J wy eee a oo coc aa A | NT AVN ryA tinja thick that removes my Glasses, FLYING OCINAR FORM: MUSCLE CONTRACTION KOYOHARU GOTOUGE Hi, I'm Gotouge. Lately, I've been eating a lot of Chinese onions. What have you been eating? Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the continuous support through letters and gifts. I apologize for not responding to any of them yet. Please waitalittlelonger for my response to each and every one of you, (Tears) I want to say "Baby potter anzun," almond. Keep moving forward, baby potter anzun. I'll work hard?DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOLUME 20 Shonen Jump Edition Story and Art by KOYOHARU GOTOUGE KIMETSU NO YAIBA © 2016 by Koyoharu Gotouge All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 2016 by SHUEISHA Inc., Tokyo. English translation rights arranged by SHUEISHA Inc. TRANSLATION John Werry ENGLISH ADAPTATION Stan! ‘TOUCH-UP ART & LETTERING John Hunt DESIGN Jimmy Presler EDITOR Mike Montesa ‘The stories, characters and incidents mentioned in this publication are entirely fictional. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the copyright holders. Printed in the U.S.A. Published by VIZ Media, LLC P.O. Box 77010 San Francisco, CA 94107 10987654321 First printing, February 2021 RENTAL ADVISORY MON SLAVER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA is rated Tfor Teen and recommended for ages 13 and up. This, volume contains realistic and fantasy vi uizKon SS viz.com,ale Vi OF OPENING A STEADFAST HEART KOYOHARU GOTOUGEKA “A kind boy who saved his sister fi and! now aims tolayenge his family. He can smell the scent VUIIHSVH INI Ae weht trSigh Fal Seldon JR (7 He dso wont thedegh Fil Ne elead A qogdemonsiand attbesame tne 6 Ter Selection of the some fime stl sore tna os Tae 4 njopponent’s His elde? brothels Saptemi, the? JF | _as°Taniiro. He Wears the pelt He's uually cowardly, but’ IN Wind HeshiraHe gins detoni ‘of a wild Boor uridis very MRT when he felis Seance strength by eating demon belligesant= asec true power comes. out. BAMAAYFAYrZA IW2NYS- Tanjiro’s younger sister.\A demon ‘attacked her and\ YACYSD2VNINS \ / > ! \. is isl Hosta inthe Derlon BN Wind Hash in the Detaon -el/ Stont Hoshi inthe Deron 7 Slayet.Corps. The descendant Slayet-Corps. He has o/harsh Slaver Corps, Helis abays of users af Sun Bedath ftitude toward hs younge? wolding’a.cosaty and reciting NetblieSa i itx SA trate cunne ee "Buddhist Braye. fist breathing other Gea eee IN In Taisho-era Japan, young Tanjiro makes a living selling charcoal. One day, demons Kill his family and turn his younger sister Nezuko into a demon. Tanjiro and Nezuko set out to find a way to return Nezuko to human form and defeat Kibutsuji, the demon who killed their family! 