A Mountain of Hands (
Summary[]
Sakonji informs his student of a crucial piece of information about defeating demons. He points out that they must be decapitated at the neck and that it can only be done with a special blade called a Nichirin Sword.
Sakonji giving Tanjiro his blessing.
Tanjiro realizes that his training with Makomo has enabled him to detect the Opening Thread: a scent that he follows to guide his blade to his opponent's neck. Sakonji enters the clearing and informs him that he had no intention of sending Tanjiro to Final Selection. He could not watch another child die and was certain the boulder could not be sliced. Acknowledge his student as remarkable, he pulls him into a hug and asks that he return from Final Selection, as his sister and himself will wait for him.
Before setting off, Tanjiro receives a hand carved warding mask, similar to the ones worn by Sabito and Makomo, from Sakonji and says goodbye to a still sleeping Nezuko. He bids his trainer farewell, entrusting him to care for Nezuko, Sabito, and Makomo while he is away, Sakonji is left astonished that Tanjiro is able to recall the names of "those deceased children".
Arrival at the Final Selection.
Having just arrived to Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, Tanjiro admires the wisteria flowers glistening the steps as he climbs the stairs, since they do not bloom at this time of the year. Once he reaches the top, he encounters a large number of young swordsmen waiting to participate in the event. Two curators, Kiriya Ubuyashiki and Kanata Ubuyashiki, organizing the event inform the students that the mountain contains demons captured alive by Demon Slayers, and due to the blooming wisteria around the foot of the mountain, and their hatred of its scent, they are imprisoned in the forest. However, the wisteria only reaches half way up its slope, and past the top where they are, demons are free to roam about and hunt. The applicants must survive for seven days to pass Final Selection.
Once the selection begins, Tanjiro immediately encounters two demons who bicker over the right to kill and eat Tanjiro. As they both charge at him, he utilizes the Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide and detects the Opening Thread, successfully defeating the demons simultaneously.
The deformed demon that Tanjiro encounters.
As he takes a moment to pray for the demon's souls, he is caught off guard by a powerful overwhelming smell, and the screams of a applicant running away. When he turns to face the sound, he witnesses a large deformed demon chasing the swordsman while carrying a deceased boy by the throat. As the boy runs, the demon suddenly manifests a gigantic arm that grabs the boy by the leg pulling him into the air. Tanjiro stands in fear but wills himself to use his skill to help save the boy. Before the demon is able to eat the boy, Tanjiro intervenes by using Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel to slice one of the limbs off of the demon, who glaring back at Tanjiro commenting that "Another of my dear foxes has come!"
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Events[]
- Tanjiro learns to detect the Opening Thread to align his blade's path.
- Tanjiro enters and participates in Final Selection.
- Tanjiro successfully uses the Water Breathing style for the first time.
- Tanjiro meets the Hand Demon.