"He's so strong... what is his rank?"
Among the three who hadn't been able to join the fight, the female squad member stared at Asuka in disbelief, her eyes fixed on his calm, unruffled expression.
On the surface, Asuka still looked as serene as ever, as though nothing could stir him.
But in truth, his lungs felt like they were about to explode.
Countless blood arrows released by Beninuma's Blood Demon Art had pierced straight through his body. Every breath tore at his injured lungs, and that was before factoring in the brutal strain of Total Concentration Breathing.
His emerald-green kendo uniform had long since been dyed crimson. An ordinary person would have collapsed from such wounds, or even died on the spot.
But Asuka's vitality had always been exceptional. Forcing himself to cast aside all stray thoughts, he submerged his entire focus into the rhythm of his breathing, using air pressure to compress and seal the ruptured blood vessels within his body. By some miracle, he managed to slow the bleeding.
Even so, this was nothing more than a temporary, makeshift solution. It did nothing to stop his complexion from growing steadily worse.
"Hey! You... are you alright?!"
The short-haired squad member, Rintaro, was the first to react. He rushed to Asuka's side, staring anxiously at the dark red blood slowly running down Asuka's sleeve toward his Nichirin Blade, his brows tightly furrowed.
"You can't go on like this! You need treatment immediately!"
"..."
Asuka said nothing. He merely swallowed hard, forcing down the metallic taste surging up his throat.
Adjusting his breathing once more, he braced his tearing right leg and prepared to leave.
He still had to go to Mount Fujikasane.
He still had to participate in the Final Selection his teacher had spoken of.
"Wait!"
The young man who used Water Breathing dashed forward in a single step, blocking Asuka's path.
"Your injuries are far too serious! Where are you going? You can't keep moving like this!"
Asuka lifted his gaze to meet the man's, his eyes as cold and distant as ever.
"Step aside."
He forced what he believed to be a gentle tone, trying to squeeze past him.
"Are you heading to Mount Fujikasane?"
The female squad member looked at Asuka's kendo uniform, then at the direction he was trying to go, and asked softly,
"You can't. In your condition, going to Mount Fujikasane is no different from throwing your life away."
Rintaro no longer cared about any prior awkwardness and hurriedly added,
"Yeah! You... you're definitely strong, I admit it! But going to the selection while seriously injured like this—you won't last three days!"
"I really didn't expect you to still be an unselected trainee... I thought you were at least a Tsuchinoe-ranked leader..."
At that moment, the leading young man spoke up kindly.
"My name is Shinsuke. As you can see, I'm a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. This is Akemi, and that guy over there is Rintaro!"
"You, the boy who uses Wind Breathing—you're very strong. Beninuma was a powerful demon who had eaten at least fifty people. She was cunning, fast, and her Blood Demon Art was extremely troublesome. We hunted her together for a long time and still couldn't bring her down..."
Just a powerful demon, not one of the Twelve Kizuki?
A flicker of surprise passed through Asuka's eyes, and his assessment of the danger posed by the so-called Kizuki rose yet another level.
But whether it was a powerful demon or one of the Twelve Kizuki... they were nothing more than stepping stones on the path to power.
His goal had never changed—revenge.
"So, your survival is important to the Demon Slayer Corps. It's important to our master as well!"
Shinsuke's tone was earnest and solemn.
"Power like yours shouldn't be wasted, and it certainly shouldn't die in the selection while injured. Our master needs swordsmen as strong as you!"
Master?
Asuka was unfamiliar with that title. It sounded like the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
He remained silent, but the resistance in his heart had already eased.
'They're Demon Slayer Corps members... that means they're on the same side as Teacher Arasaki. Can they be trusted?'
'And what he says makes sense. Forcing myself onward like this... I really might die.'
Seeing Asuka's silence and the barely concealed dizziness trembling through his body, Shinsuke knew his persuasion had worked.
"Not far ahead, there's a place where we can get help—a treatment point. Let me take you there."
As he spoke, Shinsuke reached out to grab Asuka's arm.
But Asuka reacted instinctively, violently shaking his hand off.
Cough—cough!
Unable to hold it back any longer, a mouthful of dark, congealed blood burst out as Asuka coughed violently. His vision swam, black spots dancing before his eyes as he nearly lost his footing.
The expressions of the three squad members changed drastically.
"Quick! Hold him!"
"...No need!"
Supporting himself, Asuka forcefully refused Akemi's and Rintaro's help. Leaning on his Asauchi, he straightened up once more.
"...Lead the way."
The so-called treatment point was a quiet little courtyard hidden away from the main road, close to the forested mountains.
The walls were covered in blooming wisteria flowers. Their rich fragrance, which demons despised, permeated the air and carried a strange, soothing quality.
The courtyard was small, consisting of just two tatami rooms and a simple medicine room.
A kind-faced, middle-aged woman whom the squad members called Aunt Matsumoto was in charge of the place.
Wisteria patterns were painted on the walls, marking this household as one that had once received help from the Demon Slayer Corps. In return, they offered whatever assistance they could to Corps members free of charge.
When Aunt Matsumoto saw the three squad members arrive with Asuka—covered in blood and limping badly—she was startled and hurried them into a clean tatami room.
"Oh my, this child is badly hurt!"
With a single glance, Aunt Matsumoto recognized the severity of Asuka's injuries.
Seeing the unnatural rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, his suppressed coughing, and the kendo uniform soaked through with filthy blood, her expression grew even more serious.
"Quickly, unfasten his clothes. Be careful not to touch the wounds."
"Young man, go fetch a basin of clean warm water! Akemi, go to the medicine room and bring my sewing kit and wound medicine! Shinsuke, hold his shoulders down—cleaning the wounds will hurt, so try to keep him from moving."
Shinsuke nodded and carefully approached Asuka, softening his voice as much as possible.
"Hang in there, kid. Aunt Matsumoto is very skilled at treating external injuries. It'll be over soon. You have to cooperate, or infection will be a real problem."
Before Shinsuke could act, Asuka frowned deeply and undid his clothes himself, revealing a lean, muscular torso covered in old and new scars. Fresh blood poured from the puncture wounds, making Aunt Matsumoto's brow twitch.
The horrific hole in his chest was shocking to behold. Torn flesh curled outward, and with each breath, the damaged lung tissue inside could be seen faintly rising and falling. The penetrating wound on the outside of his right thigh was deep enough to expose bone. Though the bleeding was barely suppressed by his breathing technique, blood still seeped out slowly. Several more deep gashes crossed his back and shoulders, varying in depth and chilling to look at.
"...No need to hold me down. Just do it."
"This child..."
Though she didn't know Asuka's story, Aunt Matsumoto could sense his resistance. She could only sigh and shake her head at Shinsuke.
She set clean warm water, cloths, needles, thread, cooling medicinal ointment, and several internal medicine pills on the low table in front of Asuka, speaking gravely.
"Child, it's going to hurt from here on out. But the wounds inside your body must be treated and stitched, or they'll worsen. Do you understand?"
"Thank you..."
Aunt Matsumoto paused, then gestured for the squad members to leave. The three quietly exited the room and gently closed the door.
Only Aunt Matsumoto and Asuka remained inside the tatami room. From time to time, muffled groans of pain and sharp intakes of breath could be heard from within.
Several hours later, Aunt Matsumoto finally slid the door open, sweat covering her brow as she let out a long breath.
"What a strong child... it's alright now..."
"Akemi, go make some hot soup and rice. Everyone must be exhausted..."
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