2OAIHSDAOM LINYel 424d After joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjiro meets Tamayo and Yushiro—demons < who oppose Kibutsuji—who provide a clue to how Nezuko may be turned back into a human. Nezuko finally manifests the ability to withstand sunlight, so Kibutsuji comes for her Xe ‘ond attacks Ubuyashiki Mansion. The Demon Slayers plunge into Infinity Castle and demon. He is Tanjiro’s|enemy ‘and He catries a katdna and is a démon, Sie defeat the Upper Rank 2 and 3 demons—but not without losses of their own. Then k prea e as re ; costes Bred | Kiides his.nature'ig ordeyfo Ine but Gse¥ the Moon Bred ‘among humah beings Kibutsuji tuted Nezuko into/aCONTENTS D) amen YUE \(a a6 THE IMMOVABLE wD HASHIRA 7 Chapter 171 TRANSFORMATION 27 Chapter 172 A WEAKLING’S POTENTIAL THE PATH oh OF OPENING Chapter 173 ASTEADFAST THE PATH OF OPENING A STEADFAST HEART NAAN 67 Chapter 174 NIGHTMARE ON THE NIGHT OF A RED MOON 87 Chapter 175 RESPECT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS 107 Chapter 176 SAMURAI 131 Chapter 177 YOUNGER BROTHER 151 Chapter 178 EVEN IF YOU REACH OUT YOUR HAND 171CHAPTER 170: THE IMMOVABLE HASHIRA “(we cor __ \, sepanated FROM OuR ComnaDes THREE SECONDS BEFORE A MIRACULOUS JOINING F GROUPS... wantVM Nor BLESSED WITH A PHYSIQUE LIKE UZUS, SO LL DIE OF BLOOD LOSS INA FEW TO DIE, SHOULD DO SOMETHING USEFUL LESSEN THE BURDEN ON THOSE STILL ALIVE AND ABLE TO FIGHT.COULD YOU PUSH MY BODY BACK TOGETHERP UM... THAT CHUNK YOU... OF HAIR ae BRING IT FROM THE itor eRe OND UPPER-RANK pen DEMON OVER | WANT TO FIGHT...TO LET'S FIGHT TOGETHERFROM WHAT IVE SEEN... V0 SAY YOUR AGE...WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE MARKED +.DIE BEFORE THEY REACH THE AGE OF 2s.+ AND ARE ABLE TO IMPROVE THEIR POWER... +. IT MERELY REDUCES THEIR LIFE SPAN. +.SO YOU WILL PROBABLY DIE TONIGHT. DISAPPEAR YOUR BODY FROM THIS WORLD. DO TECHNIQUES YOU NOT YOU HAVE THINK THAT 'S DEVELOPED LAMENTABLEF TO THEIR UTMOST ABILITY...THE MARKED ONES ALREADY UNDERSTAND EVEN IF THE MARK HAD NOT APPEARED, AS LONG AS YOU ARE IN THE DEMON SLAYER THERE IS NO GUARANTEE | YOU WILL LIVE TO TOMOR- ROW. NO ONE BECOMES A HASHIRA WITH SUCH HALF= HEARTED DETERMINATIONWE SHOULD NOT BE TALKING ABOUT TRIVIAL THINGS LIKE LIFE AND WHATNOT. YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THATP HOW FOOLISH... WE ARE PROUD TO LIVE AND DIE AS HUMAN BEINGS. IF YOU BECOME A DEMON, YOU CAN PRESERVE YOUR BODY AND MAINTAIN YOUR TECHNIQUES. | DON'T NEED jf TO UNDER- STAND IT.YOU STATED ONE FALSE- HOOD. DON’T ACT LIKE YOUR WORTHLESS IDEAS ARE SUPERIOR AND FORCE THEM ON OTHERS. | NOTICED SOMETHING WHILE WE WERE TALKING.THERE WAS ONE WHO HAD THE MARK, LIVED PAST 25 AND IS STILL ALIVE. IT APPEARS MY GUESS WAS CORRECT... | SUSPECT ERE WAS AN EXCEPTION.THEY ARE USERS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BREATHING «AND IN A TECHNIQUES... BATTLE OF THIS SPEED... GOOD THING WE TRAINED TOGETHER AS HASHIRA, HIMEJIMA!The miraculous moment when groups Se reunitedUAB TRANSFORMATIONTHERE’S ONE MORE THING— THE TIP OF THAT DEMON’S BROKEN KATANA. THE SPEED OF My CIRCULATION is » | INCREASING.DON’T LET THEM COME HERE YET. 1S THAT... MUZAN> MUZAN’S VOICEP Ale A/a HAPPEN TO. My BoDY?STANDING PHYSIQUE.EXTREMELY ACCURATE GRASP OF SPACE AND MOVEMENT AROUND HIM. OF THE SWINGING CHAIN... /T’S HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT IT 1S AN INDOISPUTABLE FACTSgt _ax y ISIREFLEXES QE ,TURNED| THEI’. / ARE \GETTING My 3/40E ON EDGE uaa Re ciekeLty WIS, z 2 a Z ee aSUFFERING A FATAL WOUND THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TAKEN HIM OUT OF THE FIGHT... BECOMING FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE!NOT EVEN fm ENOUGH TO KILL AN /NFAN: ONCE | DISPATCH YOU TWO... THE REST WILL PROCEED EASILY. YOU MERELY SHREDDED MY KIMONO...