Chapter 203

​Voices of Encouragement​ (のび) is the two hundred and third chapter of Koyoharu Gotōge's Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Summary
Nezuko Kamado tearfully calls out to her brother Tanjiro Kamado to return so that they may go home. Tanjiro stirs in his subconscious and responds that he is very tired and wishes to return home as well.

Tanjiro prays to return home, saying he only wants to go home with his little sister, as he raises his arm to reach forward, eyes grow on the flesh growths that cover his body and begin to speak. The voice of Muzan Kibutsuji attempts to dissuade Tanjiro from returning to his loved ones, asking what would happen after he returned to them.

Muzan tells him that his entire family was dead and there was no point in him returning home but Tanjiro responds that he still had memories of happy days there. Telling the Demon Lord that as long as he and Nezuko were alive those memories would never disappear and that was why he had to go back, Tanjiro continues to slowly reach forward.

As Muzan tries harder to dissuade Tanjiro, he lies to him and says that the boy has killed Nezuko. Unfooled, Tanjiro calls Muzan's bluff and says that Nezuko is alive and receives aid from his deceased friends who all give him a push to the back to raise him up. Muzan tells them not to interfere and continues to try and mislead Tanjiro. Saying that they all now hate him and don't want him to return for what he has done after becoming a Demon, Muzan tries to discourage the young Demon Slayer.

Tanjiro responds that he wants to apologise to everyone for hurting them and Muzan retorts that they would not forgive him. Telling the Demon that it was not for him to decide, Tanjiro perseveres and continues to move forward, saying that he could smell all of his friends being concerned for him.

Growing more frustrated, Muzan tells Tanjiro to he silent and says that he is the inheritor of his will so he should not look forward or try to find hope but instead should embrace life as a Demon. Telling the boy that he would die in a few short years as he had manifested the Demon Slayer Mark, Muzan urges him to think only of himself and live forever. However, the boy refuses and says that he does not want to live forever and that he only wanted to return to his friends.

Adamantly refusing to give up on trying to mislead Tanjiro, Muzan tries to manipulate him further and asks if the boy really wishes to return to life after everyone else had died. Grabbing his head in his hands, he asks Tanjiro if he wants to live on without losing anything. More hands push Tanjiro forward and he smells the scent of wisteria flowers, at first believing it is Shinobu Kocho and he tears up as he sees Nezuko's arms reaching out for him, reaching forward himself to meet her.

Tanjiro grasps Nezuko's hand and she attempts to pull him forward but Muzan grabs his arm and tries to force him away, saying that they had finally conquered the sun and that Tanjiro would go with him. Saying that he was a rare being, Muzan tells him to hear the cries of the dead and that they all resented him for being the only one who could move on and keep his life. Rebuffing this, Tanjiro says that they were not such people and that instead they had been willing to sacrifice their lives for others, saying that while they were sad and suffered, they did not wish that for others.

As Tanjiro begins to be taken away Muzan grabs at his torso and tries to pull him back but in vain as the hands of Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira join Nezuko's to pull him up. As even more hands reach out to pull Tanjiro up, Muzan finally loses his grip and Tanjiro regains consciousness to find Nezuko looking down on him with tears in her eyes with his friends and the Kakushi surrounding him.

Nezuko calls out Tanjiro's name and he apologises to her for having brought her harm. Everyone begins to cheer upon hearing his voice and Inosuke tells Tanjiro that he hadn't been able to cause him significant harm at all. Zenitsu begins sobbing and says that he would make Tanjiro pay for his entire life for what he had done to him and calls Nezuko his wife, much to her shock and consternation. Giyu Tomioka heaves a sigh of relief and a Kakushi holds him to keep him stable.

As Nezuko hugs her brother they both smile through their tears and a Kakushi wakes Kanao Tsuyuri up to tell her the good news. Kanao regains consciousness and smiles as she looks on at Tanjiro, with Tanjiro thinking to himself that he was glad she was still alive. Inosuke grabs Tanjiro's head and begins to sob as Yushiro pulls out Tamayo's hairpin and begins to weep, saying that it was finally over.

Events

 * Tanjiro regains his humanity and Muzan is vanquished once and for all.

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