Facing an assault by hundreds of demons—let's be honest—even if she and Giyu Tomioka were both Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps, it would be extremely difficult for them to escape such a situation without serious injuries.
And yet, the man standing before her had not only survived unscathed—he had wiped out every demon that attacked him.
Such a feat was nothing short of astonishing.
Shinobu Kocho didn't think Ren Kuroda was exaggerating or joking. A simple investigation of Mount Fujikasane would confirm the truth soon enough.
Moreover, the overwhelming killing intent and ferocious battle aura Ren had radiated the moment he appeared made it abundantly clear that he wasn't lying.
And it was precisely because of that certainty that Shinobu felt even more shaken.
She simply couldn't comprehend how Ren had managed to accomplish something like that under those circumstances.
"Actually, it wasn't as exaggerated as two hundred," Ren said casually."I killed quite a few beforehand, so by the time they surrounded me, it was only about a hundred or so."
His relaxed tone earned him simultaneous speechless stares from both Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho.
Even if it was "only" a hundred demons, that was still an absurd number.
Among the current Nine Pillars, the strongest was widely acknowledged to be the Stone Pillar. Yet even he—at least in Shinobu's and the others' estimation—would be hard-pressed to annihilate over a hundred demons under such conditions.
"You said earlier that the assessment only requires reaching the summit within the allotted time to pass," Ren continued calmly."So even if I killed a few extra demons, that shouldn't count as violating the rules, right?"
Ren glanced toward the many young men and women gathered at the summit and immediately understood why Giyu Tomioka and the others had appeared here.
Because of his presence, the demons of Mount Fujikasane had been terrified into hiding—or outright slaughtered—which had directly caused the difficulty of the assessment to plummet.
As a result, the number of successful examinees was several times higher than in previous years.
"You call that killing a few extra?" Giyu snapped despite himself."You wiped them out in one sweep!"
Even the usually taciturn Giyu Tomioka couldn't help cursing at this point.
Standing beside him, Shinobu Kocho wore a helpless, wry smile, clearly at a loss.
Ren was technically correct.
He hadn't violated any rules. The demons of Mount Fujikasane existed precisely to serve as a trial for new recruits.
It was just that Ren Kuroda—this so-called "newbie"—had gone far beyond expectations, erasing in one night the demons Mount Fujikasane had accumulated over countless years.
"This matter is beyond what we can decide on our own," Giyu said after a moment."So we'll have to trouble you to come with us to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. As for what will be done with you… that will depend on our lord's judgment."
Although Ren hadn't technically broken the rules, the fact remained that he had completely disrupted the balance of the assessment.
And single-handedly exterminating the demons of Mount Fujikasane was something that had never happened before.
Giyu and the others were at a loss for how to deal with him and could only make this decision.
In any case, Ren's identity was special.
Before officially joining the Demon Slayer Corps, he was always meant to meet their lord.
Standing beside Giyu, Shinobu Kocho clearly felt the same—but she couldn't help worrying whether Ren would obediently go with them.
Earlier, she had already sensed something unusual about him.
While she didn't possess Tanjiro's extraordinary sense of smell, as a Pillar she had her own keen perception. Ren's aura was distinctly different from that of an ordinary human.
And if Ren refused to cooperate…
Would she and Giyu really be able to force him?
Thankfully, Shinobu soon realized that her concern was unnecessary.
Ren Kuroda showed no particular resistance to Giyu's proposal.
Having existed in this world for so long, Ren had already wanted to meet the figures who truly held power.
Meeting Muzan Kibutsuji was out of the question for now—but seeing the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps first seemed like a good alternative.
After all, Ren still needed the Corps' intelligence network.
And unless they showed clear hostility, he had no intention of making enemies of them.
"Going to see your lord isn't a problem," Ren said."But before that, shouldn't I be allowed to choose the materials for forging my Nichirin Blade?"
He paused briefly.
"If your lord accepts my existence, then a Nichirin Blade should count as standard equipment for a Demon Slayer, right?"
Ren had already experienced firsthand just how formidable a Nichirin Blade was in this world.
To be frank, when he was surrounded by hundreds of demons, if he hadn't borrowed that blade from the girl earlier, he would have been forced to retreat.
Neither Giyu Tomioka nor Shinobu Kocho objected to his request.
Choosing materials was a simple matter.
If Ren ultimately wasn't accepted into the Demon Slayer Corps, they simply wouldn't give him the sword.
Presented with a large selection of materials by the black-and-white-haired attendants, Ren immediately chose the highest-quality options.
Tanjiro might have had his nose to rely on, but Ren had something even more powerful.
With the system's appraisal function activated, the grade of each material was instantly clear.
After selecting the best materials, Ren took a sword hilt and several blade fragments from his pocket.
Handing them to the black-and-white-haired attendant, he said,"Please tell the swordsmith—if possible—to incorporate these into my Nichirin Blade during the forging."
The attendant glanced at the fragments and gently explained that they were nothing more than ordinary iron. Adding them would likely reduce the overall quality of the Nichirin Blade.
"That's fine," Ren replied calmly."This is my first sword in this world. And I, Ren Kuroda, would never trample on someone's feelings."
Giyu Tomioka and the others didn't react much to Ren's words about "this world," assuming he simply meant it was his first sword.
"You deliberately chose the highest-grade materials," Giyu said, puzzled."So why add impurities? You should understand better than anyone how important a good sword is to a swordsman—especially after what you just experienced."
Ren's actions genuinely confused Giyu.
He had been so fixated on the Nichirin Blade before—why insist on this now?
"Impurities?" Ren repeated softly."Those aren't impurities to me."
"They represent something precious—gratitude. The heartfelt thanks of many people, condensed into a single object."
Seeing Ren's firm resolve to include the fragments, Giyu Tomioka stopped trying to dissuade him.
He had already grasped what that "sentiment" truly meant.
As for Shinobu Kocho—often regarded as the most perceptive of the Nine Pillars—she quickly understood the meaning behind the word gratitude.
And when she looked at Ren Kuroda again, there was now a faint trace of warmth and goodwill in her gaze.