Chapter Summaries

Kagaya Ubuyashiki learned that Teiichi had encountered Muzan Kibutsuji, while Teiichi reunited with Kanae and Nezuko in Sanyo City. Teiichi reported that Muzan had escaped and joined them for breakfast.

• Kagaya Ubuyashiki received White Feather’s message that Teiichi had encountered Muzan while investigating leads on Doma.
• Kanae shared breakfast with Nezuko and gave her untouched grilled fish to a hungry boy who thanked her and ran off.
• Teiichi arrived, greeted Kanae and Nezuko, and learned that Tanjiro and the others were training at the Butterfly Mansion.
• Teiichi told Kanae that he had encountered Muzan and that Muzan had escaped; Kanae checked him for injuries and asked whether Kagaya knew.
• Teiichi confirmed that he had sent word to Kagaya, then ordered ten more servings of breakfast.

Teiichi and Kanae investigated the Eternal Paradise Faith in Sanyo City, suspecting a demon was behind its missing members. At the faith’s gathering the next night, the believers described feeling comforted by prayer as the deputy leader addressed them.

• Nakamura briefed Kanae and Teiichi on the faith, its dwindling membership, and the disappearances of people connected to its members.
• Teiichi reasoned that someone had covered up the missing people’s fates and decided to investigate the faith rather than rule out Doma or another demon.
• Nakamura told Teiichi that the faith was in western Sanyo City and would gather the following night.
• Riko and the other believers prayed in the faith’s headquarters until the deputy leader ended the gathering.
• Several believers told the deputy leader that prayer had eased their exhaustion and suffering and made them feel God’s presence.

Riko, Miai, and Momoe attended a prayer meeting, received an allowance for the wages they lost by coming, and were told they could join the undertaking they had been hoping for. They entered a dim room to meet the cult leader, an elderly man in ceremonial robes.

• Miai and Momoe told Riko that praying had made them feel calmer and more relaxed.
• The deputy cult leader announced that the cult leader would speak at a sharing session next week, then ended the prayer meeting.
• The deputy cult leader gave Riko, Miai, and Momoe their agreed allowance, which Riko divided among the three.
• The deputy cult leader invited the three to meet the cult leader and said they could now join the undertaking.
• Riko, Miai, and Momoe entered the cult leader's room and saw him seated in ceremonial robes.

Riko, Miai, and Momoe were offered passage to the “other shore” by the faith’s leader, Yamazaki, who preyed on their hardships to recruit them. After two agreed to pay, Yamazaki and his deputy revealed that the group was trafficking people under cover of smuggling, just as an unknown listener spoke from the roof.

• Riko questioned why she and her friends had been chosen so soon, and Yamazaki said those who had suffered most were to be saved first.
• Miai and Momoe agreed to bring their savings to the next gathering, while Riko remained doubtful and was given until then to decide.
• After the three women left, the deputy asked Yamazaki whether they had agreed, and he said two had while Riko was still hesitating.
• Yamazaki and the deputy discussed selling the women and disguising human trafficking within their people-smuggling operation to avoid police attention.
• An unseen person on the roof said that the promised other shore really was the other shore.

Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko confronted a cult leader and his deputy, uncovering that the group was trafficking people and had no connection to demons. When the deputy attacked Teiichi, Teiichi dodged and caught his wrist, leaving the deputy unable to pull free.

• Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko revealed themselves in the cult's hideout and Teiichi accused the men of human trafficking.
• The cult leader and Yamaguchi discussed lowering their operations to avoid attention, while Yamaguchi fixated on Kanae.
• Teiichi recalled that his instructions to Kagaya Ubuyashiki had caused suspicious reports to reach him directly before Kakushi members investigated them.
• The cult leader ordered Yamaguchi to attack Teiichi, and Yamaguchi threw a punch at his head.
• Teiichi dodged the punch and seized Yamaguchi's wrist, then Yamaguchi swung his other hand at Teiichi.

Teiichi and Kanae subdued the cult leader and his deputy, then headed to Kuroishi Village to investigate a possible demon connection to the Harvest Cult. On the way, Shinsuke explained that an orphan named Yuta had vanished after the village adopted the cult, and hinted that villagers had begun selling more grain outside the village.

