A boy and his sister: Final selection Redux

~~~~~~~1914~~~~~~~~

Tanjiro tied up the yukata Urokodaki had made ready for him. He checked in on his sister, Nezuko "Hey, I know Zenitsu and even Kanao talked to you earlier this morning. I hope they did not bother you." the sleeping girl did not respond. "I will be back in a little over a week. See you soon Nezuko." he bowed his head and left Nezuko to her undetermined sleep. He was still worried of course, Shinobu offered to look at Nezuko even. But Urokodaki insisted the doctor he brought tried everything. In truth, he did that to avoid Shinobu finding out Nezuko was a demon since she had not been told. And unlike a regular doctor, the insect hashira would have a chance of finding that out with a basic examination. 

Urokodaki took something out when Tanjiro exited. It was a fox mask. 'That looks similar to Sabito or Granz mask' the boy thought as Urokodaki handed it over to him. "This is a warding mask, it will protect during the final selection." Tanjiro nodded, placing the mask on the side of his head. "I know that some of your training was different thanks to Tanya. You won't just have yourself to worry about but also that of Kanao and Zenitsu." Tanjiro crossed his arms "I know. But I will do my best. I will make it back, all of us will." 

The two exited the hut, where the others were waiting. Zenitsu was visibly shaking, but he knew he could not run. Not with both Mary and Tanya ready to hunt him down if he tries running from the final selection. Kanao let a butterfly land on her finger, smiling at her master who smiled back. Tanjiro joined the other two "ready?" he asked, Kanao nodded, Zenitsu slowly did as well. Though Zenitsu was shaking more and more. Seeing this Mary approached him "hey, Master, and I believe in you Zenitsu, don't let us down." that perked the boy up, only a little. 

Tanya walked forward "Alright you three, try to stick together. Consider this final selection to be your final test as a team. Trust me, you will have a better chance of surviving if you fight together." She looked over at Mary, who gave a thumbs-up as she was one of the people there during Tanya's final selection. Tanjiro gave a reassuring smile "we will survive, I promise." Tanya chuckled, his confidence and basic optimism sort of reminded her of Kyujuro. The flame Hashira even gave Tanjiro a pep speech the night before. Something which Tanjiro seemed to take to heart. "Just don't remain overly confident Kamado." 

As Tanjiro, Kanao and Zenitsu walked down Tanjiro looked back and waved. Tanya and a few others waved back, all of them except Urokodaki were going to leave soon themselves. With Tanya dreading when Shinobu mentioned something about her birthday last night. 

but then Tanjiro yelled something that made both Urokodaki and Giyu flinch "Say thank you to Sabito and Makomo for me!" Shinobu looked thoughtful as she said "Sabito and Makomo? The name 'sabito'...did that not belong to the other water breather who went with us to final selection Tomioka?" Giyu hesitantly nodded, though he did not know who Makomo was. Urokodaki said with a sullen voice "how does Tanjiro know the names of the dead?" all of them except Giyu gave him a shocked expression. 

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Tanjiro and the other two students made it to the final selection site. They noticed many people around them, each with a sword on them. "Oh man, some of these guys look scary." Zenistu grasped his head, crying as usual. Tanjiro patted him on the shoulder "I am sure we will be fine. Who knows, some of these people may join us." while the two boys talked, Kanao looked over and saw Genya, she had not seen him much, only once when Kanae was around. She waved at him but the boy she scoffed and did not acknowledge her beyond that. 

Suddenly two white-haired girls walked up near the entrance gate of where the final selection would take place. "Greeting. We thank you all for making it to the final selection." after saying that, they would explain about mount Fujikasane, the wisteria flowers, and the demons trapped inside. When he heard the demons trapped within were Zenitsu would shake even harder mumbling very fast "I am going to die, I am going to die, I am going to die." it concerned Tanjiro a little, but he was confident they all would survive he would make sure of it. 

Finally, just as the girls finished and announced it was time. A speedy boy rushed past them, shouting incoherently in the distance. "What was that?" Tanjiro asked. Zenitstu gave an uncertain expression "I don't know…I think it was a trainee as well? He just keeps shouting 'I will kill the most'" Zenitsu was very off-put, but his expression quickly changed to one of fear as Tanjiro pushed him inside. "No wait, wait, I don't want to die!" both Tanjiro and Kanao sighed, it was going to be a long seven nights. 

