Akaza (
Synopsis[]
After finally severing Enmu’s neck, Tanjiro and Inosuke get thrown off of the Mugen Train when it derails. Sustaining injuries all over his body, Tanjiro is relieved to hear from Rengoku that all the passengers are safe. At that very moment, another demon appears before them...[1]
Plot[]
The train derailed from Enmu's shock.
After Tanjiro successfully beheads Enmu, the demon's flesh falls off the cars, but the Lower Rank's screams cause the Mugen train to derail at high speed. A sudden impact causes Tanjiro, Inosuke, and the unconscious Train Engineer to be flung into the air, with Tanjiro desperately attempting to save him.
The train flies off the tracks and skids down to the ground as Tanjiro himself rolls helplessly through the dirt. Inosuke safely lands on Enmu's soft flesh and runs to his comrade, asking for his wellbeing. Though he answers back, Tanjiro realises the wound in his stomach and that rolling across the ground will stop him from moving.
Tanjiro asks if the train engineer and passengers are safe, to which Inosuke responds that the engineer is pinned by his legs under the cars. He refuses to help, still angered at him for stabbing Tanjiro, and adds that he will likely never walk again. Tanjiro begs him, telling his friend the man has already atoned for his sin, to which Inosuke eventually relents and goes to help him be free. As he lies down to rest, believing Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Kyojuro are safe, a small piece of Enmu's flesh crawls out of the wreckage.
Slowly disintegrating, he curses himself for being unable to eat even one of the 200 passengers, then pins the blame on the Flame Hashira, having thwarted his plan to devour them while fused with the train. He curses Zenitsu, who fought him while still asleep and becomes bewildered at a demon like Nezuko stopping him as well. He crawls towards the Demon Slayer, who defeated him while muttering that it was Tanjiro in the first place who ruined his plan, as well as Inosuke and his excellent intuition.
Lower Rank One falls.
As his flesh begins to fade, he laments that only the Lower Ranks get killed while the Upper Ranks stay alive for centuries. He thinks of a robed demon donning a sword, a demon with a bizzare djinn-like body emerging from a pot, a demon with a hat and closed fan, a horned demon with a grotesque bump on his head, a female demon with ribbon-like hair, and a demon with striped tattoos. In his final moments, Enmu begs for another chance while being terrified at the nightmare that is his death as Lower One finally falls.
Tanjiro is suddenly met by Kyojuro, who commends him for mastering Total Concentration, Constant. He tells him Constant is the first of many steps to being a Hashira and advises him to increase his control and breathing precision. Kyojuro tells him a blood vessel in his abdomen is torn, assisting him in internally stopping the blood. The Hashira tells him he will be stronger than he was yesterday, then adds that none of the passengers are injured, to Tanjiro's relief.
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Upper Rank Three appears.
Out of nowhere, a blast erupts from behind them. As Kyojuro and Tanjiro look behind them, they watch as a figure emerges from the dust cloud. Tanjiro reads the kanji in the figure's eyes and becomes horrified; he is staring at Upper Rank Three. The demon looks at Tanjiro and suddenly disappears, rushing forward to kill him. Kyojuro reads the attack and slashes the demon's arm with Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun.
The demon flips back and heals the wound in moments while complimenting his blade. Kyojuro asks why the demon would attack the injured first, to which he responds that he was worried Tanjiro would get in the middle of their chat. Kyojuro retaliates by stating that he already dislikes him despite having just met him. Upper Three states he is disgusted by the weak, then proposes that he transform into a demon, too, to which Kyojuro refuses. He asks for Kyojuro's name and then introduces himself as Akaza.
Akaza uses Destructive Death: Compass Needle.
He tries to goad him again, telling him that, as a demon, he could train and become stronger for centuries to come. Tanjiro notices that the scent he emits is by far the strongest of Muzan he's faced thus far. Kyojuro tells Akaza that growing old and dying is part of being human, telling him that strength is not just about the body. He retorts that Tanjiro isn't weak and refuses to become a demon again. Angered at his refusal, Akaza activates his Blood Demon Art, a glowing aura called Technique Development, Destructive Death: Compass Needle. As he prepares to fight, Akaza tells Kyojuro that his refusal will only lead to his demise.
Akaza and Kyojuro trade blows.
He rushes forward and strikes while Kyojuro parries his numerous blows and returns the attacks. The clash can't be followed by Tanjiro, who is too slow to see the battle. Akaza taunts him by mentioning that none of the Hashiras he faced were Flame Hashiras and that everyone he's killed refused his offer, confused as to why. Kyojuro manages to slice his forearm off, but Akaza heals the wound instantly.
