Sakonji's gaze shifted to Ryoma again. Although the young man was exhausted, his eyes and demeanor might be more suited for wielding a blade.
Just then, the demon's head slowly regained consciousness.
It couldn't feel the existence of its body. Its blood-red eyes glared maliciously at Ryoma and Tanjiro, squeezing out a roar from its throat.
"Bastard! I'll kill you! Come here! I'll gnaw you until not even bone fragments are left!"
However, its curse was interrupted by a golden light.
In the sky, the first ray of dawn pierced through the clouds, penetrating the intertwined branches and leaves, accurately casting its light on the demon's head.
"Ah!"
A shriek, so piercing it sounded inhuman, rang out.
Where the sunlight touched, the demon's skin sizzled, and a strange flame erupted from its flesh, incinerating all its malice and curses.
In the blink of an eye, that head turned to ashes in the morning light, scattering with the wind, as if it had never existed.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro cried out in alarm.
Seeing this terrifying sight, his first thought was of his sister.
He frantically looked around and finally saw his sister, tightly curled up and hiding from the sun in the shadow of a dilapidated shrine not far away, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.
Sakonji silently watched all of this. He had received an urgent message from the Demon Slayer Corps' kasugai crow, informing him of demon activity nearby, and had rushed over, but unfortunately, he was still a step late. Someone had already been killed.
He happened to encounter Ryoma and Tanjiro confronting the demon, and he wanted to see how the young man recommended by Giyu was, so he didn't intervene immediately.
Now that the matter was settled, he walked into the shrine, and moved the victim's body out. Then, he dug a pit nearby, buried it, and clasped his hands together to pray for the departed soul.
Ryoma watched this scene, his heart complex.
Prayer might be useless, but it was the only thing the living could do for the deceased.
In this world where even in death, one found no peace, a little ritual might be the last dignity left to "humans."
He silently picked up a few unknown wild flowers nearby and gently placed them in front of the newly piled earth grave.
Since he had already come to this world, and didn't know when he could return, he had to interact with the extraordinary powers of this world and ensure he had a certain degree of self-preservation here.
The Demon Slayer Corps was his only choice.
In some respects, this world was even more dangerous than the Fairy Tail World.
After praying, Sakonji stood up and turned to Ryoma. "I am Urokodaki Sakonji. You have a good disposition and a certain understanding of demons. Do you want to join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Yes." Ryoma answered without hesitation,
"My name is Ryoma. You are from the Demon Slayer Corps, right? I originally wanted to see if I could find someone from the Demon Slayer Corps."
Now that he wanted to contact people from the Demon Slayer Corps, especially a trainer, Sakonji in front of him was the most suitable, so he naturally couldn't miss this opportunity.
Sakonji did not immediately respond to Ryoma but instead turned his gaze to Tanjiro, who had just confirmed his sister's safety and walked out of the shrine.
"You are the one Giyu introduced, aren't you?"
Tanjiro, hearing that this person was Sakonji, whom he was looking for, quickly responded, "Yes, my name is Kamado Tanjiro, and my sister's name is Kamado Nezuko."
Instantly, Sakonji's aura became incredibly sharp, and his eyes fixed on Tanjiro as he asked, "Kamado Tanjiro, answer me. If your sister eats a human, what will you do?"
"—!!"
Tanjiro felt as if he was struck by lightning, his body stiff, his pupils suddenly contracting. He had never thought about or rather dared to think about, this question.
Sakonji's brow furrowed even more under his mask, deepening his disappointment, and he turned his gaze to Ryoma, wanting to hear his answer.
Seeing Sakonji's gaze on him, Ryoma spoke without much hesitation, "I can't be sure, but I might kill her with my own hands. Perhaps she would be in extreme pain if she became like that, so it would be better to let her be freed early. Then..."
He paused, a hint of darkness flashing in his eyes,
"I will follow her to apologize for my incompetence."
Ryoma couldn't imagine it, but if he really had a sister in this world who turned into a demon, perhaps death would be a better destination.
Sakonji's eyes under his mask seemed to soften for a moment. He was clearly much more satisfied with Ryoma's answer than with Tanjiro's.
After hearing Ryoma's words and Sakonji's instruction, Tanjiro also made a promise that he would never let such a thing happen, and if it did, he would personally kill Nezuko and then commit suicide to atone.
Sakonji looked deeply at Tanjiro. Although it wasn't entirely his own decision, at least he had a clear stance.
"Then, we will now begin the test to see if you have the qualifications to become a demon slayer."
He said to Tanjiro, "Carry your sister on your back and follow me."
Then, he tilted his head slightly, and his Tengu mask turned towards Ryoma. "Since you also want to join the Demon Slayer Corps, come along as well."
With that, Sakonji began to run down the mountain.
Tanjiro didn't dare to delay. He immediately rushed to the shrine, carefully carried the wooden box containing Nezuko on his back, and strenuously chased after him.
Ryoma's eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and, without hesitation, also quickened his pace, sprinting towards the direction where Sakonji had disappeared.
The wind whistled in his ears. His lungs felt like burning charcoal, and each breath brought a searing pain.
Ryoma stared intently at the figure ahead, which seemed leisurely but was as fast as a phantom. He knew that this was Sakonji's deliberately slowed pace.
Fortunately, his body, tempered by magic for seven years in the Fairy Tail World, wasn't bad. Even though both his soul and body were in a period of fatigue after crossing worlds, he could still barely keep up.
He glanced back out of the corner of his eye. The young man carrying the wooden box, Tanjiro, already had his forehead drenched in sweat, his steps faltering, and was relying on sheer willpower to keep up behind him.
...
The sun gradually set. When the last lingering rays of the afterglow shone on a solitary hut at the foot of the mountain, the long run finally came to an end.
"Ha... hah..."
Running from dawn till dusk, Ryoma felt that all his strength was drained. He supported himself with his hands on his knees, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.
Tanjiro, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll with all its bones removed. He couldn't even maintain a kneeling posture, slumping completely.
He used his last ounce of strength, squeezing out broken syllables from deep in his throat. "This... this way... will... you... acknowledge... me?"
Sakonji silently turned around, his gaze under the Tengu mask slowly sweeping over the two of them, lingering for a moment on the young man who had carried his sister to the finish line.
He slowly removed his headscarf, and pushed open the creaking wooden door.
His voice was steady, without a hint of emotion. "The test is only just beginning. Let's go up the mountain."
After settling Nezuko inside the house, Ryoma and Tanjiro once again followed Sakonji's footsteps, venturing into the depths of Mount Sagiri, which was gradually being swallowed by the night.
Ryoma was secretly astonished by Sakonji's inhuman physique. After such an intense sprint, he could still lead the way with steady steps, his breathing long and even, as if he had only gone for a stroll.