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The three ran through the forest, sticking close to each other with minimal distraction or demon attacks. "S-seven nights is too much!" Zenitsu yelled out as it was fully nighttime now, Kanao and Tanjiro had so far dealt with the demons when they did come to attack while he just cowered nearby. Two other demons lunged at Tanjiro, he managed to fend them off, "Hey, is there a way to turn a demon back into a human?!" Tanjiro shouted at them, but the demons ignored him and seemed preoccupied arguing about which of them saw him first. 

Kanao's eyes narrowed while Zenitsu fumbles on his legs. She was a bit concerned about Tanjiro constantly asking demons about how to turn other demons back into humans. 'I am certain that they would have tried it themselves if they knew.' she thought to herself. Kanao knew Tanjiro wanted to change his sister into a human again, but she doubted he would get any good information from the demons trapped here. Even if they would know something they were all far too hungry for conversation. Seeing the demons rush at Tanjiro the girl would waste no time, as she used second form flower breathing and Tanjiro used first form water breathing. The demon's necks were cut and their heads rolled off. "AH!" Zenitsu shouted as he rushed over to the two when one of the heads rolled near him. 

The three of them would continue a little further, suddenly Zenitsu would stop. "G-guys." he said, shaking as he had been throughout most of the night. Kanao looked around "I don't see anything." Zenitsu shook his head, he could hear it. Large stomping noises and it was getting closer, as well as yelling. "Zenitsu whatever it is I am sure-" Tanjiro stopped talking as both he and Kanao heard the yelling as well. 

The three of them hide, and they looked and saw a gigantic demon, seemingly covered in a mountainous amount of arms and hands. In just one of the hands, it had another examinee in, whether they were unconscious or just dead they could not tell. The other guy who the demon was chasing, as well as Tanjiro, Kanao, and Zenitsu all watched in shock and horror as the demon opened its arms and largemouth, putting the one he was holding in all at once and eating him whole. Zenitsu was foaming scared at the mouth, somehow not falling unconscious out of pure fear. 'He…he swallowed them whole?' Tanjiro thought to himself. 

"Ah.." the other examinee who was close to the demon struggled to his feet and began running as fast as he could. "Running are we?" the large hand demon started combining some of the arms and hands and then suddenly one longer arm shot out and grabbed him. Zenitsu was to scared to move, Kanao was about to take out her coin to see if they should help the guy or not. But Tanjiro started rushing at the demon. "Water breathing, Second form; water wheel!" surprising the hand demon Tanjiro can off the arm and the examinee fell to the floor. "T-thank you." he managed to sputter out. Kanao had walked over as well, it never ceased to amaze her how Tanjiro acted without thinking. 

"More annoying pests…" his eyes scanned the people near him, the boy he originally went for, Zenitsu who was the furthest away but who flinched at his mere glancing. The girl who seemed calm, and the boy who attacked him. His eyes narrowed upward "my my, it's another one of those cute foxes." Tanjiro seemed confused by this, but the hand demon seemed a bit frustrated. "You, boy. What year is it? Are we still in Meiji?" Tanjiro shook his head "no we are in the Taisho era now. I think it is 1914" he spoke nervously, worried about what the demon may try. 

The hand demon froze for a moment, and then suddenly in a scene that shook all four present examinees except Kanaoi the hand demon picked and pulled at his own skin. "TAISHO?! Decades stuck here! So long, too, too long! DAMN YOU UROKODAKI!" Tanjiro's teeth seethed a little at the mention of his master's name. "What do you mean? What master Urokodaki do to you?" The hand demon grunted "he is the demon slayer that trapped me here! It is his fault I've been trapped here for over a few decades!" suddenly the other examinee said "you're lying!" he spoke in a fearful tone "no demon could survive that long in here!" the hand demon chuckled "and yet somehow I have. Surviving all the final selections thus far, eating all who come across me. Especially those sweet little foxes." 

