Chapter Summaries

Hiruma took Inosuke away to train, and Inosuke learned Beast Breathing after joining the Demon Slayer Corps. A month later, his noisy antics at the Butterfly Mansion ended with Shinobu scolding him and making both him and Hiruma kneel.

• Inosuke asked Hiruma to teach him, said goodbye to Koji, and left with Hiruma after checking on Koji's grandfather.
• After one month at the Pillar Mansion, Inosuke had learned Beast Breathing and raced along the walls, causing a disturbance at the Butterfly Mansion.
• Kanae tried to calm Inosuke and chased him when he ran across the wall, but he leaped down and knocked over medicinal herbs.
• Shinobu confronted Inosuke, who immediately knelt and apologized; Hiruma knelt too when he tried to defend him.
• Kanae mediated, and Shinobu let Inosuke get up after warning him not to cause trouble again.

Hiruma and Mitsuri competed in a ramen-eating contest at Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, where Iguro Obanai chased off Mitsuri’s admirers. After the contest, Obanai gave Mitsuri striped stockings, and she tried them on for him.

• Inosuke fainted after trying to eat an eleventh bowl of ramen, while Hiruma and Mitsuri continued their contest.
• Iguro Obanai threw out a swordsman who tried to confess to Mitsuri and silenced the rest of her admirers.
• Hiruma won the contest by eating sixty-four bowls of ramen, while Mitsuri ate thirty.
• Iguro Obanai brought Mitsuri hawthorn juice and shared a quiet meal with her.
• Iguro Obanai gave Mitsuri a pair of striped stockings because she was troubled by her revealing clothes.
• Mitsuri tried on the stockings for Iguro Obanai, who got a nosebleed, and she told him she loved his gift.

Tanjiro lost confidence after failing to cut through the unusually hard boulder, but Hiruma explained his mistake and helped him regain his resolve. Tanjiro split a regular boulder and chose to keep training until he could cut the reinforced one, while Mr. Urokodaki and Hiruma watched with satisfaction.

• Tanjiro's breathing fell apart as he tried to cut the boulder, and his training sword snapped without making a mark.
• Hiruma comforted Tanjiro and revealed that he had replaced the boulder with a much harder one to strengthen him for Sun Breathing.
• Hiruma apologized for pushing Tanjiro too hard, and Tanjiro forgave him.
• Tanjiro steadied his breathing and used Water Breathing: First Form: Surface Slash to split the regular boulder with the broken sword.
• Tanjiro vowed to cut through the reinforced boulder, and Hiruma encouraged him to use his sense of smell to find weaknesses.
• Mr. Urokodaki decided Tanjiro no longer needed his intervention, and Hiruma joined him for tea.

Tanjiro struggled to use the Dance of the Fire God without injuring himself, and Urokodaki urged him to seek combat experience in the upcoming Final Selection. At Gyomei's training ground, Genya trained for the same selection until Inosuke arrived and plunged into the pool with him.

• Tanjiro attempted the first movement of the Dance of the Fire God, but the effort caused severe pain and sent him crashing into a tree.
• Urokodaki advised Tanjiro to focus on Water Breathing and gain experience through the Final Selection, scheduled for early February.
• Hiruma, Sanemi, and Gyomei watched Genya train beneath a waterfall and discussed his determination to join the Final Selection.
• Inosuke leaped from the waterfall, and Genya caught him before they plunged into the pool together.
• Inosuke surfaced briefly, seemed to spot something frightening, and dove underwater again.

Iguro Obanai chased Inosuke through the Corps after Inosuke ate his Sakura Mochi, while Hiruma and others tried to keep the punishment in check. The chase reached the Butterfly Mansion, where Shinobu let Obanai continue and Kanao Tsuyuri stood quietly beneath a wisteria tree.

• Iguro Obanai erupted from the waterfall and pursued Inosuke for eating Mitsuri's Sakura Mochi, while Hiruma held him back briefly so Inosuke could be taught a lesson.
• Inosuke fled through the Corps grounds, passing the Rengoku, Tokito, Shinazugawa, and Kamado homes as their families greeted or worried over him.
• Kie Kamado fed Inosuke, but he soon taunted Obanai and resumed running toward the Butterfly Mansion.
• Shinobu Kocho stopped Inosuke, learned he had eaten Obanai's Sakura Mochi, and told Obanai to go easy on him before allowing the chase to continue.
• Shinobu entered the Butterfly Mansion and saw Kanao Tsuyuri standing beneath a wisteria tree, quietly studying a coin.

