Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training (
Synopsis[]
Tanjiro's wounds have healed, so he first visits the former Hashira, Uzui, to join the Hashira training. Tanjiro's joy for the reunion with Uzui is short-lived, however, as he will now undergo basic training to boost his physical stamina.[1]
Plot[]
Tengen assessing the fitness and stamina of trainees.
In the mountains, as trainees traverse a long trail, Tengen demands they move faster and push themselves as the sun is setting; he confronts a trainee by pinning him with his shinai and demanding he move his arms and legs more before letting him go. The next day, watching as they perform numerous sit-ups, Tengen reminds them they cannot proceed to the next stage of Hashira Training without improving their fitness and stamina.
He makes an example out of a trainee by jabbing him with his bamboo blade as he lays in exhaustion, claiming they will not survive Sanemi's and Mitsuri's training stages in their current state. Throughout the entirety of their exercises, the trainees all remark that despite the great difficulty they are enduring, they will only encounter more hellish training next.
Tanjiro reunites with Tengen.
Tengen then hears Tanjiro calling to him; the Demon Slayer bows to the former Hashira as he claims that he looks well, though Tengen flicks the diamond in his eyepatch to demonstrate otherwise. He remarks that with his body intact, he must now start training. To this, Tanjiro thanks him, claiming he is the reason that he is alive, before promising to do his best. Throughout the day, he repeatedly bests his fellow Demon Slayers in all exercises: running faster, lifting more, and having greater endurance out of everyone, leaving them dumbfounded at his physical abilities.
Tanjiro greets Suma, Hinatsuru, and Makio.
During a break, he reunites with Tengen's wives. As Suma, Hinatsuru, and Makio greet him, Tanjiro thanks them for their help in Yoshiwara, but they claim they are the ones to be grateful. They hear as Tengen demands the trainees eat more, threatening to make the next exercise harder should they leave any food. Makio gives Tanjiro a bowl as Hinatsuru tells him to eat much. Later, as the three tell the trainees to finish their food, repeating Tengen's threat of more training, one trainee asks another if he is on patrol for the night, asking to switch with him. He shoots down his idea since night patrols allow him to skip morning training; able to hear them, Tengen mutters in disappointment at their attitude towards training.
On patrol that night, the Demon Slayer of earlier and his partner notice the lessened demon activity, though the latter notes that the nights remain uneasy. The first believes that the demons are hunting for Nezuko, though the other notes that it is only speculative since no one asks demons. As he remarks that he wishes the demons could disappear, his partner responds that demons have been active for a thousand years. Suddenly, having had his back turned, the Demon Slayer realizes his partner has vanished, leaving him alone in the dark. He begins to panic as he worriedly looks around him, growing more nervous with each passing second.
A demonic eyeball stalks the two Demon Slayers.
His partner suddenly jumps out from behind a corner, causing him to fall over as he demonstrates that demons may attack unexpectedly. Angered and scared, he demands that he does not joke around again; his partner apologizes as he extends a hand and lifts him up. They then hear a rustling sound behind them that appears to be coming from a dark alley. The first Demon Slayer tells him to not repeat his prank and continue with the patrol, which he agrees to. Unbeknownst to them, the sound is an eyeball marked "Four", and it begins to follow them from behind, crawling on its tendrils.
In the next exercise, trainees are paired up and must carry each other while running; Tanjiro, despite being partnered with someone much larger than himself, is nonetheless able to run the fastest, leaving them all stunned; Tengen demands they give their all as they struggle to run. Later, watching as Tanjiro continues to exercise despite the rest of them being exhausted, one trainee wonders if his stamina is what it takes to fight the Upper Ranks. They ask him about what it was like to fight Upper Rank demons, and Tanjiro remarks that they are indeed strong. When asked how much so, he replies that before he could realize it, he was downed and yet was immediately attacked upon getting back up, unsettling them.
Makio explains Tengen's true, gentler demeanour to his trainees.
