Chapter Summaries

Kanae told Shinobu that Teiichi had saved her from Upper Rank Two, then urged her to leave the Demon Slayer Corps because of its dangers. After Teiichi brought them food and discussed their injuries and an upcoming Hashira Meeting, Kanae invited him to sit with her on the roof.

• Kanae explained to Shinobu that Teiichi had been the main reason she survived her encounter with Upper Rank Two.
• Kanae urged Shinobu to leave the Demon Slayer Corps, but Shinobu refused unless Kanae left with her, and the sisters reached an impasse.
• Teiichi arrived with food, and Kanae thanked him for saving her while they discussed their injuries and the Hashira Meeting in seven days.
• After Shinobu took away the dishes, Kanae and Teiichi struggled to speak alone together, and Kanae invited him to sit on the roof.

Kanae and Teiichi sat together on the roof, where she told him about her family, the demon who killed her parents, and how she and Shinobu chose to join the Demon Slayer Corps. She ended by recounting how she became the Flower Hashira after meeting Teiichi and defeating a Lower Rank.

• Kanae tried to reach the roof using her Breathing Style, but her injured lungs made her cough, so Teiichi carried her up instead.
• Teiichi and Kanae sat beneath the stars and talked about his fondness for the night sky.
• Kanae told Teiichi that she and Shinobu had grown up in an apothecary's family with their parents.
• Kanae recounted how a demon killed her parents and nearly killed her and Shinobu before Mr. Gyomei saved them.
• Kanae explained that she and Shinobu vowed to become Demon Slayers, persuaded Mr. Gyomei to help them, and trained in Water Breathing.
• Kanae said that she met Teiichi on Mount Fujikasane and became the Flower Hashira after slaying a Lower Rank.

Kanae and Teiichi discussed whether humans and demons could coexist, and Teiichi explained that peace would require ending demons’ need to eat people. Their conversation helped Kanae understand Teiichi’s principles and left them growing closer, until Shinobu Kocho scolded them for talking late into the night.

• Kanae asked Teiichi whether he thought her dream of peaceful coexistence between humans and demons was ridiculous, and he said he did not hate demons despite their having killed his parents and harmed him.
• Teiichi argued that coexistence would require demons to stop eating people and described the practical and political obstacles to supplying them with food.
• Teiichi proposed studying demons to create substitute meat, developing a drug to turn them human, or studying a demon who had overcome the urge to eat people.
• Kanae agreed that humans who were more loathsome than demons could also deserve to be killed, then said she understood Teiichi’s insistence on following his own principles.
• Teiichi told Kanae he had always had a very good impression of her, and Shinobu Kocho eventually scolded them for talking so late.

Teiichi sparred with Shinobu Kocho, praised her talent, and encouraged her to pursue her ambition despite Kanae’s wish for her to leave the Corps. At dinner, Shinobu raised the possibility that Teiichi would return to Kyushu Island after the Hashira Meeting, and Kanae asked him to come with her afterward.

• Teiichi blocked Shinobu Kocho’s Insect Breathing attacks and gave her advice during their sparring session.
• Shinobu Kocho told Teiichi that Kanae had urged her to leave the Demon Slayer Corps, and Teiichi reassured her that she was talented and should follow her wishes.
• At dinner, Shinobu Kocho asked whether Teiichi would return to Kyushu Island after the Hashira Meeting, and he said he probably would.
• After dinner, Kanae beckoned Teiichi to come with her.

Kanae measured Teiichi and spent several days sewing him a haori as thanks for saving her. On the day they left for the Hashira Meeting, she finished it and helped him try it on, then reminded him it was time to set out.

• Kanae measured Teiichi for a haori while Shinobu Kocho recorded his measurements and complained that Kanae had not made one for her yet.
• Teiichi warned that he would keep growing, and Kanae said she would make the haori large enough to allow for it.
• Kanae spent her free time sewing despite her injuries because she wanted Teiichi to wear the haori before the Hashira Meeting.
• Kanae finished the white and blue-green haori on the day she and Teiichi were due to leave for the meeting, then helped him put it on.
• Shinobu Kocho praised how the haori looked on Teiichi, who thanked Kanae before she urged him to leave for the Hashira Meeting.

