Title: Demon Slayer: Crimson Requiem
Genre: Action, Supernatural, Tragedy, Shonen
Setting: Post-Taisho era Japan, in a time when demons are evolving to mimic human lives and emotions more perfectly than ever.
Main Plot Summary
After the final battle with Muzan, the world slowly recovered. However, decades later, whispers of new demonic presences begin spreading in the shadows. These aren't like the demons of the past — they retain their memories, show emotions, and some even regret their actions. A hidden faction known as the Crimson Lotus Corps emerges, carrying on the legacy of the Demon Slayer Corps in secret.
A young boy named Reiji Kanzaki discovers his bloodline has a forbidden connection to a resurrected demon progenitor, older than Muzan, sealed centuries before. With his sister, Ayame, and a cursed blade that speaks to him in his dreams, Reiji joins the Crimson Lotus to hunt down the new breed of demons and uncover the truth behind their origin.
Main Characters
Reiji Kanzaki
A determined and conflicted protagonist. Orphaned and raised by an ex-demon slayer, Reiji discovers a strange symbol on his chest that glows whenever he nears a demon. He wields the Crimson Requiem Blade, which slowly drains his life in exchange for immense power.
Ayame Kanzaki
Reiji's blind younger sister. She has a unique ability: her hearing is so sharp, she can sense a demon's breathing pattern and detect lies. Although she cannot fight directly, she becomes a crucial support to the team.
Toma Renjiro
A senior member of the Crimson Lotus Corps. Calm, strategic, and merciless against demons. He suspects Reiji may become a threat but decides to train him.
Shiro
A demon who betrayed his own kind. He travels with Reiji in secret, seeking redemption for his past. He provides inside knowledge about demon biology and inner society.
Arc Structure
Arc 1: Crimson Awakening
Reiji discovers his mark, loses his village to a demon attack, and joins the Crimson Lotus Corps. He trains in a hidden fortress and meets allies and enemies alike. The arc ends with his first true battle and the awakening of the Crimson Requiem Blade.
Arc 2: Tears of the Moon Demon
The team investigates a mountain town where humans are vanishing, only to uncover a demon that collects memories. The line between monster and human blurs. Ayame's abilities play a key role.
Arc 3: The Demon General's Ballad
A demon general from the ancient age returns, seeking revenge. Reiji faces a moral crisis after discovering his own bloodline is tied to the demon's curse.
Arc 4: Blood Moon War
Full-scale war breaks out between the Crimson Lotus Corps and the new demon faction. Shiro's true identity is revealed, and Reiji must choose between humanity and the legacy of his blood.
Final Arc: Requiem of the Crimson Flame
Reiji travels to the ruins of the first Demon Slayer headquarters, confronting the progenitor of all demons. Past, present, and future clash. A final decision must be made: destroy the demon race forever or find a new path for coexistence.
Chapter 1: The Smell of Ashes
Page 1
Panel 1 – Wide view of a snowy village nestled between mountains. It's quiet. Smoke rises gently from one chimney.
Caption: In the mountains of Akane Valley, peace came in whispers. But whispers can lie.
Panel 2 – Inside a small house. A boy (Reiji) tends to a fire. His sister (Ayame) sits quietly beside a low table, threading a needle.
Ayame: Brother, the wind smells strange today.
Reiji: It's just the wood smoke, Ayame. Nothing else.
Panel 3 – Close-up on Ayame's eyes. Though closed, her expression sharpens.
Ayame: No. There's something bitter in the air… like burnt iron.
Page 2
Panel 1 – Outside the house. A shadowy figure watches from the edge of the forest. Its eyes glow faintly.
Caption: Something ancient was stirring, long thought buried.
Panel 2 – Back inside. Reiji lifts an axe and slings it over his shoulder.
Reiji: I'll go chop more firewood. Stay inside, okay?
Panel 3 – Ayame's hand grips his sleeve.
Ayame: Be careful. Don't follow the silence too far.
Panel 4 – Reiji smiles.
Chapter 2: The Crimson Lotus
Page 1
Panel 1
A snowy clearing. The demon's headless body sizzles, melting into ash. Reiji stares at it, stunned.
