Chapter Summaries

Tetsu no Sosuke entered Fujikasane Mountain for Final Selection and stayed alert as the other swordsmen scattered. He killed a demon that ambushed him, then continued deeper into the mountain.

• Tetsu no Sosuke followed the swordsmen into the dark woods of Fujikasane Mountain.
• Tetsu no Sosuke decided to rely on his own training and not gather the other candidates into a group.
• Tetsu no Sosuke noticed the swordsmen dispersing until he was alone.
• A demon leaped from a tree and attacked Tetsu no Sosuke.
• Tetsu no Sosuke smashed the demon with his Hammer Sword and cut off its head.

Tetsu no Sosuke passed the night on Fujikasane Mountain, then encountered Kaigaku trying to poison his food. Kaigaku revealed he had been tracking him and began forcing him to choose what to do next.

• Tetsu no Sosuke ate breakfast in the sunlight and taunted a demon hiding in the shade.
• Tetsu no Sosuke dragged the demon into the sunlight, where it crumbled away.
• Tetsu no Sosuke caught Kaigaku preparing to put white powder into his food.
• Kaigaku admitted he had been tracking Tetsu no Sosuke and had put twice as much drug in the food as the Sound Pillar had received.
• Kaigaku began presenting Tetsu no Sosuke with a choice, starting with option one.

Tetsu no Sosuke outsmarted Kaigaku after Kaigaku revealed he had poisoned Sosuke’s food and threatened him during Final Selection. Sosuke left with Kaigaku’s rations, trapping Kaigaku beneath the Hammer Sword.

• Kaigaku admitted he had poisoned Tetsu no Sosuke’s food and hoped he would die during Final Selection.
• Kaigaku insulted Kanae and Tengen Uzui, and Tetsu no Sosuke’s smile vanished when he heard Kanae’s name.
• Tetsu no Sosuke distracted Kaigaku by warning him about a demon, then slammed him to the ground and pinned him with the Hammer Sword.
• Tetsu no Sosuke searched Kaigaku’s pack, took his rations, and left while Kaigaku shouted for him to return them.

Tetsu no Sosuke confiscated Kaigaku’s rations and antidote pills after Kaigaku tampered with his food, then defeated him when he attacked. He left Kaigaku with a choice about eating the tainted rations and warned him not to steal from other Swordsmen.

• Tetsu no Sosuke took Kaigaku’s rations and bottle of antidote pills, then accepted Kaigaku’s apology without returning them.
• Kaigaku drew his blade and attacked Tetsu no Sosuke with Breath of Thunder—Second Form: Rice Soul.
• Tetsu no Sosuke countered with Breath of the Sun—Second Form: Direct Forging of Heaven and Earth and struck Kaigaku in the chest with the Iron Hammer.
• Kaigaku flew into a tree, fell to the ground, and spat blood.
• Tetsu no Sosuke told Kaigaku to go without food or eat the tampered rations, and threatened to kill him if he stole from another Swordsman.

Tetsu no Sosuke left Kaigaku under the Kasugai Crow’s watch and planned to settle their conflict after Final Selection. He then searched for the Hand Demon so he could test his sword.

• A Kasugai Crow told Tetsu no Sosuke that the Corps would let Kaigaku choose his own path and would monitor him for attacks on other Swordsmen.
• Tetsu no Sosuke warned Kaigaku and left, while Kaigaku picked up his pack and swore revenge.
• Tetsu no Sosuke decided Kaigaku would remain a threat and resolved to deal with him after Final Selection.
• Tetsu no Sosuke looked for the Hand Demon so he could kill it and test his sword.

Tetsu no Sosuke rested on the last day of the selection, having failed to find the Hand Demon and hearing no news of Kaigaku. Two demons rushed up, eager to eat him, and complained that their previous Swordsman had defecated in his pants.

• Tetsu no Sosuke decided not to keep searching for the Hand Demon and trusted Iron Head to deal with him.
• Tetsu no Sosuke ate dried rations and reflected that Kaigaku had not attacked any other Swordsmen while being watched.
• Two demons ran into view, spotted Tetsu no Sosuke, and mistook him for food.
• The demons explained that they were relieved to find a clean Swordsman after their previous quarry had shit his pants.

Tetsu no Sosuke killed two demons who had been arguing over their next meal and learned that the filthy Swordsman was still alive. As he moved away to avoid Kaigaku, his trained sense of danger warned him of an unseen threat, and he rushed forward.

• Two demons argued over who would eat a boy before turning on Tetsu no Sosuke.
• Tetsu no Sosuke sliced the demons apart and questioned them about the Swordsman with pants full of shit.
• The demons confirmed that the Swordsman was alive, and Tetsu no Sosuke killed them.
• Tetsu no Sosuke headed away from Kaigaku while eating his rations.
• Tetsu no Sosuke sensed danger and shot forward.

