Mikami Yukime

It is pictured that young Yukime's life was rife with troubles. Her mother abandoned their family shortly after her younger sister, Sakura, was born. She had to quickly learn how to become a caretaker to her younger sister as she feared her sister would die as their father was never home as the sole village doctor.

All of Sakura's early success were directly correlated to Yukime's love and care for her younger sister. She bottle fed her with what little formula she could afford working odd jobs around the village, prayed each year for Sakura's health, and strove to be a good role model to her younger sister. Every milestone of Sakura's life, from walking to talking, is permanently engraved in her mind as an integral part of her life. Despite doing all of this and taking care of the house in their father's absence, she refused to allow her younger sister to call her anything but sister out of respect for their mother, whom she still thought highly of at the time.

Their family would fall on financial hardship as members of the village would die in night raids. The less people there were to heal, the less need there was for a doctor. The less money her father could bring home, the more his frustration grew. This frustration continued to build until it came to a head one night when four year old Sakura was desperately trying to get her father's attention. Yukime was so busy preparing their dinner that she didn't even notice her younger sister's absence from the kitchen. Her father's frustration eventually erupted, striking his youngest daughter across the face. Hearing the commotion and noticing her sister was missing, Yukime spilled dinner while abandoning the pot and flung herself between Sakura and her father. She stayed like that for what felt like hours as her father barraged them with kicks and punches. He left for a short while and Yukime took the time to check on her sister's wounds, smiling at her gently while she did so.

Masahiko would return, angered that dinner was supposedly ruined by Yukime's carelessness with her sister as to let her roam freely. Her father would take the boiling pot of rice and attempt to fling it at Sakura. Yukime would once again interfere, throwing herself between Sakura and Masahiko and taking the brunt of the burns without complaint. Later, when Masahiko calmed down from his rage, he apologized to Yukime and treated her burns, but knew they would scar. The clothes on her back had almost glued to her blistered flesh, though she never complained about the pain even once, for fear that Sakura would blame herself for this.

Though her father would apologize, it would not be the last of his outbursts towards them. They would continue to grow more violent while bandaging Yukime up after each and every incident, always promising that he would do better and that they could move and start their life again anew elsewhere. Those promises never came to fruition, and younger Yukime thought to herself that she would never make a promise to Sakura that she couldn't keep.

One day, While out buying Rice, Sakura would accidentally incur the rage of their father when asking why he always hurt Yuki like he did. He blamed it on her, and wished she'd never been born before beating her and throwing her out of the house into the yard in the dead of night. It was then that Muzan found her. He said it was a pity such a young girl knew the pain of not being able to protect herself, but Sakura insisted she didn't need the ability to protect herself, only the strength to pay back her older sister for all the times she protected her. Sakura was eleven when she was forced to become a demon.

After her transformation, Sakura was born anew in the world, starving and craving the cruelty her father loved to inflict so much She would leap back into the house, crashing through the window and killing their father, laughing all the while. She would then submit to her desires and devour him while demanding he apologize for all the pain he put Yukime through. Their father would continue to blame Sakura for all their hardships in life until he eventually died of blood loss.

Yukime would return home after their father was deceased. Her amazing eyes noticed the destroyed window and rushed in, hearing what she initially thought was a wild animal in the house. But as she entered, she would notice that the noises were coming from her beloved sister, strewn over their father's corpse and chewing like her life depended upon it. Yukime was instantly sickened, and begged Sakura to stop.

With her insurmountable hunger not quenched, she would turn and charge at Yukime, sending them both plummeting through the sliding door and out into the yard below. Despite her rapidly growing strength, Yukime would manage to hold her sister off from biting her. They were locked in a seemingly endless life or death struggle until morning came. At that time, Sakura tried to turn and flee the morning sun. However, before she could get very far, a bruised and battered Yukime would clutch on to her clothes, holding her firmly in place as the sun continued to rise. Sakura came to her senses, apologizing profusely to Yukime for becoming a demon, but confessed she just wanted to be the one to protect her. Just one time. Yukime, in tears, apologized for not doing more for her and promised to create a world without demons so that in the next life, Sakura could have a happier life. Sakura smiled at her and laid a hand on her head as she began to burn to death. Her cries echoed in Yukime's ears, but she seemed to accept the punishment for her sin and burned alive without a complaint.

Yukime remained frozen in place, sobbing openly until the village discovered her. They came to the conclusion that Yukime had witnessed her sister, Sakura, murder their father and Yukime was still in shock. Sakura must have fled into the night after the murder. They tended to her injuries and she remained in the village until she could walk agian on her own to feet, knowing she could never tell the villagers the truth about what happened to her beloved sister.

