Inside a wooden room.
Kokushibo lowered his head, silent for a long while before finally speaking in a low voice:
"Hard as it is to believe, I've thoroughly investigated the Demon Slayer Corps bases in Natagumo Mountain and Asakusa. So far, there's no trace of any records related to her. Back then… it was I who cleaved his body in two. There's no way he could've come back to life."
"As for the demon-hunting techniques she's using…"
On that point, Kokushibo wasn't surprised at all.
Just as he could never catch up to his younger brother's shadow no matter how hard he tried back then, if this girl truly was the reincarnation of Yorichii Tsugikuni, then no matter how unbelievable her methods were, it made sense.
—A child of the heavens can't be judged by mortal logic.
Another stretch of silence followed.
Finally.
Muzan seemed to piece something together, his voice hissing as he spoke: "It seems the root of all this likely lies with the Ubuyashiki clan."
"It must be some change in this generation's Ubuyashiki foresight ability that let them discover Yorichii's reincarnation. They hid that girl in advance, planning to use her as a secret weapon against us, then erased every trace of her existence to keep us from finding her!"
Once he reached this initial conclusion, Muzan's thoughts started to flow more clearly:
"I see…"
"No wonder the Demon Slayer Corps has been able to pinpoint the locations of the Twelve Kizuki so accurately in such a short time. Last time with Rui, fine, but this time against Gyutaro? Sending three Hashira at once? That was clearly premeditated. And from the looks of it, they even knew that Daki and Gyutaro's heads had to be severed simultaneously to kill them…
It seems the Ubuyashiki's ability doesn't just predict the movements of the Twelve Kizuki—it can even glimpse their abilities!"
In that moment, Muzan felt a flicker of relief at his own caution.
If he hadn't acted decisively, the Demon Slayers might've found him instead of Daki…
"…"
Kokushibo kept his head bowed, saying nothing.
Muzan made his decision: "Nakime, summon all the Upper Ranks here immediately. I'm holding a meeting now!"
"Until we confirm the location of the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters and get solid intel on that girl, we must preserve the Upper Ranks' strength to the fullest!"
…
Ubuyashiki Kagaya had no idea he'd been painted as the mastermind behind every scheme in Muzan's eyes.
The news from the Kasugai Crow about the successful defeat of Upper Rank Six had put him in a great mood.
After all…
The last time an Upper Rank demon was defeated was over a hundred years ago.
Even though it was just the lowest of the Upper Ranks, this mission proved the accuracy of the intel provided by Hikari Uchiha. With that, the Demon Slayer Corps' odds of taking down the other Twelve Kizuki would improve drastically.
There was even a faint glimmer of hope for their ultimate goal: eliminating Kibutsuji Muzan once and for all.
For this, Ubuyashiki Kagaya personally visited Hikari Uchiha with his wife and daughters to express his heartfelt thanks.
He brought plenty of gifts, too.
"These are tea sets crafted from Yakusugi cedar from Kagoshima, ceramic dolls from Hakata in Fukuoka, and平安-era sachets made from wisteria flowers…"
"These are all handicrafts I've had people collect from across the country recently, along with some preserved foods. It's a small token of appreciation from me and my wife—please don't think them unworthy, ladies."
"Wow, these sachets are pretty unique… You're too kind, Mr. Ubuyashiki."
Bulma seemed quite taken with the little trinkets.
After all, you wouldn't find stuff like this in the Dragon Ball world.
Hikari Uchiha's attention, meanwhile, was drawn to a few other items—
A blade, a bronze mirror, some jade artifacts, and a flute…
"These are the items with a mystical aura you asked for, collected over this short period," Ubuyashiki explained.
"Since time was limited and these kinds of items are hard to authenticate, we could only gather this much for now. If you'd like more, I'll have people continue searching and bring them to you next time."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya went on to introduce each one:
"This blade is a sacred sword, Onikiri, enshrined in a shrine managed by my wife's family. Forged eight hundred years ago by a master smith of the Heian era, it was once wielded by a Minamoto general to slay wicked demons. Even today, it remains as sharp as ever."
"…"
So the "demons" from the "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" stories were Muzan's demons?
Hikari Uchiha drew the blade from its sheath, inspecting it closely before flicking it with her finger. A faint, resonant hum echoed.
"Not a bad sword."
Having trained in kenjutsu, she could tell quality from junk. Compared to the mass-produced tanto she'd bought from ninja tool shops or the standard blades carried by most Demon Slayers—even the Hashira—this sword's craftsmanship was top-notch.
And…
When she gripped the hilt, she felt a distinct aura. Cold, sharp, unyielding—almost like chakra…
No.
Hikari Uchiha suddenly realized the source of this aura—it was likely the lingering will of those who'd wielded Onikiri over eight hundred years, their beliefs etched into the blade, forming a unique spiritual force. This force enveloped the blade, granting a weapon of mere iron an extraordinary edge that endured centuries without decay.
"I see…"
"Could it be that the blade hidden in Yorichii Tsugikuni's puppet in the Swordsmith Village carries his spiritual force, too? That's why it's so powerful?"
A blade like this was just barely worthy of her.
Next.
Hikari Uchiha examined the other items—
Prayer beads from a Shingon Buddhist monk, said to protect the wearer from fire and water;
A spiritual bow and demon-breaking arrows from a Sengoku-era miko… though they were battle-damaged and didn't look usable;
A jade necklace rumored to unleash "kotodama" (spirit words), but its method was lost;
A simple wooden flute that, when played, could soothe the listener's sorrows…
A mirror said to reflect the heart's desires…
With Onikiri as the gold standard, these other items felt a bit lackluster.
Still, seeing Ubuyashiki Kagaya introduce them so earnestly, Hikari Uchiha didn't let her thoughts show. She nodded in thanks and stowed the items away, planning to tinker with them in her spare time.
At the very least, the jade necklace was pretty, its hue like a clear blue sky.
The flute's tone was nice, too—calming, like it really could ease the heart.
"By the way… the 'kotodama' this necklace is supposed to release—could it be something like 'sit'?"
Hikari Uchiha glanced at the spiritual bow and jade necklace, her mind wandering to that thought.
(End of Chapter)