• Teiichi knocked out Yamaguchi and the cult leader after they attacked him, then Kanae asked whether they should call the police.
• Teiichi told Kanae to have the Kakushi handle the unconscious men and chose the nearby Harvest Cult as their next destination.
• Two days later, Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko traveled by donkey cart with Shinsuke to Kuroishi Village, where he described its isolation and small population.
• Shinsuke said Kuroishi Village had switched from worshipping Inari to the Harvest Cult a couple of years earlier, and that orphan Yuta had recently disappeared.
• Shinsuke reported that villagers claimed relatives had taken Yuta away, though Yuta had told him he had no relatives, and the villagers all gave the same explanation.
• When Teiichi asked about other unusual changes since the Harvest Cult arrived, Shinsuke wondered whether the village selling more grain outside counted.

Teiichi suspected that the Harvest Cult was trading missing children to a demon in exchange for a bountiful harvest, and worried about how Kanae would react if the villagers were involved. After Shinsuke described Yuta’s bamboo dragonfly, Teiichi connected it to the scattered remains and belongings he had seen on the mountain.

• Shinsuke told Kanae and Teiichi that the village had more grain than usual, while Kanae and Nezuko celebrated the good harvest.
• Teiichi suspected a demon was using its Blood Demon Art to improve crops and that the villagers might be offering children in exchange.
• Teiichi asked Kanae to return with Nezuko, but Kanae questioned his reasoning and insisted they could handle the mission together.
• Shinsuke said he had seen the village chief and several people coming down from the mountain, but Teiichi sensed no demon there.
• Teiichi asked how Shinsuke knew Yuta and learned that Yuta carried a bamboo dragonfly his father had made.
• Teiichi remembered the clothes, white bones, and bamboo dragonfly scattered on the mountain.

Teiichi questioned Shinsuke about the Harvest Cult and reasoned that the demon likely stayed outside Kuroishi Village and was fed at changing locations. After reaching the village, Teiichi introduced himself to village chief Kuroishi Daisuke as a traveler from Kyoto and asked about local sights, while avoiding questions about the cult.

• Teiichi asked Shinsuke about nearby villages and learned that Kuroishi Village was the only place in the area where people believed in the Harvest Cult.
• Teiichi reasoned that the demon probably stayed outside the village and planned to investigate the sacrifices without questioning the village chief directly.
• Shinsuke drove Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko across the mountains to Kuroishi Village and brought them to Kuroishi Daisuke's house.
• Teiichi introduced himself and his companions to Kuroishi Daisuke as visitors from Kyoto who wanted to experience rural life.
• Teiichi asked Kuroishi Daisuke about places to enjoy near the village, and the chief suggested the river to the west.

Teiichi suspected that the village was colluding with a demon and explored the village shrine with Kanae and Shinsuke. The shrine’s neglected state left him unsure how the villagers’ apparent worship fit with the reported child sacrifices and abundant harvests.

• Teiichi asked Kanae how she would respond to humans working with a demon, then suggested the entire village might be involved.
• Kanae questioned Teiichi’s suspicion, and he said they would need to investigate further before drawing conclusions.
• Teiichi stopped Kanae from walking into a little girl, who fell, apologized, and continued on her way.
• Teiichi, Kanae, and Shinsuke visited the shrine dedicated to the Goddess of Abundance and found its statue but a dusty, empty offering table.
• Teiichi wondered why a shrine to the demon seemed abandoned despite reports that villagers sacrificed children to it for good harvests.

Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko explored the village and dined with the village chief, who questioned them about their travels and swords. The chief concluded they were not investigating the demon, while Teiichi remained watchful as they returned to the inn.

• Teiichi searched the village with Kanae and Nezuko, found no sign of demons, and booked one room at the inn.
• The village chief invited the three to dinner, where Teiichi described their travels and answered questions about Kyoto.
• Teiichi asked about the abandoned harvest goddess shrine, and the chief said villagers had stopped worshipping there because their prayers went unanswered.
• After the guests left, the chief explained that he had invited them to assess whether they were investigating the demon, then decided they were ordinary travelers.
• Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko walked back to the inn.

