butting Hashira!!
Too terrifying!!!"
He laughed until his body spasmed.
He had narrowly escaped death at the hands of a monster in human form.
After countless years trapped here—
Dying was absolutely not on his to-do list.
"Total Concentration!!!
Water Breathing!!!
First Form — Water Surface Slash!!!"
Suddenly—
Behind the celebrating Hand Demon—
A cold voice cut through the air like a blade.