Chapter Summaries

Kochou Kanae told Tetsu no Sosuke how a Demon had destroyed her family’s peaceful life and how much she feared losing Shinobu. Tetsu no Sosuke promised to protect the people she cherished, and Kanae found herself believing in him.

• Kochou Kanae described her loving family and how a Demon took away her happiness.
• Kanae said she could not imagine what she would become if she lost Shinobu.
• Tetsu no Sosuke took Kanae’s hand and promised she would never lose anyone precious to her again.
• Kanae thanked Tetsu no Sosuke and felt courage as she believed in his conviction.

Kanae fell asleep against Tetsu no Sosuke, who carried her back to the Butterfly Estate and tucked her into bed. She slept until sunset, still holding on to his sleeve when he tried to leave.

• Kanae collapsed asleep against Tetsu no Sosuke after her exhaustion caught up with her.
• Tetsu no Sosuke carried Kanae back to the Butterfly Estate as its members watched them enter.
• Tetsu no Sosuke laid Kanae in her bed and tucked her in.
• When Tetsu no Sosuke tried to leave, Kanae held on to his sleeve.
• Kanae slept until sunset.

Kanae woke in her room with Tetsu no Sosuke beside her and realized she had been holding his sleeve while he stayed awake. As he helped her up to eat, she learned that others knew he had brought her home and asked whether they would tell anyone.

• Kanae woke and found Tetsu no Sosuke sitting beside her, still holding the sleeve she had gripped.
• Tetsu no Sosuke asked how Kanae felt and invited her to get up and eat after Kiyo Terauchi had called them several times.
• Kanae took Tetsu no Sosuke's hand and asked whether Kiyo Terauchi knew he was there.
• Tetsu no Sosuke said a Hidden had seen him bring her back and asked whether they would tell anyone.
• Kanae asked if he was worried people would find out, feeling upset.

Tetsu no Sosuke confirmed that his Poison Forging Method had worked and began forging a Nichirin Blade for Shinobu Kocho. Kanae brought him a letter from Village Chief Kawahara Chintetsu, leaving its contents unknown.

• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae ate together, then went their separate ways while Shinobu Kocho remained in her room.
• Tetsu no Sosuke examined the Iron Material he had prepared with the Poison Forging Method and decided to wait until morning to forge Shinobu Kocho's Nichirin Blade.
• The next morning, Tetsu no Sosuke tested the Iron Material and confirmed that the Poison Forging Method had removed impurities.
• Tetsu no Sosuke spent the morning forging a Nichirin Blade while Kanae watched nearby.
• Kanae handed Tetsu no Sosuke a letter from Village Chief Kawahara Chintetsu.

Tetsu no Sosuke read the Village Chief’s findings about the Forging Method to Suppress Demon Regeneration and planned to test a flexible blade for Kanroji Mitsuri. He then welcomed Giyu Tomioka, who asked him to reforge his Nichirin Blade.

• Tetsu no Sosuke received the Village Chief’s reply and learned that ten Swordsmiths had failed to combine a Breathing Technique with forging.
• Kanae suggested several possible reasons the Swordsmiths had failed, and Tetsu no Sosuke decided to ask the Village Chief to continue testing the method.
• Tetsu no Sosuke planned to test the Village Chief’s flexible-blade method using ordinary iron.
• Kanae revealed that Giyu Tomioka, the Water Pillar, had been waiting at the gate while she and Tetsu no Sosuke were absorbed in their conversation and work.
• Tetsu no Sosuke apologized and agreed to reforge Giyu Tomioka’s Nichirin Blade.

Tetsu no Sosuke examined Giyu Tomioka’s worn Nichirin Blade and asked what he wanted in a replacement. Giyu supplied a drop of blood but declined a blade tailored to his Water Breathing, saying he had no time.

• Tetsu no Sosuke inspected Giyu Tomioka’s Nichirin Blade and said it would likely need replacing within two months.
• Giyu Tomioka started to leave without answering Tetsu no Sosuke’s questions, but stopped when Tetsu called him back.
• Tetsu no Sosuke asked Giyu to demonstrate Water Breathing and offer a drop of blood for a custom blade; Giyu cut his finger and let him collect the blood.
• Giyu Tomioka bandaged his finger and prepared to leave again, but Tetsu asked whether he wanted a sword designed to enhance his Swordsmanship.
• Giyu Tomioka shook his head and said he had no time.

Tetsu no Sosuke recorded Giyu Tomioka’s ten Sword Forms to guide a new sword design, then destroyed his notes to protect the techniques. Afterward, he and Kanae shared an awkward moment holding hands, and Tetsu no Sosuke tentatively touched her palm again.

• Tetsu no Sosuke asked Giyu Tomioka to demonstrate his ten Sword Forms and sketched their movements.
• Giyu Tomioka repeated the forms until Tetsu no Sosuke had recorded their key points, then slipped away.
• Tetsu no Sosuke considered how a redesigned blade might use air resistance to make sword swings easier.
• Tetsu no Sosuke burned his notes and invited Kanae to get something to eat.
• Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae briefly held hands, let go in surprise, and Tetsu no Sosuke later brushed her palm with his little finger.

