It was impossible not to feel terrified.
When the two girls finally lowered their hands from their eyes, what unfolded before them was a sight they simply could not believe.
The handsome young man from earlier—Ren Kuroda—was now charging straight into the encirclement of demons. His Nichirin Blade flashed like a streak of light, and with every gleam, a demon fell instantly, reduced to ash before it could even scream.
The demons attacked from both sides, some lunging wildly, others releasing ferocious killing intent in an attempt to intimidate him and crush his spirit.
Yet Ren remained utterly unmoved.
Like a seasoned swordsman who had walked through countless battlefields, he drew his blade, slashed, and sheathed it in smooth, fluid motions. His breathing never faltered. His posture never wavered.
Completely unaffected.
In terms of speed, strength, and reaction time, Ren utterly overwhelmed his opponents. He was like a max-level player stepping into a beginner's village.
The demons the two girls had considered terrifying, dangerous, and nearly impossible to defeat couldn't even last a single exchange against him.
At first, those demons had been arrogant—confident that they were the hunters.
But as Ren's blade continued to reap their lives, that arrogance shattered into pure terror.
One by one, they abandoned all thoughts of feasting and turned to flee.
They had no choice.
No matter how tempting the prey, their own lives mattered more than a satisfying meal.
Unfortunately for them, Ren Kuroda had already switched roles.
The hunter was no longer willing to let his prey escape.
"Why would a monster like that appear during the Demon Slayer Corps' entrance exam?" one demon shrieked while fleeing."That kid's strength is far greater than the man who captured me—Fujiwara no Kagami!"
"I think he's part of the Demon Slayer Corps," another demon gasped."Deliberately pretending to be an examinee to scare us into behaving! But we've already run this far—we should be safe now…"
Two demons, having sensed something terribly wrong and choosing to flee early, had already put a great distance between themselves and the battlefield. They were congratulating themselves on their escape—
When suddenly—
A deep blue arc of blade light tore through the forest.
A massive tree, so thick it would take two people to encircle, was cleaved cleanly in half.
At the same instant, blood erupted from the waists of the two fleeing demons.
They felt no pain.
The attack had been far too fast.
As their balance collapsed, they saw something utterly incomprehensible—their lower bodies sliding forward, severed cleanly, the cut smooth and flawless.
They couldn't understand it.
They had already run so far… so why were they still being killed?
Before they could even finish forming that thought, Ren lunged forward.
Two swift strikes.
The demon heads on the ground were finished.
Although his flying slash had clearly landed, Ren noticed something unsettling.
The Nichirin Blade only seemed to fully take effect when it made direct contact with the demon's body.
Despite being cut in half at the waist, the two demons had not died immediately—clear proof of the blade's limitation.
"Or do I need to switch breathing techniques?" Ren muttered to himself."Are only close-range attacks fully effective?"
He glanced down at the pink-hilted Nichirin Blade in his hand.
"The sword really doesn't match the Demon Breathing Technique I created. If I force it… there's a good chance this blade will break."
For the first time, Ren found himself looking forward to obtaining a Nichirin Blade truly suited to him.
Behind him, the two girls were still standing there in a daze.
They had been certain they were about to die.
Yet now… they were alive?
That had been more than ten demons.
Even one-on-one combat had overwhelmed them—yet this man had slaughtered over a dozen demons with effortless precision.
Even the girl who had lent Ren her sword couldn't help but think that her own breathing-style instructor was nowhere near this strong.
Facing more than ten demons simultaneously and killing them outright—this was something even ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members, let alone elites, would struggle to accomplish.
And most terrifying of all—
Ren was completely uninjured.
That meant this level of combat wasn't even difficult for him.
The girls didn't know why such a terrifyingly powerful individual had appeared in the entrance exam—but excitement welled up in their chests.
Earlier, when Ren said he would guarantee their survival, they had thought he was joking.
Now, after witnessing his overwhelming strength, they believed him completely.
With power like this, carrying two rookies like them to the mountaintop would be effortless.
Handsome appearance. Overwhelming strength.
After watching Ren's demon-slaying display, the two girls couldn't help developing a strange, fluttering feeling toward him.
It was only natural.
They were at the age of first love, and Ren Kuroda's presence made admiration unavoidable.
However—
The seemingly straightforward Ren was entirely preoccupied with something else.
The dozen demons he had just slain were all confirmed mission targets.
And most importantly—
The system had acknowledged them.
He had originally worried that demons imprisoned by the Demon Slayer Corps might not count toward his mission.
But now that the system had confirmed their elimination, everything had become much simpler.
With the sheer number of demons on Mount Fujikasane, once he cleared them out, the only remaining targets would be the elusive Twelve Demon Moons.
"Master—Master!" one of the girls suddenly called out."The summit is that way! That's where you reach the mountainside—there are many powerful demons there!"
Because of Ren's earlier display, and their current admiration, the girls had unconsciously changed how they addressed him.
Seeing Ren walking in the opposite direction from the summit, they assumed he didn't know the path and hurriedly spoke up.
Only then did Ren remember that he wasn't alone—and that he had made a promise.
"…Right."
He turned back to them.
"This might sound a bit harsh, but circumstances have changed, so our agreement needs a small adjustment."
"I won't return the sword just yet," Ren continued calmly."But my promise still stands. I'll take you to a location near the mountaintop."
"As for the Nichirin Blade—I'll return it after my assessment is complete."
Originally, Ren was supposed to give the sword back once the girls passed the exam.
But now, in order to complete his mission—
Ren Kuroda decided to honor his word in a different way.
He would personally ensure the two girls passed the assessment…
And then return alone to Mount Fujikasane—
To continue his demon-hunting campaign.
..
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