Chapter Summaries

Giyu Tomioka rushed to a forest where Demon Slayer Corps members were being slaughtered by Split-Blade Demon. He arrived in time to block the demon’s killing blow with Water Breathing’s Eleventh Form, Dead Calm, and confronted him.

• Split-Blade Demon hunted Demon Slayer Corps members in the mountains, hoping to kill a Hashira and rise in rank.
• Giyu Tomioka sensed the dying slayers with Transparent World and raced toward the battlefield.
• Split-Blade Demon overwhelmed Murata and the injured Wind Breathing leader, breaking through the leader’s attacks and preparing a final blow.
• Giyu appeared between the leader and Split-Blade Demon and stopped the demon’s cleaver with Dead Calm.
• Giyu calmly told Split-Blade Demon that he should not have attacked the slayers.

Giyu Tomioka saved Murata and Masachika Kumeno from the Split-Blade Demon, effortlessly destroying its weapon and killing it. He treated Masachika’s wounds, learned his name and rank, and praised him for holding out against a demon with Lower Rank strength.

• The Split-Blade Demon hurled its giant blade at Murata and fled when Giyu Tomioka appeared.
• Giyu caught the blade with one hand, crushed it, and killed the fleeing demon with a thin blue thread around its neck.
• Masachika Kumeno regained consciousness and recognized Giyu as the Water Hashira who had saved them.
• Giyu treated Masachika’s wounds and asked for his name and rank.
• Masachika introduced himself as a fourth-rank Wind Breathing user and confessed that he was Giyu’s fan.
• Giyu praised Masachika for holding out against a demon with Lower Rank strength.

After defeating a powerful demon without Twelve Kizuki markings, Giyu Tomioka considered the threat of Muzan’s possible new Lower Ranks and left the battlefield. A letter from Kanae and Shinobu revealed they had begun Final Selection, while Giyu realized he was too far away to meet them when they finished.

• Murata questioned why the defeated demon had no Twelve Kizuki numbers in its eyes, and Giyu speculated it might have been a failed candidate for a restored Lower Rank.
• Giyu told Masachika Kumeno, Murata, and the others that the area was safe, then departed the battlefield.
• Kanzaburo delivered Kanae Kocho’s letter, which said she and Shinobu would soon attend Final Selection and asked Giyu to meet them afterward.
• Giyu read Shinobu’s demand that he wait at Mount Fujikasane’s exit and realized he had forgotten the selection dates.
• Kanzaburo told Giyu he was in Hokkaido, at least half a month from Mount Fujikasane, while Kanae and Shinobu were due to finish in five or six days.

Kanae and Shinobu Kocho arrived at Mount Fujikasane for the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection, where Shinobu mocked Kirikawa after he offered to protect them. When the trial began, the sisters entered the demon-filled forest first, ready to fight for seven days.

• Kanae and Shinobu admired the Wisteria flowers before joining the other candidates on the platform.
• Kirikawa approached the sisters and boasted that he could protect them through the trial.
• Shinobu ridiculed Kirikawa's looks and arrogance, while Kanae apologized and covered her sister's mouth.
• The Kakushi announced that the candidates had to survive on Mount Fujikasane for seven days.
• Kanae and Shinobu rushed into the forest first, and their expressions turned serious as the battle began.

During the Mount Fujikasane exam, Kanae and Shinobu fought a powerful demon, and Shinobu struggled to decapitate it. Kanae killed the demon and promised to protect Shinobu until she could stand on her own.

• Shinobu brooded over Kirikawa and imagined Giyu Tomioka as the perfect match for Kanae.
• Kanae noticed an unnatural silence in the forest, then protected Shinobu when a powerful demon attacked.
• Kanae wounded the demon and urged it to remember its human life, but it regenerated and charged again.
• Shinobu struck the demon's neck repeatedly but lacked the strength to cut through it.
• Kanae decapitated the demon, then comforted Shinobu and promised to protect her for the rest of her life.

