The Butterfly's Embrace | Demon Slayer x Male OC

Chapter 8

Hibiki climbed the stairs of a mountain covered with blooming wisteria from the bottom to its slope. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, the light violet color creating a scene that felt like it was from a fairy tale.

Ascending the last couple of steps, he saw a wide-open area filled with many individuals. It was clear from the swords they carried that they were also here to attend the Final Selection.

As he walked towards the group, he glanced around and noticed there were more than thirty people present. He hadn't expected to see so many, especially since Rengoku had mentioned that the Demon Slayer Corps wasn't a well-known organization. His mind then drifted to when Kanae had mentioned that those who join the Demon Corps are often ones who have lost loved ones to the Demons.

Quietly joining the group, he kept glancing around, checking each person. He noticed that they were all young, around his age. As he continued to glance around, a figure caught his attention as a woman came to the center to address the group.

She had a striking face with pale skin and purple eyes, her white hair styled in a mix of loose strands and a small ponytail. She wore a beautiful salmon-colored kimono adorned with butterfly and flower patterns.

Her beauty was exotic, unlike anything he had witnessed before. He found it hard to keep staring until someone bumped shoulders with him, walking past without even glancing back to apologize.

"What the—?" Hibiki said, calling out to the white-haired male who seemed to blindly walk, bumping into other people. The boy ignored Hibiki and angrily strode forward. 'What's up with this guy?' Hibiki thought before glancing back at the woman as she spoke.

"On behalf of the leader of the Demon Corps, I welcome you all, brave swordsmen, to the Final Selection," she stated before gesturing behind her. "Beyond these wisteria trees is a forest infested with captured demons where you will all attempt to survive for seven days."

"Those who manage to survive for seven days will have proven their skills and earned the right to join the Corps and be called a Demon Slayer," she continued, her tone professional and practiced. "The exam will start immediately, so please make your way forward beyond the wisteria trees." She stood to the side, allowing passage to the examinees.

The group hesitated at first until the white-haired boy walked forward, seemingly unafraid. After that, the others began to follow.

Hibiki watched as everyone started entering the forest, one by one, deciding to enter last once he saw the final person pass the wisteria trees. He thought entering last might give him an advantage in encountering a demon later, as he had to endure seven days and nights in this forest. It was smart to preserve his energy and strength.

"Well, here goes nothing," he told himself in a low voice, making his way past the wisteria trees. As he walked, he glanced at the white-haired woman who stared back indifferently with her plum purple eyes.

As he passed the wisteria barrier, he saw that the rest of the examinees had already dispersed, as he couldn't locate any of them.

"Here we go, it's going to be a long seven days," he said to himself as he sprinted in a random direction. He didn't have a plan for now; the only thing he thought of was to head east towards the direction of the sunrise. He knew he wouldn't be resting during the night, and even during the day, he still had to be awake since he didn't trust any of the other examinees, thinking they might attack him.

He kept sprinting east, his hand near his katana, anticipating any sudden attacks. His blue eyes kept scanning his surroundings. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous; the demon he had encountered ten months ago was still fresh in his mind.