Chapter Four: Final Selection.
After six months of training with Mokomo and Sabito. Sabito had challenged Nezuko to a rematch. The two opponents faced each other and...Nezuko had struck first!...she had finally beaten Sabito!. The boy's mask was cut in half and fell off reveling his face. Sabito had grayish blue eyes and had a scar on his cheek identical to the one on his mask.
Sabito and Mokomo were relieved by Nezuko's victory and commended her triumph and her success before finding away. Nezuko saw that her slash did not only slice Sabito's mask she had also sliced the boulder as well...she did it!...she finally did it! she is ready for final selection, ' I...i did it i finally cut the bolder!' Nezuko said as she started to celebrate ' I'm so proud of you Nezuko! ' Tanjiro beamed he was fulled with pride and joy this was a great achievement for Nezuko.
Tanjiro then cut his rock wich was the biggest one of them all...to be honest Tanjiro could have easily cut his rock but he wanted to help his sister and now that she had finally succeeded Tanjiro could finally cut his rock and the two can go to final selection together. Nezuko was still shocked by her accomplishment when she and Tanjiro were met by their mentor Urokodaki. The old sensi confessed that he did not intend to send the Tsugikuni siblings to final selection. He didn't want to see more children die and he was certain that these two boulders were impossible to cut but he was taken aback and commended the siblings calling them "Remarkable kids' Sakonji then pulled the siblings into a hug and asked Tanjiro and Nezuko to come back alive from final selection, the tree then returned to Sakonji's hut where they enjoyed a nice hot pot that Sakonji had prepared for them. Urokodaki's cooking was delightful. Sakonji explained that just like humans, demons also had to eat in order to gain strength and that a demons power is proportional to the number of their devoured victims, end that the most powerful demons can cast strang spells called blood demon art he also remarked how odd it is that Nezuko can use blood demon art, he also explained that Tanjiro and Nezuko would be able to determine how many victims a demon has claimed as their senses grow and reach their peak, afterwards Sakonji gave Tanjiro and Nezuko fox masks with a charm to protect them from harm, he gave Tanjiro a black fox mask with a sun on the top on the right side of his forehead where his first mark is and a crescent moon on the bottm on the left side of his cheek where his second mark started while Nezuko was given a white fox mask with vines on it,the next morning Tanjiro and Nezuko said farewell to their trainer before heading to final selection and Nezuko asked Sakonji to say hello to Sabito and Mokomo for her...this shocked the old man how did Nezuko know 'The names of those dead children?!'.
Tanjiro and Nezuko had arrived at MT.Fujikasane where the final selection will take place. MT.Fujikasane was a beautiful location. Wisteria trees grew everywhere and bloomd year round. The Tsugikuni siblings took the time to admire the beauty of the wisteria trees. At night time Tanjiro and Nezuko along with the other candidates were instructed to ascend the stairs leading to the mountaintop shrine. Tanjiro and Nezuko were amazed by the number of people gathered there were twenty other candidates,all the candidates who were waiting for the exam to commenc were soon greeted by Kiriya and Kanata Ubuyashiki, who were members of the Ubuyashiki family. The Ubuyashiki twins explained the rules of the exam. The candidates had to survive seven consecutive nights in a demon infested forest in order to be granted the opportunity to join the esteemed ranks of the demon slayer corp as official demon slayers.
The exam had begun. All the candidates had entered the demon infested forest on the mountaintop. These demon were captured alive by the demon slayers and prisond in the wisteria forest.
Two demons were fighting over who got to eat Tanjiro. But the demons were no match for Tanjiro he killed them with the third form of MoonBreathing (Loathsome moon chains) Tanjiro unleashrd two large crescent slashes on the two demons before doing multiple small slashes. Before he killed the two demons Tanjiro asked if they knew where his father was but sadly they didn't know anything. Tanjiro tried to ask other demons but they all tried to devour him forcing Tanjiro to kill them, meanwhile Nezuko just saved someone who was about to get eaten by a demon. Nezuko cryed tears of joy her hard work wasn't all for nothing...together Tanjiro and Nezuko were determined to clear the mountain, they saved alot of the weaker prospective slayers...Tanjiro and Nezuko had decided to split up and meet back at the base of the mountain. While she was alone Nezuko had encountered a demon monstrosity that was about to devour someone, he was a humongous demon that looked like an obese fat man with soo many arms and hands and puke green skin..he was hideoue!...Nezuko was able to save the boy before the demon killed him and the kid ran for his dear life leaving Nezuko to face the demon alone...the demon was able to identify Nezuko as a disciple of Sakonji Urokodaki by her fox mask...the demon recognized Sakonji's hand work very well. The demon asked Nezuko what year of the meiji era they were in. She said that they were now in the taisho era. The demon had a mental breakdown he had been prisond in the wisteria forest since the meiji era and now they have entered a new period...he has been locked up in this prison for forty seven years!!!..in his anger the demon started to harm and mutilate himself by scratching his body until he bled. He started shouting how unforgivable this is and he started to curse Urokodaki...the demon then cruelly taunted Nezuko about the deaths of Sabito and Mokomo as well as the deaths of fifty participants of final selection and thirteen of Urokodaki's disciples and he pland to devour Nezuko next...the hand demon had a deep grudge against Sakonji Urokodaki for prisoning him in the wisteria forest forty years ago so as revenge the hand demon specifically targeted Urokodaki's students...Nezuko was so outraged...Sabito and Mokomo could feel her anger from faraway, as he was sitting on the cut rock Sabito urged Nezuko to calm down and focus on the fight.
