Chapter 26

Barehanded Fight is the twenty-sixth chapter of Koyoharu Gotoge's Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Summary
Zenitsu lies unconscious on the ground as he remarks about his sharp sense of hearing: he is even capable of hearing the conversations of other people while asleep, causing people to consider him creepy. He notes that Kyogai's sound has disappeared, meaning he had been defeated by Tanjiro and that the latter was making his way back outside. Shoichi appears above Zenitsu and with tears in his eyes, explains how they made it out of the house through falling out of a window, thanking him for making sure he remained unharmed. Zenitsu discovers blood on the back of his head and panics, but is interrupted by the boar headed swordsman smashing his way out of the house.

Zenitsu remembers and reveals the swordsman as the fifth Final Selection survivor, the fastest individual to make it up and down Mount Fujikasane before the other survivors. The swordsman sees Nezuko's box and senses a demon, running to attack it only to be cut off by Zenitsu, who defends the item that Tanjiro stated was more important than his own life. When the stranger informs him of what is inside, he admits that he knew there was a demon inside ever since he met Tanjiro, but didn't question it as Tanjiro had such a pure sound coming from him that made Zenitsu deem him trustworthy. All his life, his hearing has enabled him to detect the sounds of a living thing and in turn, helped him determine their character. Being lied to and deceived all his life, he has determined that Tanjior has a good reason for keeping a demon as a Demon Slayer.

He refuses to let the assailant harm the box without first figuring out what its contents were from Tanjiro himself. The boar-masked Demon Slayer acknowledges Zenitsu's courage and begins to beat him up, just as Tanjiro arrives with Kiyoshi and Teruko. The former expresses great shock at the sight, as the way Zenitsu defended the box reminded him of how Nezuko tried to protect Rokuta during their family's massacre. Before the assailant can harm him and Nezuko even further, Tanjiro lunges at him and lands a hard punch on his ribs, breaking them. He lectures the assailant on how Zenitsu wouldn't reciprocate his attacks as it was against the code of conduct for Demon Slayers to attack each other.

The assailant decides to instead duel with his bare hands rather than with his blades, while Tanjiro desperately tries to talk it out. He notices how the assailant's attacks are very close to the ground, similar to fighting a beast. He also tries to attack lower, but the assailant dodges and hits him using his extreme flexibility, laughing and showing off his flexibility by bending backwards and putting his face between his legs. Tanjiro tries to advise him not to do so since his bones were broken, but the assailant ignores him. Angered the stranger is never acknowledge future consequences, Tanjiro headbutt his attacker to calm him down. The assailant staggers backwards and his mask falls off, revealing a rather feminine face. The stranger asks if they take issue with his appearance.

Events

 * The unknown Demon Slayer is revealed to be the fifth and fastest finisher of Final Selection.
 * Zenitsu reveals he had always known Tanjiro carried a demon.
 * Tanjiro Kamado vs the unknown Demon Slayer.

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