Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

“Yes! My ‘trainer’ is only a ‘rank A’ swordsman. I really envy him for having a ‘pillar’ personally training him.”

"You're alright. My 'trainer' is just a retired 'Class C' swordsman, not even as good as you."

Another person whispered, clearly unwilling to give up.

"Ah……"

Another young man approached and sneered, "So what if they're disciples trained by 'Pillars'? They're not necessarily that powerful."

Many people around looked at the boy.

The boy looked up and patted the hilt of his sword: "The assessment at Tengxi Mountain relies on one's own strength, not on the mentor. No matter how powerful the mentor is, if the disciple is not good enough, he still cannot pass the assessment."

As he spoke, the boy said coldly, "Do you know Senior Urokodaki of Mount Sagiri? He was a powerful 'water pillar' who slew countless evil spirits, but he retired to become a 'trainer' and taught many disciples, but none of them passed the test, and some couldn't even survive."

"No way, being taught by a 'pillar' and not only failing the assessment, but not even surviving? That's just too incompetent!"

"Ha, if I were to be guided by 'Pillar' and still fail the assessment, I'd probably be so ashamed I'd want to kill myself."

Hearing what the people around her were saying, Makomo, who was standing next to Su Mu, was clearly a little emotionally unstable, and her hand unconsciously tightened on the hilt of the Nichirin Blade at her waist.

Su Mu looked up at the girl, then reached out and gently patted her shoulder.

The girl looked up at Su Mu, then lowered her head again, silently clenching her teeth.

Su Mu didn't offer any words of comfort to Makomo, nor did he intend to teach these people a lesson, since this was simply the truth.

At that moment, he simply looked up, gazing towards the summit of Mount Fuji.

As a ghost, he could clearly sense the presence of his former kind, although he never considered these ghosts, who couldn't even control their own desires, to be his kind.

now

He could feel his blood throbbing and his body thirsting.

He is too weak now, and he desperately needs these even weaker ghosts to nourish him.

Chapter 129 Makomo, If I Were a Demon, Would You Still Do This? (2/4 (Two-in-One))

As the sun gradually set, the people waiting for the platform halfway up the mountain began to get restless. Faintly, they could hear the roar of the evil spirits coming from the mountaintop.

The ghosts' voices carried a strong sense of hunger, as if they were waiting for someone to feed them, causing many people to turn pale. It seems that a large number of people have never seen a real ghost.

"Da da da……"

As the crowd began to grow increasingly agitated, footsteps sounded.

At first, it was very mild and was even mixed in with some people's conversations, but gradually, everyone around quieted down and looked at the person coming down from the mountain.

The two identical people were dressed in white kimonos and carrying a palace lantern. Their figures were almost identical, and their appearance and temperament were nearly the same.

The only difference is that one has completely black hair, while the other has white hair.

Among them, a man with completely black hair stepped forward. The boy had a youthful face and was dressed in women's clothing. If one did not know his gender, one would probably think that he and the older sister next to him, Hina, were both girls.

The boy is Ubuyashiki Teriyaki, the third child and only boy of Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the head of the Demon Slayer Corps, and Ubuyashiki Amane. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will succeed as the new head of the Corps in the future.

Due to the curse of the Ubuyashiki clan, the boy Ubuyashiki Teriya was born physically weak. Before he turned thirteen, he was raised as a girl, and his daily clothing and other aspects were basically the same.

Now, the health of the "master" Ubuyashiki Kagaya is deteriorating, and his son Ubuyashiki Teriyasu is gradually taking over the affairs of the Demon Slayer Corps, including the Fujikasaneyama Exam, which is very important for the Demon Slayer Corps in obtaining fresh blood.

Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Teruya Ubuyashiki felt the pressure and became a little nervous. He hesitated for a long time before speaking. It was Hina Ubuyashiki next to him who stood up, just like her younger brother.

Almost as soon as her younger brother opened his mouth, the older sister spoke in the same voice, which drowned out her brother's voice, so that Teruya Ubuyashiki only needed to open his mouth.

To everyone else, they were two people who were almost identical, with almost identical temperaments, and even their tone of voice and manner of speaking were almost identical, all emitting extremely ethereal voices.

"Thank you all for coming to participate in the final selection of the Demon Slayer Corps. On the top of Fujikasa Mountain behind us, the demons captured by the swordsmen are imprisoned."

"Please note that once you begin climbing this path, you will no longer be protected by the wisteria grove, and ghosts will roam freely at night."

"If you can survive seven days and seven nights on Fujikasane Mountain, you will have completed the final selection of Fujikasane Mountain and become a qualified Demon Slayer Corps swordsman."

Seeing that everyone had heard, Ubuyashiki Hinai and Ubuyashiki Teriyaki spoke again in unison: "Then, the swordsman examination of Fujikasayama shall officially begin."

As they spoke, both Teruya Ubuyashiki and Hina Ubuyashiki, carrying palace lanterns, stepped aside and stood on one side of the road.

Those who came to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps assessment were naturally well aware of the rules.

With his black hair, blue eyes, and a magatama pendant, Kaigaku took the lead and disappeared from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

A large group of people immediately followed.

A small group of people hesitated for a moment, but eventually went in.

A few others hesitated to take a step forward, their eyes filled with fear and terror. One of them couldn't bear the fear in his heart and fled down the mountain.

However, Teruya Ubuyashiki and Amane Ubuyashiki, who were standing on the side of the road, did not show any particular emotion as a result.

Makomo closed her eyes slightly, feeling a bit nervous and flustered for a while.

