Before the words even settled…
Uchiha Hikari launched another thrust.
As she moved, her short blade's edge shimmered with rings of blazing flames—a scene eerily identical to the legendary swordsman Tsugikuni Yoriichi from centuries ago!
"AAAHH!!"
Muzan's cells quivered violently!
That indescribable terror coursed through his blood, reaching Rui and making him feel it just as intensely!
At the critical moment, driven by an overwhelming survival instinct, Rui frantically summoned every ounce of power in his body, his ten fingers interlocking. "Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Rotation!"
Countless spider threads materialized, weaving the surroundings into an inescapable web. A massive vortex of threads formed a cocoon, hurtling toward Uchiha Hikari!
Faced with this desperate, all-or-nothing attack…
Hikari's response was a simple, unremarkable circular slash. "Sun Breathing… First Form: Waltz!"
A flash of light.
With a perfectly round arc, Rui's final, full-powered move was effortlessly dismantled. The blazing blade and its ring of flames passed through, and every thread melted like snow under the sun. Then, a mix of black and red flames trailed her blade as it sliced through Rui's body, cutting him into pieces in an instant.
Agony, like being burned by the sun itself, spread rapidly. The severed wounds showed no sign of healing.
"As expected…"
It *was* Sun Breathing!
Rui sank into despair, his mind replaying a montage of his life.
But just then, the black flames began to fade. In their place, black runes spread from Hikari's hands, swarming over Rui's body like tadpoles. With a low murmur of "Five Elements Seal," Rui's fragmented body was sucked into a scroll, securely sealed away.
After finishing this…
Hikari coldly scanned her surroundings, confirming Rui's presence was completely gone. Then, she formed a hand sign and released her Transformation Jutsu.
That's right.
She didn't actually know Sun Breathing.
The red hair, the forehead "markings"—all of it was crafted with Transformation Jutsu. The "Waltz" and "Blazing Sun Thrust" were her approximations based on her knowledge of *Demon Slayer*'s plot. They were just a thrust and a circular slash, basic sword techniques she could mimic well enough.
As for the "Nichirin Blade" effect…
It was merely Fire Release, with a tiny bit of Hawkins added for good measure.
The disguise wasn't perfect, but it was enough to fool Muzan.
After all, if just Tanjiro's hanafuda earrings could scare Muzan into avoiding him personally, then what kind of psychological pressure would someone with Yoriichi's hair color, markings, a Sun Breathing sword style with over 70% similarity, *and* the ability to inflict unhealable wounds exert on Muzan?
Hikari was very curious.
"Just as I thought, Amaterasu's lethality against demons far surpasses regular Fire Release. It's probably even stronger than true Sun Breathing. If I'd held back Amaterasu for ten seconds longer, this guy would've been incinerated completely…"
She didn't really want to kill Rui.
After all, test subjects like the Twelve Kizuki were rare—each one lost was one less. Until she could capture Muzan, the source capable of mass-producing demons, she couldn't afford to waste them.
As the final rune vanished, Hikari tucked the scroll into her jacket, tossed aside the short blade nearly melted by Amaterasu, and returned to "Father." She sealed the still-immobilized demon as well.
"…All done!"
Only then did Hikari stretch lazily and call Bulma out.
"…*Gulp*."
Back to her normal size, Bulma surveyed the clearing and forest, scorched by flames, sword energy, and Susanoo. She swallowed hard. "Hikari, what happened here? This can't *all* be from your fight with those two demons, right?"
"Mm."
Hikari nodded. "I meant to keep things under control, but I haven't fully mastered the Breathing Techniques I got from Tanjiro and the others. Got a bit carried away."
"A bit carried away…"
Bulma gave Hikari a complicated look. "Sure, I believe you."
But that wasn't the priority. For Bulma, the most pressing matter was…
"Uh… Hikari, could you keep watch outside? I need to clean up and change clothes. I'll be quick!"
With that, her face flushed, Bulma tossed out a Capsule, conjuring a small house in the clearing. She darted inside to shower and change.
The sound of running water echoed from the room.
Hikari clasped her hands behind her head, flopping onto the soft grass and gazing at the night sky.
"Around this time, the Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps should be on their way, right?"
"I wonder if Kibutsuji Muzan saw my performance just now. If he did… his face must be *priceless*."
…
In another dimension, Infinity Castle.
A lab table covered with various instruments lay toppled, glassware shattered across the floor.
A black-haired young man with plum-red eyes clutched his arms, curling into a ball.
Overwhelmed with tension, his pale face flushed red, veins bulging on his neck, pupils contracted to slits. His entire being radiated a dark, oppressive aura, causing the wooden floor around him to creak and splinter, teetering on collapse.
"It's him… It's *him*!"
"That appearance, that pain… No mistake… It's that man's Sun Breathing!"
"Why? *Why*! Why isn't he dead?!"
"AAAHHH—!!!"
In that moment, Muzan's five brains nearly shut down. Only two images flickered in his mind: the red-haired man from centuries ago and the red-haired girl he'd "seen" through Rui. In a daze, the two figures began to overlap, especially with her words, "What do you think life is?" ringing in his head. It cemented one truth for Muzan—
It was *him*!
Tsugikuni Yoriichi!
The human who terrified him had crawled out of his grave!!
And… he'd even reincarnated as a *girl*!!
After a long time…
Muzan finally regained a sliver of composure. He lifted his head and let out a hysterical roar toward the figure on the high platform.
"Nakime!!"
An indescribable pressure erupted, shattering dozens of floating wooden rooms around him. Even the kimono-clad woman with long hair obscuring her face, seated on the platform and clutching her biwa, felt the force. Her hands gripped the instrument so tightly that veins popped, and thick blood welled up in her throat.
"…Kokushibo! Summon Kokushibo to me!"
"Now!!"
(Chapter End)