In the mountain ranges near Hakone.
Towering pines and emerald cedars surrounded a clear volcanic lake. Under the moonlight, the distant reflection of Mount Fuji drifted faintly across the water.
Lake Ashi.
It was also one of the domains managed under the Ubuyashiki family's influence.
But compared to ordinary scenic landmarks, this place served another purpose.
A Final Selection site for the Demon Slayer Corps.
Alongside places like Fujikasane Mountain and the Kurobe Gorge, it existed to test and recruit new members as the Corps' last trial.
"There are more people taking the test this year than usual."
"Isn't that a good thing? The more of us there are, the easier it'll be to deal with those damned demons."
"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't upset Shinagaki-sama."
In front of the torii by the lakeshore, several young men with cloth covering their faces whispered among themselves.
They were the Kakushi.
The Corps' logistics and support unit.
They handled everything auxiliary, from cleaning battlefields and providing after-action support to delivering messages and passing intelligence.
That also included maintaining the Final Selection grounds.
Standing before them was a young man with a cool, austere air.
His dark hair was loosely tied with a simple ebony pin, a few white strands falling to his shoulders. He wore a pure white ceremonial robe and hakama.
Over it all, he wore a deep violet haori.
Shinagaki Kotomori.
A priest of Hakone Shrine from the Shinagaki family, a lineage that had been close to the Ubuyashiki family for generations.
He was also the cousin of Shinagaki Amane, who had once borne that name and was now the Ubuyashiki family's lady.
Today, however, his role was different.
He was the officiant for this Final Selection.
Since ancient times, Final Selection was usually overseen personally by the Ubuyashiki head or members of their family.
But now, with the Ubuyashiki household dwindling in numbers, this ritual-heavy selection had to be handled by allied shrine families instead.
Shinagaki Kotomori did not particularly like the Ubuyashiki family.
Still, between the demands of his lineage and his hatred for demons, he accepted the duty and came here to watch a group of children and young swordsmen head into the mountains to gamble their lives.
As for the Kakushi whispering behind him, he treated it as background noise.
His eyes stayed on the night waters, on several wooden boats slowly approaching in the distance.
"Looks like that's the last group."
When he saw swordsmen of varying heights step off the boats, he focused for a moment, then strode forward.
…
"So this is the Final Selection place my bargain-bin sensei talked about?"
Right after he disembarked, Natsuo looked around with open curiosity.
A torii gate, wisteria blossoms, a few masked weirdos, and one shrine guy in fancy clothes.
As for the other examinees nearby.
Godo Shota (Power Level: 27) Flame Breathing Level 2
Kitetsu Saburo (Power Level: 31) Water Breathing Level 1
Akimizu Reiko (Power Level: 22) Water Breathing Level 1
Amane Zan (Power Level: 19) Thunder Breathing Level 1
…
They all looked like they were carrying deep grudges and darker stories, acting like seasoned experts.
But in reality, among the twenty-some candidates, you could count the ones above Power Level 30 on one hand.
And as for Breathing Styles at Level 2, there was only one.
Compared to Natsuo, whose stats were already pushing toward 40 and whose Wind Breathing was Level 2, the others could only be described as small fry.
He had not been entirely confident before.
Now that he saw his peers, it felt locked in.
In his mind, if an organization like this that fought monsters wanted to keep recruiting, its pass rate had to be close to its casualty rate.
If recruits did not replace losses, the organization would wither fast under constant high-mortality combat.
So Natsuo figured the pass rate had to be at least sixty percent.
If the Corps had several hundred members, and the death rate was over half, even accounting for the fact that a large portion were support staff, the number of new swordsmen needed each year would still be close to a hundred.
Five selection sites, twice a year…
No matter how you sliced it, you needed around ten passers each time to barely keep the numbers stable.
Which meant this selection would probably eliminate about half.
Natsuo ran the math.
Using that demon he met a few days ago as a reference, two or three candidates working together could likely win.
If there were multiple demons, sure, there would be casualties.
Then he looked toward the officials up front.