All eyes landed on Tanjiro, Kanao gave a strong look of concern for the boy. "What…what do you mean by that?" the demon stared raising fingers and counting, stopping at fourteen. "You'd be number 14, well 15 if I count the weakling saved by that stone breather." Tanjiro shook, barely keeping a steady hold on his sword. "You see because he trapped me hear, I made a vow that I would devour every student he sent here." the demon pointed at the fox mask on Tanjiro's head. "That mask is how I can tell them apart from the others. He calls them warding masks but that is how I pick who to kill! Hahhaha, its like he enjoys sending them to their deaths!" 

Hearing that Tanjiro shouted out "Don't you say that about Urokodaki!" but as if the Hand demon was ignoring him he would continue, "I think the ones that stood out the most to me were those two, A girl who could move quite nimbly, of course, it was not long before I got her and tore her to shreds!" unlike the others Tanjiro knew who the demon was talking about, and it made shocked, confused, and angry. "And then there was that peace-haired boy, I was the closest to getting me, but his sword broke against my neck. So I crushed his head!" the hand demon spoke in a gleeful dark tone, reimagining both of their deaths. 'sabito…Makomo…so when I was talking and training with them…they were dead?' The revelation shocked the boy of course. 

Tanjiro could be calm and collected. But he took out his sword and began breathing his breathing technique. But a hand came flying at him from the side. "Flower breathing…" Kanao got in the way and managed to cut off the arm. The two nodded at each other. They ran up to teh demon who hand multiple arms and hands thrown at them. "Water breathing, third form…" "flower breathing, first form…" they cut around the hands, Tanjiro suddenly cut into an arm that was tough, and his blade was momentarily stuck. Same for kanao, the two were hit by a hand from their left and right side. Sending Tanjiro flying into a tree, cracking the warding mask, and causing his head to bleed a little. Kanao's cheek bleed a little as she winched and slid against the ground. "Such good teamwork, you can all die together!" 

"AHHHHHH! No no!" Zenitsu yelled as he started running away, the other examinee started sneaking away, whispering "I am sorry you two, but I don't want to die." the hand demon chuckled "seems you two were left alone." Kanao struggled to her feet, as did Tanjiro. 'He hit so hard, I can barely stand.' he looked over at Kanao, he clenched his teeth. "Kanao run! I will hold them off!" the girl was stunned to hear this, and just as a hand came for her Tanjiro got up and cut it off. The hand demon chuckled "aww, just like the last weakling. Sacrificing himself to save a lady. Not this time!" the two examinees were forced to defend again, with Tanjiro getting hit again after a fourth punch. 

Tanjiro would cough up blood. "Tanji-" before Kanao could finish the boy put his arm out. "Go Kanao, please." more hands came in "w…water breathing, fourth form; Striking tide!" Tanjiro cut away as many arms and hands as he could. Kanao hesitantly stood back. She took out her coin. 'Heads I stay, tails I retreat.' she flipped it, sweat beading down her head. When she caught it she shook a little, it was tails. She slowly started backing away, she wanted to say something to Tanjiro. But nothing came out. 'I…' Kanao backed away. 'I…' she saw as Tanjiro got hit backwards, and into a tree again. Two hands rushed towards him. As if something clicked in Kanao's head she suddenly made a decision 'I don't want Tanjiro to die!' as just as a hand just about grabbed Tanjiro Kanao cut both off with the third form of flower breathing. 

"K-Kanao?" Tanjiro managed to gasp out. "I…I won't leave you behind Tanjiro." she knows the boy cannot see her slightly blushing face from his position, but it was there. The hand demon chuckled "very well I will kill and eat you both!...what?" the hand demon turned its gaze and saw a figure about to cut at him. "Second fang…slice" the figure only cut off three hands with the X motion of the swords. "Gah? More pests?!" Kanao and Tanjiro witnessed as landing before they wale a male wielding two swords with jagged points along the sharp edge. Most oddly wearing a boar mask. "Hahahahah, three hands from two slashes! Weak!" the boar boy shouted at the demon, which made the demon's eyes go bloodshot from frustration. "I don't care how many of you come, I will kill you all!" 

