Chapter Summaries

Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae enjoyed a quiet day back at the Butterfly Estate, where Shinobu Kocho bonded with Big Hammer and threatened Tetsu no Sosuke on her sister’s behalf. After a lively dinner, Tetsu no Sosuke returned to his courtyard and began writing a letter.

• Tetsu no Sosuke teased Big Hammer until the little wolf bit his finger, and he noticed it seemed bigger and heavier.
• Tetsu no Sosuke handed Big Hammer to Shinobu Kocho, who bathed the wolf and decided to befriend it.
• Tetsu no Sosuke, Kanae, Shinobu Kocho, and Kanao shared a festive dinner after the couple’s long absence.
• Shinobu Kocho clung to Kanae after dinner, so Tetsu no Sosuke returned to his courtyard and went to write a letter.

Tetsu no Sosuke wrote letters about replacing his ruined Hammer Sword and continuing the Automaton Puppet project, then spent the morning teasing Shinobu Kocho at the Butterfly Estate. The sisters learned that he had defeated Lower Rank Three, and Shinobu demanded to hear what had happened.

• Tetsu no Sosuke wrote to request materials for a new hammer and sent Ubuyashiki Kagaya a letter about continuing the Automaton Puppet project.
• Tetsu no Sosuke passed Kanao's courtyard and saw her practicing with a large gourd.
• Kanae and Shinobu Kocho arrived carrying Big Hammer, and Shinobu accused Tetsu no Sosuke of spying on Kanao.
• Tetsu no Sosuke teased Shinobu Kocho and took Kanae's hand, while Kanao flipped a coin, put down the gourd, and shut the courtyard gate.
• Shinobu Kocho learned that Tetsu no Sosuke had defeated Lower Rank Three and pressed him to explain what happened.

After hearing how Tetsu no Sosuke killed one of the Twelve Demon Moons, Shinobu Kocho spent breakfast thinking and then seriously asked when he and Kanae planned to marry. Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae initially mistook her question for a sign that she was ill.

• Kanae called Kanao to breakfast, and Tetsu no Sosuke recounted what had happened at Kuwajima Jigoro's place.
• Shinobu Kocho remained silent through breakfast, worrying Kanae and baffling Tetsu no Sosuke.
• Tetsu no Sosuke tried to provoke Shinobu, and he and Kanae wondered whether she had shut down from shock.
• Shinobu Kocho abruptly asked Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae when they were getting married.
• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae thought Shinobu might be feverish, but she insisted she was serious.
• Shinobu Kocho explained that Tetsu no Sosuke's solo kill of one of the Twelve Demon Moons had prompted her question.

Shinobu Kocho urged Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae to marry, convinced their relationship and circumstances made it time to wed. Kanae took Shinobu aside to talk, leaving Tetsu no Sosuke alone to sit in his courtyard and think about marriage.

• Shinobu Kocho asked Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae whether they intended to marry.
• Tetsu no Sosuke awkwardly admitted that he and Kanae had considered marriage.
• Kanae blushed, took Shinobu Kocho by the hand, and left with her.
• Tetsu no Sosuke returned to his courtyard and sat on the veranda, thinking about marriage.

Tetsu no Sosuke struggled to process Shinobu Kocho’s sudden suggestion that he and Kanae marry. Unable to sleep, he left his room and went into the courtyard.

• Tetsu no Sosuke worried about marriage, money, and how he and Kanae could live together while demons remained.
• Tetsu no Sosuke played with Big Hammer as he continued to dwell on Shinobu Kocho’s suggestion.
• At lunch, Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae avoided meeting each other’s eyes, leaving Shinobu Kocho baffled.
• That night, Tetsu no Sosuke tossed and turned before getting up and walking into the courtyard.

Tetsu no Sosuke confronted his fear that his happiness with Kanae was only a dream and that he was not strong enough to protect her. He promised to marry her after becoming strong enough to safeguard their future, and Kanae accepted his resolve.

• Tetsu no Sosuke climbed onto the frosted roof and reflected on how much he had grown.
• Tetsu no Sosuke realized he feared losing his happiness with Kanae and being unable to protect her.
• Tetsu no Sosuke embraced Kanae and promised to marry only her after becoming strong enough to protect their happiness.
• Kanae’s unease faded, and she softly accepted his promise.

Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae faced their fears about the future and resolved to grow stronger so they could protect each other. Later, Tetsu no Sosuke practiced sword techniques in a bamboo grove.

• Tetsu no Sosuke realized he wanted to protect Kanae and resolved to become stronger.
• Kanae understood that her hesitation came from fear of their uncertain lives, not a lack of affection for Tetsu no Sosuke.
• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae silently understood each other and left the roof hand in hand.
• Kanae followed Tetsu no Sosuke into the room after he caught her hand.
• Tetsu no Sosuke opened his eyes in the bamboo grove and practiced a series of strikes with his Nichirin Blade.

