The fourth season of Demon Slayer nears its conclusion as the tedious “Hashira Training Arc” reaches its final lap. After receiving extensive training from all the Hashiras (minus Shinobu Kocho), Tanjiro and his Demon Slayer buddies are better equipped to take on the king of demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, and his lackeys. However, with Nakime’s surveillance eye familiar with charting nearly the entirety of the Corps’ location, the Slayers might be in for a nasty surprise. In the previous episode, Tanjiro managed to complete Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima’s rigorous training, thanks to Genya’s advice. In the penultimate episode, in true Demon Slayer tradition, we get a brief look at Himejima’s past, which not only allows Tanjiro to relate to him but also evokes a sense of respect for the Stone Hashira in him. As far as the Hashira backstories go, Himejima’s seems to be one of the more unique and tragic ones.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Written in Zenitsu’s Letter?
The penultimate episode of the season begins right where the sixth episode ended. Tanjiro manages to move the boulder to the target point, which motivates Inosuke to make an effort to complete his training as well. Zenitsu is lacking in effort and seriousness compared to his friends and carries on the foolhardy shenanigans until, all of a sudden, his sparrow, Chuntaro, arrives with a letter addressed to him. We do not get to know what was written in the letter, but after reading it, Zenitsu undergoes a drastic change of mood. He goes absent for a couple of days, and the next time Tanjiro meets him, Zenitsu is seen in a grim, somber demeanor—his wisecracking clownish attitude is gone, and he seems to have undergone a complete mental change. We don’t get to know the contents of the letter addressed to him, but it can be assumed that it was no good news that resulted in his sudden mood swing. In the worst-case scenario, Zenitsu might have lost someone close to him to the demons, which might be highlighted in the finale or in the fifth season.
Stone Hashira’s Tragic Past
Himejima congratulates Tanjiro on the successful completion of his task and praises his integrity by mentioning how the young Slayer dedicated himself to saving the Swordsmith Village residents, even while his own sister Nezuko was in peril. Tanjiro thanks Himejima for his kind words but states that he isn’t deserving of such praise as he had prioritized saving Nezuko’s life initially, until she forced Tanjiro to save the villagers first. Himejima states Tanjiro’s honesty only serves to prove the Stone Hashira’s assessment of him, and reveals an incident from his past that reveals an interesting side of him.
Gyomei used to be the chief of a dilapidated orphanage and looked after a number of orphan kids. Gyomei shared a strong parental bond with the kids and tried to take good care of them. Sayo, a four-year-old kid, had much respect and love for their sensei, as seen during a flashback sequence when she offers her portion of her food to Gyomei. Despite some difficulties with resources and finances and his own difficulties due to being blind, Gyomei and his kids spent their lives happily, until one day, one of the kids led a demon into their orphanage. Gyomei was too weak and frail to protect the kids, and the demon killed all of them—except Sayo. As the demon tried to finish her off as well, an enraged Gyomei found a hidden source of strength inside, which was unleashed in the form of a brutal beatdown on the demon. Gyomei was able to kill the demon, and with the beginning of a new day, the corpse of the demon vanished. Surprisingly enough, when the authorities arrived, a traumatized, horrified little Sayo blamed Gyomei for the deaths of all the kids. With no solid alibi at his disposal, Gyomei found himself behind bars until Kagaya Ubuyashiki rescued him from a death trial and gave him a place in the Demon Slayer Corps. Since then, Gyomei has had a hard time trusting anyone, but Tanjiro has shown the strength of his character through honesty and selflessness, which is why Gyomei thinks so highly of him. Gyomei’s past brings tears to Tanjiro’s eyes and makes it evident that the gentle giant Stone Hashira possesses physical as well as mental fortitude.
Did Muzan Kibutsuji finally track down Kagaya Ubuyashiki?
Tanjiro moves on to meet up with Tomioka Giyu, where he finds the Water Hashira sparring with Sanemi Shinazugawa, the hotheaded Wind Hashira, and this segment is beautifully animated in classic Demon Slayer style, despite being of a blink-and-miss duration. This season has had barely any action sequences, and it seems viewers will have to wait for the final episode to get some sort of extended battle scenes. However, Tanjiro stops their sparring session by mistakenly considering that Sanemi is trying to release his frustration on the Water Hashira, just like when he was going to attack Genya previously during the fifth episode. Tomioka clarifies, stating that mock battles are part of Hashira’s training regimen, and afterwards funny (?) banter ensues as Tanjiro suggests that Sanemi’s liking for red bean paste might curb his anger. Unwilling to engage in Tanjiro’s frivolousness, Sanemi leaves the duo and, while walking alone through a seemingly vacant area, senses a surveillance eyeball familiar following him. The Wind Hashira at once grabs hold of it and realizes that the Demon Slayer Corps has been infiltrated.
The eyeball familiar was the cyclops demon Nakime’s surveillance tool, which she was using to let Muzan know about the possible location of Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the chief of the Demon Slayer Corps. As the episode comes to a close, it is revealed that Muzan has learned about Kagaya’s location at the Ubuyashiki mansion, as the chiefs of two opposing factions come face-to-face at last. Muzan’s intentions are quite clear; he wants to force Kagaya to give up Nezuko’s location, as he wishes to gain absolute freedom by gaining her powers of withstanding the sun. However, Kagaya doesn’t seem surprised at all; in fact, it seems that he was expecting Muzan to come to his doorstep. Could it be that Kagaya has planned to ambush the king of demons by pretending to lower his defenses? We will know that soon enough, as the final episode of the fourth season releases next week.
