Mount Fujikasane is a mountain known for its year-round blooming wisteria trees, making it an ideal prison for demons.
It serves as the location for the Final Selection conducted by the Demon Slayer Corps, where individuals hoping to become official Demon Slayers can prove their worth.
Fujisaki was in awe as she made with Himena her way to the shrine, where the Final Selection would begin.
The crescent moon shines down on them, casting a magical glow over the lilac blossoms of the wisteria.
It was breathtaking.
"Nervous, Imoto?" Himena asked, softly smiling down on her.
The younger Kamiya just grinned up to her older sister. "We worked our asses off! For four years, we cried, bled and even threw up to reach this point. I'm ready...even if I piss my pants."
"Now, now Imoto, what are these for curse words." Himena tutted gently, giving Fujisaki a soft slap against the back of her head. "This doesn't fit a young lady."
"You curse worse than me! From who did I learn these words." Fujisaki deadpanned.
Jeez, Nee-Chan's quest to keep her pure was ridiculous. She was 14 years old for crying out loud!
A full-fledged teenager, no longer the little girl Himena had to protect.
Must be an older sibling thing.
Himena just laughed sheepishly, as they climbed together the stairs to the shrine.
"Eh, guilty, Fuji-Chan. Nee-Chan should be a good example, nee?"
"You're the best, Hime. Don't worry! Cursing is the last of our problems."
The 14-year-old was right.
After the Final Selection, if they survived, their whole lives would change again.
It would be weird not to train anymore under their dear Sensei Satsumi, but go out in the world to kill demons and fulfil Amaterasu's quest of banning Yokai.
The sisters stood at the side of the small stone path, looking at their fellow swordsmen-to-be.
"Are we the only girls here?" Fujisaki whisper-shouted in disbelief.
That was ridiculous!
Himena shook gently her head and pointed discreetly before them.
"Look."
All air left Fujisaki's lungs.
They had of course played with this thought.
However, it turning true was a whole other house number.
"Kanao." The dark blond-haired girl whispered. "And I see also Genya and Zenitsu! So, we are in their generation."
Her older sister nodded.
"There comes also Tanjiro..."
Immediately Fujisaki zeroed in her eyes on her long-time (anime) crush. Dear Amaterasu, seeing Tanjiro in flesh and blood was otherworldly!
A blush formed on her cheeks, as she turned to her sister to gush about her dream guy, only to see how Himena also looked longing at Tanjiro.
Oh yeah, she forgot.
Himena had also the hots for Tanjiro.
He had been her favourite character in Demon Slayer from their old life. Seemed she still carried a torch for him.
"You're 17 and he is 15," Fujisaki grumbled, crossing her arms.
It may not be such a huge age gap, nor should it be weird that the girl was the older, but...Fujisaki wanted Tanjiro!
Himena was so beautiful, with her exotic silver hair and cherry-pink eyes! Not to forget she was tall for a woman and with a body to die for, she could get someone else!
Surprised Himena found her sister's eyes and blushed embarrassed.
Getting caught during her swooning was so not cool.
She ducked her head shyly, murmuring: "I was just looking. I know I don't have a chance with him."
"Right, 'cause he is mine!"
"....You do remember he will marry Kanao?"
"Nothing against Kanao, but I will make him fall in love with me. Dattobayo!"
"Wrong anime."
"Oi!"
More time to squabble they hadn't as the son and one daughter of the Ubuyashiki Family directed the word towards them.
"Where did they come from?" Fujisaki wondered quietly, as her older sister made clear she had to keep quiet.
"Everyone. We thank you for coming here tonight to the Demon Slayers Corps Final Selection." the Ubuyashiki siblings chorused.
"There are demons imprisoned here on Mt. Fujikasane, captured alive by the Demon Slayer swordsmen, and unable to leave." the girl, Kanata explained.
The boy, Kiriya, took over: "That is because wisteria, which demons hate so much, blooms year-round from the bottom to halfway up the mountain."
"However, there is no wisteria from this point on, and so demons abound."
"You need to survive here for seven days to pass the Final Selection."
"And now, be on your way." the siblings ended with a bow.
Himena and Fujisaki nodded at each other, making their way outside the shrine.
Now, it would show if they truly were ready for this!
(*)
The Kamiya Sisters raced towards the east, where the sun would set first.
This was the best strategy to survive this hellish seven days.
A shudder came over Fujisaki.
Something was near them!
"Nee-Chan!"
"I feel it too, Imoto. Get ready!"
A demon sprang down from a tree, zeroing in on Fujisaki, while another one came from forward them, targeting Himena.
It would be a lie if the sisters said they weren't scared, but they needed to surpass their fear! Only so they would live another day.
"Moonlight Breathing!" Himena shouted. "Second Form! Evening Spiral!"
She did a spiral forming cut, starting from the legs to the head, which she cut off.
"Sunlight Breathing!" Fujisaki yelled, storming towards her demon. "First Form! Blazing Morning!"
The 14-year-old twirled once around her axis, her katana sinking into the neck of the demon and beheading him.
The sisters jumped away, standing back to back, watching how the demons turned to ash.