Meanwhile, the other examinee who had snuck away caught his breath. He felt regretful for leaving them behind, but he wanted to survive. "No no no no…" he heard whimpering nearby. He looked and saw a boy hunched over 'hey isn't that the guy that came with those two?' as he approached Zenitsu was far too stuck in his sorrows to hear him. "Oh man, Tanjiro and kanao are dead…Nezuko is going to end up hating me before even properly meeting me because I left her brother behind. Mary is going to hate me, miss Tanya will kill me. Gramps will probably finally give up on-" the other boy tapped Zenitsu on the shoulder "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH A demon!" 

Before the examinee could assure Zenitsu he was no demon the boy suddenly fell over. It took a few seconds to realize Zenitsu had fallen asleep somehow after his freak out. "...what?" he said in confusion. While he was trying to figure out what was going on he heard footsteps, he looked to his left and saw a hungry-looking demon coming out from a bush. "Ahh, two humans right for the picking." the examinee back away a little, but clearly going for the one he saw first the demon lunged at him. The boy reached for his sword, but the demon knocked it out of his hands and pinned him right to the ground. "Get off me!" he shouted as the demon chuckled gleefully. He reached his hand back "I like my meat tender!" 

He closed his eyes as the demon went to beat him. Instead, he felt the body land on him, he opened his eyes and saw the body disappearing on top of him, and the head on the ground. He was a bit disgusted that the body was disappearing on him, but he was happier to still be alive and mostly unharmed. He looked over and saw Zenistu with his eyes closed, holding his sword in its hilt. Without a word to him, the yellow-haired boy ran back in the direction of the hand demon. When the body was finally gone, the boy got up. "Did something happen to that boy? He was crying just a moment ago." 

Back over at the hand demon, the three were struggling to keep up with the hand demon. "Get out of my way!" The boar boy, Inosuke, whose name they learned during the fight when he said "The great INOSUKE Hashibara will be the one to kill you." unfortunately he did not seem to be the best team player, he was got hurt many times because he pushed Tanjiro or Kanao away when they tried to help him. Tanjiro coughed and wiped his face "this demon's attacks are to fast, I am using to many attacks to keep up as well. Inosuke has more energy than Kanao and I. but he keeps getting right after cutting off a few arms." 

Tanjiro shaking clenched his sword's handle, 'I don't know if we can win…' he struggled to breathe even, when a thought came to him, something Tanya said. "If your command does not work on your unit, then use that to your advantage." Tanjiro steadied his gaze. 'Thank you miss Kocho. I get it now.' he finally realized, that Inosuke's duel wielding was the perfect thing he needed to keep the demon off him. "Inosuke! Kanao has cut off more hands than you! Even if you kill the demon, I think she won over you!" 

Inosuke growled "WHAT?! You, moth lady, is that true?!" he pointed one of his swords at Kanao. "Yes…and Butterfly lady would make sense at least." She nodded at Tanjiro, understanding what he needed from her, to keep Inosuke's competitive spirit up. "Ahhhh, unacceptable! I won't be outdone at all!" He suddenly ran directly up to the hand demon "idiot!" teh demon shouted as it surrounded Inosuke with many hands. "Fifth fang; Cutting crazy!" he would jump in the air and cut away all the hands. But in the middle of his celebrating Kanao would get up to the demon, and cut away just as many hands when the Hand demon went to defend himself. Which made Inosuke even angrier. 

Tanjiro ran up to the demon, he felt hands coming from beneath him and jumped up. "I got you now!" Tanjiro looked up and saw hands and arms coming from above him as well. Suddenly though a flash of lightning went by. The hands above him were cut off. "It's you!" the hand demon saw Zenitsu on his front. And using the demon's own body as a launching pad Zenitsu breathed in "thunder breathing, first form; Thunderclap and flash" he cut the hands below Tanjiro as well. 'All four of them…they are catching up. And that cowardice boy can keep up with his eyes closed?!' the demon thought to himself, getting increasingly frustrated. 

"Zenitsu thank you. Keep the hands off me, Inosuke and Kanao will take care of his sides. I got his neck." though the sleep-fighting Zenitsu did not know who Inosuke was, he nodded. Working together the four would full team assault the hand demon. Zenitsu would cut away any hands that tried to disrupt Tanjiro when he ran up to the demon. Inosuke and Kanao were cutting away so many arms and hands the Hand demon's healing could barely keep up. Tanjiro managed to get on an arm, he ran along with it towards the demon's neck. 

