I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 236 "Uchiha Yoriichi: Light" Limited-Time Return

It's a cloudy day today.

It was getting close to evening.

The light in the courtyard was somewhat dim, and it was difficult to see clearly from a distance due to the shade of the trees.

Muzan deliberately chose this time to come, because even as the Demon King, he still couldn't overcome the effects of sunlight. Only when night was about to fall was his domain, and he could retreat at any time if he encountered any unexpected situations.

[Oni-hime: Has Muzan arrived? Where is he? Where is he?]

[Brand: It should be that guy in the northeast corner, black hair, red eyes, young man... He appeared without warning, and his aura is quite gloomy. He should be the image that Ms. Hikari and Tanjiro described. He's heading towards the pond now, and will be with you, Yamato, soon.]

[Oni-hime: Oh, I see.]

[Oni-hime: This isn't what I imagined. So the demons in this world don't have horns on their heads?]

the other side.

Seeing the lively discussion in the chat group, Bulma, who was repairing the spaceship in the Dragon Ball world, couldn't contain herself any longer.

[Bulma: Wait, what does Muzan actually look like? I'm so curious after hearing what you guys are saying. Can someone do a live stream so I can see? I need to know urgently!]

[Iron-Headed Kid: Wait a minute, Miss Bulma, let me drive...]

[Iron-Headed Kid has started a group live stream]

As the live stream began.

Not only Bulma, but also Uchiha Hikaru, who was staying in the house, faithfully playing his role and quietly making tea, "saw" the scene that Brand and the others saw.

The person who arrived was indeed Muzan.

He was in the form of a young man, dressed in a black suit and wearing a top hat, walking leisurely along the path of the mansion. The lanterns on both sides dispelled some of the darkness, but they seemed unable to illuminate his figure.

Judging by appearance alone, this guy even looks somewhat handsome and dashing.

However, if you know his background and what he has done, then you will only feel physical disgust.

now.

Muzan Kibutsuji was "quietly" sneaking into the headquarters courtyard, thinking he was getting away with it unnoticed. Little did he know that his every move was being watched by seven or eight... well, more like a dozen pairs of eyes. Besides Hikaru Uchiha and the others, several Hashirama members of the Demon Slayer Corps, hidden throughout the courtyard, could also see him. Bulang and Yamato were even giving him real-time updates in their group chat.

in fact……

Muzan also sensed that something was wrong.

He was, after all, a demon king who had lived for over a thousand years and was known for his cautious nature. Although he couldn't see Yamato and the others who were hidden, he was still very sensitive to the gazes cast upon him. The distance from the courtyard to the main house was only a hundred meters or so, but he had already stopped and looked around several times, as if he was ready to turn around and run away at any moment.

rustle--

The sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the treetops filled the air.

Then, there was a crisp sound of a ball bouncing, coming from the direction of the two "little girls" at the main house entrance.

Speaking of which...

It was only after the plan began that Uchiha Hikaru suddenly realized a problem—she had Esdeath and Erii play the roles of the two daughters of the Ubuyashiki family in the yard, but one of them couldn't speak freely because of the power of words, and the other was cold and aloof and didn't like to talk. The sight of the two "sisters" in their teens silently bouncing a ball in the yard looked somewhat eerie.

Muzan seemed to have noticed this detail as well.

However, since he was unaware of the transformation technique, he only frowned slightly and did not show anything obvious.

At this moment, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who was inside the house, spoke up:

"Cough cough..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's weakness was not feigned. After coughing laboriously a few times, he calmly looked outside:

"You've arrived."

"I am coming."

At this moment.

Muzan temporarily suppressed all his doubts and looked at Ubuyashiki Kagaya's terminally ill appearance with a mocking smile.

It's been a thousand years.

Since the Heian period, after he became a demon and fled his family, the Ubuyashiki clan has been cursed by the gods. To break this curse, they devoted all their energy to fighting against him, establishing the Demon Slayer Corps, which has lasted for thousands of years. Even during the Sengoku period, when Muzan, with the help of Tsugikuni Kokukatsu, killed the then-leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, he still failed to completely destroy the organization.

But today...

Everything is coming to an end.

Without the Demon Slayer Corps, he could safely send all his men to search for the Blue Spider Lily and find a way to transform himself into a perfect being. In that case, even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni were to be reincarnated, he would have nothing to fear.

"Is that woman... not here?"

Muzan glanced around without making a sound, but did not find the red-haired, red-eyed figure he remembered.

On the other side, Kagaya Ubuyashiki spoke again: "Won't you come in and sit down, Muzan? My... ancestor."

"……Oh."

Muzan sneered and finally stepped into the living room: "It seems you've resigned yourself to your fate? Well, as a human, it's already quite an achievement to have resisted until now. If you're willing to surrender to me, I might consider pardoning your sins and granting you eternal life."

"...As a demon?"

"Otherwise what?"

During the conversation after sitting down.

Muzan casually glanced at Uchiha Hikaru, who was disguised as Amane and sitting next to him making tea, but only for a moment before looking away.

Uchiha Hikaru also didn't show any extra expression, or even look up, but quietly sent a message in the group using his mind:

[Nameless: Kikyo-san, have you seen anyone besides Muzan?]

[Kikyo: ...Two auras have infiltrated the northwest direction of the barrier. They should both be "Oni," and the kind with the ability to teleport. They've now reached the side of the main house, very close to where you and Hikari are. Please be careful.]

