Chapter 13: Fujikasane Mountain Examiner

Looking at the behemoth in front of him, a "?" appeared on Zero's head, not understanding what was going on with this vehicle?

"How many weapons did I manufacture?" Zero complained to himself.

The behemoth in front of him was completely white, at least six meters long and nearly three meters high.

【Dark Alloy Armored Battle Vehicle】

The whole body was equipped with dark alloy armor to wrap the vehicle body, looking like an indestructible mobile fortress.

The front of the vehicle had two large lights, plus the white body matched with blue streamers flashing, shining in the sun, like a giant beast that was sleeping.

Helplessly, Zero used the 【Analysis Glasses】 to analyze the data of the armored battle vehicle in front of him.

【Name: Dark Alloy Armored Battle Vehicle—Guardian】

【Weapon: Conical spike, small tracking missile, missile cannon (roof), automatic high-speed machine gun (front)】

【Conical spike: When activated, a row of 10 sharp rotating spikes can appear at the front of the vehicle. The spikes are equipped with bloodletting grooves. Any enemy hit by the impact will be directly torn apart.】

【Small tracking missile: When activated, ten small missiles can be released from the left and right sides of the vehicle body, automatically tracking enemies and exploding directly upon hitting.】

【Missile cannon (roof): When activated, a missile launcher will appear on the roof of the back, letting the enemy enjoy the pain of body bursting.】

【Automatic high-speed machine gun (front): When activated, the hood will open to the left and right, and a high-speed machine gun will appear, automatically attacking any enemy appearing in front.】

【Introduction: The Dark Alloy Armored Battle Vehicle was manufactured by Zero after spending a year to resist the invasion of alien beasts when he served as a space-time patrolman reserve member. When the battle vehicle is dispatched, all alien beasts are destroyed wherever it passes!】

Zero: "……"

"Sigh, forget it, although I don't know when this happened, but since it was manufactured by me, it's not bad as a means of transport."

Subsequently, he put the 【Dark Alloy Armored Battle Vehicle】 back into the nano-space and prepared for the task of serving as the Fujikasane Mountain examiner in three days.

He stood up and stretched: "Time to train. During the time I came here, I neglected training in order to look for information!"

He took out some weight-bearing equipment from his nano-space, installed them on his wrists and ankles, and the same was true for his back. He left the Butterfly Mansion and began to run wildly in the woods of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters...

Early the next morning, Zero received a notification from Kasugai Crow Snow, asking him to go to the Ubuyashiki mansion.

"Zero, you're here."

"Yes, I don't know what it is for?"

"It's like this, tomorrow is the Fujikasane Mountain assessment, I hope you can help take care of my two children."

"Are your two children going too?"

"Yes, in the past, my two children hosted this assessment."

"Can."

"Thank you, Zero."

"You're welcome."

After chatting with Kagaya Ubuyashiki for a while, he left the courtyard. He didn't know what to do when he was idle, so he walked around everywhere, but encountered a strange person in the process.

Not far in front of him, there was a strong man, holding a pot of wine in his hand. He looked somewhat staggering when walking, but his steps were steady, which was not something ordinary people could do.

He had long hair that was yellow and red like Rengoku Kyojuro, sword eyebrows, but looked somewhat sloppy and bearded.

He used the 【Analysis Glasses】 to analyze the person in front of him.

【Analyzing... Analysis successful】

【Name: Shinjuro Rengoku—Male】

【Age: 40 years old】

【Identity: Former Flame Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps】

【Wife: Ruka Rengoku (Deceased)】

【Son: Kyojuro Rengoku, Senjuro Rengoku】

【Breathing Technique: Flame Breathing】

【Family: Rengoku family】

【Introduction: Once a cheerful and enthusiastic person like Kyojuro, but after his beloved wife Ruka died of illness, he suffered a great blow, so he became very depressed, not only abandoning his duties as the Flame Pillar, but even starting to drown his sorrows in alcohol every day.】

"Former Flame Pillar... no wonder he looks the same as that little doll Kyojuro Rengoku..." Through the analysis of the 【Analysis Glasses】, Zero also knew who this person was.

