When Tanjiro finally defeated the long-haired demon, his strength gave out completely. He collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.
The intensity of the battle had far exceeded his expectations, and combined with the injuries he had already sustained, Tanjiro did not regain consciousness until nearly evening.
Despite having pushed himself to the absolute limit, Tanjiro ultimately became the last participant to pass the Demon Slayer Corps entrance test.
As for the other examinees whom Ren Kuroda and Rengoku Kyojuro had taken notice of earlier, they all passed not long after the trial began.
Among them, Kanao was the fastest.
She cleared the test more than half a day earlier than the slowest passer—Tanjiro.
"Well?" Kyojuro said smugly, turning to Ren with a broad grin. "You lost the bet. I told you Kanao was definitely stronger than that kid you were optimistic about, didn't I?
"He barely passed at the very last moment. If the trial had been even a little shorter, he probably would've been eliminated."
Although Kyojuro had been a Pillar far longer than Ren, ever since Ren became a Pillar himself, Kyojuro always felt as though he was being overshadowed in every regard.
Straightforward as he was, that didn't mean he lacked a competitive streak.
"Passing at the last moment doesn't mean someone isn't strong," Ren replied calmly."I passed on the last day myself back then. But out of everyone from my group, I was the only one who eventually became a Pillar."
The moment he heard that, Kyojuro rolled his eyes.
Ren had just compared him to a bunch of rookies.
Granted, Ren himself had once been a newcomer—but it had to be said that his level back then was on an entirely different plane from Tanjiro and the others now.
Even before fully mastering Breathing Techniques, Ren could already rival a Pillar. While wielding a Nichirin Blade incompatible with his own breathing style, he had fought through swarms of demons single-handedly.
Across the centuries-long history of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ren Kuroda—though not quite on the same level as Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the founder of Breathing Techniques—was still considered a living legend.
"Fine," Kyojuro said suddenly. "Then I'll make you admit defeat properly. Let's ask these kids how many demons they killed."
With that, he leapt down from the rooftop, immediately drawing the attention of all the young men and women gathered below.
The status of the Pillars within the Demon Slayer Corps was absolute. To ordinary members, they were figures of pure admiration.
Kanao recognized Kyojuro at once and politely greeted him.
Even Genya Shinazugawa, notorious for his foul temper, didn't dare show the slightest disrespect in front of the Flame Pillar.
"Kanao," Kyojuro said brightly, "how many demons did you defeat during the trial? Someone over there seems to think you're not as impressive as that boy."
Ren's expression darkened slightly at the provocation.
Following Kyojuro's gaze, Kanao noticed Ren standing atop the roof.
Seeing her idol in person, Kanao's eyes lit up. At the same time, there was a hint of dissatisfaction—as if she were blaming him for doubting her strength.
She answered honestly,"Passing the trial isn't based on the number of demons defeated. So I didn't focus on killing too many. I defeated around ten."
Naturally, Kanao had killed her demons one-on-one. If ten demons had attacked her simultaneously, she likely wouldn't be standing here unharmed.
Even so, she had still slain the most demons among those who passed.
Only five people cleared the trial in total.
Hashibira Inosuke had already wandered off somewhere.Genya Shinazugawa, unable to use Breathing Techniques, had killed only eight demons.Meanwhile, Zenitsu, the blond-haired boy, claimed he didn't even know how he had managed to pass.
When it was Tanjiro's turn, he answered honestly,"I only defeated five demons."
Just as Kyojuro was about to turn to Ren and declare his own judgment superior, Tanjiro hesitated, then added quietly,
"However… among the demons I defeated, one was completely different from the others.
"He was enormous, covered in long hair. That hair could be used both to attack and defend…"
Tanjiro went on earnestly, carefully describing the long-haired demon's traits in detail.
Thinking that something unusual must have happened on Mount Fujikasane—and recognizing that this was Tanjiro's first encounter with a demon using Blood Demon Art—the kind-hearted Kyojuro initially tried to reassure him.
But as Tanjiro continued speaking, Kyojuro's smug expression gradually froze.
He knew immediately.
He had lost the bet again.
And that meant yet another expensive meal was unavoidable. Now, all he could do was pray that Ren wouldn't invite the Love Pillar, Kanroji Mitsuri, along this time.
Although Tanjiro had killed fewer demons and had even been the last to pass the trial, the fact that he had slain a demon with Blood Demon Art on his own at that age placed him clearly ahead of Kanao and the others in terms of achievement.
What's more, Kyojuro remembered that particular long-haired demon.
When Ren Kuroda had captured it alive and proposed throwing it into Mount Fujikasane, several Pillars had voiced strong objections.
The reason was simple—
That demon was far too powerful for the trial.
It wasn't just a Blood Demon Art user; its Blood Demon Art wasn't even among the weaker types. Even experienced Demon Slayer Corps members might struggle against it, let alone rookies who had never seen a demon before.
In other words, when the long-haired demon was thrown into Mount Fujikasane, none of the current Pillars expected anyone to be able to kill it. It was meant solely to raise the difficulty of the trial.
And yet—
The supposedly unkillable demon had now been slain by the boy standing before them.
Tanjiro's strength was undeniable.
"You… you killed the long-haired demon that Mr. Ren captured?"Kanao's usually expressionless face finally showed clear shock as she stared at Tanjiro in disbelief.
Before the trial, Kocho Shinobu had told Kanao about that demon. With her current strength, she wouldn't stand a chance in a direct fight—though escaping would have been easy.
And yet, a demon she herself would have had to flee from had been killed by this ordinary-looking boy, barely her age?
"At first, I was no match for him at all," Tanjiro admitted honestly."But somehow… at the very end, I used a sword technique that Brother Ren had demonstrated before. That's the only reason I managed to defeat him."
At those words—
Not only Kyojuro, but even the previously silent Ren Kuroda, was left completely speechless.