*Knock knock
"Come in."
"You're here, young Jin."
Jin entered Rengoku's office and found him seated with a man wearing a standard demon slayer uniform. The man's face was hidden behind a plain white mask. He nodded toward Rengoku before silently leaving the room.
"Come, sit here, young one."
Rengoku gestured to the seat in front of him, and Jin immediately complied.
"I have already informed Master about you, and he has given specific instructions regarding your training."
"Would you like to hear them?"
"Yes, please."
"Master has decided to assign different instructors to teach you various breathing forms. You will only be allowed to participate in the Final Selection after passing their individual assessments."
"As promised, your name has been registered as 'Mitaka Jin.' Your information remains confidential. Even your instructors only know that your background is sensitive—they are unaware of your specialty."
"Today is my last day here, so if you have any questions, ask freely."
Jin hesitated for a moment.
"Ever since you told me about the Demon Moons… I've been wondering—how are we keeping them at bay? I've heard that Upper Moons are stronger than Pillars, and no Pillar except the first breath user has ever defeated one alone."
Rengoku nodded.
"To answer that, you must understand that every country has its own methods to combat demons. Some have developed specialized weapons, while others rely on unique techniques—like our breathing styles."
"Currently, we have fourteen Pillars commanding over ten thousand slayers to defend our nation."
"While demons could overwhelm us if they attacked in full force, we are not alone. We have formed alliances with several countries. If one nation is attacked, the others immediately deploy sixty percent of their forces in response."
Jin silently sighed in relief.
Even if demons were far stronger than in the original stories… they were facing the entire world now.
"Anything else?"
"No… and thank you again for everything, Rengoku-san."
"Hahaha! No need for thanks, young one."
"It is our duty as Pillars to nurture the next generation."
Rengoku stood up and placed a firm hand on Jin's shoulder.
"Next time we meet… I expect to see you standing beside me as a Pillar."
Jin froze for a moment, then quickly stood straight.
"I will."
"That's the spirit!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Rengoku laughed heartily as he left the room, leaving Jin behind, rubbing his sore shoulder with a stiff smile.
'Men don't feel pain…'
-
Two Years Later
*Shush… shush…
"Huff…!"
"Huff… huff…!"
A demon sprinted through the forest at full speed, leaving afterimages in its wake. Its grotesque face was twisted in terror as it repeatedly glanced behind.
About a hundred meters back, a boy leapt effortlessly from tree to tree. His long silver hair flowed freely, and a white haori fluttered behind him. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sheathed sword.
Suddenly, he dropped to the ground.
In one smooth motion, he unsheathed his blade and took a stance.
'Thunder Breathing: Fourth Form.'
Lightning crackled around his body, converging toward his legs and blade.
'Distant Thunder.'
A thunderous roar echoed.
The fleeing demon instinctively tilted its head.
A flash.
Half its neck was severed, blood erupting like a fountain.
"Achk—!"
"Tsk."
Jin clicked his tongue.
'Second Form.'
A spiralling wave of lightning burst from his blade and shot toward the demon.
The demon, its neck already regenerating, leapt into the air to evade. Its mouth split open, and dozens of sharp teeth shot out like bullets.
'Fifth Form: Heat Lightning.'
Jin vanished.
Only the sharp clang of metal rang through the air.
In the next moment, the demon realised—all its teeth had melted mid-flight.
A chill ran down its spine.
It turned—
Jin stood behind it, grinning.
Its instincts screamed at it to run.
In desperation, the demon tore a tree from the ground and hurled it forward.
Jin's smile widened as he shifted into a back stance.
"Let's finish this."
"ROAAAR!"
"Good."
'Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash.'
Time seemed to slow.
The tree came crashing down—
A streak of lightning split it apart.
In the same motion, Jin cleaved through the demon, slicing it cleanly into two halves.
"Hah…"
"This is the best."
"I missed this feeling."
*Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Well done, Cadet Jin."
A man stood atop a tree branch, wearing a yellowish haori and a white mask. Jin glanced at him, clearly unimpressed.
"What's my score this time?"
"Hm… let's see. Your footwork is good, your speed is average, and your technique execution is excellent."
"I'll give you… six out of ten."
Jin stared at him blankly.
"Why that look? You passed my test. You should be happy."
"I should be happy? Then tell me—why am I only being approved now when I completed my training two months ago?"
"That is not for you to decide."
"Now, return to headquarters. Follow me."
Jin grumbled but complied.
When they arrived at headquarters, something felt off.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Everyone looked grim.
Jin quickly spotted Commander Yuji, whose face was unusually pale. He approached him alongside his instructor.
"Commander… what happened?"
Yuji turned toward him.
"…The Water Pillar has fallen."
Both Jin and his instructor stiffened.
'What the hell is happening…?'
'Two Pillars in barely a year and a half…'
'First the Insect… and now the Water Pillar…'
The room grew heavy with silence.
Jin slowly lifted his gaze.
"Do we know which Demon Moon was responsible this time?"
Yuji clenched his fists and nodded.
"Yes. There was one survivor."
Everyone in the hall leaned forward slightly.
"Akihito-san was the most experienced among the Pillars. The moment he encountered the enemy… he understood he wouldn't survive."
Yuji's voice lowered.
"He ordered his squad to retreat… and faced the Upper Moon alone."
A brief pause followed before he continued.
"But the demons were already moving."
"An entire legion appeared from the forest the moment the battle began. They pursued the retreating squad."
Jin's brows furrowed.
Yuji continued grimly.
"The squad kept retreating through the mountains… but the demons kept gaining on them."
"The cadets understood what was happening."
His voice grew heavy.
"So they began staying behind."
The hall fell completely silent.
"One by one… they sacrificed themselves to buy time."
"Each of them turned back, drawing the demons away so the others could keep running."
Yuji's fists trembled slightly.
"The last survivor said the screams kept fading behind him as he ran."
"No one hesitated."
"They all understood that at least one of them had to make it back to the Corps… so we would know what we were facing."
A long silence settled over the room.
Jin felt his chest tighten.
"How many…?" someone whispered.
Yuji answered quietly.
"Eleven."
Another pause.
"Only one made it through the mountains alive."
Yuji lifted his head.
"And because of him… we know the truth."
Jin's eyes hardened.
"Which Demon Moon?"
Yuji spoke the words slowly.
"We are facing Upper Moon Five…"
"…Dōma."
A ripple of shock passed through the hall.
Yuji continued.
"The survivor said Akihito-san fought for nearly twenty minutes."
That alone stunned everyone.
"Long enough for his squad to escape."
Yuji looked down.
"But when the survivor looked back from the ridge…"
"He could see the battlefield frozen in ice."
A cold silence spread through the hall.
"And Akihito-san…"
Yuji's voice dropped to a whisper.
"…was still standing."
"But when they returned at dawn…"
"…only his broken sword remained."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unbearable.