Going on a mission?
It's you, Kocho.
I've got some news about demons.
They said our compatriots who were sent there were brutally killed.
Some civilians have fallen victim too.
I can't let that be.
Could it be the Twelve Demon Moons?
I'm afraid so.
Probably the Upper Moons.
That looks like a challenging task.
Since you're going there alone, I don't see the need to worry.
Kocho.
What are your plans with that headbutt boy under your care?
You suggested that we seek more successors,
but you don't seem to be taking him in as one.
It's not like I'm going to eat him, so don't worry about that.
Of course you won't.
Take care.
No!
I can't swallow it!
I had to put up with this every day.
You came here critically injured, Mr. Zenitsu,
so take your medication now.
Goodness.
Here is your medication, Mr. Tanjiro.
Here you go.
Thank you.
Hey, Tanjiro's medication is easy to swallow!
I was right. It's different from mine, right?
You're being biased here. You're biased!
Zenitsu, this is a hospital, so you must keep it down.
You're doing really well.
DESTROY
Mr. Murata!
Hi.
I'm glad that you're all right.
My body was almost dissolved, but I was pretty lucky.
I heard that you're severely injured?
It will take a while to heal.
You've lost your voice, didn't you, wild boar guy?
What's wrong with him?
He has been through a lot, so you'd better leave him alone.
But why is he so dispirited all of a sudden?
Tanjiro!
Who's this guy?
He's Mr. Murata who fought with us at Natagumo Mountain.
I'm Murata. Nice to meet you.
Your arm...
I almost turned into a spider.
My arms and legs became short.
That's why you must take your medication!
But it tastes so bad.
It's much worse than what I could stand!
If your arms don't heal, it's none of my concern!
The chills! Your words sent chills down my spine!
You have no idea how lucky you are.
Only by taking your medication and spending more time in the sun,
you'll shed your residual effects.
I don't want to!
I don't want anything that tastes bad!
You seem to have a great time.
Mr. Murata?
I was called to the Pillars' meeting
to give a detailed report on the Natagumo incident.
It was hell.
The Pillars are really scary.
They said that our former members are so atrociously undertrained,
it made us tremble in fear.
They also pointed out
that some of us were disobedient in the Natagumo mission.
They started asking us who their trainers were.
For someone of my rank to hear such things from them...
The Pillars are scary.
Hello.
A Pillar! Lady Kocho.
Hello.
Good day to you. Goodbye!
I see. Goodbye.
Are you feeling any better?
I'm much better already.
Then it's almost time for your rehabilitation training.
Rehabilitation training?
Yes.
Sorry for being too weak.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Tanjiro and Inosuke were taken away by the Pillar, Ms. Shinobu,
to commence their rehabilitation training.
Ms. Shinobu has a pleasantly unique voice
that gave me a feeling I never felt before.
It's so out of this world that it's a little creepy.
But in restoring those who turned into spiders,
she was like a goddess.
Everyone shed tears of joy as they approached her.
Besides that, she was extremely adorable.
She could live through a day with just a smile.
As they followed such an adorable figure to undergo their rehabilitation training,
I guess Tanjiro and Inosuke are pretty much...
MIRROR
They came back with that look.
Welcome back, Tanjiro, Inosuke.
How did it go today?
What happened?
Tell me, what's up with you guys?
Sorry.
Leave me alone.
Just tell me!
I may be a little late, but I'll have my training tomorrow!
THE NEXT DAY
I'm scared.
I don't want to go.
Thus, Mr. Zenitsu will commence training today.
Allow me to go through this one more time.
First, you go there.
Since your body has turned stiff and bedridden,
those girls will help you with it.
Next, it's reflex training.
There's tonic in these cups.
You will splash it on your opponent.
If your opponent stops you before you raise your cup,
you can't move it.
Begin.
Again.
Begin.
That's all.
Last but not least, it's full-body training.
Or in simple terms, playing tags.
Me, Aoi, and my assistant, Kanao, will be your opponents.
Excuse me, can we take a time-out?
Is there something you're not clear about?
No, I have something to take care of.
Come here, you two.
I'm not coming.
I told you to come, didn't you hear me?
