Chapter 12: The final selection
[Seiji's POV]
Beautiful.
The world was beautiful.
But demons corrupted this world.
Thier ugly existence and evil hearts were a stain on this beautiful world.
Such beauty did not deserve filth.
So I shall drive them to extinction.
I would rid the world of its blemish.
And I would start from this mountain.
...
Such was my thought process as I climbed up the trail and steps of Mount Fujikasane. The mountain was covered with beautiful Wisteria trees from the base till halfway up the mountain.
The flowers released a beautiful glow of pink, purple and lavender and it felt like I was in a different realm entirely. There were Wisteria trees at the base but halfway was where they were most plentiful.
The place was so bright. It was brighter than day.
The Wisteria flowers released a sweet scent that made the simple act of breathing an enjoyable experience. They were soft when you touched them and their beauty made you hesitant to even blink.
It was a feast to all the senses.
I wished I had working ears because I was sure they would make such soothing sounds when the winds blew on them.
"Hahahaha Seiji, you look drunk." Rengoku tapped my shoulder and said.
Yes, my friend, I was drunk.
Drunk from beauty.
My eyes felt like they were having an orgasm just looking at the beautiful scenery. No joke it was squirting tears.
The steps were covered with a thin layer of algae yet it was extremely clean and maintained. Red pillars with kanji words written on them stood at the edge of the steps and gave a unique Japanese vibe.
In conclusion, I was going to attend the final selection every year.
At last, we reached halfway up the mountain and there was a small clearing there with a platform. Rengoku and I were the first ones to reach the place so we decided to stand under the biggest Wisteria tree that also provided a perfect view of the whole compound.
We waited as the other participants slowly made thier way up the mountain. Rengoku and I judged everyone who came up the mountain. We gave our thoughts on which one of them was strong and which one had the potential to pass the final selection.
I had my eyes to judge them and Rengoku claimed that his gut feeling was never wrong.
"That one looks strong. Look at him, he is covered with scars! Clearly, his heart is burning with determination! He will definitely pass."
"Yeah, and it's not just scars. He has three of his fingers missing. He wouldn't be able to hold a sword properly. He fails."
..
"Look at that giant of a man. He looks strong."
"That's just his genetic. His tendons are weak and his muscles show a lack of proper development. Also, he is too fat."
..
"What about that guy? His eyes give me the chills."
"He's blind in the right eye."
..
"Look at that guy carrying a long sword. It's too long he has to put it on his back. He looks like he knows how to fight properly."
"That might be true. His muscles are certainly developed in the perfect way, that tells me at least he knows how to swing. He might pass."
..
"Oh! I know that mask! He is a disciple of Urokodaki, the retired Water Hashira, they all have that distinctive mask."
"He's dead."
"What? Why?"
"Don't ask."
..
"Oh!~ That girl has inverted nipples. That's rare."
"Seiji!!!"
"Oops, did I say that out loud?"
..
In a few hours, the small compound was filled with young warriors who wished to become demon slayers. They all had that look in thier eyes, like a student who were about to face the final exams.
Most of them were looking at each other like they were enemies and that was not a good thing. We were not going to compete with each other for the final selection, instead, it would be about survival and you might need to work together.
It would not do you good to glare at everyone.
After all participants had gathered, a lady with white hair guarded by two demon slayers walked towards the platform and stood on it.
"Good evening everyone." the lady with white hair started and everyone turned towards her.
"My name is Lady Amane Ubuyashiki. Welcome participants, to the Demon Slayer Corps final selection." she said.
Holy shit, it really is her. The badass wife who did not tremble in front of the Demon King, aka the perfect wife.
God, she was beautiful.
Her beauty stood out even in the garden of beautiful wisteria flowers.
"Let us not waste time and get straight to the point. Here in Mout Fujikasane, there are several demons that were captured alive by demon slayers. They are kept there for this event and the wisteria flowers prevent them from leaving the mountain." She said.
"They bloom on this mountain each year-round and they cover everything from the base to halfway to the top. But the wisteria ends here." she said and signalled behind her which no longer had wisteria.
"There are demons beyond this point and they are very hungry. For the final selection, you must survive for seven days beyond the wisteria's protection. Good luck everyone."
"Your trial begins here."
After she said what was needed, she left the platform immediately and left us to go beyond the safe point.
"Hey Rengoku, what did her voice sound like?" I asked.
"Huh? She sounded normal to me. Although some might say her voice was quite stoic." he said with a shrug.
Then we were all separated into a few groups. These groups would go up the mountain from different locations.
Rengoku and I had to separate.
"Good luck Seiji, see you in seven days." Rengoku said with a smile that outshined the glowing flowers for a good second.
"Of course. Be sure you don't hurt yourself trying to save a stranger, everyone who came here is prepared to die."
I said because I knew he was strong enough to easily pass this test. The only way he could get hurt was if he tried to act like a hero and save everyone as Sabito did.
"We can do anything we want, even the impossible, as long as we believe in it." he said and then his smile turned wider.
"So I can save everyone without getting hurt."
"I'll just have to kill every demon then." I said with a smile and we separated.
I was amongst a group of ten people and we went up the mountain from the west side.
The atmosphere immediately turned gloomy and a sense of danger prickled my skin when I left the protection of the wisteria trees.
"This should be fun." I said and my eyes glowed in the new darkness void of wisteria light. I could see the demons ahead and they were sharpening their teeth.
Let the final selection begin.
..
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[Image]
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