Kanae and Shinobu hunted demons during the Final Selection until a powerful presence drew them to a battle between Kirikawa and the Speed Demon. As they watched from the bushes, the Speed Demon closed in on Kirikawa, and Kanae reacted with grave concern.

• Kanae decapitated a misshapen demon while Shinobu restrained it, leaving Shinobu frustrated that she could not kill demons alone.
• Kanae and Shinobu sensed powerful demonic energy and raced toward its source.
• Kirikawa fought the Speed Demon, who revealed that it had deliberately entered the Final Selection to prey on the swordsmen.
• The Speed Demon used Blood Demon Art: Azure Flash to overwhelm Kirikawa, who was badly wounded despite defending himself with Flame Breathing.
• Shinobu recognized Kirikawa and judged him against Giyu as Kanae watched the fight with an unusually grave expression.

Kanae arrived just in time to save Kirikawa from the Speed Demon and overpowered it with Flower Breathing forms. The Speed Demon lay badly injured and terrified, but the battle remained unresolved.

• Kanae appeared between the Speed Demon and Kirikawa, severed the demon's arm, and sent it crashing through trees.
• Kirikawa realized Kanae had saved him and became overwhelmed with embarrassment over his earlier boasts and sudden infatuation with her.
• Shinobu watched from a distant branch, silently criticizing Kirikawa before praising her sister and thinking of Giyu.
• The Speed Demon attacked Kanae with its Blood Demon Art, Azure Flash, Shadowless Wild Dance, but Kanae blocked and shredded its claws with Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum.
• Kanae's counter sent the Speed Demon into a boulder, leaving its limbs twisted and its body cut as it stared at her in horror.

Kanae and Shinobu defeated the Speed Demon after it tried to exploit Shinobu as an opening. The sisters survived, and Kanae anxiously checked Shinobu for injuries.

• The Speed Demon fled from Kanae and targeted Shinobu, believing her to be the weakest fighter.
• Kanae pursued the demon as it lunged for Shinobu, but Shinobu drew her Nichirin Blade and pierced it with Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust.
• Kanae caught up and destroyed the Speed Demon with Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility.
• Kanae embraced Shinobu and checked her for injuries, while Shinobu protested that she was fine.

Kanae and Shinobu Kocho survived the Final Selection with little resistance after defeating a powerful demon, and they walked out on the eighth day unharmed. As they headed for the exit, Shinobu wondered whether Giyu would be waiting for them, while Kanae tried to temper their expectations despite sharing her anticipation.

• Kanae confirmed Shinobu was unharmed and scolded her for taking such a dangerous risk.
• Kirikawa thanked Kanae and Shinobu for saving his life, and Kanae introduced them both.
• For the remaining six days, demons fled from the Kocho Sisters, spreading a legend about two fearsome girls on Mount Fujikasane.
• On the eighth day, Kanae and Shinobu left the trial clean and uninjured.
• Shinobu asked whether Giyu would meet them at the exit, and Kanae said his duties as Water Hashira might keep him away.

Kanae and Shinobu left Mount Fujikasane after the Final Selection, and Kanae politely acknowledged Kirikawa’s grateful farewell. Outside the mountain, Giyu waited anxiously for Kanae, who emerged safely and called out to him with delight.

• Shinobu teased Kanae about being in love with Giyu, and Kanae blushed and scuffled with her sister.
• Kirikawa thanked Kanae and Shinobu for their kindness and vowed to repay them, while Kanae responded politely.
• Giyu waited at the Final Selection exit as the surviving swordsmen recognized him as the Water Hashira.
• Kanzaburo complained that Giyu had forced him to make the journey too quickly and demanded food.
• Kanae and Shinobu emerged from the wisteria, and Giyu relaxed when he saw Kanae safe.
• Kanae spotted Giyu and called out to him with joy.

Kanae Kocho reunited with Giyu Tomioka and impulsively hugged him, while the onlookers reacted with shock and Kirikawa mourned his lost hopes. Giyu took Kanae’s hand and arranged for her and Shinobu’s Nichirin Blades to be forged from the finest materials, but Shinobu chased after them, demanding to join them.

