It is the Taisho Period (i.e. 1912-1926). Tanjiro Kamado is living a modest but blissful life in the mountains with his family. One day, when he returns from selling charcoal in town, he finds the remains of his slaughtered family in pools of blood after a demon attack. Tanjiro rushes down the snowy mountain with the sole survivor, his sister Nezuko, on his back. But on the way, Nezuko suddenly snarls, turning on Tanjiro.

At Giyu Tomioka's urging, Tanjiro heads for Mt. Sagiri with his sister Nezuko who's been turned into a demon. During the night, Tanjiro catches the smell of blood from inside a temple. He enters, thinking that someone might be hurt, only to come upon a man-eating demon. When the demon attacks, Tanjiro manages to fight back with his hatchet, but the demon's strength is overwhelming. Just as the demon is about to finish him off, Tanjiro is saved by none other than.

After a desperate fight to the death, Tanjiro prevails over Kyogai. He exits the house to find Zenitsu who had escaped earlier. But it is then that he sees the strange circumstances before him... The battered Zenitsu holding the box containing Nezuko in his arms while the man in the boar's head mask stands in the way with two Nichirin Swords drawn.

As Tanjiro and the others are devoted to their rehabilitation training, the absolute master of the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, gathers the Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki. The demons, too, are preparing to make their next move. As training draws to a close, Tanjiro has improved to the point where he can fight on equal terms with Kanao. Just then, he receives word of a new mission from his Kasugai Crow.

The demon that appeared before Tanjiro and Rengoku after they defeated Enmu was the Upper Three, Akaza. While injured and on the ground, Tanjiro is almost attacked by Akaza and narrowly escapes death when Rengoku quickly strikes back. During the intense battle between Rengoku and Akaza, Akaza suggests to Rengoku that he should also become a demon. Rengoku vehemently refuses Akaza's offer, but his injured body is exhausted and being pushed past its physical limits...

After the Mugen Train incident, Akaza visits Muzan Kibutsuji. Guided by a crow, Tanjiro Kamado heads off to the Rengoku residence to convey Kyojuro Rengoku's last messages to his father and little brother. Tanjiro's group return to the Butterfly Mansion.