Chereads / Demon Slayer: The Dragon Breather / Chapter 5 - Final Selection

Chapter 5 - Final Selection

The night before Tanjiro and Kagami were to leave and take the dreaded Final Selection exam, Mr. Urokodaki surprised them by cooking a delicious dinner! Kagami gasped at the food he prepared for them; roasted fish on a skewer and a giant pot of stew full of vegetables, potatoes, and meat. He's never made that much food for them before! Actually, he usually didn't cook for them. Tanjiro and Kagami cooked for themselves, but on nights where they were too beaten and broken to do anything, Mr. Urokodaki would whip them something to eat.

"What's the occasion? There's so much food!" Tanjiro gasped at Mr. Urokodaki.

Mr. Urokodaki filled two bowls sitting beside him with stew, answering, "You've completed all your training, so we're celebrating. Don't be shy. Eat up!"

Kagami eagerly grabbed the outstretched bowl and giggled, "I'm starving! Thank you!"

Tanjiro grabbed his bowl from Mr. Urokodaki and they both dived in. The divine smell of the stew hit her nose and it took all of her strength to not down the bowl in one gulp. She clicked her chopsticks together and grabbed a wad of noodles. When it touched her lips, the most heavenly taste filled her mouth and she couldn't stop herself from going back in for more. Tanjiro moaned in delight beside her and grabbed a fish on a skewer. Kagami did the same and took a hefty bite out of it. She smiled and closed her eyes, letting her mouth chew the meat slowly before swallowing. Tanjiro and Kagami took second then third servings of the stew. No matter how much they ate, it didn't feel like enough to her! She finished her fish skewer, leaving nothing but bones attached to the stick, before eagerly grabbing a second.

Later in the night, after bathing, Kagami brushed her long black hair with her fingers, letting them run through the silky, soaking mess. Across the room, Tanjiro fingered his hair that had grown to lay and sit on his shoulders. He wrapped a white towel around his shoulders, grabbed a pair of shears, began to clip them off, strands of red-black hair falling on a white sheet underneath him. Kagami was ready for bed and she was about to leave to her room when Mr. Urokodaki suddenly spoke up.

"Kagami, Tanjiro, what did you think of the hot pot?" he had asked them.

Tanjiro smiled and answered, "Great! I haven't had such a feast in so long!"

"Me either! It was delicious!" Kagami agreed with the nod of her head.

Mr. Urokodaki didn't face them or even look at them. All night he had avoided their looks, gazes, and peering eyes. Kagami wondered why when he had never done that before. "Growing children like you with a hearty appetite should get stronger the more they eat, as well as grow bigger in sizes," he spoke encouragingly to them but then added, "But that goes for demons, too. Remember this. Basically, a demon is as strong as the number of humans he's devoured."

His tone got dark, raspier, and more stern than ever. As if it was a grave warning to be heeded.

"So, the more they eat, the stronger they get?" Kagami nervously asked him twirling strands of hair around her finger.

"That's right. There are demons who grow stronger, transform themselves and even gain strange powers," he added standing from his spot. He then opened a nearby drawer and brought out two masks from within. "When your sense of smell becomes keener, Tanjiro, and your discern of the breeze becomes sharper, Kagami, you'll be able to tell how many humans a demon's consumed."

Mr. Urokodaki walked up to them and each handed them a mask. It was a fox mask similar to Sabito's and Makomo's but was slightly different. Tanjiro's fox mask had large red eyes, red dots adorning the corners of its lips, and a red scar on the side of its head, matching Tanjiro's. Her fox mask had relaxed eyes but she could still see the blazing green irises underneath, gold and black ear outlines, and its lips were slightly quirked downwards. It almost resembled Kagami, as if it were a physical manifestation of her actual face.

"What's this?" Tanjiro asked him.

"It's called a "warding mask." I've charged it with a spell to protect you both from harm," he explained.

Kagami fingered the small string attached to the mask and nodded her head. Sabito and Makomo's must've been charged with a spell too. She wondered how they were doing and why they would randomly show up in the middle of their training. Not that she didn't mind, it really helped her shape into the warrior she needed to be.

The next morning, after saying their goodbyes to Mr. Urokodaki and a still-sleeping Nezuko, Tanjiro and Kagami quickly took off towards Mount Fujikasane.

Finally! After training for two years, she is actually going to take the Final Selection exam.

Hurrying through small villages, their eyes widening when they first began to approach the mountain, and made their way up the treacherous slope. The sun that risen throughout the day quickly fell beneath the horizon. The light from the crescent moon lit up the world and trail for them. It didn't take long for them to see a glowing purple aura emitting from the forest within. After walking up a steep slope, the mountain revealed a straight narrow path with a forest of wisteria flowers of its own.