Reiji: It's... gone. Just like that?
Panel 2
The stranger sheathes his katana. He walks past Reiji, his coat trailing in the snow.
Stranger: You're lucky. That demon was weak — just loud.
Panel 3
Reiji stands, still gripping his axe.
Reiji: Wait. Who are you really? Why are there demons now? I thought Muzan was destroyed.
Panel 4
The stranger turns slightly, face still half-hidden under a scarf and wide-brimmed hat.
Stranger: We thought so too.
Panel 5
He tosses a black coin-like object to Reiji.
Stranger: You'll find answers in Shiranagi Village. Show that to the gatekeeper.
Page 2
Panel 1
Reiji looks at the coin. A lotus blossom carved into obsidian. Its petals drip down like blood.
Narration box: A symbol of an order I'd never heard of… but would soon be part of.
Panel 2
The stranger disappears into the trees. His footsteps make no sound.
Reiji: Wait! What do I tell my sister?
Panel 3
A voice echoes faintly from the trees.
Stranger: Tell her the past is clawing its way back. And we need warriors again.
Panel 4
Back in the village. Ayame sits near the fire, her hands still. She turns her head sharply.
Ayame: Brother?
Panel 5
Reiji bursts in through the door. His face is pale, his eyes wide with shock.
Ayame: You saw it, didn't you?
Page 3
Panel 1
Reiji kneels beside her.
Reiji: A real demon. Not just stories. A man with a red sword saved me. Said there are more.
Panel 2
Ayame places her hand on his.
Ayame: Then the dream I had wasn't just a dream. There's something waking up.
Panel 3
Reiji holds up the coin.
Reiji: He said to go to Shiranagi. I think… I have to. I need to understand what's happening.
Panel 4
Ayame tightens her grip.
Ayame: Then I'm coming with you.
Panel 5
Reiji looks conflicted.
Reiji: It could be dangerous.
Panel 6
Ayame smiles faintly.
Ayame: Everything is dangerous now. Besides… you'll need someone to hear the things you can't see.
Page 4
Panel 1
Montage: The two siblings packing. Reiji sharpens his axe. Ayame folds herbs and food into cloth.
Narration box: We had nothing to guide us but instinct, old stories, and the ashes of truth.
Panel 2
The siblings leave their home before dawn, walking through snowlit fields.
Narration box: And yet… I wasn't afraid. Because for the first time, I knew our lives were part of something far bigger.
Panel 3
High in the trees above, a masked figure watches them go. Crimson armor gleams beneath a dark cloak.
Masked voice: New candidates, huh?
Panel 4
Back in the shadows, a second voice.
Second voice: His blood burns. Just like the old flame. Should we intervene?
Panel 5
First voice: No. Let the path test them. If they survive the forest… they'll be worth the blade.
Page 5
Panel 1
Night falls. Reiji and Ayame reach a broken signpost. Faded characters: "Shiranagi Village – 5 ri".
Reiji: We're close. Just over this hill.
Panel 2
They walk into a forest path surrounded by tall, crooked trees.
Ayame: The silence is strange again. Like something's listening.
Panel 3
A small bell tied to Ayame's wrist rings faintly. She stops.
Ayame: No birds. No insects. Only breath.
Panel 4
Suddenly, a rustle. Dozens of eyes open from the shadows of the trees — not animals. Watching.
Reiji: Stay close!
Panel 5
The eyes vanish. In their place, five hooded figures drop silently from the trees, circling the siblings. Their robes bear the crimson lotus.
Central figure: State your name and reason for entering the sacred boundary.
Page 6
Panel 1
Reiji steps forward, holding up the coin.
Reiji: Reiji Kanzaki. We were told to come. A man with a black blade gave me this.
Panel 2
The hooded figure steps closer, studying the coin.
Central figure: Then you were marked. Come.
Panel 3
Ayame whispers to Reiji.
Ayame: They're warriors… but their scent is odd. Like steel and… regret.
