The Moon Hashira

New Mission

~At the Butterfly Manor~

Tanjirō does his reflex training with Kanao. 

Zenitsu, Inosuke: "Ahh..." 

Tanjirō: "Ngh!" 

Zenitsu: "Amazing..." 

Inosuke: "Look at them go..." 

Tanjirō: "Ngh!" 

Kanao grabs a cup of medicated water. 

Tanjirō: "Ah!" 

Aoi: "That's it!" 

Tanjirō: "Phew... You sure are fast, Kanao!" 

Aoi: "Your record is now ten wins and ten losses." 

Tanjirō: "I'm totally not done yet. Let's go for a run. Are you up to it?" 

Zenitsu: "You mean while doing Total Concentration, Constant?" 

Tanjirō: "Yeah." 

Tanjirō slaps Zenitsu's stomach. 

Tanjirō: "Ngh!" 

Zenitsu: "Keep this up the whole time?" 

Inosuke: "Monjirou!" 

Inosuke rips open his shirt. Zenitsu punches Inosuke's abs. 

Zenitsu: "Take this!" 

Inosuke: "That's nothing!" 

Zenitsu: "Ngh... You're all brawn and no brains!" 

Tanjirō: "Let's go!"

~In the past~

A few months earlier. Nakime plays her biwa, summoning the Lower Twelve Kizuki. 

Kamanue: "Ah..." Where the hell is this place? Was it that woman's Blood Demon Art? Looks like the whole space is distorted around that woman. 

Nakime plays her biwa a few more times. 

Kamanue: Only the Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki have been summoned. That's never happened before. Lower Five isn't here yet. 

Nakime plays her biwa, summoning the five Lower Twelve Kizuki to one area. 

Kamanue: "Ah..." 

Kizuki: "Ah..." 

Kamanue: It just moved! Blood Demon Art again? "Ah..." 

Kibutsuji stands on a platform above the Lower Twelve Kizuki in the form of a woman. 

Kamanue: What's the deal with this woman? Who is she? 

Kibutsuji: "Lower your heads and crouch down." 

Kamanue: "Ah...!" 

Kibutsuji: "Prostrate yourselves." 

The Lower Twelve Kizuki bow to Kibutsuji. 

Kamanue: It's Master Muzan! That's Master Muzan's voice! I didn't recognize him! He's changed his appearance and aura. The precision of his shape-shifting is mind-blowing! 

Mukago: "P-Please forgive us! Since you've assumed a different form and aura..." 

Kibutsuji: "Who gave you permission to speak?" 

Mukago: "Ah..." 

Kibutsuji: "Don't presume to voice your worthless thoughts. Answer my questions. Nothing else. Rui left his rank and disowned his connections to the twelve blood moons and me in favor of staying with the girl I sent all of you to bring me. I'm talking about Lower Five. I have but one question to ask of you. Why is it that you demons in the Lower Ranks are so utterly weak? You shouldn't be satisfied with just being counted among the Twelve Kizuki. That is merely your starting point. To devour more humans, to gain more power... Your starting point for becoming useful to me... For over a century, the members of the Upper Rank Twelve Kizuki have remained unchanged. It's always been the demons in the Upper Ranks who've disposed of those Hashira Demon Slayers. But what about you demons in the Lower Ranks? How many times have you been replaced?"