Chapter Summaries

After transmigrating into a starving fourteen-year-old boy’s body, Takanashi Rokuno found himself trapped in an alley with three demons and the Kocho sisters. He stood between the demons and Kanae and Shinobu, and just as the largest demon’s claws were about to pierce him, a system activated and began loading a Kai template.

• Takanashi Rokuno awoke in a Demon Slayer world with unfamiliar memories and learned he was trapped in an alley with three demons.
• Rokuno saw Kanae Kocho shielding Shinobu Kocho from the demons as they chose their prey and closed in.
• Rokuno stepped in front of Kanae and Shinobu, gripped a broken wooden stick, and taunted the demons.
• The largest demon lunged at Rokuno, who swung the stick at its claws; the stick shattered on impact.
• A mechanical voice announced that the Heavenly Lord Gratitude Value System had activated and started loading the Honor of Kings · Magic Family · Kai Template.

Rokuya awakened the Myriad Heavens Gratitude Value System and used the Kai template’s Arcana Armor and blade to kill one demon, though wielding arcana left him desperately hungry. As two more demons launched a pincer attack, Rokuya prepared to unleash Returning Blade.

• Rokuya’s system activated, granting him the basic Kai template and the skill Returning Blade.
• Rokuya’s armor blocked a demon’s claws, and his Arcana Blade cut the demon in half and shattered a brick wall.
• Kanae Kocho and Shinobu Kocho watched as the demon’s corpse turned to ash, while Rokuya suffered extreme hunger from using arcana power.
• A one-eyed demon attacked from above as a long-clawed demon swept at Rokuya’s legs.
• Rokuya raised his Arcana Blade and prepared to unleash Returning Blade against the two demons.

Liunye defeated the two demons with his returning blade, then collapsed from hunger after reassuring Kanae and Shinobu Kocho. He awoke later in an unfamiliar room and heard someone stop outside the door.

• Liunye threw his demonic blade, which severed the long-clawed demon’s legs and cut the one-eyed demon in half before returning to his hand.
• Liunye beheaded both demons as they struggled helplessly in the mud, and their bodies burned to ash.
• Liunye told Kanae and Shinobu Kocho they were safe, then gained 1,800 gratitude points and collapsed from hunger.
• Liunye woke in a fine, unfamiliar room with a medicinal and wisteria scent, and footsteps stopped outside the sliding door.

Rokuya learned that Kanae Kocho and Shinobu had rescued him after demons killed their parents, and he gained gratitude points for saving them. He used the points to raise his constitution from 6 to 16, leaving him stronger and no longer weakened by his earlier transformation.

• Rokuya devoured the food Kanae brought and asked for more.
• Kanae told Rokuya that a demon had killed her parents and said that she and Shinobu had brought him home; she offered him a place to stay.
• Rokuya gave Kanae the name Takanashi Rokuno, and the system awarded him 500 gratitude points while Shinobu called him a monster and ran off.
• Rokuya inspected the system panel and learned his attributes, passive ability, Arcana skills, and the danger of using Invincible Might with his low constitution.
• Rokuya spent 1,000 gratitude points to raise his constitution from 6 to 16, enduring a painful transformation that left him much stronger.

Rokuya saved Kanae and Shinobu from a demon that attacked their home, then learned about the Demon Slayer Corps from a swordsman. He decided to take the sisters to Mount Sagiri to seek training from Sakonji Urokodaki.

• A demon smashed through Kanae's courtyard gate and lunged at Kanae while Shinobu hid in terror.
• Rokuya used Returning Blade to slow the demon, then cut off its head with his Arcana Blade.
• Kanae and Shinobu reunited, and Rokuya helped Kanae to her feet as the demon turned to ash.
• A Demon Slayer Corps swordsman explained that demons could only be killed by sunlight or a Nichirin Blade and warned Rokuya about stronger demons.
• The swordsman gave Rokuya a map to Mount Sagiri, where Sakonji Urokodaki could teach him the Demon Hunting Technique.

Rokuya and the Kocho sisters traveled toward Mount Sagiri and stopped for the night in a town where young girls had been disappearing. After learning the abductions likely involved a demon, Rokuya considered hunting it for gratitude points.

