Several months later, Mount Fujikasane. This year's Final Selection for swordsmen was about to begin.
The person responsible for presiding over this selection was naturally the son of the current Demon Slayer Corps leader, who at only six years old had already been designated as the next leader—Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
A black-haired little boy dressed in a woman's kimono, with a little girl's hairstyle, and even makeup leaning toward the feminine.
Of course, the Ubuyashiki clan did not have any special fetish.
The reason for such dressing was purely due to the gods' curse upon their clan.
What almost no demon slayers knew was that the legendary Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji and the current Ubuyashiki clan had actually both been born from the same family nearly a thousand years ago.
Precisely because a being like the Demon King—who was not permitted by the gods—appeared in the family, the gods had descended a terrifying curse upon the Ubuyashiki clan.
No newborns would come into the family, and all living clan members began contracting various diseases, gradually dying from various accidents...
It was only later, following the shrine maiden's advice, that they began generations of marrying women from shrine maiden families and pouring all the clan's strength into the goal of defeating Muzan, that the gods finally lightened the curse.
But even so, all Ubuyashiki clan descendants, regardless of gender, remained extremely short-lived.
By twenty at the latest, they would die from illness due to the curse.
Even the male children in the clan, if not raised as girls when young, would generally die early from physical weakness...
Therefore, the Ubuyashiki clan's habit of dressing males in women's clothing when young was not from their own wishes, but something they had no choice but to do.
The gods truly had a twisted sense of humor.
Of course, regarding these secrets, the prospective swordsmen before him who came to participate in the Final Selection naturally could not know.
They didn't even know that the "little girl" who looked very cute before them was actually their future leader...
For Ubuyashiki Kagaya, this was his first time presiding over the Final Selection.
Actually, there was nothing difficult about it.
He only needed to go to the campsite located at the mountainside of Mount Fujikasane, wait for all the prospective swordsmen who came to participate in this year's selection to arrive.
Then announce the selection's beginning, open the mountain gate, let these swordsmen enter the mountain, and continue waiting at the campsite for seven days.
Seven days later, open the mountain gate, and whoever could come out alive and unharmed would be announced as having become official demon slayers.
Finally, let each of them select a piece of scarlet crimson ore to forge their own Nichirin Blade, and equip each with a Kasugai crow for communication.
Everything was that simple.
So then, why did such a simple matter require the successive leaders' children to personally preside over it?
Beyond some necessary sense of ceremony, the more important reason was actually to let these future leaders understand their future swordsmen earlier.
So that when they became leaders later, they wouldn't be completely ignorant of the swordsmen under their command.
Additionally, if any talented individuals with relatively good aptitude appeared among that year's prospective swordsmen, they could be discovered and cultivated earlier...
And in this year's swordsman selection, there was precisely such a special existence.
Mount Fujikasane, mountainside campsite.
The young Ubuyashiki Kagaya sat in his chair, his gaze passing through the numerous prospective swordsmen standing in twos and threes in the campsite, landing on one person standing behind them.
That was a young girl.
The girl had obviously come alone. She had neither companions nor any intention of talking with others, merely holding her Nichirin Blade by herself, leaning against a wisteria tree with eyes closed in contemplation.
Judging from appearance, her age was around fifteen. Her features were stunningly beautiful, her dark red hair tied up high, her entire aura serene, giving people a feeling of keeping strangers at bay.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya knew this girl's identity.
A month ago, former Water Hashira Urokodaki Sakonji had, while traveling outside, coincidentally encountered a demon committing murder in a small town.
After slaying this demon, Urokodaki Sakonji conveniently saved a wandering girl who had nearly been killed by the demon.
Then, something astonishing happened.
This seemingly ordinary girl could actually recognize at a glance the Water Breathing sword techniques that Urokodaki Sakonji was using!
Incredible—what was going on?
After detailed questioning, Urokodaki Sakonji learned that there was a special "sword manual" passed down from ancestors in the girl's family.
This "sword manual" detailed records of seven different sword styles named after Sun, Moon, Flame, Water, Wind, Thunder, and Stone.
Each sword style contained varying numbers of sword techniques, supplemented by matching breathing secrets.
Fearing later generations would have difficulty comprehending, the compiler had specially attached diagrams for each sword technique, with extremely detailed annotations.
However, though it was called a sword manual, according to the girl, her previous ancestors through the generations, including her parents before their deaths, had all been unable to comprehend those bizarre sword techniques recorded within.
Even those who could barely perform them couldn't unleash much power.
But the girl was an exception.
From the first glance when she received this sword manual from her deceased parents, the girl became fascinated by the sword techniques recorded within.
These bizarre sword techniques that were difficult for her ancestors to master were all incredibly simple in the girl's eyes.
Among these, especially that sword style crowned with the name "Sun"—the girl practiced it without any hindrance, exceptionally smoothly, as if this sword technique was specially created for her...
The girl's account was fantastical. If heard by ordinary people, they would probably only think this was some wonderfully fabricated little story.
But as a demon slayer, Urokodaki Sakonji instantly realized that the sword techniques recorded in the girl's sword manual were very likely the various Breathing Styles circulating within the Demon Slayer Corps!
At Urokodaki Sakonji's request, the wandering girl finally took out the sword manual on her person and allowed him to carefully examine it.
The final facts confirmed Urokodaki Sakonji's previous speculation.
The five sword styles of Flame, Water, Wind, Thunder, and Stone on the sword manual all corresponded to the five basic Breathing Styles within the Demon Slayer Corps.
But strangely, some sword techniques among these were slightly incomplete compared to the current Breathing Styles.
For example, the Water sword style recorded on the sword manual had several fewer techniques than the current Water Breathing.
Additionally, the Mist Breathing and Flower Breathing that had circulated in the Demon Slayer Corps for a long time had no records on this sword manual.
What was even more bizarre was that the "Sun and Moon" sword styles prominently featured at the beginning of the sword manual had no circulation within the Demon Slayer Corps at all...
His heart vaguely feeling that he had likely accidentally discovered something extraordinary.
Urokodaki Sakonji that very night brought the girl and the sword manual back to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, visiting Kagaya's father—the current leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Shortly after, this leader urgently summoned the current Hashira to come to the residence for a meeting.
After a night of detailed discussion and analysis, everyone finally reached a conclusion—
This sword manual was very likely the complete compilation of Breathing Styles written by the legendary Original Breathing Style Swordsman who had truly existed during the Sengoku period, as spoken of in Demon Slayer Corps legends!
Only this could explain why this sword manual clearly recorded the five basic Breathing Styles in detail, yet uniquely lacked the later evolved Mist Breathing and Flower Breathing.
Because it was something completed several hundred years ago. During the Sengoku period, these two later Breathing Styles had not yet appeared, so naturally they could not be recorded.
Then, what would the Sun and Moon Breathing Styles recorded on the sword manual but not circulating in the Demon Slayer Corps be?
The answer was obvious.
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This story has ended in chapter 315, you can read on patreon.com/dzeref887 for faster access or wait until August to read on WebNovel until the story ends.