"It won't take long, huh? You sure like to brag for a human. I don't think you know your place yet, but I'll make sure you do..."
Before the demon could finish talking, Ishida was already set with his move. "Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy," he announced.
[-50MP. MP: 430/480]
Ishida dashed toward the demon and leaped into the air. As the demon tried to strike him, he dodged every blow effortlessly, thanks to his quickness and agility. In a split second, he soared into the sky, the moonlight wrapping around his sword and giving it a soft glow. This light created a swirling storm of slashes around him.
Each time Ishida swung his sword, crescent-shaped cuts filled the air, creating a powerful whirlwind that looked like a moonlit storm. The demon was having a hard time keeping up, its claws swiping at nothing but empty air as Ishida moved like a dance of light and shadow. His speed and agility made it easy for him to dodge every counterattack.
Noticing the demon's struggle, Ishida decided to change his approach. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and shifted into the Third Form of Moon Breathing, called "Loathsome Moon, Chains."
Ishida let loose the chained slashes one after the other. Each swing of his sword created glowing chains in the air, forming a complex pattern of interlocking crescents. The demon was caught in this bright web, unable to break free from the constant onslaught.
The chained slashes cut deeper with each swing, every arc of light slicing through the demon's defenses with perfect precision. As the last crescent cut through its form, the demon let out a final, defeated roar before it dissolved into shadows.
Sakura stood behind Ishida, completely amazed as she watched him take down the demon without even breaking a sweat. "The speed, the movement, how many years did he train to get this good? Is he even human?" she wondered, her mind buzzing with questions as she witnessed Ishida effortlessly vanquish such a formidable demon.
[Exp: +1000]
[Level 18: 2800 Exp needed to Level Up]
Ishida glanced at the notification about his experience points and thought, "I can gain experience by defeating these demons too? I thought it was only for completing quests." He tried to recall, "Did I get experience from defeating the demons earlier? I didn't notice, but I must have, right?" he pondered, trying to piece it together.
"What are you staring at?" Sakura asked as she walked over and stood next to Ishida.
"Nothing much. We still have over three days and nights left. I hope you make the most of this time!" Ishida replied, turning to head off.
"Wait... You can't just leave on your own!" she protested, quickly following him.
Ishida paused and turned back to face her. "And why's that?" he asked.
"Because we need each other's help to survive!" she insisted, emphasizing the importance of teamwork.
"We?" Ishida raised an eyebrow.
"I mean... I need help to survive," Sakura admitted. "I've been training for the last two years, but I don't have experience fighting demons as strong as the ones here. You seem like a really experienced slayer, so... maybe you could help me get through this selection trial!" she suggested hopefully.
Ishida let out a sigh at her proposal.
"So, what do you say?" she asked, eager for his response.
Initially, when Ishida was leaving his home to attend the final selection trial, he figured it would be best to work alone because of his unique situation with the system. Yet, here he was, faced with an unexpected request for partnership.
Now, even though Ishida wanted to turn her down, he found himself asking, "How many demons have you killed so far?"
"Huh?" Sakura was puzzled by his question. "Do you mean in these three days of the final selection, or overall?"
"In these three days..." Ishida clarified.
"Six... I've killed six demons," Sakura answered, looking curiously at Ishida. "But why do you ask?" she wondered, trying to understand his sudden interest.
"Just because if I'm going to have someone with me, it's better to know they're capable and I won't have to protect them all the time," Ishida said as he continued walking. Sakura understood his point and followed him.
"Thanks. by the way What breathing style do you use? I heard you mention Moon Breathing earlier. I use Water Breathing, you know," Sakura said.
"Good!" Ishida replied simply.
"Why did you decide to become a demon slayer?" she asked, curious about his motivation.
"I don't need to tell you," Ishida replied, keeping his reasons to himself.
In this way, Sakura and Ishida continued through the remainder of the final selection, with Ishida often helping Sakura to survive in various situations. Despite the challenges, they managed to work together, navigating the dangers of the forest.
As the seven days of the final selection came to an end, both of them emerged from the forest, having successfully survived the ordeal.
Throughout their time in the forest, Ishida found it challenging to complete his daily missions, especially with Sakura's constant barrage of questions. He often deflected or avoided answering to keep his focus. Nevertheless, he managed to complete his daily tasks and used the instant heal ability regularly, which was one reason he felt no fatigue as they left the forest.
"So, it looks like we're joining the Demon Slayer Corps as teammates!" Sakura declared cheerfully.
"What do you mean? I only agreed to work together for the trial," Ishida replied, maintaining his initial stance.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll see," she said with a playful smile, brushing off his reluctance as she walked past him toward the spot where the two girls who made the announcements earlier were standing. Ishida shook his head, a hint of amusement on his lips, as he followed her.
"Welcome back!" the two girls said in unison, their voices harmonious. "Congratulations. We are pleased to see that you have returned safely," one of them paused as the other continued, "Now, first we shall issue you all uniforms. We will begin by taking your measurements, and then your rank will be inscribed."
"There are ten ranks in total," she added, as they began calling out names one by one to proceed with the measurements and ranking process.
"Kinoe..."
"Kinoto..."
"Hinoe..."
"Hinoto..."
"Tsuchinoe..."
"Tsuchinoto..."
"Kanoe..."
"Kanoto..."
"Mizunoe..."
"And Mizunoto."
"Currently, you are at the lowest rank, Mizunoto," one of the girls announced.
"We will now assign each of you your own Kasugai Crow," the other added, clapping her hands. Suddenly, crows flew overhead, descending to each and every one of the newly selected slayers.
"Do I really have to take this?" Ishida asked, sounding uncertain.
"I'm afraid so. These Kasugai Crows are super important. They're mainly used to keep in touch with others," came the reply.
"Alright, now for your sword. You'll need to choose a piece of ore from this collection here," she explained, revealing a table packed with all kinds of ore.
"Hold on, I already have a sword... So I don't need to pick one, right?"
"You have a sword already?" Sakura asked, clearly surprised, and the others turned to him with the same astonished look.
Ishida was taken aback when he realized he was the only one with a fully customized and forged sword. He understood it was because of the unique system he had, something he preferred to keep under wraps.
With a sigh, Ishida joined Sakura in selecting their ore for sword forging. The process would take over ten days to complete. In the meantime, they would receive assignments from the Demon Slayer Corps, communicated through the crows each of them received.
Sakura and Ishida were assigned the same mission, effectively pairing them as a team. While Sakura had requested this arrangement, Ishida wasn't thrilled about it, but he found himself with no other option.