Chapter 189

Reassuring Comrades (い) is the one hundred eighty ninth andchapter of Koyoharu Gotōge's Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Summary
Nezuko Kamado continues to run towards the location of the battle as a group of Kakushi attempt to keep the site of the battle clear of civilians and redirect all approaching people to evacuate, telling them that they are a rescue team sent by the local policemen. Another group of Kakushi examine the rubble of the buildings destroyed as a result of Muzan Kibutsuji's attack and find that no one had been harmed due to the damage except for a cat trapped in the rubble. They free it and find that it has a bag strapped to it, as it is none other than Tamayo's cat and it immediately runs off to the battle scene with it's cargo in tow.

Over at the fight, Obanai Iguro and Sanemi Shinazugawa battle Muzan at close quarters and Obanai chops off one of Muzan's arms, cleverly kicking it away as he severed it to prevent the demon from regenerating immediately. Muzan notes this strategy as well but is unconcerned, saying that the extra time the demon slayer has bought is but a blink. Muzan attacks Obanai with his tube and the Pillar rues all the energy he is having to waste just to avoid the mouths on the tubes. He assuredly thinks that he will only allow himself to faint one second after dawn as every second is precious and had been bought for them with the very lives of all the members of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Giyu Tomioka begins to weaken as a result of the venom he has received from all of Muzan's attacks and his sword is whipped away from him by a tube. Both Obanai and Gyomei Himejima intervene and slice it, with Sanemi grabbing his sword and throwing it near the Water Pillar and yells at him to focus and or else he will kill him. Giyu gratefully grabs the sword and performs a Water Breathing: Third Form - Flowing Dance resolving not to back down and to keep fighting till the very end.

Muzan admits that they are more resilient than he had expected but is unconcerned as it is only a matter of time before his venom kills them all, long before dawn. The Pillars continue to struggle against Muzan as the poison continues to weaken them until suddenly Tamayo's cat jumps into the scene and ejects it's cargo: vials of antidotes to Muzan's poison. It manages to fire all the vials at the pillars and they immediately begin to inject the antidote into them as Muzan slices the cat into pieces.

Sanemi smiles as he notices his tumors vanish and Gyomei also notices his own frenzied pulse and constant pain vanish and the Pillars are able to fight with more ease again which Sanemi is thankful for. Gyomei notes that it is possibly just a temporary cure for the symptoms but that they are fortunate for such an event to occur. Muzan quickly deduces what had happened and realises it was Tamayo's doing, cursing her for being a thorn in his side even in death. With immense fury, he launches a frenzied attack that creates multiple craters in the landscape ahead of him.

The Pillars all barely manage to dodge the attacks as Obanai wistfully thinks to himself how his contribution has been the lowest, wishing he could land more crucial blows. Thinking that when one's life is in danger one is able to exert explosive strength, he reflects back on how before he had never lifted anything heavier than a pair of chopsticks and his biggest task was escaping a prison cell. He could not believe it himself when he had successfully done so and thinks to what Muichiro Tokito did in his final battle against Kokushibo by changing the color of his sword and that according to the crows all he would have been able to do was grip his sword tightly. Saying he had been shocked when he heard about it and at first believed it had changed color due to a rise in temperature. However, now herealised that to obtain a red blade he would have to grip his sword with all his might and Obanai smiles as he puts all his strength into gripping his sword and it begins to turn red.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Goto
 * Chachamaru
 * Obanai Iguro
 * Muzan Kibutsuji
 * Giyu Tomioka
 * Sanemi Shinazugawa
 * Gyomei Himejima
 * Muichiro Tokito (image)

Events

 * Gyomei, Sanemi, Obanai and Giyu continue their battle against Muzan.
 * Tamayo's cat injects the Pillars with the antidote to Muzan's poison, buying them more time but is killed after doing so.
 * Obanai begins to manifest a red blade.