[said [was sorry, 60 forgive mel! Tanjiro would forgive me! But he probably wouldnt fet me kick him!! Ga ha ha! Kanao making(CHABTERYI72:} PA\WEAKUING:S|POTENTIALABLE TO E RESPONDSJF HIMESIMA HAON’T USED HIS CHAIN TO ALTER THE ANGLE OF THE ATTACK... My accu THE MORE THE MORE 1S BARELY 1 HOLD DAMAGE | WORKING HIMEJIMA TAKE, THE AT ALL. BACK. SLOWER / GET... EVEN THOUGH IT’S SUPPOSED TO WORK PRECISELY ON STRONGER DEMONS! BASTARD! AND THAT MONSTER /S SWINGING THAT RIDICULOUSLY LONG SWORD AT INCREDIBLE SPEED! CAN / DODGE NEXT TIMEP! CAN / CUT HIM!a _ a hhWTAND THIS SPEED... THIS IS WHAT REACH! HIS ATTACK RANGE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED!SS \ Zaz » ue = Det | " aS - ELD F Y ni = a > BREATHING. ON) N Z , ZN: YOU CAN Ol stiLL swine = S270 A SWORD "ME IN HALF TO FINISH ME OFFP 1 CANT LETJF ONLY / WERE STRON- GERI IF 1 WERE A HASHIRALL THE MORE 1 WANT TO b HELP, THE E , MORE MY ws THAT I’M BODY STIFF- OF NO USE ENS UP... | AND cAN’T PROTECT MY | | COMRADES. 7 TRATING TOTHE OPPONENT CAN ONLY FOCUS ON A CERTAIN NUMBER OF US AT ONE TIME. PRECISELY BECAUSE / WAS WEAK; 1 WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE S/TUATION. if / £4 WHEN / FOUGHT THAT UPPER RANK 6G, /T WAS LIKE THAT.THE ENEMY IS WARIER OF THE REST STRONG DEPENDS PEOPLE, SO ON... THE WALL OF THEIR HOW THE CAUTION 1S ENEMY THICK. DIVIDES THEIR ATTENTION. 1 TO TTT TT TTI oo 1] MTT TTT erry MM | = SoA pol IE THEY THINK $< so ‘OF WEAK PERSON |: : by 9S WEA, TAKES AN THAT WALL IS UNEXPECTED | _ THINNER. ACTION AND = BREAKS THROUGH | —_ aD cay — THe WALL... ) w+ THEN ALL AT ONCE THE +-AND DIRECTION A PATH TO OF THE WIND VICTORY CHANGES...THINK ONLY ABOUT WINNING.Aoi’s recommended disciplinary method: epanking =) (Don't hold back when you do if! Murata ie vormally quiet, 60 Inosuke was caught off guard.STEADFAST/ HEART;BREE . ~\)\ SOXTEENTH, ( aa FORM:HE ISN'T RUNNING ouror |S TECHNIQUES. PREDICTS MY EVERY IE | MESS UP, HE SHUTS ME K DOWN BEFORE 7 CAN EVEN/ MUST Focus My SENSES. DETERMINE THE TRUTH OF WHAT FEELS WRONG. BREATHING TECHNIQUES DEMONICALLY STRONG.! Qo HEsE Eves NOT : 4 THAT CAN- : NOT SEE ARE Hew. ‘\)) wee SEE THROUGH TRUE NATURE. | HAVE TO OBSERVE My LIMITS!LuM SURE OF ITIIVE LOST AN ARM AND /“M SO / DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT. LOSING BLOOD, LT WHILE | CAN | STILL MOVE... WHILE | CAN USEFUL... HURRY!! " , KNAND MOVED ACCORDINGLY.HOWEVER, THIS way! \ CAN FINISH ALL THREEF i a . \/ USUE THE ROSARY STRUCK ME, fi en THAT | DOP ' 4 TOO. HE €] SENSES IT. | |STG zr BLOOD CIRCULATION AND OISTURBED MY ATTACK. hd lA A A J UNEXPECTED THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. ARE POINTLESS ONCE / UNDERSTAND THEM.Z, ee ( ye ZE- ee - ELE yyWITH HIM! ONCE IVE STOPPED THIS UPPER RANK 7 FROM MOVING... HESITATE!From Weekly Shonen Jump, combined issue No. 45, 2019 From Weekly Shonen Jump, combined issue No. 22-23, 2019 From Weekly Shonen Jump, combined issue