Akaza leaps into the air and uses Destructive Death: Air Type, sending numerous shockwaves at the Hashira. Kyojuro blocks the incoming assault with Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation. Realizing a battle at range will prove tricky, Kyojuro rushes towards Akaza to close the gap and narrowly catches his neck. Akaza, unfazed, continues his numerous blows while taunting Kyojuro that his skills will be wasted if he dies, while the Hashira continues to deny his threats. Inosuke watches the confrontation while Tanjiro attempts to stand, but Kyojuro orders them not to interfere.
Kyojuro attacks with Third Form: Blazing Universe.
Kyojuro knocks Akaza into a nearby forest and manages to slash his arm again, leading Akaza to violently kick him back in response and sending the Hashira hurtling hard into the dirt. He tries again to goad Kyojuro to transform, healing his sliced arm instantly. Kyojuro again refuses and leaps into the air, using Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe, to slash Akaza's chest. The demon instantly heals the wound and commends him for his spirit, launching another Destructive Death: Air Type shockwave and narrowly missing him. Watching the battle in awe, Inosuke comments that the two are on a different dimension and that joining the clash himself will only result in his death.
Akaza angered at Kyojuro's refusal.
Akaza continues to try to get to Kyojuro by speaking of his fight's futility, but he refuses once again. The Upper Rank starts to make contact, first cutting Kyojuro's forehead with the side of his fist. Kyojuro speeds forward and twists his body into a Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire. The attack slices both of Akaza's arms, but he regenerates instantly and continues his assault.
He suddenly strikes the Hashira with a punch directly to the side, breaking his ribs. Kyojuro staggers back in pain but continues to fight back, using Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun slashes to catch his arms again. Akaza dodges the slice and punches directly at Kyojuro's face. Though his sword blocks his fist, Akaza pushes ahead, and his hand slips off, hitting Kyojuro's left eye and rupturing it.
Akaza dispels Kyojuro's Flame Tiger with Destructive Death: Disorder.
Kyojuro presses on and uses Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe, and Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation in succession in the hopes he hits Akaza. The demon leaps back to safety and takes another stance. Kyojuro then uses Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger, releasing the fiery wave at the Upper Rank. Akaza responds with Destructive Death: Disorder, dissipating the infernal attack and rushing Kyojuro with another punch. Kyojuro enters the clash and slashes his arm. Once the fire dissipates, Inosuke asks Kyojuro aloud if Kyojuro has succeeded.
Bleeding from his wounds, the Hashira stands and breathes heavily, whereas Akaza instantly heals his sliced arm and rises up to face him. Tanjiro refuses to believe he is seeing the Flame Hashira, now heavily injured and brought low by an immensely strong new threat. Akaza confronts his opponent and tells him not to die while they fight as Tanjiro and Inosuke helplessly look on.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Tanjiro Kamado
- Inosuke Hashibira
- Enmu
- Train Engineer
- Kyojuro Rengoku
- Zenitsu Agatsuma
- Nezuko Kamado
- Swordsman Upper Rank (Silhouette)
- Djinn Upper Rank (Silhouette)
- Fan Upper Rank (Silhouette)
- Horned Upper Rank (Silhouette)
- Female Upper Rank (Silhouette)
- Muzan Kibutsuji (Memory)
- Akaza
Anime Notes[]
- When Enmu speaks about the Upper Ranks while lamenting their superiority, he envisions all six members as dark silhouettes. In the manga, only the silhouettes of Akaza and the female demon were present, with the former being drawn with a large grin.
- In the manga, when Akaza lands down after using Air Type mid-air, Kyojuro rushes at him in an attempt to slice his neck, catching him off-guard. In the anime, Akaza lands down and waits for Kyojuro's next move.
- Kyojuro's third form, Blazing Universe, does not appear in the manga.
- Before unleashing Disorder to fend off Kyojuro's Flame Tiger, Akaza manages to land significant wounds on the Hashira; cutting the side of his head, punching him in the side to break his ribs, and rupturing his left eyeball. This does not appear in the manga.
- Inosuke's statement regarding his inability to help Kyojuro due to being unable to even see them fight happens after witnessing him getting injured in the manga. The anime depicts the scene in the middle of the fight.
References[]
- ↑ Episode 32 on the Official Website