Before he could tell them about when his brain didn't get any oxygen, the trainees asked him to stop his retelling before remarking that there are worlds that ordinary people like themselves cannot imagine. For the last exercise of the day, Tengen points to a distant mountain and demands they run to it and return. The trainees groan in disbelief but he wastes no time ordering them to move or they will not get dinner. As Tanjiro is stretching for the exercise, Tengen's wives approach him; Hinatsuru and Suma remark that despite his outward harsh exterior, Tengen is actually gentle on the inside, with Makio mentioning that he did not eat until the last trainee returned, even going so far as to search the mountain to find them.
Having heard them talking about him, Tengen states that he would never crush the Demon Slayers entrusted to him by Kagaya. Tanjiro then makes his run and Tengen tells him to do it quickly. As he does so, he remarks that the Hashira are actually kind-hearted deep down, recalling his eating contest with Giyu.
Tanjiro asking for another serving of soba.
Despite having eaten eight trays of soba, Tanjiro asks the chef for another, determined to win the contest and fulfil his promise to Kagaya to make Giyu cooperate. The Hashira then asks for another, much to Tanjiro's shock as he is already at his limit. Giyu notes his remark about having to participate in training should he lose, reasoning that he does not need to if he wins, causing Tanjiro to grow nervous at his own proposition. As the chef gives their new servings, Giyu asks him to give one more to Tanjiro, noting that his new portion will be his last. If Tanjiro can finish his last two portions, he will agree to join Hashira Training. Tanjiro acknowledges his wager and begins to eat his soba, though not without difficulty.
Sanemi and Obanai discuss their encounter in the castle.
Sitting alone, Sanemi waits until the arrival of Obanai; he apologizes for his lateness, but Sanemi notes that he had only just arrived before asking about the state of his training. Obanai claims the trainees will not be useful in battle against the Upper Ranks and Sanemi agrees, though despite their woes, they know it is Kagaya's will. Obanai then asks why he had called him at this time; to this, the Wind Hashira states he had been thinking of something, which the Serpent Hashira surmises is the matter regarding the castle they saw: to believe they had the demons cornered until they suddenly vanished.
He remarks that he too had been wondering about what lies beyond what they saw, if it was an unknown demons' hideout, though Sanemi mentions he had investigated the castle several times to no avail. Obanai adds that at the same time, demon activity in the surrounding city has diminished, which Sanemi reasons is proof they are targeting Nezuko. Obanai believes that something big will be upon them and that the lessened activity is an omen of misfortune for the Corps, though Sanemi disregards his unease by claiming he will be the one to end it all.
The Wind Hashira challenges the Serpent Hashira.
Obanai remarks that training the Corps members has been keeping his mind distracted, yet when he reads into the situation, he cannot help but think that the calm they face now will only be followed by a major storm. Sanemi dismisses his premonition, believing it is futile to be certain of the future. When Obanai then claims he has a suggestion for him, Sanemi interjects, saying he will state his suggestion first; he challenges the Serpent Hashira to fight him, to which Obanai remarks that he had coincidentally been thinking the same.
After helping Tengen's wives with chores in the kitchen, Tanjiro is thanked with a cup of Gyokuro tea. Hinatsuru takes the chance to thank him for saving them in Yoshiwara, though Tanjiro denies doing it with his strength alone. She recalls that it was due to him, Nezuko, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Tengen that they all survived, and it wouldn't have happened with one less person. She begins to cry as she remarks that Tengen still wants to fight; Suma adds that he calls out in his sleep; and Makio notes that he blames himself for relinquishing his position in the Corps. Hinatsuru wishes for Tanjiro to defeat Muzan, and he promises to do so.
Tengen plays the role of a demon in a combat exercise.
As the sun sets, Tengen informs the trainees of a change in plans; instead of the long-distance run to the mountain, they will face a special exercise based on real combat before excitedly ordering them to enter the mountain. In the dark of the night, the trainees, all armed with bokutōs, must survive against Tengen as he plays the role of a demon hunting them; for Tanjiro, his role in the exercise as the strongest fighter is to defeat the former Hashira.