Tetsu no Sosuke finished Shinobu Kocho’s Poison Forging Method Nichirin Blade, balancing its poison properties against its sunblaze attribute. Shinobu’s return to duty had also revived tensions around her relationship with Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae.

• Shinobu Kocho recovered and returned to duty, leaving Tetsu no Sosuke and Kanae troubled by the giant third wheel’s presence.
• Shinobu began doubting her relationship with Tetsu no Sosuke after noticing how their behavior had changed since her injury.
• Tetsu no Sosuke finished Shinobu’s blade, which had a sunblaze attribute of 36 because the poison and sunblaze properties counteracted each other.
• Tetsu no Sosuke made the blade long, slender, light, and sharp so that wounds could spread its poison through the victim’s body.
• Tetsu no Sosuke also made Shinobu two small knives from poison-forged material, but she accepted the finished weapons with apparent disdain.

Tetsu no Sosuke forged blades for Shinobu Kocho and Kanroji Mitsuri, earning new crafting rewards while discovering that his Attribute Point Reward had decreased. As more Pillars came to visit, he decided to keep forging until he surpassed Sharpness Level 3.

• Tetsu no Sosuke forged an ordinary iron Soft Blade, then used Kanroji Mitsuri’s blood to forge her a Nichirin Soft Blade.
• Kanroji Mitsuri thanked Tetsu no Sosuke and urged him to practice swordsmanship with her, but Kanae’s presence spared him from an afternoon of training.
• Tetsu no Sosuke received Heavenly Craft: Repair, Upgraded Fire Observation, and a Heavenly Craft Anvil for the three blades he had forged.
• Tetsu no Sosuke found that his Attribute Point Reward had fallen by one-third after forging Kanroji Mitsuri’s blade and suspected he needed to exceed Sharpness Level 3.
• Tetsu no Sosuke resolved to keep forging, while the Pillars continued coming to visit.

Tetsu no Sosuke struggled to make progress in Swordsmanship and considered how to use his physical strengths. The chapter left him searching for a sword style that suited him.

• Tetsu no Sosuke noticed that a flash of inspiration only made his sword swing slightly faster.
• Tetsu no Sosuke worried that his lack of progress would make his promises to Kanae empty.
• Tetsu no Sosuke considered his strength, stamina, speed, and agility, which had improved through forging swords.
• Tetsu no Sosuke wondered how to apply those strengths to Swordsmanship and realized that wielding a sword felt different from wielding a hammer.
• Tetsu no Sosuke leaned back on the veranda, and a new idea flashed through his mind.

Tetsu no Sosuke reconsidered his fighting style and began forging a heavy hammer that could conceal and protect a sword. After seven days of trial and error, he completed the unusual weapon.

• Tetsu no Sosuke considered combining a hammer strike with a hidden sword draw, inspired by the Rock Pillar's use of multiple weapons.
• Tetsu no Sosuke decided to forge a heavy hammer that would serve as a scabbard for Gale Sun, using ordinary iron and leaving out the Bloodforging Method.
• Tetsu no Sosuke struggled to design the weapon, focusing on hardness and resilience and making it from separate parts.
• Tetsu no Sosuke received Heavenly Craftsmanship: Mechanisms after finishing Giyu Tomioka's Nichirin Blade, gaining principles that improved his mechanism designs.
• Tetsu no Sosuke finished forging the Sword Scabbard after seven days.

Tetsu no Sosuke tested a heavy hammer forged around the Sun and discovered that it suited his fighting style, though he worried he was becoming the Hammer Pillar. While continuing his sword training, he also tried to figure out how to save Tanjiro's family from their future tragedy, despite not knowing when or where it would happen.

• Tetsu no Sosuke fitted the Sun into its casing and swung the resulting great hammer, finding it manageable when he used his Breathing Technique.
• Tetsu no Sosuke used Breath of the Sun—Form One: Gale Sun to smash the bamboo grove and realized a hammer suited him best.
• Tetsu no Sosuke continued practicing Swordsmanship because hammer techniques alone could not behead Demons.
• Tetsu no Sosuke worried about Tanjiro's family as winter approached, but he did not know where they lived or when their tragedy would occur.
• Tetsu no Sosuke resolved to find a way to change the future despite being far too weak to face Kibutsuji Muzan or the Twelve Demon Moons.

Tetsu no Sosuke considered trying to save Iron Head’s family from Kibutsuji Muzan, but he lacked a reliable way to find them or protect them. He concluded that saving the family with his current abilities was impossible.

• Tetsu no Sosuke realized he did not know where Iron Head’s family lived, though he guessed they might be in Giyu Tomioka’s jurisdiction.
• Tetsu no Sosuke considered how he might help the family if he found them, but had no way to convince them to flee.
• Tetsu no Sosuke recognized that confronting Kibutsuji Muzan would mean certain death and that hiding the entire family would be difficult.
• Tetsu no Sosuke concluded that he could not save Iron Head’s family with his current abilities.

