I DID IT! I’M BACK! So sorry it took so long y’all…2026, and WE’RE ALREADY IN MONTH 5?! Crazy!

But we’re just in time for some MAJOR things to occur in Demon Slayer! This post is a long one, so BUCKLE UP!

We left off with Tengen finally appearing to help two of his wives and two of our nephews (Zenitsu and Inosuke) as they fight Daki, Upper Six of the Kizuki (well, technically I guess they’re fighting her belt?). I actually saw the first parts of volume 10 in the last episode I watched for volume 9 (the small lore about Tengen and his wives), but then we see Tengen joining the fi–

a bloody mess.

Okay, no, we think we’re going to see Tengen, but we actually go back to Tanjiro’s fight with Daki’s actual body. He’s actually doing well against her, even though he may have taken some big hits, he isn’t just staying on the ground, he’s fighting with all he’s got!

But Daki gets excited once she senses Tengen’s presence, so pieces of her belt return to her, and she transforms (her hair turns white with green on the ends). Tanjiro mentions how her stench has become even more unbearable, meaning she’s also gained more power.

And…our nephew ain’t wrong. She tears up the whole block with a SWISH SWOOSH of her belt, and WHEN I TELL YOUUUU people DIED because buildings collapsed, or because they were hit by her belt…yeah. She ain’t playing!

But neither is Tanjiro! I mean, our nephew locks in so bad, blood pours out of his eyeballs. He not looking too good 😭

and now, a message from our sponsors…

Soon as Tanjiro gets bloody eyes, the manga and anime do a little commercial break to read a letter from Kyojuro’s dad. He’s not such a jerk anymore; he actually apologizes for his behavior when Tanjiro met him after Kyojuro’s death. It’s honestly the best apology/repentance a character like him could give, and he admits he was a dead beat dad (and was!).

BUT the main point of this message was to point to Tanjiro’s scar on his forehead…how it labels him as a “chosen wielder”, but Tanjiro doesn’t believe that because his scar wasn’t given to him by birth. It was from protecting his younger brother from a falling brazier (not a bra, y’all LMAO I thought that was how you spelled “brassiere” HELP 😭)…

…and then his scar was affected by injuries during final selection (which I’m going to have to go back and look at now because…I never noticed the change initially!). He points out that his father was born with a faint scar on his forehead though 🤔 I personally think it doesn’t matter how you get the scar, it can still mean you’re chosen, BUT THAT’S JUST MY THEORY.

is that you, dad?

Oh, Tanjiro is PISSED. Daki thinks she’s going to escape, and our nephew grabs her by the ankle to try to chop her up, and succeeds in at least cutting her foot off. All while he’s going on about evil that shouldn’t be left unchecked, how lives lost won’t be able to come back, yet demons can regenerate. Daki grows her foot back, of course, emphasizing Tanjiro’s statement all the more.

And his words are hitting home to Daki, because she starts having a flashback to another swordsman who said similar words (it looks like Tanjiro’s dad, y’all, I’m not gonna hold you! The hair, the earrings…I don’t KNOWWW). But it’s really not her memory, it’s Kibutsuji’s. Which is CRAZYYYY. This makes me think Tanjiro’s dad was a Hashira, and maybe he got poisoned by a demon so he couldn’t continue? If my theory is correct…someone owes me MONEY!

Daki tries a move with her Blood Demon Art, Eight Layered Obi Slash. She thinks she has our nephew, but Tanjiro doesn’t even blink as he burns through her obi (belt) with a new move – Hinokami Kagura: Burning Bones, Summer Sun. And when I TELL YOUUUU…Tanjiro doesn’t even yell this move…he merely speaks it.

Our nephew went from doing inner monologues and thinking of every single move as he was fighting, to free flowing with his body, executing plans without thinking them, just FIGHTING. That fast move he did with gathering all of the pieces of Daki’s belt, and then slicing through them like butter?! Oh, he was in his BAAAAG!

…and then he wasn’t.