The demon had tried to crush Nezuko with his many hands but the young aspiring demon slayer was able to dodge and counter his attacks...hands were coming from the earth under her but Nezuko jumped to avoid the attack and finally decapitated the demon using the first form of WaterBreathing (Water Surface Slash)...the demon was shocked! he never thought that she would be strong enough to cut his thick and well protected neck, he planned to kill her when she failed to cut his neck and crush her head just like how he killed Sabito. He was distraught he was dying and and his body was falling apart and there was nothing he could do to stop it...his life was flashing before his eyes...Nezuko saw the tears that were running down the demon's face...these weren't the fake tears of a monster that was trying to trick her those were the tears of a victim...of an innocent child that was forced to into this circumstance...he didn't ask for any of this...Nezuko held the demon's hand as he was dying to show her sympathy...she prayed for him...prayed that he won't suffer like this ever again. After his death the hand demon had returned to his true form wich was that of little human boy and he was finally reunited with his older brother whom he wanted to see again. Once the demon's body had faded away Nezuko saw the spiris of Sakonji's past students including Sabito and Mokomo. With the hand demon finally killed the souls can finally reast in the afterlife. Nezuko said farewell to the childrens spirit's saying that they can now go back to Urokodaki because that is where she would have liked to go had she failed the girl then went back to the mountain shrine, meanwhile Tanjiro was finishing clearing the mountain. For several days Tanjiro had been asking the demons in the wisteria forest if they knew where his father was but they all refused to talk with him and tried to devour him forcing Tanjiro to kill them. Tanjiro had saved a lot of his fellow participants including a blond boy who was screaming unbelievably loud...seriously how was it even possible for a human to scream this loud?! Tanjiro honestly wondered why was this screaming cowered even here and didn't this boy have any pride as a sowrdsman?!...the blonde boy was huging Tanjiro's legs crying. He thanked Tanjiro for saving him when Tanjiro told him not to thank him and that it was his duty to protect others. As Tanjiro was about to leave and go meet up with Nezuko the blond teenager cryed even louder begging for Tanjiro to stay with him and protect him but Tanjiro couldn't stay he had to meet up with Nezuko so he kindly and politely told the blonde boy that he had to go and that he was meeting up with someone and said that he hoped to see him again and go on a mission with him...but that didn't work so Tanjiro had to be more assertive so Tanjiro told him that he didn't have time for this and simply kicked the boy off his legs and left. Tanjiro smelled the fragrant scent of wisteria trees. He was finally back at the shrine of the mountain along with his dear sister Nezuko and the other survivors of final selection.
Many of the weaker participants had managed to survive thanks to Tanjiro and Nezuko. The Ubuyashiki twins had returned to congratulate them on their success but one boy rejected their applause and demanded to know what becomes of their situation and dmanding his sword. The twins explained that first they will be given their uniforms and shall start at the rank of (Mizunoto) the lowest of the ten ranks of the demon slayer corps. The new demon slayers were then asked to choose an ore for their swords. The twins said that their Nichirin swords will arrive after fifteen days, then at the signal of the twins birds descended to meet the survivors. The now official demon slayers were given (Kasugai crows) for communication and to assign them new missons. The blond boy noticed that he wasn't given a crow but a sparrow instead. Enraged the boy the same one who asked about their situation grabbed the girl with white hair. He held her by her hair and demanded a Nichirin sword. Tanjiro Intervened he grabbed the arm of the boy who was dressed in purple and had a mohawk and he began to squeeze his arm threatening to break it if he didn't release his hold. The boy dared Tanjiro to try so Tanjiro Strengthened his grip. The boy started to freakout! what kind of freakish strength did this kid have!!!! the boy didn't want to lose his arm so he surrendered and let the girl go everyone all twenty of them where shocked by that scene especially the blond boy.
After the minor scuffle the new demon slayers were presented with various ores for their swords to be made of. They were all confused and didn't know what to look for in choosing an ore. Tanjiro did not choose any ore because he was going to use his father's Nichirin katana, while Nezuko made the first choice, she trusted her intuition and she ended choosing the purest Nichirin ore.
Meanwhile a man at an unknown location was informed by a Kasugai crow that almost twenty have survived final selection, the man was delighted at the news and pondered what kind of demon slayer thy will become.
Author's Note: when i watched this episode for the first time, i admit that i cryed when we found out the hand demon's back story. he was just kid..he didn't deserve to suffer like he did. anyway thanks for reading and i hope to see you again soon.
