At this very moment…
Unaware of Muzan's movements, Uchiha Yoriichi Hikari, clad in her protective gear and floating in her miniature "Hikari-chan" form under the pitch-black night sky, was directing her shadow clones as they converged from all directions. They gathered the sealed demons into one place.
Aside from Rui and "Father," the other demons on Spider Mountain were weak. For these clones, each possessing a fifth of her strength, dealing with them was effortless.
After a quick inventory to confirm no sealing scrolls or lightsabers were missing, Hikari dispelled the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Meanwhile…
Bulma, now in a fresh set of clothes, stepped out of a small room, drying her damp hair with a handheld hairdryer. "Phew… a bath really does make you feel so much better."
"Hey, Hikari, wanna hop in for a quick one? I can keep watch outside."
"…Nah, maybe tomorrow."
Hikari shook her head.
Truth be told, she *did* want a bath. After fighting those two demons, she'd worked up a bit of a sweat, and her skin felt sticky and uncomfortable.
But the timing and setting weren't right.
Dawn was still a ways off, and if Muzan suddenly sent a few Upper Ranks to ambush them, she couldn't exactly fight wrapped in a bath towel. Plus, with the demons' bizarre Blood Demon Arts, Bulma might not even have a chance to warn her.
"Alright then."
Bulma scratched her head, stowed the house capsule, and pulled out a pile of bread and drinks from another capsule, handing some over. "Let's eat something, then. We haven't had dinner yet."
"Thanks."
Hikari took the bread and started nibbling.
A cool breeze swept through.
Neither spoke, simply sitting on the open ridge, letting the wind blow as they quietly ate.
After some time…
A faint glow of dawn appeared on the distant horizon.
Hikari noticed the light but didn't pay it much mind. Bulma, however, jumped up, shading her eyes to peer into the distance. "It's the sun… sunrise is coming!"
"Oh?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow, staying seated.
Under their gazes, the glow slowly climbed past the horizon, like a sprouting bud reaching upward. Orange light bathed the forest, spilling over the mountains and across the land, turning Hikari and Bulma's hair a golden hue.
"It's so beautiful!" Bulma couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yeah… it really is."
Hikari squinted slightly, feeling the warmth of the sunlight. She suddenly understood why people would brave a cold night on a mountaintop just to witness a sunrise.
This kind of view was worth the wait.
"…Let's go, Bulma."
As the sun rose higher, Hikari stood. "It's about time to meet up with Tanjiro and the others."
…
When they returned to the base of Spider Mountain…
Hikari saw a large group of Demon Slayer Corps cleanup crew members bustling about, carrying stretchers to bring the wounded down from the mountain. On a nearby clearing, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were tied up, with a single-ponytail girl in a Demon Slayer uniform standing guard.
"Hm…"
It seemed that even in this altered storyline, Tanjiro couldn't escape being treated as a criminal. This time, it wasn't just him—Zenitsu and Inosuke were bound too. Maybe they'd stood up for Nezuko alongside Tanjiro?
On the other side, Tanjiro clearly spotted Hikari and Bulma. He started squirming, shouting, "Hikari-san, Bulma-san, Nezuko, she—"
He barely got the words out before the ponytail girl swiftly delivered a hand chop, silencing him. Tanjiro's eyes rolled back as he passed out cold.
Yup… that's very Kanao Tsuyuri.
It was a domestic spat between the young couple, plus internal Demon Slayer Corps business. Outsiders couldn't exactly meddle.
Hikari grabbed Bulma, who was about to rush over, and scanned the area. Her eyes quickly landed on the wooden box at the ponytail girl's feet, then shifted to two figures approaching nearby.
The petite woman in a butterfly-patterned haori spoke with a smile. "Good morning. You must be Uchiha Hikari-san and Bulma-san, right? I'm Kochou Shinobu, the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. I've been sent by our Master to invite you both for a meeting."
"Master? Who's that?" Bulma asked, confused. "You're the Demon Slayer Corps Hikari mentioned, right? Why'd you tie up Tanjiro and the others? Did they do something wrong?"
"…This incident is still under investigation. Until we have answers, I'm afraid I can't say more," Kochou Shinobu said with a bright smile.
Tomioka Giyuu, in his two-toned haori, stood expressionless.
Hikari sighed. The Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps were good people—willing to risk their lives to save others from demons—but their personalities were quirky, to say the least. These two were among the more reasonable ones, yet talking to them still felt like pulling teeth.
"I'm the one your Master wants to see," Hikari said softly. "Tanjiro and the others are Demon Slayer Corps members. If they broke the rules, that's your call, and we can't interfere. But the girl in that box is our friend. If it's not too much trouble, could you let us look after her?"
"…I'm sorry, but the girl in the box is also someone the Master wishes to meet. Until he makes a decision, we can't hand her over. Besides, she's a demon. It could be dangerous to approach her carelessly," Shinobu replied, still smiling.
Hikari smiled faintly. "I know she's a demon, but your orders didn't specify *who* should bring her to the Master, did they? Since Bulma and I are headed there anyway, letting us take her should be fine, right?"
"I'm afraid—"
Shinobu started to respond, but her eyes twitched as Hikari's figure began to fade from her spot.
At the same time…
Another Hikari appeared seven or eight meters away, casually picking up Nezuko's wooden box.
"?!"
Before Shinobu could instinctively reach for her blade, Hikari, box in hand, used the Body Flicker Technique to reappear in front of her. She gently pressed a hand on Shinobu's, her breath soft as she spoke. "Your orders didn't include fighting me, did they, Kochou-san? Or you, Tomioka-san?"
"…Alright."
After a brief standoff, Shinobu glanced at Giyuu, who had lowered his guard, and relented. "If you insist, you can take the girl. But once we set out, please cooperate. The route to the Master's residence is strictly confidential, so please don't make things difficult for us."
…
The tension at their meeting was just a small hiccup.
Three days after the Spider Mountain incident…
Hikari, Bulma, Tanjiro, and the others were escorted by members of the "Kakushi" to the Ubuyashiki clan's estate.
*(End of Chapter)*