In Demon Slayer Season 4, Hashira Training Arc, everything is about preparing for the upcoming battle with Kibutsuji Muzan. The training with Himejima Gyomei in episode 6 is nothing different.
Previously, in episode 5 of Demon Slayer Season 4, Tanjiro had to train with three Hashiras.
First was, flexibility training with Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri.
Time with her started with a tasty breakfast but ended with hellish training.
Second was agility training with Snake Hashira, Iguro Obanai, where he had to fight Iguro while keeping in mind his peer’s safety.
Finally, it was, Wind Hashira Shinazugawa Sanemi, where he met Zenitsu.
Training with him was straightforward, he had to attack Sanemi relentlessly while being attacked in return and it continued until he landed a hit on Sanemi.
Unfortunately, that stage didn’t come.
Tanjiro chanced upon his conversation with his brother Genya, in which he was one-sidedly verbally abusing Genya.
but, things took a worse turn, when Genya had a coming out moment about him eating Demon to fight better.
Furious, Sanemi was about to seriously damage him physically, which Tanjiro stopped and with the help of his peers brawled with him the whole day to keep him away from Genya.
The training was canceled, and he and Zenitsu had to move to the next training spot, which was being supervised by Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyomei.
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How Was The Training Program, Assigned By Himejima Gyomei?
Stone Hashira Himejima Gyomei had straightforward logic, to exert strength in the upper body, one needs to train the lower body accordingly.
He did set up a training program for, Tanjiro and Zenitsu.
Hey!! Zenitsu is already shaking in his boots!!
Well, the training wasn’t very complicated.
First, they had to stay under a tall waterfall for two hours in one go while being hit by its cold water stream.
Second, they had to pick up three fat, and big logs (probably bigger than them), which were tied together.
Third, they had to move a boulder 1 cho(358 feet) away.
Very simple?
It was easier said than done.
For example, at the first training, they nearly froze and were almost carried away by river currents.
It was winter either way, so to get accustomed to the temperature was very difficult.
But, isn’t that Inosuke chanting under the waterfall?
He suddenly stopped chanting and lost consciousness while standing!!
This was the overall situation.
However, the good thing was, that they met Mr. Murata after a long time, probably after their mission in Mount Natagumu.
After the first section of the training was successfully over, Tanjiro concentrated on the second one and passed it.
The last training was the hardest one, moving the boulder was something, for which Tanjiro wasn’t ready yet.
In the meantime, some of the trainees had already given up and decided to go down the mountain with the aim of supporting Tanjiro and his team in the future.
In short, the training program assigned by Himejima Gyomei was straightforward but hard, probably the hardest among those Tanjiro had experienced yet.
How Did Tanjiro Overcame The Last Hurdle Set By Himejima Gyomei?
The last hurdle set by Himejima, which was moving a bigger-than-the-body, boulder 385 feet away, was the hardest one of a challenge for Tanjiro.
He tried to no avail but kept trying, not until Genya came.
Genya noticed some changes in Tanjiro, the mark on his forehead, was getting darker.
Remember the mark explained in the first episode, which appeared also, on Tokito Muichiro and Kanroji Mitsuri?
It means Tanjiro was progressing.
But till now, Tanjiro was using brute strength to move the boulder, which wasn’t the correct way, according to Genya.
He had to use repetitive motion, which was, to concentrate to the max and perform a predetermined action while pushing the boulder.
After some trial and error and clarity from Genya, he understood what he had to do.
In the meantime, he was bonding fine with his peers, through his excellent cooking.
I’ve noticed something, since the third episode, Tanjiro has been building a trustworthy bond with his peers, slowly but steadily.
The storyline is slowly, setting him up as a leader material in the making.
Maybe it’s the foreshadowing of a team buildup against Kibutsuji Muzan.
We seem to forget about something.
Oh, it’s Zenitsu, he was devastated by the difference between him and Hashira and somewhat gave up halfway.
Well, what do you expect, it’s Zenitsu!!
Now, what did Tanjiro understand about repetitive motion?
He had to, feel the most emotional moments in his life and concentrate on those.
For him, those were his time with family, and now passed Fire Hashira Rengoku’s words “Tanjiro, set your heart ablaze”.
Making those key moments his fuel, he literally, set his heart and the mark on his forehead, on fire and kept trying until he succeeded.
Zenitsu and Inosuke were the witnesses, of Tanjiro’s success in overcoming the last hurdle set by Himejima Gyomei in this way.
Something Is Lurking In The Darkness
On the other hand, Kibutsuji Muzan was intensely searching for Nezuko, as she overcame the sun, which he couldn’t.
Nakime, Upper Four Demon has been lurking in the dark from very early, as she was shown since the third episode, and finding Nezuko and Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
In the process, she found more or less, sixty percent of the Demon Slayer Cadets and their positions for Muzan.
But Nezuko remained unfound along with Kagaya.
Now, as Demons are moving underground, and tracking, it’s difficult to tell, when a disaster will strike.
To know more, stay tuned for the next episode…
