The sweet scent of wisteria had an instantly calming effect on those who entered the clearing, the warm purple glow offering a sense of protection and serenity. Takeshi and Aoi had finally made their way to the altar, each looking around curiously for any other survivors. To the slight surprise of both, there were only two other people present in the clearing, the selection had claimed the lives of nearly 20 young swordsmen. Takeshi shuddered, thinking back to the scenes of carnage once again, he couldn't stop himself from gritting his teeth tightly, his hatred for demons burned brighter than ever.

Aoi and Takeshi limped their way closer to the altar, the two others looking back as they approached. Muichiro looked at each of them for a moment, his face in its usual expressionless form, his clothes and hair seemingly in perfect condition, he looked as though he hadn't even been challenged. The other survivor, on the contrary, looked as though he might faint any moment, swaying from side to side violently. His left hand was completely missing, bandaged poorly in scraps of his white kimono, he appeared to be shaking, the selection had taken its toll on him.

Takeshi wanted to say something, but before he could, the two figures had emerged on the stage once again, their black and white hair gently flowing in the breeze.

"Good morning, and congratulations to those standing before us," they said in that offputting harmony he remembered.

"You were faced with an enormous challenge and you have prevailed, it is our honor on Master Ubuyashiki's behalf to declare you all members of the Demon Slayer Corps."

Takeshi saw Aoi look at the ground, the two other slayers looking past the two speakers to the tables that had been organized behind the platform. He couldn't help but become curious himself, craning his neck to see what they were looking at. The sound of rustling feathers filled the air, and Takeshi was startled by a large crow that had suddenly landed on his shoulder, its black eyes staring right at him intimidatingly. Aoi and the other boy seemed just as surprised, moving their faces slightly further away from the birds, unsure of what they wanted. Muichiro, on the other hand simply extended an arm and allowed the crow to land gracefully, pulling the bird closer once it had landed.

"With you now, is your Kasugai crow," the two figures said, Takeshi wasn't sure they had blinked once this entire time.

"These birds are very special, and will be your primary mode of communication from the master, they will inform you of your missions and assignments, as well as offer guidance whenever you need it."

Takeshi looked back at his crow, it simply stared at him, not moving a muscle. He gulped, scared it might try to peck him, he didn't even want to move his arm down for fear of disturbing it. Takeshi flinched as the crow took flight again, now landing right on top of his head, still looking down at him from above. Takeshi had no idea what to think, he considered asking if this was normal, especially after seeing the normal behavior of the other crows. He decided to stay quiet and allow the bird to have its strange perch.

"One by one you will approach the stage and receive your rankings, you will all start at the bottom as Mizunoto," the two figures started once again, Takeshi trying his best to listen as the bird continued to adjust on his head.

"To progress, you must complete your assignments and slay demons, you are encouraged to climb as high as possible. After receiving your rank, you must pick a piece of nichirin ore to forge your swords, it is important to choose wisely because this sword will be your main method of self-defense," Takeshi hoped the ore wasn't hard to get because he saw many broken swords in his future.

Muichiro was the first to move, he quickly approached the stage where the girl with white hair touched his arm for a moment. He then descended and quickly chose a rock from a table behind them, handing it to another person in uniform. Takeshi decided to follow suit, cautiously holding his arm out like he had seen Muichiro do. The girl with white hair grabbed his arm for a moment, and when she released he took notice of a pale marking on his arm. The tattoo read Mizunoto, he wasn't sure what he expected but nonetheless, he continued on.

"Takeshi Yoshiaki," the girl said as he stepped away. Takeshi was startled to hear his name, turning back slowly.

"I was told to encourage you to speak to your crow about your abnormal sword ability, you must make your swordsmith aware. Your blade must hold up under pressure," she said dryly, still staring straight ahead.

Takeshi was shocked, how could anyone have known about his Infinity Art? Was the master watching the events of final selection? After a long pause, he nodded quickly.

"Yes, I will be sure to, thank you," he said quickly, bowing slightly and then turning to descend from the platform. He approached the table of ore, deciding to dwell on the strange conversation later when he was a little less exhausted. He was greeted by a pile of coarse pieces of rock, each shining slightly when the sunlight hit them. He had no idea what to do, he didn't understand how one ore could be any more potent than another in this state. With that in mind, he grabbed the closest ore, feeling a sharp pain on his scalp as he did so.

"Nope," the crow said from his head, simply looking back down at the table after pecking him.

"Hey?! I don't know what I'm doing here… You're supposed to help me!" Takeshi said, surprised and slightly aggravated.

He dropped the ore and picked up another, the same pain came from his scalp.

"No," the bird said bluntly, adjusting its feet on his head once again. This strange cycle continued for at least 5 minutes, Takeshi was scared to even pick up the ore as each time he did the bird immediately pecked him. Many clumps of hair and sharp cries of pain later, and Takeshi had finally found an ore that the bird agreed with, Aoi and the other boy watched in terror and intrigue as the bird jumped down to Takeshi's shoulder, its face much too close to his.

"Oh, er… I guess I need to tell you what to tell the swordsmith?" Takeshi guessed, the crow not saying anything.

"Ok. I… I tend to make my sword's temperature rise too high, they just break after a while. I need a sword that can hold its integrity under extreme heat, blue flames to be somewhat exact. Can you… do that?" Takeshi braced for impact, expecting another peck. Instead, the crow jumped down, reaching into his pocket and grabbing the tsuba that Kazuo had made for him before taking off in flight.