Follow me, you pieces of scum!
What are you up to?
Now kneel for me. Kneel up straight!
You idiots!
What are you trying to do?
Inosuke!
How could you, Zenitsu?
Apologize to Inosuke now!
It's you who should apologize to me!
Both of you, apologize to me!
You were both in heaven, yet you act like you were in hell!
You've been playing around with girls every day.
Then you come back to me like you're half-dead. Why?
Both of you apologize to me!
I want you to stab yourselves!
What are you talking about?
Shut up, you broad-headed old fogey!
Shut up when I'm speaking!
You would flirt with girls here, they would massage you,
and stroke your fingers while playing cups!
They could even touch you while playing tags!
Each girl has a pair of tits, a pair of butt cheeks, and a pair of legs!
They smell so good when you brush past them!
You should've enjoyed it only by seeing them, okay?
You're blessed, so blessed!
Can you stop rambling like a total idiot?
I lost to someone smaller than me, so I was demoralized.
How pathetic you are!
You never got along with a girl, did you, Inosuke?
You were raised in the wild, so you're such a late bloomer!
You're pitiful!
I'm so pissed!
What was that?
I stepped on a mother's child before!
You're so terrible!
You're annoying!
Nobody likes you!
I can have as many girls as I want!
I'm at your service now!
See? I'm doing fine.
This is one hell of a guy.
I would be crying in pain if that were me,
but he's so happy.
I am your opponent.
Begin.
I don't spill tea on girls.
Up next, full-body training.
Begin.
Take this!
I won on the outside, but lost inside.
Now it's my turn.
Take this!
-Got you! -That hurts!
Only I lost all the way through.
How embarrassing.
But...
there's no beating Kanao.
None of us could stop her from holding up a cup
or hold our own cup against her.
In the past five days, I lost to Kanao every time.
Same goes to Inosuke
and Zenitsu.
We couldn't even lay a finger on a single strand of her hair.
And then, those two stopped coming for training.
Zenitsu, Inosuke!
Show me the ropes!
I appreciate your hard work.
Why can't I beat her?
What does she have that I don't?
First, her reflex is way faster than mine.
Even if I'm at my very best, I'd probably still lose to her.
Her scent is also different.
-It's similar to that of a Pillar. -Mr. Tanjiro.
Also, her eyes.
-Her eyes are also different. -Mr. Tanjiro.
Excuse me.
Mr. Tanjiro, are you all right?
We have called you many times.
I'm sorry, I didn't hear you.
What is it?
Your towel.
Thank you very much!
You're so kind.
Excuse me.
Do you use Total Concentration Breathing all the time, Mr. Tanjiro?
Do you use it in the morning, afternoon, evening, and even when you sleep?
No.
I never went that far.
Is that even possible?
Yes.
Whether or not you can do it will make a whole world of difference.
If you only use Total Concentration Breathing a little,
you'll get tired very easily.
Using it all day...
Someone has already managed to pull it off.
All the Pillars and Ms. Kanao can do it.
-You can do it too! -You can do it too!
I see.
Thank you.
I'll give it a try.
It's almost time for training, Inosuke.
Sitting around moping isn't going to help.
Same goes to you, Zenitsu.
No, I think I've done enough.
Tell them that my injury is getting worse.
The nurse at that corner over there,
care to join me for a cup of tea?
Total Concentration Breathing.
I said I'd try to pull it off through day, night, and during bedtime.
But I can't do it at all.
I can't!
I have to totally concentrate my breath all the time
and it's messing me up.
I can't take it.
My lungs and ears are hurting.
I can feel the thumping in my ears.
My eardrums.
I'm freaking out!
I thought my heart is going to pop out of my ears.
I can't do it at this rate.
When you're in trouble, you must go back to square one.
This is all for nothing!
I must breathe with my lungs.
If I can't even do that, that means my lungs are weak.
I must do my best.
I've got to do my best.
That's what I've been doing.
I gain through effort every day.
Even if it bears a little fruit, I'll work hard to make progress.
Here I go!
Mr. Tanjiro is working hard every day.
Yes, let's make him some rice balls.
Good idea. Not to mention...
Blow a gourd?
Yes.