No longer was her vision filled with a dark forest that could be full of lurking demons. Instead, her eyes were met with nothing but a beautiful lavender purple. Hundreds of trees held perfectly bloomed wisteria flowers and they hung from the branches guiding the way. Kagami delicately lifted a hand and softly touched a flower hanging near her head. The tens of tiny petals that hung its narrow limp bodies brushed against her skin gently. They smelled divine but it was so strange seeing them in bloom. They were out of season but they bloomed as if they were in their respective season.

Kagami and Tanjiro climbed the stone staircases ahead and met what looked like a bustling city. Instead of civilians roaming around, there were kids in array of dark colored robes meditating, leaning against stone structures, or just stood around waiting for something to happen, with katanas strapped to either their backs or against their side. They were hopeful warriors like Kagami.

Tanjiro and Kagami slowly made their way to the front passing by others when two girls who wore identical purple kimonos but opposite white and black colored hair stepped up with lanterns hanging in their grip. They held unsettling black eyes and a small smile looking at them all.

"Welcome, we thank you for coming here tonight. To the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection," the two girls had spoken in unison.

The white hair girl then began to speak on her own, "There are demons imprisoned here on Mt. Fujikasane captured alive by the Demon Slayer swordsmen, and unable to leave."

"That is because wisteria, which demons hate so much, blooms even out of season from the bottom to halfway up the mountain," the black-hair girl added.

"However, there is no wisteria from this point on and so demons abound."

"You'll need to survive here for seven days to pass Final Selection."

Then both girls bowed to them all, speaking unison once again, "And now, be on your way."

Both Kagami's heart and legs shook violently. She hasn't so much survived one day on her own without the help of others. Her first night by herself she was almost killed and needed Tanjiro and Nezuko's help. Now, she'll be by herself for seven days. Although she was scared, she has nothing to fear. She trained hard, fought against the odds, and is willing to do whatever it takes to become a Demon Slayer. Now that she is here, she won't turn away.

Watching the others beginning to slowly enter the forest, Tanjiro and Kagami turned to each other.

"Promise me the next time we see each other we'll both be Demon Slayers," Tanjiro spoke with a pleading grin.

Kagami grinned back and nodded her head. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I promise."

Then, without another word, they took off into the forest away from the wisteria flowers and from each other. Kagami kept a strong grip on her katana that was still sheathed as her eyes scanned the eerie dark forest. Surviving the first night is her main task. The demons won't be able to do anything once the sun comes up. She stopped running and quickly took cover behind a boulder, steadying her breathing but keeping her eyes in between the trees. The sun is the most important survival tool, she must head East!

Before she could move, warmth suddenly flared in her hand and faint breeze blew by her ear.

A demon!

She sharply unsheathed her blade and held it in front of her, her eyes desperately scanning the trees around her. The hilt of her sword glowed a deep yellow, its blade looking like it wanted to catch fire once again like 2 years ago, and the wind was ruffling her hair. Strands of her black hair fell on her face from above.

Kagami gasped and whipped her head upwards.

"AHAHA!"

Her feet acted faster than her mind. They quickly pushed Kagami out of the way, her body rolling against the ground, as the earth rattled violently beneath her. Kagami pushed herself off the ground and jumped on her feet, watching where she used to be covered in a cloud of dirt rising for the sky. It soon revealed a demon with long purple hair, a throbbing tongue, and spikes protruding out of its skin. He laughed at her but his eyes darted upwards in surprise.

As Kagami's hair flew forward in her face, she whipped around with her sword held high. Sparks flew and a piercing ring hit her ears. Her feet slid against the ground tens of feet away from the harsh impact of the demon sneaking up behind her.

"Damn you! Don't even try to grab my prey, man!" the first demon growled angrily at the second demon rushing forward and trying to shove a spike in his throat.

"The hell with you! Just beat it!" the second demon scoffed at him.

Two demons? Can Kagami handle both of them? She was able to take care of the horde from 2 years ago almost completely by herself. It should be simple, but it had been so long since she's fought a demon. No way she can remember how it exactly went down! Where's Tanjiro when she needs him?

Both demons suddenly charged at her at once. She deflected the first hit and then the second, but one of the demons whipped out his leg and rammed it right into her abdomen. Her body flew in the air but she landed on her feet, ignoring the pain that was spiking throughout her body. Her breathing was already erratic and fear began to course through her veins. It's OK! She just needs to calm down and watch their movements! Mr. Urokodaki's training won't be in vain!

