I was feeling confident as Tetsuo and I kept walking. I knew we were close because the path we were walking was lined by large beautiful trees of wisteria. They almost seemed to be glowing.
Tetsuo: Well ain't this just gorgeous.
He looked around at the nature around us and was practically hopping up and down out of amazement at the sight.
Y/N: You can say that again. This place looks insane.
Tetsuo: Look over there.
We looked forward and saw a giant staircase coming up. I didn't see it before because I was admiring the wisteria plants all around. The staircase was large and it was steep. I couldn't see what was past the top of it.
Y/N: Nowhere to go but up.
We got to the staircase and stopped at the bottom of it to check it out.
Tetsuo: This is in good condition. They must really care about their image here.
Y/N: I concur. But I do wonder what's at the top of this staircase. You ready?
Tetsuo put his foot on the first step and looked at me.
Tetsuo: Yup.
We started walking up the steps and my nerves went crazy. Every step made me feel more and more anxious to know what was awaiting us at the top of these stairs. It felt like an endless staircase, but eventually, we got to the top of it and emerged at the top of the mountain.
Tetsuo: Well would you look at that.
At the top of the staircase were dozens of people waiting. Some younger than me, some older. But there were at least 30 people up there.
Tetsuo: There are more people than I imagined.
Looking around at the people there, everybody already had their own weapons ready. Most of the people there had a strange look of anger on their faces. Either they didn't want to be there or they wanted to hurry up and begin. People were talking in small groups or sitting around waiting.
Y/N: So this is the competition, huh?
Tetsuo: No.
Tetsuo sounded more intense in saying that than he usually does.
Tetsuo: Don't misread the situation. Nobody here is competition. If anything, it'd be best for us to walk around and make as many friends as possible. We can all make it through to the end, but some of these people will be too stubborn to work together.
Y/N: I see.
**Everybody can pass, but not everybody will. We weren't competing against each other... If we were smart we'd all just stick as a big group until we made it through, but it wouldn't be that simple**
Y/N: You know a lot about this Final Selection. You did say your dad was a part of the Demon Slayer Corps before.
Tetsuo: Right. He told me a little of what to expect from this place. Or at least what to expect from the other aspiring Slayers here. This isn't just a trial. This is life or death.
We walked past the crowds of people trying to reach a large gate that stood in front of a forest. All eyes were on me and Tetsuo as we walked through. We stuck out like sore thumbs. Most everybody else had similar attire and weapon choices, but from our multi-colored clothes to our unique swords, everybody was interested in what we were about.
Y/N: I didn't know there was a dress code for this place.
Tetsuo: Me neither. I didn't hear anything like that. I guess that's just comfortable clothing?
Y/N: Couldn't tell you. We look out of place though.
Tetsuo: Good. I love attention.
As we got to the gate, we were met by 2 small children. They looked like twins, but one had black hair while the other had white. They didn't say anything at first but stopped us when we tried to pass through.
???#1: You mustn't pass through until the sun has set and the night comes.
???#2: You mustn't pass through until the sun has set and the night comes.
Tetsuo: Creepy! They said the same sentence like they'd been practicing that!
**Tetsuo was overreacting a little, but it was kinda weird.**
???#1: All examinees will enter at the same time.
???#2: All examinees will enter at the same time.
Y/N: Oh, okay. Well, then we'll be on our way.
Tetsuo and I turned around and walked away. It wasn't nighttime yet, but the sky was getting dark. Maybe another hour or so and we'd be fine to go in.
Tetsuo: We're just gonna leave it at that?
Y/N: They look like they run this place. What could we really do?
Tetsuo sucked his teeth and puckered his lips like a pouty little kid.
Tetsuo: I guess you're right.
Y/N: We should go meet some of the other people here, shouldn't we?
Tetsuo looked around at the other people entering the Final Selection.
Tetsuo: We've got time to blow, so it would make sense for us to go build allies.
Y/N: Well if everyone here understands that, let's go make some friends.
We walked around and talked to a multitude of people asking them to stick as a group through the Final Selection. However, nobody was willing to group up. They all must've held strong to the belief that the more people you have, the more dead weight you might have.
**Nobody wants to team up. What's wrong with these people? Don't they get what's going to happen in there?**
Y/N: Tetsuo, don't these people understand why they're here?
Tetsuo: Some of them do, some of them don't. I'm amazed though... Not a single person so far was down to team up.
Y/N: It just doesn't make sense to me why not.
He shrugged. I sort of wished it was only me and Tetsuo up here waiting because then I wouldn't have had to worry about the potential to team up.
Tetsuo: Ouch.
