After passing through the wisteria forest, Lu Li and Zenitsu officially entered the selection grounds. From this point on, encountering a demon at any moment would be completely unsurprising.
The young men and women walking ahead of them wore a variety of expressions, but most were filled with trepidation and terror. For many, this was the first time facing a real demon, and they had no idea if they would survive to see the end of the trial.
There were about forty participants this time. Given the original story's outcome—where only the core protagonist group emerged successful—it was clear that this "Final Selection" was a wall far too high for most to climb.
Statistically, the passing rate was likely less than ten percent. It was a brutal cull.
To be honest, Lu Li found the setup of this Final Selection quite baffling. The Demon Slayer Corps was already short-staffed; if only those at the level of Tanjiro or Zenitsu could pass, the bar was set pointlessly high.
Moreover, the trial lacked any safety measures. If you couldn't beat a demon, you were simply eaten. If the goal was to "screen for talent," Lu Li felt the logic was weak, especially since being a Demon Slayer didn't exactly come with a high salary or benefits.
People set out on this path because demons had shattered their happiness; they sought revenge, yet they had to survive a near-suicidal gauntlet just to join the cause. To Lu Li, this was a massive organizational failure.
Especially considering that the demons in the selection area were captured and placed there by the Hashira. This was a direct waste of a Hashira's time and combat power—essentially a meaningless drain on allied resources.
Were the members who failed the selection and got eaten truly devoid of value?
Hardly. Even those who couldn't fight front-line battles could contribute to the Kakushi (logistics/cleanup crew). Instead, they were sent into a slaughterhouse where they provided zero value before dying.
Lu Li saw many flaws in how the Corps acquired new blood. Didn't the Cultivators who sent these trainees have any idea of their students' actual skill levels?
And then there was the "Hand Demon" in Mt. Fujikasane—a creature that clearly exceeded the standard difficulty. Did the Corps not know it existed, or did they simply not care?
If the Corps were massive and overstaffed, he could understand using such a trial to find rare geniuses. But they only had a few hundred members... they were desperately understaffed.
In fact, the only reason the Corps had its current numbers was thanks to the year Sabito and Giyu participated, where Sabito essentially "carried" the entire class, allowing dozens to pass who otherwise would have perished.
Looking at that as a reference, Lu Li suspected that whenever a "monster" appeared among the participants, a large number of weak slayers were essentially "escorted" through. This explained why there were so many weak senior members in the Corps who were far less capable than Tanjiro's group.
In short, he believed the current system was deeply flawed. This kind of selection shouldn't happen again—and he had no intention of letting it proceed as usual.
"Zenitsu, adjust your breathing. This demon is weak. Kill it, and I'll handle the rest of the selection."
Lu Li urged Zenitsu forward. Not long after entering, they encountered their first demon. Perhaps sensing something dangerous about Lu Li, the demon didn't lunge immediately; it stood off against Zenitsu with wary eyes.
"I... I..."
Zenitsu faltered, but the thought of Senior Brother Lu backing him up calmed his heart slightly.
Steeling his nerves, he locked onto the demon. Thunder Breathing circulated through his lungs. He dropped his center of gravity, hand gripping the hilt.
In the next instant, surrounded by arcs of golden lightning, Zenitsu lunged forward like a bolt of light.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!
By the time Zenitsu's form solidified, he had already passed the demon. A second later, the demon's head slid from its shoulders, eyes wide with shock. "I was actually... decapitated by a kid like this?"
With that final confusion, its body and head crumbled into ash.
"Good. Be more decisive next time. Don't let your hand shake. Believe in your own strength," Lu Li encouraged Zenitsu, who was still trembling after his first kill.
"Senior Brother Lu, I did it! I actually did it!"
Once the initial fear subsided, Zenitsu's voice turned ecstatic. He hadn't failed the expectations of his brother and Gramps; he had truly slain a demon.
Even if it was just a weakling in the selection grounds, he now had the right to call himself a Demon Slayer. It meant Gramps' effort in training him wasn't for nothing!
"Mmm. I'll fulfill my promise. I'll ensure you pass this selection safely."
Lu Li smiled and began walking toward the deeper parts of the mountain—the area where the demons were most densely gathered.
Zenitsu followed, puzzled. "Senior Brother Lu, wouldn't it be safer to stay on the outskirts?"
Lu Li rested his hand on the hilt of Qiu Mo and grinned. "The best way to protect you, of course, is to... kill every single demon on this mountain."
"What kind of luck is this?!"
Little Camellia cursed as she sprinted through the woods. She had expected the Final Selection to be easy, but she had run straight into the most terrifying demon in the area almost immediately.
Behind her, a bloated, massive creature covered in a grotesque tangle of hands followed with a sadistic laugh. It harassed her with a voice that sounded like a lecherous old freak.
She was just an average Tier 1 Explorer. She hadn't even mastered the Breathing Style she just acquired, making her feel completely helpless against an "over-leveled" boss like the Hand Demon.
She felt she could fight if she put her life on the line, but this was just a selection. Why risk her life against a demon with high-speed regeneration?
Her plan was to flee toward the protagonist, Tanjiro, and let him finish the job. She just wanted the selection to end so she could complete the first phase of the Main Mission and find a hole to hide in while studying Flower Breathing.
"Where the hell is Tanjiro..."
Despite her enhanced attributes, the long chase was beginning to drain her. She was having a streak of terrible luck; she couldn't find the protagonist anywhere.
She had thought about seeking help from other Explorers, but they were hard to find, and she couldn't be sure they wouldn't just use her as bait. Only a "caring angel" like Tanjiro was a guaranteed help.
CRASH—!
She dodged a strike, and the Hand Demon slammed into a massive tree. Camellia's heart sank; she had twisted her ankle in the maneuver.
Just as she steeled herself to turn back and fight to the death, the sound of the Hand Demon's laughter abruptly stopped.
THUD.
A massive, bloated head hit the dirt and rolled a few times, stopping right in front of Little Camellia. She blinked, stunned.
She looked up instinctively. A man in a pitch-black haori stood on a thick branch above. A few drops of blood slid off his dark blade.
"Forgot to negotiate a trade..."
The man muttered to himself, looking like a businessman who had just lost a profit. Before Camellia could even say a word, he vanished, leaving nothing but falling leaves behind.
Lu Li was currently in a state of high spirits. He had discovered that killing demons also granted Growth Progression to Qiu Mo. Even weak demons provided a small boost, and following the principle that "every little bit counts," the demons on this mountain had officially become his "private property."
Thus, the other trainees on the mountain had a very strange experience. One moment they were paralyzed with fear, facing a looming demon; the next, the demon's head was flying into the air.
The only thing that passed them by was a gust of black wind.
Less than half an hour after the Final Selection began, every single demon on Mt. Fujikasane had met their end under the blade of Qiu Mo.
The two other Explorers, who had been cautiously moving through the forest, looked at the black-clad figure walking leisurely toward the exit. They made eye contact, both seeing the same realization in each other's eyes.
Holy shit. We're being carried by a legend!
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