Footsteps rang out then, more than one set.
The terror on Murata’s face eased slightly, shifting to relief.
‘Had someone come?
Thank goodness.’ If he had help, they could team up.
It would be no problem at all.
But once Murata saw the newcomers clearly, his heart sank.
They were not humans.
They were demons.
Not just one, two.
One stood barely a meter and sixty centimeters tall, but it was no ordinary humanoid.
His had the appearance of a giant infant.
The other demon did not even resemble a human at all.
It was a massive orb of flesh, with a head and limbs sprouting directly from its top.
After emerging from the forest, these two demons did not pounce immediately.
Instead, they shouted at demon that had been chasing Murata.
“You’re keeping the prey all to yourself?”
“A share for everyone present.
This brat’s heart and liver belong to me.”
“Back off!
This is my prey!” The pursuing demon shouted at the giant infant and the flesh ball.
“Whether it’s being captured and brought to Mt.
Fujikasane, or finding this brat first, I did it all before you.
Both of you get the hell away from me.”
The two demons shouted back without backing down.
“How dare you speak to me like that.
Who do you think you are!”
“You were just brought to Mt.
Fujikasane by Demon Slayer Corps a few days ago, and look at you strutting around.”
Suddenly, Demons who had formed a surrounding perimeter began fighting among themselves, baring fangs at each other.
Right at that moment, Murata, who had thought he was doomed, realized this was an opening.
All three demons were squabbling over who got to claim him.
If he could take advantage of this opportunity, he might just be able to escape…
But as he tried to run all of them stared at him, ‘I’m done for!’ the thought blazed through his mind.
Death’s terror seized his heart.
Hunted by three demons, he had no strength left to run.
He gripped his sword.
He’d land at least one strike, no matter what, better to die fighting than cowering.
A shout rang out from somewhere distant.
“Get down!”
Murata threw himself flat against the ground.
A figure landed beside him.
The Nichirin blade crackled with electricity.
‘Thunder Breathing, Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash!’
A golden flash split the darkness.
Thunder exploded in his ears.
Lightning-fast slashes stretched outward in every direction.
This was a strike favoring quantity over precision.
The sheer speed sacrificed accuracy, but the multiple slashes overwhelmed demons through sheer numbers alone.
Lightning channeled into the blade paralyzed the surrounding monsters.
Even with a physique far surpassing normal humans, demons froze stiff in that instant.
“Now, Sabito!”
‘Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!’
Deep blue waves surged along the blade.
The dancing sword mimicked a rushing tide, slicing cleanly through demons necks.
Even an average swordsman could decapitate a motionless demon, let alone Sabito.
One strike.
Only a single strike.
Three severed heads dropped to the ground.
Thanks to their stubborn vitality, Demons retained consciousness even after decapitation.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
The danger faded as demon corpses dissolved into black smoke.
Murata’s strength left him abruptly.
His knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.
He stared in shock at the two figures standing before him.
One of them turned to look at Murata, a gentle smile on his face.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.”
(A/N: In canon, Murata and Giyu Tomioka took the Final Selection in the same cycle.
Murata survived subsequent battles like the one at Mt.
Natagumo without dying.
Furthermore, by the Infinity Castle arc, he had grown strong enough to fight a Lower Rank alone.
The Stone Hashira mentioned that Demons in the Infinity Castle had been given Lower Rank-level strength.”)
Giyu dreamed he and Sabito were training on Mt.
Sagiri, then went to participate in Final Selection to become official Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen.
The first demon he encountered knocked him unconscious.
He woke.
Opening his eyes, he saw a dilapidated ceiling riddled with holes.
He blinked, unable to process what he saw.
He stared blankly for a moment, then tried to sit up.
He barely lifted his body before dizziness hit.
The room spun.
“Lie back down.
You can’t get up yet.”
Aoi hurried over and eased him down.
She adjusted the haori serving as his blanket.
“How are you feeling?”