Tetsu no Sosuke trained to refine his new sword form and improve his ability to spot weaknesses, then returned to find his forging tools restored and a letter from the Master waiting. Shinobu Kocho told him to reply promptly.

• Tetsu no Sosuke reviewed the flaws in his Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form and resolved to keep practicing until its movements flowed together.
• He split a stalk of bamboo with a finger strike but realized that identifying weaknesses in weapons and living opponents remained difficult.
• Tetsu no Sosuke described his secret nighttime meetings with Kanae while Shinobu Kocho continued to forbid them from sleeping together before marriage.
• Tetsu no Sosuke found Shinobu Kocho carrying an Anvil and learned that a letter from the Master required a prompt reply.
• Tetsu no Sosuke returned the Anvil to his courtyard and discovered that nearly everything from the Sword Forging Shed had been restored.

Tetsu no Sosuke read Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s letter about building an Automaton Puppet and formally joining the Demon Slayer Corps. He considered both proposals and sensed that Kagaya wanted him to use the next six months to decide whether to join.

• Kanae told Tetsu no Sosuke that the iron ingots he had requested had arrived, and he planned to use them to forge a new hammer-sword scabbard with the Bloodforging Method.
• Tetsu no Sosuke read Kagaya’s proposal to study manuals of Breathing Techniques and Sword Forms, then build the Automaton Puppet’s core and write instructions for assembling and calibrating it.
• Tetsu no Sosuke considered the workload and welcomed the chance to study the manuals, though he doubted he could master every technique.
• Tetsu no Sosuke read that the Final Selection would take place in six months and that formally joining the Corps would clear the way for him to become a Pillar.
• Tetsu no Sosuke sensed Kagaya’s hesitation and wondered whether the six months were meant to give him time to decide if he truly wanted to join.

Tetsu no Sosuke accepted the Master’s plan and committed to taking the Final Selection in half a year while insisting he would continue forging Nichirin Blades. He then worried that becoming a Pillar might separate him from Kanae, especially at night, and made her blush.

• Tetsu no Sosuke wrote to Ubuyashiki Kagaya, agreeing to the Automaton Puppet production plan and declaring his determination to take the Final Selection in half a year.
• Tetsu no Sosuke told Kanae he believed the Master wanted him to choose between becoming a Demon Slayer and devoting himself to swordsmithing.
• Kanae urged Tetsu no Sosuke not to change his original intentions because of her, and he affirmed that she had made him more certain.
• Tetsu no Sosuke said he wanted to keep forging Nichirin Blades even if he joined the Corps, then wondered whether becoming a Pillar would keep him away from Kanae.
• Tetsu no Sosuke whispered that he would feel lonely without Kanae, especially at night, and Kanae blushed.

Tetsu no Sosuke teased Kanae while the Hidden members worked, then spent the next few days forging a hammer using the Bloodforging Method. The reddish, weightless weapon was complete, and it felt perfectly suited to him.

• Tetsu no Sosuke kissed Kanae's ear, and Kanae scolded him for acting boldly in front of the Hidden members.
• Tetsu no Sosuke gave in when Kanae demanded an apology, and the two continued whispering while the Hidden members tried to ignore them.
• Tetsu no Sosuke sneaked into Kanae's room that night, then left before dawn to forge a scabbard for the sword concealed within the hammer.
• Three days later, Tetsu no Sosuke completed a reddish iron hammer that felt weightless yet comfortable to swing.

Tetsu no Sosuke completed a sturdier Hammer Sword, studied the Breath of Thunder, and spent six months forging weapons and refining his Breath of the Sun forms. After his wooden-sword spar with Shinobu Kocho ended with her sword shattered and her running off crying, the story left her own progress during those months only briefly noted.

• Tetsu no Sosuke finished a sturdier Hammer Sword and tested it in the bamboo grove.
• Tetsu no Sosuke read Kuwajima Jigoro's booklet on the Breath of Thunder and resumed forging.
• Tetsu no Sosuke found that forging Automaton Puppets granted no attributes, while repairing Pillars' Nichirin Blades yielded diminishing rewards.
• Over six months, Tetsu no Sosuke forged Automaton Puppets, repaired or made Nichirin Blades, and trained his swordsmanship.
• Tetsu no Sosuke created the Fourth Form of the Breath of the Sun in two months and completed the Fifth Form after four more.
• Tetsu no Sosuke sparred with Shinobu Kocho, shattered her wooden sword, and saw her run off crying.

Tetsu no Sosuke decided to join the Demon Slayer Corps and told Kanae he would leave the next day. As they discussed his growth and goals, Kanae noted that he would be setting out on his own.

• Over six months, Kanae continued training and grew stronger through battles with demons, but Tetsu no Sosuke defeated her in a wooden-sword match.
• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae sat together in his courtyard and discussed his decision to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
• Tetsu no Sosuke said he would leave the next day, determined to become a Pillar and grow strong enough to protect what mattered to him.
• Tetsu no Sosuke reflected on Urokodaki Sakonji's advice that understanding one's heart and goal helped unlock power and avoid detours.
• Kanae reminded Tetsu no Sosuke that he would be setting out alone and needed to be able to protect himself.

