I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 235 All Actors

That evening.

Tanjiro and the others finished compiling the list of people who needed to be resurrected and delivered it to Uchiha Hikaru.

There are a total of 142 people.

It was slightly more than she had expected.

After all, besides Tanjiro and the nine Hashira, the Demon Slayer Corps also has a large number of ordinary members, "Kakuna" members responsible for logistics, as well as medical teams and sword-forging teams. All of these together number at least several hundred people, and basically every member has had a tragic experience.

If it weren't for the time limit of "dying within three years", the number of people who would need to be resurrected would probably be several times higher.

It doesn't matter.

As long as the wish can be made successfully, whether it's more than a hundred people or more than ten thousand people, it's just a matter of breathing for the dragon.

After obtaining this list.

Uchiha Hikaru and Kikyo checked each one and sealed the souls of everyone except the Kamado family with talismans.

Then they put all the corpses in ice coffins and placed them in the universal capsule.

During this time, Hikaru Uchiha didn't have enough ice coffins, so Bulma bought a hundred or so from the Dragon Ball world and sent them over temporarily through the group shop, which finally completed the encoffining.

"Speaking of which..."

"Would you like to see your family and friends again?"

Hikaru Uchiha looked at Kyojuro Rengoku, Giyu Tomioka, and Ruka Rengoku and the others in front of them: "Although Aunt Ruka, Sabito... they have been dead for more than three years and cannot be resurrected, if it is Edo Tensei, then there is no problem. However, the body of an Edo Tensei is slightly different from that of a living person, and they cannot live like they did in life, but they can still go home and catch up."

"this……"

Rengoku Kyojuro and the others hesitated.

Rationally, they vaguely felt that this practice was somewhat disrespectful to the deceased.

After all, they had witnessed the situation of Kamado Aoi's family firsthand. Although they could walk and talk like ordinary people, many differences could not be ignored. Ultimately, they were not alive.

But emotionally, they also want to spend more time with their mothers and close friends.

Especially Rengoku Kyojuro.

He has an elderly father who has been drinking heavily and ignoring everything since his mother passed away. If he could bring his mother back with him, meet her, and have a good talk, perhaps his father's behavior could change.

To this, Uchiha Hikaru simply smiled and said, "It's alright, you can take your time to think it over, and remember to ask for their opinions as well. If necessary, I'm ready to step in at any time."

"Hmm... If I really do manage to resurrect someone using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, I can also teach you how to undo it while I'm at it, so you can undo it when needed."

"...Okay, I'll discuss it with my mother/senior brother. Whatever the outcome, thank you very much, Miss Hikari."

That evening.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki prepared a lavish banquet and invited everyone to stay for a meal.

During the meeting, the group discussed the details of the "luring the enemy plan" again.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki had already devised a plan to "inadvertently" reveal the location of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters to Muzan, so Hikaru Uchiha didn't need to worry about it.

Furthermore, mobilization is not a concern.

Those who can join the Demon Slayer Corps are almost all people who have a deep hatred for demons and are willing to risk their lives. If sacrificing themselves can help the Demon Slayer Corps achieve final victory, then they will not hesitate to give their lives.

not to mention……

There is still one chance to be revived with a guaranteed minimum.

"If I die in this final battle... I should be able to be resurrected, right, Ms. Hikari?"

"certainly."

Uchiha Hikaru nodded: "As long as the corpses aren't eaten, there's no problem. When Kikyo and I take stock of the battlefield afterward, we'll collect all the souls of the victims and revive them all."

"……That's good."

As Kagaya Ubuyashiki responded, the other Pillars present also breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they are not afraid of death, no one would refuse if they could survive.

So now there's only one problem left—

The question of who should participate in the ambush.

In the original work, when Kagaya Ubuyashiki set up this trap to lure Muzan over, he only arranged for a few skilled fighters, such as Gyomei Himejima, to guard around the room. Once Muzan fell into the trap, they would leap out from their hiding places and assassinate him.

But now...

The Demon Slayer Corps' lineup is more complete than it was at this point in the original timeline.

