Chapter 385

“…Take this.”

After the stone was completely cut in half by the sword in front of Sakonji Rindagi, the always rude trainer handed a fox mask with pink cherry blossoms painted on it to Ms. Okita.

"What is this?"

"Disaster-killing mask, just think of it as a talisman or something like that."

"I understand. I will cherish this mask."

"To live... No, if it's you - just remember to come back."

"That's only natural, Mr. Rintoku."

Then, Ms. Okita left Samagiri Mountain and went alone to Fujitake Mountain where the "final selection" was held.

"You're kidding me, right?" Okita-kun, who was standing under the vermilion column, looked at Miss Okita in surprise as she walked up to him. "I remember you walked back and forth—"

"So I finished the final test a little earlier." Ms. Okita showed the katana beside her to the three people who also participated in the "final selection". "Because I guess you will come to Fujisoyama around this time. Originally, I wanted to complete the grinding process with this sword in Samagiriyama, but because time was a bit tight, I ended up using it in actual combat to get familiar with it."

"...Let's not talk about the time issue for now." Kashuu Kiyomitsu, who was also holding a Nichirin sword, interrupted the conversation between the two, "What we need to consider next is how to spend these seven days."

"I win this time." Ms. Okita smiled and bumped fists with Mr. Okita, then turned her attention to the two girls standing in front of everyone. "We will definitely pass the 'final selection' smoothly, right?"

"Ah, I'm sure." Okita-kun smiled and looked at the two children. "It should be about time."

"Thank you all for participating in the final selection of the Demon Slayer Corps tonight." The two children holding lanterns spoke, repeating the fixed opening remarks before each "final selection" to all the swordsmen present at the same frequency, "In this Fujira Mountain, the demons captured alive by the Demon Slayer Swordsmen are imprisoned, but the demons cannot leave."

"Because from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, the wisteria flowers that ghosts hate are in full bloom all year round."

"But ahead, there will be no more wisteria—and there will be ghosts."

"Surviving here for seven days will qualify you for the final selection."

"Then, have a pleasant journey."

Ms. Okita grasped the emerald green handle of the Butterfly Oni and slowly and calmly pulled the blue blade out of the scabbard; at the same time, the three people who had also learned the breathing method also pulled out three Nichirin swords with similar blade colors from their scabbards - two peach-pink ones belonging to the Breathing of Flowers, and one pink one belonging to the Breathing of Love.

"There is no good or evil on the battlefield, it's all about killing!"

"Well, let's have a good fight!"

"Quick attack to solve all."

"It's my turn now, I see."

Four people rushed into the battlefield of the "Final Trial" from different directions.

"Well, although the Yin-Yang technique that suppresses the physical and physical qualities also suppresses the possibility of weakness..." Abe Haruaki, who had already solved the curse problem that troubled the Sanyashiki clan, walked out of the dense wisteria forest after all the swordsmen rushed into the trial area, and smiled at the area where evil spirits were lurking not far away, "But I never said that weakness would not occur."

"I hope these two won't be slowed down by a sudden attack of illness."

Although there are always many swordsmen participating in the final selection of the Demon Slayer Corps, only a few can become members in the end. This is because - on the battlefield between humans and demons, if you can't kill the demons, then you will become food for the demons; and the more people the demons eat, the stronger they will become.

"Although it is necessary to kill the demon, considering the physical condition, it is better to avoid fighting as much as possible." Ms. Okita watched the demon who had just been beheaded turn into ashes and dissipate. She subconsciously swung the knife to shake off the dirty blood on the blade that had also turned into ashes and dissipated. Then she put the butterfly demon text back into the scabbard, "Then, go find them and gather--"

"Anyone is fine, someone - someone can come and save me!!!"

At this moment, a swordsman's miserable scream was heard not far away.

Ms. Okita's body took action before her brain could react, and she ran in the direction of the scream - but by the time she arrived at the scene, the demon had easily broken the swordsman's Nichirin sword and crushed the swordsman's head like an egg.

The corpse with its head crushed by the giant meat mountain of demons was not a pretty sight. Even from the perspective of the aesthetics of the demons in Chaldea who took killing as a so-called pleasure, it was ugly. Red and white flowed from the demon's fingers, leaving a fishy color on the swordsman's monochrome feather weave.

Then, the ghost opened its cave-like mouth and stuffed the completely dead swordsman into its mouth.

