Chapter 10 — Slash
The morning air had originally been fresh and pleasant, but it was soon shattered by a surge of violent tension.
Two children, like emotionless dolls, explained the ranking system of the Demon Slayer Corps in flat, mechanical voices.
"First, we will distribute the uniforms to everyone. We will begin by measuring your body sizes, and afterward your rank will be engraved."
"There are ten ranks…"
"Kinoe, Tsuchinoe, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, Mizunoto."
"You are all currently at the lowest rank, Mizunoto."
"Whatever…"
The mohawked boy, who had been restless the entire time, suddenly cut them off. He stepped forward abruptly, his face twisted into a savage expression—an intense, distorted hunger for power.
"Just give me the sword already! The Demon Slayer sword! The one that changes color! I want it now!"
The black-haired girl remained expressionless, replying calmly:
"The swords will only be completed afterward…"
"Don't mess with me!!"
The mohawked boy lashed out violently. He actually reached forward and grabbed the girl in front of him. His rough hand seized hold of Kanata's neatly arranged hair and yanked it upward brutally, as if she were a sworn enemy.
"That's not what I want to hear! Give me the sword! Now! Immediately! Or else I'll—"
"Stop it!!"
Tanjiro erupted in anger. He could not tolerate bullying the weak. His sense of justice made him clench his scarred hand tightly as he prepared to rush forward to stop the brute.
"Let go of her! If you don't, I'll break your arm—"
However, before Tanjiro could finish his sentence—before he could even take a single step—
A green afterimage flashed across his vision, as if teleporting.
"BOOM!!!"
A dull yet bone-jarring impact exploded across the clearing.
In the next instant, the arrogant mohawked boy who had been gripping the girl's hair vanished from where he stood—or more precisely, he was smashed straight into the ground like a stake struck by a pile driver.
Dust billowed into the air.
Amid the swirling wisteria petals, Zoro held his finishing stance. This time, he had not drawn his blade. Instead, the white scabbard of Wado Ichimonji pressed heavily against Genya's the back of the mohawked boy's head.
Half of the boy's face was buried in the dirt, his body convulsing violently from the sheer force of the impact. The hand that had been gripping the girl's hair went limp, released by pain and shock.
"So damn noisy, brat."
One hand in his pocket and the other gripping the scabbard, Zoro looked down coldly at the mohawked boy lying like a dead dog beneath him. His gaze was suffocatingly icy.
"If you want a sword, earn it with your own strength. What kind of swordman are you to bully a girl for it, huh?"
Silence fell over the clearing like death itself.
Tanjiro's raised foot froze midair, his mouth hanging open. Though he had intended to act as well, Zoro's strike… had simply been too fast, too ruthless.
In that instant just now, Tanjiro hadn't even seen how Zoro moved.
Zenitsu, meanwhile, clutched his face and shrank behind a tree in terror. "Eeeek!! Murder!! I knew it! That green moss-head is scarier than a demon! That mohawk guy's totally dead, right?! His head's flattened!"
Even the strange girl who had maintained a faint smile the entire time—as though completely detached from the outside world—shifted her violet eyes slightly now, her gaze focusing on Zoro for the first time.
The black-haired girl who had been rescued remained expressionless, but she quickly straightened her disheveled hair and gave Zoro a small bow.
"Y-You… bastard…"
The mohawked boy on the ground let out a muffled groan. He struggled to push himself up, his bloodshot eyes burning with fury. "I'll… kill you…"
Zoro's eyes sharpened. The scabbard pressed down slightly, and an overwhelming killing intent instantly smothered him.
"Oh? You can still talk." A devilish smile curled at Zoro's lips. "Guess the scabbard was too gentle. Want to try the blade instead?"
In that moment, the mohawked boy felt as though he were being stared down by some prehistoric beast. Instinctive fear crushed his anger completely. His body locked in place, unable to move, cold sweat soaking through his back.
This was the absolute difference in strength.
"Mr. Zoro! Please, that's enough! He's already learned his lesson!" Tanjiro hurried over to mediate. Though he despised Genya's behavior, he didn't want to see comrades turn on each other. "And… um… I'm not sure how to say this, but… that child might actually be a boy dressed as a girl…"
With his keen sense of smell, Tanjiro had caught on to Kagaya Ubuyashiki's son's scent—though the one who had been grabbed was Kanata Ubuyashiki. Still, something about the situation struck Tanjiro as odd.
"Huh? A boy?" Zoro paused, glancing at the black-haired girl (who was, in fact, truly a girl—though Tanjiro's words had momentarily confused him).
He clicked his tongue and withdrew the scabbard, slinging it back over his shoulder.
"Whatever. Boy or girl, a mad dog that only bares its fangs at its own people just pisses me off."
At that moment, the two children acted as if nothing had happened at all and continued in their hollow, ethereal voices:
"After selecting your Tamahagane, you may depart."
"But before that, please receive your Kasugai Crow."
With a clap of their hands, several crows descended from the sky, each landing on the shoulders of the examinees.
Only the crow flying toward Zoro met a different fate.
As it approached the top of his head, it seemed to sense the killing intent he had yet to fully withdraw. With a terrified squawk—"Caw—!"—it fainted midair and dropped stiffly into Zoro's open palm.
Zoro stared at the crow lying in his hand, its eyes rolled back white, and his brow furrowed into a deep crease.
"Hey. Is this thing defective? Can I get one that's more durable?"
----
10 advance chapters in P@treon {Zynos} at the moment.