Fujikasane Mountain

The teleportation process was not as comfortable as Haru had imagined, accompanied by nausea and dizziness. This might be because it was his first time experiencing it.

Haru held back the nausea from the teleportation and looked around; he found himself in the middle of a dense forest. The fresh aroma of the trees and damp earth welcomed him, while the sound of chirping birds and a gentle breeze surrounded him. Since this was a new and unexplored world for Haru, there were no other reincarnators around. This allowed him to freely do anything without being disturbed by other reincarnators.

The sky was already evening, and the sun was about to set when he arrived in this world, so within half an hour of exploring the surroundings, the sun had already set.

Based on the height of the trees and the density of the forest, Haru concluded that he was currently in a world set before the year 2000. He didn't know the specific location since he hadn't found any houses on the mountain. Haru was currently resting against a strange tree that bloomed with beautiful purple flowers. Oddly enough, this tree grew all over the mountain except at the peak.

Looking at this tree, for some reason, Haru felt a sense of familiarity. He thought for a moment, and with the help of his absolute memory, he finally recalled that this flower was called wisteria. Judging by the number of them covering the mountain, he realized where he was. He was at Fujikasane Mountain, the place where demons captured by the Demon Slayers were imprisoned and where the final exam took place.

He just didn't know the timeline of the plot, although the reincarnation tower would place reincarnators not far from ongoing plot events, the specific timing was uncertain—perhaps it was about to start, or at the beginning, or maybe even midway.

.....

Meanwhile, on the other side, a young boy with reddish-black hair and a scar resembling fire on his left forehead moved quickly, staying alert to his surroundings. The young boy wore a green checkered haori and carried a katana at his waist.

The boy's nose kept sniffing, as if he was tracking something. He turned to the right and walked deeper into the mountain. If Haru were there, he would immediately recognize him; the young boy was Tanjirou Kamado. After successfully passing the test set by Urokodaki Sakonji to split a boulder, Tanjirou was finally allowed to participate in the final selection.

The final selection involved surviving for seven days on Fujikasane Mountain, where demons captured by the Demon Slayer Corps were imprisoned.

Tanjirou's goal in joining the Demon Slayer Corps was to find a way to turn his little sister, Nezuko, who had turned into a demon, back into a human. Therefore, Tanjirou would ask every demon he encountered, which was why he was actively searching for demons during the final selection.

.....

Back to where Haru was.

As Haru was contemplating his next steps, the sound of battle caught his attention. Upon hearing the sounds of combat, he realized that today was the day the final selection was being held. To confirm the timeline of the plot, Haru decided to rush to the location of the battle.

...

At the battle site, Tanjirou was panting and staring at the gigantic demon in front of him, which had many waving hands. Because the demon's neck was covered by hands, Tanjirou failed to sever its head and almost got killed if it weren't for his extraordinary reflexes.

"First Form: Water Surface Slash"

Tanjirou pulled his right leg back before running toward the Hand Demon and unleashing a horizontal slash to behead it.

The Hand Demon blocked Tanjirou's attack with one of its hands; due to Tanjirou's strike, the hand was severed but quickly regenerated in just a few seconds.

"Second Form: Water Wheel"

Tanjirou leaped forward into the air and performed a front flip, intending to unleash a vertical slash, but the Hand Demon attacked first.

"Sixth Form: Water Tornado"

Tanjirou used the sixth form of Water Breathing for defense, spinning his body and using his blade to execute a powerful rotating movement that tore through the Hand Demon's attack.

"Such amazing sword skills," Haru said as he had just arrived at the scene. He observed Tanjirou's movements and found that Tanjirou's speed was only slightly faster than his own, as he had yet to learn any breathing techniques. He felt that his decision to choose the Senju lineage (Mokuton) was correct, as it gave him a physique nearly on par with Tanjirou, who had learned Water Breathing techniques.

Haru looked around and found a Nichirin blade stuck in the ground.

Without hesitation, Haru grabbed the sword and ran to help Tanjirou. Although he hadn't learned any breathing techniques, Haru had some basic kendo skills that were enough to assist Tanjirou. As long as he could distract the Hand Demon and allow Tanjirou to behead it, that would suffice.

"Hey, let me help you!" Haru yelled at Tanjirou.

