"That demon… has appeared."
Sakonji Urokodaki spoke in a low and heavy voice.
Makomo was momentarily stunned, unable to react at first. Which demon could possibly make her teacher care this much?
"Stay on Mount Sagiri and continue your training. When I return, I will keep guiding you…"
After turning back to give Makomo a few instructions, Urokodaki turned around and left.
"Sensei, remember to eat properly! You haven't eaten for several days. Your body will—"
The girl looked at her teacher's retreating back and wanted to continue reminding him to take care of himself.
But his figure had already disappeared.
The vast Mount Sagiri suddenly felt empty, leaving only the girl's lonely silhouette.
That demon… which demon is it?
Makomo wondered silently.
Before she realized it, she had walked to a giant stone in the forest.
The huge rock was covered with marks left by blades—some old, some new. Many seniors and even junior disciples had once left their traces here.
Makomo gently touched the two newest marks.
They had been left by Sabito and Giyu Tomioka before they departed for the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane.
But now… neither of them had returned.
Her teacher hadn't told her the result, but she had already begun to guess.
Her lips tightened unconsciously.
Shaking her head, she forced herself not to think about it anymore.
For any swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps, death was an unavoidable reality. One could never remain trapped in grief forever. Instead, they had to keep moving forward—even if tears fell, they had to wipe them away and continue walking.
Even though she wasn't yet a swordsman, she would become one in the future.
She wanted to cry, but she pressed her lips together, refusing to let herself shed tears. At the same time, she forced her mind to keep thinking so she wouldn't dwell on the sadness.
A demon that even Sensei is concerned about… it can only be one of the Twelve Kizuki.
If it were merely an ordinary Lower Rank demon, the higher-ups wouldn't need to summon her teacher out of retirement.
Could it be one of the Upper Rank demons?
But even for an Upper Rank, other Hashira would normally handle it. There was no need to trouble her teacher. After all, although he was once a Hashira, he was already quite old and had lived in seclusion for a long time.
Unless…
Suddenly, Makomo understood what could make the Demon Slayer Corps urgently call her teacher back.
Only one being in this world—the origin of all demons—could cause such urgency.
As one of the older generation of Hashira, her teacher possessed vast experience in fighting demons—experience that many swordsmen, even Hashira, didn't have. In addition, his sense of smell was incredibly sharp. He could judge people's emotions through scent and even detect demons disguised as humans.
There was only one possibility.
Only that demon could cause such alarm.
Yes.
Only the Progenitor of Demons—
Muzan Kibutsuji.
At that moment, Makomo clenched her fists.
For the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, there was no one who didn't know or remember that name.
It was the ultimate target of the Demon Slayer Corps.
And also the very reason the corps existed.
Only by killing Muzan Kibutsuji could the demons of this world be completely eradicated.
But…
Killing Muzan Kibutsuji was extremely difficult.
Not only was his power terrifyingly strong—
He was also incredibly good at hiding.
As far as Makomo knew, Muzan Kibutsuji could not only perfectly hide among humans, but could also freely change his appearance—even his gender.
Moreover, since all demons were created from Muzan's blood, every demon was bound by his curse. If they spoke his name, they would be instantly destroyed by the curse.
Because of this, the Demon Slayer Corps could never track down Muzan through other demons.
On top of that, Muzan was extremely cautious—so cautious that in hundreds of years, the number of times he had appeared could almost be counted on one hand.
The last time Muzan showed himself was when the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps was exposed. It was the first time in centuries that Muzan truly made a move himself. He nearly killed the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps.
To protect the Master, swordsmen who practiced Sun Breathing fought desperately to hold him back, allowing the Master to escape.
But as a result, almost all the swordsmen who practiced Sun Breathing died in that battle.
Since then, the practice of Sun Breathing had disappeared within the Demon Slayer Corps.
Up to now, there were no swordsmen left who used Sun Breathing.
If only we could truly find Muzan Kibutsuji and kill him…
Standing before the giant stone, Makomo thought silently.
If Muzan could be slain, then countless people would no longer be killed by demons. Their happiness wouldn't be destroyed, and so many lives wouldn't be lost on the path of hunting demons.
She sighed softly.
Her hand gently brushed over the blade marks on the stone. Then she turned and walked back to the house halfway up the mountain.
Inside, she picked up the sword hanging on the wall—
Her own Nichirin Sword.
Normally, only those who passed the selection at Mount Fujikasane would receive a personalized Nichirin Sword from the Demon Slayer Corps.
But she was the disciple of the Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. In addition, Urokodaki had a close friendship with a swordsmith from the swordsmith village.
Because of this, she received special treatment.
That swordsmith—her teacher's friend—personally forged a Nichirin sword specifically for her.
In fact, not only she had one. Sabito also had his own, as did the other seniors who had gone to take the trial on Mount Fujikasane.
"Sensei has spent favors again and again… each time filled with hope… only to be disappointed again and again…"
Makomo opened the sheath and gently stroked the blade, feeling the coldness of the steel. Her eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a thin, beautiful slit.
"Just how difficult is the Final Selection? Hard enough that even Sabito couldn't return?"
She bit her lip slightly.
She remembered how her teacher had sat alone on the mountain peak after receiving the news. She also remembered the hunched figure of her teacher quietly touching the fox masks he had once crafted to ward off misfortune for his students.
"No matter what, I must pass the Final Selection next year."
The girl gently ran her hand along the blade before sliding it back into the sheath.
"I absolutely cannot disappoint Sensei again."
She closed the door and lifted her head, looking toward the direction where Furukawa Hiroshi had left.
She murmured softly:
"The Mount Fujikasane test requires surviving for seven days on a mountain where demons exist."
As she spoke, Makomo adjusted the fox mask on her face slightly. Her eyes narrowed into a dangerous slit.
"Then let me see these so-called demons… and understand exactly how big the gap between them and me truly is."
"Only then can I ensure I pass the test next year."
With a light step, the girl pushed off the ground and swiftly chased in the direction Furukawa Hiroshi had gone.
...
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