Chapter 16

## Playing Temari

**Playing Temari** (手 (て) 鞠 (まり) 遊 (あそ) び, *Temari Asobi*?) is the sixteenth chapter of Koyoharu Gotoge's Kimetsu no Yaiba.

## Summary

Having battered the interior and exterior of the house, the Temari Demon is impressed that her accomplice Yahaba had detected it, since it was hidden by a Blood Demon Art. He calls on her to see if their chosen target is inside but additionally chides the demon, Susamaru, for dirtying his kimono with her messy way of attacking. Bemused, she tells him to stop complaining about his clothes as she has found the inhabitants with her attack.

Hunching over Nezuko to protect her, Tanjiro is shocked to discover all the damage done was through hurling a simple temari. Yushiro sees her and wonders if the demon is a servant of Muzan. Susamaru throws her weapon again and it bounces inside the house, forcing everyone to duck. When Yushiro stands up to face her, he is suddenly decapitated when the temari unexpectedly swerves into his head. In disbelief at seeing him take a hit, Tanjiro orders Nezuko to take the injured woman away to safety.

As Susamaru laughs over killing one of her opponents, Tanjiro points his blade at the demon and notes that her scent is far stronger than all of the demons he had previously battle. Suddenly, she remarks that "*the Demon Slayer with hanafuda earrings... is you*", causing him to realize he is her target. He tells Tamayo to fall back, and she responds that he mustn't worry about them since they can heal. Susamaru then hurls a temari right at him; utilizing his fastest form, Tanjiro stabs it dead-on with **Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust - Curve**.

   Only mildly surprised, Susamaru seemingly causes the temari to slide of his blade and come back to her, with Tanjiro noting its unnatural movement were also evident when it struck Yushiro. Tamayo holds Yushiro's body and sees his neck and mouth heal, speaking of his dismay in Tamayo becoming associated with Tanjiro, since his concealment-based Blood Demon Art cannot fully hide something's existence. Healing the rest of his head, he declares his hatred of anyone interfering with his time with her.

Laughing at Yushiro's threats, Susamaru removes her kimono and states that they should be honored to be killed by her, a member of the Twelve Kizuki. She grows two new pairs of arms and creates four more temaris, now totalling six. Hurling them all at once, she succeeds in injuring both Yushiro and Tamayo, while Tanjiro struggles to find a way to stop them. Yushiro chastises him for not see the arrows; when Tanjiro becomes confused, the demon attaches a talisman imbued with his sight to his head, giving him the ability to see that the temaris being led by invisible arrows.

Now able to see their direction, he directs Nezuko's attention to up a tree in the backyard, where Yahaba is hiding and controlling them. Nezuko repeatedly kicks him, causing the arrows to weaken when Susamaru throws them at Tanjiro, and he quickly uses the **Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance** to cut through them all.

He then rushes the Temari Demon and cuts off all her arms at once. Asking Tamayo if the demons are close to Muzan, she answers that they may be, giving him the motivation to give her their blood.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Susamaru
* Yahaba
* Nezuko Kamado
* Tanjiro Kamado
* Tamayo
* Yushiro

## Events

* Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Tamayo and Yushiro vs Susamaru and Yahaba.
* Yushiro bestows a talisman so Tanjiro can see the attacks.
* Tanjiro discovers Yahaba is controlling Susamaru's temaris.