I turned over and looked at him.
Y/N: What happened? You alright?
Tetsuo: Felt like something just pricked my back.
He started trying to look over his shoulder at his back to see what got him. I turned around and looked behind him to find a girl standing there.
Y/N: Yo?
Tetsuo turned around quickly when he realized somebody was standing behind him.
???: Sorry, about that. But I just needed to confirm...
Tetsuo: Confirm?!
The girl was holding a toothpick in her hand. The tip of it was red with blood, but as it went further down the stick, the red turned into green.
???: Yes. I know it's true now.
**Who is this girl? What's she even talking about? She just came over here and poked Tetsuo's back**
She was a short and pretty girl. She had a very cool and collected-looking face. Her eyes were almost silver. She seemed so calm as if she had made it through the Final Selection already. Her hair was dirty blonde and ran to the midway section of her back. She had on a black hat with a brim to block out the sunlight from her face. She wore a black outfit similar to what everybody else had on, but she had the top of her shirt unbuttoned to let her breathe more. Around her waist on the right, she had a satchel with a few pockets. On the left, she had a katana. It had an interesting design to it, but I couldn't quite remember what it reminded me of. Overall, she had a strange elegance to how she carried herself.
???: Sorry about sneaking up on you, but you should know...
She held up the toothpick to Tetsuo, then to me, then she dropped it on the floor.
Tetsuo: What was that even supposed to mean?
She looked around at the other people waiting for the exam to start then looked back at us.
??: It's possible there are a few reasons why people aren't too inclined to team up with you two.
Y/N: Oh yeah?
She looked at Tetsuo.
???: Let's start with you. You're too big. You're quite tall and have a muscular frame. At a passing glance, it's easy to assume that you don't move too well.
A frustrated vein popped out of Tetsuo's forehead, but he didn't respond.
???: Until proven otherwise, the average person here may look at you as a deadweight they'd have to carry.
Tetsuo: Well I'm not!
???: I believe you. It's like I said. The average person here.
She was implying she wasn't average when compared to the rest of the people here. She turned her gaze from Tetsuo to me. She looked me up and down. I stiffened up and waited to hear what she was going to say.
???: As for you... Same thing.
Her eyes moved from my body to my sword.
???: You look like you would move well with a katana, but with that gargantuan sword you're dragging along with you, it doesn't look like you'd be able to fight effectively.
I didn't respond and decided to just take the criticism.
Tetsuo: With all due respect, my lady, you'd be surprised.
The vein on Tetsuo's forehead vanished and he flashed a cocky smile. I couldn't help but feed off of his energy and confidence.
???: I'm sure you're both more than capable of holding your own, but look around at everybody else.
We all looked around at the others. Most of the people here were wearing dark outfits ranging from black to brown, to grey and anything in-between. Tetsuo and I were both wearing brighter, more vibrant-colored clothing.
Y/N: I think I understand what you're getting at.
???: I could tell you were intuitive, cutie.
**'Cutie'?**
She smiled at me and I started to blush a little. I decided to pretend like I didn't hear that last part, but she was way too attentive for me to act like I didn't.
Y/N: Uh- Uhm... Thanks?
Her smile dropped and she looked down at the toothpick she dropped. She stared at it for a second before looking up at Tetsuo.
???: You have Marechi blood.
Tetsuo and I looked at each other expecting the other to know what she was saying. Neither one of us knew what Marechi meant.
Tetsuo: Come again?
???: It's your blood type. That's the reason I poked you before and what I was trying to confirm. Marechi is a very rare blood type and it'll make you a big target for demons. They can smell Marechi from a mile away. The demons in there are probably already expecting you. For somebody like me, a demon could consume my blood to replenish their hunger and energy, but for you...
She pointed up at Tetsuo.
???: You are the equivalent of dozens of humans. A demon who consumes your blood would get a power boost so large that you wouldn't believe they'd only eaten one human.
She was saying a lot of information and speaking too quickly for me to process. I knew Tetsuo was just as confused as I was.
???: That was a lot to follow?
Tetsuo: Kinda...
Y/N: Yes...
???: Think of it this way. If you take a sip of water, your thirst is quenched for a moment. However, if you drink an entire cup of water, your thirst is dealt with for a while AND your energy is returned.
**That made a little more sense, but I still felt like it was a poor analogy.**
???: Bad explanation? I thought so too...
Y/N: No, I think I kind of get it. So what are we supposed to do with that information?
???: Well, just be ready to fight. There's no way to avoid what's coming. Either leave or prepare yourselves-
Somebody threw their arm around the girl's shoulder. I hadn't noticed anybody approaching because I was so lost in thought and conversation. The girl looked over to see who had their arm on her.