"Hey! That's important! It's special!" Takeshi yelled after the bird, but it was already high in the air, carrying the tsuba in its beak. For all I know it will drop that in the river and never even step near a swordsmith, Takeshi thought. He finally handed the chosen ore to the uniformed corps member, who also seemed to be in shock at what had just taken place. He bowed and then started to turn away but was stopped by the corps member.

"Yoshiaki, you, Kanzaki, and Yuji are to accompany me to a medical center," the woman said, her eyes looking serious through the cloth headdress she wore.

"Very well, I guess that makes sense," Takeshi responded, standing off to the side and glancing at Aoi who met his gaze and nodded. The other boy, whose surname must be Yuji, simply stood still with his eyes closed, he must be in immeasurable amounts of pain. After Aoi and Yuji had picked their ores, they watched as the corps woman packaged them neatly in wrapping and placed them carefully in a sack. She placed the heavy sack on her back, instructing them to follow her. They obliged, all struggling to keep pace with her as they started to feel the adrenaline and excitement begin to fade, leaving only exhaustion. Takeshi did not speak for the duration of the journey, as a matter of fact, the only person who did was the corpswoman. She berated them with the full history of the Demon Slayer Corps, telling them statistics down to three decimal places and even attempting to give verbal training. Takeshi tuned it all out, just trying to survive the short journey and hoping there would be water and a mattress waiting for him.

After about 20 minutes of walking, Yuji passed out, landing with a thud on the ground and stopping the woman in the middle of one of her rants. After a few crows were exchanged, two more uniformed members showed up with a stretcher, they now carried Yuji's motionless body for the duration of the journey, Aoi and Takeshi just exchanged a look or two, they had both expected it given his state.

In another two hours of journey, the group found themselves at the gate of a large estate, a crest adorning the large door, showing a name adorned with a wisteria blossom. After a few hard knocks on the door, three women stepped out and bowed deeply to the group. In a flash, they had gathered up all of their bags and belongings, ushering them inside as they took care of all the details. Yuji was quickly taken up some stairs to where Takeshi assumed he would be able to rest and be tended to, he and Aoi needed some care themselves.

After changing into fresh clothes and bathing in a warm tub, Takeshi joined the three women, corps members, and Aoi in the main room where a large spread of food waited for him. Aoi's face was much brighter, she looked much more comfortable and rested already. He was relieved.

He learned that the women all lived together, keeping their estate open to members of the demon slayer corps and offering care and lodging to them free of charge. Kawamoto, the oldest of the three, explained that she, Sano, and Mori had all come from villages ravaged by demons, losing their families, friends, and communities to the evil force. They had made it their duty to give back to those who fought against demons, having met at a women's shelter in Kyoto and instantly bonding over their losses. Takeshi was grateful for their presence and warm welcome, he began to think about how his mother would treat him whenever he was sick or injured. He had missed the caring and healing presence of women, he missed his mother dearly.

After the meal, Aoi and Takeshi were ushered upstairs, where they found Yuji tucked in tight, sound asleep, and with fresh bandages over his wounds.

"He really took a beating," Sano said, her youthful face turning into a frown as she looked at the wounded young man.

"It's a wonder he was on his feet as long as he was, he should've been knocked out long ago, you swordsmen and women are so resilient," she tossed her fiery red hair and placed a hand on both Aoi and Takeshi's shoulders. Mori took Takeshi to a separate room and began to look over his wounds, gently cleaning them with a strange-smelling cloth and applying a plethora of ointments and creams to the aggravated cuts and gashes.

"When I first saw you, I was overwhelmed by your smile. I would have never guessed you were injured this badly," she said concernedly, beginning to bandage around his torso.

"You probably should've been tended to at the same time as Yuji, these wounds are getting infected, demons are not clean creatures you know."

Takeshi smiled even brighter, looking up at her kind green eyes, their color accentuated in the dim candlelight.

"I guess I can't help it, I've never been able to. I was just overcome with relief and joy after seeing your faces," Takeshi explained, exhaling sharply as the bandage covered a deep cut above his navel.

"I could tell you all had kind souls, your eyes were all so soft and warm. I couldn't help but reflect what I felt, it's as simple as that. I can't thank you, Sano, and Kawamoto enough for your help, I think it's so valiant of all of you to continue to press on despite all you lost. I know how you all feel, it's very very difficult, I struggle to this day."

Mori's eyes began to water, she tried to hide it with the sleeve of her light blue kimono, stopping what she was doing to look at Takeshi.

"It's people like you who make it worth it, Takeshi," she said, not even trying to hide her tears.

"You don't even really know us, but yet you've validated all of our goals and efforts. Thank you for your gratitude and respect, you don't know how much I needed it. I'll gladly come to the aid of warriors like you for the rest of my days, you have a kind soul, my boy. You and your brave, passionate fighting spirit represent all of us who have lost something, those of us who fight in other ways than with a sword in battle. Never let anyone snuff that out, OK? Physical wounds we can heal, but too many cuts to the soul and I'm afraid nothing can bring you back, take care from now on," Mori began bandaging again, glancing past Takeshi to a portrait of a smiling group of people standing in front of what looked to be an older version of this very estate. She wiped another tear as she gazed into the eyes of her late family, feeling more confident than ever that she was taking the right steps in honoring their memory.

She tucked Takeshi into a bed next to Yuji, whom both Aoi and himself had been fast asleep for a long while now. Takeshi watched as she glided through the room, blowing out the lantern nearest the entryway, before slipping into the darkness past the threshold. Takeshi felt content for the first time in a long time, wanting to be nowhere else but right where he lay. He would worry about his path tomorrow, for now, he needed rest and to unwind. He nestled down into the blankets and dozed off in what had to have been record time, the soft smile never leaving his face.