No. 6-7, 2019CHAPTER 174: OSS NIGHTMARE ON THE NIGHT OF A RED. MOON.DESPITE BEING | DEFLECTED BY MY si = LIKE LIVING THINGS, THEY/ KNEW IT! A BLOOD DEMON ARTI A TREEP! IT PUT DOWN ROOTS—/ CANT MOVES!BI THREATENED \ =| AS THE CORE SS FREEZES UP THIS DIS- TURBING FEELING RUNNING FROM THE CENTER OF My BobY TO THE TOP OF MY HEAD. THIS SENSATION OF My COMPOSURE | CRUMBLING UP FROM+ WIT- NESSED SOME- THING / COULD NOT BELIEVE.SESS oe nT THE AGED AND DECREPIT FORM OF MY LITTLE BROTHER... YORIICHI | TSUGIKUN/. sO YORIICHI, | WHO HAD STAYED HUMAN, MUST HAVE PASSED 80 YEARS OVER 6O YEARS HAD GONE BY SINCE WE LAST MET...IMPOSSIBLE. , A Oe —— EVERYONE DIES BEFORE THEY TURN A\ WHY 25. \ ARE YOU...THE OLD | AND UGLY CREATURE WAS ONCE |, 37 my LirrLe \///\ BROTHER... |)?! EVEN THOUGH 60 YEARS AGO HE HAD BEEN SUCH AN EYESORE. «SO AT THE SIGHT OF HIM SHEDDING TEARS, SOMETHING WELLED UP IN ME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. MY BROTHER HAD NEVER SHOWN THE SLIGHTEST EMOTION... THE VOICE CALLING ME \BROTHER” | was TERRIBLY | | HOARSE.UNEXPECTED UNEASE. THIS OLD MAN OF BRITTLE FLESH PAST HIS PRIME...SENTIMEN- TALIT™..WAS NO OPENING IN HIS STANCE. SS INTIMIDATING AURA S MADE THE\" oNTHE SPECIAL YOU ARE MARKED, BUT YOu LIVED LONG.SPEED AND POWER AS WHEN HE WAS IN HIS PRIME. YOU LIVE RECEIVING THE FAVOR OF THE GODS UPON YOURSELF VIVIOLY, THE MEMORIES RETURN. you ALONE ARE OUTSIDE THE LAWS OF THIS WORLD.HIS SWORD |—| WITH A TECHNIQUE, |=] FEELING WHICH EVEN GZ ( OF PRESSED [7 oS UNREST LORD fi P AND MUZAN. \/( f) OEF EAT...+ HE ® z 8 28 Rk os YORIICHI@f A o a / Wa & Wiel : ae Age | 4 oa V7 a TVG - 4 b Y) lm A \ Tnivo! A ; J / / / ) ft fCHAPTER 175: RESPECT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS My LONG L EXISTENCE IE YORICHI'S ASA { LIFE HAD DEMON LASTED ONE MEANS I'VE q 5 BREATH HAD TO LIVE 4 . LONGER... WITH THAT HUMILATION FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. BECAUSE YORIICHI NOW THAT DIED, AN THE GREATEST HONORABLE SWORDSMAN DEATH WiLL IN THE LONG NOT VIS/T HISTORY ME. OF DEMON SLAYERS HAS DIED. YES. / CHOSE TO CONTINUE WINNING...AND / HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE AGAINST UYUST ONE SWORD BEFORE!HIMEJMA AND SHINA- ZUGAWA STULL LEFTon 7 A) yy INSIDES ARE 4 oy]THEYRE smile EI 4 THERE... |\ |] my FLESH K| BULLETS...Sw xcon © 3 PLACE AGAIN? HOW ay ANNOYING! J curr FE Sal IN HALE AND BB FINISH Him [E/ < OFF!=) ve ah, ! py ih ' -My BoDyY’S SEIZING UP DUE TO THE INTENSE PAIN!T BECAUSE OF THE RED KATANAL! WHAT DO YOU INTEND / CAN'T USE A TECHNIQUE!! THE TREE IN MY BACK IS SUCKING UP My BLOOD AND EXTENDING ATHE PERFECTED TECHNIQUES WE ARE MERELY ONE FRAGMENT OF HUMANKIND’S LONG, LONG HISTORY. MAY COME TO REACH THE SAME PLACE. THERE ARE NO SKILLED WARRIORS COMPARABLE TO US. ———~ | AT THIS MOMENT, THOSE WHOSE TALENTS WILL SURPASS OURS ARE UTTERING THEIR FIRST CRIES.ee rrtrt—“‘i‘“OO—™—™s—O—S—~sS b. Re S CURTAIN OF LIFE CLOSED WITHOUT UNEASE AT ANY TIME. THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY. DOES THAT NOT EXHILARATE YOU...CLASHING AGAINST JRON, TURNING RED...ff++TO EVEN GREATER HEIGHTS.NEZUKO’S SWIMSUIT TANJIRO’S RESEARCH PROJECT Bensitve to air currents. Sense prey. Protect eves. NEZUKO LOOKS so cute!!! ID Ony this part of their bodies have ter | O Mdoesn't note ‘auceta!! that’s "NEZUKO...” WHAT IS LET'S GET THISP A MARRIED IN TSUCHINOKOP (EXT. A DEEP-SEA Les TOO! FISHP Reggoyszmn FROM WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP, COMBINED ISSUE 36—37, 2019.