A Mountain of Hands (
Summary
The chapter starts off with Sakonji Urokodaki giving a bit of background information about defeating demons. He points out that Demon's must be decapitated at the neck and that it can only be done with a special blade called a Nichirin Swords.
Sakonji giving Tanjiro his blessing.
The scene flashes to Tanjiro completing his training for the Final Selection, and realizing his newly acquired technique of smelling the 'lines of intervals'. He meets with Urokodaki who praises his abilities and hard work before giving him his blessing to participate in the selection. He pleads with Tanjiro to survive and return back to him and Nezuko alive.
Before setting off, Tanjiro receives a hand carved fox mask, similar to the ones worn by Sabito and Makomo, from Urokodaki and says goodbye to a sleeping Nezuko. He bids Urokodaki farewell, entrusting him to care for Nezuko, Sabito, and Makomo while he's away, Urokodaki is left astonished as he reveals that Sabito and Makomo were the deceased spirits of his previous students and that Tanjiro shouldn't have known who they were.
Arrival at the Final Selection
Having just arrived to the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, Tanjiro admires the wisteria flowers glistening the steps as he climbs the stairs. Once he reaches the top, he encounters a large number of swordsmen waiting to participate in the event. Two curators organizing the event, inform the students that the Wisteria flowers seen along the path, serves as demon repellent on the mountain. They go further on to explain that in order to pass the selection, they must survive for seven nights in the region of the mountain where the Wisteria doesn't bloom, and where the demons roam free.
Demons fighting over rights to kill Tanjiro
Once the selection begins, Tanjiro immediately encounters two demons who bicker over the rights to kill and eat Tanjiro. He utilizes the Water Breathing: Fourth Form - Striking Tide to slice the 'threads' that he smelled, and successfully defeats the demons which boosts his confidence in completing the selection.
The deformed demon that Tanjiro encounters
As he takes a moment to pray for the demon's souls, he is caught off guard by a powerful overwhelming smell, and the screams of a swordsman running away. When he turns to face the sound, he is witnesses a large deformed demon chasing the swordsman while carrying a deceased boy by the throat. As the boy runs, the demon suddenly manifests a gigantic arm that grabs the boy by the leg pulling him into the air. Tanjiro stands in fear but wills himself to use his skill to help save the boy. Before the demon is able to eat the boy, Tanjiro intervenes by using Water Breathing: Second Form - Water Wheel to slice one of the limbs off of the demon, who glaring back at Tanjiro commenting that "Another of [his] dear foxes has come!"
Characters in Order of Appearance
- Sakonji Urokodaki
- Tanjiro Kamado
- Sabito
- Nezuko Kamado
- Makomo
- Genya Shinazugawa
- Zenitsu Agatsuma
- Kanao Tsuyuri
- Hand Demon
Events
- Tanjiro learns how to master the Breathing techniques
- Tanjiro enters and participates in the Final Selection