"No, don't come here, it's dangerous," Tanjirou said as he noticed that Haru had not trained in breathing techniques.

"Don't worry, I'm confident in my speed. I'll distract it, and then you can behead it," Haru said as he stood beside Tanjirou.

"By the way, my name is Kasugano Haruka; you can call me Haru," Haru introduced himself to make communication easier.

"I'm Tanjirou Kamado; you can also call me Tanjirou."

"Haru, be careful," Tanjirou said seriously.

Haru stood tall beside Tanjirou, the Nichirin sword he had just picked up glimmering under the moonlight. Tanjirou looked at Haru with mixed feelings—worried yet moved by his bravery.

"The Hand Demon won't stop until it gets us," Tanjirou said, preparing himself. "We have to attack simultaneously!"

Haru nodded, and they moved together. Tanjirou dashed toward the Hand Demon at high speed, while Haru tried to draw the demon's attention by jumping to the side and swinging his sword.

Haru launched a not-so-strong attack but enough to make the Hand Demon turn.

Tanjirou seized the moment. With the calmness he had trained for, he felt the flow of water around him. His feet trembled slightly on the ground as he gathered his breath.

"Third Form: Flowing Dance," he whispered, moving his sword gracefully, delivering a series of slashes focused on the Hand Demon's neck.

However, the demon quickly raised several of its hands, blocking Tanjirou's attack. "Do you think that's enough to defeat me?" the Hand Demon yelled with a terrifying voice, its tone vibrating in waves that sent chills down Haru's spine.

Haru didn't stand idly by. He leaped forward, trying to press down one of the Hand Demon's hands that were obstructing Tanjirou.

"Now!" Haru shouted, creating an opening for Tanjirou to attack.

Quickly, Tanjirou took advantage of the opportunity. "First Form: Water Surface Slash!" He unleashed a stronger horizontal slash, hoping to behead the Hand Demon. The remaining hand was severed, and the demon let out a horrific scream as its blood sprayed everywhere.

"Haru, keep going!" Tanjirou shouted, seeing the Hand Demon starting to lose its balance.

Haru rushed to the other side, trying to divert the demon's attention further. "You can't win against us!" he yelled, swinging his sword agilely, targeting the still-active hands. He felt adrenaline coursing through his body, and for a moment, all his fears vanished.

The Hand Demon growled in anger at having its attacks thwarted. "You foolish human! You have no idea who you're dealing with!" it screamed, swinging its hands wildly.

Tanjirou moved closer, observing the demon's attack patterns. "Sixth Form: Water Tornado!" Tanjirou spun his body again, creating a powerful whirlwind. The Hand Demon's attack was deflected, and Tanjirou felt the strength flowing through each movement.

However, the Hand Demon remained standing, despite its injuries. Tanjirou knew they had to end this battle quickly. "Haru, we need to coordinate our attack!" he shouted, his eyes glistening with determination.

Haru nodded, steadying his breath. "I'll distract it again. Ready?"

"Ready!" Tanjirou replied, feeling a surge of motivation from within.

Haru jumped forward once more, trying to distract the Hand Demon. "Come on, demon! I'm right here!" He ran around the demon nimbly, dodging the hand attacks that tried to catch him.

Tanjirou took a deep breath, focusing all his energy into one final attack. "Ninth Form: Riptide!" He ran at full speed, swinging his sword toward the Hand Demon with full determination.

Haru did his best to keep the Hand Demon distracted, but the demon started to realize his plan. "You won't be able to!" the Hand Demon yelled, raising all its hands to attack at once.

Tanjirou's heart raced as he saw that moment. With deep courage, he leaped forward, his body uniting with the rhythm of water and wind. "This is the end for you! Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flow!" he yelled, swinging his sword in a movement so fast and powerful, as if flowing like water.

Tanjirou's Nichirin sword sliced through the Hand Demon's neck with perfect precision. In an instant, the demon's head was severed, and its massive body fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Tanjirou gasped for breath, watching the now motionless body of the Hand Demon. They exchanged glances, relief and victory filling the air.

"We did it," Haru said, his smile wide. "We really did it!"

Tanjirou smiled back, though exhausted. "Yes, but we have to stay vigilant. There are still many demons out there."

Haru nodded, knowing that their fight had just begun, as there were still several days left until the final selection ended.