Under the Cherry Tree

Chapter 6: Demon Slayer.

It was time.

You tried to deny it, but you were undeniably nervous. You knew the risks of the final selection and the high chance of death that came with it, but your thoughts kept drifting back to S/n and Sato.

You looked at the mirror to see your pink haori with white-circle patterns. Yuri had decided to give it to you, her reaction along with the two girls, were priceless.

Yuri was the most shocked, Sora was straight up cheering you on, and Haruka was yelling at you and was complaining.

It was a moment you'll never forget.

"Y/n, are you ready?"

You took a deep breath and steeled your resolve. You heard Sakura's gentle words and nodded in agreement, "Yes... I'm ready." With a determined expression, you stepped out of your room and into the minka, where Yuri, Sora, and Haruka were eagerly awaiting your arrival.

Yuri's eyes were welling up with tears as she clung onto you and shouted, "Y-Y/n... Please don't leave us!" Sora rolled her gray eyes with a dramatic sigh, "Yuri, quit being a baby! Y/n will do fine." But the more she tried to reassure Yuri, the louder the sobs became.

Sora groaned and yanked Yuri away, with a good bit of effort. She eventually succeeded, and Sakura placed her hands on your shoulders, her breathing became heavy. "Y/n, remember," she said, "The more calm you are... The more powerful you get. Don't let any negative emotions get to you, alright?" You nodded, trying your best not to have a mental breakdown. Due to the fact that if you did, die. You'll probably be greeted by Sato laughing at you.

You took a deep breath and straightened your back. Putting on a confident face and shouted with a huge smile, "I'll pass the final selection! No matter the cause!"

Haruka rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Sheesh...your face creeps me out when you smile." You shot her an offended look and retorted inside your head, 'At least I'm not an edge lord like you! Oh snap...I'm learning too much from Sora!'

Sora gave you a pat on the head and said, "Good luck! We'll be waiting for you here, and if you do die, I'll make sure to kick your ass even if you're a ghost." You couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Sora chasing a ghost version of you, but Yuri quickly scolded her, "Sora! You shouldn't say that!" You gave a cheeky grin and replied, "Don't worry, Yuri. I'm sure I'll be ok."

'I hope...'

Sakura handed you your spear, newly polished and gleaming in the sunlight. She carefully placed it on your back and gave you a gentle smile. "Good luck, Y/n," she whispered. "May the gods protect you." You smiled in appreciation and started to walk through the gates, feeling a renewed sense of confidence and courage- Well with a mix of nervousness too.

You waved at them with a big ol' teethy grin, "Bye Yuri, Sora, Haruka! Bye Sakura!" You shouted, you looked to see Sora and Sakura restraining Yuri from running towards you. This made you chuckled.

You turned around and started to walk towards the path...

Hopefully you'll survive.

--Timeskip--

It was a beautiful sight as you walked through the path surrounded by wisteria flowers and trees. You couldn't help but admire the scenery as you looked to the side. It was quite unusual to see these flowers blooming this season, but you guessed that this place was just different from the others.

You finally made it to the top of the stairs after a long climb. When you arrived, you noticed a lot of people wearing black and brown clothes. Some of them had a large scar on their forehead or cheeks, which caught your attention.