"We did it!" Fujisaki gasped relieved. "We can kill demons!"
"I'm so glad our invited Breathing Styles work." Himena signed.
"I would be damn angry if they didn't, Nee-Chan. We worked four years on them!"
"Don't get cocky, now, Fuji-Chan. These are lower Demons. Who knows how our Breathing Styles will work on Upper Moons or Yokais."
"Jeez, always so pessimistic."
More time to talk they hadn't as two new demons appeared. Back to fighting it is then!
For seven nights the Kamiya Sisters fought bravely against the demons. During the day they slept as much as they could before all began again.
Food and water were also important, here it was good how they were used, from their time living on the street to functioning with half-empty stomachs.
How their former hardships, helped them now, was astounding.
Dirty, and hungry but proud of themselves on the seventh day they returned to the shrine.
Already Tanjiro, Kanao, Zenitsu and Genya were there.
It was a bittersweet feeling.
Seeing it on TV was one thing, but experiencing the Final Selection and seeing how from over twenty teenagers only them survived (Also Inosuke, but he was gone) made clear how real and devasting the fight against demons was.
Kiriya and Kanata reappeared from thin air, seriously how are they doing this, welcoming them back.
"Congratulations." Kanata began.
"We're glad to see that you're safe," Kiriya added.
"So? What am I supposed to do now?" Genya asked impatiently. "Where's my sword?"
"First, we shall issue you all uniforms," Kanata replied coolly. "We will take your measurements, after which your rank will be engraved."
"There are ten ranks in all." Kiriya started and alternating with Kanata they namend them.
Kanata informed the new slayers, they would start at the lowest rank, Mizunoto.
"And our swords?" Genya repeats his question.
"Uh, take a chill pill..." Fujisaki whispered to Himena, who bit her lip to not laugh aloud.
"Today, we will let you choose the ore for your swords, but the swords will take ten to fifteen days to complete," Kanata said calmly, which made Genya groan annoyed before she clapped two times in her hands.
The Kamiya Sisters knew what was coming now and were excited about it.
They had dreamed about to call a Kasugai crow their own!
On Himena's arm landed a regal crow, who bowed its head to her, while Fujisaki got a playful crow, who already preened her locks.
They enjoyed the short moment with their new crow buddies since Genya hit his crow, demanding now the Demon Slayer Katana and grabbing Kanata by her hair.
Of course, Tanjiro is there, holding Genya by the arm and promising to break his arm if he doesn't let go of the white-haired girl.
Genya just scoffs, daring Tanjiro to try, as he feels a murderous aura from his other side.
"Now, now, boys." Himena chirps in a voice from the nine circles of hell, which sends shudders down anybody's back, besides Fujisaki, Kanao and the Ubuyashiki. "No need to get violent."
Gently she places a hand on Genya's shoulder and the boy swerves it's a treat. He feels like the judgment of a Goddess is upon him, making him feel small and powerless.
"I'm sure, you didn't mean to hurt a little girl, right?"
The smile the silver-haired beauty gives is downright predatory, promising pains beyond belief.
The boy with the mohawk gulps quietly and lets go. All instincts in him scream to avoid angering this...girl...this true demoness if he wants to leave this place with his bones intact.
Meanwhile, Fujisaki laughs quietly at the scared Genya, Zenitsu doesn't know if he should be very afraid of this silver-haired bombshell or ask for her hand in marriage and Tanjiro blinks surprised.
Only with the tone of her voice and her presence, she got the other boy to back down.
It was impressive.
"Are you finished chatting?" Kiriya asked, which defused the situation completely, as he turned to the table behind him and pulled the cloth off, revealing a bunch of ores. "Now then, please select an ore. The steel for the sword that will annihilate demons and protect you will be of your choosing."
The six teenagers stepped to the table and looked, beside Kanao, unsure at the ores.
How should they pick?
Well, you could only trust your instincts.
(*)
Fifteen days had passed since the Final Selection. Today the Kamiya Sisters not only got their beautiful katanas, but also their first assignment.
So they had said goodbye to their sensei, promising to write and began their journey.
"I will miss Satsume-Sensei," Fujisaki confessed, playing with her new Wisteria hairclip. "We have lived with her for four years and she helped us so much."
Himena nodded, her two rose hairclips bowing. "She was like a mother to us. We will see her again, Imoto. Don't worry."
"It was so super nice of her to gift us these hairclips."
"Yeah, I didn't expect this. We have to take good care and honour them."
Over their heads flow their crows.
"Himena-Sama," Mito called. "We're nearly there!"
"Fuji-Chan, Fuji-Chan!" Ochaco sings. "Get ready, get ready, to slay the demons!"
As it turned out Himena regal crow, named after Uzumaki Mito and playful Ochaco, Fujisaki crow, named after Uraraka Ochaco, were mother and daughter. It was kind of cute that the sisters got a mother-and-daughter duo.
Smiling Himena thanked the crows before she looked at her sister.
"Are you ready, Imoto?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, Nee-Chan!"
(*)
Moonlight and Sunlight Breathing are my inventions.
DON'T STEAL!
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