The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps (
Synopsis[]
Tanjiro and Zenitsu head to Himejima's training site deep in the mountains and reunite with Inosuke and Murata. Tanjiro first starts the training by being hit by a waterfall, but struggles with the coldness and weight of the water.[1]
Plot[]
Gyomei explains the goal of his training.
At Gyomei's training grounds, Zenitsu and Tanjiro listen as he emphasizes the importance of their core: their lower body. He explains that by establishing a firm foundation, their attack accuracy and defense will increase. Training begins by immersing themselves in the waterfall, watching as two trainees struggle to stay upright. Afterwards, they must lift a set of three large logs tied together, and to complete training, they must push a boulder for one chō. Gyomei believes that his stage is simple, having only three tasks, and he has decided not to include setting fire beneath them, deeming it too dangerous.
Tanjiro interrupts to inform Gyomei that Zenitsu has fainted, to which he is instructed to throw him in the river. Upon being placed in the water, Zenitsu abruptly awakens from the cold, feebly attempting to reach dry land as he bemoans having to be in a river during winter. As Tanjiro calls to him, he yells out that his internal organs are in agony, as if crying out in fear of death. Even out of the river, Zenitsu continues to shiver uncontrollably and believes he will freeze to death. He then senses something behind him and sees Murata, who tells him to cling to the boulders for warmth.
Zenitsu's momentary relief from a warm boulder.
Zenitsu instantly lunges towards one and is greeted by its heat; he remarks that he had never imagined they could be so warm, claiming it feels like being in his mother's arms and calling out for her. Concurrently, Tanjiro struggles to reach the waterfall to begin training. He notices Inosuke beneath the waterfall, continually chanting "Comin' through" as he endures the torrent. A nearby trainee soon abandons his attempt and walks out of the falls, and Tanjiro commends his friend for giving his all, believing he should too. Soon, he notices Inosuke is not speaking anymore, realizing something is wrong as he pulls him onto dry land to remove his mask and perform CPR. When Inosuke eventually wakes up, Tanjiro tears up in relief.
Tanjiro struggles to begin his training.
As he makes his first attempt, he strains to keep his body steady as the torrent pushes down on him. Murata instructs Tanjiro to chant the Nenbutsu, both to concentrate and to signal that he is conscious, before chanting the Nianfo himself. Tanjiro puts his hands together and begins to chant "Nenbutsu" as he endures the waterfall. His effort soon runs out as he reaches his tolerance for the cold. At the boulders, he tells Murata that despite the straightforward task, it proved harsh, claiming that if he had relaxed his body, his neck might break from the weight of the water. Murata commends Tanjiro and Inosuke, as it took him the entirety of his first day to get used to the water. Now able to stand beneath for two hours, he can begin log training. Impressed, Tanjiro gives his encouragement, though Murata mentions he had been training for ten days.
Inosuke has a reminder of Gyomei's power.
During a break, Tanjiro grills fish for the trainees; Inosuke gobbles his food as he remarks of his amazement at the "Old Guy with the Rattlin' Beads." As Tanjiro chides him for the nickname he has given Gyomei, Inosuke claims he felt chills upon first meeting him. To everyone's shock, they notice he is eating the bones of his fish as well, to which he claims it is because they taste good as he takes his tenth fish. Inosuke believes without any doubt that Gyomei is the strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps, and Tanjiro adds that his scent is different from the other Hashira as well. When he wonders if he has already gained his mark, Inosuke remarks that he would not be surprised if he has, remembering when Gyomei pounded him into the ground.
Gyomei pushes a giant boulder with ease.
The other trainees mutter that they cannot keep up with the conversation of those who ranked up quickly, claiming they are on a different level; additionally, they are pleased by Tanjiro's cooking. Zenitsu angrily chimes in that Gyomei cannot possibly move a boulder one chō and that he simply enjoys tormenting them; when Tanjiro mentions hearing that the Stone Hashira could move even bigger boulders, Zenitsu mocks him for believing everything he hears. To this end, Tanjiro notes that, given his excellent hearing, he can tell if he is lying. Gyomei himself then appears behind the group at that moment, pushing an immense boulder while chanting the Nianfo, leaving Zenitsu and the trainees speechless in awe and disbelief.
When Tanjiro asks if he could be like Gyomei, Zenitsu repeatedly punches him for his optimism amidst the hellish training, claiming there is a gap between "giants and little people." Inosuke puts on his mask and confidently claims he will lift the logs and push the boulder, annoying Zenitsu even more. During waterfall training, Tanjiro and Zenitsu work hard chanting the Nenbutsu and Nianfo to maintain their stance, though Zenitsu loses his footing and is pulled downstream, needing to be saved by Tanjiro. After the completion of the first task is signalled by his Kasugai crow, Tanjiro moves onto the logs. Despite the struggle to lift them over him, he is able to successfully press the set above his head, leaving him with the final task left.
