After eating and drinking her fill, Sui left Mount Momoyama.
She put on the kasa hat she had worn when arriving, hiding the faint flush on her cheeks. There was a trace of intoxication in her breath.
The old man had added something extra to the farewell meal—
His treasured aged sake.
Sui wasn't unfamiliar with alcohol. In fact, she knew it well. It was a habit taught to her by the shrine maiden who raised her. That woman loved to drink, and when she was in high spirits, she would drag Sui along.
Kuwajima's sake was mellow and warm.
Unexpectedly so.
She had thought someone as thunderous as him would prefer something harsh and fiery.
"Sui-chan?"
A voice suddenly called from behind as she passed through the town.
She didn't turn back.
She knew who it was.
Though she paused briefly, she chose not to look.
Now that her training was complete, once she picked up a Nichirin Blade and stepped onto the battlefield against demons—
They would no longer belong to the same world.
The girl would stay, manage the flower shop, care for her parents, and one day marry someone she loved.
As for Sui—
She wasn't even sure she would survive the battles ahead.
Lowering her voice, she made it rough and unfamiliar.
"You've got the wrong person."
"…Eh? But—"
The girl hesitated.
But by the time she reacted, Sui was already gone.
Ayumiya Aka puffed her cheeks, staring at where Sui had stood.
"Tch. You might mistake me, but I'd never mistake you. Hmph!"
Her tone was full of disdain.
…
Sui, already on the road, naturally knew her disguise hadn't fooled Aka at all.
She had learned many things from that woman—
Including how to deal with girls like her.
In moments like this, it was best to simply pass by.
No need for drawn-out goodbyes.
With Thunder Breathing, Sui moved at an astonishing pace—almost unnatural.
From Mount Momoyama to the site of the Final Selection—
Mount Fujikasane.
It took her only a single day.
When she arrived, only a handful of candidates stood on the stone plaza at the entrance.
The mountain, covered in blooming wisteria, glowed faintly purple—dreamlike, yet eerie.
She glanced around and moved to a quiet corner.
On the way up, she had been asked to remove her hat. She knew her appearance was striking, and with her eyes closed unlike a normal person, she would inevitably draw attention.
She could already feel the undisguised amazement from the few candidates present.
So she chose a secluded spot instead.
After blending into the shadows beneath a wisteria tree, she began to think.
Kuwajima had explained the origins of Mount Fujikasane and the Final Selection.
The mountain was surrounded by wisteria—flowers that demons despised—forming a natural barrier.
Inside were demons captured by the Demon Slayer Corps over the years.
Most had only eaten one or two humans.
For swordsmen who had mastered Breathing Techniques, they weren't much of a threat.
But still—
This system, where failure meant death…
Sui frowned slightly.
Kuwajima had once spoken of his own Final Selection—watching fellow trainees die one by one.
Even if they were prepared—
Was death really the only outcome for failure?
She didn't think so.
Selection could be strict—
But it didn't have to be cruel.
Those who failed should still have a path forward, not be discarded as food for demons.
But she wasn't even a swordsman yet.
Her voice carried no weight.
Still—
There were other things she could do.
Leaning lightly against the wisteria tree, she closed her mind and waited.
Occasionally, faint arcs of purple lightning flickered at the corners of her eyes.
Thunder Breathing had begun to merge into her very being.
As more candidates arrived, the once-empty plaza grew livelier.
At least, in her perception.
In reality, everyone kept their distance—silent, tense, watchful.
No one spoke.
Sui preferred it that way.
With her senses, she observed the entrance—a torii gate, aged and worn.
"Just like it…"
she murmured.
There had been one like this in the courtyard where she grew up.
That woman used to boast about its history and craftsmanship.
When Sui once asked how old it was, the woman hesitated—
Then confidently said it was about "a hundred times your age."
Perhaps she thought a child couldn't calculate that.
But that torii—
It had been destroyed in the fire.
Sui drifted into thought—
Until someone approached her.
A beautiful woman.
Skin as pale as snow. Hair just as white.
Dressed in an elegant kimono, her presence refined and noble.
Clearly not a swordsman.
Before Sui could ask, the woman spoke first.
"Are you Miss Sui?"
She bowed.
Sui nodded, still unsure of her purpose.
"My name is Amane Ubuyashiki. I have come on behalf of my husband, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, to ask a favor of you."
Ubuyashiki?
Sui paused.
That was the core family of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Then this woman—
Was the wife of the Corps' leader.
"Go on."
Sui's expression remained calm. Her tone unchanged, unaffected by status.
"In the letter passed from Lord Rengoku, it was written that you possess eyes that can perceive death itself."
"I have also heard this repeatedly since."
"Even so, I wish to see them with my own eyes."
"Would you grant me this request?"
"…Alright."
Sui agreed.
"Thank you very much—"
Amane lifted her head—
And froze.
Those eyes were already open.
Eerie blue.
Like blooming flowers in the depths of death.
Beautiful—
And terrifying.
In that instant, it felt as though the gates of the underworld had opened, dragging her soul into darkness.
By the time Amane steadied herself—
Sui's eyes were closed again.
Calm. Serene.
"Thank you for indulging my request."
She bowed deeply.
She could sense that Sui didn't fully agree with the Demon Slayer Corps.
But that didn't matter.
As long as someone like her remained—
It was a great asset.
And for that, pride could be cast aside.
"I must now oversee the Final Selection."
"Please wait a moment."
With that, Amane stepped out of the shadows.
Standing before the torii gate, her presence changed completely.
She became commanding.
Authoritative.
Looking over all the candidates.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Final Selection."
"This mountain is filled with demons, but also surrounded by wisteria flowers."
"The demons captured by the Demon Slayer Corps are confined here. Because of the wisteria, they cannot escape."
"When the sun rises on the eighth day, the trial will end."
Before she even finished—
A strong killing intent surged through the crowd.
In one corner stood a man with a grotesque scar across his face.
His weapon was unusual—a chained cleaver.
He stared at the entrance like a predator eyeing prey.
Everyone here hated demons—
But his hatred was extreme.
"Survive seven days."
"Demonstrate the results of your training."
"Return alive—if you can."
Amane smiled gently and stepped aside.
"May fortune favor you all."
The Final Selection—
Had begun.
Sui picked up her blade and followed the flow of candidates into the mountain.
Behind her—
The wisteria path closed,
Swallowing her figure whole.