• Kanae and Shinobu Kocho asked Rokuya to help them seek revenge and survive, and he agreed to take them to Mount Sagiri.
• Rokuya set out with Kanae and Shinobu Kocho, and they rested during the difficult journey before continuing toward a town on the map.
• The three arrived at dusk and heard inn customers whispering that four young women had disappeared that month.
• The innkeeper warned Rokuya to lock the doors and keep Kanae and Shinobu Kocho inside that night.
• Rokuya suspected a demon with a Blood Demon Art was abducting girls and considered killing it for gratitude points.

Rokuya attacked the Swamp Demon when it emerged in the room and severed its hands, but the demon dragged Kanae and Shinobu Kocho into its swamp. He plunged into the demon’s Swamp Space to save them and faced its attack in the dark, airless mire.

• Rokuya detected the Swamp Demon appearing in the room and cut off its reaching hands with the Arcana Blade.
• The Swamp Demon spread its swamp across the room, causing Kanae and Shinobu Kocho to sink into it.
• Rokuya jumped into the swamp, making its pull on the sisters stop and returning them safely to the tatami.
• Inside the Swamp Space, the Swamp Demon taunted Rokuya and sent three claws toward his neck, heart, and lower back.

Rokuya used the Boots of Resistance to overcome the Swamp Demon's viscous otherworldly space and strike the demon with a critical blow. He emerged from the vanished swamp and confronted the badly wounded demon.

• Rokuya redeemed the Boots of Resistance, reducing the swamp's slowing effects and restoring his movement.
• The Swamp Demon attacked Rokuya with three duplicates and tried to devour his legs.
• Rokuya activated his critical-strike rule and slashed through the swamp with a powerful blade attack.
• Kanae and Shinobu Kocho witnessed the swamp split apart as the attack hurled the Swamp Demon into the inn.
• The swamp dissipated, and Rokuya rose from its center and aimed his Arcana Blade at the wounded demon.

Rokuya killed the Swamp Demon, rescued the abducted girls, and met Sakonji Urokodaki, who offered to train him in demon slaying. Rokuya and the Kocho Sisters then climbed Mount Sagiri, with Shinobu struggling from the thin air as Urokodaki continued ahead.

• Rokuya beheaded the weakened Swamp Demon, freeing the unconscious girls it had abducted.
• Kanae and Shinobu Kocho embraced Rokuya in relief, and Kanae confirmed the rescued girls were alive.
• The girls’ families thanked Rokuya and the Kocho Sisters, earning Rokuya gratitude points.
• Sakonji Urokodaki appeared and invited Rokuya to learn the true art of slaying demons.
• On the climb up Mount Sagiri, Shinobu Kocho nearly collapsed, so Rokuya carried her on his back while Kanae continued after Urokodaki.

Sakonji Urokodaki brought Rokuya and the Kocho Sisters to Mount Sagiri to begin their training, where Rokuya’s extraordinary strength and stamina quickly astonished him. After mastering the basics of Water Breathing in a day, Rokuya turned the style into an overwhelmingly forceful attack, while Shinobu Kocho struggled through her training.

• Sakonji Urokodaki led Rokuya and the Kocho Sisters through Mount Sagiri and brought them to his home, where he declared that their training would start from zero.
• Urokodaki tested Rokuya with a sudden wooden-sword strike, but Rokuya caught the blade barehanded and cracked it with his grip.
• Urokodaki began teaching the group demon lore and Water Breathing, and Rokuya adapted to its basic breathing pattern in a single day.
• Rokuya cleaved through a waterfall with a powerful slash, prompting Urokodaki to note that his style lacked Water Breathing’s adaptability.
• Rokuya dismissed the need for defense and insisted that overwhelming attacks were enough, while Shinobu Kocho struggled to complete her required practice swings.

Rokuya encouraged Shinobu to build her strength through wisteria poison and reassured Kanae that he would protect the sisters, though she insisted they needed to learn to defend themselves. After another month of training, Sakonji Urokodaki called Rokuya, Kanae, and Shinobu into the cabin for a serious meeting.