Watching the demons once again approach her eagerly, she placed her warding mask on her face and took in a deep breath. A breath that filled her body, sent her blood excitedly coursing through her body, and made her feel fuzzy inside.

Total Concentration! Dragon Breathing!

Her sword abruptly burst aflame and she screamed, charging right back at them. "Tenth form! Flight of the Sun!" she screamed in the air dashing forward and slashing down at each demon in her path. Their heads separated from their burning bodies, gasps of surprise leaving their lips, and there was nothing left to hit the ground or hint there were any demons attacking her. Breathing heavily, Kagami looked behind her and saw a trail of fire leading up to where her feet stayed on the ground.

She tried stomping the fire out but it only made her sandals burn and smoke. Then, she decided to leave it alone and quickly move.

Her heart was in her ears, her stomach was in her throat, and her hands shook violently at what just happened. She did it! She once again defeated demons all by herself! She glanced down at her sword in awe and remembered Mr. Urokodaki stating only special swords, Demon Slayer swords, made of special steel are the only weapons that can kill a demon. Nichirin Swords he had called them. He had loaned one to Tanjiro but her sword was already a Nichirin Sword. Her mother's sword was a Demon Slayer sword, but how? Her father never mentioned her being a Demon Slayer or any relatives of theirs joining the Demon Slayer Corps. More questions than answers about her family's legacy it seems.

No matter, she will find out the truth. Hopefully soon.

Kagami continued heading East, trying to find higher ground where the sun will shine first, always wary of the forest around her. She cut down a few more demons in her way relatively easily but felt something was off. More so than usual the past few hours she had been stuck there. There had been no birds, no bugs chirping, or little critters running around ever since she entered the forest. The signal of danger had been there since the very beginning but... something made her skin crawl.

Suddenly, the wind grabbed and tugged harshly at her hair, her up knot falling out of place and spraying all over her face.

"Hey! What the-?!" she had exclaimed but stopped herself when she heard screaming and felt the earth rumbling underneath her feet.

She pushed herself against a tree, quickly tying her hair back up, and listened to the sound of whimpering, screaming, and footsteps running away from something. When her hair was secured, she poked her head out slightly and saw a boy running away from something chasing him. He kept glancing backwards behind him, fear and anguish written all over his face. Kagami looked behind him and her entire body went cold. Moving in the trees, hidden in the shadows, was a giant blob of a monster! Its head touched the branches of tall trees, its width was as thick as a house, and it moved quickly! What is that thing?!

The boy tripped over a tree root and face-planted in the ground. He looked behind him and shrieked, "What's this morphed demon doing here anyway? They didn't tell us!"

A whimper fell from her lips when the demon showed himself in the sunlight.

It was dark avocado green demon that rose above anything but the trees and its entire body was made up of thick, veiny arms! Three large legs with hands for feet carried its massive weight, ten arms wrapping itself around its body and head only revealing its piercing, yellow, cat eyes, and five arms stuck out around its body. Kagami's eyes landed on something it was holding in one hand. She bit her lip and kept her cries in her throat when she realized it carried a dead boy in its hand. Its hand was wrapped tightly around the back of the boy's neck, tears of blood pouring out of his eyes, and his mouth permanently wide open with blood still leaking out and staining his robes.

Kagami watched in horror as the demon opened his mouth wide open, the lips a pair of arms that became one with its large body, and swallowed the boy whole! She then watched the demon grow bigger and thicker right before her eyes! He longer dragged his body on the ground and was able to stand everything on its feet-er, hands! Mr. Urokodaki was right, why didn't she heed his warning better?!

The first boy who was screaming quickly jumped on his feet and began to run away. She gasped when the demon's hands morphed together and shot out separately at massive speed. They wrapped themselves around the boy's ankle and began to drag him back! He was then being hovered above its mouth ready to be devoured!

No! She can't let someone else die to that demon! She must save him!

Her legs shook violently underneath her, whimpers flying out of her mouth, and her katana shook in her grip at the thought of facing that demon. She's not powerless, not anymore! She can save that boy before he is devoured! She can do it!

The katana burst fire once again and she charged forward, screaming, "Dragon Breathing, Eighth Form! Flashing Strike!"

Her katana met the arm and quickly sliced it off, the arm burning and dissolving in the air, as she landed on her feet, twisting around and facing the monstrous demon. The boy fell to the ground behind her and she took a protective stance in front of him. The demon looked at its bleeding stub precariously then landed its eyes on her. She went rigid in her spot. He was supposed to catch on fire, just like every other demon she's killed!