Because that WHOLE TIME he was fighting, he wasn’t breathing. And, within his mind; one of his younger siblings urged him to breathe before it was too late. And when he did, all he could do was stop fighting and cough. I can’t lie, I was PISSED because HE WAS ABOUT TO CUT THIS DEMON’S HEAD OFF, AND NOW HE GOTTA BREATHE?! I mean, he’s coughing and throwing up blood, like NOOOO!

first transformation.

I love Tanjiro…y’all know I do…but his little sister be saving his ass A LOT. Before our nephew passes out, Nezuko knocks Daki into next week, so it’s about to be a cat fight!

Daki got her lick back, and cut Nezuko in half, sending her flying. She’s going on and on about how weak Nezuko is blah blah blah. Everything that comes out of her mouth is “you’re ugly” this, and “you’re weak” that, like PLEASE SHUT UUUUP!

But you know what…we already know our niece doesn’t play about her brother, or about humans getting hurt. She not only breaks the bamboo that’s covering her more, but she has her first transformation:

Daki is SHOOK. SHOOKETH.

***Inosuke's name for Tanjiro right now is "Monjiro" 😭

Nezuko may only SEEM to have one move, but she’s got so much more up her sleeve with this transformation. She regenerates even quicker than Daki, and Nezuko literally cuts off Daki’s limbs just by stomping on them. She’s gone into full SHE-HULK mode!

Daki tries to defend herself, but Nezuko’s powers at this level are INSANE. She’s able to harden her blood so her body parts aren’t actually cut off. And she ignites the blood that’s landed on Daki to burn her up. And the flames are 💓PINK💓

She is NOT playin with y’all!

Back to Tanjiro…

He gets yet another vision of one of his dead siblings telling him to wake up. This time, because Nezuko is off the rails, and apparently, if she stays in this form for too long, she won’t be the same. So Tanjiro does what any good big brother would do– he wakes up, and makes his way to help his little sister.

And catches her just in time too, because Nezuko has seen human blood and is ready to FEAST when Tanjiro sticks his sword in her mouth to stop her! He’s yelling at her to go to sleep so she can heal, that he’s sorry she had to fight 😭 but of course, she’s so far gone right now, she can’t even hear him for real.

Daki gets up after she’d gotten wailed on by Nezuko, saying she’s having a hard time healing and she’s done playing around. Tanjiro is in a major pickle because he can’t defend the people standing by and keep Nezuko from eating them at the same time.

siiiinngggg, sing a soooonggg…

Who else should come through to save the day but TENGEN UZUI HIMSELF. He scolds Tanjiro for not divulging Nezuko’s “flashy” demonization, but Daki tries to get his attention. He tells her to shut up, and that she’s no upper rank demon.

Y’all, when I say…I was SHOCKED and just as SHOOKETH to see Daki’s head fall into her lap!!!! Like, HOW?! WHEN?!

But we still have Nezuko problems. Tanjiro is still struggling to keep her from attacking anyone, so Tengen suggests a lullaby. Tanjiro sorta sings this song about a baby rabbit that brings Nezuko back to her senses; she’s crying like a BIG BABY DEMON NOW 😭 but then shrinks into a very small version of herself with the vibes and horn she’d had disappearing. And she falls asleep.

But Nezuko isn’t the only one who ends up crying…

“BROTHER…you’re a man amongst men…” – Aoi Todo

Daki is WAILING because Tengen doesn’t believe she’s an upper rank demon since he cut her head off. But he fails to realize a little too late that she somehow isn’t disintegrating even after that.

DIFFERENCE: In the manga, Daki calls for “Gyutaro”, and in the anime, she says “brother”, not his name. Then this other demon comes out of her, protecting her from anymore hits from Tengen.

I won’t lie, I was a little disappointed in the anime voice actor for this demon because he sounds like an old man, not necessarily a big brother 😅 but maybe the point was for him to sound and look unappealing since he’s so jealous of the way Tengen is so very appealing physically.