Kanao trained with Shinobu while thinking fondly of Tanjiro, and Zenitsu and Inosuke each found trouble while avoiding or enduring training. The day ended with Inosuke freed from Iguro Obanai’s knots and sent off to eat.

• Shinobu asked Kanao what she thought of Tanjiro, and Kanao called him considerate and gentle before chasing Shinobu through speed training.
• Zenitsu fell asleep in a hammock with a guide to picking up girls, accidentally used Thunder Breath to launch himself into a tree, and called for his grandfather to rescue him.
• Inosuke ran around Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters until Iguro Obanai chased him away from the dining hall and tied him to a locust tree.
• Hiruma freed Inosuke from the knots, and Shinobu told him to go eat.

Zenitsu, Genya, Inosuke, Kanao, and Tanjiro set out for Final Selection after their loved ones saw them off. Tanjiro left Nezuko in Sakontzi Urokodaki’s care, and the five headed toward Mount Fujikasane as selection season began.

• Zenitsu reluctantly left for Final Selection after the old man beat him into agreeing, while Hiruma joked with their master after Zenitsu had gone.
• Genya said goodbye to his mother and siblings, while Sanemi secretly watched him leave from a hidden corner.
• Muichiro and his brother saw Inosuke off, giving him supplies and reminders before he charged toward Final Selection.
• Aoi Kanzaki and The Trio with bean eyes packed Kanao’s supplies and saw her off, and Kanao thanked her sisters before leaving.
• Tanjiro ate a meal with Sakontzi Urokodaki, checked his gear, received a Disaster Averting Mask, and left after visiting the sleeping Nezuko; his master promised to care for her and wait for his return.

Tanjiro rescued Zenitsu from danger and reunited with Genya, who revealed his Demon Eater form. The group settled in for the night, while Tanjiro worried about Kanao's whereabouts.

• Inosuke killed one Demon chasing Zenitsu, then ran after another and accidentally scraped Zenitsu's face with his foot.
• Tanjiro found Zenitsu asleep, carried him to a campsite, and killed a fish-scaled Demon that attacked them with help from a Wood Dragon.
• Tanjiro recognized Genya's scent and invited him to join the campfire, where Genya revealed his half-Demon appearance and explained his Demon Eater constitution.
• Tanjiro praised Genya's appearance, while Zenitsu fainted after waking and seeing him.
• Inosuke arrived, called everyone by the wrong names, took Zenitsu's haori, and fell asleep, leaving Genya furious.
• Tanjiro wondered where Kanao was and worried that she might be in danger.

Tanjiro found Kanao while tracking a Demon and urged her to make choices by listening to her own heart instead of relying on her coin. Kanao accepted his bet and agreed to try living freely, then joined him for candy.

• Tanjiro sensed a Demon that had eaten many people and attacked the darkness with Water Breathing, but found no one there.
• Kanao appeared, and Tanjiro invited her to join him and the others for safety.
• Tanjiro caught Kanao's coin and asked whether staying with them was what she wanted; when she got it back, she tossed it and answered that it was.
• Tanjiro bet that if the coin landed heads, Kanao would follow her heart, and if it landed tails, he would do anything for her.
• The coin landed heads, and Tanjiro told Kanao to live freely; he pointed out that she had accepted the bet without consulting the coin.
• Tanjiro offered Kanao candy, and she put away her coin and accepted.

During the final day of Final Selection, Tanjiro, Kanao, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Genya defeated a horde of Demons before encountering the mysterious figure who had lured Kanao. The figure revealed himself as Tendo Hiruma and offered them a special Final Trial, which Zenitsu immediately refused.

• Tanjiro and Kanao spent the night talking, then the group ate and continued their final day of selection.
• Inosuke loudly challenged the Demons, drawing more than a dozen of them to the group, and the five defeated them in ten minutes.
• Zenitsu heard a powerful human approaching, while Tanjiro recognized the Wisteria scent of the person who had lured Kanao; Genya revealed that he had been following someone too.
• A cloaked figure appeared and overwhelmed the five with his presence, then stopped his punch before Tanjiro and revealed himself as Tendo Hiruma.
• Tendo Hiruma offered the five a special Final Trial, and Zenitsu immediately refused while Hiruma waited for the others to answer.

Hiruma released the Snow Demon, a former Lower Rank Five-level opponent, to give Tanjiro, Kanao, Inosuke, Genya, and Zenitsu a real challenge during Final Selection. The Snow Demon overwhelmed their opening attacks and targeted Kanao, leaving the fight in danger.