Aside from Tengen Uzui, who, like in the original work, lost an arm and was unable to participate in this operation, Kyojuro Rengoku and the others, who had recently encountered Akaza and were seriously injured, also recovered at an extraordinary speed under the healing of the Palm Healing Technique.

In addition, there were Uchiha Hikaru and his group from other worlds who arrived one after another.

So many people are hiding inside headquarters, trying to keep Muzan from seeing them...

That's really a bit like burying your head in the sand.

However, this problem is also easily solved—

"At that time, I will use the transformation magic to turn Ai and the others into your family members, Mr. Ubuyashiki, and then they will stay here."

Uchiha Hikaru pointed at Ubuyashiki Amane, indicating his presence.

In the original work, this woman who was born a shrine maiden, along with her two white-haired daughters, acted as bait along with Kagaya Ubuyashiki and ultimately perished in the explosion.

Now, there's no need to send them here to risk their lives.

Uchiha Hikaru, Esdeath, and Erii could perfectly transform into Ubuyashiki Amane and her two daughters. When Muzan arrives, they could simply undo the transformation, which would surely be a huge surprise for him.

As for the others...

"...Leave this to me."

Kikyo slowly spoke: "Among the barrier techniques I know, there is a type called 'concealment barrier,' which can hide people and objects. As long as the other party has no spiritual power, even if they walk right past you, they won't notice the person hiding inside the barrier."

"Huh?"

Kyojuro Rengoku's eyes widened in surprise: "There are such amazing techniques?"

"This is good, this is good."

Yamato clapped his hands repeatedly.

After a brief moment of shock, Kagaya Ubuyashiki came to his senses and began to make arrangements in an orderly manner.

With Hikaru Uchiha and his group participating in the attack against Muzan, there was no need for the other Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps to be stationed there. Therefore, Kagaya Ubuyashiki decided to leave only the strongest three—Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and Tanjiro—while the other Hashira would split into pairs and lead teams to disperse to various locations around the area to deal with attacks from other directions.

In addition...

Ms. Tamayo and Yushiro will also participate in this operation.

That's right.

Several months ago, Kagaya Ubuyashiki had already sent someone to bring Tamayo over and entrusted her with the task of developing a drug to weaken Muzan. With the help of Shinobu Kocho, who is also skilled in medicine, some progress has been made.

Although Hikaru Uchiha felt that it didn't really matter whether poison was used or not, since it would make the Demon Slayer Corps feel more at ease, she decided to let it go.

—Speaking of which, Ms. Tamayo is quite talented in the medical field. After this incident is over, perhaps we can try to invite her to join Dr. Gro's research institute.

The plan has been finalized.

The next few days.

Kikyo began setting up the barrier.

Yamato, on the other hand, curiously approached to observe, constantly asking questions.

Uchiha Hikaru didn't have much to do and couldn't wander around aimlessly—the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was located in the Kanto region, a relatively densely populated area. If he rashly entered a city, he might be seen by Muzan and the Twelve Demon Moons, arousing their suspicion.

So she simply greeted Kikyo, and then, along with Esdeath and Erii, used "Shangri-La" to teleport to Ryukyu, thousands of miles away, where they played in the water at the beach.

The Demon Slayer world is currently in late summer and early autumn.

It's a little cool.

However, Uchiha Hikaru and the others were all quite strong, and their bloodlines were also different from ordinary people, so they did not feel cold.

Moreover, at this time, Ryukyu had not yet developed into the popular tourist destination it is today. Along a coastline of more than ten kilometers, there were hardly any people to be seen. It was perfect for swimming and sunbathing on the beach.

Two or three days passed leisurely like this before Tanjiro sent a message:

[Ironhead Kid @ Anonymous @ Little Monster: Miss Hikari, Miss Erii, are you there?]

[Iron-Headed Kid: Master said that Muzan will be coming to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters tomorrow night, and those Upper Rank demons will be coming with him... Also, Mr. Bulang came from the Akame ga Kill! world this morning, bringing Mr. Tatsumi with him.]

[Anonymous: Oh, then we'll go back first thing tomorrow morning.]

