Chapter Summaries

Kanae and Shinobu defeated Bingye by combining their swordsmanship with anesthetics, then Xia Xi killed him after failing to learn anything useful about the Upper Ranks. Afterward, Xia Xi praised the sisters and treated Shinobu’s wounds, leaving her flustered but eventually at ease.

• Bingye attacked Kanae and Shinobu with air blades and accelerated strikes, but the sisters fought together and Kanae’s anesthetic began slowing him down.
• Shinobu stabbed Bingye with a large dose of anesthetic, and Kanae followed with poisoned slashes that left him unable to move.
• Kanae prepared to give Bingye a painless death, but Xia Xi arrived and tried to question him about the Upper Ranks before killing him with a punch.
• Xia Xi explained his method to Kanae, praised both sisters, and began treating Shinobu’s wounds despite her protests.

As Kanae and Shinobu camp near Mount Fujikasane before supervising the Demon Slayer Corps' examination, they discussed their growing trust in each other and their feelings for Xia Xi. They ended the night hoping to live together as a family after the demons were destroyed.

• Xia Xi set up camp skillfully and fell asleep, while Kanae and Shinobu stayed awake, nervous about the next day's examination.
• Shinobu told Kanae she wanted them to fight together as partners, and Kanae agreed that Shinobu had grown up.
• Shinobu confronted Kanae about the pink scented sachet she had made for Xia Xi, and Kanae admitted she had given it to him.
• Kanae realized Shinobu also liked Xia Xi, and Shinobu insisted she regarded him as a dear older brother.
• Kanae described Xia Xi as someone the Demon Slayer Corps trusted and hoped would lead them to victory.
• Shinobu said she wanted to keep living with Kanae and Xia Xi after all demons were destroyed, and Kanae promised they would live together like a family.

Xia Xi explained the revised Final Selection rules to Shinobu and Kanae, emphasizing candidate safety, fair assessment, and weeding out those with poor character. At the selection grounds, they found a large group of swordsmen Xia Xi had invited to help, and he began assigning them their responsibilities.

• Xia Xi explained that examiners should protect candidates, assess their strength and character, and allow unqualified but decent candidates to return to training or join support units.
• Xia Xi named himself Chief Examiner and Shinobu and Kanae Assistant Examiners, and the sisters agreed to help.
• Xia Xi, Shinobu, and Kanae reached the Final Selection grounds and found many familiar swordsmen gathered there, including Kyojuro, Obanai, Kojiro, Dōjima Kazuma, Shota, and Murata.
• Xia Xi explained that he had invited the swordsmen he knew to share the work, and he began assigning each of them their duties.

At Mount Fujikasane, Xia Xi and the other examiners introduced a stricter Final Selection and sent twenty-three candidates into the mountain. Xia Xi noticed Makomo among them, then set out with the examiners to patrol the grounds and reduce deaths while weeding out candidates who merely coasted.

• Xia Xi and eight other examiners appeared before the candidates, and the middle-aged priest explained the seven-day Final Selection.
• Xia Xi warned that candidates should personally slay a demon and offered them a final chance to withdraw, but none left.
• Xia Xi recognized Makomo by her Fox Mask and noted her Water Breathing skill and unusual profile.
• The candidates entered Mount Fujikasane, and the examiners compared how many people had passed their own selections.
• Xia Xi said the examiners needed to lower the death rate and eliminate candidates who coasted, then led them to begin patrolling the mountain.

Xia Xi let the assistant examiners use their judgment during the Final Selection, and Kyojuro rescued and failed an underprepared swordsman. As the first day continued, Xia Xi tracked the examinees and asked where Makomo was; the crows reported she was near the wisteria forest without having encountered a demon.

• Kyojuro asked Xia Xi whether he should rescue an examinee struggling against a demon, and Xia Xi told the examiners to use their own judgment while warning Kyojuro not to kill the demon.
• Kyojuro saved Examinee Number Three, drove off the demon by severing its arms, and told the swordsman his selection was over because he lacked strength and resolve.
• Obanai and Kojiro dealt with other examinees, with Obanai failing the timid, injuring the collaborators, and driving demons away only after examinees had fallen.
• Xia Xi received Kasugai crow reports about demons and examinees across Mount Fujikasane as the first day’s dangers unfolded.
• Xia Xi asked about the fox-masked Examinee Number Seven, Makomo, and a crow reported that she was near the edge of the wisteria forest in Zone Ten without having encountered a demon.

Makomo cautiously explored the Final Selection grounds and hurried toward a sound in the woods, while Murata intervened when a candidate was cornered by two Demons. Xia Xi regarded Murata’s unusual future potential as a reason to invest in training him.

