Demon Slayer: Start With Heroic Spirit Legacy System

The seventh day marked the end of the Final Selection.

The examiner stared at the crowd of candidates—almost as large as it had been at the start—with a stunned expression.

"Am I seeing things?"

"Maybe I should go back to sleep for a bit?" 

He had never seen such a scenario before.

The same number of people who went in, came out!

The examiner slapped his own cheeks hard.

Slap!

It hurt!

"So this isn't a dream."

Coming to his senses, he hurriedly questioned the selection staff beside him.

----

"Did you not encounter any tough opponents? No groups of demons?"

In front of the examiner stood a young man wearing a patterned mask, whose pristine appearance didn't suggest he had endured seven days of grueling battles. 

The person being questioned was Zhou Yi. 

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, unsure of how to respond.

"Hmm... well... how should I put it..." 

The examiner, losing his patience, pressed further:

"Just say it already!"

Zhou Yi had no choice but to tell the truth.

"Well, I did run into a few hundred demons... and also a Hand Demon that had consumed dozens of people."

"What? Then how are you still alive!?" The examiner was stunned, not only by the mention of hundreds of demons but also by the revelation of the Hand Demon. 

Fujikasane Mountain was vast, home to hundreds, even thousands of demons, but most were weak, having consumed only a few humans.

A demon that had eaten dozens of people!

Just imagining the strength it would possess made the examiner shudder instinctively. 

Zhou Yi scratched his head, responding nonchalantly:

"Oh, I just got up and took it down with one strike. Not a big deal." 

The examiner froze. 

He had never seen someone so bold in all his years!

He would've never believed it—until other apprentice who passed the selection spoke up. 

"Hey, look! Isn't that the masked guy?" 

"Yeah, it's him! I saw this man killing demons more than once."

"One slash per demon! It was incredible!" 

"The demons kept coming out, and he kept cutting them down, like slicing through melons and vegetables!" 

"Stop exaggerating! The demons weren't endlessly appearing—he was chasing them down!"

"Exactly! I saw with my own eyes how this man hunted demons to the point they were begging for mercy!" 

"I secretly followed behind him. You know what I saw?" 

"Spit it out! Stop teasing!" 

"Fine! I'll tell you—there was a Hand Demon as large as a small hill!" 

"And this man took it down with just a few swift moves!"

The group's chatter grew louder, now laced with respect and admiration.

Many of them had been saved by Zhou Yi, and their words carried weight. 

At this point, even the examiner had to accept the facts:

—There really had been a powerful demon on Fujikasane Mountain, and the young swordsman in front of him had slain it! Along with hundreds of other demons!

The examiner clutched his chest as if to calm his racing heart.

"My goodness, it seems our Demon Slayer Corps has gained a remarkable individual!" 

At that moment, Zhou Yi's awaited companion emerged from the crowd.

He rushed to greet her, grasping her small hand. 

"Senior Sister Makomo, are you okay?" 

Just from his tone, one could sense the brilliant smile hidden beneath his mask. 

Makomo's cheeks flushed slightly as she gave a subtle nod, indicating she was fine. 

Look at Senior Sister Makomo, so elegant and poised!

With their dashing appearances, the two seemed like a perfect match made in heaven.

The surrounding swordsmen couldn't help but feel envious.

"Waaaah, someone kill me already and let me give my blessings to these two!" 

"Waaaah, I want a Senior Sister like that too!" 

Their lamentations only earned them countless eye rolls from the crowd. 

"Look at your own strength first! Do you even deserve it!?" 

Their words struck like knives, and their jealousy deepened.

Soon, Zhou Yi selected his swordsmith, obtained his personalized Kasugai Crow, and departed with Makomo. 

As the examiner watched Zhou Yi leave, he made a firm decision. 

"This is too important! I must report this to the Master!" 

"Even if I'm punished for negligence, I must tell the truth!"

With that, the examiner hurriedly left.

---

On the Journey Back

Makomo removed the mask belonging to her from Zhou Yi's face, letting it hang askew on her forehead. 