"What are you looking at? Get out of here!" Just as Zero was checking the information, Shinjuro Rengoku had already come to him and scolded him loudly, blocking his way.

He reached out his hand directly and prepared to push Zero away, but Zero just dodged and appeared behind Shinjuro Rengoku.

"So fast! This guy..." Shinjuro Rengoku turned around and looked at the white-haired boy behind him, somewhat surprised.

He was once a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, and he still had strength, but he didn't expect to be easily dodged by this white-haired boy and appear behind him.

"Sigh... this little doll, really irritable!" Zero thought to himself, but seeing Shinjuro Rengoku like this, he wouldn't persuade him.

He wouldn't do things like "don't persuade others to be kind without experiencing others' suffering," and he couldn't do it.

After all, he had seen many similar things when he became a space-time patrolman reserve member. He was not a saint, nor was he a saintly mother.

Looking at Zero's back as he was leaving, Shinjuro Rengoku didn't know why, but he felt loneliness and vicissitudes from him, as if he had experienced many partings.

"This guy, what has he experienced? Why does he have such a feeling?!" This was Shinjuro Rengoku's thought at this time.

Suddenly, Zero paused, took out a transparent bottle from his nano-space, which contained white wine. He discovered this when he checked his nano-space yesterday.

Subsequently, he threw it behind him, and it fell accurately into Shinjuro Rengoku's hand, saying: "Give it to you."

After speaking, he left directly without looking back.

Shinjuro Rengoku looked at the large bottle of white wine in his hand, somewhat confused. He had never seen such wine.

And recalling that the person just now didn't know what method he used, he directly reached out and took out this bottle of wine from the space on the side, even though there was nothing around him.

So, driven by curiosity, he unscrewed the bottle cap, and immediately a strong wine fragrance drifted out, stimulating his sense of smell and taste buds.

Smelling this strong wine fragrance, he suddenly felt that the pot of wine he bought just now was not fragrant.

He took a small sip of white wine, the taste filled his taste buds, and his throat felt as if it were being burned.

"Gulp~ Ah! It's really good wine!" He wanted to take another sip, but looking at this bottle of white wine, he looked at the position where the white-haired boy left just now, and didn't know where he went.

He simply covered the bottle cap of this bottle of white wine, tucked it into his arms, and drank the pot of wine he bought just now.

But this taste was far from the bottle of wine in his arms, so he took out the bottle of white wine again and took a small sip...

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the third day, and this day was also Zero's first time serving as a Fujikasane Mountain examiner.

After preparing things properly, he arranged Little Moon in the Butterfly Mansion, left the Demon Slayer Corps under the guidance of Kasugai Crow Snow, and headed to the assessment site.

Arriving at the outskirts of the Demon Slayer Corps, he took out the 【Dark Alloy Battle Motorcycle】, put on a hooded cloak, rode the motorcycle, put in energy crystals to start, followed Kasugai Crow Snow, and began to continue on his way.

He wanted to use the 【Light Energy Flying Device】 to fly directly, but this would attract others' attention, so he decided to ride the motorcycle.

And the Fujikasane Mountain assessment starts at night, so riding the motorcycle is enough.

After several twists and turns, it took several hours to arrive at the foot of Fujikasane Mountain.

A group of people walking up the steps to participate in the assessment saw such a strange person and were somewhat curious. They had never seen such a strange thing.

However, when they saw Zero directly put the motorcycle into the 【Nano-space】, they were even more surprised.

Subsequently, Zero walked directly up the steps, and it only took a few breaths to disappear on the steps and reach the top.

"Who is this person? So fast!"

"I don't know... could it be that he is here to participate in the Fujikasane Mountain assessment like us?"

"If it's really like this, we can form a team with him later, and we will definitely be able to pass the assessment!"

The people participating in the assessment saw Zero's strength and had their own thoughts...

Arriving at the steps, in front was a relatively open field, surrounded by wisteria trees until the halfway point of the mountain, and the trees were full of wisteria flowers.