At a Hashira meeting, Tengen Uzui challenged Teiichi over his informal sitting posture and discussed his own three wives. Kyojuro Rengoku asked whether Teiichi and Kanae were dating, prompting Teiichi to admit his feelings and say he would pursue her; their moment was interrupted when the door opened.

• Tengen Uzui criticized Teiichi for sitting cross-legged instead of kneeling, and Teiichi explained that kneeling was uncomfortable for him.
• Tengen Uzui defended having multiple partners and revealed he had three wives by age fifteen; Teiichi said one wife would be enough for him.
• Kyojuro Rengoku asked whether Teiichi and Kanae were dating, and Teiichi admitted he had feelings for Kanae and planned to pursue her.
• Kanae blushed, while Kyojuro Rengoku, Tengen Uzui, and Gyomei Himejima offered their reactions and well-wishes.
• The door opened and interrupted the gathering.

At a Hashira Meeting, Kanae described how she discovered Upper Rank Two living disguised as a human, prompting the Hashira to consider whether demons and Muzan Kibutsuji could freely blend into society. Teiichi questioned whether his plans might prevent Nezuko from overcoming sunlight and leave Muzan hidden.

• Kagaya Ubuyashiki convened the Hashira to discuss information about Upper Rank Two.
• Kanae recounted how she tracked Upper Rank Two after recognizing a missing girl he had been dating, and how he revealed his identity to her.
• Tengen Uzui and the other Hashira reacted with alarm to the possibility that Upper Rank demons could disguise themselves as humans.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki suggested that Muzan Kibutsuji might share that ability, and the Hashira considered how difficult that would make finding him.
• Teiichi decided that Muzan would likely remain hidden until Nezuko overcame sunlight, then worried his plans to kill Hantengu might prevent that from happening.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki considered seeking government help to locate Muzan, but Kanae explained that ordinary people would be killed before they could report finding an Upper Rank. Teiichi urged the Demon Slayer Corps to focus on strengthening its members, and the meeting ended with Tengen Uzui agreeing to postpone a spar with him until the next day.

• Kagaya Ubuyashiki proposed contacting the government for help finding Muzan, but Kanae argued that ordinary people could not safely track Upper Ranks, persuading the group to abandon the idea.
• Teiichi said the Corps should prioritize improving its members' strength, and Kanae agreed.
• Kanae described how Upper Rank Two nearly defeated her without fighting seriously, while Teiichi had held him off until dawn in a fight to the death.
• Teiichi warned that the Hashira present would likely fail to survive a night-long fight against Upper Rank Two, prompting Tengen Uzui to challenge his claims.
• Teiichi offered to spar with Tengen Uzui, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki told them to wait until the next day and continue sharing information about Upper Rank Two.

Teiichi briefed Kagaya Ubuyashiki and the Hashira on Doma’s ice-based Blood Demon Art and the danger he posed. The meeting ended under a heavy pall, with the Hashira left aware of the gulf between themselves and the Upper Ranks.

• Teiichi explained that Doma’s ice mist could frostbite the lungs and had caused Kanae’s injuries, while prolonged exposure weakened Demon Slayers.
• Teiichi said Wind Breathing could disperse the mist, but warned Kyojuro Rengoku and the others that Doma remained powerful without it.
• Teiichi described Doma’s Crystalline Divine Child technique, which created up to five independent ice figures as strong as or stronger than ordinary Lower Ranks.
• Teiichi advised destroying the divine children while they formed, though he noted the brief opening would be difficult to exploit.
• Teiichi recounted Doma’s forty-meter Rime - Water Lily Bodhisattva and said he had dodged it to buy time, suffering his worst injury when he took an incomplete strike head-on.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki asked whether Doma had other abilities, and Teiichi continued before the Hashira Meeting slowly ended.

Teiichi defeated Tengen Uzui in a spar to show the Hashira the strength of the Upper Ranks. Tengen revealed his Musical Score technique, and the two prepared to fight again with Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s permission.

