Demon Slayer Chapter 174

Demon Slayer Chapter 174, titled "Nightmare on the Night of a Red Moon," marks a dramatic turning point in the battle against Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, as Genya Shinazugawa unleashes a shocking Blood Demon Art, trapping the demon, while Kokushibo is haunted by the lingering shadow of his twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Despite deflecting Genya's shotgun blast, Kokushibo is stunned as the pellets redirect and embed themselves in his body. He notices Genya's altered appearance and changing shotgun, then, horrifyingly, the pellets within him sprout into giant trees, ensnaring him and paralyzing his movements. This is Genya's Blood Demon Art, achieved by absorbing Kokushibo's hair and a piece of his blade. Trapped and facing the converging Hashiras, Kokushibo is disturbed by the feeling of his life being threatened, his core seizing up. His composure shatters, triggering memories from 400 years ago, a chilling flashback to the origins of his deepest fears in the thrilling narrative of the Demon Slayer manga.

On that fateful night, a blood moon illuminated Kokushibo's disbelief as his brother, Yoriichi, now an aged and decrepit man in his 80s, approached him. Having not met for 60 years, Kokushibo questioned how Yoriichi still lived, given the supposed curse of the Demon Slayer Mark. Yoriichi, tearfully, expressed his sympathies, a display of emotion that bewildered Kokushibo, who had known him as emotionless. He was unsettled by this unexpected unrest within himself, realizing he had to kill Yoriichi to erase the last fragment of his human life. Though old, Yoriichi remained a formidable Demon Slayer. As Yoriichi reached for his katana, his sentimentality vanished. Kokushibo felt an immense pressure, as if rocks appeared on his shoulders, the air thick with Yoriichi's intimidating aura – his stance had no openings.

Yoriichi calmly announced his impending strike, and before Kokushibo could react, Yoriichi had already slit his throat. Boiling with rage, Kokushibo questioned why Yoriichi had to be the special one, lamenting that despite bearing the mark, he lived on, his power and speed undiminished. The vivid memories of his 60-year-long grudge resurfaced, fueled by jealousy and his desire to transcend natural laws. Declaring his hatred, Kokushibo prepared for the next strike, knowing it would be fatal. Yoriichi's speed, capable of cornering Muzan himself, was god-like. Kokushibo waited in dread, feeling as if his insides would burst, but the strike never came. Yoriichi had died standing, his katana impaled in the ground, leaving Kokushibo with the unsettling knowledge that even in death, his brother remained an unmatched force, and a terrifying reminder of his own limitations in the climactic Infinity Castle Arc of the Demon Slayer manga.