“Dizzy.
A little nauseous.”
“Just rest.
You’re safe here.”
Giyu nodded.
The dizziness faded.
He turned his head and looked around, realizing they were inside a wooden cabin.
It had been abandoned for some time.
Wind whistled through gaps in the walls, and the floor was full of holes.
A ruin.
Many people were gathered inside.
Examinees, here for the Final Selection.
Some were wounded like him.
Others had no injuries, just dirt and grime.
Those uninjured took up their Nichirin blades and stood guard at the cabin’s edges.
The space inside was small, bare.
Giyu scanned it but couldn’t find the figure wearing the fox mask.
Aoi read his thoughts.
She held his hand and offered comfort.
“Sabito and Hajime are outside right now.
Fighting to rescue the others.
Don’t worry, they’re strong.
They’ll be fine.”
Morning sun rose, spilling radiant light and warmth across the earth.
Beneath that golden light, even the most vicious demons had to hide from the sun’s power.
A Nichirin blade flew through the air and embedded itself into a demon’s shoulder, pinning it to a tree.
This strike didn’t sever its neck, to a demon, the damage was negligible.
Before the creature could pull the blade free, sunlight engulfed it.
“Ahhhhhh!”
Demon screamed, then crumbled to ash in the sunlight.
Only the sword remained, jutting from a pile of tattered clothes.
“Let’s take a break.”
“Alright.”
After a night of fighting, exhaustion was inevitable.
Hajime had lost count of how many demons he’d slain or people he’d saved.
He’d used his sword techniques too much.
His muscles ached and burned.
Even breathing hurt.
Breathing Styles and sword techniques were a double-edged sword.
A Breathing Style granted a swordsman temporary physical abilities and stamina on par with a demon, and paired with sword techniques, the power to slay them.
But overusing sword techniques took a heavy toll.
It could cause permanent damage.
So aside from fighting desperately, a swordsman had to judge when to unleash sword techniques.
Good steel was meant for the blade’s edge, and the same went for sword techniques.
Sabito sat leaning against a large tree.
Hajime simply lay down, not caring about the dirt.
Hajime rummaged through his clothes and pulled out the hard rations he’d brought up the mountain.
Mt.
Fujikasane wasn’t some ancient forest, no wild boar to catch here.
There were fish on the mountain, but they had no lake or stream nearby.
“Hey.” At the call, Hajime tossed the rations over.
Sabito caught them.
“Thanks.”
After a night of slaying demons and saving people, neither had energy to chat.
They silently gnawed on cold rations.
After finishing his rations, Sabito merely said, “Get some rest early,” then closed his eyes and rested with his sword in hand.
Hajime lay on the grass, staring upward.
He called out to the “System” in his mind.
Information cascaded through his thoughts like a waterfall,
[Strength: E (7%)]
[Stamina: E (5%)]
[Agility: E (6%)]
He had checked these stats once before, back in the town at the foot of Mt.
Fujikasane.
At that time, no percentages accompanied them.
Something had changed.
The change came from the System bound to him after arriving in this world.
When he trained under Jigoro on Mt.
Momoyama, those three stats had been F-rank.
Each day after training, the percentages behind them climbed.
Once they rose to E-rank, no amount of additional training brought the percentages back.
Pure effort alone couldn’t push him further.
To improve, he had to slay demons, just as he had done over the past two days on Mt.
Fujikasane.
Hajime dismissed the information from his mind, pillowed his hands behind his head, and exhaled slowly.
With Sabito as an ally, passing the Final Selection wasn’t a concern.
That was why Hajime had played it safe at first, until he met Sabito.
With Sabito’s help, he wouldn’t need to spend stamina or wear down his Nichirin blade rescuing others.
With Sabito at his side, Hajime didn’t need to worry about the Hand Demon.
Warm sunlight touched his face.
A gentle breeze carried the lingering scent of black smoke from vanquished demons.
Hajime considered his plans.
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