Chapter 204

A World Without Demons (のいない)​ is the two hundred and fourth and penultimate chapter of Koyoharu Gotōge's Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Summary
Three months after the battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, the world is now free of evil Demons and the survivors of the battle resolve to continue living despite all they lost. Tanjiro Kamado recovers at the Butterfly Mansion and sees the cherry blossoms in bloom alongside Nezuko Kamado. Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma sleep peacefully at the other end of Tanjiro's bed as Nezuko says the flowers look very pretty.

Examining Tanjiro's left hand, now horribly shrivelled up, Nezuko asks her brother how it feels and he responds that he cannot feel anything of his left arm beneath the elbow so he cannot use the hand anymore. Then he points to his right eye and says that while it looks okay he cannot see anything out of it. Tanjiro asks Nezuko how she is doing and she responds with a beaming smile that she feels perfectly fine. Still feeling guilty over having attacked her when he was a Demon, Tanjiro apologizes to Nezuko for attacking her.

Nezuko pouts and says no one cares if he turned into a Demon and attacked everyone, saying that she was just glad he was human again she tells him that if he apologizes for it again she would flick his forehead. He tells her that Giyu Tomioka told him he feared all was lost when Tanjiro had bit Nezuko and she laughs, saying she had felt the same. Then he tells her that Yushiro had told him it was quite lucky because they had Shinobu Kocho's medicine with them and because Nezuko had already been a Demon before so she had developed an immunity to Muzan's cells. These words fly over Nezuko's head as Tanjiro what Yushiro had told him. The Demon had told Tanjiro that had they not had Shinobu's medicine or had Nezuko not been the one he had bitten then he may have never become a human again. Yushiro had been impressed that Tanjiro hadn't completely lost himself since he had been a more powerful Demon than either Muzan or Nezuko, even conquering the sun in an instant. He has told Tanjiro that he admired him for having fought valiantly and the boy had stammered over his words at the compliment, modestly saying that he had received a lot of help. Then Yushiro had told him it was a joke and not to take it seriously, before picking up Chachamaru and leaving. Tanjiro had called to him before he left, asking him to stay alive and not to die as he was the only one who could keep Tamayo's memory alive. Tanjiro had not heard from the Demon since then and was getting slightly worried about him. Suddenly remembering Giyu, he asks Nezuko where he is and she responds that he is alright and was with Kiriya Ubuyashiki. Meanwhile, Kiriya began the Final Hashira Meeting, with the two remaining Hashira, Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa both in attendance. Kiriya announces that the Demon Slayer Corps was disbanding from that moment on. The Ubuyashikis express their gratitude to the Hashira and the other Demon Slayers for their centuries of service and bow before them, with both Hashira protesting at this.

Telling the Ubuyashikis that they were the ones who kept the Corps together and that they did not want any thanks, the Hashira express their gratitude to the Ubuyashikis. Giyu tells Kiriya that he was excellent at his job and that his father and ancestors would be proud and the Ubuyashikis tear up at these words, as Kiriya thanks Giyu for his compliment. The two Hashira look to each other and smile, their long journey finally ended. Meanwhile, Tengen Uzui and his wives visit Tanjiro, being glad to meet them again. Suma rushes forward to greet Nezuko and starts loudly doting over the girl, so much so that Makio hits her for being too loud, much to her frustration. She asks Tengen if he saw Makio hit her but he responds that he missed it. Tengen tells Tanjiro to visit them when he got better, giving him their address and Hinatsuru handed him a snack. At that moment, Senjuro Rengoku and Shinjuro Rengoku arrive as well. Tengen beckons to them to come in and begins playing with Senjuro and Nezuko.

Shinjuro speaks with Tanjiro and thanks him for using Kyojuro Rengoku's handguard on his blade during the battle, saying it would have made his son quite happy. Tanjiro humbly replies that his Kyojuro's words had been quite inspiring for him and had helped him throughout his journey. Zenitsu suddenly wakes up and finds that the Swordsmiths are waiting outside of Tanjiro's room, saying they come everyday and creep him out. His shock only grows as a group of Kakushi also arrive and they all enter the room, filling it to the brim. Zenitsu holds on to Tanjiro, scared at this turn of events as Tanjiro smiles at the sight of more his comrades.

Meanwhile, Inosuke sneaks away into the kitchen to grab a snack as Aoi Kanzaki is busy cooking. He swipes some of the food and she catches him, saying he was stealing again and then offering him a plate of prepared food, telling him to stop stealing food. Inosuke is impressed at how quickly she caught him and wonders if she's strong and then smiles serenely as he begins to dig into the food presented to him.

Kanao Tsuyuri stands in the garden, in front of a cherry blossom tree and Tanjiro comes to meet her saying it was a beautiful tree. She tells him that it was called Victory and had been planted by the first user of Flower Breathing and she had come to tell it that they had finally defeated Muzan. Tanjiro asks her how she is doing and she responds that she still has some vision left in her eyes and that her wound was better, saying that Sanemi had even given her Obanai Iguro's pet snake Kaburamaru to take care of, as the serpent slithers out of her collar.

Sanemi meets Nezuko and she greets him, asking him how his injuries were, to which he responds that they are fine. Sanemi apologizes to Nezuko for having passed out after Muzan's defeat, leaving them to deal with Tanjiro on their own but she cheerfully responds that it was no trouble and that she had once passed for two whole years, saying it was nothing compared to that. She then says that she loved sleeping, which makes Sanemi think of Genya Shinazugawa when he was a child and had told Sanemi that he loved sleeping because then he didn't get hungry. Sanemi smiles and pats Nezuko's head, telling her to take care, as Zenitsu jealousy looked on from around the corner of the hallway, enraged at Sanemi's actions.

Tanjiro and Nezuko find Giyu and Sakonji Urokodaki and greet them, glad to be reunited. Later on, they go to pay their respects at the graves of all the fallen before they depart the Butterfly Mansion for the Kamado residence. Zenitsu complains that it will take all day but refuses to let Inosuke do it with his faster method, saying he would not pay the proper respect. Once they were finished and on their way to the Kamado household, Inosuke asks Zenitsu what he was carrying on his back and Zenitsu responds that it was his gramps' remains. Puzzled, Inosuke asks what remains are and if they are edible, to Zenitsu's disgust.

On their way back, they meet Saburo, one of the people who lived near the Kamado family and he greets them tearfully. When they arrive back at the Kamado household, they find that flowers are growing outside the house and pay their respects to the other Kamados by kneeling in front of the flowers and praying. They begin their new life together at the Kamado household and time leaps forward to a large, modern city.

Events

 * The Demon Slayer Corps officially disbands.
 * Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke begin their new life together at the Kamado household.

Trivia

 * On the final few pages of the chapter, Tanjiro is seen able to use the arm that he was originally noted to have lost the use of. This was an art error, and Koyoharu Gotōge later apologized for confusing fans with it.