Life Shining Across the Years (
Chapters[]
- 197. Tenacity (
執 念 Shūnen?) - 198. The Next Thing We Knew... (
氣 付 けば Kizukeba?) - 199. Millenial Dawn (
千 年 の夜 明 け Sennen no Yoake?) - 200. The Price of Victory (
勝 利 の代 償 Shōri no Daishō?) - 201. The King of Demons (
鬼 の王 Oni no Ō?) - 202. Let's Go Home (
帰 ろう Kaerō?) - 203. Voices of Encouragement (
数 多 の呼 び水 Amata no Yobimizu?) - 204. A World Without Demons (
鬼 のいない世 界 Oni no inai Sekai?) - 205. Life Shining Across the Years (
幾 星 霜 を煌 めく命 Ikuseisō o Kirameku Inochi?)
Synopsis[]
In Taisho-era Japan, kindhearted Tanjiro Kamado makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.
In an epic confrontation, Tanjiro and his fellow Demon Slayers have fought on through the night, suffering terrible losses against the King of Demons, Muzan Kibutsuji. Dawn is breaking soon, and if they can keep Muzan at bay just a little longer, it will be the end of the centuries-long struggle. But Muzan, who will stop at nothing to destroy the Demon Slayers, unleashes his most terrible powers. If he can’t defeat the Demon Slayers, he may be able to cause them to destroy themselves from within. All fates and destinies will be decided as the sun begins to rise…
Author's Comment[]
| “ | Hi, I'm Gotoge! It makes me sad to say it, but this is the final volume of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Thank you to everyone who has cheered me on and was involved with the series. All the encouragement and support I received 'from people who read my work meant so much to me, so no amount of thanks I can offer would ever be enough. Your kindness cheered me on the whole time and from all sides. Thank you so much for reading this manga. I worked hard on it, so I'm really happy. Truly, I'm blessed to have been able to present Demon Slayer to the world. I look forward to the day when we can all meet again!
Tales from hundreds of years ago exist in the present, and after the passage of decades and centuries the events of today will become stories of the past. Grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers—everyone experiences a time of childhood, a time that leads to the present. You yourself are part of that great flow, and as you overcome times of hardship, the years pass by. The very moment that you think all is lost is the moment when you must stand firm and not stray from the path. I hope you will be strong in difficult situations and harsh circumstances. But it's also not good to push yourself too hard, so take things at a reasonable pace. Keep your eyes fixed forward and find your own bliss. |
” |
—Koyoharu Gotoge, Volume 23 | ||
Extra Pages[]
Context in the Images[]
Battle Strategy[]
A strategy until dawn to defeat Muzan, who has the strongest body and can only be killed by the sun.[]
Kagaya Ubuyashiki shakes him up and launches a preemptive attack. He creates an opening to use Tamayo's medicine.
↓
Weakened by Tamayo's medicine.
↓
Muzan uses his power to analyze and break down the four types of medicine. His movements are slowed by the effects of the medicine. The corps' attacks become effective.
↓
The corps members are held back in a place where the sunlight hits them, and their fierce attacks prevent them from concentrating on breaking down the medicine.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki also analyzes Nakime's existence and abilities based on the information he has obtained so far (the unnatural way demons appear), and has also determined that Yushiro is the most suitable opponent.
Sketches[]
- Nezuko runs as she turns back to human and cries.
- Tamayo smiled as she dissolves away.
- Yushiro runs as he's surprised by the outcome of the battle.
- Kagaya faced down and cried.
- Three Kakushi are shocked and panicking.
- Kanao shows a butterfly on her finger to Nezuko.
- Tanjiro's hand covering the sun.
- The story of the final battle is also told in the houses with the wisteria crests. Many people prayed all night for the safety and victory of the troops. The exhausted birds are on their way to deliver the news of the victory. Hisa cry happily and an exhausted crow beside her tiredly makes the sound "Huff Wheeze Puff".
- Nezuko teaching Inosuke about graves. Nezuko holding flowers says "There are square graves too, so let's gently place flowers on them." as she handing a flower to Inosuke. Inosuke thoughts says "The first time he seen a shiny square stone. Adorned with writing. Lots of them. Pretty. (*The grave is written with "Namu Ami")" and "The grave Inosuke knows. Stones around piles of dirt.".
- The gentle and kind Tanjiro visits all the graves in three days. Tanjiro says "If I decide to do it, I will do it."
- Zenitsu continued to cry because his leg hurt due to the aftereffects of his injury, but he ignored Inosuke's offer to carry him on his back and instead borrowed Nezuko's shoulder.
