As Mikaru walks to the col of Mount Fujikasane for Final Selection, she gazes dreamily at the wisteria blossoms hanging from the trees around the path, stroking her pet snake, Akiratomu. Her footsteps bring her closer and closer to where everyone gathers for the test. Mikaru reaches the end of the path and freezes, surprised to see some thirty people gathered at the top. Mikaru makes her way to the edge of the crowd near the wisteria, not quite ready to leave the peaceful smell behind or mingle with the crowd.
She carefully watches the gathered trainees, noting the different postures soundlessly telling her their thoughts and feelings. A very tall girl stands near the edge of the group with two others, she leans back slightly with her arms slightly crossed. She's tapping her foot slowly on the ground, and she's got a little frown on her face and her eyes glare around the clearing. The people she's with, a girl and boy, laugh and shove each other around, but the boy's shoulders are close to his ears and his laughs are high pitched and quick. One person standing near the back of the group is shaking violently, almost considered vibrating, although his face is nearly devoid of emotion and unreadable. The boy has a very long lavender colored braid that extends to his ankles and side bangs that frame his thin face. He has high eyebrows set over wide almond shaped eyes the color of deep violet, and pale skin. The boy is quite thin, and a few inches shorter than Mikaru, maybe standing at 5'3''. His haori is a navy blue color covered in rainbow starbursts, like the fireworks her old village used to make for New Year celebrations. Mikaru hesitantly takes a step towards him, confused, when suddenly two girls standing in the center of the crowd began to speak. They greeted the trainees in unison. Speaking with nearly identical voices and blank expressions. They give a light explanation about the demons, and the wisteria, which bloom halfway up the slope year round. Nothing Iguro hadn't told Mikaru before.
The test begins with the vibrating boy the first to turn into the forest. Mikaru follows suit, turning, leaping into the dense trees behind her, holding her breath, eyes closed slightly, as if the hold the peacefulness of the wisteria clearing inside her as long as possible, and begins to make her way to the easternmost side of Mount Fujikasane where the sun will hit first in the morning. She loves the sunrise. The constant shift of color on the horizon. The captivating mix of reds, blues, oranges, and pinks dancing across the sky.
As the night wears on, Mikaru continues to fail to find a suitable place for her to stay for over the week. And she encounters no demons.
Where are all the demons? They should be attacking me every chance they get.
She leaps out of the trees and to the ground to get her bearings, and find East. She is just about to get moving again, when the hair on the back of her neck stands up and she begins to feel a buzzing in the air to her right. She turns in time to see a large humanoid figure leap at her from the bushes with a growl. Nevermind. I haven't been giving them chances. She draws her katana, and easily twirls out of the way of the demon's first attack. She sets her feet and launches herself at the creature, spinning to propel her sword through his thick neck. She lands and turns back toward the dying beast's body. Mikaru gazed at the demon's disintegrating form before twisting eastward once more and continuing her search for the best spot.
It's almost as if the demon knew Mikaru would find her spot by the small stream burbling its way down the side of the mountain. The excessive amount of demons that have shown up at Mikaru's little clearing have allowed her little rest, and being a morning person makes it incredibly difficult to sleep during the day. Her restful hours are hardly restful, full of half dozing and cloud watching. As well as almost no sleep, not long after Mikaru finds her clearing, she feels a constant prickling sensation all down her neck. There is no malice in the feeling, only curiosity, and it never seems to wane in intensity or leave. She knows someone is shadowing her, but she never catches sight of her stalker. Never seeing more than a quivering leaf and a bouncing branch. It only serves to make her more weary and lose more sleep.
Five days later the sun glares into Mikaru's eyes when she awakens. Akiratomu is snuggled under her chin, and the grass is warm and soft where Mikaru lay. She continues to lay there in the grass silently under the noon day sun, until her stomach growls furiously, startling Akiratomu awake. Mikaru sits up, remembering that she had forgotten to eat before going to bed. Her dusty light and dark brown python slithers down her arm and into her lap as Mikaru grabs one of the pouches at her hip. She opens it up to a cluster of five onigiri. She pulls one out then sighs at its deformed, and squashed shape. Mikaru pulls a piece off for Akiratomu, then takes a bite herself, savoring the salty taste of tuna, rice, and sesame seeds.
Suddenly, a warm sensation slides like snakes slithering down her back. Just like the feeling she has grown accustomed to over the week, only this is more intense. Someone is watching her, and not just vaguely looking, but actually staring at her. Investigating her. Checking out her posture and careful, smooth movements. Mikaru jerks her head up and scans the trees. She spots a figure silhouetted in the trees, but doesn't acknowledge it till she's looked away. Mikaru scans the treeline again, but the figure is gone.
