I Thought You Were the Demon?

The End of the Final Selection

Agatsuma Zenitsu barely had any idea how he had survived for the past few days in this Final Selection Test. He was always thinking that the demon's were going to strike at him especially since he kept falling asleep. Yet he was somehow still alive?!

AH! Can the demons smell that he wasn't even worth the trouble? He doesn't want to fight for his life but still! He doesn't even know if he wanted to be offended or not! Everyone was fighting against demons while he hadn't killed any demons yet!

Zenitsu trudged through the forest, holding on tight to the blade Gramps gave him for this test. His eyes darted everywhere as he focused on using his ears to pinpoint any demons in the area.

Maybe he was just very good at hiding?! Yeah! That's the reason. Why else would he have gotten this far in this dangerous test? He was so weak yet he was so lucky!

...

Wait, is this even lucky?! Is he going to become a demon slayer by default?! He doesn't want to be stuck in this job where he could die any single moment! He just wanted a wife!

Zenitsu breathed out weakly, tears started to bubble up at the edge of his eyes making his vision blurry. He looked up past the trees to see a little line of light finally starting to make its way up to signal the seventh day.

The night was ending with the pink and orange dawn starting to peek above the horizon. The sight was beautiful. And that means the end was close. Doesn't that mean he might actually survive this hell... only to enter another?

Zenitsu sniffled. He started to talk to himself in the silence around him. "Gramps, I'm going to fail despite everything you taught me I'm—"

"I can't tell you! I can't tell you about him! Just leave us be!"

Zenitsu's ears perked up at the yelling ready to run if a demon was running towards his direction in search of sanctuary. Yet when he listened closer, the growl in those protesting words were inhuman.

A demon was begging? Zenitsu, against his will and overrun by his curiosity, started to run towards the begging demon. His ears got pierced by several other protests that sounded like more demons pleading for their life, for mercy, or for the opportunity to run away from the approaching sun. He grimaced at the sheer volume hurting his ears.

He stopped when he finally saw what was happening in a small clearing in the forest.

Several demons were pinned down to the grass facing the sky. Body parts were strewn in different places in intricate ways. Arms and legs were lined up to outline the area with torsos and heads piled up in the center with rocks and sharpened stakes keeping them still to the ground. Demon entrails were covering the empty spots left behind in the grass.

Red painted the green until all that was left were shades of brown, burgundy and red. Scraps of clothing were strewn about like seasoning on ramen. Zenitsu swallowed as he noticed the darker blood shades in the ruined grass. Have the demons been stuck for so long... or does that mean there have been other demons before?

He breathed heavily at the sight until his eyes trailed to a slayer who entered the clearing with a heartbeat that sounded so calm despite the gruesome weight.

A fox mask covered their face with recent blood splattered across the white. A cloud patterned, blood stained robe covered their body with a sword brandished in their hands.

"This is for the slayers, the humans and all the innocent souls who have died by your hand." The slayer sounded like a girl from what he could hear from their voice. But that voice... that tone made shivers go down his spine.

The slayer tilted forward as they squatted down close to the dying demons who were mumbling about the sun coming closer. Her voice penetrated into his very soul with such a threatening tone it felt like he was facing a demon despite the fact the slayer was far away from him. "You better hope you turn out better in your next life. Or I will follow you there and make your life a living hell."