- Many of the Demon Slayer Corps members' last wills contained words of wishing happiness for Tanjiro and Nezuko. If there were words for others, Kiriya let them read those. The image show envelopes that has written "Will" on them.
Epilogue Characters[]
Descendants and Reincarnations[]
- Tanjiro and Kanao's descendants:
- Sumihiko. He got scolded by the police and his parents for four hours after he took his dangerous way to school, later crying at the park on his way home. His dream is to work in a zoo, as he likes slow lorises. Sumihiko says "I got scolded so much that I cried.".
- Kanata. He has the nickname "First Love Thief". He regrets not being able to be honest with his grandmother, so he is said to say whatever is in his mind right away. He doesn't have a girlfriend. Kanata says "Of course, you did.".
- Nezuko and Zenitsu's descendants:
- Toko. She knows Yoshiteru can do a good job if he tried, so she hopes he can act maturely. Her dream is to become a prosecutor. Toko helped Yoshiteru with his studies and that's why he was able to get into highschool.
- Yoshiteru. He has gotten hit by a truck while protecting his sister. He managed to get saved without any large scars because of Toko applying first aid. He's a good guy inside, but he tends to be very unfair. He's stuffing a marshmallow into his mouth right now.
- Their two unnamed younger sisters.
- Inosuke and Aoi's great-grandson: Aoba Hashibira (28 years old). He became friends with Sumihiko Kamado after he lost his job and started crying whilst in the same park as him. They played badminton together afterwards. He has one younger brother.
- Three classmates from the same swimming school
- Giyu's descendant: Giichi Tomioka
- Giichi's best friend (Boy): Sabito's reincarnation
- Giichi's best friend (Girl): Makomo's reincarnation
- Senjuro Rengoku's descendant: Tojuro. He's extremely positive and says thanks, even when insulted. He has a very strong heart. Tojuro says "Wa ha ha!". (*It can also count as Kyojuro's reincarnation due to their striking similarities regards to their loud and eccentric personalities.)
- The beautiful sisters of Sekirei Women's Academy. Kanae and Shinobu's reincarnations.
- The partnered police officers. After the two of them caught a knife-wielding man, leaving them covered in wounds, they became as close as brothers.
- Sanemi Shinazugawa's descendant: Sanehiro. Senior police officer.
- Unnamed junior police officer. Genya's reincarnation.
- The shogi grandfather friends. Sakonji's descendant and Jigoro's reincarnation.
- Newborn Twins with haze pattern blankets. Yuichiro and Muichiro's reincarnations.
- Murata's great-grandson: Unnamed school teacher.
- Kotetsu and Kozo's descendants: Unnamed elementary school boys.
- Hotaru's descendant: A mechanic of House Maintenance
- Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho's descendants: Unnamed elementary school girls.
- Goto and Takeuchi's descendants: Highschool male students.
- The kindergarten teacher. Very big. Gyomei's reincarnation.
- A married couple who run a restaurant. Obanai and Mitsuri's reincarnations. They have five kids.
- Tengen Uzui's descendant: Tenma. A gymnast. Has seven siblings.
- A happy family. Yoriichi and Uta's reincarnations. (*They have two kids.)
The people from Taisho Era[]
- These two are friends:
- Kiriya Ubuyashiki. From a boy → Only 3 strands of hair.
- Painter Yushiro (with Chachamaru): It would be bad if people found out that he never ages.
Words of Gratitude[]
Croc (The author) says "Thank you". Along the message to the readers:
| “ | Hi, I'm Gotoge! And here's the final volume! This completes Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Parts of it weren't perfect, but I'm thankful from the bottom of my heart to everyone who stuck with me to the end and to everyone who sent letters. Some people sent warm and encouraging words even when they were having a hard time themselves. That was deeply moving. It made me think that I'd like to become the kind of person who can spread kindness even when I'm having a difficult time. I'm sorry if there was anyone who always looked forward to this series but was unable to see its completion. My dream is that we will meet again sometime and be friends.
This series is a story I made with all of you. It's a story that wouldn't exist if you hadn't read it. Thank you for fighting alongside Tanjiro and the other characters, and thank you for your tears and laughter. A lot of people helped me, and I was able to learn and grow a lot. It was a greater honor than I deserve. Thank you so very much. From the bottom of my heart, I wish for the happiness of everyone who provided encouragement, helped out or was involved with the series in some way. |
” |
Special Edition Bonus[]
The special edition copies of the volume include a set of four QPosket Petit figurines of Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Inosuke Hashibira, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, retailing at 5,200 yen.
Trivia[]
- Volume 23 had an initial run of 3.95 million copies.[6]