I recovered surprisingly quickly.
Bhringi had said it would take me a month before I could even walk properly again.
Instead...
It only took me a week.
When Bhringi found out, he looked completely shocked.
"I've never seen anyone recover this fast," he muttered.
I just smiled.
Maybe it had something to do with the Demon Slayer Mark.
Or maybe my body was just weird.
Either way, I wasn't complaining.
The moment I returned to the training grounds, everyone stopped what they were doing.
"Tom's back!"
The next second, recruits came running toward me.
Some shook my hand.
Some patted me on the back.
Others simply smiled.
"Good to see you're alive!"
"We thought you were a goner!"
"Welcome back, Fogo!"
I couldn't help but smile.
It felt nice to know everyone cared.
Well...
Almost everyone.
Standing a few meters away was an elf with crossed arms.
Abeer.
He had disliked me ever since my first day at the training center.
Every time I improved, he looked more annoyed.
Every time Dorna praised me, he looked like he wanted to punch a wall.
He simply clicked his tongue and walked away.
"What did I even do to him?" I whispered.
Tobisa laughed.
"You exist."
Marie nodded.
"Pretty much."
I scratched my head.
"That's... kind of unfair."
The three of us laughed before Dorna blew his whistle.
"Enough talking!"
"Back to training!"
"YES, SIR!"
The next month passed quickly.
The closer we got to the end of training...
The quieter everyone became.
Because everyone knew what was coming.
The Final Selection.
Also known as...
Wing Selection.
It wasn't an exam.
It wasn't a tournament.
It was a test of survival.
They said only those who proved themselves worthy could become members of the Wing Corps.
But there was one terrifying fact.
Out of every twenty candidates...
Only five usually survived.
Nobody knew exactly what happened during the selection.
The instructors refused to explain.
Whenever someone asked Dorna, he only smiled and said,
"You'll find out soon enough."
That answer wasn't comforting.
Not at all.
Even with the selection approaching, I never stopped training.
Every night, after everyone else went to sleep, Senjuro continued teaching me.
This time, however...
He had a new training partner.
A strange wooden machine stood before me.
It looked almost like a person.
Except...
It had six arms.
"What is that?" I asked.
Senjuro smiled proudly.
"My greatest invention."
He patted the machine's shoulder.
"I call it..."
"Yoriichi Type Zero."
The six-armed machine suddenly drew all of its swords.
"...Why does it need six swords?"
"So you won't get comfortable."
Before I could ask another question—
The machine attacked.
"HEY!"
Its blades came from every direction.
Above.
Below.
Left.
Right.
I barely managed to dodge.
For the next several weeks, every night was the same.
Train against Senjuro.
Train against Yoriichi Type Zero.
Train with Marie and Tobisa.
By day...
I continued practicing my shooting.
Sleep became a luxury.
But I didn't mind.
The Final Selection was getting closer every day.
I had to be ready.
Finally...
The day arrived.
Nobody spoke much that morning.
Everyone looked nervous.
Even Tobisa.
Even Marie.
Instead of using vehicles or magic, we had to walk.
Five long hours.
The path led us deep into the mountains.
Eventually, we reached a huge clearing surrounded by enormous trees.
Dozens of recruits had already gathered there.
I looked around.
"There are a lot of people."
Tobisa nodded.
"I counted around seventy."
Seventy.
Only a handful would return.
At the entrance stood a large wooden board.
Everyone gathered around to read it.
It said:
Dear Candidates,
Welcome to the Final Selection.
You will remain inside this mountain for seven days.
You have each been provided with temporary guns and katanas.
These weapons are specially made to knock demons unconscious rather than kill them.
Your objective is simple:
Survive.
At the end of seven days, those who remain alive will officially become members of the Wing Corps and receive their own personal weapons.
Good luck...
And stay alive.
Nobody said a word after reading it.
A strange silence fell over the crowd.
Then...
A massive veil of shimmering light appeared around the mountain.
An instructor stepped forward.
"Once you enter..."
"The barrier will close."
"Demons cannot leave."
"But neither can you."
"For seven days..."
"You are on your own."
One by one, the candidates stepped through the barrier.
I looked at Marie and Tobisa.
The three of us exchanged nervous smiles.
Then we walked inside together.
The barrier closed behind us with a low hum.
There was no turning back now.
I tightened my grip on my temporary riffle.
"Gotta survive this."
Marie smiled.
"We will."
She glanced at the hidden black katana beneath my cloak.
"...Especially since you've got a little secret advantage."
I smiled back.
Maybe she was right.
But deep down...
I had a feeling surviving this mountain was going to be much harder than any of us expected.