This was admittedly the start of her imagined fantasy world. In her mind, she and her sister live in a house next to a river and continue to take care of each other. When things get too hard for her, she falls into this fantasy world and acts only on base instinct. The first few days after her sister died, she often would forget to eat and sleep without reminder from the villagers, who would draw her out of that fantasy world briefly.

She left the village in the dead of night, hunting demons wherever people needed her help. Without a nichirin sword, her only ability to slay them was to keep them in the fight until the sun rose and roasted them alive. Through sheer force of will, she defeated several demons by wearing them down until the sun rose. This is how Urokodaki discovered her, covered in blood but still standing and staring up at the rising sun in the sky. He inquired how long she had been doing this and with souless eyes, Yukime responded as long as she could remember.

Yoshie, Urokodaki's current apprentice, peeked at Yukime around her master at Yukime and initially thought the other girl terrifying. Her dark, empty eyes reflected the whole world in them. Despite initially being terrified that Yukime would turn into a demon due to her injuries, they would later become fast friends.

Urokodaki would take her in and train her in how to properly slay demons with a nichirin sword. His training was as grueling as ever, and without her keen eyesight she doubt she would've survived at all. Yoshie and she became his twin water slayers, covering for each other's weaknesses in battle and fighting. Yoshie's first official Nichirin sword would turn blue at her touch, whereas Yukime's continued to say the same unappealing black-grey color. Yoshie assured her this was a good sign and that, no matter who they faced, they would do so together.

This became especially true in the final selection. To protect Yukime from the hand demon's attack, Yoshie acted on instinct and thrust herself between an unarmed Yukime and the hand demon. This selfless act cost her her life, but she died with a smile on her face and asked that Yukime not blame herself for Yoshie's death. Yukime knew it was her fault as she continued to make mistakes in the water breathing form, as if she wasn't suited for it. She completed the breathing just fine, but she did not have time to mourn. Another demon slayer pulled her from the battle and forced her to snap out of her grief. This was Miyazaki Kaiya. Yukime survived the rest of the final selection without meeting the hand demon again, but vowed that one day, that demon would meet it's end.

The day Yoshie died, her mind would grow cloudier. She removed herself further from the waking world and delved into her imaginary fantasy world where she, Sakura, and Yoshie lived happy lives. Her body moved on instinct, slaying demons until the sun rose the next morning.

This was the start of her journey as an official demon slayer. But something in her was lost in that final selection. Outside of her work slaying demons, she became increasingly forgetful and spaced out, unable to hold conversations with others. Kaiya initially hated Yukime, but they would become swift friends. Yukime and she were often sent on missions together, if only to keep Yukime from wandering off and Kaiya from stopping to help too many people along the way.

Kaiya and Yukime would become friends over the years as they were repeatedly assigned missions to work with one another. Despite Yukime's reluctance to involve another person in her life for fear of being punished by god again for living when her sister died, Kaiya wormed her way into her heart and into that fantasy world in her head.

The further Yukime's mind wandered from the waking world, the more her breathing style changed. It was gradual, like the frost blooming over a lake at winter's first ice. But slowly her breathing style changed from water's fluidity to something rigid and unforgiving: ice.

Yukime was 19 when she became a Hashira. The lower moon she was could create illusions, and would hide behind them whenever she got close to them. He could change the house he was hiding in to another place and time. He tried to trick her into letting her guard down, though it failed. Her eyes could see right through his illusions and see his aura, red with blood.

She decapitated him without hesitation, keen on keeping her promise to her sister that she would make a world free of demons. As the demon withered away, she asked god that the demon have a happy next life. Then she turned and left the hollowed house.

Since then, Yukime has preformed her duties as any Hashira would. Despite her penchance for getting lost along the way, she often shows up right when she needs to be somewhere.

Aged 25 on her introduction, Yukime is already a seasoned Hashira who's slain hundreds Her inability to cope with her sister's loss has only become more prevalent as most of the Hashira consider her weird. She is stated she cannot accept a demon as a demon slayer, no matter who they might have been before.

After the entertainment district arc, Yukime is properly introduced while Tanjiro is on his way to the swordsmith village. While on the back of the worker carrying him to the village, he hears a scuffle and a struggle, prompting him to stop the worker he's with and see if whomever it is needs help. When he finally convinces the worker to stop, he helps two woman out of a ditch. Only after he helps them, he realizes that the two women are Rumble hashira Miyazaki and Blizzard Hashira Mikami. Yukime seemingly realizes who he is and says she's been looking for him everywhere. She digs into her pockets for an extended period of time and produces two pieces of candy - one for Nezuko, and one for Tanjiro.

