Once they reached to the top, they only found around 5 kids which had been alive.
"Out of the 30 or so...." Makomo gazed around while Giyuu began to find if there where any other ones that had appeared in her dream.
But her attention was quickly grabbed by the footsteps of the same young woman with white hair that had been at the beggining of the selection.
"Welcome back and congratulations, being alive is better than anything."
The girl began to name all of the ranks in position, something which Giyuu had known.
"You all belong to the lowest rank. Mizunoto."
Once again.
This time, at least it didn't feel as though it had been a cheat or a false title.
"And what about our swords, I want one of the most flamboyant ones you have at your disposal."
A boy of a higher height from everyone else asked, he was adorned in some jewels on his head as his platinum hair was let loose wearing what would look like a shinobi outfit. Behind him where three other with kunoichi outfits.
Giyuu blinked at the sight, how was it that she didn't notice them before. Did they enter before them?
A small groan came from behind them, Giyuu looked back to see another boy with a blade attached on his back, and a jade piece collar on his neck. He looked quite angry, and very very young.
"Hey what the heck was that groan about?" The ninja kid said as he looked at the other.
"You are being way to fucking loud so just shut up and wait like the rest of us."
This isn't going to end well.
"L-let's not fight now, I'm sure we are all tired from the selection." Another boy appeared, the last of the surviving members. Someone that Giyu hadn't even noticed was behind them.
Unlike everyone else, he looked quite normal, there nothing stricking about his appearance apart from having two scars in his left cheek.
Yet his words where resonable enough for the two kids to not go out into an all out brawl.
"Hey, Giyuu-Chan, I don't see that kid we saved...."
"He must have died while we were fighting the hand demon."
"Mmhm..that's... sad..."
We just prolonged their deaths... Sabito would have been able to--
No, she promised to not think about it. It was the last thing the Tanjiro from before the final battle had tasked him to do.
But...
"Today you will choose what ore your blade will be made of. Then you will wait for 10 to 15 days so that it can be completed." She said, putting out the cloth that hid away the same looking stones of metal, she could see the sight of all the survivors' expectations drop in a matter of seconds.
"And from now on your Kasugaigarasu will follow you everywhere you all go."
With that, some raven like birds flew down to them.
Giyuu looked in disbelief as she saw her one and only partner that had been with him for so long, the same crow that always made him worry even in the middle of a fight.
She missed him so much. She might just tear up now.
"Kanzaburo." the old and tired crow landed on her head and began to sleep just like in their first meeting. She touched her head again to pat the bird, her eyes almost filling up with tears.
He's so fluffy...
"You already named yours?" Makomo said as she held a small crow with very beautiful eye lashes and two aqua eyes.
Its like I'm looking at Makomo in a crow form.
Giyuu looked back at her old crow sleeping soundly, almost merging with her hair by how dark it was.
"Yeah, his name is Kazanburo." Granted, she could ask for a better crow, who would deliever her missions instead of forgetting and who wouldn't trouble Giyuu so much. But she wasn't the one to complain, and certainly this old crow gave her more dangerous missions which could have resulted in fatalities if the crow hadn't mixed the places.
Either luckyness or not this crow saved a lot more lifes than the ones he had been offered. And Giyuu knew that very well.
The others seemed to have... Quite different pets than expected.
The moment the ninja had gotten his pet, the three girls behind him had given him a make up. A flashy Kasugai crow. She might just ho blind at the diamonds.
The other boy had a normal young and healthy looking crow, much to anyone's guess. Tought it seemes he got along with it nicely.
Finally the other boy looked in disbelief as he had a different pet instead of a Kasugai crow.... It was a...small white bird. A white tit?
It looked as tough if had been made from cotton and sugar. Such an unusual and beautiful baby bird.
Although she had to look away after the angry noises the owner made, not towards the bird but rather the ninja who was mocking him.
"I guess I'll call you... Yukinara." Makomo said as she petted the crow's head, she seems to enjoy it.
Uzui-San...
Another death she hadn't managed to prevent. This made the other worry at who she could and couldn't rescue, or at the very least, help.
Makomo noticed the girl's sad expression.
"Hey Giyuu-Chan, its alright we'll become stronger so we can save more people."
Makomo didn't necessarily have it correct as to what was making her sad. But she almost guessed.
Now came the part to choose their ores.
Just as Giyuu was about to pick out her ore from before, she was reminded of something, as always, it seems that every time she is close to something in the past, another memory appears.
They tell us who we trust as people, and what benefits we will use them for.
It was a small sentence that Giyuu had remembered once she asked why Tanjuro always bought the cheaped and rustiest looking axes.
It wasn't because they where cheap, quite frankly, there were axes who were in better condition and at the same price.
"The ore sometimes isn't the most important part, but rather the blacksmith. In this axe, you can see how much effort was put into it."
And he was right, they lasted for so long, they only need a little bit of rusting off, and once again they will keep being useful.