• Makomo ate fruit in the wisteria grove, reflected on Urokodaki’s cautious training, and considered Kurumazuka Natsumi’s strength before setting off toward a sound.
• Two Demons chased candidate number 20, who wounded one with Water Surface Slash but failed to cut its neck.
• Murata arrived and blocked a Demon’s attack when it tried to strike him from behind.
• Xia Xi recalled Murata’s promising annotations, including Route Hashira and Unscathed finale, and decided Murata was worth heavily investing in.

During Final Selection, Makomo rescued Murata and demonstrated exceptional speed and swordsmanship, while candidate 20 abandoned the exam. Xia Xi reviewed the candidates’ results and sorted them into talent categories, including a group marked for their resolve.

• Murata defeated a demon attacking candidate 20 and told the shaken candidate how to leave the selection, but candidate 20 gave up and headed east.
• Makomo arrived and beheaded a demon that had been chasing candidate 20, then used Water Breathing to catch and slay the demon Murata had disabled.
• Murata recognized Makomo as a junior disciple of Sabito and Giyu, and Makomo praised his skill before candidate 20 left in a daze.
• Xia Xi recorded candidate 21’s injury and candidate 20’s withdrawal, then assigned ratings to the recruits based on their performance.
• Xia Xi marked Makomo as a Genius and classified other candidates as Promising Talent, Talent, or Those with resolve, recommending extra training or logistics for some.

After the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, Xia Xi assigned the assistant examiners to other grounds and checked on the candidates they would oversee. At Narukami Valley, he found Obanai waiting among the candidates because he still had to pass the selection to officially join the Demon Slayer Corps.

• Nineteen candidates survived the selection at Mount Fujikasane, and fifteen became Swordsmen after the examiners assessed those without Demon kills.
• Xia Xi finished reviewing the selection and assigned Dōjima Kazuma, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Shota to Blazing Night Plains, while the Kocho sisters took charge of Lake Ashi.
• Kanae encouraged Kuang Jin Kumeno to focus on passing the selection, and Shinobu Kocho scrutinized him as someone close to Xia Xi.
• Xia Xi assigned Obanai Iguro and Murata to invigilate at Narukami Valley, where Obanai also had to take the Final Selection as a candidate.
• Xia Xi teased Obanai for standing among the candidates, and Obanai darted away when Xia Xi reached toward his hair.

Xia Xi finished overseeing the Demon Slayer selections, then encountered Kanae, Shinobu, and Kuang Jin and agreed to take Kuang Jin to Sendai. The chapter ended when Igarashi’s Kasugai Crow summoned Xia Xi to Tama City, where Igarashi was fighting Upper Rank Three.

• Obanai used Viper Breathing and poison to kill the Demons at Narukami Valley while helping supervise the selection.
• Xia Xi finished the trials at the five Selection Grounds, gained experience, and left for Tokyo with Kyojuro.
• Xia Xi met Kanae Kocho, Shinobu Kocho, and Kuang Jin in Hachioji City, then agreed to take Kuang Jin to Sendai for training and assignments.
• Igarashi’s injured Kasugai Crow arrived and reported that Igarashi had been attacked by Upper Rank Three in Tama City.
• Xia Xi ordered Kuang Jin and Kanae to stay behind, sent Kyojuro to find his father, and raced toward Tama City.

Igarashi reached an abandoned temple and found five Demon Slayer Corps members dead, then confronted the powerful demon who had killed them. Their fight revealed that the demon was far stronger than a Lower Rank, and it ended with Igarashi's first slash healing almost instantly.

• Igarashi followed the trail to an abandoned temple after losing contact with the swordsmen and Kasugai Crow sent to investigate the demon.
• Igarashi found five dead Corps members, closed their eyes, and moved their bodies before the demon revealed himself.
• The demon attacked Igarashi at extreme speed, but Igarashi used [Pre-Initiative] to anticipate and evade his blows.
• The demon recognized Igarashi's anticipation and concealed fighting spirit, while Igarashi judged that he was stronger than any Lower Rank.
• Igarashi struck with [Mist Breathing] [Third Form: Hazy Moon Mist Return], but the wound healed rapidly and the demon's next attack missed.

Igarashi fought Akaza, Upper Rank Three, and realized the demon’s strength made defeating him unlikely. After sending his Kasugai crow to summon help, Igarashi was badly injured, but Akaza demanded that he continue fighting.