"Water breathing, first form; water surface slash!" Tanjiro kept up his form as he cut away the arms that shout out of the one he was already on. He jumped from the arm toward the head, crossing his arms in front of him. He saw the opening thread. The demon's eyes narrowed 'once his sword breaks, I will just crush his head like the last one.' and then in one singular motion. It was done. Tanjiro cut through the thick layer of hands and the neck. He landed roughly on his back. While the demon's head landed and rolled a bit, stopping as it watched its own body disappear. 'No. no my body is going to be gone soon and I cannot even stop it!' 

'This boy…' the head glared at Tanjiro who gave him a sympathetic look. He walked up to one of the hands of the demon. And he held it. When the demon disappeared it thought back to when he ate his older brother. And when Urokodaki captured him. He cried a little. When he opened his eyes next, he ran through a field. "Brother!" the demon shouted, no, the human boy, said to his older brother. "Don't leave like that." the older brother chuckled "alright you big cry baby hold on to me." 

As Inosuke celebrated his "sole victory." Kanao caught her breath a bit away. Zenitsu's nose bubble popped and he suddenly woke up. 'AHHH…ah?" he looked around, seeing an unfamiliar male wearing a boar mask, along with Tanjiro and Kanao. Though he could not see or hear the demon, he wondered if they had killed it or just escaped. He was the only one who noticed Tanjiro's far-away gaze. Tanjiro saw Sabito, Makomo, and many other children wearing fox masks. 'Its all over now. All of you can finally rest and be at peace.' the children one by one left into the fog, Sabito nodded, and hopped off the boulder he was sitting on. And Makomo gave Tanjiro one last smile before leaving as well. 'You are all going back to mount Sagiri, to be with Urokodaki. Even if just as spirits. Even if he may never know it' 

He looked back at everyone. "Thank you all for your help," he said bowing to them. Zenitsu and Kanao noticed there was a great meaning behind why he said it beyond normal gratefulness. Tanjiro would then walk up to Inosuke "hey, Hashibara, would you like to join us? We can keep each other safe for the remaining nights of the final selection." the boar boy pointed at Tanjiro "only if you fight me!" Tanjiro's eyes widened, as did the others. "Um…after I am no longer exhausted sure." Inosuke was annoyed by having to wait, but he would agree for now. He would also scare Zenitsu by asking the same, but he hide behind Kanao. Tanjiro grinned, 'Miss Kocho was right, doing this together really was for the best.' 

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It was now the last night, Tanjiro, Kanao, and Zenitsu were slowly making their way down. Inosuke insisted on racing, but Tanjiro had no idea where Inosuke was now after he ran off, though he seemed to have forgotten about his fight with Tanjiro since he never brought it up again. Finally, the moment the three of them were just a few minutes from the gate. "We did it…" Tanjiro said as Kanao gave a small but happy smile. Zenitsu let out tears "it's finally over. I did not die…" 

Eventually, after exiting the gate the only other person they saw was Genya, who made an avid point of not looking at them. "Wait where is Inosuke? He ran ahead of us." for a moment Tanjiro was worried Inosuke ran into trouble on the way down. But Zenitsu tiredly shook his head "no he made it. I don't know where he went, but he made it down first. I heard him yelling out in celebration when he did." Tanjiro nodded. He looked around, no one else seemed to make it. 

"Hey, its you guys." Tanjiro would see the boy he protected from the hand demon walking out of the gate. "You made it back alive? Thank heavens." Tanjiro's mood increased when he saw the boy. "Yeah. I was able to avoid more demons. Though I nearly was done for, your pal there saved me." he looked over at Zenitsu, who looked around him but Kanao was at Tanjiro's other side. "Me?" The boy nodded "yeah. You cut the demon's head when it had me pinned." the boy bowed his head at the three of them "thank you for saving me, I know I left you guys back there. But thank you." he held out his hand to Tanjiro, who shook it "I am Koya Eriya." Tanjiro smiled "Tanjiro kamado. And this is Kanao Tsuyuri, and Zenitsu Agatsuma" 

No one else came down the mountain. Tanjiro stood in silence as the five present stood and listened to the girls from the beginning who explained what would happen now. As they went through the rankings of the demon slayer corps he thought to himself 'including Inosuke, that means only six survived…' he made a silent prayer for all those who had lost their lives this final selection. 