| BUT 1 aLinays | FOUND IT DISTURBING. WHEN you TN SMILED, | COULON’T HELP IT...| ...YOU SUDDENLY STARTED VIEWING THINGS WITH A STRANGE OPTIMISM... | eee / FELT SICK WITH DISGUST AND IRRITATION. _ — pcbebbebbRtiiciec es i Pie. 5 a 7 Fee oa = oo Cy Se ee ee 4 ye ‘ ae eos | : | AND WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THERE WERE NO SUCCESSORS FOR THE VARIOUS BREATHING TECHNIQUES... ee LL IN My CONCEIT / BELIEVED... WHAT DID YOU FIND SO AMUSING? Here eeeTHAT HUMAN USED A | BLOOD | DEMON ART. HALF, THAT ONE DIDN’T LET GO OF AND THAT ONE'S SPEED OF GROWTH IS COMPARABLE HE MOVES IN WAYS THAT SURPASS HIS LIMITS...BUT THEIR BLADES TURN RED. THEY AREN’T USERS OF SUN BREATHING... THINKING J ABOUT LOSING... MAKES 7 ME BOIL WITH RAGE. WHAT /S SO AMUSING ABOUT IMAGINING SUCH A FUTUREP YES, EVEN IF THEY CUT MY HEAD OFFLLL CUT YOU UP UNTIL THERE’S PRIMARY _ | GALE : : Z Z. \ YJF 1 PULL THIS OUT, / CAN STILL REGENERATE!THEN 1 WiLL OVERCOME DEATH BY DECAPITATION!ATTACKING// \\~ THAT BASTARD SY REGENERATED 3 HIS HEADS BE FRAGILE/! HE ISN'T \\ REGENERATING _) AS FAST AS \] MUZAN CANITMY BROTHER, IS YOUR DREAM TO BECOME THE STRONGEST SAMURAI IN THE LANDP | WANT TO.ee REALLY WHAT | WANTED?if } o'r Bass eH Bl Ve aE rey A Ny Re v¢ ; oy { ON CF 1S FALLING | ce vy ae ie 4 i1 SHOULD aA Pye) Boh RATE. YOU HAVE MY SYMPA- THIS... ss MY, BROTHER.| EVEN =| THOUGH THEY TOOK OFF MY HEAD, CHOPPED ME UP AND CRUSHED ME. UGLINESS OF NOT ADMITTING LIVING IN DISGRACE. - _ = Uae) Pn oa (ol ae eae) toe Lee aged HUNDREDS lola so} LRN Ue hotaeYORICHI DIDI BECOME THIS MISERABLE CREATURE BECAUSE / DION’T WANTWhen Kokushibo saw his reflection in Sanemi’s blade, if was like a mirror, 60 it should have been reversed left to right but | didn’t have the time or ekill fo fix it. Please, reverse it in your head.OF OTHER PEOPLE IS UUST LUCKY. THEY HAVE YUST NEVER MET SOMEONE... ».WHO HAS RECEIVED THE GODS’ FAVOR. SOMEONE INTENSE AND VIVID WHO BURNS EVERY- THING...WERE VIEWED AS INAUSFICIOUS BECAUSE THEY WOULD CAUSE SUCCESS/ON SO FATHER DECLARED HE WOULD KILL HIM. He wouLD Nor {& KiLL. MY YOUNGER |5 BROTHER, AND |: THAT WHEN YORIICH! REACHED AGE TEN THEY WOULD SEND HIM | AG TO A TEMPLE. 4) CONTROL HER. |: MY YOUNGER BROTHER, YORIICHI, WAS BORN WITH A DISTURBING MARK... WAS LIKE A CONFLAGRA- TION, SUCH THAT NO ONE COULDOUR UPBRINGING WAS ENTIRELY SEPARATE. EVEN AS A CHILD, / PITIED YORIICHI. IF | GAVE HIM MY OWN BELONGINGS, FATHER WOULD NOTICE, SO 1 GAVE HIM AFLUTE/ MADE. «AND WAS ALWAYS CLINGING TO HER LEFT SIDE. THE TWO OF US HAD OIFFERENT ROOMS, OIFFERENT CLOTHES, OIFFERENT EDUCATIONG... | YORIICH/ WAS UNABLE TO LEAVE OUR MOTHER... —_ = mes / WOULD EVADE My FATHER’S EYES AND GO TO PLAY IN YORIICHI*S SMALL ROOM.