Muzan believes he will soon find Nezuko and Kagaya.
Within the nearby town, the Biwa Demon's eyes continue to stalk the townsfolk into the night until she spots a Demon Slayer; she informs Muzan that she has located sixty percent of the Demon Slayers but is yet to locate the sunlight-immune demon. Muzan addresses the demon by her name, Nakime, and remarks of his delight to see her grow beyond what he had imagined. Nakime expresses gratitude for his words before he instructs her to look in a new location. Strumming her biwa, Nakime accesses the view from the detached eye in the area as she follows two more Demon Slayers. Muzan believes it is only a matter of time until he has Nezuko and Kagaya.
Tanjiro struggles to move the boulder.
In Tanjiro's first attempt at pushing the boulder, despite using all his might, it does not move, and his efforts only result in his sandal breaking. While walking back to fix it, he comes across several trainees preparing to leave the mountain. They inform him that their early departure is because they cannot keep up with the training, leaving Tanjiro dismayed. They themselves feel guilty for bailing on training, but to make up for it, they will be delegated to a support role for the stronger fighters like him. The three tell Tanjiro they are counting on his efforts, and the Demon Slayer bows in acknowledgement, remarking that he is counting on them as well.
Initially confused to hear his assurance, they hear as Tanjiro explains that if they can support the strong fighters, they can fight the demons without distractions, and with everyone's effort, they can sever the head of Muzan. This encourages them, and they depart with pride, telling Tanjiro to leave the supporting roles to them. After fixing his sandal, Tanjiro makes another futile attempt at pushing the boulder.
Tanjiro serves salted onigiri to the trainees.
During an afternoon break, trainees are impressed by Tanjiro's skill at making onigiri; additionally, with the effort they have made in training, he has included extra salt. He presents the onigiris to his peers, and they delight in his cooking. While eating, Murata states he realizes why the Hashira do not have many Tsugukos; the trainees all agree it is either because training is too harsh and everyone is frightened, or in Zenitsu's case, they grow dejected at the gap between them and the Hashira. While they marvel at the Hashira's strength, they also commend Tanjiro for his cooking skills; he claims it is because he is the son of a charcoal burner and he knows that cooking is about the right heat.
As an extra treat, he prepares miso-flavored onigiri for the trainees, causing them to happily recall memories of their own mother's cooking. Tanjiro himself smiles at seeing their joy, reminded of times he had cooked for his family. Now on his sixth day of training, Tanjiro once again exhausts himself without nudging the boulder. Knowing the demons' inactivity will not last, he struggles to understand what he is not doing, wondering if he is lacking muscular strength or if he does not know another breathing technique. Adding to his troubles, all his training has not amounted to his mark being maintained.
Genya apologizes for getting Tanjiro involved with Sanemi.
Genya then appears and asks if his mark is darker, leaving Tanjiro surprised as he could not contact him after the incident. He mentions being under house arrest as punishment and that Gyomei scolded him as well; even when he was barred from seeing Sanemi, he ignored it, and the situation ended with Tanjiro being involved. He apologizes for the fight and thanks Tanjiro for defending him, though he does not mind. Regarding his mark, Genya tells him it has gotten darker, which Tanjiro was unaware of since the trainees are always seeing him, and he is delighted to know his training is paying off. Seeing he is training with the boulder, Genya mentions he is at the same stage as well, and Tanjiro is surprised to learn he was able to move it.
He asks if he is using Repetitive Action, but Tanjiro's confused expression demonstrates he is not, which Genya blames on Gyomei's poor teaching. He reveals he had learned the technique through watching Gyomei and explains that Repetitive Action involves heightening concentration with a predetermined action; in his case, he recites the Nenbutsu. Tanjiro realizes Gyomei does the same, and Genya jokingly mimics his habit of saying "Namu, Namu," unaware that Gyomei is watching them from behind a tree in the distance. As Genya departs after giving his advice, Tanjiro tells him he will attempt to use Repetitive Action; Genya tells him not to push himself too much, though he mutters under his breath that Tanjiro is not one to listen.
Tanjiro attempts to push the boulder with Genya's advice.
Placing his hands on the boulder and taking his stance, Tanjiro takes several deep breaths as he remembers Genya's statement: Repetitive Action will allow him to open all five of his senses, and even though Genya is unable to use a breathing technique, Gyomei assured him of being able to move the boulder, though he is far from completing the task. As he begins to push on the boulder, Tanjiro recalls that Gyomei and Genya harken back to memories of pain and anger, thereby increasing their heart rate and body temperature. This time, the boulder is able to nudge slightly, though Tanjiro remains unable to push it before he is interrupted by Shimamoto and Noguchi asking him to make dinner, to which he agrees.