• Igarashi exchanged rapid attacks with Akaza, who deliberately took wounds and healed them to demonstrate his demonic resilience.
• Igarashi saw the number Three in Akaza’s eyes and shifted his goal from killing the demon to surviving and reporting what he learned.
• Igarashi secretly sent his Kasugai crow to call for help, and Akaza noticed and rebuked him for doing so.
• Akaza used Compass Needle and Disorder, but Igarashi evaded the barrage with Mist Breathing’s Sixth Form.
• Akaza struck Igarashi through the temple hall’s wall and into a Buddha statue, leaving him coughing blood.
• Igarashi asked about Akaza’s Blood Demon Art, and Akaza prepared to fight again, demanding that Igarashi prove his strength.

Igarashi fought Akaza at a severe disadvantage, refused the demon’s offer to turn him, and gained a new insight into his Pre-Initiative. Akaza beat him unconscious and pinned him to a Buddhist hall wall, where he saw Xia Xi rushing toward him.

• Akaza overwhelmed Igarashi with his attacks and explained how his Compass Needle countered Igarashi’s Pre-Initiative.
• Akaza praised Igarashi’s skill and offered to make him a demon, but Igarashi refused because he wanted to keep drinking coffee.
• Igarashi drew inspiration from Xia Xi and sensed a new clarity in his Pre-Initiative.
• Enraged by Igarashi’s refusal, Akaza attacked with greater force, knocked him unconscious, and left him impaled on a wooden spike.
• Igarashi regained some awareness, saw Xia Xi approaching, and weakly told him he should not have come.

Xia Xi arrived at the ruined temple and joined his badly wounded senior brother Igarashi in facing Akaza, Upper Rank Three. Xia Xi proved stronger than Igarashi but could not keep up with Akaza’s assault, and the demon broke Xia Xi’s Nichirin Blade.

• Xia Xi reached the battlefield and found Igarashi gravely injured while Akaza stood unharmed nearby.
• Igarashi warned Xia Xi about Akaza’s strength and insisted on fighting beside him despite his injuries.
• Xia Xi gave Igarashi Mai Jin and faced Akaza, blocking his first punch but noticing that the impact chipped his blade.
• Xia Xi and Igarashi fought together against Akaza, but Igarashi’s injuries left an opening that Xia Xi had to cover.
• Akaza used Bell Splitter to strike Tongyi Maru, snapping Xia Xi’s Nichirin Blade and forcing him to retreat with half a blade.

Xia Xi fought Akaza with dual blades, Breathing Styles, and hand-to-hand techniques, but Akaza’s strength and regeneration eventually overwhelmed him. After Akaza called Xia Xi the strongest human, Xia Xi prepared to use the system and rely on a blood-born bond to turn the fight around.

• Xia Xi used dual blades and multiple Breathing Styles to attack Akaza while Igarashi was unable to assist.
• Xia Xi recognized that Akaza’s Blood Demon Art let him predict attacks, then deflected a close-range strike with his fist and drove Akaza back with martial arts.
• Akaza countered Xia Xi’s punches with a powerful kicking technique, sending him crashing through the forest into the temple and collapsing a Buddha statue.
• Xia Xi stood injured as Akaza praised him as the strongest human and waited for him to accept the gap between humans and demons.
• Xia Xi decided to rely on a blood-born bond and readied the system to add points.

Xia Xi spent achievement points to raise Dawn Breathing, Thunder Breathing, and Wind Breathing while fighting Akaza, dramatically increasing his strength. He and Akaza traded powerful blows and ended the chapter locked in a fierce battle, with Akaza finally recognizing Xia Xi as a worthy opponent.

• Xia Xi realized how far Upper Rank demons surpassed ordinary Demon Slayer Hashira and used achievement points to raise Dawn Breathing to level six.
• Akaza noticed Xia Xi's sudden growth and attacked, while Xia Xi blinded him with kicked-up debris and landed a spiraling punch with Dawn Breathing's Ninth Form.
• Akaza absorbed much of the blow's force, struck Xia Xi in the temple, and invited him to become a demon, but Xia Xi refused.
• Xia Xi spent his remaining achievement points on Thunder Breathing and Wind Breathing, raising his energy level to 682.
• Xia Xi and Akaza fought again on more even terms, and Akaza praised Xia Xi as a worthy opponent before charging back into battle.

Xia Xi fought Akaza until the demon withdrew at sunrise, then chose to save the gravely wounded Igarashi instead of pursuing him. Shinjuro arrived to find both swordsmen alive, and Xia Xi’s strength astonished him as their companions approached.