Teiichi concluded that Kuroishi Village’s villagers were trading children to demons in exchange for abundant harvests, and used his Wind Field to monitor the village. After two days of questioning villagers indirectly, he still had no crucial information and began considering how to continue the investigation.

• Teiichi told Kanae that the village chief likely knew about the demon because Yuta’s remains and bamboo dragonfly had been found on the mountain.
• Teiichi helped Kanae infer that the villagers were sacrificing children to demons for bountiful harvests.
• Teiichi climbed onto the inn’s roof and used his Wind Field to observe activity across Kuroishi Village.
• Over the next two days, Teiichi took Kanae and Nezuko around the village and indirectly asked villagers about the Harvest Cult.
• Teiichi shared rice balls with a farmer, who became visibly uneasy when Teiichi mentioned the Goddess of Harvest.
• Teiichi realized that the villagers’ evasiveness was preventing him from learning anything crucial about the Harvest Cult.

Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko met Delia, a lonely girl who watched the village children play but was excluded by them. After Nezuko comforted her, Delia revealed that the other children called her a child chosen by God.

• Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko watched village children play, and Nezuko refused Teiichi's suggestion to join them.
• Kanae approached a girl who stood apart from the other children, and Teiichi and Nezuko joined her in watching.
• Kanae asked the girl why the children would not play with her, but she left without answering.
• The girl told Kanae her name was Delia, and Nezuko embraced her because she reminded Nezuko of Tanjiro's younger sister.
• Nezuko offered Delia rice crackers, and Delia explained that the other children called her a child chosen by God.

Teiichi and Kanae learned from Delia that the village had begun offering children to a newly worshipped Goddess of Harvest in exchange for good harvests. They followed Delia home and told her mother they were investigating the goddess, leaving the woman hopeful that they could help.

• Delia told Kanae and Teiichi that the Goddess of Harvest chose children, and she named several children who had been sent to serve her.
• Kanae grew distressed at the village’s child offerings, while Teiichi comforted her and Nezuko promised Delia she would stay with her.
• Delia led Teiichi, Kanae, and Nezuko to her home and explained that she lived with her widowed mother.
• Teiichi asked Delia to take Nezuko to her room so he and Kanae could speak privately with her mother.
• Kanae said they were investigating the Goddess of Harvest, and Teiichi claimed they were police officers; Delia’s mother welcomed them inside.

Delia’s mother told Kanae and the others how the village chief convinced the villagers that the Goddess of Harvest had blessed their village. After a sapling grew into a large tree overnight, the villagers were left awestruck as the chief declared it a miracle.

• Delia’s mother pleaded with Kanae and the others to save Delia, and Kanae asked her to explain what had happened.
• Delia’s mother recounted how the village chief claimed the Goddess of Harvest had caused the village’s unusually large rice harvest two years earlier.
• The village chief planted a sapling and said it would become a large tree in three days, but the villagers laughed and dismissed his claim.
• On the fourth morning, the villagers found the sapling had grown into a large tree, and Yuuichi dug around its roots to verify it had not been replaced.
• The villagers examined the tree and were awestruck as the village chief proclaimed it a miracle of the Goddess of Harvest.

The village chief persuaded Rice Flower Village to worship the Goddess of Harvest by crediting her with the bumper rice harvest, then proposed that one child under ten be sent to serve her every three months. The villagers debated the cost and benefits, and when the village chief called a vote, fewer than half supported the proposal.

• The village chief claimed the Goddess of Harvest had caused the village's bumper rice harvest, and the villagers began chanting her title.
• The village chief said the goddess wanted divine sons and daughters to serve her forever, and explained that one child under ten would be selected every three months.
• Yuuichi asked what the village chief meant, while villagers argued over whether to worship the goddess and send children away.
• Koji and other supporters argued that the extra grain and relief from poverty made the sacrifice worthwhile, while others remained uneasy.
• The village chief called a vote, and fewer than half of the villagers raised their hands in support.

