13 Preparation for the first mission

The final selection was over. Seven long, grueling days had passed since the participants began the trial at Mount Fujikasane, and the ordeal had taken its toll on everyone.

Thankfully, most of the participants had survived the final selection. As the sun rose, bathing the landscape in a warm, golden light, the survivors felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Slowly, they made their way toward the exit.

Despite the general atmosphere of happiness and relief of the others, Giyu couldn't ignore the subtle air of self-disappointment coming from Sabito. It was a feeling Giyu was all too familiar with.

Only one person hadn't made it through the seven days of the final selection, the boy Sabito had helplessly watched being crushed to death by the hand demon. Sabito couldn't shake the powerless he felt facing that monster. 'Its just like back then' Sabito thought remembering his past.SAbito clenching his hand into a tight fist. 'I still lack the strength to protect others!' The thought fueling his determination to grow stronger

'Don't succumb to sorrow,' Giyu thought, silently observing from the side. 'Instead, use that feeling as fuel to keep moving forward, to become stronger!' He understood the internal struggle Sabito was facing, doubt and regret were normal for humans. More importantly, they could be powerful motivations, pushing Sabito to strive for even greater heights.

Arriving at the exit with his small group, Giyu found Amane waiting for them, standing still with her usual composed demeanor. As the survivors gathered, Without a word, Amane clapped her hands, and in an instant, the sky above them was filled with the flapping of wings. A large number of crows descended from the sky, their dark silhouettes contrasting sharply against the golden morning light.

"Congratulations on passing the exam," Amane said, her voice calm and steady.

Giyu extended his hands as one of the crows perched on his palm. A wave of familiarity washed over him. *Glad to see you again, old friend,* he thought, recognizing the crow from his past life. Though it was older now, with some issues communicating, Giyu cherished this crow after years of working together.

"Now that you've become Demon Slayers, each of you will be assigned a Kasugai Crow," Amane announced. "These crows will serve as your primary means of communication with the Corps." Her explanation was brief, but the weight of her words was clear.

Giyu glanced over at Sabito, who was already petting his own crow, a bond of friendship quickly forming between them. Sabito's crow, a sleek, black bird with sharp eyes, seemed to regard its new master with approval.

As everyone became absorbed in interacting with their new companions, Amane moved behind a nearby table that displayed a bunch of ores, each glimmering in the sunlight like precious gems. "Now then, please select one ore from the table," she instructed.

Giyu watched as the others hurried forward, eager to choose what they hoped would be the best, everyone understood that the ore they selected would become their blade, something that would serve as their weapon against the demons.

Sabito turned to Giyu and urged, "Giyu, we should go too." He walked forward with confidence, but Giyu didn't feel the need to rush. He didn't have a keen eye for ores, and to him, whether he chose now or waited until the end made little difference.

As the line grew shorter, it was finally Sabito's turn. He carefully examined the remaining ores, his eyes narrowing as he focused on one, the one that felt right. After a moment of deep consideration, he reached out and selected a piece of ore with a confident smile, "I choose this one."

Then it was Giyu's turn. Without much thought, he closed his eyes and picked a random ore.

***

Fifteen days later, the children returned to Mount Sagiri, where their swords were finally delivered. Giyu stood quietly as a blacksmith, a stern-looking man with rough hands and a mask similar to his master's mask, carefully unwrapped his sword.

It had the same elegant design as the sword Giyu had wielded as a Hashira, except for one key difference—the guard. Giyu had specifically requested that the guard from a sword he had received as a 13'th birthday gift from his parents be used. The guard was red, intricately shaped like a lily pad,

As he examined the finished weapon, a small smile of satisfaction crossed his face "It is a nice sword" Giyu complimented the blacksmith's work. But the blacksmith brushed it off and urged Giyu to lift the sword and witness its color, anticipating a bright red blade.

As Giyu raised the sword, he stared at the blade, waiting for the familiar blue hue to spread across the blade. But to his surprise, the color was slightly different this time. Instead of the sky like blue he had expected, the blade took on a dark blue hue almost black. Giyu's expression remained neutral, though he was puzzled by the change.

As Giyu examined his newly forged sword, the sound of his kasugai Crow suddenly pierced the air, calling his name with urgency. He looked up, as two other crow's voices soon followed, one calling out for Sabito's and the other one Makomo's names. Giyu extended his arms, and the crow swiftly landed on top of his palms, its tierd eyes gleaming with purpose.

"Make your way to the nearest town in the south!" the crow squawked in a low but commanding tone. "Night after night, the villagers' homes have been broken into! Find the demon responsible and hunt them down!"

Before Giyu could respond, he heard hurried footsteps approaching. It was Sabito, sprinting toward him with his crow flapping close behind, its wings beating furiously as if mirroring its master's urgency. "Giyu, did you also receive a mission?" Sabito asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of excitement and concern.

Giyu nodded, and as they exchanged details about theyr mission, Makomo joined them, her own crow perched on her shoulder. It quickly became clear that all three of them had been assigned the same mission.

(Author's note: Hello! I plan to take things a bit slower from now on, so I won't be posting as often. Posting two chapters daily, as I've done so far, has been too time consuming so I will aim for one chapter a day from now on with a brake here and there.)