The next couple days pass in a blur. Mikaru struggles to devote her attention to her battles and she grows increasingly grateful to the years of grueling training her sensei put her through. She also never catches sight of the person in the trees again. She's not sure if they've just stopped watching her or not, but Mikaru never ceases looking and never lets down her guard. The shadow may be gone from view, but not from her thoughts.
On the last day, Mikaru cleans up camp and sets out into the trees, on her way back to the col of the mountain.
When she arrives at the original meeting place, the clearing is nearly empty. Five people now fill the space that was previously filled with twenty, including the two girls from the beginning and Vibrating Boy and the tall impatient girl. Although her sensei had told her that most of the trainees wouldn't pass Final Selection, the number of survivors surprises Mikaru.
The girls begin to speak with their haunting identical voices. "Congratulations on passing Final Selection. First we will take your measurements for your uniforms, then we will engrave your ranks. The ten ranks of the demon slayer corp are kinoe, kinoto, hinoe, hinoto, tsuchinoe, tsuchinoto, kanoe, kanoto, minoe, and mizunoto. Right now, you are all rank mizunoto. The bottom of the list. After that you will choose the ore your sword will be fashioned of. You will have your katana in about two weeks. Then you will be assigned a kasugai crow. Kasugai crows are most often used for communication, but also have a variety of different uses."
Mikaru blinks. The whole process is so simple. All they half to do is measure us, mark us, and have us pick a rock?
"Please come this way and pick the ore for your katana." They continue. "Only you will choose the ore that will slay demons and protect you on the battlefield.
Mikaru smoothly makes her way to the table holding the ore, cooly concealing her excitement. I passed! I'm actually a true demon slayer now! Once again, Vibrating Boy is the first to step up to pick his ore. The tall girl begins to follow him. She has black hair almost as long as Mikaru's, and now that they're standing right next to each other, Mikaru realizes this girl is very big, maybe 6'1''. Her long black hair in a very high ponytail and she's got black side bangs framing her face. She has long black eyelashes under low framing eyebrows. Her rosy cheeks, a nice contrast to her tan skin, are set on high cheek bones. Her soft mouth is slightly open and yellow-orange eyes wide in shock. The girl has a sharp chin and wide shoulders, as well as long arms, which are frozen in the motion of reaching forward for one of the rocks, and long legs locked in a half-step. Her haori is mostly plain white except for the ends of her sleeves and about a third of the way up from the bottom, which are decorated like fire engulfing the cloth. She's looking at Mikaru as if she were jumping up and down while doing a one-handed handstand with her sword balanced on her foot. Akiratomu is looking at the strange girl too, just as confused as Mikaru.
"Is that… a snake?" She asks in a smooth, low alto voice.
The short boy on the other side of the girl looks up surprised, nearly dropping his chosen rock. "Where!?" He squeaks.
Mikaru instinctually reaches forward and picks up a light warm rock that makes her skin prickle in anticipation. "Akiratomu is my trusted companion. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"How can a snake be a companion!?" Vibrating Boy yelps in a high voice presumably prone to cracking.
"Why can't they?" Mikaru replies calmly and quietly. Although she wonders how someone so small could say something so cruel about such a beautiful and sleek species.
Before Snake-Hater can make another biased comment, the two girls directing Final Selection ask, "If you're finished choosing your ore, you will be given your kasugai crow.
Mikaru steps away from the other two as a large raven seemingly comes out of nowhere and perches on her shoulder. Mikaru locks her muscles and turns her head to face the raven standing sentry on her arm.
"You're not a crow." Mikaru states blandly.
The raven's golden eyes stare into Mikaru's green ones and she seems to reply, I am aware of that, and I have chosen you nonetheless for me to guide.
Mikaru nods. "I accept your guidance. Shall I call you Sasha?"
Sasha puffs up her chest in pride, before taking off to perch somewhere in the wisteria.
After being measured for her uniform, and having her rank engraved with a feather, Mikaru turns to leave. But after taking her first step, a familiar darkness begins to creep across the corners of her eyes, and she feels her body begin to sway, and her head spin. As she stumbles and falls forward, the girl lunges forward and halts her collapse in the middle of it.
"Whoa! Are you alright?" She asks, setting Mikaru back on her feet.
"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine, I'm just a little tired. Nothing that's not normal." She tries to appear calm and collected, but she still leans slightly on the other girl, grateful to have her there for support.
"It's normal for you to just collapse from exhaustion?" Vibrating boy stares wide eyed at Mikau. "How hard do you train?"
"I'm fine." She insists. "My sensei's lessons were a lot more difficult than Final Selection. All I need is a little help down the mountain. I'll be fine after that."
Tall girl leans down a little so Mikaru can put her weight on her, and they begin to make their way down the mountain. One stair at a time.