A small chuckle arose from its throat and spoke, "Another sweet little fox has come to me."

"Another?" she asked him cautiously.

More arms unmorphed themselves and pointed at her, asking, "Little fox cub, what year of Meiji is it now?"

Kagami gasped at his question. The Meiji period? It's been over for the longest time! "It's the Taisho Period now!" she answered him still holding her sword in front of her.

"Taisho?" he asked her curiously, softly,... then he became furious! He stopped his feet against the ground harshly, his hands clawing at himself violently leaving torn skin and blood oozing out, as he screamed, "AAHHH! Holy crap! Time has passed into a new period?! Again! Again while I've been held prisoner inside this place! Unforgivable! UNFORGIVABLE! Damn you, Urokodaki! Damn you, Urokodaki!"

Kagami's eyes widened at the name. "How do you know Mr. Urokodaki?!" she demanded.

"I know him, all right! Because Urokodaki is the one who captured me! I'll never forget that day 47 years ago! Back when he was still hunting demons! It was the Edo Period during the Keio era," he revealed much to her shock.

No way! Mr. Urokodaki never mentioned anything like that. "I don't believe you!" she screamed.

"No demon has ever lived that long!" the boy she rescued suddenly yelled from his spot on the ground. "The only demons in here should be the ones who've eaten just two or three humans! They don't live long because they're killed during Final Selection or they end up eating each other!"

The demon laughed hard at the boy and retorted, "Yeah, but I've survived all this time. Inside this wisteria prison, I've eaten at least fifty of you brats!"

"Fifty?!" Kagami shrieked.

He then held up two hands and began counting off the third, "Eleven, twelve, thirteen,... That makes you Number 14!" He pointed his heads gleefully at her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him, dread seeping into her core at the truth that is going to be revealed to her.

He giggled at the answer, his eyes squinting in joy, and his multiple hands covering his mouth. "The number of Urokodaki's student I've eaten, that's what. I promised myself to kill every one of his students. Let's see. The ones who particularly stand out to me... It's those two," he spoke joyfully. Kagami gasped and her stomach turned over wondering who he could be talking about. "That brat's hair was an unusual color. He was the strongest. He had peach-colored hair. A scar by his mouth. The other one was a female brat in a flowery kimono. She was small and lacking in strength, but she was awfully agile."

Sabito... Makomo... they had already been killed by this demon?! But she and Tanjiro had just been with them!

"That mask," he began again pointing many hands at her face, "I can tell by the fox masks. I know the texture of the masks Urokodaki carves. The same style of carving he used for his own tengu mask. Warding masks, right? Everyone got eaten just because they were wearing them. They're all here inside my belly! It's as if he's guided them to their deaths!" He laughed and laughed again in her face. Her breathing hardened, her chest fell and lifted rapidly, and a large growl began to rise out of her throat. "When I said that to the girl, she was crying and fell into a rage. And right after that, she lost control of her movements. I ripped off her limbs, and then feasted!"

"Makomo, no!" Kagami screamed with tears flying down her cheeks. "I'll kill you!"

She charged forward with her sword in her white-knuckle tight grip. The demon laughed and shot out multiple hands in her direction but she sliced off each one, her flaming sword turning all of them into ash. She jumped high in the air, ready to slice off its head! That is for Sabito and Makomo!

Blood suddenly spilled out of her mouth.

Something hard rammed into her side and set her flying into a tree. Stars flew in her vision and darkness consumed her body. Her fox mask on her face broke into pieces and crumbled to the ground. Her grip on her katana never slackened but the heat extinguished itself. She wanted to move but couldn't! Her own body was rejecting her! The darkness felt too good and she just wanted to lay there for eternity.

"Another of Urokodaki's brats is dying. I wonder how he's going to feel when another of his kids doesn't come home. I wonder what kind of look he'll have on his face. Oh, man, I wish I could see it. I really do," she heard the demon laugh at the back of her mind.

Hands grabbed at her clothing and she felt her body start to hover in the air.

"You're ready. You're so strong. Never forget how strong you are."

Father...?

"Kagami, wake up! Now!"

Kagami gasped and her eyes flung open. She nearly screamed when she saw her body hovering above the demon's wide open mouth but found herself falling to the ground instead. She landed on her feet and back-flipped away, her katana never gone from her hands, and she got into a stance. Her sword lit ablaze as water spilled all over the ground around her. The hand that held her fell to the ground beside her, slowly evaporating, as the person who rescued her landed on their feet next to her.

"Tanjiro!" she gasped.