Panel 4
The forest path parts. Beyond it: the hidden Crimson Lotus fortress, a temple built into the side of a cliff, glowing with red lanterns and torii gates.
Narration box: We entered the heart of an ancient flame. One that had never fully died.
Panel 5
Inside the temple, an elder woman with scars across her face kneels at an altar. She turns her head as they approach.
Elder: Another with cursed blood... and a sister with the demon's echo. The cycle begins again.
End of Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Blades and Burdens
Page 1
The Crimson Lotus temple looms in silence. Massive stone pillars carved with red lotus symbols tower around Reiji and Ayame. The floor is polished obsidian, reflecting the faint glow of paper lanterns.
Narration: Deep beneath the earth, past the realm of the living, warriors gather where the sun does not reach.
Reiji walks beside Ayame, gripping the obsidian coin given to him. She holds onto his sleeve, listening to the air.
Ayame whispers, "They're watching us. But not with eyes."
Reiji replies softly, "I know. It's like the shadows are breathing."
They stop before an old woman with a long scar across her face and a blind left eye. She wears robes lined with crimson stitching.
The old woman says, "You bear the cursed mark. And she... she hears things no one else should."
Reiji bows slightly. "We came to find out why the demons are back. We want to stop them."
The old woman studies them. "Wanting is easy. Enduring is harder. Let's see if you can."
Page 2
A massive wooden door slides open behind her. Inside is a blood-stained chamber with a giant wooden demon statue in the center.
She gestures for Reiji to enter. "This is the Trial of Splinters. You survive, you stay."
Reiji turns to Ayame. "I'll be fine."
She frowns. "You're already limping."
He grins, steps inside the chamber. The doors close behind him.
The statue creaks. Cracks run down its body. With a violent shudder, the wooden shell shatters.
A real demon bursts out, chained at the limbs, snarling with wild eyes.
Reiji stumbles back. "That's not a test dummy!"
The woman speaks from the other side of the gate. "No rehearsal. Kill it or die wondering."
The chains snap.
Page 3
The demon charges. Reiji barely dodges, swinging his axe. The blade strikes the demon's side but only sparks fly. It shrieks and slashes back, knocking him hard across the room.
From a balcony above, two Crimson Lotus warriors observe, masked and silent.
One says, "He's untrained. But not untalented."
The other replies, "Look at his reflexes. His blood's awake."
Reiji lies on the ground, gasping. His axe is far from reach. His chest burns.
He thinks, "I can't beat it with just muscle. There has to be something else..."
A memory flashes.
The crimson swordsman's voice echoes in his head: "The flame in you won't awaken until you bleed for it."
Reiji looks at his own hands. Then slowly draws a short knife and slices across his palm.
Blood drips to the floor.
Page 4
The air shifts. Heat rolls through the chamber. The obsidian coin in Reiji's pocket glows and pulses like a heartbeat.
A red light spreads beneath his feet in the shape of a lotus crest.
The demon snarls, uncertain now.
A sword forms in the air before Reiji, born from smoke and glowing red steel.
Reiji grabs the hilt.
He stands up. Eyes fierce. "Now we're even."
The demon lunges again. Reiji dashes forward, faster than before.
The blade slices cleanly through the demon's arm. It screeches in pain.
One slash. Then another. The blade cuts through flesh like it's paper.
The demon collapses into ash.
Reiji falls to one knee, breathing heavily.
Page 5
Ayame runs to him from the side, pushing past the guards.
"You idiot. That wasn't how you're supposed to survive."
Reiji coughs, grinning weakly. "Still standing, aren't I?"
From above, the old woman watches.
"He wielded the Requiem Blade. And his sister hears the echoes. Together… they might be what we've waited for."
Narration: In that chamber, two lives changed. Not by luck. But by fire.
End of Chapter 3
Chapter 4: The Black Flame Initiation
Page 1
Panel 1
Morning mist drapes the Crimson Lotus fortress. Bells echo faintly as disciples in black and red uniforms kneel in meditation.
Narration box: In the heart of the mountain, blood and fire are not enemies. They are teachers.
