The location for the swordsman selection is called Mount Fujikasane.
In this world, besides sunlight, there is one other thing that can pose a threat to Demons.
It's a type of flower, called the Wisteria Flower.
To ordinary people, the Wisteria Flower is just a fragrant, beautiful plant, but to Demons, it's no less terrifying than a flood or a monstrous beast.
In a Demon's perception, the scent of Wisteria Flowers is extremely foul. Just smelling it can cause negative effects like dizziness, stiffness, and paralysis.
Furthermore, if a Demon eats Wisteria Flowers raw, they will be poisoned. A strong enough dose can directly kill a Demon with Wisteria Flower poison.
The Demon Slayer Corps has developed a poison using Wisteria Flowers, but because it's difficult to produce, the quantity is extremely scarce and is only given to suitable swordsmen.
Mount Fujikasane is a Wisteria Flower prison.
From the foot of the mountain to the peak, all entrances and exits, and the entire outer perimeter of the mountain, are densely planted with Wisteria Flowers.
These Wisteria Flowers weren't naturally occurring. Instead, the Demon Slayer Corps chose Mount Fujikasane because its geographical environment was suitable for Wisteria Flower growth. Then, after decades of artificial cultivation, they finally created the Wisteria Flower prison.
Every so often, the Demon Slayers would capture some average-strength Demons and confine them within Mount Fujikasane to study their habits, weaknesses, and so on.
At the same time, because there were many Demons of mid-to-low strength and in large numbers, Mount Fujikasane was quickly chosen as the best location for the swordsman selection.
Since Mount Fujikasane was established, the swordsman selection has been held there every time.
This time was no exception.
"Mount Fujikasane isn't far from our Mount Sagiri. If you travel at full speed, you can get there in less than two days."
"You've had about three days to get familiar with your Nichirin Blades now, so let's set off!"
"Remember, after you meet your fellow disciples on Mount Fujikasane, it's best to act together."
At six in the morning, three days after Sakonji Urokodaki gave them their Nichirin Blades, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the entire Water Breathing lineage from Mount Sagiri was ready to depart.
Kurozawa yawned and said, "When the swordsman selection starts, you're allowed to travel in groups of up to two people."
"Sabito, you look after Giyu. For the others who are weaker, remember to team up with stronger fellow disciples."
"Once you're inside Mount Fujikasane, find a way to look for me and meet up with me."
The Demons in Mount Fujikasane have always been the weak kind.
But Kurozawa knew that this time would be different.
A Demon sent into Mount Fujikasane by Sakonji Urokodaki had been constantly hunting its own kind within Mount Fujikasane, silently devouring the selection swordsmen without causing much of a stir. Over time, it had become utterly terrifying.
Kurozawa hoped to see these familiar faces back on Mount Sagiri after the Mount Fujikasane selection ended.
Therefore, he had to find that Demon as quickly as possible and then deal with it!
If the other junior disciples encountered that guy, it would be a matter of life and death. "These Fortune-Dispelling Fox Masks can ward off evil and bring good luck. Take them with you."
Next to Sakonji Urokodaki was a box containing fourteen fox face masks of various shapes and bright colors.
Sure enough, the Fortune-Dispelling Fox Masks… Master, Master, if you knew that because of the Fortune-Dispelling Fox Masks you gave out, and the Demon you personally captured and sent into Mount Fujikasane, you would send all your disciples into a desperate situation, you would probably die of guilt and self-reproach.
Fortunately, I'm here. These things won't happen again.
Kurozawa reached out and took out a Fortune-Dispelling Fox Mask with a white base and red patterns around the eyes. He wore it tilted on his head as decoration, not directly on his face.
"Fortune-Dispelling Fox Mask... Hmm, it's quite handsome."
Using the blade of his Nichirin Blade as a mirror, Kurozawa looked at himself.
His chiseled face, with the addition of the strangely beautiful Fortune-Dispelling Fox Mask worn askew, now had a touch of softness.
Next, Sakonji Urokodaki patiently handed a Fortune-Dispelling Fox Mask to each of the other disciples one by one.
After everything was finished, these young swordsmen of the Water Breathing lineage were ready to set off.
"Give me two minutes."
Just then, Kurozawa seemed to remember something and ran back into the house. Two minutes later, he ran out again.
However, the haori he was wearing had changed.
Previously, Kurozawa wore a black haori with white feathers, which suited his aesthetic.
Now, Kurozawa was wearing a blue haori embroidered with blue water patterns.
"Hmm?"
The expression under Sakonji Urokodaki's mask became subtle.
"Why are you wearing my clothes?"
"Isn't this telling everyone that the person who slays the most Demons on Mount Fujikasane is precisely your disciple?" Kurozawa replied with a smile.
"Giving you some face."
After getting his answer, Sakonji Urokodaki didn't press further.
Meanwhile, Kurozawa led his junior disciples, turned around, and left Mount Sagiri, heading towards Mount Fujikasane.
That blue haori looked very old, but it was clean and tidy overall. It had many patches, and there were even stitch marks wrapping around the entire shoulder on the sleeves.
Each of these stitch patches was a mark of Sakonji Urokodaki's battles with Demons.
Years ago, Sakonji Urokodaki always wore this blue haori when he was on missions to eliminate demons.
After it became too worn to repair, Sakonji Urokodaki kept it indoors, only wearing it around Mount Sagiri.
Kurozawa's action of putting on the haori surprised him.
But seeing Kurozawa's departing back, Sakonji Urokodaki seemed to see his younger self in a daze, full of vigor and vitality.
His face beneath the mask softened gradually, and Sakonji Urokodaki sighed softly.
"Perhaps I truly am old, Kurozawa."
On the other side, because of his tall stature, Kurozawa wore the broad haori more like a vest. However, due to his lean and strong physique, it actually looked quite fitting.
He didn't put on this haori on a whim.
Kurozawa was highly confident that the Hand Demon on Mount Fujikasane would actively seek him out after smelling the familiar scent on the haori.
Mount Fujikasane is, after all, a mountain, and its range is not small.
Kurozawa wasn't confident he could quickly locate the Hand Demon. Before he could, if any of his junior disciples encountered it, that would be terrible.
Demons generally have sensitive noses, like wild beasts.
The haori, with Sakonji Urokodaki's residual scent, would make that fellow walk right into a trap, saving Kurozawa the effort of actively searching for it.
"However, the mode of the swordsman trial is truly unreasonable."
"Once I become a high-ranking member of the Demon Slayer Corps, I will change the way the swordsman trial is conducted immediately."
The Hand Demon had been quietly developing, almost reaching Lower Moon strength, but the Demon Slayer Corps was unaware of this situation. It wasn't until the future swordsman Tanjiro participated in the trial that he finally managed to cut it down, and even then, he nearly died at the Hand Demon's hands.
Although this was partly due to the Hand Demon deliberately hiding itself and not massacring the trial swordsmen, it undeniably proved that there were significant hidden dangers in the swordsman trial.
In the original work, Kurozawa knew of at least two highly promising swordsmen, Sabito and Makomo, who were targeted and killed by the Hand Demon, not to mention those Kurozawa certainly didn't know about.
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