Kiriya Ubuyashiki and Nichika Ubuyashiki had been waiting there for a long time. The two people's costumes were almost exactly the same except for the hair color, but he didn't understand why Kiriya wanted to cross-dress as a little girl?

"Lord Zero Pillar!" Kiriya Ubuyashiki and Nichika Ubuyashiki saw Zero come to them, bowed at the same time, and their faces still kept smiling.

"No need for this, how long is it until the assessment starts?"

Kiriya: "After the sun sets."

Nichika: "That is when the assessment begins."

"The sun sets..." Looking at the sun in the distance, there were still several hours until sunset, so he simply stood on the stone steps and high platform with the two and waited, and Kasugai Crow Snow also landed on Zero's shoulder, accompanying him.

Just like that, Zero stood in the middle, Nichika Ubuyashiki and Kiriya Ubuyashiki were on the left and right, and the three stood there like statues without moving, which made the people who came to participate in the assessment look at them somewhat strangely.

And those who had seen Zero before didn't understand why that white-haired boy was standing there? Could it be that he was not here to participate in the Fujikasane Mountain assessment like them?

The sun sets in the west, and night falls.

The wisteria flowers on Fujikasane Mountain at night looked very enchanting and beautiful at this time, and the air was full of the unique smell of wisteria flowers.

At this time, the open field had gathered nearly fifty swordsmen who came to participate in the assessment.

At this time, Kiriya Ubuyashiki and Nichika Ubuyashiki spoke at the same time: "Everyone, tonight, we express our heartfelt thanks for not being afraid of hardship to come to participate in the final selection of the Demon Slayer Corps!"

Nichika: "In this Fujikasane Mountain, there are many evil demons caught alive by Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, but they cannot leave."

Kiriya: "Because Fujikasane Mountain blooms with the wisteria flowers that evil demons hate most all year round from the foot of the mountain to the halfway point."

Nichika: "But after entering Fujikasane Mountain from here, you will never see those blooming wisteria flowers again, and evil demons will also appear."

Kiriya: "And the passing condition for the final selection is to survive in this Fujikasane Mountain for seven days."

Nichika/Kiriya: "Next, please invite the Pillar-level swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps—Zero Pillar, Lord Zero, to explain a few words to everyone."

"Pillar... Pillar-level swordsman?!!" A swordsman participating in the assessment exclaimed.

Another swordsman on the side was somewhat curious and asked: "What's wrong with a Pillar-level swordsman? What's different?"

"My trainer told me that Pillar-level swordsmen are the highest combat personnel in the Demon Slayer Corps and are the pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps. They are all very strong!"

"Is it that powerful?"

I saw Zero standing on the high platform of the world, took off his hood, and revealed his extremely exquisite face, but those scarlet eyes looked very strange at night, making the people participating in the assessment in front of him dare not look directly.

Zero's gaze swept over everyone in front of him, then clapped his hands and said: "The assessment content is very simple, but similarly, the assessment is like a battlefield, and evil demons will not give you any chance!"

"During the assessment, if your life is threatened by death, someone will come to save you! But at the same time, this also means that you have lost the qualification for the assessment! You can only wait for the next assessment."

"In addition, don't think about muddling through and hiding in a safe place to pass the assessment. Once I see it, you will also lose the assessment opportunity!"

"Now, the assessment begins!"

Nichika/Kiriya: "Then, please go well, everyone!"

After speaking, everyone began to step into the assessment field, and some people didn't take Zero's words just now to heart, saying that he could see it, they didn't believe it.

Zero didn't know what they were thinking, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care. After all, you can never wake up a person who is pretending to sleep.

His words were limited to this. As for whether they listen

Just as Zero was preparing for the next step, he noticed that the last person in the group participating in the selection was a bit strange: long black hair with slightly green tips, a blank expression on his face, and he looked somewhat dull.

After he entered the selection grounds, Zero no longer kept his attention on him. He took the 20 【Destroyer Small Drones】 out of the nano-space, connected them to the 【Analysis Glasses】, and began to control them to fly into Mount Fujikasane to monitor those taking the selection.

