It had been two days since I left the Butterfly Mansion after months of waiting.
And the path there was silent enough for my mind to begin drifting into thoughts I'd rather ignore.
Teenage hormones… they were acting up.
Ever since I got used to the routine at the mansion, I noticed something inside me starting to change... or rather, awaken.
Kanae and Shinobu had something that affected me, and it wasn't just the respect I felt for them, it was something more… complicated.
Even when we trained, or when Kanae smiled after correcting me during a treatment, or when Shinobu tilted her head and analyzed me with that curious gaze, there was something different.
I didn't know how to deal with it.
I had only just started dealing with it in my past life.
"At least…" I muttered to myself, walking beneath the trees.
"At least I haven't had any weird dreams… yet."
I shook my head, trying to push the thought away.
The anime didn't do justice to how beautiful the two of them were.
Seeing them in person was... on another level.
Before I realized it, the path was already being decorated with lilac flowers.
Wisteria grew everywhere, from the ground to the tops of the trees.
It was almost like a magical forest.
That told me I had arrived.
Mount Fujikasane.
The site of the Final Selection, and a true prison for Oni.
I arrived shortly before sunrise, and some guards from the Demon Slayer Corps informed me that there were still five days left before the exam began.
I sighed.
'Five days… I guess I overdid the pace,' I thought, reflecting on the invisible item that made it possible.
[ Synchronized Souls ]
That item had brought me here in just two days, something that would normally take almost a week.
And the funniest part? I hadn't even used its active ability, if I had, I might have arrived in a single day.
The out-of-combat speed was absurd.
Still thinking about the boots, I felt a spark of curiosity.
They still had one more evolution, and at that stage, the movement speed increase would be available in combat.
I wonder how long it will take for that to happen…
With nothing better to do, I climbed onto a thick branch of one of the trees near the mountain's entrance.
The view from there was good, aside from the smell of wisteria, which, despite being pleasant, became quite overwhelming quickly.
I used the free time to work with the flasks and instruments I carried.
That place was perfect for working on my poisons, the concentration of wisteria was enormous, and the flowers seemed to be of high quality.
I prepared a few solutions, refined petal powder, and before I knew it, the sun was already high.
That's when an energetic voice echoed from below the tree.
"Ohho!! So I'm not the only one who arrived early!"
I looked down.
I spotted a boy with blond hair and red streaks climbing the trail with a radiant smile.
He raised his hand in an enthusiastic greeting.
"I'm Kyojuro Rengoku! It's good to see another participant so punctual!"
I jumped down from the branch and smiled.
"Usan Hayashi. It's a pleasure, Rengoku-san."
"'San'? Oh, no need for that! You can just call me Rengoku!" he replied, with a loud and contagious laugh.
I noticed that, unlike the anime version, he didn't shout as much.
He spoke with intensity, but without exaggeration, and seemed to listen well.
We talked for a while.
Rengoku was exactly the kind of person who made the environment feel lighter, he was enthusiastic, curious, and had an almost childlike sincerity.
He talked about his expectations for the exam, about the hard training he had been through, and even about how much he admired the Demon Slayers.
Then, in the middle of the conversation, a loud sound interrupted him.
Grrrrrnnn…
Rengoku froze for a second, then looked at his own stomach and laughed.
"Ah! I think it's time to eat!"
"...Want to hunt something?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course!" he replied immediately.
We walked to a more open area of the forest.
The silence was broken only by our footsteps and the rustling of leaves.
Suddenly, I spotted a deer among the trees, grazing carelessly.
Without thinking much, I drew one of my daggers, aimed... and threw it.
The dagger struck the side of the deer's head perfectly, and it fell instantly.
Rengoku blinked, impressed.
"That was incredible!" he said, giving a thumbs-up.
I gave a slight smile.
"A few years of practice."
We brought the deer back and set up a small fire.
We split the meat into two portions, each responsible for our own.
For a brief moment, everything seemed normal… until I looked away for a few seconds, and when I turned back, Rengoku's piece of meat was completely engulfed in absurdly large flames.
"Hah!?" he shouted, waving his hands, trying to put out the fire.
'How did this even happen????'
I sighed and quickly helped him save the meat.
I ended up taking care of both pieces, and when they were ready, the smell was wonderful.
Rengoku took the first bite, and his eyes lit up.
"Delicious! You cook very well!"
"I learned from my mother," I replied, adjusting the meat on the skewer.
"She taught you well! Delicious!"
I smiled, a bit nostalgic.
"Yes... She taught me very well."
─── ◆ ───
That simple meal ended up marking the beginning of an unlikely friendship.
In the following days, Rengoku and I became almost inseparable.
We had competitions in everything possible: running (which I won easily), who could sleep longer (I was still leading, 5 to 4), and even who could eat more (3 to 3, and he insisted on keeping score by marking pieces of wood).
We didn't spar because there were no training weapons, and Rengoku insisted that fighting with real swords would be imprudent.
The funny thing is that, minutes after saying that, he started doing push-ups with a huge rock on his back, shouting motivational words to himself.
Naturally, I joined him.
─── ◆ ───
Finally, the night of the Selection arrived.
The sky was dark, and the moon illuminated the gathering field in front of the forest.
There were dozens of participants, many with nervous expressions, others trembling.
Only Rengoku and I seemed at ease.
A woman with a calm expression and an almost divine presence appeared before us.
She had white hair tied back, with peculiar eyes that looked like two whirlpools.
Amane Ubuyashiki, the wife of the master of the Demon Slayers.
She explained the rules with a serene voice, as if she wasn't sending a group of teenagers to a mountain filled with Oni's.
Seven days and seven nights.
No external help.
Only the survivors would become Demon Slayers.
When she finished, I looked to the side.
Rengoku was already smiling, vibrating with excitement.
"Let the trial begin!" he said enthusiastically.
I just gave a small nod.
"Good luck, Rengoku."
"Good luck, Usan! We'll meet among the winners!"
The Final Selection had begun.
─── ◆ ───
[A/N]: I'll post Usan's image when we get to a specific part of the story; it won't take long.
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