Nakime (鳴なき女め Nakime?) is a secondary antagonist character in the Infinity Castle Arc of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. She embodies the mysterious Demon Biwa (琵び琶わ鬼おに Biwa oni?) who resides in Infinity Castle. Initially, she was a simple Demon used by Muzan Kibutsuji to summon other Demons into the castle. However, after Hantengu’s death, she became the new Superior Rank Four (上じょう弦げんの肆し Jōgen no Shi?) of the Twelve Kizuki.

Nakime | Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba

Appearance

At first, Nakime had pale, gray skin, pointed nails flecked with blue and bright red lips that contrasted with her skin tone. She had long, dark brown hair that fell in waves to her waist, with two locks framing her face and a fringe that concealed her large eye set between them.
Nakime wore a plain black kimono with white lining, fastened by a pale brown striped belt. She wore no shoes, but white socks. She was often seen holding a four-stringed wooden biwa with a large bachi pick.
Since her ascension to Superior Rank, Nakime has kept her bangs up to reveal her face, revealing her single pink eye with the “Four” kanji engraved on its iris. The upper part of her face is a darker gray than the rest of her skin, with prominent veins around her eye.

Personality

Nakime was a mysterious, cold biwa player who displayed little emotion. She spoke only when necessary, and her answers were brief and direct.

Nakime | Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba

History

In the past, Nakime was an amateur biwa musician, struggling to make a living. However, her husband was a compulsive gambler who squandered all their money without contributing to their well-being.
One evening, Nakime was due to perform her biwa on stage, only to discover that her husband had stolen her stage dress to sell it for gambling. Furious, she killed her husband with a hammer. Shortly afterwards, Nakime realized it was time to perform and rushed to the stage in a tattered dress. Despite her scruffy appearance and anxiety over her recent first murder, her performance was astonishingly magnificent, drawing cheers from the audience. Since then, Nakime has made a habit of killing people before playing the biwa, as it mysteriously enhances his musical performance.

One day, Nakime had an appointment to play on another stage and her target was Muzan Kibutsuji. However, she underestimated Muzan’s power and was easily defeated. Impressed by her research skills, Muzan offered her life in exchange for her transformation into a Demon. Nakime accepted and became one of Muzan’s servants.

Rehabilitation training bow

Nakime makes her first appearance in Infinity Castle, where she plays the biwa to summon the lower ranks after Rui’s death. She utters no words.

Arc of the entertainment district

Nakime plays the biwa again to summon the higher ranks after the deaths of Daki and Gyutaro.
When Akaza asks her where Muzan is, she replies bluntly that he hasn’t arrived yet. She is also asked where the High Rank One is, to which she replies that he has always been there, being the first to arrive (after the fight between Akaza and Doma).

At the end of the meeting, Nakime again plays the biwa to separate the top brass and flatly rejects Doma’s offer, sending him back to his temple.

Hashira Training Arch

Nakime, as the new High Rank 4 replacing Hantengu, is shown in the company of Muzan. With small, familiar eyes, she tracks the demon slayers and discovers their position and hiding place. She is honored by Muzan’s compliments on her rapid growth and uses her abilities to locate Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

Nakime | Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba

Infinity Arch

When the Demon Slayer Corps travels to Ubuyashiki Mansion to confront Muzan, they are all transported to Infinity Castle and separated by Nakime.
Obanai Iguro and Mitsuri Kanroji are the first to meet her, but find it difficult to touch her due to her control over the environment.

After Kokushibo’s death in chapter 176, Nakime is the only remaining Superior Rank and the last member of the Twelve Kizuki.

Later, at the start of Tanjiro and Giyu’s battle with Muzan, Muzan reveals that Nakime has “defeated” Obanai and Mitsuri by crushing them to death in the rooms of his castle. However, he is surprised when the duo, in reality still alive, launch a surprise attack on Nakime and angrily ask her what she is doing. Muzan discovers that Yushiro has taken complete control of Nakime’s vision, including Infinity Castle, in revenge for Tamayo’s murder.

Muzan uses his own mental powers to counter Yushiro and regain control of his last Superior Rank, sparking an intense mental battle between the two demons. The struggle for domination makes the castle uncontrollable, but Muzan seems to be gaining the upper hand. However, Obanai and Giyu launch an attack on Muzan, forcing him to defend himself and fend off the Hashiras with his own attacks.

Realizing he can’t take Nakime back and fight the demon slayers simultaneously, Muzan crushes Nakime’s head with his powers, killing her instantly. This prevents Yushiro from using the castle against him and allows him to concentrate entirely on killing the remaining Hashiras and Tanjiro. Nakime doesn’t immediately disintegrate, however, and Yushiro uses his body to protect the demon slayers by lifting the castle off the ground.

Abilities

General abilities : As a new High Rank 4, Nakime possesses immense strength. She can face Obanai and Mitsuri, two extremely powerful Hashiras, simultaneously, without being touched.
Eye detachment: Following her rise to High Rank 4 and the probable absorption of more Muzan blood, Nakime develops the ability to create and detach several eyeballs from her body. This enables her to observe others from a distance. Thanks to this ability, she can locate almost any member of the Demon Killer Corps and even discover the hidden location of Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s mansion, which was carefully concealed even from the highest-ranking members of the Demon Killer Corps.

Talented biwa player: Nakime was an expert biwa player, attracting the attention of others when she played as a human.

Nakime | Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba

Art of the Blood Demon

Castle manipulation: Nakime has the ability to manipulate and create a seemingly infinite castle by playing her biwa. She can create and shape rooms at will, such as an open room with gigantic pillars where the fight against Kokushibo took place, a small garden where the fight against Doma took place, or a corridor leading to several other rooms where the fight against Akaza took place. Nakime can also use this ability offensively, transforming rooms into giant pillars which she rams into her enemies to crush them. By attaching her hair to a wall inside the castle, she can control the castle’s position as if it were a part of herself. However, this apparently rendered her immobile.
Portal creation: Nakime can create portals in the form of doors. She can use these portals for both offensive and defensive purposes, for example by nullifying Mitsuri Kanroji’s attack. They also serve as a means of transport for other high-ranking officers when they are sent on missions, and to enable Muzan to move incognito across the country.

Space manipulation: Nakime can manipulate space in her castle up to a certain point. She can use it to teleport people in the castle to another location or even outside, without the need to create portals.

Fighting

Infinity Castle Arch

  • Mitsuri Kanroji and Obanai Iguro vs Nakime

Anecdotes

  • Nakime bears many similarities to the former lower Rank 6, Kyogai. They both use the Blood Demon Art to manipulate a specific structure, possess a musical instrument used for their individual techniques and got their epithets based on these instruments.
  • She was one of Muzan’s favorite top brass, as he considered her abilities useful.
  • In the official English version of volume 12, Nakime’s name was mistranslated as “Nasume”.

Quotes

  • (To Doma) “I refuse.”
  • (In response to Muzan Kibutsuji’s compliments) “I’m very honored.”

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