• Hiruma revealed the sealed Snow Demon and warned the others that it could match a former Lower Rank Five.
• Hiruma revived the Demon with his blood, then coaxed the fleeing Zenitsu into joining the fight by promising to find him a cute wife.
• The Snow Demon awakened, broke free of its bandages, and confronted Tanjiro, Kanao, Inosuke, and Genya.
• Inosuke charged while Tanjiro and Kanao formed an encirclement and Genya fired from a distance.
• The Snow Demon froze and shattered Inosuke’s wooden dragon, then used earthen spikes to disrupt the group and blinded them with its glowing markings as it punched toward Kanao.

Genya, Tanjiro, Inosuke, Kanao, and Zenitsu fought the Snow Demon while Hiruma forced it to stop holding back. The Snow Demon transformed into its Ice Spike Ball form and badly wounded Inosuke, leaving Tanjiro and Kanao attacking as Genya was told to bring medicine.

• Genya charged the Snow Demon with his Nichirin Blade, broke it against the demon’s fist, and fought barehanded before the demon froze him in place.
• Tanjiro and Inosuke attacked the Snow Demon, but it blocked Tanjiro’s strikes and kicked Inosuke away while Zenitsu panicked.
• Hiruma ordered the Snow Demon to kill the youngsters or face him, and it unleashed its full power, allowing Tanjiro to shatter Genya’s ice prison and free him.
• The Snow Demon activated Earth Spike Prison and transformed into its Ice Spike Ball form, enclosing Tanjiro, Inosuke, Kanao, Genya, and Zenitsu within the earthen walls.
• Hiruma tossed Zenitsu into the enclosure, where Kanao and Inosuke defended him and Tanjiro from the demon’s Blizzard Ice Blade attack.
• Inosuke tore through much of the demon’s ice armor before it slammed him into the wall, and Tanjiro told Genya to give Inosuke medicine.

Zenitsu, Inosuke, Genya, Tanjiro, and Kanao combined their attacks against the Snow Demon, creating an opening for Kanao to strike its neck. As Kanao committed to her attack, four earthen spikes closed in on her faster than she could swing her blade.

• Genya caught the Snow Demon's spinning ice-spiked ball and held his ground while Zenitsu rose and unleashed Thunder Breath: First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, slicing through the ball.
• Zenitsu collapsed again after theatrically pretending to be injured, and Inosuke interrupted the Snow Demon's attack with Beast Breathing while Tanjiro carried Zenitsu clear.
• Genya fired his shotgun and its pellets grew into vines that bound the Snow Demon.
• Kanao attacked with Flower Breathing: Fifth Form: Fruitless Peony as Inosuke kept the Demon’s ice defenses occupied.
• The Snow Demon summoned four earthen spikes toward Kanao, who used Flower Breathing: Fourth Form: Crimson Blossom Costume, but her blade seemed too slow to stop them.

Tanjiro and his friends defeated the weakened Snow Demon during their final battle, and the Final Selection ended at dawn. Fifteen days later, Tanjiro received his Nichirin Blade from Haganezuka Hotaru, who warned him not to break it like Tendo Hiruma had.

• Tanjiro saved Kanao from the Snow Demon's earthen spikes, and Kanao struck its neck before joining the others in destroying it.
• Kanao thanked Tanjiro and the others, while Hiruma declared the five trainees fully trained.
• Tanjiro worried about how weak he was, but Hiruma reassured him and strengthened his resolve to fight Muzan Kibutsuji with the Demon Slayer Corps.
• The Final Selection ended at dawn, and the selected swordsmen chose their Kasugai Crows and forging ore before returning to their trainers.
• Fifteen days later, Haganezuka Hotaru arrived at Mount Sagiri and made Tanjiro wash his hands before handing over his Nichirin Blade.
• Haganezuka Hotaru warned Tanjiro not to break the sword like Tendo Hiruma had, and Tanjiro struggled to promise he would not.

Tanjiro received his Nichirin Blade, which turned black, and learned it might be connected to the Dance of the Fire God passed down through his family. After Sakontzi Urokodaki gave him a box for Nezuko, Tanjiro set out on his first mission with her beside him.

• Hiruma visited Tanjiro, but Haganezuka Hotaru chased him off and stabbed him with a kitchen knife.
• Tanjiro drew his Nichirin Blade, which turned pitch-black, and Hiruma linked its color to the Dance of the Fire God.
• Haganezuka Hotaru complained about the black blade, then left Mount Sagiri after warning Tanjiro.
• Sakontzi Urokodaki gave Tanjiro a wooden box for Nezuko and told him to keep moving forward with her.
• Tennoji Matsuemon woke Tanjiro with news of a demon mission, and Tanjiro said farewell to Sakontzi Urokodaki before setting out with Nezuko.

