"The Final Selection of the Demon Slayer Corps begins—thank you all for coming out tonight…"
It began when Roy stepped into Fujikasane.
It ended ten minutes later when he stepped back out.
The flame-wreathed short blade became a nightmare. With En spread, Roy marked every demon on the mountain and cut through the forest like a scythe through grass.
[Life Energy +2 +3 +1 +2 +3 …]
The chime in his mind did not stop. The examinees who followed him in never even drew their blades; they only stared as he walked deeper, striking down demons like chopping vegetables—until a "big one" shambled out.
The earth rumbled. A hulking demon wrapped in dozens of arms loomed into view. Its gaze snapped to Roy—and to the fox-mask Sakonji Urokodaki had given him long ago.
"Hee-hee-hee… here you are again, my little fox! What year of Meiji is it—"
"—The year you die." Shing—
A flaming arc flashed. Before the Hand Demon finished speaking, the head those arms had guarded so carefully flew free. Sickly green eyes rolled; he never quite grasped what had happened. In the blur of his final loop of memories:
"Why… why is this? I'm scared, Nii-san… Nii-san, why did I bite you to death…"
Every demon carries its own tragedy.
Plop. The head hit earth and glared up at Roy. A heartbeat later the vast body wreathed away in smoke. On Mt. Sagiri, as Sakonji ate with Sabito and Makomo and the others, they all paused—then looked out toward Fujikasane through the paper window…
Roy sheathed his blade and stood quietly. The panel chimed again.
[Life Energy +20]
[Bestiary entry added]
[Demon: D– grade]
[Constitution: 87 (avg. human = 1)]
[Blood Demon Art: "Arm Regeneration" — extracted]
His ribs tingled—like wings might burst forth. He tamped down the urge to sprout "four arms," turned, and left.
"A—ah…" As if rehearsed, the examinees on the steps drew back in two neat rows and left him a path.
He walked unhurriedly, not fast to the eye—yet each step left an afterimage, and then he was gone.
He reappeared before Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
"It's done."
"…It's done."
"Amane."
The scroll of demon intel came forward again.
This time, Roy did not refuse. He took it, summoned Conjuration, and "built" the scroll's image in his mind—
Points of light rose—fireflies drifting under wisteria—then the scroll dissolved into specks and vanished…
…and reappeared, conjured into the Hunter world, under the eyes of Kagaya, Amane, and the Stone Hashira.
'Giyū, you did not mention your kouhai had that trick.'
Giyū: "…"
The Stone Hashira murmured a sutra, mala beads ticking faster, then slower. Even his sorrowing heart cracked a fraction, and he cooled it again.
Thus I have heard: all passions are suffering. Neither born nor destroyed, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. When knowledge breaks, accept reality.
Kagaya recalled Sakonji's line—If anyone can slay Kibutsuji Muzan, it must be my disciple, Kamado Roy—and looked at the boy. "I suppose we needn't forge you a Nichirin."
That roaring red blade ran hotter than Rengoku's. He could already picture the flames when those two met.
"Short blade is enough," Roy said. His gaze slid past Kagaya and Himejima and settled on Giyū; he dipped a nod, then turned to go.
"Friends—mountains and rivers meet again. Until next time."
The wind tugged his hanafuda. The moon stretched his shadow long across the wisteria path. Kagaya and the two Hashira stood and watched until he was gone.
"This was no ordinary night," Kagaya said at last, eyes smiling. "Giyū, Himejima—I have a feeling our thousand-year vow is drawing to its end."
By whose hand? The two Hashira traded a glance. Each already knew.
…
[Life Energy +15 …]
Next morning, Hunter world—Zaban City, riverside inn.
Roy woke from Demon Slayer time. This run he'd held out an hour longer, then—driven by Kagaya's intel—hunted five more demons across two nights, refilling his Life Energy back up to 35.
He rolled out of bed so hard he almost dumped Goldie-chan off his head. The fat crow blinked blearily, saw Roy steering for the bathroom, and flapped frantically away from that cursed room—
—only to misjudge, butt-first, and faceplant on the duvet.
Roy gave it a look. He was heading to ignore the thing when he paused—there on the downy belly was a little pointed nub. He scooped the bird up and brushed the feathers aside.
A third toe.
Goldie-chan… had evolved?
He flicked open the Beast pane.
[Three-Legged Golden Crow: Goldie-chan]
[Status: Hatchling (100/100000 → 200/100000)]
[Tier: S+]
[Manifest Aura: D+ (964/10000 → 2034/10000)]
[Potential Aura: ?]
[Racial Gifts: Chasing the Sun (locked) … Command Sunflame: Lv1 (25/1000 → 150/1000) … Driving the Chariot (locked)]
[Appraisal: Growth-type beast; boundless potential]
Sure enough—growing.
A beast is rooted in its master: the stronger the caster, the stronger the beast. Roy thought of Neferpitou's Doctor Blythe, Zeno's dragon, Netero's Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. Goldie-chan wasn't there yet; but potential? The word "infinite" said enough.
"Breakfast bonus."
"Gao!"
The crow rolled across the bed in ecstasy. Roy smiled and let it scamper, then slipped into the bathroom to add points.
[Constitution +35]
[Now: 204.8 → 239.8]
A muffled grunt. Pain like the forge.
When the tide receded, he was taller by a centimeter—and as he lifted his arms, two more slipped out from under his ribs.
Four arms in the mirror. He blinked once and laughed under his breath.
"Knock… knock…"
"Young master, awake?"
"Come."
The door opened. Gotoh stepped in, phone in hand—then froze. Roy stood bare-chested at the sink: two arms squeezing toothpaste, two rubbing his face—
Clatter.
The phone slipped clean from Gotoh's palm and hit the floor.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 50 Chapters Ahead of Others!