The man who had arrived was none other than Giyu Tomioka, someone who had once crossed paths with Ren Kuroda—and Tanjiro—before.
He was also one of the current nine Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps, bearing the title of Water Pillar.
As for the woman beside him, the one wearing a gentle smile, she too was among the nine Pillars—the Insect Pillar, Shinobu Kocho.
Within the Demon Slayer Corps, the Pillars held a status comparable to legendary generals of ancient times. It was no exaggeration to say they represented the absolute peak of combat power within the organization.
The fact that two Pillars had been dispatched directly from the upper command in response to the incident at Mount Fujikasane spoke volumes about how seriously it was being taken.
This was not something that could be underestimated.
Mount Fujikasane had imprisoned countless demons over the years. These captured demons served two purposes: to temper and test new recruits—and to force wicked demons to endure prolonged hunger and suffering, a punishment meant to erode their will.
After being confined for so many years, one could only imagine the ferocity of the demons remaining within Fujikasane.
If something were to go wrong here—
If the demons were to break free from the wisteria barrier surrounding Mount Fujikasane—
The consequences would be beyond catastrophic.
Although the demons imprisoned here were not especially powerful individually, their numbers were terrifying. Accumulated across generations, they formed a hidden disaster waiting to erupt.
If the wisteria barrier at the foot of the mountain failed, even mobilizing the entire Demon Slayer Corps would require an enormous amount of time to contain the fallout.
Standing once again before this familiar place, Giyu Tomioka gazed at the sea of wisteria blossoms. For just a moment, emotion flickered across his usually indifferent face, as though he were recalling distant memories.
Despite now being one of the Nine Pillars, Giyu had once been no different from the boys and girls who had stood here before.
As a disciple of Sakonji Urokodaki, Giyu had also participated in the recruitment examination.
And like so many others, he had been targeted by the Hand Demon.
Yet in the end, he survived—not because he was the strongest, but because someone else had stayed behind.
The one with greater talent and courage had sacrificed themselves.
The timid, cowardly Giyu had lived… and passed the test.
"Mr. Giyu," Shinobu Kocho said softly, interrupting his thoughts."What do you plan to do next? Are you going to enter Mount Fujikasane to investigate?"
Giyu looked once more at the wisteria before him, then nodded in agreement.
The young men and women who had survived the trial knew almost nothing about what had truly happened inside the mountain.
If they wanted answers, there was only one way forward.
They would have to enter Fujikasane themselves.
And if he happened to encounter that demon again—
Giyu would not mind avenging his fallen comrade with his own hands.
"Someone else is coming out," Shinobu said suddenly."This one's extremely lucky. He reached the summit just in time."
Just as the two Pillars were preparing to head into the mountain, a solitary figure emerged slowly from the forest of Fujikasane and began ascending the stone steps toward them.
When everyone saw the final examinee arrive—barely within the time limit—their expressions filled with shock.
The young man before them had short brown hair. His handsome face was streaked with blood, yet there was an unmistakable trace of unfinished business lingering at the corner of his lips.
His Nichirin Blade was chipped and scarred, its tip dragging along the ground. Fresh blood still slid down the blade's edge.
His clothes were torn and ragged, yet they could not conceal the overwhelming presence emanating from his body.
After an extended, brutal battle, countless demons had fallen at Ren Kuroda's hands, and the murderous aura clinging to him was so dense it felt almost tangible.
Ren ascended the steps slowly, each movement deliberate.
The suffocating killing intent surrounding him, combined with the violent pressure of a warrior still immersed in battle, made him—blood-soaked and silent—look like a demon that had crawled straight out of hell.
After most of the examinees had already gathered at the summit, Ren had chosen to remain within Mount Fujikasane.
His indiscriminate slaughter of demons quickly instilled fear throughout the mountain.
The demons had already backed down, relinquishing their once-a-year chance to feast on human flesh, allowing the remaining examinees to pass unchallenged.
But they never expected that this madman still wouldn't stop.
The relentless hunting of their own kind eventually pushed the demons past their breaking point.
Rather than wait to be slaughtered one by one, they chose rebellion.
Since death was inevitable anyway, it was better to unite and kill the monster together.
For the first time in history, the demons of Mount Fujikasane joined forces, launching a full-scale siege against the demon-like Ren Kuroda.
Ren, who had already completed his mission and was preparing to leave, never anticipated that his unchecked behavior would enrage every remaining demon on the mountain.
No one wanted to wait for death.
And Ren's existence was a threat that loomed over all of them.
Nearly every demon still alive on Mount Fujikasane participated in the assault.
The battle lasted over half a day.
Even with Ren's current strength, facing the simultaneous attack of nearly a hundred demons pushed him to the brink.
The demons of Fujikasane were not particularly powerful, but many possessed unique abilities—Blood Demon Arts among them. Under such relentless pressure, even Ren had to fight with absolute caution.
On top of that, his Nichirin Blade was incompatible with his self-created Demon Breathing Technique.
Left with no other option, Ren unleashed the full might of his Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain sword principles, engaging the demons in brutal close combat.
What does a hundred demons mean?
It means that even if they stood still and allowed themselves to be cut down, it would take an enormous amount of time.
And these weren't mindless animals—they were creatures with strength, resilience, and killing intent.
For an ordinary person, the psychological pressure alone would have been enough to shatter the mind.
In that battle, Ren used every tactic available to him.
He activated his Half-Demon Transformation without restraint and fully committed to his Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain techniques.
Demons fell one after another.
Time and again, exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him.
Fortunately, Ren still possessed a significant reserve of reputation points.
By exchanging them for a large quantity of low-grade demonic energy crystals, he was able to continuously replenish his power—and ultimately secure victory.
As for the aftermath…
There were likely very few demons left alive on the entirety of Mount Fujikasane.
Ren continued climbing the steps.
And as he drew close to Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho, Shinobu's right hand unconsciously tightened around the hilt of her sword.
Although she was the Insect Pillar—
She could clearly sense it.
The man before her was extremely dangerous.
The aura radiating from him alone was enough to make even a Pillar feel uneasy.