Panel 2
Reiji sits beside Ayame in a dim room lit by candlelight. His chest is wrapped in bandages.
Reiji: That blade… it wasn't a dream, right?
Ayame: I heard it sing. You weren't imagining.
Panel 3
The elder enters, followed by three silent figures — two masked warriors and one tall man with silver hair and a blindfold.
Elder: This is Master Kazuro. He leads the inner core of the Crimson Lotus.
Panel 4
Kazuro steps forward. Though blindfolded, he turns directly to Reiji.
Kazuro: You touched the Black Flame. That means your training begins now.
Reiji: What's the Black Flame?
Kazuro: It's not fire. It's not a technique. It's the part of you that survived death.
Page 2
Panel 1
The elder walks Ayame to the side.
Elder: Your bond is rare. Most flame-bearers are lost to madness. But she grounds you.
Ayame: He needs someone to hear the silence. I can do that.
Panel 2
Reiji stands, wincing but determined.
Reiji: So what do I have to do?
Kazuro: You'll train under me and the Flame Pillar. Survive seven days in the Hall of Silence. Come out alive — or don't come out at all.
Panel 3
Reiji frowns.
Reiji: What's the catch?
Kazuro: You won't be alone in there.
Panel 4
Outside, the entrance to a pitch-black cave shaped like an open mouth. Lit by a single lantern.
Narration box: The Hall of Silence — where the Crimson Lotus tests not your skill, but your mind.
Page 3
Panel 1
Reiji enters the cavern. The door closes behind him with a thunderous boom. Total darkness.
Panel 2
Reiji: Hello?
No reply. He walks forward blindly.
Panel 3
A voice in the dark, not his own.
Unknown voice: So fragile. So loud.
Panel 4
He draws his katana, but nothing moves. Only breath, like wind, brushing his ear.
Reiji: Show yourself!
Voice: I am yourself.
Page 4
Panel 1
A flicker of light. Reiji sees a twisted version of himself, eyes red, smiling.
Dark Reiji: You think you're strong. But you hesitate. You love your sister too much to become what we must.
Chapter 5: Secrets Beneath the Lotus
Page 1
Panel 1
Early morning light filters through stained glass windows in the Crimson Lotus temple. Reiji and Ayame sit across from the elder woman in a quiet chamber filled with ancient scrolls.
Elder: Your blood is tied to the old curses. To understand your power, you must learn the history of demons—and those who hunt them.
Panel 2
Reiji leans forward, eager.
Reiji: I'm ready. Tell me everything.
Panel 3
The elder unrolls a scroll depicting a crimson lotus blooming amidst black flames.
Elder: Long ago, before Muzan, there was another demon progenitor. Known as Kurohana—the Black Lotus. She was sealed by the first Demon Slayers but her bloodline survived in secret.
Panel 4
Close-up of Ayame's face, eyes closed but attentive.
Ayame: So the demons we fight now… they are descendants of Kurohana?
Panel 5
The elder nods.
Elder: Yes. And your mark means you carry a fragment of her curse. That is why your blade responds to your blood.
Page 2
Panel 1
Reiji clenches his fist.
Reiji: Then I'm part demon?
Panel 2
Elder shakes her head slowly.
Elder: Not demon, but something in-between. A bridge between worlds. That is why your strength is both a gift and a burden.
Panel 3
A shadow moves at the edge of the room. The tall blindfolded man from before, Kazuro, steps in silently.
Kazuro: Power without control will consume you. The Black Flame must be mastered, or it will burn you alive.
Panel 4
Reiji looks determined.
Reiji: Then teach me. I don't want to lose myself—or my sister.
Panel 5
Kazuro folds his arms.
Kazuro: You begin tomorrow. At dawn, you will enter the Hall of Silence.
Page 3
Panel 1
Outside, Reiji and Ayame walk through a garden of black and red lotuses. The air is heavy with the scent of blood and earth.
Ayame: Do you think I can help control the flame?
Panel 2
Reiji smiles faintly.
Reiji: You already do. I feel it when you're near.
Panel 3
Suddenly, the wind shifts and the lotuses tremble. A faint whisper echoes through the garden.
