*Asura's POV*

"Let's finish this exam," I said while getting ready to move out.

"Yeah, I don't wanna be on a mountain for the rest of my life," Zenitsu said while dusting off his clothes.

'Ooh, boy is he gonna be in for a surprise. Should've read what the job entailed.' I thought while putting my blade in its sheath after examining it for a moment.

And so we set out to finish the longest exam in the history of exams.

The Sun still hadn't risen yet so we were on instincts right now. The screams had stopped for a long time now so most demons were dead or the candidates were dead.

Haku moved in front and we followed him throughout the forest while Zenitsu was listening against enemies. Their abilities were a lot more helpful than I had realized at first. There were no flashlights in this world and the moon wasn't considerate enough to provide light in every part of the forest.

"It's gonna be 2 hours or less than sunrise," Haku stated.

*2 Hours later*

*Asura's POV*

"Well looks like we weren't the first ones out," I stated as we moved out of the treeline into the sunlight.

There were already people standing in the middle all bruised and battered. Most had bleeding limbs or something but it was manageable.

Including us, there were 13 people still alive. Out of the 157 that had entered, there were only 13 alive.

Tanjiro noticed it too and from what I could hear he said a small prayer in the name of those that had died. The guy was as respectful to the dead as he was kind to the living.

"Looks like us helping out didn't matter all that much," Inosuke said.

'Hmm, something doesn't add up. Even if less than half of the people we helped ourselves died there should be more than 13 that survived.' I thought while looking around for anyone that may be late in coming out of the forest.

There was no one.

I knew that many had died last night. There had been a scream every hour or so but still, more should've survived. That's when it hit me.

The smell of blood. This was human blood and as soon as the thought entered my mind my grip on my blade tightened and my breathing picked up.

"Have any of you been bleeding within the last 4 hours or so?" I asked with a low growl to my answer.

"No." was the immediate answer from all my companions.

Tanjiro seemed to have picked up on it too. I could tell that the smell was from a human wound but all of the people in front of us weren't bleeding in the slightest.

"Congratulations on surviving." said the Ubuyashiki children.

"Now all of you will pay for your uniforms and choose an ore for your blades."

The children seemed a bit nervous for some reason. They weren't in the same stoic facade they had been before the exam started.

"Is something the matter?" I asked.

"Did anyone of you meet one of the Devil's?" The white-haired one asked.

"Haha, I was the one that killed it." The same guy who was wetting his pants in the fight said.

"What's your name?"

"I am Mahito." the asshole answered.

"But-" Inosuke started but I slightly elbowed him and he immediately became silent again. Zenitsu and Haku had picked up on it too and Tanjiro was still trying to smell the blood to its source.

"I don't have time for this shit!" 

So this was Genya. He seemed irritated by our presence itself and moved forward to grab the Child's hair.

"Give me the sword now!"

I was in front of him in a second and held his hand away from the child.

"Oh dear, you seem awfully tired Sinazugawa San. You forget that these are children of the 'Master of the Mansion'." I said while my right hand glowed and my grip tightened on his arm.

Genya gave a cold sweat at that statement. He didn't know all that much about the Corps but even he knew who the title of the 'Master of the Mansion' referred to.

"Now let's take a step back shall we," I said as we both moved as far away from the children as possible.

"Thanks for your services towards the corps please get your brand." The white-haired Ubuyashiki said seemingly unaffected by the whole ordeal while Mahito moved towards them.

At that moment everything seemed to snap in place. Why the blood smelled human and why it was fresh. Mahito's blade dropped a single drop of blood and it was human blood for sure.

"I Mahito will deliver justice on the Ubuyashiki!" Mahito said while his hand pulled up the blade and moved towards the children.

Everyone was pretty far away from the children and too shocked to activate their Breath Styles. Everyone seemed to have relaxed after the exams were over and too tired to keep their Breath Styles up. By the time they did reach for their blades one of the children would've been dead.

Suddenly the Wolf mark on my left hand glowed and I made a mad dash towards Mahito.

"Wolf Breathing 2nd Form: Crimson Severance"

My mouth and body almost moved at their own will. As if I already knew about this.

Mahito was an inch away from killing the kid but I got there first and in a flash of blue Mahito's arm was up in the air still holding his blade in a tight grip.

Everyone was too shocked at the turn of events and by the time they reached towards us Mahito's arm had already landed on the ground in a Thud.

"Ahhhhhhh you bitch my arm!!!" Mahito screamed and dropped to the ground flaying his remaining limbs in pain.

"You okay Nii san?" Inosuke asked as he came up behind me. The anger was clear in his eyes even through the mask.

For the first time, I saw Tanjiro the beacon of peace and hope angry. And damm did his face look scary with his scar and brows furrowed in anger.

Zenitsu and Haku were standing beside me with their blades in their hand ready to fight.

This was not what I expected from the results of this Examination.

*Clank*

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