• Xia Xi struggled to overcome Akaza’s regeneration and stamina, and rejected the demon’s offer to become his companion.
• Akaza unleashed his final technique, but dawn forced him to retreat before Xia Xi could use his own finishing move.
• Xia Xi abandoned the chance to chase Akaza and repeatedly used his medical skills to keep Igarashi alive, raising Medicine to Lv. 5.
• Shinjuro reached the battlefield and mistakenly offered condolences, until Igarashi weakly revealed that he had survived.
• Igarashi explained that Xia Xi had driven off Upper Rank Three alone, and Shinjuro was stunned when Xia Xi’s grip proved too strong to break.
• Xia Xi’s companions arrived as he stood beside the recovering Igarashi and Shinjuro.

After Xia Xi and Igarashi drove off Upper Rank Three, Xia Xi treated Igarashi and reassured the Kocho sisters, while Kanae helped Shinobu face the possibility that Igarashi might never fight again. As the wounded were taken away, Shinjuro asked who could fill the likely vacant Hashira position, and Xia Xi named General Uzui.

• Kyojuro mistakenly claimed Xia Xi had defeated Upper Rank One, and Xia Xi corrected him by saying he had only driven off a little redhead.
• Xia Xi told Kanae and Shinobu that Igarashi would survive for now but would need several major operations at the Butterfly Mansion.
• Kanae urged Shinobu to honor Igarashi's resolve rather than grieve over his injuries, and Igarashi quietly heard her words.
• Xia Xi reassured Shinjuro that he had arrived in time, while Shinjuro privately mourned the many Hashira he had lost over the years.
• After the Kakushi arrived and Igarashi was taken away, Shinjuro asked Xia Xi about a possible Hashira successor, and Xia Xi named General Uzui.

Igarashi woke at the Butterfly Mansion and learned that his injuries had ended his demon-slaying career, so he planned to return to Yokohama and train new Corps members. Xia Xi resolved to grow stronger and avenge him, but a crow arrived summoning the Hashira to an urgent meeting.

• Kanae gave Igarashi his medicine, and Xia Xi explained that surgery had left him unable to wield a sword or use Total Concentration Breathing.
• Igarashi accepted his retirement and said he would manage his family’s affairs in Yokohama while teaching Mist Breathing to newcomers.
• Igarashi praised Xia Xi’s strength and asked him to seek revenge on Akaza, then entrusted Wind Breathing to Xia Xi and Kuang Jin.
• Xia Xi left the ward with Shinobu and vowed to keep getting stronger, while planning to intensify her training.
• A Kasugai Crow summoned all Nine Hashira, including Xia Xi, to an immediate meeting at the Ubuyashiki estate.

Xia Xi left the Butterfly Mansion to attend a Hashira Meeting, where Ubuyashiki announced Igarashi Usen’s retirement and asked Xia Xi to report what he had learned from fighting Upper Rank Three. The Hashira learned that Akaza’s strength and martial skill made him nearly impossible to face alone.

• Xia Xi told Kanae he had to report to headquarters and asked Kuang Jin to train with Shinobu while he was away.
• Xia Xi left the Butterfly Mansion and arrived at the Ubuyashiki Estate, where the Hashira gathered for a meeting.
• Ubuyashiki announced that Igarashi Usen would retire because of his serious injuries from fighting Akaza.
• Xia Xi explained that Upper Rank Three was far stronger than any Hashira could handle alone and had not fought at full strength when Xia Xi arrived.
• Xia Xi described Akaza’s martial skill and old-fashioned karate technique, warning that the demon had honed his abilities for two hundred years.

Xia Xi described Akaza’s overwhelming strength and shared his assessments of the Upper Ranks with the Hashira. He then proposed creating a semi-Hashira position to provide skilled deputies who could support Hashira in battle.

• Xia Xi explained that Akaza combined formidable martial arts, powerful close-range blasts, keen combat perception, rapid regeneration, and weapon-breaking punches, and estimated that two or three Hashira would need to cooperate to defeat him.
• Xia Xi claimed he could sense and compare combat strength, ranking Gyomei slightly above Shinjuro and Kazetoriin as the weakest among them.
• Xia Xi shared information and theories about Upper Ranks Kokushibo and two other demons, including one who used ice and another who killed Fudō Hino with poison.
• Kagaya introduced the proposed Demon Slayer Corps reforms, including new Swordsman ranks, and Xia Xi explained the purpose of the semi-Hashira rank.
• Xia Xi proposed appointing semi-Hashira as capable deputies who could help Hashira survive encounters with Upper Ranks until they could recover, retreat, or receive reinforcements.