Yamanaka (Power Level: 11) Stone Breathing Level 0
Akimichi (Power Level: 18) Wind Breathing Level 1
Nara (Power Level: 9) Water Breathing Level 0
Shinagaki Kotomori (Power Level: 6)
They were weaker than the candidates…
So the chief officiant was basically a normal person. Meaning the test site safety and order were not really being managed at all?
While Natsuo was still muttering in his head, the "normal person" he had just judged cleared his throat and spoke.
"Young swordsmen, thank you for gathering here tonight."
"You now stand at a crossroads of fate. Ahead lies Lake Ashi, the ground of your final trial."
"Here are the rules."
"This region is surrounded by a wisteria barrier that blooms year-round. Within it are many demons captured alive by Demon Slayer swordsmen."
"But you may rest assured. They will never escape these mountains."
"Your task is to survive in these mountains for seven days."
"After seven days, if you can walk out, you pass."
Shinagaki Kotomori's gaze swept across the faces before him.
All young.
The youngest looked barely over ten.
But regardless of age, not one showed even a hint of retreat.
"Wisteria is a barrier, and it is also a cage. Demons cannot leave, and you will have no choice but to fight them here."
"If you believe you cannot endure, you may abandon the selection at any time and return to this torii."
"But no matter what you choose, remember this."
"Grip your blade. Guard your heart."
With that, he stepped aside and revealed the path beyond the torii, a narrow trail that vanished into darkness.
"Lastly, I wish you all good fortune in battle."
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
Each of them had endured at least half a year of brutal training under a trainer. Nearly every one of them carried hatred that could not be reconciled with demons.
But the unknown and the dark were danger, a warning carved into human instincts.
Especially after the officiant's words, the wisteria-ringed mountains had been painted as a land of death.
No one was backing out, but most still needed a few deep breaths to brace themselves before stepping in.
Everyone thought so.
Except…
"You guys not going? Then I'm heading in."
Natsuo drew his Nichirin Blade, gave everyone a casual nod, and walked through the torii without looking back.
It was a PvE survival run, not some PvP duel against other swordsmen.
Natsuo could not even summon a trace of nervousness.
If anything, he felt impatient, like he wanted to rush in and start farming.
A bunch of demons trapped inside a wisteria barrier?
That sounded like an event dungeon packed with experience.
Why wait around and let other candidates take the kills?
He took a few steps, then suddenly braked and turned back toward Shinagaki.
"Oh, right. Officiant, if I kill every demon in the mountain, you're not gonna ask me to pay for damages, are you?"
In his view, killing every demon meant destroying the "test equipment."
Shinagaki paused, slightly startled.
Officiant?
Was that some odd slang?
"If you can do that, then of course it is fine."
He did not quite understand Natsuo's wording, but he still nodded. "Those man-eating demons feel no pain. Even if you kill them all, it does not matter."
"Other Demon Slayer swordsmen will regularly capture more to replenish the stock."
Only then did Natsuo relax.
Good.
That meant he could farm without restraint.
He turned back to the trail, and his figure disappeared fully into the dark.
Perhaps Natsuo's speech was too brazen for this era, or perhaps his steps into the trial ground were too firm.
The remaining swordsmen exchanged looks, and much of their tension faded.
One after another, they crossed through the torii.
After all the swordsmen had entered, the priest tilted his head slightly and asked one of the Kakushi, "Yamanaka, that boy who went in first, who was he?"
The Kakushi flipped through the roster in his hand.
He recalled the handsome young man's appearance from a moment ago.
Then he said, "Blue-black hair at the tips, the ornament at his waist, and that Nichirin Blade. He should be a swordsman trained by Kazami Koyoshi."
"Kyusha Natsuo. Wind Breathing."
"Both parents were killed by mountain bandits. Later, when his only remaining family, his younger sister, was killed by a demon, he was saved by Kazami, who happened to be passing by."
"He has trained under Kazami for about a year."
The priest nodded.
His voice softened slightly. "Another poor child left alone because of demons."
With the last of his family killed by demons, he still marched forward without hesitation, even knowing the road ahead was hell.
He even declared he would wipe out every demon on the mountain.
Strong, and confident.
"Achoo!"
Just after entering the mountains, Natsuo sneezed.
(End of Chapter)
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