«AND HE DIDN'T SPEAK UNTIL AGE SEVEN, SO EVERYONE THOUGHT HE WAS DEAF YORICHI was SILENTLY STANDING IN THE SHADE AND THAT [ OFA PINE ALONE WAS PRIGHTEN- ING. FROM THE TIME YORIICH/ WAS A BAB™.. HE NEVER SMILED... MY BROTHER, IS YOUR DREAM TO BECOME THE STRONGEST SAMURAI IN / LEARNED HE WASNT DEAF AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. | WAS PRACTICING SWING IN THE |: GARDEN. THE LAND?DROPPED My WOODEN THEY HAD DECIDED oN HE WOULD BECOME A PRIEST, HE TURNED TEN, OUR PARENTS WOULD SEND HIM TOA TEMPLE. THEN YORIICHI SMILED FOR THE AIRST TIME. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME 1 HEARD HIM SPEAK, BUT HE SPOKE SMOOTHLY THEN HE SUDDENLY SAID THAT HE ALSO WANTED TO BECOME A SAMURA/. 1 DION’T KNOWSOA BOY WHO CLINGS TO HIS MOTHER AT THE VERY SIGHT OF HER... MyY FATHER’S VASSAL, WHO WAS TEACHING ME SWORDS- || HOWEVER, MANSHIP, GAVE + YORIICHI a i HIM A PRACTICE STARTED SWORD FOR FUN. HANGING AROUND AND SAYING HE WANTED TO LEARN TOO. WITH THAT, My FATHER’S VASSAL TOOK A FIGHTING STANCE AND TOLD My BROTHER TO TRY TO STRIKE HIM. INSTRUC- iN cSBUT IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, YORIICH! HAD LANDED FOUR STRIKES AND RENDERED HIM |-. UNCONSC/OUS. ./ HAD BEEN UNABLE TO | AND A SINGLE |. BLOW ON My | INSTRUCTOR. A SEVEN- YEAR-OLD CHILD HAD STRUCK HIM ON THE NECK, CHEST, STOMACH AND LEG.THE FEELING OF HITTING SOMEONE WAS UNBEARABLE TO HIM. «AND WHILE / WAS TALKING TO HIM, YORIICH SAID | SOMETHING P| /NEXPLICABLE. AFTER THAT, YORIICHI STOPPED SAYING HE WANTED TO BECOME A SAMURAI. BUT | WANTED TO KNOW THE SECRET TO YORIICHI*S STRENGTH. —™. YOU JUST NEED TO LOOK BEFORE YOUR CLOSELY AT THE OPPONENT DISPOSITION OF — ATTACKS, HIS HIS BONES, THE LUNGS HEAVE. CONTRACTION OF HIS MUSCLES AND THE FLOW OF HIS BLOOD.ALONG WITH HIS BIRTHMARK, HE HAD BEEN BORN WITH A SPECIAL SIGHT. BUT HE WAS FAR SUPERIOR TO ME. POSSESSED PHYSICAL ABILITIES THAT COMPLE- MENTED /T- YORIICH/ COULD SEE INSIDE THE BODIES OF LIVING CREATURES.WAND THE HARDER | STRONGER 1 GOT INSTEAD OF TALKING ; ABOUT ‘ SWORDS... / WANTED TO MASTER THE WAY OF THE SWORD. wel WANT TO PLAY BOARD GAMES OR FLY A KITE WITH YOU. THE WAY OF THE SWORD REQUIRES PAIN AND SUFFERING... +BUT TALENT HAD BEEN RECOGNIZED IN ME... _ _— _—«1 WAS LIKE A TURTLE. BUT COMPARED TO A RARE CHILD PRODIGY LIKE HIM... YORIICHI ABOUT SWORDSMAN- SHIF, HE LOOKED HOW WONDERFUL IT MUST BE TO HOPE FOR SOMETHING AND BE BLESSED WITH THE TALENT TO ACHIEVE /T- HORRIBLY BORED. TO YORIICHI, ABOUT IT \ ‘or AT ALL. DESPITE HIS EXCELLENT THE WAY | TALENT OF THE Me WITH THE sworo... [5 SWORD WAS wiber : LESS THAN OOS CHILD'S PLAY.: [ OuR —— POSITIONS ne REVERSED. My FATHER’S VASSAL MUST HAVE TOLD HIM ABOUT } YORICHI. WELLE 7 A AND WHEN | YORICHI TURNED TEN WOULD YEARS OLD, HE BE THE WOULD SEND ME : ONE TO TO A TEMPLE. i INHERIT MY DREAM OF = FATHER THe fC BECOMING A WOULD HOUSE. SAMURAI WOULD | _ FORCE ME NEVER COME Y INTO THAT TRUE. SMALL Y ROOM... . Mh i Uh a TA ane - BIG yesP oS - ! BROTHER...IT's SO SUDDEN... THE TIGER, YORICHI CAME. OUR MOTHER’S DEATH WAS A GREAT SURPRISE. L WILL NOW ; * VM DEPART FOR i gl] PLEASE, ASK = SORRY. THE TEMPLE. “ ) HER SERVANT, ITO, ABOUT THE DETAILS.WE MAY BE APART, BUT | WILL NOT LOSE HEART... + AND | WILL WORK DILIGENTLY EACH DAY. DEPARTP BUT | AT Z NowP | THINK OF THIS FLUTE YOU GAVE ME AS YOU.THE FLUTE BUT HE WAS A PIECE OF JUNK WRAPPED THAT COULD IT IN CLOTH ONLY PLAY AND KEPT /T OFF PITCH. CLOSE AS /F 7 IT WERE A TREASURE. HE WAS SMILING AGAIN. / DION’T SAY ANYTHING BACK TO HIM, BUT... + YORICH/ THEN, He Siero WALKED AND BOWED ame DEEPLY.