Ryou stood in place, waiting for the Hand Demon to come. The vibration intensified as the demon approached his location.
"You...What are you doing? Let's get out of here. You won't stand a chance against that thing." The injured Demon Slayer urged.
Seeing no response from Ryou, his eyes lost color as he paled. "We are dead!"
And from the shadows of the forest, came the monstrous form of the Hand Demon. It was a grotesque creature with immense size and wrapped in countless hands.
Every movement of the creature shook the very ground beneath them. It exuded an aura of malevolence that would send a shiver down anyone's spine.
Facing such a creature, Ryou was unfazed by its aura or size. He thought, 'Here comes my 2+2 point!'
The Hand Demon's small head peeked out from amidst its many arms and looked at Ryou in amusement. When it noticed Ryou had no fox mask, it yelled losing its cool.
"You're not a fox cub too. Why I haven't met any of Urokodaki's brats this time? Damn him! It's okay. I will have them next time." The Hand Demon turned its demonic eye onto him.
"You look tasty. Once I eat you, I will go for the others!" The Hand Demon laughed.
Ryou scowled at the Hand Demon with disgust, "Tsk! You're one ugly bastard, the mere sight of you sickens me!"
"What did you say, you brat?" The Hand Demon's roar reverberated through the forest as its countless arms surged forward, aiming to crush Ryou into a pulp.
'Nature Breathing, Fifth Form: Lightning Storm' Ryou inhaled as his entire body crackled in lightning arcs.
With swift speed, he sliced through the multitude of hands shot by the demon and raced forward. Before the demon could comprehend what was happening, countless hands twining around its body were slashed to ashes.
With his sword sparking in purple arcs, Ryou stood above the head of the Hand Demon.
'What just happened, I couldn't even react?' The Hand Demon tried to regenerate its severed hands, but it failed. With a tinge of disbelief and panic, he screamed. "Why's my hands not regenerating?"
"My sword's different from the Nichirin sword that you usually deal with," Ryou stated calmly, his three tomoe Sharingan locked onto the Hand Demon's eyes with the intent to kill, panicking it to the core.
'He's going to kill me! He isn't an ordinary Demon Slayer who came for the trial. Why did someone like him come here for the Final Selection?
I'm not going down today. With him so close, I still have a chance!' The Hand Demon launched a desperate attack, shooting a hand out from its maw at a swift speed.
"You're nothing but a demon with special abilities. Don't overestimate yourself!"
Ryou leaped away and swung his sword, the blade sliced through the air in a half-moon-shaped arc. His strike severed the demon's head along with its extending arm.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Is this how I am going to die?' The Hand Demon watched his own body crumbling to ashes.
'+2 Demon Points!'
"You—" The injured Demon Slayer's voice trailed off with shock and disbelief.
'Oh yes!' Ryou forgot about the injured Demon Slayer as his attention was focused on the Hand Demon.
"Let me drop you near the entrance. You need immediate treatment!"
"Thanks!"
With the injured Demon Slayer over his shoulder, Ryou made his way to the entrance of the Final Selection where they started.
As soon as he reached there, the injured Demon Slayer was picked by a member of Kakushi for immediate treatment.
Back to the forest, Ryou looked for the demons, but he had no luck. For the rest of the night, he didn't encounter any demons. Fortunate for them, unfortunate for him.
After a few hours, the sky began to lighten on the horizon, and in a few minutes, the sun's golden glow filled the entire area.
--
When he walked past the wisteria region and reached the stone walkway where everyone stood seven nights ago, he saw another candidate like him. A few minutes passed by before, yet another candidate emerged.
"Only the three have passed this time!" Ryou thought.
"Welcome back!" Ubuyashiki Amane spoke in a gentle tone as she stood before a table covered by a purple cloth. "Congratulations on safely passing the trial! Thank you for coming out safe!"
She continued, "First, we shall issue you all Demon Slayer uniforms. We will take your measurements, and then your ranks will be engraved on the back of your hand.
There are ten ranks in total...you will start at the lowest Rank, Mizunoto. As you slay more demons, your ranks will rise up.
Next, you can choose an ore for your Nichirin sword. However, the swords will take some time to complete."
"Before that..." Amane clapped her hands as the distinctive sounds of crows echoed around before three crows descended from the sky and landed on their shoulders.
"I have assigned Kasugai crows to each of you. These Kasugai crows are primarily used for communication."
Ryou's Kasugai crow seems to be a gentle one, unlike some with tempers. As he reached out to caress the crow's head, it allowed him to do so, even going so far as to rub its head affectionately against the palm of his hand.
Amane then pulled the purple cloth off the table, revealing a tabletop adorned with ten rough, chunky rocks, each in varying sizes.
"Now, please select an ore to use for your sword!" Ubuyashiki Amane allowed them to have a pick.
Though he already possessed a sword, having another one as a spare is a good idea. Walking forward, he picked one randomly and made way for the other two to choose.
"Once the Nichirin sword is delivered to you, the Kasugai Crow will issue the tasks according to your rank! Have a safe travel!" Ubuyashiki Amane bowed slightly and said her farewell.
The Final Selection has officially ended!
--
P@tre0n/ FanficMortal