Muichiro vs Gyokko. The truth between the clash? Could Muichiro have done more or not?

As always, I’d like to clarify that this is just my observation. Everyone is free to have their own opinion, but I wanted to share my thoughts on the matter.

Now, moving on to the question at hand: Could Muichiro have done more during his battle against Gyokko?
In my opinion, this fight is quite debatable because Muichiro was significantly nerfed throughout the entire battle.

There are several negative factors that influenced this fight, and the most significant ones are as follows:

-Chipped sword: Muichiro fought almost the entire battle with a visibly damaged weapon, which directly impacted his ability to deal effective damage to Gyokko. A clear example is his failure to cut the demon’s neck. The scene suggests that Muichiro was very close to succeeding, yet the chipped blade greatly reduced the effectiveness of his attack, making it practically useless. This gave Gyokko the opportunity to trap him in the water prison, catching Muichiro off guard, especially since he wasn’t expecting his strike to fail.

Another pivotal moment is when Muichiro tries to break free from the water prison. Despite having enough energy left to execute a technique, he fails to break the vase and attributes it to the condition of his blade. This is a significant point because it shows how the chipped sword severely compromised his ability to respond to Gyokko’s techniques. Even when attempting to cut the tentacles generated by Gyokko’s Blood Demon Art, the sword deteriorates further until it eventually breaks completely.

The only time he manages to turn the tide is thanks to Kotetsu’s assistance. By supplying him with air while he was trapped, Kotetsu gives him the opportunity to use a stronger and faster technique, which ultimately allows him to shatter the water vase. However, this does not negate the fact that the damaged sword limited Muichiro’s effectiveness for the majority of the battle.

-Poison weakening: This point might not be immediately apparent, but I think it’s important to consider. After being struck by the poisonous needles, Gyokko mentions that the poison should cause paralysis in Muichiro’s limbs and legs, reducing his mobility. However, Muichiro doesn’t directly mention experiencing these effects during the fight. It’s possible that the poison’s effects were still in their early stages or only partially developed.

Even so, the poison might have had an indirect impact, slowing down his reflexes and explaining his inability to react quickly to Gyokko’s water prison. It’s hard to say for certain how much this factor influenced the battle, but it could be considered another disadvantage that limited Muichiro.

-Protecting the swordsmiths:
Another crucial element was the need to protect the swordsmiths. Being vulnerable and defenseless, the swordsmiths forced Muichiro to sacrifice time and energy to ensure their safety. This situation put him in a difficult position where he constantly had to divide his attention between protecting others and fighting Gyokko.

This constant shift in focus increased his margin for error, leading to significant mistakes and leaving him without the time needed to devise effective strategies. In such an intense battle, this distraction was undoubtedly a decisive factor in his performance.

In summary, I believe the author intentionally nerfed Muichiro to introduce the Demon Slayer Mark into the storyline. This allowed the advantages and capabilities associated with the Mark to be showcased, but it also penalized Muichiro by reducing his effectiveness for most of the battle.

Among the factors listed, I think the most significant was the condition of his sword. Comparing Muichiro’s performance before and after receiving the reforged blade, it’s evident that the difference is substantial. If he had had access to the enhanced blade from the start, he might have defeated Gyokko/Gyokko base form much more quickly, avoiding many of the difficulties he faced.

On the other hand, Gyokko’s behavior also contributed to the outcome. Despite having the opportunity to eliminate Muichiro while he was trapped in the water prison, he chose to waste time showing off his art—a mistake that cost him dearly. However, it’s possible that Muichiro would have managed to free himself anyway, with a healthy sword, if the circumstances had been slightly different.

What do you think about all this?