• Shinobu dropped her wooden sword in exhaustion, and Rokuya told her to pursue poison-making because Water Breathing did not suit her physical strength.
• Kanae admitted she felt she and Shinobu were falling behind Rokuya, but insisted they needed to learn to wield their own swords.
• Rokuya recognized that his bond with Kanae and Shinobu had grown beyond their value as sources of system gratitude points.
• A month passed, and Sakonji Urokodaki summoned Rokuya, Kanae, and Shinobu to the cabin instead of meeting them at the waterfall.

Urokodaki told Rokuya he was ready for Final Selection and arranged for Kanae and Shinobu to study Flower Breathing and poison-making, respectively. As the sisters prepared to leave the next day, Rokuya struggled with their coming separation, and Kanae joined him outside to talk.

• Urokodaki declared Rokuya qualified for Final Selection but said Water Breathing did not suit Kanae or Shinobu.
• Urokodaki explained that Kanae would train in Flower Breathing and Shinobu could pursue poison-making with a Cultivator who specialized in both fields.
• Urokodaki said the Kakushi Corps would take Kanae and Shinobu away the next day while Rokuya remained on Mount Sagiri to train.
• Urokodaki told Kanae that Rokuya saw her and Shinobu as his most precious treasures, and Kanae resolved to become stronger.
• Rokuya sharpened his borrowed Nichirin Blade that night and rejected the system's offer of a Bond Tracker.
• Kanae sat beside Rokuya on the veranda and said she had much she wanted to tell him.

Kanae told Rokuya she wanted to learn Flower Breathing so she could fight beside him, and he urged her to protect herself and never risk her life. Shinobu interrupted their farewell, and Rokuya left them with a challenge before going to his room.

• Kanae told Rokuya that watching him grow stronger had made her happy but also afraid she would fall behind, and she explained that she wanted to learn Flower Breathing.
• Rokuya urged Kanae to become strong enough to protect herself and Shinobu, but ordered her to run from any enemy she could not defeat.
• Kanae promised Rokuya she would not die before seeing him achieve his peaceful life with enough to eat.
• Shinobu interrupted Kanae and Rokuya as they held hands, then pulled Kanae behind her and accused Rokuya of bullying her sister.
• Rokuya flicked Shinobu on the forehead, challenged her to make a poison that satisfied him when they next met, and went to his room.

After three months of training, Takanashi Rokuno split Urokodaki’s boulder with overwhelming brute force rather than mastering Water Breathing’s principles. Urokodaki acknowledged his immense power but warned that his strength would mean little if he could not land a hit.

• Urokodaki brought Rokuya to the summit and explained that cutting the boulder was the final test of his training.
• Rokuya ignored Urokodaki’s instruction to use Water Breathing properly and smashed the boulder apart with one powerful slash.
• Rokuya’s ordinary katana broke, and the force of his strike carved a deep fissure through the ground.
• Rokuya claimed he had mastered Water Breathing, but Urokodaki told him he had only used the style to unleash his physical strength.
• Urokodaki said Rokuya could kill powerful demons with one slash if it landed, then pointed out that hitting his opponent was the problem.

Rokuya traveled to Mount Momoyama to learn Thunder Breathing and overcome his lack of speed. On the way, he killed a fast-moving demon that attacked a merchant, then continued north with renewed determination to learn from Jigoro Kuwajima.

• Urokodaki told Rokuya that his strength and defense were impressive but his speed and movement were too cumbersome, then sent him to train under former Rumble Hashira Jigoro Kuwajima.
• Rokuya set out for Mount Momoyama with Urokodaki’s letter and checked his system stats, noting that he needed more Gratitude Points and improved Agility to advance his Demon Form.
• Traveling through the wilderness, Rokuya heard a merchant screaming and found him being tormented by a fast sickle demon.
• The sickle demon’s speed outmatched Rokuya’s reactions, but Rokuya used his Single-Target Critical Strike Rule and a powerful rising slash to pulverize it and split a towering tree.
• The rescued merchant gave Rokuya heartfelt thanks, earning him 300 Gratitude Points, and Rokuya continued north toward Jigoro Kuwajima.