[Anonymous: By the way, how's it going with Kikyo-san? Is everything set up?]

[Kikyo: It's all set up. I just tested it with Tanjiro and the others, and it should be fine.]

Ryukyu coast.

Hikaru Uchiha, wearing a one-piece swimsuit and sunglasses, glanced at Erii, who was piling sand next to her.

During this time, although the favor of Uchiha Hikaru, the "White King," and the stabilization of her condition have given Erii greater freedom in the Dragon Clan world, the Snake Clan is still somewhat uneasy about letting her go too far from home. Only in the worlds of other members does she have the opportunity to play freely.

"Um?"

It seemed that he had noticed Uchiha Hikaru's gaze.

Erii looked up, wiped the fine sweat from her temples with her sand-covered hands, and then smiled.

With a few quick strokes, he held up his notebook: "Want to build a castle together, Light?"

"……castle?"

Uchiha Hikaru crouched down, looking at the abstract sand structures in front of Erii, and fell into deep thought.

the other side.

Esdeath swam from the sea to the shore, accompanied by the sound of water, and then walked onto the beach.

Because of her revealing outfit, her tall and shapely figure was perfectly outlined by the swimsuit. Water droplets slid slowly down her fair skin, flowing over her long, well-defined legs, giving her an unusual charm.

"cough……"

Uchiha Hikaru awkwardly looked away, then took out a few ice creams from the small freezer next to him and handed them to the two people beside him.

"What flavor do you want?"

"This one."

Esdeath chose a vanilla flavor.

Erii took another strawberry-flavored one, licked it with the tip of her tongue, and showed a pleasant expression on her face.

Then, Uchiha Kuri picked up an ice cream herself, took small bites, and put the wrapper in a bag, preparing to find a place to throw it away later.

That night.

The three of them made do with resting in the small house that the capsule had thrown out.

Then, the next morning, after brushing his teeth and washing up, he ate something simple and used "Shangri-La" to return to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.

The atmosphere here is noticeably more tense than it was two days ago.

Even Yamato, Brand, and the others looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, leaving Uchiha Hikaru somewhat speechless.

However, she didn't say anything at the moment. She just watched as Brand, Yamato, and the other Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps were arranged by Kikyo to hide near the Ubuyashiki residence.

then.

Kikyo chanted incantations and made several hand gestures.

Tiny ripples appeared in the surrounding air, as if something had subtly distorted. Then, in the blink of an eye, the figures of the group vanished from their original spots, disappearing without a trace.

"This spell... seems to have a bit of spatial attribute involved?"

Uchiha Hikaru raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes."

Kikyo nodded: "If it were a regular concealment barrier, such a complicated setup wouldn't be necessary. But you mentioned, Hikari-san, that person named Kibutsuji Muzan has the ability to travel to another dimension, so I used a barrier technique involving spatial properties. The principle is to create a spatial fold in those selected locations, like cutting a pocket out of clothing and putting someone inside..."

"When I release the spell, the space in this area will be disrupted as Tanjiro and the others emerge, preventing Muzan from teleporting back immediately."

"Understood."

Uchiha Hikaru understood and thought he would ask Kikyo for advice after the battle.

And now...

"Transform!"

Uchiha Hikaru grabbed Esdeath and Erii with one hand each and used the Transformation Jutsu. As the smoke dissipated, the three figures reappeared as Amane and her two daughters.

"Here you go, you can play ball here in a bit."

"..."

Esdeath, in her child form, took the ball from Uchiha Hikaru with a complicated expression, unsure whether to pat it or throw it. Erii, standing beside her, clapped her hands happily, looking at her outfit with curiosity, perfectly portraying the innocent and charming demeanor unique to little girls.

As each actor took their place.

The grand show has finally begun as scheduled.

Time passed second by second.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat in the living room wrapped in a blanket, coughing incessantly.

At a certain moment.

Uchiha Hikaru's eyelids twitched as he vaguely sensed a very subtle fluctuation emanating from a corner of the headquarters compound. At the same time, Kikyo's message appeared in the chat group.

[Kikyo: I'm here.]

(End of this chapter)