Cruel and Heartless

The chapter opens by laying out how the Twelve Kizuki are divided into Upper and Lower Ranks, numbered so that lower digits denote greater strength. Upper Ranks bear both eyes engraved and look down on their inferiors. It is confirmed that Muzan can read the thoughts of anyone he has given blood to and sense their location, which is why bringing Nezuko to the Ubuyashiki Mansion revealed the Corps headquarters to him, though he remains unaware that she and Tamayo have removed his curse from themselves.

Muzan then turns on the gathered demons. He devours Lower Six and Lower Four after pressing them on their fear of the Hashira, and beheads Lower Three when the demon tries to flee across the warped platforms. When Lower Two begs for blood to prove his worth, Muzan condemns the request as insolence and destroys him too, declaring his own judgment absolute.

Muzan continues the Lower Ranks meeting and systematically kills nearly the entire tier, eliminating Lower Six, Lower Four, Lower Three, and Lower Two for their weakness or perceived defiance.

He spares Lower One, who openly delights in the prospect of dying by his master's hand. Pleased by the demon's adoration, Muzan injects him with a large dose of blood to strengthen him, then orders him to kill a Hashira, with extra blood promised if he can also slay a slayer wearing hanafuda earrings. Transported to a town, Lower One glimpses Tanjiro and grows eager to hunt him.

Although the chapter infobox still lists it under the Rehabilitation Training Arc, its categories place it within the Mugen Train Arc, and it adapts to Episode 26. The surviving Lower One is Enmu, the antagonist of the Mugen Train storyline.

This installment establishes the cruelty and absolute authority that define Muzan throughout the series.