Rokuya arrived at Mount Momoyama to train in Thunder Breathing under Jigoro Kuwajima, who tested him and recognized his extraordinary strength and durability. Jigoro prepared to demonstrate the First Form, Thunderclap and Flash.

• Jigoro Kuwajima scolded Kaigaku for failing to master Thunder Breathing’s First Form and sent him to run fifty laps without food.
• Rokuya introduced himself to Jigoro and presented Urokodaki’s letter recommending him for further training.
• Jigoro doubted Rokuya could learn Thunder Breathing because of his heavy build, but Rokuya insisted he would handle the training his own way.
• Jigoro attacked with his cane, and Rokuya took the blow and caught it, impressing the old man with his strength and resilience.
• Jigoro assumed a sword-drawing stance and began demonstrating Thunder Breathing’s First Form, Thunderclap and Flash.

Rokuya witnessed Jigoro Kuwajima’s powerful Thunder Breathing and asked him to teach him, beginning special training on Mount Momoyama. After mastering the power-generating principle of Thunderclap and Flash in a week, Rokuya struggled to combine its speed with his usual striking force, and Jigoro explained the technique’s limitations.

• Jigoro Kuwajima demonstrated a lightning-fast sword draw that cleanly sliced a massive boulder, inspiring Rokuya to ask for training.
• Jigoro accepted Rokuya as a transfer student and warned him that his training would be hellish.
• Rokuya practiced Thunderclap and Flash for a week, producing a golden streak of lightning and carving a deep gash into a rock.
• Jigoro struck Rokuya for dismissing his progress, then marveled that he had learned the technique’s power generation in only seven days.
• Rokuya complained that the technique boosted his speed but weakened his blade strikes, and Jigoro explained that forcing upper-body strength during the straight-line charge would ruin his balance.

Rokuya trained to overcome Thunder Breathing’s limits while Kaigaku grew jealous and began sabotaging him. After surviving Kaigaku’s increasingly dangerous tricks, Rokuya showed that the attacks had not weakened him, leaving their rivalry unresolved.

• Rokuya demanded that Jigoro Kuwajima teach him to combine speed and strength, and he vowed to master Thunder Breathing within two months.
• Kaigaku watched Rokuya and grew resentful that he had learned the First Form in a week and earned Jigoro’s approval.
• Rokuya found a spike pit on his training route, escaped it, and recognized Kaigaku as the likely culprit.
• Kaigaku sabotaged Rokuya’s wooden sword, but Rokuya remained unfazed and smashed a thick tree with one punch, frightening Kaigaku.

Rokuya killed three bait-driven wolves and exposed Kaigaku’s attempt to weaken him and stage a rescue. When Kaigaku attacked, Rokuya used his modified Thunder Breathing technique to shatter Kaigaku’s Nichirin Blade and send him crashing through the trees.

• Rokuya detected bait on his training clothes and killed three frenzied wolves, using the single-target passive against the last one.
• Rokuya called out the hidden observer, and Kaigaku emerged after his scheme to wear Rokuya down and injure him failed.
• Kaigaku accused Rokuya of stealing Master’s favor and learning Thunder Breathing too quickly, then attacked with Second Form: Rice Spirit.
• Rokuya advanced through Kaigaku’s blade strikes and used his modified Thunder Breathing technique, Extreme Blade Flash.
• Rokuya’s single-target passive boosted his strike, and his fist snapped Kaigaku’s Nichirin Blade and sent him through three trees.

Rokuya defeated Kaigaku’s underhanded attack, completed his Thunder Breathing training, and left Jigoro Kuwajima to head for Final Selection. Three days later, he was lost in the mist on Mount Sagiri and tried to find Urokodaki’s home by following the smell of food.

• Rokuya confronted Kaigaku after breaking his blade, warned him to fight openly, and left him injured and terrified.
• Jigoro Kuwajima watched Rokuya’s strength with amazement and promised him extra meat.
• Rokuya completed his two-month training and developed the beginnings of his Extreme Blade Flash fighting style.
• Rokuya said goodbye to Jigoro Kuwajima and set out for Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane.
• After three days of travel, Rokuya became lost on Mount Sagiri and followed the scent of salmon stewed with radish.