"This is… way too weird! They're Upper Ranks, for crying out loud!"
Even after the battle had been over for a while, Uzui Tengen still looked completely baffled. "They were fighting us so fiercely just moments ago, but the second they saw you, Hikari-san, they just… stopped moving? Even if they were exhausted, you'd think they'd at least put up some kind of fight…"
Iguro Obanai didn't say a word, but his eyes echoed the same sentiment.
Uchiha Hikari, half-joking, chimed in, "What, you guys aren't seriously thinking I'm Kibutsuji Muzan in disguise, are you?"
"…"
Uzui Tengen and Iguro Obanai exchanged a glance but stayed silent.
For a split second, yeah, that thought had crossed their minds.
There weren't many people who could make two Upper Ranks give up resistance and surrender without a fight, and their master, the Demon King Muzan, was definitely one of them. But the thing is… Muzan wouldn't be out in broad daylight, and he sure as hell wouldn't disguise himself as a young girl to play house with the Demon Slayer Corps.
Not to mention, Uchiha Hikari's identity had been personally verified by the Master himself.
So…
There was only one conclusion.
"I thought I had a pretty good read on you, Hikari-san, but now I'm realizing… your strength is just ridiculously insane," Uzui said.
"Eh, it's alright," Hikari replied with a shrug.
After that, Rengoku Kyojuro and the others started organizing the cleanup.
Uchiha Hikari stretched lazily, rolling her shoulders as she stepped to the side. She casually ruffled Nezuko's head as the girl bounded over to greet her, then turned her attention to Tanjiro and the others nearby. "By the way, Tanjiro, those moves you used earlier—those were the 'Hinokami Kagura' your father taught you, right?"
"Y-Yeah…" Tanjiro nodded.
"For some reason, beyond the memories of my time with my father, it's like… weird images just popped into my head out of nowhere…"
Tanjiro pressed a hand to his forehead, looking a bit confused.
"Weird images…" Hikari repeated.
Could it be memories passed down through the Kamado family's DNA, tied to Tsugikuni Yoriichi?
Hikari pondered for a moment.
Before stepping in, she'd actually been observing the battle from above the Yoshiwara Entertainment District for a while—otherwise, she wouldn't have timed her entrance to wrap things up so perfectly.
She'd seen the whole thing: Tanjiro and Nezuko being cornered by Daki, and then Tanjiro unleashing the Hinokami Kagura in a burst of desperation.
But maybe because they faced Daki about half a year earlier than in the original timeline, Tanjiro and the others weren't strong enough yet. Plus, with three Hashira shouldering most of the pressure, Tanjiro didn't awaken his Mark in this fight like he did in the original story.
And honestly, that was a good thing.
The Mark, Transparent World, and Red Blade—the three power-ups of the Demon Slayer world—could massively boost combat ability, but the Mark was the least worth it.
The cost was just too high.
That power came from burning through your life force. Once you awakened the Mark, your lifespan would plummet, and you wouldn't live past 25.
—Tsugikuni Michikatsu, after all, became Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, because of it.
As a friend, Hikari wanted to help Tanjiro avoid that fate if she could.
"Once we're back, I'll talk to Rengoku Kyojuro and have him train you in the Hinokami Kagura. His Breathing Style is the closest to yours, and his family has some ancient texts passed down through generations… They should give you some unique pointers."
Hikari thought for a second, then patted Tanjiro's shoulder. "In a little while, I'll take you somewhere to check out some cool stuff…"
The place she had in mind was in the Dragon Ball world.
—Karin Tower.
Hikari had already tested it with Uzui Tengen: people from the Demon Slayer world couldn't fully cultivate the chakra system. The Sound Hashira was pretty sharp, and even he couldn't manage it, so Tanjiro probably wouldn't fare much better.
But…
"Ki" was different.
According to Master Korin, everyone—even people from ordinary worlds—had latent physical and mental energy in their bodies. If you could draw it out, you could cultivate "ki." Over time, Hikari had also noticed that Breathing Techniques and "ki" weren't entirely unrelated; there seemed to be a faint connection between them.
So, people from the Demon Slayer world might actually be able to cultivate "ki."
Even if their potential was limited by their physiology, it'd still be better than awakening the Mark.
"…Got it! I'll do my best!" Tanjiro nodded enthusiastically.
Nearby, Zenitsu and Inosuke were staring at her with eager, puppy-dog eyes, clearly hoping for their own shot.
"Hikari-san, what about us…?" Zenitsu ventured.
"Alright, alright," Hikari laughed. "I'll talk to the other Hashira and make sure you guys get some training too."
Over time, Hikari had gotten pretty close with the nine Hashira. A few of them even owed her a favor or two for her guidance, so finding mentors for Zenitsu and Inosuke wouldn't be hard.
After making a few casual promises, Hikari looked up at the deep night sky.
"By the way…"
"It's been a while since I first cosplayed as Tsugikuni Yoriichi, hasn't it? How come Muzan hasn't made a move? He's too scared to come himself, but he hasn't even sent any lackeys to test the waters?"
Is he really that much of a coward?
…
Infinite Castle, Another Dimension
Through the eyes of Daki and her brother, Kibutsuji Muzan "saw" Uchiha Hikari appear, and once again, he was gripped by soul-shaking fear.
"It's her… It's her again!"
"Why does this haunting woman keep showing up?!"
Ever since Rui's death, Muzan hadn't left the Infinite Castle.
Out of his fear of death, he'd abandoned all the human identities he'd cultivated over years without a second thought. All his focus had gone into investigating "Tsugikuni Yoriichi's reincarnation." He'd tasked Kokushibo, Akaza, and Gyokko with finding clues about that girl, but they'd come up empty.
Just when Muzan had resigned himself to hiding in the Infinite Castle for a century…
He saw that face again.
And this time, the image was clearer—and far more terrifying!
Not only did her appearance and aura resemble Tsugikuni Yoriichi, but those red eyes with black tomoe patterns, her dramatic descent from the sky, the bizarre technique that paralyzed demons, and the black runes tied to a scroll… None of it made sense to Muzan!
"What kind of technique can instantly rob a demon of their ability to move?! Rui was one thing, but even Gyutaro… Damn it! How is her power even stronger than before?!"
"Kokushibo!"
"It's been this long, and you still haven't figured out the identity of Yoriichi's reincarnation?!"
"…"
At that moment, besides Muzan and Nakime, there was a third figure in the Infinite Castle.
A man dressed as a samurai.
He wore a haori with purple-black stripes, a katana at his waist, and his face bore six eyes, each with red sclera and golden irises. The two in the center were marked with the kanji for "Upper Rank" and "One," declaring his identity—
Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.
The oldest and strongest of the Twelve Kizuki, second only to Muzan himself.
At that moment, Kokushibo knelt on the floor a short distance away, his face expressionless. "Lord Muzan, I have indeed been unable to uncover the identity of the girl you speak of…"
"Hah."
Muzan let out a bitter laugh. "Unable to find her? Are you telling me she just appeared out of nowhere, with no family, no parents, no past… born into this world for the sole purpose of hunting us down?!"
"…"
(End of Chapter)