Despite the earnest persuasion of the black-and-white twin girls, some of the examinees ultimately chose to leave.
However, far more people stayed.
After all, they were at an age when passion burned hottest. Walking away in front of so many others would be unbearably humiliating. Pride alone kept many of them rooted in place.
After waiting several minutes and confirming that no one else intended to withdraw, the two doll-like girls calmly announced the official start of the assessment.
Their earlier warning had been nothing more than an act of mercy.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya, their lord, was a kindhearted man who didn't wish to see young men and women die without understanding what awaited them. But now that the choice had been made, it deserved respect.
Life and death would be theirs to face.
Meanwhile, deep within a corner of Mount Fujikasane, beneath the cascading purple of a wisteria tree, two figures stood side by side.
One of them was Ren Kuroda—the very man who had caused a tremendous uproar during the previous entrance examination.
"Ren," Rengoku Kyojuro said with a curious smile, "I didn't expect you to come all this way just to watch the entrance exam. You've been staring at that red-haired boy for quite a while now. Do you think he's special?"
Rengoku followed Ren's gaze toward Tanjiro.
After spending so much time together, Kyojuro understood Ren well. Unlike Tomioka Giyu, Ren wasn't cold or distant—but aside from swordsmanship and battle, very little ever seemed to catch his interest.
Which made this unusual focus all the more intriguing.
"I think," Ren said calmly, "that boy will be the strongest performer in this year's Demon Slayer Corps entrance exam."
Even with the Corps' intelligence network—and Ren's relentless hunts—there had still been no trace of the Twelve Demon Moons.
With the system's mission deadline drawing closer, Ren had come to a realization: if brute force and information gathering failed, then he would have to follow the flow of fate itself.
In every world, there was always a chosen one.
For ordinary people, hunting villains was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But for a protagonist, enemies seemed to line up willingly, delivering themselves as both obstacles and rewards.
Ren's understanding of this world wasn't complete—but he was certain of one thing.
Tanjiro was its central figure.
"Oh?" Kyojuro laughed. "That's surprisingly optimistic coming from you. But I don't entirely agree."
"The Insect Pillar's stepdaughter is also participating this year, isn't she? Kanao. She's always admired you greatly—are you sure you don't want to support her?"
"And look over there. The Wind Pillar's younger brother—that sharp-tempered kid. He seems to be inheriting Thunder Breathing, one of the five foundational styles."
"The overall level of this year's candidates is far higher than usual. Are you really confident that boy will stand above all of them?"
Truth be told, Kyojuro personally favored Kanao more than Tanjiro. Growing up under the guidance of the Insect Pillar had given her a far superior starting point, even compared to many adults.
Ren simply smiled faintly.
"Then let's watch," he said. "Let's head up the mountain and wait. If nothing unexpected happens, everyone we just mentioned should pass the exam."
The moment the examinees entered Mount Fujikasane, their confidence began to crumble.
The first demonic roars echoed through the forest.
Panic spread instantly.
Just as the twin girls had warned, the mountain was no longer empty. The demons of Fujikasane had been replenished, and the plan to exploit last year's anomaly collapsed immediately.
The demons themselves were already furious at having been captured and imprisoned here. Now, seeing a wave of inexperienced demon slayers wandering straight into their territory—
Their delight was unmistakable.
They may not have been able to defeat the Pillars who captured them.
But these trembling novices?
They were lambs delivered straight to the slaughter.
What they thought would be suffering had transformed into a feast that came knocking at their door.
Driven by hunger for fresh flesh—and hatred for the Demon Slayer Corps—the demons surged through the forest, hunting eagerly.
Those with real strength barely managed to escape.
The weak were torn apart without mercy.
Among the many examinees, only a handful—fewer than ten—were capable of killing demons outright.
And just as Ren and Kyojuro had predicted, every one of the individuals they had noticed earlier was among them.
Tanjiro, gripping his Nichirin Blade, still lacked refinement in his Water Breathing, but against ordinary demons, it was more than enough.
There was a reason Water Breathing was one of the five foundational styles.
Tanjiro's exceptional physique, combined with his balanced offense and defense, allowed him to dominate the battlefield. On Mount Fujikasane, most demons were no match for him at all.
Like most protagonists, Tanjiro possessed a dangerously "saintly" nature.
He simply could not ignore people in danger.
Under normal circumstances, he could have passed the exam swiftly and efficiently.
But because he kept stopping to save others, Tanjiro—fighting at full strength—finally encountered his first true threat.
The demon before him was massive, moving on all fours like a beast.
Even more disturbing was its hair.
Long, thick strands covered nearly half its body, floating unnaturally in the air, writhing like living water snakes.
When Tanjiro noticed the withered corpses dangling from that hair—bodies drained completely of blood—rage exploded within him.
A demon's strength was tied to the number of humans it devoured.
And some demons awakened unique powers known as Blood Demon Arts.
This long-haired demon was unmistakably special.
Judging by its size alone, it had consumed an enormous number of people.
Originally, it had been playing with its prey, intending to kill slowly.
But Tanjiro's sudden arrival—and the clean severing of its treasured hair—sent it into a frenzy.
Its target shifted instantly.
The red-haired boy would die first.
"Water Breathing—First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
In response, massive waves of hair shot toward Tanjiro like thrown javelins.
Smooth in appearance but twisted with lethal force, the spiraling strands pierced straight through solid rock as they closed in on him.
..
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