Tanjiro is touched by her candy and she apologizes for not recognizing him when first they met. She shuffles around in her pockets and pulls out a stack of letters she states is from Urokodaki, detailing his amazing resolve and battle capability. She vows then to take care of he and his sister as they are her younger siblings. Tanjiro is unsure what to think of her, but she turns to Kaiya and states they have to get to the village soon, as her swordsmith is awaiting them.

Tanjiro is blindfolded again, and the two women disappear on the backs of their Kakushi. The next time Tanjiro sees Yukime, she is seen in the background speaking to what he believes is her smith. She is gesturing around with her hands, communicating some specifics to her smith. She is slated to leave the village before Tanjiro and bids him goodbye the day she and Kaiya are expected to leave the village.

She returns when she learns the swordsmith village is under attack. She is reportedly seen defending the villagers like Masamune from attack before racing after the main body with Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko. She, like Genya, is up on the cliff's edge watching in horror as Nezuko is exposed to the morning sun. Tanjiro turned to focus slaying the demon. Throwing caution to the wind, Yukime threw both herself and Genya down the cliff edge below to get to Nezuko safe from the sun. Despite breaking her leg and an arm and Genya breaking a bone in his foot, she dragged the both of them over to Nezuko and made use of Genya, tucking Nezuko beneath his shirt and covering the both of them with her Haori. When thanked, she states she would have done it a million times over. It was only obvious to protect her younger sister. She smiled, and it was the first time Tanjiro had seen her smile since meeting her.

After this, She and Genya are stuck in the butterfly estate together for as long as it takes their bones to heal. Genya is understandably upset with her, at first, but they grow closer while healing together.

Tanjiro stumbles upon Shinazugawa holding Yukime up by the shirt and shaking her around like a ragdoll while she is still in the butterfly estate healing. On instinct, he rushes the wind hashira in attempt to prevent him from hurting her, but Sanemi senses him first and moves oout of the way, still clutching Yukime. Her passive face is unbothered, even as Shinazugawa spits threat after threat at her. He states he'll deal with Tanjiro later as he first has to deal with Yukime and make her realize she can't just throw people down cliffs.

Yukime finally realizes what situation Shinazugawa is referring to and declares that she did it to save her younger sister, Nezuko, and would do it again. She also wonders why Shinazugawa cares so much about this demon slayer. He scowls, throws her on the floor to her feet, and leaves. Tanjiro rushes to make sure Yuki is okay with tears in his eyes, thanking her for saving Nezuko. She states it wasn't a big deal, and that her injuries would heal. When they do, she hopes she, Tanjiro, and Nezuko can go on a mission together.

Her wish comes true shortly after her broken limbs heal. When Tanjiro returns to the butterfly estate after his next mission, Yukime is waiting for him. She greets him warmly while bidding goodbye to Kaiya, who's assigned to go on a mission with Zenitsu. Tanjiro and Yukime set off and head to an abandoned village. They almost become separated when Yukime sees something suspicious and darts forward without warning Tanjiro. He's astounded at her speed and likens it to Tengen Uzui, though he knows she's a bit easier to keep up with.

When they enter the main estate, the shift in the atmosphere is drastic. Tanjiro senses malicious intent from seemingly every direction. Warily, they proceed deeper into the midst of the demon's trap. They spend the next several days wrapped in what feels like a hall of mirrors, a trap set by a group of demons working in tandem with one another. Though the trap initally tricks Tanjiro, Yuki's special eyes are capable of seeing right through the illusions and to the demon's aura. Defeating the first small-time demon was easy work, but the demon creating the illusions then realized that Yukime could see them and kept their distance.

The demons intended to wear them down by having them traverse the same hallways for days and days on end, but given that Yukime can see through the illusions and Tanjiro can smell what's real and what isn't, they make rather quick work of dispatching lesser demons. At this time, three days have passed. Yukime shows no signs of wearing down, but will not leave until the demon is dealt with. Kaiya, on a mission with Zenitsu, realizes she hasn't heard from them and decides to finish their mission early and go to check on Tanjiro and Yukime.

When Tanjiro begins to tire of fighting demons all day and night for three days, the shapeshifter demon approaches them. Initially, she tries to use the younger demon slayer's memories against him by transforming into Hanako Kamado, but when Tanjiro reacts negatively and tries to slay them despite that, she transforms into Yoshie. Seeing through the demon's aura to reveal that ugly red color that only demons have, Yukime flings herself foward and tries to slice the demon's head from it's torso. It panics, fleeing the room. It shifts forms, leaving behind a husk of Yoshie and becoming Sakura.