• Teiichi and Tengen Uzui clashed with their Breathing Styles, and Teiichi overpowered Tengen with a series of attacks.
• Teiichi stopped his final strike just short of Tengen’s neck, and Tengen admitted defeat.
• The watching Hashira felt the pressure of the Upper Ranks’ strength after seeing Teiichi win.
• Teiichi asked to spar again, and Tengen explained that his Musical Score let him read an opponent’s attack patterns and exploit their openings.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki initially tried to stop the second match, but accepted after Teiichi and Tengen both agreed to continue.
• Kagaya asked Gyomei Himejima to oversee the next fight, and Gyomei stepped forward.

Teiichi sparred with Tengen Uzui to help him complete his Musical Score and to improve his own combat skills. Tengen completed his analysis and launched a more unpredictable assault, leaving the two still fighting in the courtyard.

• Teiichi used a variety of Wind Breathing forms while Tengen blocked and countered with Sound Breathing, gathering data for his Musical Score.
• After a prolonged exchange, Tengen completed his Musical Score and began attacking Teiichi from changing positions.
• Tengen used his chained Nichirin Blades and a sudden explosive slash, which Teiichi narrowly dodged.
• Teiichi welcomed the challenge and resumed attacking, while Tengen fought with abandon and laughed excitedly.
• Tengen spun his blades around himself to deflect Teiichi's Wind Blades and praised the clash as flashy.

Kato Teiichi sparred with Tengen Uzui, using the fight to sharpen his combat skills while Uzui attacked with explosive force. Teiichi won their final clash, and Uzui accepted his defeat as Teiichi offered him a hand.

• Tengen Uzui hurled explosive bombs at Teiichi, who redirected his Wind Blades to intercept them and fill the courtyard with blasts.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki worried about the fight, but Gyomei Himejima and Giyu Tomioka urged him to trust the combatants and said Teiichi was still holding back.
• Tengen Uzui attacked Teiichi through the smoke with Fifth Form: String Performance, and Teiichi gradually improved as they exchanged blows.
• Teiichi interrupted Uzui’s Fifth Form with Third Form: Clean Storm Wind Tree, then continued trading attacks as Uzui realized Teiichi was using the spar to hone his skills.
• Teiichi unleashed Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash against Uzui’s First Form: Roar, sending Uzui flying more than ten meters and ending the fight.
• Uzui admitted he had lost again and praised the flashy fight as Teiichi smiled and offered him a hand.

After sparring with Tengen Uzui, Teiichi proposed ways to strengthen the Demon Slayer Corps through organized training and Hashira sparring. Kagaya Ubuyashiki considered the ideas, while the Corps’ rule against members fighting one another remained unresolved.

• Teiichi and Tengen Uzui ended their sparring match in good spirits, and Kagaya Ubuyashiki confirmed neither was hurt.
• Kyojuro Rengoku and Gyomei Himejima discussed how outmatched Hashira were against Upper Rank demons, prompting the group to consider improving Corps members’ strength.
• Teiichi proposed compiling training methods into a book and holding organized training sessions for ordinary members, led by Hashira or other experienced instructors.
• Kagaya agreed the Corps had neglected ordinary members’ training and noted the same approach could help Hashira learn from one another.
• Teiichi suggested holding Hashira Battles after each six-month Hashira Meeting, but Kagaya considered the Corps’ rule forbidding members from fighting.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki approved three days of Hashira sparring after the Hashira supported Teiichi’s proposal to improve their combat strength. The next day, Teiichi fought Gyomei Himejima, whose defense began to falter under Teiichi’s pressure, and Gyomei countered an attack with his axe.

• Teiichi proposed using wooden training swords for Hashira sparring, and Tengen Uzui and Kanae supported the idea.
• Gyomei Himejima agreed to participate if he could spar with Teiichi, and Kagaya Ubuyashiki scheduled three days of training after each Hashira Meeting.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki allowed Kyojuro Rengoku to join the sparring, and Rengoku eagerly anticipated improving his strength.
• The next day, Teiichi and Gyomei fought in the courtyard as Tengen Uzui, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Giyu Tomioka watched.
• Giyu Tomioka observed that Gyomei was mostly defending and that his blindness hindered him, while Gyomei felt Teiichi’s pressure intensify.
• Teiichi struck Gyomei’s chain and advanced before Gyomei could retrieve it, so Gyomei abandoned the chain and swung his axe to counter.