She hadn't seen their value until Tanjuro had polished them to the point the merchant was willing to pay for it at a higher price.
Giyuu choose one the hardest ores, for they where those who are the closest to the sun.
"Are you sure this is the one you want?" the young woman asked.
"It might take much time for you to have your sword."
"Yeah, I know." Giyuu nodded.
If she really wanted to defeat all of the demons, and most importantly the upper moons and Muzan, she would have to fully trust in her weapons to be as durable as possible.
Altought she got the feeling that her blacksmith might not be to happy with her desicion.
___
Panting through the long road with a stick in her hand she finally reached the village that was close to her house.
No one told me it was this exhausting to go so far... it didn't feel that long when I was going to the final selection.
One of the villagers seemed to recognize her since he began to call out others.
"Hey! Tomioka-Chan came back!!"
And with that most of the kids and the elderly she had helped in the village came to greet her.
This was a first, not once had she ever felt so loved by a community, she saw a few give her some treats and others congratulating her on passing the test which Tanjuro had said it will train her to be a military officer. They certainly bought that, and it wasn't much of a lie, she is working to protect the peace.
"I'm so happy for you Tomioka-San!"
"Yeah now Tomioka-San will be able to protect the village from bandits!"
"Yaku you fool, she might have to go to the city because she's going to be really strong and will be an admiral!!"
"Yeah...you are right."
She felt bad about lying to them, but it's not like they will believe about demon slayers and the corps.
"I'll do my best." She could only muster those words with how tired she was.
"Say Giyuu-Chan where you able to defeat how many students there?"
"Oh where they really strong?"
"Did you make friends?"
"Come on people, give the girl a break she's really tired."
Saburo appeared behind them after Giyuu had been drained mentally.
She waved her goodbyes and thank you's to the villagers who had been full of sweets and concerns for her while she was away.
After finally reaching the halfway of the mountain, Saburo asked Giyuu, who was now resting on his back as to what had happened there.
"So you are now a demon slayer?"
"Yeah, but they said that I might have to go in partners with other slayers so that I have a better chance at surviving."
"And... Have you wondered what would happened if you don't come back?"
There was a small silence as Giyuu finished chewing her dango.
"That won't happen. I won't die until I can make sure that there are no more demons."
I will kill Muzan myself before I die. I will drag him to hell myself if I neeed to.
"And how can you be so sure of that?"
Because I know that the end of the war is coming soon.
"Because you all told me that I was really strong, and both Otou-San and Kaa-san trusted me to go on this journey.
So I won't die until I have fufilled my duty!" Her voice was automatically raised at the last sentence.
A small wave of nostalgia brought her back, she wondered for some time as to why.
Did someone say the same thing before?
"Well then, I hope to see you alive when that day comes."
"Oh right, Saburo-San. How has Otou-San been while I was gone?"
"Well... " he paused for a moment.
"He has been getting more sick as of lately."
____________________________________________
Author's notes:
Imma take the full privilege of changing some of the character's ages.
As we discussed
Makomo-13
Giyuu-12
Kaigaku- 10 [yes same age as Mitsuri] (his bird is a Japanese long tailed tit if you are curious. And they are from hokkaido) (He survived by using others as foil, thinking he was so badass, he went to the final selection without permition, he quickly regretted it.)
Tengen- 14(as the badass he was, he also brought his wife's who are 11(Makio) 10(Suma) and 12(Hinatsuru) )
Masachika-13 (misterious boy is this gentle beam! the canon doesn't say how old he was so I will take the opportunity to make him older)
Since we don't know how when some of the characters have birthdays I will make them up as I go
Kaigaku- November 2nd
Masachika- August 26th
Makomo- May 30th
Sabito- September 17th
The birthdays do have a meaning behind them. Uzui"s background has also changed bc of lore...I forgot to include that...
And that is all. I shall now leave and cry for I haven't done anything productive in life---.
Extra:
On the third night:
Makomo: I always wanted someone really strong and powerful who could protect me and I would fight with as an equal. He would be a great doctor who could heal any of my wounds with just a kiss.
Makomo: It's probably too much to ask though. What about you Giyuu? What types of boys are you into?
Giyuu: I ....wait... who am I supposed to like? Do I like girls??.... or do I like boys too? This wasn't a problem for me in the dreams.
Giyuu: Um, someone who likes... Salmon Daikon?
Makomo:...pfft
Giyuu: Is it bad?
Makomo: No, it's just cute fu~
_________
Uzui: Oh ohohoho well would you look at this! Aren't you a bit to big to be here?
Hand demon: Ohh what a joy to finally meet an unfortunate child, after quite a sad night since I couldn't eat Urokodaki's student.
Uzui: Who? Whatever you seem strong so I'll just flamboyantly take you down.
In the end the hand demon had run away before he was almost killed, the real reason as to why it was hard to find him.
_______
Happy valentines day dears may you remeber that love can be romantic, platonic, familiar and fun ! Do what you love today with love!