Life Passing Before One's Eyes

Rui describes his rigid view of family roles: parents shield their children, and older siblings protect the youngest with their lives. Those who fail their roles, he says, do not deserve to live, and he informs Tanjiro that his sole purpose now is either to surrender Nezuko or perish. As Tanjiro searches for a plan, Rui, irritated by his resolve, snares Nezuko from behind and holds her hostage. Tanjiro charges and demands her release, and when Rui spins more threads, Nezuko suddenly claws his face, forcing him to let go. Rui launches threads, Tanjiro flips clear, and in the confusion he loses sight of Nezuko.

Blood drips onto his face, and he looks up to see Nezuko strung up and bleeding heavily in the threads. Rui coldly tells him to stop screaming, since a demon will not die, but insists she accept her new role. He says he will let her bleed and, if she still disobeys, leave her to burn at sunrise. Despite his fury, Tanjiro steadies his emotions and focuses his breathing. Rui then sees that Nezuko has blacked out and detects something strange about her, a quality unlike any other demon.

Tanjiro attacks again with Total Concentration Water Breathing's Tenth Form, Constant Flux, building force with each swing until he cuts the threads with his broken blade, catching Rui off guard. Amused that Tanjiro thought those were his strongest threads, Rui infuses fresh ones with blood and casts a Blood Demon Art, Cutting Thread Cage, to finish him. Sensing the unavoidable danger and unable to gather enough power, Tanjiro believes he will die, and his life flashes before him. Among the flood of memories he recalls a childhood moment playing with Nezuko while their father watched, urging him to control his breathing and become like the Hinokami.

Rui takes Nezuko hostage and strings her up to coerce her obedience. The fight between Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Rui escalates toward its climax.

Rui ensnares Tanjiro in the Blood Demon Art Cutting Thread Cage, an attack he cannot escape. As his life flashes before his eyes, Tanjiro recalls a vision of his father and the memory of the Hinokami breathing.

This Mount Natagumo Arc chapter was adapted in Episode 19 of the anime. It plants the seed for the Hinokami Kagura, the special breathing tied to Tanjiro's family.

Tanjiro's father's instruction to become like the Hinokami foreshadows the legacy of Sun Breathing and Yoriichi Tsugikuni, central to the series' later mythology.