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke reached an abandoned wooden building where Tanjiro sensed multiple Demons. After finding two bloodied children whose brother had been taken inside, Tanjiro set out to rescue him while Zenitsu panicked at the sounds from the building.

• Tanjiro pulled Zenitsu away from a girl he was harassing, and the three companions set off for a Wisteria House.
• Tanjiro detected multiple Demons in an abandoned building, but Inosuke charged inside alone.
• Zenitsu clung to Tanjiro after mistaking shadows for a Demon, and they found two injured children hiding in the woods.
• The boy explained that a monster had taken his brother into the building the previous night.
• Tanjiro promised to rescue the boy’s brother, while Zenitsu claimed he would stay outside and protect the children.
• Booming sounds from the building made Zenitsu scream and run in fear.

Tanjiro and Inosuke entered Kaikai’s shifting wooden manor, where the demon’s drumbeats moved rooms and disrupted their attacks. Tanjiro found Kiyoshi, but the boy’s drum triggered another room change, leaving Tanjiro racing after him as it bounced again.

• Tanjiro entrusted Nezuko’s box to Zenitsu and charged into the manor to kill demons and save people.
• Inosuke mistook a shadow marked with a Lower Rank number for his target, then instinctively killed a plump Demon and rushed on.
• Tanjiro fought Kaikai, whose drumbeats shifted the rooms and floors, thwarting Tanjiro’s attempts to behead him.
• Tanjiro realized Kaikai might be searching for the children’s older brother and found Kiyoshi holding a bloodstained drum.
• Kiyoshi dropped the drum, which opened a door beneath him and sent him falling; Tanjiro chased after him as the drum bounced again.

Hiruma rescued Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Kiyoshi from the shifting rooms, then sent Tanjiro to fight the Demons while he took Nezuko outside. Zenitsu defeated the Long-Tongued Demon while unconscious, and Tanjiro confronted Kaikai, whose final attack left their battle unresolved.

• Hiruma arrived with Kiyoshi and Zenitsu, tricked Zenitsu into letting go, and threw him into a corridor with a Demon.
• Hiruma destroyed the drum controlling the shifting rooms, took Nezuko outside, and blasted through the building with his Qilin technique.
• Zenitsu fainted at the sight of the Long-Tongued Demon, then unconsciously beheaded it with Thunderclap and Flash before waking and fleeing in terror.
• Tanjiro found Kaikai's bloodstained autobiography and faced the Demon, acknowledging his suffering while preparing to kill him for his crimes.
• Kaikai revealed his Lower Rank mark and unleashed a desperate barrage of drumbeats that flipped the rooms as Tanjiro regained his footing and swung at his neck.

Tanjiro defeated Kaikai with a new sword technique and recovered the Demon’s autobiography. That night at the Wisteria House, Zenitsu met Nezuko and became jealous of Tanjiro, setting off a chaotic scuffle before Hiruma quieted everyone.

• Tanjiro decapitated Kaikai with his improvised Water Surface Flash, and Kaikai thanked him as he faded away.
• At dinner, Tanjiro credited Zenitsu and Hiruma’s training for helping him develop the technique, while Hiruma stopped Inosuke from starting a fight.
• At bedtime, Zenitsu opened Nezuko’s box, and Nezuko crawled out and affectionately rubbed his head.
• Tanjiro recognized Nezuko and welcomed her into his arms, making Zenitsu jealous enough to challenge him to a duel.
• Inosuke joined the commotion, but Hiruma knocked him back into bed with a thrown teacup and ordered Zenitsu and Tanjiro to quiet down.
• Zenitsu invited Nezuko into his bedding, and Tanjiro threatened to kill him.

Tendo Hiruma entered Mount Natada to confront Rui while Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke followed into the forest. Tanjiro freed the swordsmen being controlled by spider silk and told Inosuke to find the Demon controlling them.

• Rui appeared before Tendo Hiruma, revealed he was waiting at the summit, and vanished after Hiruma beheaded his clone.
• Tanjiro rescued an injured swordsman ensnared by spider silk, who warned them to beware of their own people.
• Tanjiro entered the mountain, and Zenitsu followed after fearing Nezuko would be in danger.
• Inosuke encountered swordsmen controlled by spider silk, fought the pull of a small spider, and was bound by the threads.
• Tanjiro cut the spider silk restraining the swordsmen and asked Inosuke to locate the Demon controlling them.