Demon Slayer Chapter 173

Demon Slayer Chapter 173, titled "The Path of Opening a Steadfast Heart," propels the battle against Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, to new heights as Gyomei Himejima awakens the Transparent World, Genya Shinazugawa makes a desperate sacrifice, and the Hashiras launch a coordinated, high-stakes attack. Gyomei attempts Stone Breathing, Fifth Form, but is intercepted by Kokushibo's Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon, which summons downward-striking slashes around him and Sanemi. Gyomei is frustrated by the sheer number of forms Kokushibo's Breathing Style possesses and the battle's overwhelming speed. Despite his anticipation-based movements, the pace is too fast, and any mistake could be fatal. He questions what divine power Kokushibo wields, what his eyes see, and what he is seeing. Resolving to find out, Gyomei, believing demons are transformed humans, asserts that humans can achieve anything demons can, declaring his blind eyes will perceive Kokushibo's true nature, never to be misled in the thrilling narrative of the Demon Slayer manga.

As the battle rages, Gyomei observes Kokushibo performing an attack and, to his shock, briefly perceives his pulse and sees through his bones and muscles – he has entered the Transparent World. Simultaneously, Muichiro, with his arm severed and bleeding, resolves to get within Kokushibo's attack range to slow him down, even for a second, enabling Sanemi and Gyomei to behead him. He pushes himself to act before he succumbs to his injuries. Suddenly, Gyomei shouts Sanemi's name, and all three Hashira charge Kokushibo at once, Muichiro realizing the others are adapting to his plan. Kokushibo dismisses this as a desperate frontal assault, one he can use to eliminate them all. He unleashes Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon, enveloping the area in large, rotating slashes. Muichiro bravely squeezes through the gaps, while Sanemi ducks beneath. Gyomei then throws a rosary bead, hitting Kokushibo's hand. Although it doesn't harm him, Kokushibo questions how it got past his vision and if it was thrown at the exact moment he swung his chain.

Kokushibo bends back to avoid Sanemi's Dust Whirlwind Cutter but has his right arm instantly destroyed by Gyomei's flail. As he heals and attempts to understand how Gyomei slipped past his view, Muichiro unexpectedly stabs him in the torso, losing his left leg and sustaining a neck slash in the process. However, his carotid artery is unharmed, allowing him to continue fighting. Kokushibo questions how the wounded Muichiro bypassed his attacks, initially attributing it to Gyomei's bead, but soon realizes Muichiro's eyes now perceive the Transparent World. He also determines that Gyomei is using the Transparent World, manipulating his blood flow to disrupt Kokushibo's attack patterns. Despite these unexpected developments, Kokushibo remains confident, as no blade has reached his neck. As he raises his katana for Moon Breathing's Sixteenth Form, Muichiro vows to hold on. Genya emerges, his eyes now red and yellow like Kokushibo's, bearing a mark on his head. Recalling Muichiro's earlier permission to shoot despite being in the line of fire if it meant stopping Kokushibo, Genya aims his transformed shotgun and fires at Upper One, who slashes away the bullets, setting the stage for a dramatic, four-way clash fueled by newfound abilities and desperate resolve in the climactic Infinity Castle Arc of the Demon Slayer manga.