Episode 7

Muzan Kibutsuji (鬼舞辻 無惨) is the 7th episode of the Kimetsu no Yaiba TV anime series.

Synopsis
Now split into three, the demons have driven Tanjiro into a corner. It is then that Nezuko attacks. Now that she’s become a demon herself, she’s no longer the fragile sister, who needs protection...

His mind made up, Tanjiro follows one of the demons into the swamp that spreads before him. Waiting for him there is...

Plot
After nearly being overwhelmed by the Swamp Demon’s clones, Tanjiro is rescued by the intervention of Nezuko. Hypnotized into thinking all humans are to be protected from demons, she prepares to fight the clones along with her brother.

She attempts to kick the three-horned clone but it retreats before she can make contact. Before she can chase after it, Tanjiro calls Nezuko over to stop and regroup with him. While running to him, Nezuko is nearly grabbed by the two-horned clone; Tanjiro initially worries for her safety but she skilfully dodges the attack and reaches him. Remembering that as a demon, Nezuko isn’t weak enough to need protection from him, Tanjiro believes she can protect Kazumi and the girl while he goes after the demons. Before he can tell her, the two-horned clone emerges again and engages her in battle. With one clone distracted, Tanjiro decides to jump into the swampy portal to battle the other two.

Telling Nezuko to protect the two bystanders, Tanjiro is answered by her sister with a nod, to his thankfulness. He jumps into the portal and finds himself in a dark, murky swamp, littered with the clothes of past victims. Enraged at the sheer number of innocent lives lost, he calls their crimes unforgivable but is spotted by the two clones. The one-horned clone taunts him for entering their domain and being disadvantaged, as they swim towards him. Tanjiro mutters not to estimate him as the thin air of Mount Sagiri has helped him fight with little oxygen. As they converge, he raises his sword to attack; seeing this, the clones retreat temporarily, swimming in physically impossible directions.

Despite seeing their skill at maneuvering in their lair, Tanjiro deems this irrelevant as all he needs to do is to attack them when they get close. Opting to use an attack that can utilize unsteady footwork and able to use a vortex in the water, he waits for the clones to come to him. As they close in ready to kill him, Tanjiro uses Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool and slices the two clones simultaneously. After killing them, he quickly grabs something floating in the water but begins to feel the strain of holding his breath for so long and swims up to reach Nezuko.

As the last clone battles Nezuko, it tries to hit her but she evades his blow and punches him hard in the chest, causing him to vomit blood. Noting how powerful she is, the clone believes she must have gotten much blood from Muzan. As he tries to form a portal to retreat into, she chases him and forces him away from his escape. As they continue to fight, the clone begins to get used to her simple attacks and manages to hit Nezuko, cutting her forehead with his claws. Dazed by the attack, Nezuko stands still to soak the pain, allowing the clone to charge in. But before he can kill her, Tanjiro emerges from the swamp portal and cuts off both of the clone’s arms.

Held at sword point, the clone realizes that Tanjiro has already killed his other two selves. Tanjiro rebukes the Swamp Demon and angrily asks how many lives has he taken. The demon only responds that girls who get old begins to taste bad and claims they killed them for their own good. Enraged, Tanjiro slashes its tongue before it can keep talking. Trapped between the wall and the Demon Slayer, the demon is asked by Tanjiro for everything he knows about Muzan Kibutsuji. Upon hearing the name, the demon suddenly grows terrified. Though Tanjiro is shocked, he threatens the demon further and prods him for information.

The Swamp Demon responds he can’t tell him anything, and remembers when he was severely threatened by Muzan and told not to tell anyone anything about him, since Muzan is always watching him. He begins to repeat that he can’t say anything and becomes more erratic, as Tanjiro senses the fear in him. The clone grows him arms back and attempts to kill him, but the Demon Slayer decapitates him, killing the Swamp Demon for good.

Annoyed that he still has not gotten his information, Tanjiro runs to see Nezuko and finds her already asleep to heal. He apologizes for getting her injured and reiterates his promise to turn her back into a human. After putting Nezuko back in her box, Tanjiro walks to Kazumi and asks if he is alright. Kazumi retorts that he can’t be, with the knowledge that his fiancée is dead. He tells him to keep on living no matter how many people he has lost. Angered, Kazumi grabs his shirt and asks what someone his age could possible know about losing someone. Tanjiro gently holds his hand to release his grip and offers Satoko’s hairpin in the hopes of finding something in her, before departing.

As Kazumi tears up seeing what remains of his beloved Satoko, he looks to see Tanjiro walking away and realizes that he too had endured something similar. Kazumi apologizes to the Demon Slayer for his harsh words and is waved goodbye in response; looking at his hand, he is shocked to see it so rough looking and realizes it was because of relentless training. Tanjiro entrusts the safety of the girl to Kazumi and leaves them as dawn breaks.

As he walks through the town, he is hit with the reality that there are more like him that have suffered at the hands of demons, deeming Muzan Kibutsuji the cause and declaring that he will never be forgiven as he lives. Tanjiro is suddenly met by his Kasugai Crow and given details of his next mission in the district of Asakusa in Tokyo; he is shocked to learn that he must already travel again just after finishing his first mission.

Upon reaching Asakusa, Tanjiro stares in awe at the bright lights enveloping the area at night, wondering how advanced cities have already become. Staring at the tall buildings and seeing a tram for the first time, he begins to feel dizzy. They enter an alleyway but promptly leave when they see a kissing couple; they run through the city but Tanjiro becomes overwhelmed by everything he sees. Eventually, the siblings reach the outskirts of Asakusa and stop at an udon shop; an exhausted Tanjiro then orders a bowl from the shopkeeper.

After receiving his bowl, he prepares to partake in his meal but suddenly detects a scent. In shock, he gets up and drops his meal. Tanjiro begins to breathe heavily and looks at the city, taking his sword with him. As he runs to the source, he wonders why it has appeared so suddenly in the city. He reaches a busy street with heavy foot traffic but is able to run to the source. As he believes it might be Muzan Kibutsuji, he sees a man just in front is the one giving off the scent. Tanjiro grabs his shoulder and the man turns around, revealing his red, cat-like eyes. Realizing it is Muzan himself, Tanjiro prepares to draw his blade but hears the voice of a little girl and sees a child in Muzan’s arms.

Startled to see him pretending to live as human, Tanjiro freezes in horror. Muzan calmly asks the boy if he can help him and is met by his wife, who asks what is the commotion about. Tanjiro becomes sickened by the woman and child’s inability to sense that Muzan is actually a demon. His wife asks if he has met Tanjiro before, but Muzan denies it, saying he had probably mistaken him for someone else. Muzan silently unsheathes his claws and slices a passerby in the neck so quickly, no one notices apart from Tanjiro.

The man feels the pain from the cuts but suddenly begins to change, worrying his wife. His teeth become fangs and his eyes become dark red, scaring her. Tanjiro attempts to rush in and stop him but the newly transformed demon bites into his wife's shoulder, terrifying the surrounding crowd as Muzan silently watches.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Nezuko Kamado
 * Swamp Demon
 * Tanjiro Kamado
 * Kazumi
 * Tokie
 * Toyo
 * Muzan Kibutsuji

Anime Notes

 * In the anime, upon sensing Muzan's scent in the city, Tanjiro drops his bowl of udon to chase after him. The manga shows him drinking from a cup before dropping it.

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