When Tanjiro attempts to kill this demon in her new form, on instinct, Yukime throws herself between Tanjiro and the demon, who laughs in glee. Her fantasy world and reality collide, as she feels a great need to protect her sister for the final time though she sees that red, mucky aura that denotes a demon. Tanjiro begs Yukime to realize that this demon isn't whomever she thinks it is. However, it isn't until the demon goes after Kaiya that Yukime's reality and fantasy finally collide - she beheads the demon with tears in her eyes.

This arc draws to a close when Yukime finally says goodbye to that fantasy world in her head and accepts her sister is dead. She promises herself to keep her alive in her memory always.

When they return to the butterfly estate, Tanjiro is accosted by an unusually burly swordsmith, whom he recognizes from when Yukime picked up her spear and sword at the village. He, blushing despite wearing a mask, asks Tanjiro for his permission to marry Yukime. Tanjiro is confused to hear this, and has the smith repeat himself three times before stating he doesn't really have the authority to make that call and asking Masamune to ask Yukime directly. Masamune swears to him that he will do everything in his power to convince Tanjiro to give him permission, as Urokodaki and Giyuu told him no outright.

Yuki appears after Masamune leaves and offers Tanjiro more candy while thanking him for looking after her while she mourned the loss of her sister anew. She compliments him on how impossibly kind he is.

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Yukime shows up late to the battle between Gyomei, Sanemi, Genya, Kaiya, Muichiro, and Kokushibo. She defends her fellow demon slayers at great personal risk. Both her achillese tendons are severed in the battley, and she is impaled with her own Katana. Due to her mental separation ability, she does not register the pain. She does, wisely, leave the sword impaled in her abdomen and begin fighting with her spear. One of her feet becomes mutilated in the fight, though she doesn't so much as react.

When Muzan finally shows his face, Yukime's pin-point focus is drawn on battle. Her mutilated foot slows her fighting down, so she chops it off at the Ankle and continues fighting despite other's protests that she should give it up. She continues fighting, ignoring every reasonable sign that she should stop.

When Tanjiro becomes a demon himself, she cannot bring it upon herself to sever his head from his shoulders. She tries, but the blade always hesitates, and she curses herself for her own weakness. Blood loss begins getting to her, and she falters before falling down and not getting up, presumed dead by her fellow demon slayers.

When the Kakushi swarm the fallen demon slayers and Yuki is revived, the first thing she asks is whether her younger brother is alright. The second thing she asks is for the Kakushi to help her stand. She states she has people she needs to let know that the fighting is over. They refuse to let her stand on her own and she stays laying down, smiling up at the sky. Very softly, she thanks Sakura for her journey with her to slay demons and proclaims that her promise is fulfilled.

Due to all the severe injuries incurred in the final battle, Yukime is taken from the battlefield to the butterfly estate, where they carefully extract her katana from her stomach and clean up her self-inflicted amputation. She is there bedridden and unconscious for all of three days before she suddenly wakes. Without so much as a word to anyone else, she leaves her bed and trudges from the Butterfly estate to the flame pillar's estate, where she tells Senjuro that their battles are over, and her promises kept as he is the only Rengoku she can find at their estate. For the first time in years, she smiles genuinely and pats his head. After telling him this, she promptly passes back out and remains unconscious for the next three months.

When she wakes after healing her wounds, her body is weakened from months of immobility. She also finds out that she was pregnant and expecting twins.

Yukime lives a long life with a prosthetic and, after passing, spends a long period of time walking her sister through hell until they are both reincarnated.

Describe how Yukime treats their relationships...
Yukime values her relationships above all else and will happily risk life and limb for them.

Masahiko Mikami - Father

Her father's relationship with them is strained due to his violent temper. He continued to take things out on them in fits of rage, leaving Yukime to throw herself between Sakura and her father in order to protect her younger sister.

Though she claims to have forgiven him, she believes he is the reason Sakura became a demon.

Sakura Mikami - Sister

Sakura becoming a demon was the kickstart of Yukime becoming a demon slayer. She would do anything to protect her sister from the world and promised her as her sister burned to death in her arms that she would make sure she had a happy next life, no matter what it cost her.

Yoshiko Mikami - Mother

Shortly after her sister's birth, her mother would pack up all her belongings and leave in the dead of night, presumably to live her life with another man.