The 【Analysis Glasses】 also activated projection mode, and just like that, the footage captured by each drone appeared on the screen.

Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya were also amazed by this method, but they still maintained their smiles on the surface.

"Xue, thank you for your hard work these past few days!" Zero said to the messenger crow on his shoulder.

"Yes, Lord Zero!"

He then snapped his fingers, and suddenly ten swordsmen appeared around him—one Kinoe-ranked swordsman, and the rest were swordsmen between Otsu and Te ranks.

"Unless necessary, there is no need to intervene!"

"Yes, Lord Zero Pillar!"

Today was the first night of the selection, and in less than half an hour, three swordsmen had already been eliminated.

One of them was still unconvinced, arguing that they only needed to survive for seven days to pass the selection, but he was subdued to the ground by Zero in a single encounter.

Feeling the extremely sharp killing intent erupting from Zero, along with that kind of power, he had no choice but to accept the fact and left the selection site, preparing to come back next year.

After that, five or six more swordsmen were eliminated one after another, basically all of whom Zero had spotted via drones about to lose their lives in the mouths of evil demons, and were saved after being repelled by the drones.

Worried that the damage from the drones would be too high and kill the demons, he switched the high-explosive bullets to paralysis bullets.

This way, he could save the examinees without killing these low-level demons, allowing the selection to continue.

Afterward, he informed them via the drones that they had lost their eligibility for the selection and would have to wait for the next time.

Finally, they were led away from the selection site by the messenger crow Xue; some were also saved by the high-ranking swordsmen.

"Sigh... why does it feel like the quality of those participating in the selection is a bit poor... Almost one-fifth of the people were eliminated on the very first night... I hope it gets better from here..."

After that, no more examinees were eliminated for a while, and the rest made it through the first night just like that, until the arrival of the second night...

Five days had passed since the Mount Fujikasane selection, and during these five days, many people participating in the selection had been eliminated and could only return to their trainers to continue training and wait for the next selection.

"Lord Zero Pillar!" A high-ranking Kinoe swordsman came before Zero to report the situation; his name was Murata Shinichi.

According to his own account, he was a swordsman who participated in the selection in the same year as the current Water Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, Giyu Tomioka, and he was also the only Kinoe-ranked swordsman in this ten-man team.

"Murata, how is the situation inside the Mount Fujikasane selection grounds?"

"There are currently about twenty people still persisting."

"Is that so... In just five days, nearly three-fifths of the swordsmen participating in the selection have been eliminated... The ability of the swordsmen participating in this year's selection is really poor..."

Murata Shinichi felt a bit ashamed upon hearing this, but the facts were indeed as stated.

"Let everyone have a good rest first; there are still two days left."

"Yes, Lord Zero Pillar!"

Zero took some dry rations and water from the nano-space and handed them to Murata Shinichi, telling him to distribute them to the other nine high-ranking swordsmen, then took out two more portions of rations and handed them to Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya.

After all, he had promised Ubuyashiki Kagaya that he would take good care of his two children during the selection.

"Hinaki, Kiriya, you two should eat something too, then go get some rest."

"Yes, Lord Zero."

Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya took the rations from Zero's hands and did as he said.

Watching the two of them standing to the side, chewing and swallowing their rations slowly, he felt a bit helpless: "Sigh~ these two little dolls, still the same as always..."

In the few days he had been in contact with Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya, he found that they always maintained their smiles, regardless of the wind or sun.

Even when Zero told them to eat something and rest earlier, they were the same; there was no other way, Zero could only say it was an order, and they complied.

He simply left them be, standing there alone with his arms crossed over his chest, looking up at the azure sky, wondering what he was thinking about...

"I wonder how everyone at the Space-Time Station is doing now? And I wonder how Sister Luo Li is doing..." Zero thought to himself.

Recalling the words Sister Luo Li had said to him before he was about to perish together with the Void Insect Mother in the starry sky, he always felt a strange sensation in his heart.