• Kanae Kocho rushed into Giyu Tomioka’s arms, and he chose not to push her away as the swordsmen watched in disbelief.
• Kirikawa realized Kanae and Giyu were close and grieved that his hopes of pursuing her had ended.
• Shinobu Kocho teased Giyu and demanded that he treat her and Kanae to a feast.
• Kanae let go of Giyu in embarrassment, but he took her hand and led her to the Kakushi Division registration members.
• Giyu told the Kakushi Division that Kanae and Shinobu could skip selecting tamahagane and that he would arrange for the finest materials for their Nichirin Blades.
• Shinobu grabbed Kanae’s other hand and accused Giyu of taking her sister away without inviting her along.

On the way back from Final Selection, Giyu Tomioka helps Shinobu Kocho see that poison could let her kill demons without beheading them, inspiring her to design a poison-based fighting style. He promises to take the Kocho sisters to the Swordsmith Village after the Hashira Meeting so their Nichirin Blades can be reforged.

• Kanae Kocho and Shinobu Kocho tease each other as they walk with Giyu Tomioka toward Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
• Shinobu confesses that she feels weak because she cannot cut through a demon's neck, despite her speed and technique.
• Giyu realizes that Tamayo's demon-killing poison could offer an alternative to beheading demons and suit Shinobu's abilities.
• Shinobu excitedly proposes combining Giyu's toxic blood with Wisteria and other herbs, then modifying her Nichirin Blade to inject poison.
• Giyu says the sisters can rest at his place while he attends the Hashira Meeting, then promises to take them to the Swordsmith Village to reforge their blades.

At the Ubuyashiki Estate, the Hashira gathered to welcome Tengen Uzui and Sabito, while waiting for Giyu Tomioka to arrive. Kagaya Ubuyashiki officially promoted Tengen and Sabito to Hashira, and Giyu’s unnoticed arrival left the others astonished by his control of his presence.

• Shinjuro Rengoku welcomed Tengen Uzui and Sabito to the Hashira and enthusiastically described their benefits.
• Gyomei Himejima and the others wondered why Giyu Tomioka had not arrived, while Sabito grew increasingly anxious without him.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki entered the courtyard with Amane and revealed that Giyu had been standing beneath the cherry tree unnoticed.
• Tengen Uzui, Shinjuro Rengoku, and Gyomei Himejima were shocked by Giyu’s ability to erase his presence.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki congratulated Tengen Uzui and Sabito for slaying a hundred demons and officially promoted them to Hashira.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki arranged a Hashira Training session so the Hashira could test one another and better understand their abilities. Giyu Tomioka invited all four of his opponents to attack at once, and after easily blocking Sabito’s opening strikes, he faced Sabito’s powerful Constant Flux.

• Kagaya Ubuyashiki proposed that the Hashira spar together to learn about their comrades’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Giyu Tomioka agreed to the training, while Shinjuro Rengoku, Tengen Uzui, Sabito, and Gyomei Himejima prepared to fight him.
• At the training ground, Giyu told all four Hashira to attack him together because he was in a hurry.
• Sabito rushed Giyu with Water Breathing: Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin, but Giyu quickly drew his sword and blocked the strike.
• Sabito chained several Water Breathing forms together, but Giyu calmly deflected them all with Water Breathing: Second Form: Water Wheel.
• Sabito unleashed Water Breathing: Tenth Form: Constant Flux, sending a massive water dragon toward Giyu.

Giyu Tomioka effortlessly defeated Sabito, Shinjuro Rengoku, and Tengen Uzui, revealing that his strength had surpassed the Hashira. Gyomei Himejima then stepped forward and challenged Giyu to show him the Transparent World.

• Sabito unleashed his strongest strike, but Giyu split apart the water dragon with Water Surface Slash and sent Sabito flying.
• Shinjuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui attacked Giyu together, but he evaded their blows and made them crash into each other.
• Giyu told the defeated Hashira that he was different from them, and they realized how vast the gap had become.
• Gyomei Himejima approached Giyu and challenged him to show his Transparent World.

