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- Become a demon... If you want... Even more power...
- — Kokushibo giving Kaigaku demon blood, Chapter 145
KokuKai is the slash ship between Michikatsu Tsugikuni/Kokushibo and Kaigaku from the Demon Slayer fandom.
Canon[]
After Kaigaku's neck was slit during his battle against Zenitsu Agatsuma, he recalls a time when he encountered the Upper Rank One, Kokushibo. Kaigaku claimed that it was not shameful to kneel before an opponent if they were strong enough. Kaigaku believed that as long as he survives, it could work out in the end. It did not matter the circumstances, only his survival mattered, and he could eventually be successful. Kokushibo questioned Kaigaku, asking him if he was willing to become a demon and gain strength, drawing blood for Kaigaku to consume. If Muzan Kibutsuji recognized him as worthy, he would be transformed into a demon and even join the Twelve Kizuki. Kokushibo continued by explaining the length of the process, claiming that the stronger you are, the longer it will take. Furthermore, in order to neutralize the impact of Total Concentration, one must consume a significant amount of blood. Kokushibo warns Kaigaku, telling him to be grateful for the blood he was given, even threatening him to not let a single drop go to waste. Without a second thought, Kaigaku drank the blood, but reportedly felt a severe unease and as if his blood cells were experiencing anguish.
After his transformation, Kaigaku had eaten plentiful people, becoming powerful enough to take the position of Upper Rank Six, replacing Daki and Gyutaro after their deaths. However, since Kaigaku wasn't given enough time to fully enhance his abilities, he was killed relatively easily by his junior disciple, Zenitsu Agatsuma.
Kimetsu Gakuen[]
In Kimetsu Gakuen, a Kimetsu no Yaiba spin-off series, Kaigaku and Kokushibo still serve under Muzan Kibutsuji, however, in the spin-off, Kibutsuji is an evil politician trying to overthrow Japan.
In chapter twelve, where Kaigaku and Kokushibo make their first appearance, Kaigaku eagerly shows Kokushibo a flyer, explaining what is showcased on the flyer. According to Kaigaku, the “Kimetsu Academy Halloween Pumpkin Battle” is an annual competition where participants use pumpkin-shaped water balloons as a weapon. Participants compete for a chocolate pumpkin distributed throughout the school, and whoever ends up with the most amount of chocolate wins the event. After Kaigaku finished explaining, Kokushibo shoves the end of his broom towards him, sending Kaigaku face-first into the wall. As Kokushibo complains about Kaigaku yelling in his ear, Kaigaku apologises to him. After his apology, Kaigaku continued by claiming that the winner of the competition wins an invite to a banquet at the Ubuyashiki Mansion, where Kokushibo needed to go to figure out their secrets. This detail immediately intrigued Kokushibo, convincing him to participate in the event. Kaigaku continued to persuade Kokushibo, describing more of the benefits of winning an invite, claiming that Kibutsuji will be pleased if he cooperated, expressing his desires to become a major politician in the future. Kokushibo couldn't care less about his goal, but knew that it was a serious matter. Kaigaku agreed, asking Kokushibo to help him out and handing him the entry ticket. Kokushibo agreeing to participate excited Kaigaku. On the day of the event, Kaigaku explained more to Kokushibo, handing him six water balloons designed to resemble pumpkins.
After the event had ended, Tanjiro handed Kokushibo an “All-You-Can-Eat Canteen Katsu Curry” ticket, urging him to eat until he was satisfied. After biding farewell, Kokushibo was left confused as he read the ticket. Kaigaku stood behind him, drenched in sweat after understanding the situation since he attended the event for the entire day. As Kokushibo turned around, Kaigaku tried to run, but to his surprise, Kokushibo caught him, using a machine to spin Kaigaku in the air. Kokushibo returned to Kibutsuji's office after eating the katsu curry.
Fanon[]
KokuKai is a well-liked ship in the fandom, especially on Kaigaku's side. However, it can be rivaled by KokuDou, the ship between Kokushibo and Dōma, or KokuZan, the ship between Kokushibo and Muzan Kibutsuji. The ship can even be rivaled by KokuNaki, the ship between Kokushibo and Nakime. Kaigaku isn't shipped with many characters, since he had limited screentime and appearances in the manga, but the ships KaiZen: the ship between Kaigaku and Zenitsu, KaiDaki: the ship between Kaigaku and Daki, and GyuKai: the ship between Kaigaku and Gyutaro, are popular alongside KokuKai.
People who are fans of the ship tend to envision Kokushibo playing the role of a mentor to Kaigaku, replacing his previous mentor, Jigoro Kuwajima. Because of their similarities, they develop a friendship and eventually, a relationship.
However, people aganist the pairing often critique it by claiming that it is illegal. We can assume that Kaigaku and Zenitsu are close in age, and since Zenitsu is 16, that makes him a minor. On the other hand, Kokushibo is well over 480 years old, but fans often say that demons are ageless, making Kokushibo around 17-24. But, since Kaigaku's age is unknown, we can't say for certain that the pairing is legal or illegal.
On Archive of Our Own, KokuKai has over 42 written works listed under their romantic category (Kaigaku/Kokushibo), and just under 40 categorized under their general tag (Kaigaku & Kokushibo). Additionally, they have a total of 795+ combined works on Pixiv.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Kaigaku/Kokushibo tag on AO3
- Kaigaku & Kokushibo tag on AO3
- KokuKai stories on Wattpad
- Kokushibo x Kaigaku stories on Wattpad
Trivia[]
- Kokushibo and Kaigaku both hate and fought characters they were often depicted with. For Kokushibo it was his brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and for Kaigaku it was someone he trained with, Zenitsu Agatsuma.
- Kokushibo and Kaigaku both underestimated people they were portrayed alongside. Kokushibo thought Yoriichi was “pitiful” because he clung to their mother, and Kaigaku believed Zenitsu was a “worthless coward”.
- Kokushibo and Kaigaku are the only recorded breath users to ever become demons, let alone Upper Moons.
Gallery[]
Kimetsu Gakuen[]
Variations[]
- YoriMichikai refers to the ship between the two and Yoriichi Tsugikuni