He didn't know when he had felt this kind of sensation before... It made him feel somewhat familiar and yet very sad... He didn't understand why he had this feeling? It was as if he had experienced it at some point?

Time passed slowly, and night fell once again. Today was the sixth night of the selection, and Zero continued to observe the situation through the projection of the 【Analysis Glasses】.

It was the same as always; many swordsmen were eliminated at this time, either saved by Zero's drones or by the high-ranking swordsmen.

However, Zero noticed that one of the swordsmen participating in the selection was somewhat different—the black-haired boy he had noticed on the first night.

Not only was he not panicked at all when facing evil demons, but he dealt with them in just a few quick moves; counting tonight, he had already killed at least nearly twenty-five evil demons.

"This little doll is truly different... It seems that as long as there are no accidents, he will definitely pass the selection! Interesting!"

He then took another 【Analysis Glasses】 from the nano-space and wore it on his right ear to analyze the data of the boy in the projection.

【Analyzing... Analysis successful】

【Name: Tokito Muichiro — Male】

【Age: 11 years old】

【Older brother: Tokito Yuichiro (deceased)】

【Identity: Demon Slayer Corps swordsman (in selection)】

【Breathing Technique: Mist Breathing】

【Description: A descendant of the Origin Breathing Technique swordsman Tsugikuni Yoriichi, he was born with the talent to become a swordsman.

Tokito Muichiro was born into a family that made a living by logging; his parents both passed away when he was ten, and later he and his older brother Tokito Yuichiro depended on each other for survival.

After his brother was severely injured by an evil demon, the enraged Muichiro killed the demon, but he was also severely injured as a result. Yuichiro died from his severe injuries, while the dying Muichiro was rescued in time by Ubuyashiki Amane.

But afterward, Muichiro also lost all his memories; because of the amnesia, he lacked emotions, was silent, and was indifferent to others.】

"Hmm? A descendant of Tsugikuni Yoriichi?" Seeing this information, Zero was a bit surprised; he didn't expect that Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who had already become an evil demon, still had descendants in this world.

"It seems I'll have to ask Ubuyashiki Amane about what's going on when I have time to go back..."

"Mist Breathing... It seems it should be a branch breathing technique derived from the five basic breathing techniques..."

The sixth night passed just like that, and seven or eight more swordsmen participating in the selection were eliminated...

On the seventh night, the selection continued.

On the projected screen, some swordsmen were trying their best to slay evil demons, while others were searching for them, etc.

As for those who wanted to fish in troubled waters, after being warned, they also began to slay evil demons, though a few were still eliminated.

Only the one named Tokito Muichiro, after slaying an evil demon, did not stop his steps and continued forward, as if he would not give up until all the evil demons were wiped out.

Moreover, in the process, he also saved some swordsmen who were about to lose their lives at the hands of evil demons, yet his face remained expressionless.

"What an interesting little doll, Tokito Muichiro... Mu... hmm~ Infinite possibilities? Infinite power?"

Time ticked away, and there were only a few minutes left until dawn and the end of the selection. In these final moments, people had passed the test one after another, including Tokito Muichiro, who had been following at the back of the group.

Just as he was preparing to retract the drones, he discovered an unexpected situation. Zero didn't know if it was his imagination, but he saw an abnormal green long hand in the dense forest constantly retracting.

When he prepared to use a drone to investigate, that arm had already disappeared, as if it had never appeared at all.

"An illusion? Could it be a mutated evil demon?" After thinking about it, he couldn't come up with any conclusion, so he simply stopped thinking about it and planned to send some high-ranking swordsmen to investigate later.

The sun rose over the eastern mountains, and a ray of sunlight shone out. The seven-day selection had ended, and at this time, including Tokito Muichiro, only the last five people remained in the open field.

Looking at these five people in front of him, Zero sighed slightly and thought to himself: "So less than one-fifth of the people passed the selection..."

Zero was still standing in the center position, with Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya on his left and right sides.

Hinaki/Kiriya: "Welcome back, everyone."