???: Hey, Jazz.
I looked over at who had wrapped their arm around her. It was another girl that had a bodily build similar to the first one. She was a little bit taller, a little more built, and her face looked more battle-hardened. She looked more fit for the Final Selection than the other girl did. The other girl called her Jazz?
Jazz: These guys bothering you? What's going on?
???: Oh no it's not that-
Jazz: Hey, buddy!
She looked up at Tetsuo who was still trying to piece together the whole Marechi situation. He snapped back when he realized she was talking to him.
Tetsuo: What?
Jazz: Her eyes are up here, buddy. Where are you looking?
Y/N: Wait, huh?
Jazz: Pervert...
Tetsuo: Eh?
The frustrated vein popped out of Tetsuo's forehead again as he tilted his head to the side in confusion.
Tetsuo: Pervert? I'm gonna be looking down regardless of where I was staring. And I wasn't even looking at that!
Jazz: Looking at what? I didn't even say where you were looking...
The two of them started arguing with each other as I tuned them out and they became background noise. I turned my attention back towards the shorter girl.
???: Sorry about her. That's my sister, Jazz. She's always been overly protective around strangers, but she doesn't really mean any harm.
Y/N: It's fine. But about what you were saying before... I don't plan on leaving, and I don't think jug-head over there plans on it either.
I gestured over to Tetsuo who was still having a childish argument with this girl's sister.
???: Well then I look forward to seeing how well you two do.
Y/N: Speaking of... Do you want to team up with us? We were trying to find people to join our side, but you already knew that.
???: I'll have to sadly decline your offer. My sister and I have a plan to get through this, and honestly, I am a little bit worried for both of you. It's like I said before, you lot stick out to demons like a rainforest in a desert. I will be wishing you well though.
**So at the end of all of that, we still didn't add any additional members to our party? What a wasted effort. At least this girl gave us some good information to keep in mind.**
Y/N: Thanks for considering. I guess it'll just be me and him then.
???: If you're as good with that sword as you think, you'll be fine.
I realized our conversation was coming to an end as I saw all of the other examinees start heading towards the gate. It was nighttime now and we were entering soon. We all headed towards the gate to await further instructions. Jazz and Tetsuo kept up their bickering the entire time. The two children that guarded the gate earlier began to speak.
???#1: We thank you for coming here tonight. To the Demon Slayers Corps Final Selection.
???#2: We thank you for coming here tonight. To the Demon Slayers Corps Final Selection.
They explained that there were demons captured and imprisoned on top of this mountain we were about to enter that we had to fight through for seven days to reach the other side of the mountain and clear the Final Selection. It sounded simple enough, but 7 days of fighting was no joke. I felt my heart beating fast as the moment finally came. I managed to swallow my anxiety and get ready.
???#1: And now, be on your way.
???#2: And now, be on your way.
Waves of people flooded through the gate into the mountain. The time it would take to reach the other side was averaged to seven days, but that didn't mean you couldn't get there faster or slower. It seemed that these people were trying to hurry up and reach the other side.
Y/N: Good luck, uhm...
**I never even got this girl's name.**
Y/N: I don't think I ever got your name?
She giggled then pointed into the mountain.
???: Unimportant if we never see each other again. Meet me on the other side and I'll tell you everything you want to know about me, dulzura.
**'Dulzura'..? What language even was that? First, she called me cutie and now she's calling me dulzura?**
Tetsuo: Oh, we will.
Jazz and Tetsuo had finally stopped arguing and were ready to head in.
Jazz: You ready?
???: Yup. Let's go!
I watched as that girl and Jazz walked confidently into the mountain. The girl waved back at us as they went in and I caught another glimpse of her sword. Now I remembered what it reminded me of... A cat's paw. We waited for a moment after they went in.
???: Good luck!
Tetsuo hesitated before moving.
Tetsuo: You don't have to go in with me, y'know?
Y/N: What're you on about?
Tetsuo: I understand if you wanna split up after what the little girl said about 'Mariachi' blood or whatever. I'm gonna be a hot spot for demon attacks.
Y/N: Marechi, and I don't care. The point was to make more allies, not lose the ones you already have. Remember?
He bucked up and the surge of confidence he had before returned. His spirit was on fire and I could almost see the aura emanating off of him.
Tetsuo: Right. I don't know what got into me. Let's do this.
We stretched for a bit before going in. Everybody else had already headed in and we were the only two left behind. After the stretch, we charged into the mountain with adrenaline pumping. All we had to do now was make it to
The Other Side