Giyu Tomioka fought Gyomei Himejima to push him toward awakening the Transparent World, using Moon Breathing and his own Transparent World to overwhelm him. Gyomei glimpsed the Transparent World at the brink of death, but Giyu stopped before delivering the final blow, and the others rushed to get the wounded Gyomei medical care.

• Gyomei Himejima attacked Giyu Tomioka with Stone Breathing, and Giyu opened the Transparent World to meet his strike with Moon Breathing.
• Giyu used a series of Moon Breathing forms to overwhelm Gyomei, whose attacks could not keep up with Giyu's Transparent World.
• Wounded and exhausted, Gyomei began to perceive the Transparent World as Giyu launched Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Solitary Moon.
• Giyu halted his attack before it landed and told Gyomei that continuing would kill him.
• Gyomei collapsed and admitted defeat, while Shinjuro Rengoku ordered the others to take him to the medical department.

After returning from the Hashira training battle, Giyu Tomioka found Kanae Kocho waiting with a home-cooked dinner, and she kissed him to make her feelings unmistakable. Flustered and overwhelmed, Giyu fled upstairs when Kanae asked him to call Shinobu.

• Giyu Tomioka returned to his residence and found Kanae Kocho cooking salmon and daikon in the kitchen.
• Kanae welcomed Giyu home, fed him daikon, and told him she had worried about him and cared deeply for him.
• When Giyu called them comrades, Kanae called him a blockhead and kissed him.
• Kanae asked Giyu to go upstairs and call Shinobu, who had been tidying his room.
• Giyu hurried upstairs to escape the awkward moment, without considering why Shinobu was in his room.

After Kanae kissed Giyu, he discovered Shinobu hiding in his room among his clothes and realized she had been handling them. At dinner, Shinobu tackled Giyu to stop him from telling Kanae what he had seen, leaving them sprawled together on the floor.

• Kanae watched Giyu flee the kitchen and prepared dinner for the three of them, pleased that Shinobu had a surprise for him too.
• Giyu went to his room and found Shinobu lying among his clothes after she had tried to hide what she was doing.
• At dinner, Kanae teased Shinobu about what had happened in Giyu's room, and Giyu began to explain.
• Shinobu tackled Giyu and covered his mouth to stop him from revealing what he had seen.

After an awkward dinner with Kanae and Shinobu, Giyu decided to travel to the Swordsmith Village to forge Nichirin Blades for them. The three set out together, with Kanae calling herself Giyu’s wife and Shinobu still embarrassed but eager to go.

• Kanae watched as Shinobu pinned Giyu down, then helped Shinobu escape the embarrassing situation.
• Shinobu fled the dining room, and Giyu ate the food the sisters had left while Kanae gazed at him affectionately.
• Kanae called caring for Giyu a wife’s duty, leaving him stunned.
• Giyu announced that he planned to visit the Swordsmith Village, and Kanae agreed that she and Shinobu would follow his arrangements.
• Shinobu emerged and squeezed between Giyu and Kanae, and the three set off together at sunset.

Giyu Tomioka and the Kocho sisters traveled to the hidden Swordsmith Village to have new Nichirin Blades forged. After the village chief insisted they relax together in a hot spring before discussing the swords, Kanae invited a flustered Giyu to go in.

• Giyu stopped the Kakushi from blindfolding Kanae and Shinobu, insisting they were with him.
• The group arrived at the Swordsmith Village, where village chief Tecchin Tecchikawahara greeted Giyu and teased him about bringing two beautiful women.
• Kanae described her sword requirements, and Shinobu explained the special features she wanted in her blade.
• Tecchin judged the three too fatigued and full of killing intent to have swords forged, and sent them to a private hot spring to relax.
• At the hot spring entrance, Kanae turned to the embarrassed Giyu and asked whether they should go in.