Though she had been delayed in coming out, missing the crowd's discussions, she noticed the respectful gazes directed at Zhou Yi from the other swordsmen. 

Curious, she asked:

"Why has everyone's attitude changed all of a sudden?" 

Zhou Yi smiled lightly. 

"Maybe everyone is captivated by you." 

Hearing this, Makomo immediately turned her head away, flustered, and hastily put on her mask. 

"Y-you're spouting nonsense!" she said in a soft voice, so faint that Zhou Yi, with his exceptional hearing, was barely able to catch it. 

When she turned back, all that could be seen was the patterned mask on Zhou Yi's face and the redness in her translucent earlobes. 

The journey back was filled with cheerful banter and playful teasing, with two Kasugai Crows trailing behind them, acting as their "light bulbs." 

"Light bulbs! Light bulbs!" 

Smack! 

The overly talkative crow was mercilessly swatted down by the embarrassed and irritated Makomo. 

---

 Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters 

Another letter arrived, delivered straight into the hands of Kagaya Ubuyashiki. 

The envelope was labeled: For the Master's Eyes Only. 

"It's from the examiner," Kagaya murmured. "It seems Urokodaki's disciple has caused quite the stir again." 

This time, Kagaya was alone. The Stone Hashira had already been dispatched on a mission to the west. 

"Let's see what's happened this time." 

As he read the letter, Kagaya, who had braced himself, couldn't help but reveal a shocked expression before it turned into one of self-reproach. 

"Single-handedly defeating a Hand Demon that consumed dozens of people, and wiping out the demons on Mount Fujikasane entirely..." 

"It seems the mountain will need thorough cleansing and a replenishment of weaker demons." 

He carefully folded the letter and summoned a member of the Kakushi Corps waiting nearby. 

"Master, your orders?" asked the masked Kakushi Corps member respectfully. 

"Fetch the Flame Hashira for me. I need to trouble him with something," Kagaya said in his usual gentle and warm tone. 

The Kakushi Corps member immediately complied, vanishing swiftly with a light step. 

Shortly after, sounds of movement came from outside. The Flame Hashira had arrived. 

"Rengoku Shinjuro, please come in." 

"Yes, Master." 

The door opened, revealing a man with a mane of golden hair, eyes sharp and full of vigor, exuding an aura like a blazing inferno. 

This was Rengoku Shinjuro, head of the Rengoku family and the current Flame Hashira. 

He was also known more familiarly as the father of Rengoku Kyojuro. 

"Master, I've heard you have a task for me?" Shinjuro asked, his fiery determination unmistakable. 

"Read this letter," Kagaya said, handing it to him. 

Taking the letter, Shinjuro carefully read through it. 

"This is outrageous! What were the supervisors doing?!" His first reaction wasn't about Zhou Yi's extraordinary deeds but rather the appearance of a powerful Hand Demon on Mount Fujikasane. 

"No wonder fewer and fewer recruits have been passing the Final Selection in recent years!" 

Realizing this, Shinjuro clenched the letter tightly in his hand, deeply regretting the oversight. 

"This is my failure," Kagaya said, his remorse evident. "I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities..." 

Kagaya's heartfelt guilt was clear, and he fell into deep self-reproach. 

Shinjuro quickly stepped in to console him. Kagaya's health had been fragile lately, and the added emotional burden could take a toll. 

"This isn't the Master's fault. It's ours... If only we had paid closer attention." 

At this point, there was no point in dwelling further on blame. 

Fortunately, Zhou Yi had eliminated the Hand Demon. 

With this thought, Kagaya regained his composure and gave Shinjuro his orders. 

"Flame Hashira, I now task you with thoroughly investigating Mount Fujikasane. If there are any particularly powerful demons, deal with them immediately." 

"We must ensure the safety of the children." 

"Understood! I was planning to head to Hachijōjima Island, but this will take priority," Shinjuro said, resolutely deciding to address the situation on the mountain first. 

"Yes, and kindly have the children capture a few weaker demons to replace those eliminated. Zhou Yi may have overdone it a bit, wiping out far too many."