"...Is this an out-of-scope test?" Ms. Okita blinked dully, took a deep breath, and pulled out the Sunwheel Blade she named "Butterfly Demon Letter" from her side. Her eyes on the demon became sharper and sharper. "If the testers who met this guy were real humans, I'm afraid no one would survive."

"but……"

The cherry-pink kimono slipped off Ms. Okita's body, and was replaced by a light green haori with a white mountain pattern and the word "誠" printed on it, which was famous throughout Japan. At the same time, Ms. Okita turned the blade of the blue-bladed katana in her hand upwards, and pointed the tip of the blade at the huge mountain of flesh in front of her.

"I will be victorious, as I have been in every battle before."

"Oh? You finally appear again, my beloved little fox." The ghost chuckled and fixed his eyes on Ms. Okita, "Hmm... ? Strange, what time is it now? How come there is a guy wearing this haori among the disciples of the guy Rin Taki? Let me think... The last time I met those little foxes told me the time was-"

"Oh, yes, it was the 43rd year of the Meiji era, 41 years after the Shinsengumi was disbanded."

"…You are a demon from the Edo period." Ms. Okita raised her eyebrows.

"When Rin Taki captured me, the Shinsengumi surrendered to the new government and disbanded." The demon laughed, "How strange, judging by the ages of those guys, there shouldn't be such young members - you can't be the same as us, right? After all, the life span of humans is nothing compared to that of demons!!!"

"Are you done?" Ms. Okita sighed and pointed the tip of the knife at the ghost again. "I just felt that I needed to take it seriously, so I put on this haori again - after all, I promised Mr. Harumi that I would act low-key. The haori of the Shinsengumi is too high-profile, and my real name is too famous..."

"Oh, by the way, could you explain to me what 'little fox' means?"

“Hahahahahahaha—” The ghost laughed sharply, “Because it was Rin Taki who captured me! So I swear to eat all his disciples! Moreover! His disciples have a particularly recognizable symbol—that is the fox mask he made by himself! I recognize the pattern of the mask he carved—”

"Water Breathing, Seventh Form, Shizuku Wave Stab."

"It's over - go to hell." Ms. Okita had come behind the demon without knowing when, and blue flashes exploded continuously on the demon's body. "Let me introduce myself. I am the 'Dead Person 'Servant' - although I am not a demon, I am no longer a living human being."

"My name is Okita, Okita Souji - Captain of the Shinsengumi First Division Okita Souji."

"Even when I was human, I was good at killing."

"Ah, of course. As a demon from the Edo period, you should know this very well. Genius swordsman Okita Souji's thrust is a three-stage thrust that hits the same place." Ms. Okita watched the huge mountain of flesh turn into ashes in front of her, and smiled calmly. "Every place on your body that lights up with blue light was hit by my three-stage thrust."

The blue Sun Blade slid gently into its scabbard, and the sun of a new day rose at this time - the warm sunlight soothed the tired bodies of the surviving swordsmen, and also exposed some guys who were hiding in the shadows to watch the show.

"How long have you been watching from the side, Sojiro-ni?" Ms. Okita put her hand on the Nichirin sword at her side and asked Mr. Okita who was standing in the shadow of the trees behind her with her eyes closed.

"I also came here because I heard the cry for help - I have been here since the beginning." Okita-kun walked to Miss Okita's side holding the Sunlight Blade at his side, stopped and bathed in the warm morning light with her. "But I heard what this guy said was related to you, so I didn't come out - problem solved?"

"For now... it's solved." Ms. Okita took off the fox mask tied on her head, stared at the five-petal cherry blossom on the upper right corner of the mask and fell into a subtle silence. "...but I don't know how to explain this to Mr. Rindo who taught me how to breathe water - I don't want to say that it was because of the mask that those children got into trouble..."

"So that's why he wanted to say 'stay alive' when I left Samagiriyama - but, because I was already 'dead'..." Ms. Okita closed her eyes and lowered her head into the fox mask, "so Mr. Rintaki changed his words and said, 'If it's you - just remember to come back.'"

"Because the dead can't die a second time!!!"

"You just want to let the trainer know the truth about the children's departure - because we were also kindly concealed by others about a fact, 'Mr. Kondo's death.'" Okita-kun closed his eyes and extended his hand to Ms. Okita, "Let's go find Yasudasa and Kiyomitsu first - this matter, after the selection is over, let's trouble Lord Haruaki."

"She will definitely find the most appropriate solution - after all, she is a genius Onmyoji. We can just leave this matter of dealing with souls to her."

"So please stop crying - the other me."

"If this continues, I'll feel like crying too."