Hinaki: "First of all, I would like to congratulate you all."

Kiriya: "For passing the selection and returning safely."

Hinaki: "Next, we will distribute the uniforms to you all."

Kiriya: "Before that, we will measure your sizes, and then engrave your corresponding ranks."

The ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen are, from high to low, Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto—ten ranks in total; and the swordsmen who pass the Mount Fujikasane selection will start at the lowest rank, Mizunoto.

Hinaki: "The rank you all currently hold is the lowest rank, Mizunoto."

Kiriya: "Today, you can choose the 【Tamahagane】 needed for forging your swords yourselves."

Hinaki: "It will take at least ten to fifteen days from the start of forging until completion. Additionally, there is one more thing."

Hinaki clapped her hands, and five messenger crows flew in from mid-air, landing on the shoulders of the swordsmen who had passed the selection respectively.

The messenger crow for the one named Tokito Muichiro was a female crow; upon seeing Tokito Muichiro, it landed directly on his shoulder and rubbed against his face with a doting look.

Kiriya: "From now on, the messenger crows will always follow by your sides."

Hinaki: "The so-called messenger crows are crows used to deliver information to you all."

Kiriya: "Next, please choose the Tamahagane you need."

Seeing this, Zero turned around and uncovered the red cloth placed on the table behind him, on which more than a dozen pieces of Tamahagane of different shapes were displayed.

The swordsmen who passed the selection walked out one by one to the table to choose their Tamahagane, and the last one to choose was Tokito Muichiro.

He came to the table and looked for a while before deciding on the Tamahagane he needed.

"Next, you only need to wait ten to fifteen days, and by then, someone will personally deliver your swords to you after they are forged!"

At the end, after Zero finished giving instructions on some matters, those swordsmen who passed the selection had each left the selection site and returned to their trainers to wait for their swords.

"Xue, how is the situation?" Zero turned his head and looked at the messenger crow on his shoulder, asking.

"Everything is fine; no abnormal situation has been found yet."

"Is that so? I hope it was my imagination." Recalling the footage captured by the drone just now, Zero always felt that guy was unusual.

So just now, he had sent his messenger crow Xue to investigate, but there were no results.

"Thank you for your hard work, Xue. We'll go home in a while, and you can have a good rest too."

"It's no trouble."

Packing up the remaining Tamahagane, he held the small hands of Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya on his left and right sides and walked down the steps toward the foot of the mountain, followed by ten high-ranking swordsmen.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Zero took out the 【Dark Alloy Armored Combat Vehicle】.

Boom!

A ripple appeared in the space in front of Zero, and with a loud noise, a white behemoth appeared in front of everyone.

Everyone was surprised by this method.

"Let's go, everyone. Thank you for your hard work these past few days."

Zero opened the rear compartment door to let the ten swordsmen enter, then led Hinaki and Kiriya to open the passenger door and put them in the passenger seat; there was more than enough room for the two of them to sit together.

Closing the door, he went to the driver's seat, inserted the energy crystal, started the vehicle, and began the return journey.

The messenger crow Xue was lying in Ubuyashiki Hinaki's arms resting.

The ten swordsmen in the rear compartment kept discussing Zero's affairs.

"My god! What kind of vehicle is this?! It feels so imposing!"

"More than that, I don't know how Lord Zero managed to do it, but he was actually able to conjure it out of thin air! How on earth did he manage to do it with such a large vehicle?!"

"Murata, why have you stopped talking?"

"Ah... no, nothing... hahaha." Murata recalled the scene where the swordsman who was eliminated on the first night of the selection was subdued to the ground.

At that time, he was closest to Zero and personally felt that sharp killing intent! That kind of feeling, just thinking about it made him afraid; he never wanted to experience it a second time!

"Alright, alright, stop talking. Take the opportunity to rest for a while now; we have to go out to carry out missions tonight!"

The ten swordsmen stopped discussing further, sat on the vehicle seats, leaned against each other, and entered a short rest period.

Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya in the passenger seat leaned their heads against each other and began to rest.