Tetsu no Sosuke realized that becoming a Pillar could mean leaving the Butterfly Estate and the people and routines he had grown attached to. As Kanae urged him to take Big Hammer with him, he admitted he would rather see the wolf grow up safely than face Demons, and she licked him again.

• Kanae reminded Tetsu no Sosuke that he had once felt torn about something and said she thought he would soon become a Pillar and leave the Butterfly Estate.
• Tetsu no Sosuke reflected on how much he had grown used to life with Kanae, Shinobu Kocho, and Big Hammer.
• Big Hammer charged in with a girl on her back, but Tetsu no Sosuke ordered her to sit, and she obeyed before licking his face.
• Kanae suggested Tetsu no Sosuke take Big Hammer with him, but he refused and explained that he worried about her safety around people and Demons.
• Tetsu no Sosuke said he wanted Big Hammer to grow up safely and live without seeing blood, but she licked his face again.

Kanae finished sewing a haori for Tetsu no Sosuke and planned to surprise him with it the next day. Shinobu Kocho reflected on her sister’s happiness and wondered whether she would ever find someone she loved as much.

• Tetsu no Sosuke took Big Hammer out to romp in the mountains after threatening to stew him if he failed to kill fifty demons.
• Kanae worked on the third haori she had made for Tetsu no Sosuke and told Shinobu Kocho she wanted to surprise him with it tomorrow.
• Kanae calmly said she and Tetsu no Sosuke would get married, and Shinobu Kocho realized how genuinely happy her sister seemed.
• Shinobu Kocho imagined what it might be like to fall in love, then decided that no one appealed to her as much as Kanae.

Kanae finished sewing a Haori for Tetsu no Sosuke to wear into battle the next day. Shinobu Kocho sent Kanae to keep him company that night, leaving Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae together before his departure.

• Shinobu Kocho decided to stay at the Butterfly Estate, where she wanted to be with Kanae and the others.
• Kanae finished the Haori and said Tetsu no Sosuke could wear it into battle the next day.
• Tetsu no Sosuke found Kanae waiting outside his room and hurried her inside.
• Tetsu no Sosuke asked why Kanae had come when they had planned for him to visit her room.
• Kanae explained that Shinobu Kocho had told her to keep Tetsu no Sosuke company before he left, and he kissed her cheek.

As Tetsu no Sosuke prepared to leave, Kanae fussed over his clothes and travel precautions, making clear how reluctant she was to see him go. He kissed her goodbye, and after demanding he pay for it, Kanae shyly asked him to kiss her again.

• Tetsu no Sosuke woke to find Kanae sorting his clothes and explaining what he should take and wear.
• Tetsu no Sosuke swept Kanae into his arms and kissed her more passionately than before.
• Kanae blushed and scolded Tetsu no Sosuke, who promised he would return soon.
• Kanae told Tetsu no Sosuke he had to pay for the kiss, then whispered that he should kiss her again.
• Tetsu no Sosuke cupped Kanae's chin and turned her face toward his.

Kanae gave Tetsu no Sosuke a Haori she had made for him after Shinobu interrupted their intimate moment. The chapter ended with Kanae worried that he did not like its unusual design.

• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae nearly kissed before footsteps outside the door made them spring apart.
• Shinobu Kocho entered, brought Kanae a folded Haori, and told them to come eat.
• After Shinobu left, Tetsu no Sosuke saw that Kanae had made him a Haori decorated with hammers, flames, and butterflies.
• Tetsu no Sosuke found the design strange, and Kanae asked whether he disliked it.

Tetsu no Sosuke received a new Haori from Kanae before preparing to leave for Fujikasane Mountain. After the Butterfly Estate residents saw him off, he set out for the Final Selection.

• Kanae gave Tetsu no Sosuke a carefully measured Haori decorated with butterflies and helped him put it on.
• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae went to eat with Big Hammer, then finished preparing for his journey.
• The people at the Butterfly Estate gathered at the gate to say goodbye to Tetsu no Sosuke.
• Kanae wished Tetsu no Sosuke safety, Shinobu Kocho warned him not to ogle the Swordsmen, and Kanao waved goodbye.
• Tetsu no Sosuke left the Butterfly Estate carrying his bundle and Hammer Sword.

Tetsu no Sosuke arrived at Fujikasane Mountain for the Demon Slayer Corps’ Final Selection and waited with the other candidates. After two children explained the rules, the seven-day trial began.

• Tetsu no Sosuke traveled from the Butterfly Estate to Fujikasane Mountain, arriving on the third day.
• He entered the clearing where the Final Selection candidates had gathered and waited quietly.
• Two young children appeared at dusk and explained the rules of the selection.
• Tetsu no Sosuke listened as the Final Selection began.