Chapter 44: Clingy Nezuko

"I dislike situations where I know for sure if I'm going to win or lose, because it's not really gambling."

— Yumeko Jabami, Kakegurui

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Roy scanned the area, spotting a few familiar faces among the participants: Kanao Tsuyuri, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Genya Shinazugawa.

The only one who didn't seem to notice Roy's group was Kanao. She stood alone, her expression even more vacant than Makomo's, though undeniably cute.

"Wow, so many people! Is this the Final Selection site?" Tanjiro exclaimed, looking around excitedly.

"Yes," Makomo explained. "Once the trial begins, our task is to survive for seven days on this mountain infested with Demons. If we succeed, we'll become members of the Demon Slayer Corps."

Having participated in the Final Selection before, Makomo was quite familiar with the process.

"Just survive? Alright!" Tanjiro cracked his knuckles, psyching himself up.

Roy had been giving Tanjiro some swordsmanship guidance. After all, he was practically family now, so it was only natural to look after him.

Thanks to Roy's training, Tanjiro was undoubtedly stronger than he was in the original story, and he was confident in his ability to pass the Final Selection.

"Foolish Onii-chan, you must always be cautious when facing Demons," Nezuko chided, seeing her brother's overconfidence.

"Yes, I understand!" Tanjiro replied with a sigh, a hint of dejection in his voice.

Ever since Nezuko became a Devil, while she was still close to him, he felt that she wasn't as attached to him as before.

He glanced at Roy with a hint of resentment.

Nezuko now clung to Roy constantly, almost as if she considered herself his wife.

Just then, two young figures, one with black hair and the other with white hair, approached them.

Roy knew that the one with black hair was actually a boy dressed in girl's clothing.

They were the children of Kagaya Ubuyashiki. The black-haired child was Kiriya Ubuyashiki, and the white-haired one was Kanata Ubuyashiki.

This was a tradition of the Ubuyashiki family. Due to a curse, the male members of the family were prone to early deaths, while the females had a higher chance of survival.

Therefore, the boys were raised as girls in their early years.

"Greetings, Roy-san," they both said, bowing respectfully.

"No need for formalities. Please, announce the start of the Final Selection," Roy instructed.

"Yes, Roy-san!" they replied, and proceeded to declare the commencement of the Final Selection.

The other participants, though curious about Roy's identity, were too focused on the impending trial to pay much attention.

One by one, they entered Mt. Fujikasane.

"Tanjiro, you go in too," Roy said to Tanjiro. "After you complete the test, return to Mr. Urokodaki's place."

"Eh? What about you?"

"We're going after the Hand Demon. We'll leave once we've dealt with it."

The Final Selection required surviving for seven days. Roy didn't want to waste time. They would leave after eliminating the Hand Demon.

As for the Final Selection itself...

Once he defeated Muzan Kibutsuji, the Final Selection would become unnecessary.

Of course, for Tanjiro, it was valuable training.

Tanjiro was taken aback. He hadn't expected this.

The thought of being separated from Nezuko again filled him with dismay. He looked at Nezuko with a pitiful expression.

"Onii-chan, you're not a child anymore. Why are you acting like this?" Nezuko scolded, seeing his dejected demeanor.

Nezuko was usually a gentle and sweet girl, but she could be quite intimidating when angered.

When they were younger, she had once scared a bully into begging for mercy.

Seeing Nezuko's serious expression, Tanjiro didn't dare to complain further. He bid farewell to everyone and entered Mt. Fujikasane.

Nezuko wasn't worried. With Tanjiro's current strength, he could easily defeat even the Hand Demon, let alone ordinary Demons.

Once Tanjiro was gone, Roy looked at the girls and said with a smile, "Let's go in too."

Tanjiro would encounter the Hand Demon shortly after entering Mt. Fujikasane.

They had to hurry.

The Final Selection had just begun, and the Hand Demon was likely still asleep.

Their destination was clear: the depths of Mt. Fujikasane.

"A Demon! Roy-onii-chan, should we...?" Makomo's words halted their progress. She looked towards a large tree with disgust.

Or rather, towards the Demon hiding behind it.

Roy had already sensed the Demon's presence but had chosen to ignore it.

Since Makomo had brought it to their attention, they had to deal with it.

Clang!

A sharp sound resonated through the air. Roy hadn't drawn his sword, yet a crescent-shaped energy wave shot out, aimed directly at the Demon.

The energy wave effortlessly sliced through the tree and pierced the Demon's body.

Boom!

The Demon's body exploded, reduced to a shower of gore.

Such a devastating attack would likely only be survivable by an Upper Rank Demon or Muzan Kibutsuji himself.

Other Demons, despite their resilience, wouldn't be able to recover from such an injury.

Makomo, about to remind Roy that Demons couldn't be killed without a Nichirin Blade, was stunned into silence as she witnessed the Demon's complete annihilation.

This wasn't what Urokodaki-sensei had taught them. He had said that only Nichirin Blades and sunlight could kill Demons!

But the Demon showed no signs of regeneration.

Seeing Makomo's bewildered expression, Roy chuckled and patted her head.

"Haha, don't be surprised. Although Demons are difficult to kill, there are many ways to do it."

Makomo, reassured, stopped dwelling on it and closed her eyes, enjoying Roy's head pat.

Nezuko, however, felt a pang of jealousy. She nudged Roy with her head, seeking his attention.

Roy, with a sigh, gave her a head pat as well.

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