Final Selection Ends

Most of the demons captured by the Demon Slayer Corps and placed on Fujikasane Mountain were relatively weak, perfect for training newcomers.

Demons like the Hand Demon, which had grown stronger by devouring large numbers of its own kind, were rare. Such accidents were difficult for the Demon Slayer Corps to foresee.

On the second day of the Final Selection, Makomo woke up, but her injured legs had temporarily left her unable to move.

While hunting demons on Fujikasane Mountain, Chu Yang had carried her on his back the entire time.

Yet even with someone on his back, his movements had not been affected in the slightest.

Only then did Makomo realize just how powerful Chu Yang was.

Fighting demons alone and fighting demons while carrying someone were entirely different matters.

It proved that Chu Yang’s strength was on a completely different level from the demons on this mountain and the young swordsmen participating in the selection.

When the seventh day arrived, Chu Yang carried Makomo down the mountain.

Upon reaching the torii gate halfway down, he discovered that far more people had returned than expected.

Most of the swordsmen who had participated in the selection had survived. They owed it all to Chu Yang, yet many of those survivors had also chosen to leave because of Chu Yang.

Nearly all the powerful demons had died by Chu Yang’s hand, so these seven days had been more like ordinary wilderness survival for them.

Many of them had personally witnessed Chu Yang brutally slaughtering demons.

When they saw that monstrous youth again, everyone’s expressions became extremely complicated.

Alarm, fear, awe, and gratitude.

No matter which emotion they felt more strongly, their gazes remained fixed on Chu Yang.

Chu Yang did not care how they viewed him. He could not even be bothered to spare them another glance as he headed straight toward the officials overseeing the selection.

The young swordsmen quickly made way for him, drawing the host’s attention as he gave Chu Yang a meaningful once-over.

Chu Yang set Makomo down from his back and said loudly, "Please send this girl to the Butterfly Mansion. Her feet are injured and need treatment."

As soon as he finished speaking, members of the Kakushi stepped forward, took Makomo from Chu Yang, and gave her emergency treatment.

"I heard that you nearly killed every demon on the mountain by yourself?" The host teased with a half-smile. "Thanks to you, many people passed this trial without receiving any training at all. The Demon Slayer Corps has suddenly gained a whole lot of useless fresh blood."

Chu Yang sneered. "Most of them will die anyway. But dying later is better than dying sooner. Rather than dying here during these seven days, they might as well survive a little longer, take a few demons down with them, and then die."

"Honestly, I don’t understand why you insist on sending these swordsmen with barely any combat experience here to die. Calling it a selection would be generous. It’s more like feeding the demons on this mountain."

"It’s a stupid and irresponsible method of selection."

The trainers could clearly have let these newcomers gain more experience fighting demons, yet they never did. Instead, they insisted on making novices who only knew Breathing Techniques attempt some kind of extreme survival test.

If they wanted to do that, they should at least wait until they had more real combat experience!

Chu Yang’s dangerous remarks changed the host’s expression. The Final Selection was a tradition passed down through generations of leaders, and his words were undoubtedly a direct attack on the Ubuyashiki Clan.

The host warned Chu Yang with a dark expression, "Didn’t your trainer teach you not to speak carelessly?"

"Every demon on Fujikasane Mountain was personally captured and placed there after we confirmed it was suitable for novices to fight. If they cannot even pass this test, it only means they lack the strength to become members of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Heh." The corners of Chu Yang’s mouth rose as he imitated the host’s earlier half-smile. "There was a demon in there that had eaten fifty of its own kind in succession, as well as more than a dozen swordsmen taking part in the selection. Take a guess at how strong it was."

The host froze. Yet judging from Chu Yang’s expression, he did not seem to be lying. If such a demon truly existed, it was at the very least an aberrant demon capable of using a Blood Demon Art.

Most of the swordsmen entering the selection really had been feeding that monster.

But then the host’s expression gradually firmed, and he said in a resounding voice, "Once you officially become members of the Demon Slayer Corps, situations like this will be countless. Most of the time, we fight demons stronger than ourselves."

"Ever since demons were born a thousand years ago, it has always been this way. We have no choice…"

Those words made Chu Yang see him in a new light. Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed true.

For a long time, every member of the Demon Slayer Corps had fought with that resolve.

Appreciation aside, Chu Yang still believed this method of Final Selection was foolish. There were clearly better ways to train people.

After a brief silence between the two, the host did not continue arguing with Chu Yang. Instead, he addressed the others. "Since the number of survivors this time has exceeded the previous average, we do not have enough ore or Kasugai Crows prepared. Therefore, your right to choose has been revoked."

An uproar rose from the crowd.

"You should all understand why you were able to pass the Final Selection…" The host’s cold gaze swept across the crowd, his imposing presence overwhelming everyone as the discussions gradually died down.

"Of course, not everyone will lose the right to choose." The host changed his tone, then looked at Chu Yang. "In view of your individual performance, your right to choose will be retained."

Chu Yang smiled and drove the enormous Horse-Cutting Blade from his back into the ground. The terrifying force made the earth tremble, and the crowd flinched along with it.

"Do you have ore this large?" Chu Yang pointed at the Horse-Cutting Blade and said without the slightest courtesy, "If not, I want this sword. Officially, it still belongs to the Demon Slayer Corps."

After the slaughter on Fujikasane Mountain, Chu Yang had become thoroughly familiar with the Horse-Cutting Blade’s weight and dimensions. He wielded it with increasing ease, and changing weapons abruptly would mean spending more time getting used to a new one.

Faced with Chu Yang’s outrageous demand, the host actually nodded and agreed without hesitation. Even Chu Yang found that surprising; he had already prepared himself for a war of words.

The host answered Chu Yang’s surprise in a single sentence. "This is preferential treatment for geniuses. The Demon Slayer Corps exists for only one purpose: to kill every demon. To achieve that goal, we will not begrudge resources."

As soon as he finished speaking, the host whistled. A black shadow glided down from the sky and landed on Chu Yang’s shoulder. It was a crow with cloudy gray eyes.

"This is your Kasugai Crow. It will be responsible for keeping you in contact with the Demon Slayer Corps and delivering information about demons."

Chu Yang gently stroked the Kasugai Crow on his shoulder. From now on, this little fellow would provide him with the locations of demons.

And so, the Final Selection came to an end amid an unprecedented and astonishing turn of events.