The plaza at the top of the mountain was not large, paved with grayish-white flagstones.
Several wooden pillars stood around the plaza, wrapped in wisteria vines, and a gentle morning breeze carried a faint floral fragrance as it blew past.
The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, and the air carried a hint of moisture.
Standing in a row in the plaza were Demon Slayer Corps Members dressed in black uniforms, each holding something in their hands, standing straight and expressionless.
At the very front of the line were two young girls with shoulder-length black hair, wearing identical plain kimonos.
Their faces were similar, making them look like twins, and their expressions were likewise blank.
The survivors arrived one after another until everyone was present.
Uchiha Bing glanced over.
This time, roughly a dozen people had survived.
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Genya, and Kanao were all there, along with seven or eight unfamiliar people.
Many of their faces were unfamiliar, but the expressions on them were identical—the exhaustion of pulling all-nighters, the relief of surviving a harrowing battle, and a lingering sense of bewilderment over whether they had truly made it out alive.
According to the original plot progression, there should only have been five people here.
Now, there were more than double that number.
The Hand Demon had died far too early, and coupled with the fact that Uchiha Bing had cleared out too many demons in the forest over the past few days, the meat-grinder efficiency of this demon-infested mountain had taken a discount.
Those seven or eight unfamiliar swordsmen gathered in groups of twos and threes, whispering to one another.
It looked like they had banded together later on, which explained how they managed to survive.
A few of them cast glances toward Uchiha Bing from time to time, their gazes filled with both curiosity and reverence.
The few youths whom Uchiha Bing had saved in the bamboo grove were also in the crowd, talking with those beside them.
Mid-sentence, one of them suddenly pointed in the direction of Uchiha Bing.
The person next to him followed the pointing finger, then hurriedly pushed his hand down.
Uchiha Bing withdrew his gaze without much of a reaction.
Tanjiro whispered beside him, “Those people seem to be talking about you.”
Uchiha Bing did not reply.
Tanjiro glanced at him, smiled, and said nothing more.
Seeing that everyone had nearly arrived, one of the girls stepped forward.
Her voice was crisp yet devoid of fluctuation, sounding as though she were reciting lines she had memorized many times over.
“Congratulations to all examinees for passing the Final Selection.
The tamahagane will be used to forge your nichirin blade.
Once chosen, step forward to receive your uniform and Kasugai Crow.”
Two Demon Slayer Corps Members carried over a wooden table covered with dark coarse cloth.
On top lay over a dozen fist-sized ores.
Each ore varied in color: some leaned toward silver-white, some emitted a dark cyan, and others were nearly pitch-black.
As the morning light fell upon the surfaces of the ores, delicate metal grain patterns could be faintly seen shimmering in the light.
Tanjiro stepped up first.
He stood before the table for a moment, not rushing to reach out, but instead closing his eyes.
His palm moved slowly above the ores, and when his palm passed over a dark silver ore, his fingertips paused imperceptibly.
He opened his eyes and picked up that piece of ore.
The ore lay quietly in his palm, no different from before, yet Tanjiro lowered his head to look at it, as if gazing at something he had known for a very long time.
Next was Zenitsu, who casually grabbed the piece closest to him, retreating and turning it over and over to inspect it.
Inosuke swaggered forward and grabbed a piece with one hand, only to be stopped by a nearby member who said each person could only choose one.
Inosuke lowered his head to look at his left hand, then his right hand, and finally tossed the piece from his left hand back onto the table with a dull thud.
Genya walked forward silently, picked up a dark black ore, and as he retreated, raised the ore to look at it against the sun.
Kanao stepped forward without hesitation, picking up a pale silver-tinted ore right at the edge.
Her movements were very light, as if she had already decided beforehand or as if it did not matter which piece she got.
The remaining unfamiliar examinees stepped up one by one, each picking an ore.
Some hesitated before the table for quite a while, while others grabbed one and left just like Zenitsu.
After choosing, everyone lowered their heads to look at the ores in their hands with varying expressions.
Uchiha Bing stepped up last.
There were still four or five ores left on the table.
He glanced over them and reached out to pick up a dark gray one at the very edge.
The ore felt slightly cool to the touch and rough on the surface, no different from ordinary stone, but when he gripped it tightly, an extremely subtle change in temperature came from his palm—not because the ore was heating up, but rather as if something was responding to the Breathing Style circulating within his body.
He tucked the ore into his robes and stepped back into line.
The twin girls glanced at him and then announced, “Next, uniforms and Kasugai Crows will be distributed.”
Demon Slayer Corps Members stepped forward in turn, handing the folded black uniforms to each person with both hands.
The uniform fabric was thick, with hidden patterned stitching at the collar and cuffs, and when unfolded, a faint scent of dye could be smelled.
Tanjiro received it with both hands, solemnly lowering his head in a bow.
Uchiha Bing took the uniform, unfolded it for a quick look, and casually put it on. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Then the Kasugai Crows arrived.
A flock of black crows flew out from the woods at the edge of the plaza, each landing on the shoulder of its corresponding new member.
They were slightly larger than ordinary crows, with glossy feathers and amber eyes that carried an alertness unlike that of typical birds when they turned.
The plaza instantly erupted with a chorus of caws and cries as the Kasugai Crows called out the names of their respective masters in hoarse, noisy voices.
A Kasugai Crow squatted on the shoulder of Uchiha Bing, tilting its head and locking one eye in a stare with him.
Its eyeballs rolled, and then it opened its beak, calling out in a hoarse yet clear voice, “Uchiha Bing — Uchiha Bing —”
Uchiha Bing turned his head to look at it.
“Stop calling in my ear.”
The Kasugai Crow blinked, closed its mouth, and stopped calling.
The twin girls stepped forward again once the Kasugai Crows had been distributed.
“Your tamahagane will be forged into a nichirin blade by specialized swordsmiths, which will be delivered to you in about two weeks.
During this period, you may receive mission orders through your Kasugai Crow.
Please wear your uniform when on missions, and casual clothes can be worn daily.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping across everyone present.
“Starting today, you are official Demon Slayer Corps Members.
That is all.”
The sword-granting ceremony concluded here.
The new members scattered in groups of twos and threes.
Tanjiro was talking with Zenitsu, who was hugging his uniform with an expression of utter relief.
Inosuke was already chasing his Kasugai Crow everywhere, the crow weaving nimbly among the tree branches while Inosuke stomped his feet and cursed from below.
Genya sat alone under a tree, hugging his uniform with his head lowered.
Kanao stood at the edge of the plaza, flipping a coin between her fingers while her Kasugai Crow rested quietly on her shoulder, looking as though it had fallen asleep.
The gaze of Uchiha Bing swept over the crowd, and then he turned and walked down the mountain.
With matters here concluded, it was time to properly undergo training.
Currently, he was only a lowest-tier swordsman and likely lacked the clearance to view and learn multiple Breathing Styles.
He might as well thoroughly hone Water Breathing.