Tetsu no Sosuke found the Hand Demon and attacked it with his Hammer Sword, breaking one of its arms. As the demon lashed out with its many arms, Tetsu no Sosuke vanished and began striking it with a rapid barrage.

• Tetsu no Sosuke charged through the forest toward the source of the dread gripping his heart.
• Tetsu no Sosuke spotted the Hand Demon eating a mangled corpse and attacked with Breath of the Sun, Form Two: Direct Forging of Qiankun.
• The Hand Demon blocked the hammer with an arm, but Tetsu no Sosuke broke it.
• The Hand Demon sent countless arms after Tetsu no Sosuke, who disappeared from its sight.
• The Hand Demon heard Tetsu no Sosuke's breathing nearby and was struck by hundreds of blows from Breath of the Sun, Form One: Gale Sun.

Tetsu no Sosuke used his Iron Hammer to batter the Hand Demon, whose wounds burned and would not heal. After spotting hands emerging from the ground, Tetsu no Sosuke dodged the ambush and launched a midair Comet Waltz, weaving through the demon’s arms and closing in on him.

• Tetsu no Sosuke struck the Hand Demon repeatedly with Gale Sun, burning his fists and preventing his wounds from healing.
• The Hand Demon sent hands bursting from the ground to seize Tetsu no Sosuke’s legs.
• Tetsu no Sosuke leaped clear and used Breath of the Sun, Form Three: Comet Waltz, to evade the Hand Demon’s reaching arm.
• Tetsu no Sosuke spun through the demon’s many arms, gaining speed and power as he drew close to him.

Tetsu no Sosuke killed the Hand Demon by revealing the Nichirin Blade hidden inside his hammer. As he left before dawn, he reflected on how knowing the demon’s habits had shaped his plan.

• The Hand Demon taunted Tetsu no Sosuke, believing his hammer could not hurt him.
• Tetsu no Sosuke struck the Hand Demon’s neck with the hidden Nichirin Blade, severing his head.
• The Hand Demon realized a sword was concealed inside the hammer as his body fell and began to fade away.
• Tetsu no Sosuke sheathed the blade, shouldered the hammer, and left toward the exit.
• Tetsu no Sosuke recalled how he had used his knowledge of the Hand Demon’s habits to plan the fight and win before dawn.

Tetsu no Sosuke reflected on the Hand Demon’s limited combat experience as he returned from Fujikasane Mountain before dawn. He reached the square alone and waited until two other survivors arrived.

• Tetsu no Sosuke regretted not testing the Fourth and Fifth Forms against the Hand Demon.
• He concluded that the Hand Demon had strong defenses but little combat experience, making him less formidable than expected.
• Tetsu no Sosuke walked through the darkness without encountering another demon and reached the square at sunrise.
• Tetsu no Sosuke waited in the empty square until a man and a woman arrived from the mountain, looking shaken after narrowly surviving.

Kaigaku survived the seven-day mountain trial while struggling with the effects of a potent laxative, hunger, and a humiliating lack of herbs. He stumbled toward two other survivors, appearing so wretched that they wondered what torment he had endured.

• A pale, exhausted young man carrying a Nichirin Blade approached the silent man and woman.
• The man and woman retched when they saw the newcomer’s filthy pants.
• The newcomer was revealed to be Kaigaku, whose laxative-induced weakness had left him drained and hollow-eyed.
• Kaigaku tried to counteract the laxative with herbs so he could eat, but repeatedly ran short of them.
• A demon fled after witnessing Kaigaku’s desperate efforts to avoid being eaten.
• Kaigaku wandered onward in a daze, feeling as though he had lost something important.

Kaigaku endured the seven-day ordeal but broke down and begged Tetsu no Sosuke for the medicine bottle. Tetsu no Sosuke exposed Kaigaku’s insincere apology, leaving him in despair.

• Kaigaku saw a man and woman staring at him and drew his sword, but his hand went limp and he lost control of his bladder.
• Kaigaku tried to flee, collapsed, and encountered Tetsu no Sosuke, who taunted him with the medicine bottle.
• Kaigaku apologized and begged for the bottle, while Tetsu no Sosuke refused to let him touch him.
• Tetsu no Sosuke accused Kaigaku of planning revenge and said he knew Kaigaku had no sincere remorse.
• Kaigaku admitted to himself that Tetsu no Sosuke’s accusations were true and despaired over how well the man understood him.

Tetsu no Sosuke spared Kaigaku and showed the Demon Slayer Corps that he would not seek revenge. After the four survivors passed Final Selection, the children asked him how he wanted the Corps to deal with Kaigaku’s hatred and vicious temperament.