Teiichi defeated Gyomei in their spar, then explained that years of intensive training had made him strong. The Demon Slayer Corps' first Hashira Battles ended with Teiichi in first place, while the participants looked ahead to future matches.

• Teiichi pinned Gyomei's axe hand and stopped his Nichirin Blade just short of Gyomei's neck, earning Gyomei's concession.
• Teiichi told the Hashira that he had trained intensely since he was nine, and the group joked about their own training and Tengen's three wives.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki noted that the courtyard had been damaged and asked who would spar next.
• The Hashira Battles concluded the following day, with Teiichi ranked first, Gyomei second, Tengen third, Giyu fourth, and Kyojuro fifth.

Teiichi and Kanae said goodbye at the foot of the mountain, and Kanae invited him to celebrate New Year’s at the Butterfly Mansion if he had no mission. They discussed Shinobu’s future in the Corps before Teiichi left for the nearest city with a train station.

• Kanae invited Teiichi to spend New Year’s at the Butterfly Mansion, and he agreed if he had no mission.
• Teiichi reassured Kanae that she and Shinobu both wanted to protect each other, though they expressed that love differently.
• Teiichi told Kanae that Shinobu’s exceptional speed and fighting style could give her a better chance against an Upper Rank than more balanced talents could.
• Teiichi asked Kanae to pass his greeting to Kanon when she returned from her mission, then said goodbye.
• Teiichi watched Kanae leave and headed toward the nearest city with a train station.

Teiichi returned to Kumamoto City after traveling by train from Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters and stopped at the market to buy food before heading home. After overhearing Uncle Sekiya and his wife plan to introduce him to their daughter Keiko, Teiichi left quickly and decided he might need to shop at a different market.

• Teiichi traveled by train to Kumamoto City and arrived the following day.
• Teiichi ate lunch near the station and went to the market to buy ingredients for home.
• Teiichi bought meat from Uncle Sekiya, who asked about his travels and urged him to marry.
• Uncle Sekiya's wife interrupted him, and Teiichi left for a vegetable stall as the couple argued.
• Teiichi overheard Uncle Sekiya and his wife discussing introducing him to Keiko and hurried out of the market.

After two months of training, Teiichi received a new mission to investigate disappearances on Shoura Island that the Corps suspected were caused by a demon. White Feather explained that dozens of people had vanished there over five years, with disappearances increasing recently.

• Teiichi returned to his residence, found training weights blocking the gate, and put them back on his body.
• Teiichi spent two months training daily, including a thousand swings with a specially made 400-jin training sword.
• White Feather arrived with news of a mission, interrupting Teiichi's anticipation of Kanae's weekly letter.
• White Feather told Teiichi that merchants and others had been disappearing while traveling to Shoura Island.
• Teiichi learned that the Corps' investigation found twenty or thirty people had vanished over five years, and he agreed a demon might be responsible.

Teiichi learned that a series of disappearances on Shoura Island might have been caused by a demon or a human, and he set out to investigate after reading Kanae’s letter. On his way to the island, he met Matsumoto Kenichi, who offered him a place to stay.

• White Feather told Teiichi to investigate the disappearances and kill the culprit if it was a demon, or turn the culprit over to the police if it was human.
• Teiichi read Kanae’s letter and asked White Feather to deliver his reply after his mission was over.
• The following evening, Teiichi walked across the bridge from Nagashima toward Shoura Island.
• Matsumoto Kenichi approached Teiichi, offered him a room for 100 sen, and explained why Shoura Island had no inn.

Teiichi learned about Shoura Island’s sparse population, infrequent market days, and fishing-based village before arranging to stay with the Matsumotos until the next market day. He ended the chapter in his room at their house, eight days before the market.

• Matsumoto told Teiichi that Shoura Island had about a hundred households, no shops, and a market every half month, with the next one eight days away.
• Matsumoto mistook Teiichi’s questions for market research and tried to persuade him to open a shop on the island.
• Matsumoto led Teiichi to the northern village and warned him that the village chief’s son often bullied visiting merchants.
• Matsumoto introduced Teiichi to his wife, Keiko, and offered him a room for a hundred sen a day.
• Teiichi paid for eight days and went into his room, planning to stay until market day.