In a clearing within the forest, despite them all facing outwards in an attempt to find him, the trainees are downed and knocked unconscious one at a time by Tengen, who is too fast to be seen by them. Tanjiro, despite knowing not to expect any less from him, struggles to sense Tengen by scent, though he eventually catches sight of him in motion. Tengen continues to take down the trainees until the moonlight reveals his position. When one trainee flatly declares it is impossible for them to face him, Tengen responds by suddenly appearing behind him, asking if he would say the same to a demon attempting to kill him before knocking him out.
Tanjiro and Tengen clash in an intense spar.
Tanjiro warns the remaining trainees that Tengen will see through any half-hearted attack, telling them to group towards him and leave no openings. As the trainees run to him, Tengen attempts to attack again but has his swing blocked by Tanjiro. The force of their clash blows away the trainees, but Tanjiro stands his ground. As Tengen commends him for his intuition, he in turn marvels at his immense strength with just one hand. He orders Tanjiro to attack him, leading to an intense skirmish between the former teammates, with both combatants seemingly neck and neck.
The trainees are stunned by his ability to clash with Tengen, who himself is impressed by how much stronger Tanjiro has gotten. As the two continue to trade blows, Tengen faces the trainees again as they attempt to help Tanjiro; though their attacks fall short, they succeed in surrounding him, much to Tanjiro's appreciation. Impressed by their efforts to get to him, Tengen flamboyantly spins his bamboo blade as he remarks that the battle has gotten interesting, watching as the trainees all converge on him to attack.
The trainees vow to get stronger, inspired by Tanjiro and Tengen.
After the exercise, Tengen chastises the trainees for being defeated by someone who has retired, further abashing them when they do not respond to defend themselves. One trainee speaks up, exclaiming that battling a former Hashira was too much. Tengen responds that he is not training them to scare them, but before he can continue, the young man claims he now has hope that the Hashiras and Tanjiro can defeat Muzan. More trainees agree with his sentiment out loud, with one stating that they will strive to do their best to support them. Inspired by Tanjiro and Tengen, the trainees vow to work harder and become stronger, leaving Tengen speechless but satisfied.
The next day, watching the trainees exercise with renewed vigor, Tengen believes they will strengthen in their own way. Seeing as Tanjiro has nothing more to learn, he allows him to depart. Tengen also remarks that though they have defeated Upper Ranks, the battle will not end until Muzan is defeated; he leaves the job to Tanjiro, who vows to defeat him. As he prepares to leave, given his pack by Suma, he hopes to see the trainees in the next stage. They all commend him and place their trust in him, hoping to catch up soon. He thanks Tengen and his wives before departing, who all farewell their friend.
Muichiro criticizes a trainee for being unable to fight back.
Led by his Kasugai crow, Tanjiro makes his way to the next training site; entering the building, he sees Muichiro face a trainee, who is pleading that he has endured enough. Muichiro coldly tells him he will be eaten if he does not fight back, before easily disarming and knocking him down. The Mist Hashira points his wooden blade at him and claims he would have died three times had the battle been real.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Tengen Uzui
- Tanjiro Kamado
- Suma
- Hinatsuru
- Makio
- Upper Four (Glimpse)
- Giyu Tomioka (Flashback)
- Sanemi Shinazugawa
- Obanai Iguro
- Muichiro Tokito
Anime Notes[]
- The episode heavily extends Tanjiro taking Tengen's stamina training, which in the manga was heavily skimmed over, only consisting of four panels of Tanjiro meeting up with Tengen, and then leaving. As such, the majority of the episode is anime-original content.
- There is an additional scene where two unnamed Demon Slayers go on night patrol, where one pranks the other by pretending to disappear. The scene ends with the two getting unnerved by a scurrying sound which turns out to be a demonic eyeball. The eyeball has the number four engraved on it, revealing that Hantengu's position has been replaced.
- The scene where Sanemi and Obanai discuss what they saw in the abandoned castle, and what implications it entails, which later ends with them deciding to have a sparring match, is not present in the manga. In addition, the phrase "calm before the storm" is uttered for the first time in the anime by Obanai.
References[]
- ↑ Episode 58 on the Official Website