Kamado Tanjiro - Adopted Brother

Though it initially seems that Yukime has no interest or care for Tanjiro and his sister, her mind is seemingly changed after the entertainment district arc. She begins to carry around candy, waiting for their paths to cross and even offers some Nezuko, seemingly forgetting the younger girl is a demon and cannot partake in the sweet treats. She later informs Tanjiro that she considers them siblings after they trained under the same master, and she had no idea that he was the boy Urokodaki wrote to her about when they had the hashira meeting to dictacte he and Nezuko's fate. She admits that he hopes he can forgive her and continues to try and protect Nezuko and Tanjiro well past the limits of a normal human being.

Giyuu Tomioka - Adopted Brother

Though Giyuu and Yukime's interactions are limited, it's clear she thinks very highly of him. She is known to carry about candy that she has heard to be one of his favorites. She doesn't think that Giyuu reciprocates her sibling feelings, but cares for him nonetheless.

Kamado Nezuko - Adopted Sister

Though Nezuko is a demon and will regenerate from any damage inflicted upon her, Yukime can still be seen regularly flinging herself between Nezuko and imminent danger. She does not consider Nezuko to truly be a demon without humanity, as she sees something in her aura that she never has seen in another demon. Though Nezuko did not train under the same master as Yukime, she was in Urokodaki's care, and is Tanjiro's sister, so Yukime considers her a sister of her own.

Miyazaki Kaiya - Best Friends

Kaiya and Yukime weren't friends at first meeting, but they have learned to grow in each other's presence. If Yukime is winter, Kaiya is fall. They have matching talisman as a promise to return to each other after every battle.

Tsugikuni Hiyori - Best Friends

Yukime struggles to elaborate to Hiyori just how much she cares, but likens spending time with Hiyori to living in the sun. If it means she will be burned alive, then she will be glad to do it.

Rengoku Kyojuro - Married

Despite Yukime's difficulty creating relationships after all the losses in her life, the freezing touch of winter always melts under the first touch of spring. Somehow, since meeting Kyojuro, some of that life has returned to her eyes.

Masamune Hisoka

Through years of dedicated service to her weapons, Yukime has a very high opinion of Masamune. She is rather oblivious to his inner fantasies and thinks of him as a just and honest person. She tells Tanjiro she admires his pink aura and wishes she could be a little more like her swordsmith when it came to things that matter to her. It is unlcear whether or not she realizes Masamune's fantasies about their future life together and likes him in spite of this or not.

Hashibara Inosuke

Yukime acknowledges that the wild and unkempt Inosuke is precious to Tanjiro and, as such, she deems him precious to her. She is regularly seen offering Inosuke candy in reward for doing his best. She thinks the young man will become an excellente hashira if he continues to perservere.

Zenitsu Agatsuma

Though Zenitsu's behavior has entirely soured his relationship with Kaiya, Yuki's best friend, Yuki doesn't appear to rise to anger as easily as her best friend. She greets Zenitsu with a cold frost and ignores any pathetic behavior she thinks is unfitting for a demon slayer. She truthfully thinks Zenitsu is disgusting, and has openly told him as much.

Tengen Uzui

Despite the fact that Tengen finds Yukime's introduction to be subpar, she thinks highly of the sound hashira and congratulates him in his defeat of upper moon six, though she watches on in silence as Obanai interrogates the Hashira on when he will be returning to duty. It's unclear if she does so because she agrees with the snake Hashira, or because she has nothing else to say.

Shinazugawa Sanemi

Sanemi and Yukime are like water and oil. Her disconnected mentality means she often gets lost on her way to missions, which Sanemi thinks is a waste of time and talent. He tells her outright that she's going to be eaten by a demon and no one will no the difference, because she's never had a cohesive thought in her entire life. Despite this, she doesn't mind working with him and doesn't correct mistaken civilians who think the two of them might be siblings. Their relationship continues to sour after the swordsmith village arc when Sanemi learns she chucked his younger brother, Genya, and herself off a cliff to save Nezuko from the morning sun.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya

Like the other Hashira, her relationship to Ubuyashiki is very important to her. She considers him the father she never had and maintains her focus when she hears his voice. His unending kindness opposes what she knows a father ought to be like. She expresses great grief at knowing he is going to pass, and begs him to fight on for them so that she may deliver a world to he and her sister, one without the demons and strife they know so well. Upon his death, she blames Muzan for his constant suffering and vows to take revenge and create that perfect world.

Chihara

After learning to accept demons who want to bring down Muzan, Yukime initially meets Chihara in a fight where his intent is to slay the demon slayers for a reward of more blood from Muzan. However, upon meeting Yukime, he quickly changed his beliefs. This is because he became enamored by her resilience.

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