Final Selection

(3rd Person POV)

Asahi stood before a large boulder. Urokodaki had given him the task of splitting the boulder. His was a bit larger though. He had finally achieved Total Concentration Breathing and he saw a surge in strength, which was very impressive. 

Total Concentration Breathing is a breathing technique which involves expanding one's lungs to intake as much air as possible, accelerating one's blood flow and heartbeat while increasing one's inner body temperature, resulting in one's bones and muscles becoming more excited. Using Total Concentration Breathing essentially enhances the user's physical traits and capabilities while remaining human. Such traits include superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, endurance, and the mental abilities needed to keep up with their superhuman bodies, such as a faster thought process and reaction time. Being more proficient in Total Concentration Breathing is key to raising one's survivability while fighting demons.

When Asahi finally learned how to do it, his strength, speed, stamina and endurance shot through the roof. If the Upper Moon Six had been standing still while he had used Transparent World before, with Total Concentration Breathing, it would no doubt feel like time had stopped. He was seriously powerful with it and was already working on mastering it by achieving Total Concentration: Constant.

Total Concentration: Constant is a Total Concentration Breathing state during the morning, noon, and night, and even while asleep that advanced Demon Slayers, such as the Hashira, can constantly maintain. There is an immense difference in strength, speed, and stamina between someone who can maintain Total Concentration Breathing at all times and someone who cannot. By doing it every minute of the day, one's physical fitness drastically improves.

Learning to maintain a constant state of Total Concentration Breathing requires tremendous effort, though, the skill itself is noted to be quite elementary despite the required effort. When Tanjiro Kamado first heard of the constant technique, he thought it was impossible as he already found it extremely hard to just use the breathing technique for just a little and when he started practising it for a longer period, he felt like dying. His lungs and head would hurt and his eardrums would pound, and for a second he was terrified that his heart was coming out of his ears.

The training process involves blowing into a special type of gourd, one that is much harder than usual. The objective is to blow into the gourd with enough strength to make the gourd break apart. As training progresses, the gourd is replaced by larger and larger versions of the same type of gourd. The largest known examples are about the size of a chair.

Apart from that, he had seen Urokodaki use all 10 forms of Water Breathing and despite his offering to teach him, Asahi refused to go beyond the basics. He took inspiration but didn't perfect it, it would take too much time in his opinion. There was a simple reason for it. He was working on his personal Breathing Style and this one was going to be as straightforward as powerful. And in the future, if he manages to achieve his plans, the Multiverse might be open for him to travel and extend his Breathing Style. 

.

Now, Asahi was standing before the boulder and thought about how he should go about it. The easiest way was to just use his knife and be done with it. He practiced using a Katana but that wasn't his weapon. After the Final Selection, Asahi will specifically ask for a wakizashi. The wakizashi has a blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in) in length. Wakizashi close to the length of a katana are called ō-wakizashi and wakizashi closer to tantō length are called ko-wakizashi. Wakizashi are not necessarily just a smaller version of the katana; they could be forged differently and have a different cross-section.

To prove himself, that his training this past month was not wasted, Asahi decided to use the Katana to cut through the bolder. He took a deep breath, just like he had learned from Urokodaki. The oxygen filled his lungs and saturated his blood, granting his muscles all the energy they would need. He could feel his pulse and blood pressure rise. 

"Haaa ..."

White steam exited out of his mouth as he exhaled. He held the Katana above his head and breathed slowly and steadily. He was in no hurry at all and took it slow. Then, he opened his eyes and brought the Katana down in a vertical slash.

*SWING*

The Katana cut through the air and passed the boulder as if it were made of paper. Asahi looked at the split boulder with satisfaction. He had grown a lot stronger in the last month and the split boulder was his proof. And there was something else he found out. After he reaches the peak strength in this world, using Breathing Techniques will elevate him even further, making him reach beyond peak human levels of strength in this world, without using the powers of the demons he slayed and will slay. 

Asahi looks back and sees Urokodaki coming towards him. He walks up to the bolder and then nods his head as if he had expected this outcome. 

"Not even an hour after I gave you this test and you already accomplished it. I have never seen a more talented and physically gifted man like you, Asahi. You have my full permission to go to the Final Selection. Anything else would be a crime on my part. I know that you will achieve great things and kill many demons in your life. Please, stay safe."

Asahi bowed in respect to Urokodaki. He had taught him a lot, and despite it only taking one month, he was grateful.

"I will. Thank you for your help, Urokodaki-san."

.

Asahi made his way to the Final Selection. The Final Selection takes place on Mount Fujikasane, where wisteria flowers bloom every season from the mountain's foot to its slope. The area around the mountaintop does not have any wisteria flowers and is infested with demons, which were caught alive and placed on the mountain by existing Demon Slayers. Since wisteria is poisonous to demons, they remain trapped inside the mountain and cannot leave. Most of the demons captured are relatively weak and have only killed up to two or three people, presenting enough of a challenge for candidates to test their skills. However, there was one example of an abnormally strong demon that managed to kill and devour over fifty candidates for decades, or shall we say, he would have done that. 

Asahi looked around and saw no one he remembered from the anime. He thought that since he was going to become a Demon Slayer this early, there might be a chance for him to meet some of the Hashira when they took the test. Of course, this would have been very strange if it happened since the chance is so slim. 

At nightfall, the candidates are instructed to ascend the stairs leading to the mountaintop shrine and await the commencement of the event. Nearly twenty young swordsmen usually participate in each iteration and this time, they were barely 14. Two young Ubuyashiki, representing the Ubuyashiki Family, act as the event organizers and will arrive together to brief the candidates on the rules.