Tetsu no Sosuke decided to protect Tanjiro's family rather than force an early battle with Kibutsuji Muzan. He prepared to deliver a Nichirin Blade himself, though he first needed to find Kamado Tanjiro.

• Tetsu no Sosuke rejected involving the Demon Slayer Corps in an early battle against Kibutsuji Muzan, since they lacked Tamayo's drug and knew too little about their enemy.
• Tetsu no Sosuke decided to hide or otherwise protect Tanjiro's family, even if doing so required violence.
• Tetsu no Sosuke acknowledged that his plan depended on finding Kamado Tanjiro.
• Tetsu no Sosuke wrapped the Nichirin Blade, put it in the Sword Case, and set out wearing his Haori, a bamboo hat, and a wisteria charm while Kanae was away.

Tetsu no Sosuke left the Butterfly Estate with Shinobu Kocho, who reluctantly accompanied him and watched him with suspicion. Shinobu struggled to understand why Kanae liked him, and the two remained too hostile to have the serious conversation she wanted.

• Tetsu no Sosuke told Shinobu Kocho she could stay home, but she refused and went with him.
• As they walked, Tetsu no Sosuke suspected Shinobu might be planning to kill him to keep him from dating Kanae.
• Shinobu thought Tetsu no Sosuke was ordinary and wondered what her sister saw in him.
• Shinobu remembered that Kanae had asked her to protect Tetsu no Sosuke while he was out.
• Shinobu tried to find good qualities in Tetsu no Sosuke, but when he caught her looking, she became angry again.

Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu Kocho arrived at Giyu Tomioka’s residence, where Giyu tested the Bloodforged Nichirin Blade. Giyu found that it calmed his mind, leaving Tetsu no Sosuke wondering how its effects differed between users.

• Shinobu Kocho remained at odds with Tetsu no Sosuke during their two-day journey to Giyu Tomioka’s residence.
• Tetsu no Sosuke handed Giyu Tomioka the Nichirin Blade and asked him to examine it.
• Giyu Tomioka drew the blade and watched it turn ocean blue with red streaks.
• Giyu Tomioka said the blade filled his mind with coolness and helped steady his thoughts.
• Tetsu no Sosuke compared Giyu’s reaction with Kanae’s report that her blade sent warmth through her and reduced the toll on her stamina.

Tetsu no Sosuke asked Giyu Tomioka to let him stay at his residence for a few days, and Giyu agreed. Shinobu Kocho insisted on staying too, saying she needed to protect Sosuke, and Giyu accepted them both.

• Tetsu no Sosuke wondered why the Bloodforging Method’s feedback differed between people and decided to ask Kanroji Mitsuri and Iguro Obanai about it later.
• Giyu Tomioka sat quietly with his tea until Tetsu no Sosuke asked to stay at his residence for a few days.
• Giyu agreed, surprising Shinobu Kocho, who had expected him to refuse.
• Tetsu no Sosuke told Shinobu to return first, but she refused and said she needed to protect him.
• Tetsu no Sosuke asked whether Shinobu could stay as well, and Giyu agreed.

Giyu Tomioka left the mansion, leaving Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu Kocho there alone. Tetsu went out to search for the Kamado Family and tried to treat Shinobu, but realized he had no money.

• Giyu Tomioka left the mansion that same day.
• Tetsu no Sosuke went out with Shinobu Kocho following him, hoping to find the Kamado Family.
• Tetsu no Sosuke suggested going to a nearby Town to buy Shinobu something tasty.
• Shinobu Kocho asked Tetsu no Sosuke if he had any money, and he realized he had none.
• Shinobu Kocho offered to buy him something instead.

Tetsu no Sosuke searched unsuccessfully for Tanjiro’s family, then left with Shinobu Kocho after leaving Giyu Tomioka a warning about his sword. Their return journey was interrupted by a torrential downpour as winter approached.

• Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu Kocho searched nearby towns and mountains for Tanjiro’s family but found no leads.
• After three days, Tetsu no Sosuke gave up, concluding that the family did not live nearby.
• Tetsu no Sosuke left Giyu Tomioka a letter warning him not to rely too heavily on the sword’s ability to suppress demon regeneration.
• Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu Kocho set off for home, and Shinobu privately judged him unsuitable for her sister.
• The pair encountered a torrential downpour on their journey back, despite winter being near.

Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu Kocho took shelter from a sudden downpour in a cave, where Shinobu began to fall ill. Tetsu no Sosuke returned from the rain with dry firewood, leaving Shinobu to wonder where he had found it.

• Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu Kocho found a cave to shelter in from the rain.
• Tetsu no Sosuke noticed Shinobu Kocho shivering and tried to make a fire to warm her.
• Shinobu Kocho sneezed in Tetsu no Sosuke's face, then secretly laughed.
• Tetsu no Sosuke went out into the downpour to find firewood while Shinobu Kocho realized she had a fever.
• Tetsu no Sosuke returned bare-chested with dry firewood wrapped in his shirt and covered by his bamboo hat.