+SO HE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE EARLIER THAN PLANNED. SHE HAD SUFFERED OIFFICULTIES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HER + YORICHI HAD SENSED THAT FATHER WOULD DESIGNATE HIM AS ACTCORD- ING TO | MOTHER’S YOURNAL... YORIICHI | HAD oe THE LEFT S/DE OF THE BoDxYYORIICH/ HAON’T BEEN CLINGING TO HER. SUPPORTING HER. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, / HATED YORIICH! FOR HIS GENIUS. +f COULD HEAR MY WHOLE BODY BURNING WITH VEALOUSXTAISHO WHISPERS Michikatsu and Yoriichi’s mother, Akeno, was so calm and quiet that people say she was like a doll. For that reason, it must have been shocking to the people who knew her when she flew into a rage at her husband for saying he would kill Yoriichi for being born with an unsettling birthmark. Michikatsu and Yoriichi’s mother treated the children with equal affection as much as possible. The horrible stress over Yoriichi wearing shabby clothes and living in a room like a closet worsened her illness. In her will, she expressed concern for her husband’s health, and begged that her children be kept together, treated equally and raised in good health. The father named Michikatsu in the hope that he would be strong and always be successful, while the mother named Yoriichi in the hope that he would value connections between people above all.CHAPTER 178: EVEN IF YOU REACH OUT YOUR HAND YOUR EXISTENCE DEFIES THE LAWS OF NATURE.MESSENGER TO THE TEMPLE TO BRING BACK YORIICHI. «WITHOUT A TRACE. UNEXPECTEDLY, |— | MY WISH KIDNAPPERS? Hap come bf ] A LANOSLIDEP TRUE. DID A BEAR ATTACK HIM?/ MARRIED AND HAD CHILDREN. EVERY DAY WAS = TRANQUIL AND THe Frow “Shen \- OF TIME — FELT \ EXTREMELY Slow. TIME HAD STAGNATED, BUT NOW /T BEGAN TO THE NEXT TEN YEARS WERE A PEACEFUL TIME. ATTACKED WHERE / HADWE HAD AN pe UNEXPECTED | ENCOUNTER.AGAIN, My STOMACH BURNED WITH JEALOUSY AND HATE. HE WAS COMPLETELY OIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN. THE ONE WHO SAVED ME FROM THE DEMON WAS YORIICHI. THE MOMENT / SAW YORIICHI, /T DESTROYED MY SERENITXBECAUSE YORIICH/ ARRIVED AND MY SUBOR- DINATES DIED, HE APOLOGIZED. NO MATTER THE COST, / WANTED TO MAKE HIS STRENGTH... +AND WAS A PERSON OF FAULTLESS CHARACTER. YORICHI.TO SUIT EACH BUT NOTA PERSON'S SINGLE PERSON SKILLS AND COULD MATCH CAPABILITIES... HIM. + YORICH! CHANGED THE BREATHING TECHNIQUE AS HE TAUGHT. THE NUMBER OF MARKED ONES INCREASED, AND THE POWER OF THE DEMON A MARK IDENTICAL TO YORIICHI’S. YORIICHI WOULD TEACH ANYONE SWORD AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES. TECHNIQUES DERIVED FROM SUN BREATHING CAME ONE BEFORE LONG, / MANIFESTEDaot COULON’T USE SUN BREATHING. IN THE END... / COULD ONLY USE A DERIVATIVE LATER NAMED MOON BREATHING. / THOUGHT / WOULD CATCH UP TO YORIICH/ IF | CONTINUED TRAINING. AS / | LANGUISHED | IN FRUS- TRATION... «THE