"Good evening. Tonight you've come to enter the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection. Thank you all for being here. There are several demons here, kept for this event. The wisteria blossoms prevent them from leaving. They bloom around this mountain all year round and they cover everything from the base till halfway to the top. 

But the wisteria ends here, so there are demons inbound from this point on and they are very hungry. In order to pass the Final Selection, you must survive seven consecutive nights on the mountaintop, relying solely on your own resources without external assistance. Those among you who manage to survive all seven nights successfully are granted the opportunity to join the esteemed ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps as official Demon Slayers.

And now, be on your way."

Asahi started to make his way up the mountain, leaving the safe place of the wisteria flowers behind. He wasn't really bothered by the 'danger' of the Final Selection. What bothered him, was the lack of interesting fights he would get to go through. He didn't bother to move quickly and just spread his senses to locate anything coming towards him. His strength would normally keep weaker beings away, but he has learned how to control his presence and not scare everyone he encounters. It was also necessary, since he was certain, that he wouldn't get to do anything otherwise. No demon would attack him if he didn't hide his presence or aura. 

The first night, nothing happened. Asahi spent the entire night practising Total Concentration: Constant and was making remarkable progress. He has realised that after he used the knife to cut away his weakness, he also unleashed his talent in a way. Like the weakness which he cut, was the dirt on top of his potential and now that this dirt was gone, he had full access to the potential in his body. He was still not as talented as Yoriichi was, or at least he assumed that, but the speed at which he learned the Total Concentration Breathing as well as the basics of Water Breathing, were unbelievably quick. However, Asahi was focused on creating his own breathing technique. 

.

As the second night arrived, Asahi felt the presence of not one, not two, but three demons approach his position. He was practising his breathing on a small bolder when his senses warned him of the attack. He tilted his head to the side slightly, dodging the long claws of a demon. In the same movement, he moved his head back, letting another attack pass over him and finally, he rolled backwards before the third one smashed into the bolder.

*Booom*

"Damn you!" the first one yelled and attacked the second demon. 

He tried to pierce him with his claws, but the second one managed to stop him before he could do any damage. The third one was a knucklehead and just joined in the fun, trying to attack the other two at the same time.

"Don't even try to grab my prey, you pricks!"

"Get off my turf!"

"Let's fight, hahahaha"

"The fuck? Piss off you idiot, this is a serious manner!"

"That's right, piss off, that's my prey!"

"First come, first served!"

"Yare yare gentlemen … there is no need for you to fight. I will kill you all at the same time. So please, don't fight."

…

The three demons look at Asahi and then run towards him. Ironically, they are running towards their deaths. The first, second and the muscleheaded third jump into the air or simply try to use their head to crush Asahi. 

Time seemed to stand still for a moment. If this were an anime, a sudden change would take place, but this is the real world … so instead of reaching a miraculous breakthrough, three slashes suddenly appeared in the air.

*Swing*

*Swing*

*Swing*

…

Then three heads fly through the air and fall to the ground. Asahi continues walking and looks for others he could use to develop his breathing style further. From the three weak demons, Asahi only used the knife to absorb the minuscule amount of Muzan's blood which made them into demons. All of this was to further enhance the ability he had already absorbed. 

.

After another day of only slaying one demon, Asahi decided to change his tactic. He chose to go on the offensive. The weaker demons were useful to train the young Demon Slayers, but there was one who was too strong for a region such as this and that was the Hand Demon. The one Urokodaki had brought here. It was the strongest one here on Mount Fujikasane and therefore at least worth bothering with for a few minutes. And after looking for him for roughly a day, Asahi finally found him. 

The Hand Demon was a monstrously large, veiny, hulking monster with olive green skin, blood-red fingernails, and beady yellow eyes with cross-hatch-shaped pupils. He used to have a very normal humanoid appearance, with regular hair and clothes, but after he started devouring 50 humans, he started growing in size. He grew multiple arms and his mouth became huge, with jagged teeth. He grew so many arms that not only was he forced to stop wearing his clothes, using his arms instead to cover himself, he stopped moving around in a bipedal manner, instead moving on all his hands like an animal.

"Boy, now you are one ugly fucker. What on earth happened to you?" Asahi asks as the Hand Demon is about to kill a young man. 

The demon halts his action and looks at Asahi. 

"Hm? Who are you?"

"Why does it matter? We will fight and you will die and finally be free of your appearance. I can understand your pain of having to go through life like that. Truly unfortunate."

"… What year of Meiji is it now?"

"It's 1900 so … you tell me."

"AAAAARRRGHHH Damn you Urokodaki!! Damn, you damn you damn you damn youuuuu!"

"Shut up. Why are you screaming like this?"

"Do you know how many years I was impriso-"

"I take it back, I don't want to know."

"You're quite the-"

"Alright, how about we just move on to the part where you wiggle yourself and I cut you apart? That would reduce the nightmares I will have because I had to look at you."

"Insolent Brat!!" He shouts and several of his hands shoot forward to attack Asahi. 

"Finally, I thought this would go on forever."

Asahi moves through the limbs without bothering to say anything anymore. He has practised for this moment. Not because he was anxious or unsure whether he would win. No of course not. He wanted to use the Final Selection as the moment he introduced the world to his Breathing Style. A new one, which he created himself. 

"Stand still!!"

"Very well."

The knife appears in Asahi's hand and he gets into position. He breathes deeply and focuses on the task at hand … to look as cool as possible. His breathing pattern suddenly changes and takes sharp turns, seemingly unnatural for anyone who knows about Breathing Styles. It seems as if, his breathing pattern is suddenly … sharper. The world slows down in his perception again and he closes his eyes once more. Then, the words appear on their own. 

<Blade Breathing - First Form: Cut>

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If you know a better name, tell me. I didn't want to call it Cut Breathing. That would be too much for my tastes.