Whisper (faint): The past awakens… the cycle begins anew.
Panel 4
A black crow flies overhead, its eyes glowing red.
Panel 5
Reiji and Ayame look up, uneasy.
Page 4
Panel 1
In a dark chamber deep below the temple, several masked figures gather around a glowing map. One of them points to the valley where Reiji's village lies.
Masked Leader: The boy with the crimson mark is awakening. His strength will decide the fate of our world.
Panel 2
Another figure speaks, voice cold.
Masked Figure: We cannot allow him to become a threat. The Black Lotus must be controlled or destroyed.
Panel 3
Close-up on a slender hand tightening around a dagger with a lotus engraving.
Panel 4
Back at the temple garden, Reiji tightens his grip on the obsidian coin.
Reiji (thinking): If they want to stop me, I have to grow stronger. Fast.
Panel 5
Ayame places her hand gently on his shoulder.
Ayame: We face this together. No matter what.
Page 5
Panel 1
The sun sets behind the mountain peaks. Flames flicker in the distance as the temple prepares for the night.
Narration: Shadows lengthen, secrets deepen, and the first steps of destiny are taken.
Panel 2
Reiji looks toward the horizon, eyes burning with resolve.
Reiji: I will master the Black Flame. For her. For us.
End of Chapter 5
Name: Reiji Kanzaki
Age: 16
Role: Protagonist, Demon Slayer Trainee
Affiliation: Crimson Lotus Corps (Candidate)
Height: 171 cm
Hair: Messy black, short with uneven bangs
Eyes: Deep amber with faint red rings that glow during intense moments
Weapon: Crimson Requiem Blade – a cursed katana that grows stronger the more blood is spilled, including Reiji's own
Personality:
Reiji is stubborn, brave, and compassionate. He acts first to protect others, even before understanding the full danger. Underneath his strength lies uncertainty about his origin and a fear that he may not remain fully human. He often hides worry behind sarcasm or silence, but is fiercely loyal to Ayame.
Background:
Raised in a snowy village by a former demon slayer who told him stories he never believed. After witnessing a demon firsthand and being saved by a mysterious swordsman, Reiji is pulled into a world where his blood may be tied to something older than Muzan. He's driven by a desire to protect Ayame and to understand why he feels drawn toward darkness.
Abilities:
Basic axe combat experience
High pain tolerance
Adaptive combat instincts
The Crimson Mark: a burning symbol on his chest that activates near demons, temporarily enhancing speed and reaction
Blood Echo: later revealed, allows him to hear a demon's heartbeat pattern during combat
Theme:
A blade forged in fear, learning to burn through courage
Name: Ayame Kanzaki
Age: 13
Role: Support, Seer
Affiliation: Non-combatant, special observer under Crimson Lotus supervision
Height: 150 cm
Hair: Long and black, tied into two braids
Eyes: Closed due to blindness, but slightly red-tinted
Weapon: None (later receives a sound-based charm tool for defensive aid)
Personality:
Calm, highly perceptive, and unusually mature for her age. Ayame is soft-spoken but firm when it matters. Her blindness has sharpened her other senses, making her an excellent companion in battle zones. She believes in fate, dreams, and echoes — often saying she can "hear things no one else does." She shares a quiet telepathic bond with Reiji, not literal, but deeply intuitive.
Background:
Blinded as a child by an unknown fever. Her senses, especially hearing and spiritual sensitivity, developed abnormally afterward. She has dreamt of demons before they appear, and can often predict danger. Though she cannot fight, her guidance is invaluable. She chooses to accompany Reiji on his journey, believing her presence is fated.
Abilities:
Echo Sense: Can detect lies, hidden movements, or breathing patterns in silence
Sound Memory: Remembers conversations and patterns exactly as heard
Demon Pulse: Unconsciously senses demonic aura shifts before they appear
Silent Bond: Can sense Reiji's pain or fear if he's nearby
Future Dreaming: Rare visions of upcoming events, often symbolic
Theme:
Though her eyes cannot see, she is the clearest window into Fate