MARKED ONES BEGAN lll OYING ONE ont / AFTER THE \ be Je Ne GeTHE MARK MERELY GAVE YOU POWER IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR LIFE SPAN... | / DON’T HAVE TIME LEFT FOR THE REQUISITE TRAINING. THEN YOU SHOULD BECOME A DEMON. "7 oo.DEMON, YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER. YOU WANT TO MASTER || BREATHING | TECHNIQUES. AND | WANT TO MAKE : A DEMON OUT OF A SWORDSMAN WHO CAN USE THEM.CHOOSE, UNLIKE THE OTHER SWORD WIELDERS. THE PATH | HAD HOPED FOR FROM THE BOTTOM OF My HEART HAD OPENED.you APPEARED YOU TRAN- SCENDED THE LAWS OF NATURE... «AND THEN LVED OUT YOUR LIFE, DEFEATING ME AGAIN: BY ESCAPING DEATH AT MY NO SINGLE PERSON WAS | EVER ABLE TO HARM YOU. ALWAYS MAKE ME FEELY THINK OF THIS FLUTE YOU GAVE ME”JUST HEARING YOUR VOICE YUST SEEING MAKES ME YOUR FACE SO ANGRY MY | HEAD HURTS. LVING HUNDREDS OF YEARS... REMEMBER VIVIDLY IS: YOUR FACE, THE THING / MOST WANT TO FORGET.MY FATHER’S FACE OR MY MOTHER'S FACE OR MY WIFE'S FACE OR MY CHIL- DREN'S FACES. |. YOU ARE LIKE THE UNEQUALED SUN... s-AND WRITHING IN AGONY... Ve : NO PATH OTHER THAN YEARNING, REACHING OUT THEIRMy HUMANITY. ABANDONED My HOME. | ABANDONED MY WIFE AND CHILDREN./ COULD NOT SEE THE SAME WORLD THAT YOU OID. YOU SAID THAT THOSE WHO MASTER THE/R THE SAME PLACE.AFTER YOUR DEATH, LORD DO YOUR MUZAN AND | BREATHING we TO KILL THE MADE SURE... TECHNIQUES SWORDSMEN REMAINP & WHO KNEW J SUN BREATH- ING AND ITS FORMS. WHY COULD / NOT LEAVE|~ ANYTHING |] BEHIND? D WHY IN THE WORLD WAS / EVER BORN?WUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOLS KIMETBU ACADEMY He's allergic fo women, 60 he always wears a mask. Feople say he also wears \ the snake to keep women away. He offen goes to the diner run by Aoi’s family, _\ but he only drinks tea. He frequenty > calls ahead fo see if the girl with the braids is there. When students \\ get failing grades, he strings them up and fires plastic water bottle rockets at them. WW D> Obanai lquro. Chemistry Teacher Gromei Himeyima. Civics teacher * Bamboo Shoot Class, Year 1. He’s 60 muscular that people were scared of him at first, but he offen had items with cats on them, which was incredibly cute. Everyone s00n thought, "Huh? Is he a gentle / | ouy who likes cate?” | Students often call him “Father” by accident.Hakuji Soyama (18), Eboshi Class, Year 3. Koyuki Soyama (16), Hydrangea & Class, Year 1. As children, they lived in neighboring houses and promised fo / AN \ marry each other. \ Ni ? Their parents Tr c approved, 0 they got | married. Their pet names for each other are Princess and Lord Hakui. They're both in the Handicraft Chub. These two are married! | Hakiyi will inherit Koyuki’s family dojo. He's a con man who performs € marriages, among other things. He's notorious enough that there have been special programs about him on television. He has been involved in many scams, but there ia never enough evidence fo prosecute him. He spoke toa girl whose hair color gradually changed trom green to pink and who later disappeared. An altercation between a man and woman that was overheard at the scene of the incident wert like this: "! think you're lying!” "Guh!”