When Lady Shinobu trained Ms. Kanao,
she always made her blow these.
What?
That sounds like fun.
Does the gourd make sounds?
No.
You must blow it until it breaks.
Okay.
Until it breaks?
This thing?
-This rock-solid thing? -Yes.
This gourd is special.
It's harder than most gourds.
Even a petite girl like her can break a gourd just by blowing it?
The size of the gourd slowly changed too,
but Ms. Kanao managed to blow it until it broke.
This is the gourd.
It's so big!
I'll do my best!
THE NEXT DAY
Are they taking a break today too?
I'm sorry.
I'll take them here tomorrow.
Sorry about that.
Never mind. You can let them be.
I'll do my best.
I'll do my best!
I'll perform my training as imparted by Master Urokodaki
and practice my Total Concentration Breathing at the same time.
Just like when I used to run downhill,
I'd run laps around the Butterfly Estate
and treat the obstacles as the trees on the mountain.
Harder!
15 DAYS LATER
I've regained much of my strength.
Now I can run as fast as I used to.
My lungs have gotten more robust.
It feels so good.
I run laps in the day to train my lungs with fast movement.
Now I have to slowly
take a deep breath.
Let the oxygen flow into my fingertips.
"Meditation improves concentration."
That's what Master Urokodaki said.
Master Urokodaki?
I can't believe you broke my blade!
I'm sorry.
I wish you could make me a new one, Mr. Haganezuka.
I'm terribly sorry.
Concentrate. Concentrate on my spirit.
I must concentrate my spirit and breath.
Hello?
-Yes! -You've been working hard.
I wonder where your friends are now.
Don't you feel lonely?
No.
If I can pull this off, I can teach them how to do it.
You have a sincere heart.
By the way,
why did you bring us here?
Everyone now knows that Nezuko is a demon.
Besides, you were critically injured.
Besides that,
I'd like to pass on my dream to you.
Dream?
Yes.
A dream for humans and demons to coexist in peace.
I believe that you can make it happen.
Are you angry?
I always get that scent of anger from you.
Even when you are smiling.
Is that so?
You're right.
Perhaps, I'm always angry.
Ever since my beloved sister lost her life to a demon,
every time I see someone weep as demons kill their beloved,
and every time I hear cries of despair,
anger keeps building up inside me little by little.
Deep down inside me,
lies a sense of hatred that is hard to release.
I think the same goes for the other Pillars.
But now they've seen Nezuko, a demon that won't eat people.
They must have noticed her scent.
There's also Lord Oyakata's order.
I guess they won't lay a finger on Nezuko anymore.
My sister was a gentle person just like you.
She was sympathetic to demons.
She even felt pity for demons at the brink of her death.
I, on the other hand, never felt that way.
Why should we pity anyone who kills people?
There's nothing stupider than that.
But...
since that's what my sister wanted,
I have to move on with my life.
If there is a way out of this without killing the poor demons,
then I must keep thinking it out.
I have to preserve my sister's smile.
Kanae!
But I'm a little tired.
Demons are full of deception.
They'd give up their sense of reason to protect themselves.
They kill people with bare instinct.
Tanjiro.
Please do your best for me.
You must do your best to protect Nezuko.
The moment I thought that you could work for me,
I felt peace in my mind.
It lightened my mood.
You stopped your Total Concentration Breathing, didn't you?
I'll do my best.
Total Concentration Breathing.
Mom. Hanako.
Takeo. Shigeru. Rokuta.
I promise I'll have Nezuko turned back into human.
Did you find something delightful, Ms. Shinobu?
Yes.
I've obtained a highly-prized medicament.
Are you angry?
Someone stole the pastry I kept inside my cabinet.
You're sad now, aren't you?
The mountain is in sixes and sevens.
Here's a little gossip from the Taisho era.
Since Ms. Aoi trained under Ms. Shinobu,
I heard that she can even concoct some simple medications.
You really have a keen sense of smell, Tanjiro. I'm impressed.
-Well... -I'm glad to talk with you.
Thank you.
Next, episode 25, "Tsuguko, Kanao Tsuyuri."
TO BE CONTINUED
Subtitle translation by CL Tan