I didn’t notice this in the manga until after I watched this scene, but Gyutaro is so jealous of Tengen that he’s scratching himself until he bleeds. Like GROSS, dude, your envy is definitely showing.

now the BOYS are fighting…

Gyutaro attacked Tengen with his sickles before his acknowledgment of jealousy, but now he goes all in, ready to exact vengeance on anyone who “bullied” his sister. Like sir, SHE STARTED THIS.

But BACK UP ARRIVES! The nephews are reunited as Lord Inosuke (as he calls himself now 😂) and a sleepy Zenitsu find Tanjiro outside with Nezuko. Tanjiro tells them to help Tengen while he puts Nezuko away in her box, and they rush off.

Meanwhile, Tengen just HAS to rub it in that he’s a “flashy, glamorous lady’s man” and that he’s got three wives, which angers Gyutaro even more.

So he uses his blood demon art on Tengen, who successfully saves the couple he’s protecting, but only now is realizing that he might need to take Gyutaro’s head off instead of Daki’s. All the while, he’s staving off the blood sickles the best he can.

sibling rivalry.

Daki’s healed up at this point, so they start fighting Tengen together. Tanjiro puts Nezuko into her box, and is ready to join the fight too.

But then we get some dialogue (trialogue, since Daki’s talking too?) with Gyutaro and Tengen about Tengen having talent, but Tengen is adamant that it’s far from that.

DIFFERENCE: In the manga, Tengen says he’s lost things over the years, and says he can’t be like Rengoku. In the anime, he specifically says he’s had lives slip through his fingers, and says Rengoku was always ahead of him in that regard. Very interesting choices of words for both the manga and anime! He also says in the anime that his younger brother had wives plural, but in the manga, he just had one wife.

The poison Gyutaro thought wasn’t working starts to work as Tengen reminisces on Master Kagaya’s kind words to him in the past. It makes sense to me then why he’s so…flashy. Why he leans more into his personality of positivity and confidence. It’s really endearing to be honest!

Well, Tengen starts to swing despite the poison, beheading Daki again, and almost doing the same to Gyutaro, but missing his chance to behead him. AND WHO SHOULD APPEAR BUT OUR BRAVE NEPHEWS! Even Tengen said they made a flashy entrance, and he taught them well 🥹 He even continues by encouraging them, that they’re his Tsuguko (“successor” or “heir” in Japanese), and that they’ll keep fighting even if their limbs fall off. Tanjiro looks at Tengen, and he pictures Rengoku beside him because Tengen’s attitude and air are exactly like Rengoku’s. It’s sweet, really. RIP RENGOKU, I’LL NEVER GET OVER IT!

Our boy Zenitsu is still fast asleep, but it doesn’t stop him from blocking Daki’s attack. He sends her flying outside of the building they’re in. Inosuke decides to fight with him, while Tanjiro and Tengen fight Gyutaro.

We love a gentleman; Zenitsu wants Daki to apologize for her behavior in the house she was in, but of course to Daki, that’s out of the question. She goes on her own monologue (with Gyutaro’s voice as well) about exacting revenge for what was done to her and her brother, while one of Gyutaro’s eyes appears on her forehead. Gyutaro has an eye closed when we see him again, so it seems the siblings really do share a body together.

Poor Tanjiro is shaking in his boots because the scent of bloodlust is intense. I would be too though, like UPPER 6?! AND RENGOKU WAS KILLED BY AN UPPER RANK DEMON?!

Tengen ends up having to defend Tanjiro because he’s too slow, and Tanjiro kicks himself for it. He wants to protect Tengen since he’s poisoned, but Tanjiro is too in his head right now. It doesn’t help that Gyutaro starts mocking him too.

Daki’s released her belts again, causing more mayhem below in the building, and above with Zenitsu and Inosuke. Her third eye really is open because apparently now she can see all their movements.

Aaaand this is where the volume ends, and I had to stop in the middle of an episode of the anime 😂

Okay, we FINALLY got to the end of volume 10! I’m eager to read what happens in volume 11; I’ve missed the Demon Slayer reading and watching, but I’ve been SO busy this year!

I hope you enjoyed this super long post!

Mishy 🦋✨