Successors (
Summary[]
As Tanjiro and Giyu run through the Infinity Castle, the former nearly falls through an opened floor, only barely managing to grab the ledge and save himself. As Giyu warns him to keep aware and alert, Tanjiro remarks it is as if the castle is alive, actively trying to separate him from Giyu. Knowing he must reach Muzan and the rest of the Corps' members, he then realizes Tamayo is running out of time, and yet they don't know where Muzan is.
A Kasugai crow then calls out the announcement that Shinobu is now dead, killed in a battle against Upper Rank Two. Upon hearing it, Tanjiro wells up with tears thinking about Kanao and the girls of the Butterfly Mansion. At the same time, Giyu notices the crow has a piece of paper attached to its neck, remarking that messages are being sent rather quickly.
Kiriya Ubuyashiki, the new Oyakata of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Similar pieces of paper, talismans of Yushiro's Blood Demon Art, appears on the head of Kiriya Ubuyashiki and his sister Kanata and Kuina. Kuina confirms Shinobu's death to Kiriya and notes the remaining Hashira are alive. He asks if she is the only one to have faced an Upper Rank and Kuina answers she is not; he then asks Kanata if all the crows sent with Yushiro's vision talismans have reached half of the Demon Slayers, to which she answers they have not.
Being the eldest son, Kiriya has now taken the mantle of Oyakata at the age of eight. Despite the deaths of his parents and sister, Kiriya does not mourn them and instead focuses on the mission, having no time to shed tears. Kuina and Kanata have also pushed their grief aside to help him. His deceased elder sisters were Nichika and Hinaki, who never left their parents' side.
As a father, Kagaya was strict in rearing his children due to his short life, quickly raising them into adulthood; Amane was similarly firm as well. With his death, Kiriya is now the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. Due to their lacking information, Kiriya orders the crows to spread as many talismans as possible. Kuina confirms Muzan's location has not change and the Hashira are spread thin; he orders them to head north. Kuina adds that the two Demon Slayers currently facing Upper Ranks are Kanao and Zenitsu, who is facing Upper Rank Six.
Kaigaku remarks that Zenitsu has not change and believes he remains weak. He rhetorically asks if he is now a Hashira and if he still uses only the first form. Zenitsu merely questions if he is excited to fill the bottom place of the Upper Ranks, a statement that surprises the demon to see Zenitsu talk back. He asks for why he, a Thunder Breathing user, had become a demon before angrily telling him that their trainer Jigoro Kuwijima has killed himself and was alone. In committing seppuku, an additional person must finish off the sentenced to prevent a drawn out death, yet Jigoro died in agony to atone by not slitting his throat to end it quickly, all because a Thunder Breathing user has become a demon.
Zenitsu evades Kaigaku's attack.
The demon disregards Zenitsu's statement and mockingly asks if he should feel remorseful. He claims he does not care about those who don't value him and only serves those who see his worth. He mentions he did everything to please Jigoro in training, yet in the end, the "senile" former Hashira decided to make him and Zenitsu co-successor to his mantle. Zenitsu laughs and retorts that Jigoro wasn't senile; if he himself was a terrible successor for only knowing the first form, then so was Kaigaku for only knowing the other five, pitying Jigoro for having lousy students to succeed him.
Kaigaku becomes enraged by Zenitsu's taunts and uses Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder. He lunges at the Demon Slayer and swing his katana, only for Zenitsu to appear behind him and remark he is too slow. To the Upper Rank's shock, Zenitsu has already slit his neck, with Kaigaku noting that he now moves like a completely different person.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Kiriya Ubuyashiki
- Kuina Ubuyashiki
- Kanata Ubuyashiki
- Tanjiro Kamado
- Giyu Tomioka
- Shinobu Kocho (Flashback)
- Kanao Tsuyuri (Flashback)
- Aoi Kanzaki (Flashback)
- Sumi Nakahara (Flashback)
- Kiyo Terauchi (Flashback)
- Naho Takada (Flashback)
- Hinaki Ubuyashiki (Flashback)
- Nichika Ubuyashiki (Flashback)
- Kagaya Ubuyashiki (Flashback)
- Amane Ubuyashiki (Flashback)
- Zenitsu Agatsuma
- Kaigaku
- Jigoro Kuwajima (Flashback)
Events[]
- Kiriya Ubuyashiki becomes the new Oyakata, assisted by his sisters Kuina and Kanata.
- The Ubuyashikis use Yushiro's Blood Demon Art to map the Infinity Castle and coordinate the mission.
- Zenitsu reveals Jigoro killed himself to atone for Kaigaku's transformation.
- Zenitsu Agatsuma vs Kaigaku.