After the village chief secured support for sending children to serve the Goddess of Harvest, Kanae learned that the villagers knew the children were being sacrificed to a demon and that the village chief enforced the practice through fear. Delia's mother explained how the demon punished a family that tried to withdraw, leaving Kanae demanding to know why the villagers had not resisted together.

• The village chief offered his grandson Kenta as the first child and promised selected families a five-year reprieve, after which opposition dwindled and the villagers approved worshipping the goddess.
• Teiichi suspected the village chief had concealed crucial information and used his own grandson to make refusal difficult.
• Kanae struggled to understand how villagers could accept sending their children away, then asked Delia's mother whether she believed they were serving the Goddess of Harvest.
• Delia's mother admitted the villagers learned last year that the children were being sent to a demon after a family changed its mind and the demon killed them and two neighboring families.
• Delia's mother said the village chief's guards prevented chosen families from leaving, so she sought help from Teiichi and Kanae.
• Kanae challenged Delia's mother for not organizing the villagers to resist and demanded to know what they were thinking.

Teiichi learned that Kuroishi Village’s families kept sacrificing children because those whose children had already been taken secretly hoped another family would be chosen, while those spared had five years before their turn. With Delia’s sacrifice twenty-seven days away and the demon’s location unknown, Teiichi planned to ask for help and return to catch it at the ceremony.

• Kanae questioned Delia’s mother about why villagers allowed children to be sacrificed, and Teiichi explained how the rotating privilege kept the custom going.
• Teiichi learned that Delia would be sacrificed in twenty-seven days and that the village chief changed the location each time.
• Teiichi concluded that the village chief could not lead him to the demon and decided to return for the sacrifice while asking Kagaya Ubuyashiki to send help.
• Teiichi considered having Tanjiro or another companion stay in Kuroishi Village, then chose Inosuke as the best fit.

Inosuke, Tanjiro, and Zenitsu trained under Shinobu while she wondered how things were going with Kanae and Teiichi. At Delia’s house, Teiichi and Kanae promised Delia’s mother they would protect Delia from being sacrificed and arrange for someone to watch over the village while they handled other matters.

• Inosuke sneezed during a frog jump, lost his balance, and narrowly avoided being crushed by the rock on his back.
• Tanjiro checked on Inosuke, while Zenitsu teased him about testing his head against the rock.
• Shinobu reminded the three boys to complete their 300 frog jumps, and they hurriedly resumed training.
• Delia’s mother fell to her knees and begged Teiichi to save Delia from being sacrificed to a demon.
• Kanae helped Delia’s mother up and promised they would save Delia.
• Teiichi assured Delia’s mother they would arrange for someone to watch over the village while they dealt with other matters.

At the inn, Teiichi helped Kanae confront her confusion about Kuroishi Village, where the villagers had cooperated with a demon to sacrifice children. Kanae questioned what the Demon Slayer Corps had been fighting for, and the chapter ended as Teiichi asked whether she thought her past missions were meaningless.

• Teiichi brought meal boxes to the inn and coaxed Kanae into eating while Nezuko declined.
• Teiichi explained that Kuroishi Village’s villagers had worked with a demon, and challenged Kanae’s belief that Delia’s mother had truly resisted.
• Teiichi argued that the villagers could have sought help from the police during the two years the sacrifices had continued.
• Kanae asked what the Demon Slayer Corps had been fighting for, and Teiichi comforted her.
• Kanae said she did not regret protecting ordinary people, and Teiichi asked whether she thought her past missions were meaningless.

Teiichi and Kanae decided to kill the demon and report the village’s situation to Kagaya Ubuyashiki, hoping the Ubuyashiki Family could help the villagers afterward. Teiichi waited through the night, then the next day Nezuko helped Delia catch a frog in the fields.

• Teiichi and Kanae discussed the villagers’ complicity and the hardship killing the demon would bring, and decided to ask Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s family to help the village.
• That night, Teiichi fed White Feather and Yun on the inn’s roof and sent White Feather to fetch Inosuke.
• Teiichi told Yun to rest while he kept watch over Kuroishi Village, then closed his eyes as a breeze passed through the village.
• The next day, Delia called Nezuko over after trapping a frog beneath her hands.
• Nezuko placed her hands over Delia’s and caught the frog when it jumped toward the opening.