"Zenitsu, I'm sorry! There are only two of us in my family—my brother and me. His name is Shinichi Murata. He passed the Demon Slayer Corps selection a few years ago and became a Demon Slayer," Shinji Murata explained, introducing his brother.
"Wow, your brother is amazing! He actually passed the selection!" Zenitsu said in admiration. "If it weren't for Tanjiro and Senior Shin helping me during this test, I would've died here for sure."
Hearing that, both Tanjiro and Shinji exchanged subtle glances. To them, Zenitsu was clearly downplaying his strength.
They had seen it with their own eyes—when Zenitsu had passed out, he'd taken down more than ten demons by himself.
For someone like that to claim he would've died without help? That was only believable to people who hadn't witnessed what happened.
In truth, if Shin hadn't cleaned up the mountain beforehand, the demons wouldn't have gathered in such numbers.
Under normal circumstances, with how Zenitsu had performed, he absolutely would have survived the full seven days.
Still, Tanjiro and Shinji chose not to call him out. If Zenitsu wanted to pretend to be weak, they would let him.
"By the way, Tanjiro~ where's Senior Shin?" Zenitsu suddenly asked, noticing his absence.
Shinji Murata also looked around, realizing Shin wasn't with them.
"Senior Shin is still out there hunting demons," Tanjiro explained. "From the way things looked last night, it seems like he's planning to wipe out all the demons on Mount Fujikasane."
Hearing this, Shinji was filled with genuine awe.
Just how much hatred does he have for demons...?
Still, it was clear—if you had the power, you could act on your own terms.
Eventually, the three of them arrived at a forest marked with white feather-shaped water symbols. This was a safe zone designated by Shin Arashi.
Deciding it was a good spot to stop, the group chose to rest there for a while.
Meanwhile, the moment the Hand Demon died Shin Arashi became the nightmare of every remaining demon on Mount Fujikasane.
Terrified, the survivors stopped going out to hunt. Instead, they hid, silently praying that the selection would end soon—so they could safely see off this terrifying "god of death."
For Shin, this night's hunt became more like a game of hide-and-seek.
Luckily, he had a small map with clues that made tracking down demons easier. Still, compared to the night before, his efficiency dropped.
The remaining demons were hiding in remote, secretive places, scattered across the mountain.
In the days that followed, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Shinji Murata reunited with the main group of trainees.
After resting for a few days, everyone's spirits and health improved. Since they hadn't encountered any demons during that time, the lingering fear started to fade.
When Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Shinji showed up again, the others were shocked.
Many of the boys who'd stayed in the safe zone had already heard stories about Tanjiro from those who managed to escape earlier.
But when Tanjiro and the others didn't return that night, they assumed the worst.
Seeing them alive now was nothing short of a surprise.