Mount Fujikasane was the site where the Demon Slayer Corps conducted its enlistment examinations.The mountain took its name from the vast number of wisteria flowers that bloomed abundantly around its base.
At first glance, the sea of violet blossoms carpeting the foothills made the place look like an idyllic tourist attraction. Yet, as was often the case, beauty concealed danger.
Aside from their fatal weakness to sunlight, demons also harbored an intense hatred for wisteria. This endless field of flowers had never been planted for sightseeing—it existed as a natural barrier.
The entire base of Mount Fujikasane was encircled by wisteria, and every creature trapped within that boundary was a demon.
That's right. Despite the mountain's immense size, there were almost no other living creatures left inside. They had likely been devoured long ago.
Though it was called Mount Fujikasane, it would be more accurate to describe it as a demon prison.
Demons despised wisteria, yet the mountain's base was completely surrounded by it, forming a living fence that sealed them inside. The demons confined within Mount Fujikasane had been captured over many years by senior members of the Demon Slayer Corps. One of the purposes behind this grim collection was to test aspiring recruits.
Not long after Ren Kuroda arrived, a pair of doll-like girls appeared from the base of the mountain. One had shoulder-length black hair, the other white, their expressions eerily identical as they explained the rules of the exam to the gathered candidates.
To pass the test and officially join the Demon Slayer Corps, one only needed to travel from the foot of Mount Fujikasane to its summit within the allotted time.
There were no other rules.
The instructions were simple—almost absurdly so—but not a single person present looked relieved.
Everyone standing there had been trained by instructors affiliated with the Demon Slayer Corps. They had all heard, to varying degrees, what Mount Fujikasane truly was.
The fewer the rules, the more dangerous the test.
If it were merely a matter of reaching the summit, anyone present could do so in minutes. But everyone knew the truth: the pass rate for the Demon Slayer Corps' final selection was pitifully low year after year.
After explaining the rules, the two doll-like girls departed without hesitation. Since there were no additional conditions, there was no need for examiners.
The young men and women left behind stared at the beautiful yet ominous mountain and made their choices.
Some, brimming with confidence, entered the forest alone. Others formed groups of three or five, hoping numbers would increase their chances of survival.
Ren, who had been standing alone from the start, drew attention because of the strange aura surrounding him. A few candidates approached him, clearly hoping to invite him along.
However, once they realized he carried no weapon at all, they immediately backed away.
It was laughable. Climbing Mount Fujikasane was already a brush with death, and this man had come completely empty-handed. That was nothing short of suicide.
In the eyes of most participants, Ren was just another impulsive fool—someone who had heard legends of the Demon Slayer Corps and rushed here without proper preparation. Such people had appeared in past exams as well.
None had survived.
Most of the candidates had been lent spare Nichirin Blades by their masters before coming. Since master and disciple practiced the same breathing techniques, even if the sword wasn't a perfect fit, it was still usable.
Mount Fujikasane swarmed with demons. Survival was difficult even with a Nichirin Blade—let alone without one.
And so, Ren was swiftly dismissed. Handsome or not, that meant nothing here.
Watching group after group disappear into the forest, Ren merely smiled, unbothered, before finally stepping onto the mountain path himself.
He hadn't planned on traveling with anyone to begin with. Still, lacking a suitable weapon was undeniably inconvenient.
"That old bastard Urokodaki Sakonji definitely knew what this test involved," Ren muttered to himself."Even if I'm not his disciple, isn't it a bit heartless not to give me a spare Nichirin Blade before sending me off?"
Far away, on another mountain, Urokodaki Sakonji stared at the Nichirin Blade in Tanjiro's hands with a completely stunned expression.
"Where did this sword come from?" he demanded.
"Huh? Didn't you have Nezuko give it to me, Urokodaki-sensei?"
Tanjiro turned to Nezuko, whose eyes had shrunk into tiny dots, his own expression just as confused.
Tanjiro's previous sword had shattered during rock-cutting training. Before he could even ask for a replacement, Nezuko had thoughtfully appeared with a sword in hand and given it to him.
Strictly speaking, Nezuko wasn't entirely at fault.
Urokodaki had intended to give the Nichirin Blade to Ren. However, the sharp-tongued girl had deliberately placed it along Ren's path. Nezuko, wanting to help her brother, happened to pass by, "found" the blade, and happily delivered it to Tanjiro.
"Entering Mount Fujikasane without a Nichirin Blade…"Urokodaki sighed. "Well, I hope that kid has good luck."
"Judging by the strength he showed earlier, even without a Nichirin Blade, passing the exam shouldn't be too difficult for him."
Having served the Demon Slayer Corps for decades, Urokodaki knew the Fujikasane test inside and out. He had personally thrown countless demons into its depths.
With Ren's strength, killing demons without a Nichirin Blade would be troublesome—but with his stamina and speed, ordinary demons would never catch him.
Reassured by that thought, Urokodaki relaxed completely and resumed teaching Tanjiro the finer points of breathing techniques.
Meanwhile, deep within Mount Fujikasane, Ren's figure darted through the forest like a shadow.
Behind him, several demons of wildly different shapes and sizes gave chase, howling as they tore through the undergrowth.
Just as Urokodaki had predicted, if Ren simply wanted to reach the summit, these demons would be utterly powerless to stop him.
But that was the point—
He had no intention of doing so.
With so many demons gathered in one place, Mount Fujikasane was nothing less than the perfect hunting ground.
And the perfect place to complete his system-assigned objectives.