Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho (Light Novel) (2025)

For generations, a shrine has stood in the mountain village of Kadono, and for each generation the shrine has had an Itsukihime-its shrine maiden-and the maiden has had her guardian. During the Edo period, a young man named Jinta protects the town and the Itsukihime. When he confronts a strange demon in the nearby forest, it tells him that in the distant future a Demon God will threaten all people, everywhere, and it claims that the the Demon God's rise to power springs from this very time and place, in the village of Kadono. So begins the centuries-spanning journey of a man tainted by demons, hunting through time to seek justice for what he's lost, and to find a reason to keep on fighting.

AN UNLIKELY PACTIt is year two of the Bunkyu era. Six years have passed since the alcohol craze that stole yet more loved ones from Jinya’s life, but as time marches forward, so must he. The new era keeps Edo on edge as the anti-shogunate movement gains momentum with each passing day. Meanwhile, Jinya investigates rumors of a demonic sword and meets Hatakeyama Yasuhide—a samurai who serves the feudal lord of Aizu and has sworn loyalty to the shogunate. But just how far will this samurai go to prevent the shogunate from becoming just another relic of the past?

MODERN WORLD, ANCIENT PROBLEMSIt’s 1872, year five of the Meiji era, and the world is rapidly changing, long leaving the samurai behind—but some things aren’t content to remain a memory of the past. Now in Kyoto with his daughter Nomari, Jinya runs a soba restaurant by day and patrols the streets at night hunting demons, which have strangely been increasing in number. As Jinya investigates the cause, it seems someone known as Magatsume is secretly responsible, but who could they be? And what do they want?

A PARADE OF DEMONSIt’s 1877, and both the Meiji era and Jinya’s daughter, Nomari, are coming into adolescence—and all the growing pains that entails. Meanwhile, Somegorou brings Jinya a rumor of a nightly procession of demons parading the streets of Kyoto, and it seems that they are being led by the chain-manipulating demon that gave Jinya and Kaneomi so much grief in the past. To make a bad situation worse, Magatsume, the harbinger of calamity, has something in store for them as well…

It is now year 16 of the Meiji era (1883 AD). 43 years have passed since Jinya left all he knew in Kadono and set off on a journey to grow stronger. In that time, he's forged a somewhat peaceful life for himself at Demon Soba with his daughter and friends. But if Jinya's many years have taught him anything, it's that nothing lasts forever-a lesson made all too clear as he once again crosses paths with Suzune, his sister who is determined to become the Demon God. As their reunion threatens to change not only the trajectory of his own fate, but of those around him as well, Jinya will finally give his answer to the question posed long ago: "Human, for what purpose do you wield your blade?"

As time marches on, relics of the past are cast away and the people of Japan turn their attention to the marvels of modern technology. In year eleven of the Taisho era, Akitsu Somegorou the Fourth visits Tokyo to partake in a party hosted by the Nagumo, a famous spirit-hunting family. Like Akitsu, the Nagumo family slay demons for a living, but with the fear of demons slowly fading from the hearts of man, they've joined hands with their foes in a bid for survival. The Imperial Capital will become the stage for a battle between the humans of Tokyo and the demons scheming behind the scenes.

SHOWDOWN IN THE CAPITALIt’s been 39 years since Jinya’s defeat at the hands of Magatsume. Time marches on, the world continues to change, and friends and enemies alike continue to slip in and out of Jinya’s life, but his determination to gain strength and fight evil continues to grow. As tensions between Jinya and the Nagumo family come to a head, Jinya and Somegorou make their way to rescue Kimiko and Ryuuna. The Nagumo family and their demon underlings push Jinya and Somegorou to their limits, but when an unexpected face from the demon hunter’s past joins the fray, will the scales tip in favor of their victory, or their defeat?

A POWER FROM THE PASTWith his allies by his side, Jinya manages to bring an end to Nagumo Eizen’s schemes. But while the lives of those dear to him are safe, the demonic sword he sought, Demon Wail, is taken by Yonabari amid the chaos. Yonabari is secretly after a power hidden in the blade—a power with deep ties to Jinya’s memory of Kadono… Is the sword lost to Jinya forever? And as the sun sets on the Taisho era, can Jinya hold those dear to him close despite the march of time?

SEARCHING IN THE SHADOWSThe year is Showa 34 (1959 AD). Rising from the ashes of the great war, Tokyo is rebuilding and changing rapidly all around Jinya. As the demon hunter searches for his place in this new world, a rumor reaches his ear—a prostitute with a flower name reminiscent of Magatsume’s daughters is working in the Dove District, a flourishing red-light district of downtown Tokyo. But when Jinya goes to investigate, he gets caught up in a strange case that is more than he bargained for.

THE DEMON COMES HOMEIn year 21 of the Heisei era (2009 AD), Jinya returns to his hometown Kadono. Only a year remains until the foretold arrival of the Demon God—his sister, Suzune. To prepare for their fated confrontation, Jinya enrolls in the high school located on the former grounds of the Itsukihime shrine, and among his classmates is the Itsukihime of the Heisei era, Himekawa Miyaka. And if finding his place in this old-yet-new environment isn’t enough to keep him busy, Jinya finds himself discovering not only what new dangers the night holds, but the final secret of the Yatonomori Kaneomi blades as well.

OLD FACES IN FAMILIAR PLACESLess than a year remains until the advent of the Demon God, and Jinya is enjoying high school life with Miyaka and his other new friends. Like his classmates, his days are filled with school bells, outings with friends, and study woes, but unlike them, he is constantly on the alert for anything supernatural. When Jinya begins investigating strange urban legends that begin cropping up, he discovers an old enemy—Yonabari—is behind them. Determined to bring down the devious demon, Jinya teams up with the Heisei-era Somegorou to fight Yonabari—and this time, it’ll be a battle to the death.

THE FATED REUNIONIt is now year 22 of the Heisei era (2010 AD). As foretold long ago by the demon of Farsight, Magatsume has come to be revered as a savior by the demons who’ve lost their place in the modernized world. To everyone’s surprise, Jinya enrolls as a student at Modori River High School. With his sister now so close, Jinya, supported by the bonds he’s forged over the past 170 years, finally confronts her. But what will Jinya choose to do when he faces off against the sister he both loves and hates?The final volume!