Winter came once more.
Exactly one year after Takeo had awakened from his grave, he received another letter from Tanjiro.
Though Takeo had never once replied, Tanjiro continued to send him at least three letters each month. In them, he expressed his concern while also sharing updates about his own training.
Recently, it seemed Tanjiro had reached a critical stage.
—~~~—
Takeo!
Mr. Urokodaki says there's nothing more he can teach me! But he still won't let me join the Final Selection. Instead, he told me to cut through a huge, perfectly round boulder!
Do you think I can do it? Is a proper swordsman really able to cut something like that?
Takeo, did you also have to cut such a massive stone before passing the selection?
That's incredible… I've been trying for days, but I can't even leave a mark on it with my sword. Sigh… it looks like I won't be able to participate in this year's selection after all…
—~~~—
It seemed Urokodaki Sakonji had no intention of allowing Tanjiro to participate in the Final Selection.
Generally speaking, if Urokodaki declared he had nothing more to teach, it meant that the student had already mastered all of his techniques and thoroughly grasped the fundamentals of Breathing.
By that standard, Tanjiro should already have reached the level of a regular Demon Slayer Corps member. Yet Urokodaki had given him another task.
Of course, Takeo himself could split the boulder in two. The necks of the Twelve Kizuki were harder than stone. If he could cut off their heads, then cutting a rock was no problem at all.
But for Tanjiro, it was an extraordinarily difficult challenge.
It seemed unlikely that Tanjiro would pass Urokodaki's test this winter. Still, Takeo believed that eventually he would succeed—and when that happened, Tanjiro would enter the next Final Selection.
"Then… the storyline shouldn't begin this year…"
The letter brought Takeo a small measure of relief.
If Tanjiro was not taking part in the Final Selection, then the story had not yet truly begun this year.
Although Takeo had never watched Demon Slayer in his previous life, he had overheard fragments of his roommates' conversations.
During this quiet period, when he was not training or soaking in the hot springs, Takeo often found himself recalling those hazy memories from before.
He vaguely remembered one of his roommates complaining, "the difficulty of that exam is completely unreasonable."
Yes… that sounded about right.
Though his recollection was faint, Takeo was fairly certain he remembered correctly.
That meant the story would truly begin once Tanjiro took the test, with the opening chapter unfolding during the Final Selection itself.
It was somewhat like the HunterxHunter anime, which his roommate watched—where the tale began with the exam.
Although Takeo didn't see anything noteworthy about the Final Selection, perhaps Tanjiro's experience would prove different.
As usual, he tucked Tanjiro's letter away without replying.
This winter, however, Takeo also received what he had been waiting for.
Tetsudoji returned accompanied by several elderly craftsmen—elders of the Swordsmith Village. They brought with them a method that could help Takeo obtain a pair of iron claws.
"Kamado-sama, correct?"
Among the elders that Tetsudoji had brought, one stood out. He held a long pipe in his hand, and his mask was tilted at an angle across his face, exposing his nose and chin.
He appeared to be the oldest among them, his body frail and his health clearly failing. Takeo could tell that his life was nearing its end.
Yet even so, his voice carried surprising strength—full of vigor, with none of the weakness one would expect from a man at death's door.
"This is Master Tetsuido," Tetsudoji introduced solemnly. Then, turning to the elder, he said, "This is the Wolf Hashira, Kamado Takeo Sama."
"Mr. Tetsuido, please—just call me Takeo," Takeo replied.
In front of someone of such age, he couldn't shamelessly demand to be addressed with honorific titles.
"Then forgive me for the discourtesy, Takeo-kun," Tetsuido answered smoothly, before continuing. "I have already heard of your situation from Tetsudoji. After discussing it with the others, we believe we have devised a solution… However, it requires technology beyond what the Swordsmith Village is capable of."
The sword-forging methods of the village remained entirely traditional: heating steel in a furnace until softened, hammering it repeatedly to drive out impurities, and finally shaping and tempering it into a blade.
They had no means of refining metal into a pure liquid state free of impurities. Such work demanded advanced technology and far higher temperatures than their furnaces could produce.
But just because the Swordsmith Village could not do it themselves did not mean others could not.
The village had, in fact, been gradually keeping pace with the times, cautiously accepting and studying foreign techniques. They had even begun to learn modern smelting methods. What they lacked were the conditions and equipment to carry out such forging themselves.
Through the modern industrial system, however, it was possible to reduce metal into liquid form and produce steel that was stronger and sharper than anything made by traditional means.
At present, there were only two places in Japan equipped with such advanced forging systems. One was in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The other was in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture.
Both locations were far from the Swordsmith Village, and if Takeo wished to travel there, the journey alone would require a long round trip.
More importantly, the Swordsmith Village could not be certain whether the Ubuyashiki family had any way to establish contact with the steelworks in either city.
"Also…" Tetsuido took a long drag from his pipe, then exhaled a stream of smoke that curled into the air. "…We cannot be certain that Takeo-kun can endure the agony of such high-temperature burning."
"…I'm not sure either."
Takeo hesitated.
After all, he didn't possess Wolverine's iron will. His tolerance for pain was far lower.
He had managed to fight demons to the bitter end—even with grievous wounds—without crying out. But that was only because overwhelming emotions and surging adrenaline had dulled the pain.
Outside of battle, without that frenzy to shield him, Takeo had no idea what his true limit for pain might be.
"Well then… perhaps we should attempt a trial first?" one of the smiths, Tieihu, suggested.
Takeo was stunned. "A trial?"
"We will prepare the hottest molten iron we are capable of producing," Tetsuido said calmly. "Takeo-kun, you can use your… claw…"
"…It's a bone spur," Tetsudoji corrected in a low voice.
"Yes, your bone spurs. Dip one into the molten iron and test it. If you can endure the pain, then I will report to the lord and request his assistance in contacting the factories. But if you cannot…"
Tetsuido trailed off, saying nothing more, quietly drawing on his pipe as the silence stretched.
Tetsudoji hesitated, then asked, "Um… Master Kamado, forgive me, but why not use anesthetics? If you were unconscious, then…"
"Anesthetics don't work on me," Takeo explained. "My recovery ability is too strong. Medicines have no effect."
If it were possible, he would gladly rely on anesthesia to dull the pain. But his regenerative ability rendered him nearly immune. Even a dose strong enough to put an elephant to sleep for three days might only make him drowsy for a short while. At the first jolt of pain, he would likely wake instantly.
The original Wolverine had been the same. Otherwise, he never would have been forced to endure everything through sheer willpower.
After explaining, Takeo clenched his fists and looked firmly at Tetsuido.
"Either way, if I can't endure it, I'll give up."
If he truly could not withstand the agony of high-temperature burning, then Takeo would not push forward any further.
Having self-awareness was one of the rare qualities of being human. Takeo would never stubbornly force himself down a path that was impossible to follow, one that offered no return.
But… even so, he still wished he could endure it.
He wished he could hold on!
…
Takeo failed.