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To Be a Hashira (柱 (はしら) に Hashira ni?) is the one hundred and fifteenth chapter of Koyoharu Gotōge's Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Summary

Genya and Sanemi's mother attacks her family after turning into a Demon.

Genya Shinazugawa thinks back to his past, where his small and weak mother would often be abused by his father alongside himself and his siblings. One night, Genya notices that she was late coming back even after their older brother, Sanemi Shinazugawa, went to look for her. He calms his siblings and tells them to sleep, but they suddenly hear a knock on the door. Genya tries to tell them not to open it in case it was a stranger, but they ignore his word and are immediately slashed upon reaching it. Genya is also cut across the cheek, and he stares in horror at a figure grasping onto the ceiling with the darkness preventing him from identifying it. Suddenly, Sanemi appears and tackles it out the window while yelling at Genya to run.

Sanemi after killing his Demon-turned mother.

Terrified, Genya checks the status of his siblings and tries to cover their wounds, despite their bodies already being cold. When he runs off to find a doctor, he approaches an injured Sanemi standing over the corpse of their demonfied mother. Dismayed at the sight, Genya runs over to cradle his mother's body in his arms and cries, calling Sanemi a murderer.

Genya, after remembering this past, internally apologizes to his older brother for his shock that overwhelmed him to the point of labeling Sanemi as their mother's killer, even despite the struggles that he must've had to protect him by killing her. He recalls an earlier, happier moment with him where they both agreed to defend their mother and siblings as brothers after the death of their abusive father.

As Sekido aims for Genya's neck, the Demon Slayer thinks of all his regrets and flaws. A memory of Sanemi as a Hashira declaring that he had no brother saddens Genya, and he thinks about how he wasn't able to reach Hashira status to earn the right of apologizing to him.

Genya shields Tanjiro from Aizetsu's Blood Demon Art.

Right as Sekido scrapes Genya's neck with his staff, Tanjiro Kamado appears above them and saves him by cutting Sekido's neck. He shouts at Genya to not give up, reminding him that he was supposed to be reaching for the goal of Hashira and that he should only think about beheading Hantengu. As Tanjiro finishes speaking, he notices Aizetsu approaching him from behind. The Demon uses its Blood Demon Art to attack Tanjiro, but the swordsman is shielded by Genya, who gets impaled at multiple spots on his body. Genya tells Tanjiro that he should be the one to behead Hantengu and Tanjiro accepts, dashing over to Hantengu and hitting him with his flaming sword. Upon being struck, Hantengu lets out a piercing scream.

Characters in Order of Appearance

Events

  • Genya reveals his and Sanemi's past.
  • Tanjiro regroups with Genya.
  • Tanjiro strikes Hantengu with his red sword.