The girl clapped their hands and crows came flying out, landing on each of their shoulders. "These are Kasugai Crows. They will be informing you of missions, and be your guide." Zenitsu blinked and looked at his, which was smaller, brightly colored, and clearly not a crow. "Crows? Why is mine a sparrow?" the small bird chirped. Tanjiro petted his crow, Kanao smiled at hers. Koya nervously looked at his. "Enough!" Genya shouted as he shook his crow off him, the crow squawking as he did. 

Genya would walk up to the twin girls, and grab one of the hair. "No more talk. Give me my damn sword!" Tanjiro put his hand on Genya's wrist "let go of her." he spoke sternly, and Genya glared at him. The other three were worried, while Genya was injured he clearly had needed less patchwork than Tanjiro who was covered in bandages. Genya could easily beat up Tanjiro in his condition. But before anything could happen the girls spoke, the one who got their hair pulled not even seeming fazed.

"You will get your swords, but first you must pick the ore for it to be forged from by the swordsmiths," they spoke in unison, motioning to the table behind them. It had many different ores scattered around it. "The hell?" Genya muttered under his breath, pushing Tanjiro away from him as he walked up to the table. Tanjiro looked among the table, everyone seemed confused about what to pick, Kanao took out her coin after getting stuck on two pieces of ore. Tanjiro looked at the table, and after a few moments, reached his hand out. 

"See you Zenitsu, say hi to your master and Miss Sue for me." Zenitsu went off, waving to them as well. Genya had left right after picking an ore. While Koya had left not long after, he did say bye to them. All that was left was Tanjiro and Kanao. "Well, I am heading back to mount Sagiri. You?" Kanao took a moment to respond "home. I will tell my sisters you said hi." Tanjiro nodded "we will see each other again, you, me, Zenitsu, even Inosuke. We are a team, a unit." he held out his hand for her to shake. Kanao seemed hesitant, she took out her coin and flipped it. It landed on heads so she shook his hand "thank you Tanjiro." 

As she went to walk away Tanjiro put a hand on her shoulder. "One more thing Kanao.if you do mind me asking. What was it like making your first decision without your coin? One you made with your heart instead." Kanao looked up at him, and instantly looked away "I don't know what you mean." Tanjiro walked in front of her "the coin told you to run away right? I could smell the distress from you. It was a big one." Kanao was confused, and a little embarrassed. She wanted to protest that as her making a decision. Suddenly Tanjiro took a hold of her hand "Kanoa, thank you. For everything. I know I told you to leave but despite what your coin said. You choose to stay and fight with me. You saved my life." 

Kanao's eyes widened as she realized Tanjiro was right. The memory of what Kanae said when she first gave her the coin. 'When your heart can blossom once more, you can make your own decisions. And until then, take this to help you.' she looked back at Tanjiro, he let go of her hand, but she grasped his "your welcome Tanjiro…I look forward to seeing you again. And I hope you can save your sister as well." Tanjiro nodded, his face flushed a little pink when he saw the happy smile on Kanao's face. "I will." 

As Tanjiro walked away Kanao held her heart, she still was not ready to part with her coin just yet. But now she knew she was not just an empty husk. She was capable of emotions and decisions. 'Thank you Tanjiro Kamado.'' 

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"Grrrrrrrr…." Being X grumbled loudly. While Being Z giggled "annoyed your plan did not work? It was not even because of Tanya this time!" she gloated and teased. Being X was far above annoyed at this point. 

He had two plans now, his sight focused on Muzan and his other on another figure, Zettour. "It will end in my favor Z." as Being Z giggled "oh I am sure it will~" she mockingly said. She could laugh for now, X was certain he could not only win the first time but use this first world to finally break Tanya for good. He just needed a little more time….