But when I opened my eyes, everything was calm.

She looked at Su Mu, Kanao, and Tanjiro, took a deep breath, and said softly, "When we reach the top of the mountain, don't stray too far from me, and don't wander around. I will protect you."

The girl's voice was light and airy, seemingly without much force, but it contained a very strong determination.

Su Mu couldn't help but glance at Makomo. The petite girl herself wasn't even sure of succeeding, yet she was still thinking about protecting others.

"Take care of yourself first."

He muttered something under his breath. Although he felt his blood boiling, perhaps this was his own thirst for power, Su Mu suppressed this desire.

Otherwise, when he became a perfect being, he could have immediately sought out demons to strengthen himself.

However, Muzan Kibutsuji has a certain sensitivity to the death of any demon, and doing so could easily put him in a very dangerous situation.

He was well aware that he currently only possessed near-perfect 'stats,' but that didn't mean he was truly invincible or immune to being plundered.

Now, thanks to the Demon Slayer Corps' centuries-old 'Fujisakeyama' swordsman test, even if Muzan Kibutsuji senses death, he will probably only think of these dead demons as just another demon killed in a new round of Demon Slayer Corps swordsman test.

Even though the cautious Muzan Kibutsuji ordered the Twelve Demon Moons to come and check the situation, they could only look on in awe at the wisteria trees covering the entire mountainside.

He possesses an almost infinite lifespan, a life even more perfect than Muzan Kibutsuji's, so there's no need for him to face such a terrifying creature before he matures.

Compared to themselves, the Demon Slayer Corps was more eager to find Muzan Kibutsuji and engage in a decisive battle.

Su Mu suppressed his thirst for power, his expression remaining calm, and led Tanjiro and Kanao toward the path leading to the summit.

Makomo was actually the first to act, walking in front, but soon she realized that Su Mu was not in a hurry at all and had no intention of following her. She could only bite her lip and stop, worried that if she was not careful, these weak people would be killed by the ghost.

Soon, Su Mu stopped in his tracks as he passed by Teruya Ubuyashiki and Hinai Ubuyashiki, looking at the almost identical people.

Upon seeing Su Mu stop, Teruya Ubuyashiki also looked up.

Su Mu glanced at the future 'leader', then looked at the delicate-looking young woman with white hair to the side.

Su Mu smiled gently at the two of them and then led Kanao and Tanjiro to the top of the mountain.

Makomo followed closely behind.

…………

"Does your sister know which 'mentor' trained this disciple?"

After Su Mu and his group left, Teruya Ubuyashiki turned to look at his older sister beside him.

Ubuyashiki Hina has white hair, slightly blue eyes, and snow-white skin. Combined with her white hair, she gives off a very anime-like vibe, like a character with white fur.

“There are many people taking the test this time. Although most of them have some information, there are always some who come through other channels to participate in the test. I haven’t met these people before, but I do know something about the girl following behind them. Is Kiriya very interested in them?”

"I just feel that the other person should be able to pass the test and will become a very powerful swordsman in the future."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki watched the departing figure and murmured, "The other swordsmen participating in the assessment were either excited, nervous, fearful, or expectant, but this person gave me a feeling..."

The boy frowned and thought for a moment: "If the 'Pillars' came to 'Mount Fujikasa,' they would be quite at ease facing the demons on the mountain."

"Yes, it's a very relaxed feeling."

Hina Ubuyashiki looked at her younger brother and said softly, "It's amazing that my little brother can already sense these things."

"He's still far from being as good as his father."

Teruya Ubuyashiki looked into the distance, his eyes filled with worry.

His father's health was deteriorating, and as the soon-to-be successor to the position of 'head of the household,' he was under immense pressure.

His father, at his age, had already recognized Gyomei Himejima's talent and now he had become the Demon Slayer Corps's strongest 'Stone Pillar'.

And he, so far, is simply following the established procedures to take over his father's arrangements.

Can he fulfill the responsibilities of a good father?

Can he shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the 'lord'?

………………

Compared to the beautiful scenery of wisteria blossoms covering the mountainside below, the summit of Tengxi Mountain appeared quite desolate. Su Mu curiously surveyed everything around him.

"It's getting dark, let's prepare to face the ghosts."

Makomo looked up at the setting sun, her voice urgent.

Su Mu turned his head and looked at the mask on Makomo's face, and said with a smile, "I think the best preparation would be for Miss Makomo to take off your mask."

"what?"

Makomo frowned beneath the mask.

"Over the past few days, I've witnessed Miss Makomo's strength. Compared to the other swordsmen who came for the assessment, they are far inferior to Miss Makomo, aren't they? I think Makomo's senior brothers and sisters, including that Sabito, must all be very strong, right?"

Makomo placed her hand on the hilt of her sword at her waist, her head slightly lowered: "Senior brother, senior sister's strength is quite good, but so what? We are all a disgrace to Master Urokodaki."

The 'Pillar' who slew countless demons retired in his later years to become a 'Trainer', but none of the disciples he taught were able to pass the test.

They couldn't even survive.

Before, when I was staying in the Misty Mountain, I might not have felt it so strongly. But now, having arrived at the Fujikasa Mountain and hearing the conversations of the swordsmen participating in the assessment, every word felt like a stab to my heart. I wanted to refute them, but everything was true.

"Do you still think it's your own problem even now?"

Looking at Makomo, whose head was hanging low, Su Mu shrugged slightly: "Perhaps, all of this really is Urokodaki-senpai's problem."

"Absolutely not."

Makomo suddenly looked up, her eyes resolute.