[Confirmation required. Are you sure you want to invest your remaining lifespan?]
The System chimed inside Ryo Anzai's skull, emotionless and cold.
Ryo gritted his teeth. "Stop asking pointless questions. Do it. All of it."
[156 days of lifespan invested into Thunder Breathing: First Form, Thunderclap and Flash]
[Thunderclap and Flash has reached Mastery. Triple Flash unlocked]
[Warning. Lifespan critically low. If you fail to kill the demon today, you will die]
The warning echoed, and then pain exploded.
It was not warmth.
It was fire.
It was a brutal tearing from the inside.
The last embers of life erupting in a violent storm.
Veins bulged like knotted roots beneath Ryo's skin. Lightning burst from his pores, raw and savage, lighting the forest as if dawn had ignited early.
His vision sharpened. His heartbeat roared. The world slowed.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form, Thunderclap and Flash!"
The shout ripped from his throat like thunder. The ground beneath his feet detonated, scattering earth and shattered stones behind him.
He shot forward in a blazing golden streak.
The Hand Demon's massive limbs whipped out, but several were sliced clean off before it even registered his movement.
"So fast!" the demon roared.
Even Shoichi stared in disbelief, watching the streak of lightning twist back for a second strike.
This time, the blade aimed for the thick neck.
He can do it.
He will take its head.
Then a sharp crack stabbed the air.
The Nichirin blade snapped in half.
Time froze.
Ryo stared at the broken sword in his hand, disbelieving. Shoichi's face went pale.
Damn it.
How could he forget Sabito died the same way?
Six days of nonstop demon hunting had pushed his sword to its limit. With so many kills, the blade had been ground down and worn out. It simply could not withstand this final strike.
A cruel, mocking chuckle rippled through the forest.
The Hand Demon unleashed a storm of grasping arms.
Fortunately, Triple Flash had already elevated Ryo's speed beyond instinct. He twisted away, lightning crackling violently off the ground where he had just stood.
"Ryo! Catch!" Shoichi shouted.
A Nichirin blade spun through the air.
Ryo reached for it, body twisting midair. This was his last strike. He could feel his life draining away with each heartbeat.
He kicked off the air itself, a final surge.
The third flash ignited.
He caught the sword as the lightning converged into a pure, razor sharp line of death.
Dozens of arms exploded apart.
And the Hand Demon's head tumbled onto the earth.
Silence drifted back into the forest.
Ryo collapsed to one knee, chest heaving hard. It felt as if his soul had been wrung out and left to dry. Triple Flash was powerful, but the recoil was brutal. His muscles burned, his bones creaked, and his heartbeat was frantic and uneven.
[Mid-tier demon slain. Lifespan gained: 1 year]
[Current lifespan remaining: 1 year]
Ryo let out a long breath. "Not bad. That is my first real capital."
Shoichi ran to him and grabbed his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Just drained. I am not dying today."
Ryo managed a weak smirk. Shoichi always competed with him, but when true danger came, the kid had his back without hesitation.
A faint voice echoed nearby.
"Curse him. I lost. I lost again. Urokodaki…"
The headless Hand Demon murmured in its fading delusion. All demons saw memories when they faced death.
Even this one.
It rambled of hunger, of the brother it devoured, of memories it no longer remembered. Its eyes filled with a twisted longing for what it once was.
Then silence.
Morning arrived on the eighth day. Sunlight pierced through the mist of wisteria, and the surviving participants limped toward the exit.
The Kakushi staff were stunned.
More than ten young swordsmen stood in the clearing. In recent years, Final Selection rarely left more than five survivors. This year had shattered expectations.
The answer spread quickly among hushed whispers.
There was a thunder swordsman.
A lunatic who spent six days clearing demons by himself.
The one who slayed the Hand Demon.
Ryo, together with Shoichi and the trembling Akira Moriyama, walked out as a trio. The other candidates gave them space, awe filling their eyes.
Ryo nudged Shoichi, not understanding why everyone kept staring.
Shoichi stood proud, though his side was still bleeding. Moriyama avoided eye contact entirely. He had only landed one strike and spent the rest of the fight unconscious. A perfect example of victory by doing nothing.
After receiving their wisteria crests and choosing their Kasugai Crows, Ryo's crow arrived. Unlike the others, his was a sharp-beaked hummingbird-sized raven, its feathers deep midnight blue.
As they prepared to leave, a Kakushi messenger bowed and spoke softly.
"Ryo Anzai, Shoichi Kirigaya, Akira Moriyama. Please remain. Lord Ubuyashiki requests a private audience."
"What? The Master?" Shoichi nearly tripped from excitement.
For a new Demon Slayer, meeting Kagaya Ubuyashiki was the greatest honor imaginable.
Ryo simply nodded. "Lead the way."
They walked beneath countless wisteria blossoms, entering a quiet residence. Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat on the veranda, calm as moonlight. His skin pale, eyes gentle, posture soft yet dignified.
He was just a teenager, only slightly older than them, yet carried a presence far beyond his years.
"I am grateful that you have returned alive," Kagaya spoke softly.
Shoichi and Moriyama immediately knelt, trembling.
Ryo bowed respectfully.
The Master's tone remained warm.
"The Final Selection was flawed this year. We failed to detect a demon of such high strength hidden in the mountain. The responsibility is mine and mine alone. I must apologize."
He lowered his head.
Shoichi and Moriyama shook like leaves, overwhelmed.
"No, Lord Ubuyashiki! We are honored to serve!" Moriyama nearly cried.
Ryo yawned quietly behind his hand.
It was not disrespect. He simply had eaten too many empty promises in his previous life. Leadership speeches no longer stirred him easily.
Ubuyashiki looked at Ryo and smiled faintly.
"You are an interesting one, Ryo Anzai."
Ryo shrugged with tired honesty. "I just want to live."
For himself.
For his future.
For the sake of never dying helplessly again.
Ubuyashiki nodded gently.
"To live is the foundation of every Demon Slayer, the strength that keeps our blades moving through the endless night. Hold onto that desire. It will guide your path."
His voice was sincere, almost blessing in tone.
Ryo stood there, silent lightning still crackling deep within him.
He had survived.
And the night was only just beginning.