In The Way

Genya fires his Nichirin gun at Sekido and Karaku, blowing off Sekido's head and nearly taking Karaku's. Karaku relishes the fight as Genya rushes in with a Nichirin Sword to behead him. Tanjiro warns that the attacks are pointless, since the demons let themselves be beheaded to split and grow stronger.

A third, bird-like demon named Urogi snatches Tanjiro into the air with his foot. Realizing each demon wields a distinct power, Tanjiro tells Nezuko to aid Genya, only to see that a fourth demon, Aizetsu, has impaled him. Urogi mocks Tanjiro for worrying about others and looses a sonic scream. Tanjiro counters with Hinokami Kagura, severing Urogi's leg, but cannot dodge the scream and is hurled to the ground.

Battered and barely able to move, Tanjiro pleads with himself to rise and protect the village as Urogi pins his leg and prepares another shriek. Elsewhere, Muichiro races back toward the village and finds Kotetsu struggling against a minion fish demon. He first judges the boy not worth saving against the priority of the village chief, but Kotetsu's cries remind him of Tanjiro's belief that helping others helps oneself. Muichiro slashes the demon's arm, frees Kotetsu, and stands guard over him while telling him to flee.

Adapted in Episode 47, this chapter expands Hantengu's split forms to four emotion-based demons and marks a quiet shift in Muichiro, whose choice to protect Kotetsu echoes Tanjiro's influence. It sets up Genya's resilience and the turning point in Muichiro's character.