"Did we arrive too late?"
Hiroshi Furukawa and the other swordsmen stood silently in place, looking at the scene before them.
What had once been a home filled with life and warmth was now nothing but the charred remains devoured by flames, silently smoldering beneath the hazy morning mist.
White skeletons stripped clean of flesh.
Ribs twisted by fire.
Half of a hand stretched forward in desperate final motion.
Everything here told the story of what had happened.
A girl wearing a fox mask crouched down, staring at the skeleton at her feet, where traces of flesh still remained. The small bones clearly showed that the owner had been a child.
Imagining what had happened here, Makomo couldn't stop herself from trembling.
She had heard about the cruelty of demons and knew that demons devoured humans, but it had always remained only in imagination. She had never actually witnessed how cruel they truly were.
But now, seeing the destruction caused by demons with her own eyes, she realized that their cruelty was even more horrifying than she had imagined.
"This… is what demons are like?"
Makomo stared blankly at the tragic scene.
She could imagine how happy the family that once lived here must have been. But everything had been destroyed by the scent of blood—completely and mercilessly crushed.
"Yes. This is what demons are."
Hiroshi Furukawa looked at Makomo, who was clearly shaken by the scene.
He clenched his teeth slightly.
What he had experienced in the past was far worse.
He had personally witnessed a demon kill his father and devour his mother.
He had faced it directly.
Every time the memory surfaced in his mind, he heard his parents' agonized screams.
Every recollection brought unbearable pain.
But for Makomo, this was the first time seeing such a horrific scene, and she could hardly accept it.
"Do these demons... possess no humanity at all? They... they were once human too!"
"Even after becoming demons, do they still treat their own former kind like this?"
For Makomo, seeing such devastation for the first time was almost impossible to comprehend.
Hiroshi Furukawa looked at the remains before him, then at the dazed Makomo, and sighed softly.
"This… is what demons are."
"Cruel and terrifying demons."
"Even if they were once human, the moment they become demons, they are no longer human."
"They become monsters that eat people."
As he spoke, Hiroshi Furukawa rested his hand on the hilt of the Nichirin sword at his waist.
"These demons deserve to die."
"Every single one of them."
"When you see them, just kill them swiftly. No reason is needed."
"They must be purged… these demons."
Behind the fox mask, Makomo slowly closed her eyes.
But the brutal scene before her refused to leave her mind.
She suddenly thought of her senior disciples who had participated in the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane.
She thought of Sabito.
Had they… also died to demons like these?
Had they… been eaten as well?
The thought alone caused Makomo's small hands to clench tightly.
At this moment, only one thought remained in her mind:
Find that demon.
Cut off its head.
For the first time, Makomo truly understood why, despite knowing how dangerous demon hunting was, so many people still chose this path every year.
Why they continued walking it even knowing they might die along the way.
Because these demons…
…were too unforgivable.
"Search the surrounding area carefully," Hiroshi Furukawa instructed his companions.
"Try to find any clues the demon may have left behind."
The swordsmen immediately began searching in all directions, trying their best to find traces left by the demon.
Makomo also joined the search.
"If only I had Sensei's keen sense of smell…"
As she searched, Makomo sighed.
As a disciple of Sakonji Urokodaki, she knew just how extraordinary her teacher's sense of smell was.
For a massacre that had only recently occurred like this, the scent of the demon must still linger at the scene.
If her teacher were here, he would easily be able to track the demon using that scent.
"True," another swordsman agreed. "If Lord Urokodaki were here, finding that demon would be very easy. Everyone knows how capable Lord Urokodaki is."
"Sensei is naturally the most amazing."
Hearing her beloved teacher being praised, Makomo felt very proud.
"Speaking of which, Miss Makomo, I've always been a bit curious about something."
Hiroshi Furukawa walked over and asked with interest.
"With Miss Makomo's abilities, it's obvious you're very skilled. Were you taught by Lord Sakonji Urokodaki?"
"Of course I was taught by Sensei." Makomo answered without hesitation.
"Then that's strange. If your skills were taught by Lord Urokodaki, then as a trainer he must be very capable."
"So why is it that his disciples couldn't pass the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane? Some of them couldn't even come out alive."
Makomo wanted to argue back, but she didn't know how.
After all, the facts were there.
"Honestly, with Miss Makomo's ability, you should have been the one participating in this year's Final Selection," Hiroshi Furukawa said with a sigh.
"We've seen your strength. Passing the test would have been no problem for you."
"My junior, Sabito, is no less skilled than I am," Makomo defended him quietly.
In truth, she had intended to go to the Final Selection this year as well. But Sabito had told her that one of the three disciples should stay behind.
If none of them passed, then only Urokodaki-sensei would remain alone on the mountain.
Someone had to stay behind to take care of him.
So in the end, she stayed.
Hiroshi Furukawa didn't quite believe that Sabito's strength could match Makomo's.
If Sabito truly were that strong, then he should definitely have passed the Final Selection this year.
"Captain, the information you asked about regarding this year's Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane has arrived."
A swordsman walked over.
Beside him, Makomo's small hands clenched tightly.
Her eyes still carried hope—but even more fear.
In truth, their teacher had already received news about the Final Selection earlier.
After receiving it, he had sat alone at the mountain peak for several days.
At that time, she had already guessed the result.
Even though she had guessed it…
Deep in her heart, she still didn't want to believe it.
There was still a little hope.
What if… just what if?
After all, she knew Sabito's strength.
"So, what's the news?" Hiroshi Furukawa asked.
The swordsman glanced at Makomo and hesitated.
"From the moment we joined the Demon Slayer Corps, we already prepared ourselves to die on this path," Hiroshi Furukawa sighed.
"Along the way, we'll inevitably experience the pain of losing companions."
"If someone can't bear that… then there's no point walking the path of demon hunting."
"According to the information we received, in this year's Mount Fujikasane Final Selection, Lord Urokodaki's disciple, Giyu Tomioka, successfully passed the test."
"Not only did Giyu Tomioka pass, but every swordsman who participated in the exam this year passed successfully."
"Everyone passed?" Hiroshi Furukawa was stunned.
The Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane had always been extremely strict.
Every year, only a few swordsmen usually passed.
There had never been a case where everyone passed.
"What about Sabito?"
Makomo's eyes suddenly lit up.
If Giyu Tomioka had passed the exam, then Sabito should also have passed.
After all, Sabito was much stronger than Giyu.
Sabito was teacher's most proud disciple.
Their teacher had very high expectations for him.
He had once said that Sabito would surely awaken the Demon Slayer Mark in the future—something even many Hashira could not achieve. He would become an extremely powerful swordsman.
"He… probably failed." The swordsman spoke quietly.
"After the exam ended, Sabito was never seen again."
"They only found a warding mask on the mountaintop."
"According to rumors from those who passed the exam, Sabito almost killed all the demons on Mount Fujikasane by himself…"
"But in the end… it seems he collapsed from exhaustion."
"How could that be…?"
For the first time during the entire journey, the normally gentle and calm Makomo lost her composure.