That evening, Genya joins the trainees and helps Tanjiro with cooking dinner. While preparing vegetables, he asks about his attempt at Repetitive Action. Tanjiro claims it feels different from Total Concentration, which Genya explains is due to the technique stirring his emotions. He wonders if his mark only appears when he is in a similar state, though Tanjiro disagrees given that both he and Gyomei have not manifested theirs. They are stumped at what he could be missing to use it until Genya asks Tanjiro about when he feels his emotions most strongly. This causes him to pause for a moment, and Genya apologizes, believing he had upset him, though Tanjiro is not offended. Genya nonetheless reassures him of his ability to use Repetitive Action.
Tanjiro uses Repetitive Action for the first time.
In the early morning hours the next day, Tanjiro makes his latest attempt at using Repetitive Action. He first thinks about the faces of his loved ones, his family, before he then recalls Kyojuro's words to encourage him: "Set your heart ablaze." A inner fire suddenly awakens inside him, and his mark manifests; he pushes hard against the boulder, and his increased strength causes it to inch forward, marking the first time he has used the technique successfully. However, he quickly grows tired and loses concentration, causing his mark to disappear as a result. Inosuke and Zenitsu soon appear; Zenitsu remarks that he will not last the day after starting his training early, and Inosuke claims he will not lose to him.
Tanjiro successfully pushes the boulder.
Tanjiro takes a deep breath and begins to push again; only this time, the boulder does not move. Despite this, he does not give up and realizes he was in fact able to exert his full strength with Repetitive Action. As he pushes once more, continually recalling his memories to concentrate and exerting himself to give all of his strength, Tanjiro is able to sustain the mark and begins to push the boulder forward, shocking his friends. Zenitsu yells out in amazement at his accomplishment as Inosuke curses him for pushing it before he could.
With the mark strengthening him, Tanjiro continues to push the boulder without slowing down. Elsewhere in the Infinity Castle, Muzan ponders what Kagaya's plan may entail, as well as what the current Corps leader's appearance now looks like.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Tanjiro Kamado
- Zenitsu Agatsuma
- Gyomei Himejima
- Murata
- Inosuke Hashibira
- Nagakura
- Shimamoto
- Yoshioka
- Noguchi
- Takeuchi
- Nakime
- Muzan Kibutsuji
- Takeo Kamado (Flashback)
- Shigeru Kamado (Flashback)
- Hanako Kamado (Flashback)
- Nezuko Kamado (Flashback)
- Kie Kamado (Flashback)
- Rokuta Kamado (Flashback)
- Genya Shinazugawa
- Sanemi Shinazugawa (Flashback)
- Tanjuro Kamado (Flashback)
- Kyojuro Rengoku (Flashback)
Anime Notes[]
- When Inosuke answers Tanjiro's question by stating Gyomei has likely manifested his mark, he recalls when the Stone Hashira had pounded him head-first into the ground. This scene adapts a Volume Extra explaining that Inosuke's beating was the result of attempting to challenge Gyomei to a fight.
- Unlike the manga, the anime does not reintroduce Murata nor does it reveal the names of his friends: Nagakura, Shimamoto, Yoshioka, and Noguchi.
- When Tanjiro first undergoes his training under the waterfall, the anime adapts and extends narration explaining the purpose of chanting the Nenbutsu by having Murata give the exposition.
- In the anime, there is an extended scene during waterfall training where Zenitsu almost drowns after being pulled downstream. Tanjiro swims after Zenitsu to save him before they complete their training.
- The anime extends a scene from the manga of three Demon Slayers choosing to quit Gyomei's training by elaborating that they are instead taking up support roles, with Tanjiro's encouragement. In addition, their appearance is also altered.
- In the anime, Tanjiro has a memory of his family having dinner together as he is serving the trainees onigiri, which is not shown in the manga.
- In the anime, the scene where Muzan watches Nakime stalking the Demon Slayers' locations is extended. In addition, it further showcases how Nakime's detached eyeballs work; as they crawl along the ground to spy on something, Nakime is able to shift her vision from between the eyes, gaining information from different perspectives however she pleases with a strum of her biwa.
- After Tanjiro cooks for the trainees, they affectionately refer to him as their mom, referencing a Volume Extra where it is revealed that Tanjiro was nicknamed "Mom" in reference to his kindness and cooking skills.
- There are short scenes of Tanjiro's crow, Matsuemon, arguing with Genya's crow, Hashibami, referencing their apparent rivalry revealed in the second databook.
- There is an anime-original scene of Muzan pondering what Kagaya's plan could be and what his current appearance might be.
References[]
- ↑ Episode 61 on the Official Website