• Tetsu no Sosuke told Kaigaku he forgave him and urged him to learn to understand and forgive others.
• Kaigaku took the medicine Tetsu no Sosuke had thrown down, then glared at him as Tetsu no Sosuke walked away.
• Two children congratulated Tetsu no Sosuke, Kaigaku, and the other two survivors on passing Final Selection and invited them to choose Scarlet Sand Iron.
• Tetsu no Sosuke prepared to leave, but the children asked him to decide how the Corps should handle Kaigaku, who might cause trouble later.

Tetsu no Sosuke arranged for Kaigaku to be monitored and left the decision about his future in the Demon Slayer Corps to Kuwajima Jigoro and the Master. After leaving Fujikasane Mountain, he stopped at a Wisteria House and reflected on the final selection.

• Tetsu no Sosuke asked for Kaigaku to be watched and for Kuwajima Jigoro and the Master to decide whether he could join demon-slaying missions.
• The two children agreed to escort Kaigaku back to the Former Rumble Hashira's residence and explain the monitoring.
• Tetsu no Sosuke left with Big Hammer while Kaigaku glared at him, and two other candidates wondered about Tetsu no Sosuke's status.
• Tetsu no Sosuke descended Fujikasane Mountain, stopped at a Wisteria House before dusk, and prepared tea and provisions for his journey.
• Tetsu no Sosuke reflected that the final selection had been uneventful apart from the trouble with Kaigaku.

Tetsu no Sosuke learned that Kaigaku had escaped and might be tracking him. When a visitor arrived claiming to be his friend, Sosuke prepared for danger and followed the homeowner to meet him.

• A crow warned Tetsu no Sosuke that Kaigaku had escaped three hours earlier and might be pursuing him.
• The homeowner told Tetsu no Sosuke that a friend had arrived to see him.
• Tetsu no Sosuke strapped on his Hammer Sword and checked that the homeowner was at the door before following them.
• The homeowner said the visitor wore Hidden attire and led Tetsu no Sosuke to another room.

Kaigaku met Tetsu no Sosuke and begged him to help restore his chance to join the Demon Slayer Corps, claiming he wanted to avenge the friends he lost to a demon. Tetsu no Sosuke recognized that Kaigaku had caused their deaths himself, but agreed to write to Kuwajima Jigoro and ask him to reconsider.

• Kaigaku welcomed Tetsu no Sosuke into a house and offered him tea, but Tetsu no Sosuke demanded to know why he had escaped and followed him.
• Kaigaku knelt and asked Tetsu no Sosuke to forgive him and help persuade his master to let him become a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman.
• Kaigaku described how a demon had supposedly killed the children at the temple where he grew up and said he wanted to avenge them.
• Tetsu no Sosuke realized Kaigaku had deliberately extinguished the wisteria burner to save himself, causing the others to die.
• Tetsu no Sosuke agreed to write to Kuwajima Jigoro and ask him to reconsider Kaigaku's confinement, and Kaigaku thanked him.

Kaigaku tried to kill Tetsu no Sosuke after feigning remorse, but Tetsu no Sosuke blocked the attack and sent him fleeing. The chapter left Tetsu no Sosuke free to decide whether Kaigaku would live or die.

• Kaigaku pretended to apologize and bowed to lure Tetsu no Sosuke close.
• Tetsu no Sosuke anticipated the attack and blocked Kaigaku's Nichirin Blade with the Iron Hammer.
• Tetsu no Sosuke struck Kaigaku through the window, sending him crashing outside.
• Kaigaku got up and fled without looking back.
• Tetsu no Sosuke decided that Kaigaku's life or death was his to determine.

Tetsu no Sosuke chased Kaigaku after exposing his failed assassination attempt. Kaigaku fled in fear and resentment, while his speed surprised Tetsu no Sosuke.

• Tetsu no Sosuke pursued Kaigaku out of the Wisteria House, leaving a wrecked window behind.
• Kaigaku blamed Tetsu no Sosuke, Kuwajima Jigoro, and Zenitsu Agatsuma for his grievances as he ran.
• Kaigaku feared facing Tetsu no Sosuke after being defeated in a single move twice.
• Kaigaku fled faster than Tetsu no Sosuke had expected.

Kaigaku used a panicked crowd to escape Tetsu no Sosuke, but a Kasugai Crow joined the hunt and helped track him. After three days of pursuit, Kaigaku stopped to rest and noticed something in the darkness nearby.

• Kaigaku charged into a town shouting that someone was trying to kill him, using the crowd to cut Tetsu no Sosuke off.
• Kaigaku ran while Tetsu no Sosuke climbed onto a roof and lost sight of him.
• A Kasugai Crow told Tetsu no Sosuke it would help find Kaigaku and flew off to track him.
• After three days of being pursued, Kaigaku rested beneath a tree and complained that everyone had treated him unfairly.
• Kaigaku realized the Kasugai Crow had been tracking him for the Demon Slayer Corps, then turned toward a sound in the darkness.