After passing through the wisteria forest, Kurosaki Rei and Zenitsu officially entered the Final Selection grounds. From this point onward, encountering demons at any moment would not be surprising.
The boys and girls walking ahead wore all kinds of expressions, but most were filled with unease and fear. For many of them, this would be their first time facing real demons, and none knew whether they would survive the selection.
There were roughly forty participants in this selection. Judging from the original story—where only the main cast ultimately survived and passed—it was clear that this so-called final trial was brutally difficult for most people.
Under normal circumstances, the pass rate was likely less than ten percent. That alone spoke volumes about its cruelty.
To be honest, Kurosaki Rei found the Final Selection system rather baffling.
The Demon Slayer Corps already didn't have many members to begin with. If only people on the level of Tanjiro or Zenitsu could pass, then the bar was set absurdly high.
Moreover, there were no safety measures whatsoever. If you couldn't beat a demon, you really would be eaten alive. If the purpose was talent screening, that explanation still felt somewhat forced—especially since, although the manga didn't explicitly say so, it was obvious that Demon Slayers weren't exactly paid generously.
Most people joined the Corps because demons had destroyed their happiness, driving them down the path of revenge. Yet even then, they had to pass a selection just to enlist—and this selection had an extremely high mortality rate. In Kurosaki Rei's eyes, it was utterly nonsensical.
What made it even worse was that the demons in the selection grounds were all captured by Hashira. This meant wasting the time and strength of top-tier combatants—an unnecessary drain on friendly forces.
Were those who failed the selection and got eaten truly worthless?
Not necessarily. Even if they couldn't fight, they could still contribute by doing logistics or support work. Instead, they entered the selection while underqualified and died pointlessly, contributing nothing at all.
From Kurosaki Rei's perspective, the Demon Slayer Corps' method of recruiting new blood was riddled with problems. Did the cultivators really have no idea how strong—or weak—their disciples were?
The presence of monsters like the Hand Demon in Mount Fujikasane was outright overkill. Did the Corps not know about it, or did they simply not care?
If the Corps were massive and overflowing with manpower, and this selection existed purely to filter out geniuses, Kurosaki Rei might have understood. But in reality, the Corps only numbered a few hundred members—and was desperately short-handed.
In fact, at the beginning of the original story, the Corps had reached its current size largely because Sabito and Giyu's generation had effectively "carried" dozens of people through the selection. Before that, their numbers were even smaller.
Using that generation as reference, Kurosaki Rei suspected that whenever a particularly strong individual participated, many others would be effectively carried through as well. This also explained why the Corps had so many weak members—people who were technically seniors to Tanjiro's group, yet astonishingly incompetent.
In short, Kurosaki Rei believed the current Final Selection system had severe flaws. If it were up to him, he wouldn't allow this kind of selection to continue at all.
"Zenitsu, regulate your breathing. This demon is very weak. Kill it—I'll end the selection for you."
Kurosaki Rei urged Zenitsu forward. Not long after entering the grounds, they encountered a demon. Sensing danger, it didn't immediately attack, instead warily facing Zenitsu.
"I… I…"
Zenitsu wavered, but when he remembered that Senior Brother Rei was backing him up, he felt a bit more at ease.
Calming his mind, he locked onto the demon. Thunder Breathing began to circulate as he lowered his stance, hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
The next instant, golden lightning crackled around him as Zenitsu burst forward at extreme speed—like a bolt of thunder.
Thunder Breathing, First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!
When Zenitsu came to a stop, he had already passed the demon. A second or two later, the demon's head slid off its shoulders and fell to the ground, eyes full of disbelief.
"I was actually… decapitated by a brat like this?"
With that question lingering, its head and body slowly turned to ash.
"Not bad," Kurosaki Rei said. "Be more decisive next time. Don't let your hands shake—trust your own strength."
Zenitsu was still trembling after his first demon kill, but Kurosaki Rei's encouragement steadied him.
"Senior Brother Rei, I did it! I really did it!"
After the initial fear passed, Zenitsu's voice brimmed with excitement. He hadn't let down his senior brother or Grandpa—he had truly slain a demon.
Even if it was only a weak one from the selection grounds, it proved he had the qualifications to become a Demon Slayer. Grandpa's efforts hadn't been wasted!
"Mm. I'll keep my promise," Kurosaki Rei said with a smile. "I'll make sure you pass this selection safely."
With that, he stepped deeper into the mountain—toward where the demons were most densely gathered.
Zenitsu looked confused.
"Senior Brother, wouldn't it be safer if we stayed on the outskirts?"
Kurosaki Rei rested one hand on Imprisoned Demon at his waist and grinned.
"The best way to protect you, of course… is to kill all the demons."
"What kind of rotten luck is this?!"
Hinata cursed as she fled in panic. She had thought passing the selection would be easy—yet right after entering, she'd run straight into the strongest demon here.
Behind her, the grotesque, bloated demon with countless arms wrapped around its neck chased her with a cruel grin, its voice dripping with vile innuendo.
She was just an average first-tier Explorer. The Breathing Style she'd acquired hadn't even been learned yet. Facing an over-the-limit opponent like the Hand Demon, she was completely outmatched.
Sure, if she went all out, she might barely manage—but this was just the selection. Why should she risk her life fighting a demon with rapid regeneration?
As long as she could find Tanjiro and stay near him, he would eventually kill this demon anyway. Right now, all she wanted was for the selection to end quickly so she could complete the first phase of her main quest, then hide somewhere and slowly study Flower Breathing.
"Where the hell is Tanjiro…?"
Even with her enhanced physique, running for so long left her gasping for breath. Her luck seemed abysmal—she still hadn't found him.
She'd considered seeking help from other Explorers, but they were just as hard to find. Worse, she couldn't be sure they would actually help her.
Only Tanjiro—that gentle little angel—was someone she knew would definitely step in.
Boom!
After dodging aside, the Hand Demon crashed into a tree. Hinata's heart sank—she had twisted her ankle during the dodge.
Just as she steeled herself to turn around and fight to the death, she suddenly realized something was wrong.
She could no longer hear the demon.
Thud.
A massive, bloated head fell to the ground, rolling a few times before stopping right in front of her.
She froze.
Instinctively looking up, she saw a man standing on a tree trunk, dressed in a black haori. A few drops of blood slid down the jet-black blade in his hand.
"Forgot to negotiate the terms…"
The man muttered, looking like a merchant who'd just taken a loss.
Before Hinata could say anything, his figure vanished, leaving only drifting leaves behind.
Kurosaki Rei was in high spirits.
He had discovered that killing demons also increased the length of Imprisoned Demon. Even weak demons provided gains. And since even mosquitoes were meat, every demon on this mountain had effectively become his private property.
As a result, the Demon Slayer candidates experienced something truly bizarre.
One moment, they were tense or terrified—
the next, the demon before them had its head sent flying.
All that passed them by was a gust of black wind.
Less than half an hour after the Final Selection began, every demon on Mount Fujikasane had been exterminated—without exception—each meeting its end beneath Imprisoned Demon.
The two Explorers watched as that black-clad figure strolled leisurely toward the exit of the selection grounds, sword in hand.
They exchanged a glance—and saw pure delight in each other's eyes.
Even without speaking, they both understood the same thought.
Holy shit… we've got a carry.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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