Tanjiro held his sword up and spoke, "Looks like I made it just in time! Let's defeat this demon, together!"

Kagami nodded her head in determination and they both raised their swords. The demon shot tens of arms towards them, both of them cutting off as much as they could, but there was so many! It was never-ending! No matter how many arms they cut off, they always regrew in a second! Kagami and Tanjiro both took off in a run splitting directions. The demon sent many arms after both of them not having a care in the world.

"Another Urokodaki brat! This is getting exciting!" the demon cackled.

"What?" Tanjiro gasped from the other side.

Kagami whipped her head towards him and screamed, "Tanjiro, he killed Mr. Urokodaki's other students!"

"That's right!" the demon cackled once again. "They couldn't defeat me, and neither can you. You can't just by slashing off my arms. Then again, even that pink-haired brat couldn't slice off my head! When his blade broke in two, I squashed his instead!"

"Oh my god, Sabito," Kagami whimpered and gagged. That's what he meant when he told her to defeat the next one.

The two of the four people she considered friends have been killed by this foul demon! There's no way she can Tanjiro could let that one go! She won't let anyone else be sacrificed to that demon!

Both Kagami and Tanjiro turned on their heels and charged straight for the demon. They sliced off multiple arms trying to grab, squash, and punch them but there was so many. Suddenly a gust of wind hit her chin from below and she barely had time to react. Both she and Tanjiro jumped high in the air, away from each other, as giant hands protruded from the ground beneath them. Their bodies went higher and higher in the air as the arms stretched to meet him only to miss. Without missing a beat, the demon shot one large giant hand straight for her head. Growling, Kagami kicked the hand away from her head and they both jumped on his arm, screaming as they charged for his neck. Multiple hands morphed out of the arm and began to shoot straight for them.

"Total Concentration! Water Breathing!"

"Total Concentration! Dragon Breathing!"

Taking in large deep breaths, Tanjiro and Kagami sliced off every arm aimed to kill them. They jumped over each other, slashing and slicing both high and low, watching each other's backs, performing in unison. His water coated sword sparkled and moved marvelously in the moonlight as her flaming sword danced and lit up the night sky. They were moving to a beat only they knew, as if it had been rehearsed for the past two years!

Kagami jumped off his arm and landed on the other one opposite of his body. Both Tanjiro and Kagami raised their swords... and brought them down.

"Water Surface Slash!"

"Flight of the Sun!"

Colors of blue and red mixed together to create a hazy purple... and slashed off the head of the demon. Kagami landed on her feet and watched its head topple to the ground, it's massive body already turning to ash. With sweat beading down her body, suddenly finding her muscles aching, she took in a deep breath and slowly sheathed her sword.

"NOOO! My body's crumbling and disappearing! I can't stop it!" she heard the demon's head cry out.

Her angry eyes turned to the demon but she suddenly founded Tanjiro slowly walking up to the rest of the demon's body. One of his hands was laid out in the air towards them. A soft breeze blew by her hair and stained her face with droplets of water. She looked down at the head of the demon and found tears slipping out of his eyes. Her eyes widened at the sight and she almost turned away from it. This demon killed so many of Mr. Urokodaki's students and didn't express remorse at their deaths. Especially Sabito and Makomo's. But, would they want her to let the anger stain her heart forever? To see such sadness and loneliness in his eyes reminded Kagami of her own.

"What a sad scent," Tanjiro softly muttered before placing both of his hands in the demon's.

Kagami watched as the hand slowly closed on Tanjiro's gently. The tears in the demon's eyes poured out in waterfalls at the affectionate gesture. Tanjiro softly lifted it up to his head and spoke, "Please, God, the next time this man is reborn, please make sure he doesn't turn into a demon."

The darkness in the demon's eyes were replaced with a hint of light before his entire head was dissolved into nothing. He was gone and they are victorious. The moment should've been joyful but in the end it was bittersweet.

Fog she hadn't seen before began to appear before them. She slowly lifted her eyes and saw eleven children she hadn't seen before appear before her eyes. Then, she saw Makomo and Sabito. All of their faces held relieved and proud smiles, silently congratulating them on their victory and for avenging their deaths. Slowly, one by one, they began to disappear into the forest behind them. Small tears poured down Kagami's cheek as she waved goodbye to Sabito and Makomo. Sabito grinned at her before turning to leave with Makomo following behind.

They're going home as promised. Even if only as souls, they're going back to Mount Sagiri and to Mr. Urokodaki who loved them all very much. If Tanjiro and Kagami had failed, their souls would've returned there, too.

Now,... they're free.