[Anonymous: Space travel...Hantengu and Gyokko?]

[Brand: Jade Pot? This seems to be the opponent I booked?]

[Yamato: So, where is Akaza, the one I'm dealing with?]

[Kikyo: I don't know... There's another presence approaching from the east of the barrier, but it seems to have sensed something and stopped at the edge of the barrier instead of coming in directly.]

As the one who set up and manipulated the entire barrier, Kikyo could clearly sense any unusual activity throughout it. At this moment, one location after another exploded, and Uchiha Hikaru, based on the corresponding characteristics, made a rough judgment and locked onto all the targets that each person needed to deal with.

The only one who's a bit of a problem is Esdeath.

After all, she wasn't in the group chat, and Uchiha Hikaru didn't know any "sound transmission" techniques, so he couldn't communicate with her in real time. He could only give her a little hint through Erii, reminding her to stay calm.

[Little Monster @ Anonymous: Light, Sister Ai seems to be about to burst, her aura is so cold...]

[Little Monster: The ball you gave us is about to crack from the cold. If this one breaks, can we buy another one later?]

【nameless:……】

Well, it seems that in Erii's eyes, that little ball is more important than Muzan and the Upper Moon demons.

[Nameless: Besides these three people, are there any other auras present near the barrier?]

[Kikyo: ...There's another one in the southwest, but that's the direction that Kanroji-san and the others are responsible for guarding. They'll probably encounter them first.]

"Um……"

Uchiha Kou guessed that one or two of the three people might be Kokushibo or Akaza, but it was still uncertain where Doma and the unknown replacement Upper Moon Six were hiding.

[Nameless: ...Prepare to make your move, Kikyo-san. Muzan has lowered his guard.]

[Platycodon grandiflorus: Okay.]

After making the decision to take action.

Kikyo, who was also hiding in the "folded space," clasped her hands together and made several hand seals:

"untie!"

This moment.

Simultaneously, signs of fluctuation in energy appeared in more than a dozen locations within the headquarters compound. Then, ripples resembling water waves suddenly formed in the air, like ripples on a lake. As the ripples spread, figures emerged.

In the blink of an eye.

The courtyard, which was just a moment ago empty, is now completely full.

Yamato, Brand, Tanjiro... and Gyomei Himejima and the others from the Demon Slayer Corps all made their appearances.

Erii and Esdeath, who were bouncing a ball in the yard, remained unchanged at this time. They did not know the transformation technique themselves and relied on the chakra provided by Uchiha Hikaru to transform into two little girls, so they could not freely release the technique.

but……

Esdeath's aura erupted at this moment.

"?!"

Muzan was stunned for a moment, a look of surprise on his face.

Before he could react, he heard a "bang" and the ball in the yard suddenly exploded.

Then, a cold and powerful pressure emanated from that direction and landed on Muzan, causing the thousand-year-old demon king to shiver involuntarily.

Snowflakes are dancing in the air.

It was only early autumn, but at this moment, pure white snowflakes suddenly appeared in the courtyard, fluttering everywhere in the cold wind. Esdeath, still in her child form, looked at Muzan with eyes as cold as frost, sharp icicles already appearing in her palm.

"...What happened?"

Muzan seemed to realize something, his gaze lingering on Esdeath for a moment before he abruptly turned to look at Ubuyashiki Amane, who was putting down her tea set and getting up in the room: "Wait, you are not...?"

"Have you finally realized it?"

Uchiha Hikaru raised his head and smiled slightly.

A dark red light subtly flickered in his eyes.

Chakra surged.

Esdeath and Erii, who were outside the courtyard, both returned to their original forms at this moment.

As the caster, Uchiha Hikari, slowly rose to her feet, she underwent a rapid transformation. First, her height shrank by ten centimeters from about 1.7 meters, and then her appearance changed from that of an adult woman back to that of a thirteen-year-old girl.

Her high-piled white hair fell loose during this process, revealing a fiery red hue, exactly the same color as her eyes.

This is not the effect of transformation magic, but a superficial application of the "Fire and Thunder God".

Uchiha Yoriichi: Light.

This "limited-edition skin," which Uchiha Hikaru used twice, in Spider Mountain and Yoshiwara Yukaku, and took away two Ghost Months, is making a limited-time return at this time and place.

After doing all this.

Uchiha Hikaru smiled brightly at Muzan Kibutsuji, who was a few meters away, and said, "We meet again... Surprised, Muzan?"

"..."

Muzan was stunned.

He was almost paralyzed with fear; all five of his brains nearly shut down at once.

Before coming here, Muzan had considered the possibility of encountering Uchiha Hikaru here—after all, as long as this "reincarnation of Yoriichi Tsugikuni" was not dead and was still in the Demon Slayer Corps, the most likely place for him to be was this headquarters.

but……

Muzan never expected that the other party would appear in front of him in such a way!

The mighty Yoriichi Tsugikuni has actually started resorting to such underhanded tactics... And what's with this ability to change his appearance at will?!

After a brief moment of shock, an indescribable terror followed!

"...It's you!! It was actually you!!"

Muzan suddenly jumped up, staring at Uchiha Hikaru with an incredulous expression, then a sharp explosion erupted from his hair:

"Jade!! Pot!!"

The shout was unusually loud, creating a shockwave that felt almost tangible in the air. Ubuyashiki Kagaya, who was nearby, had his eardrums ruptured, and bright red blood trickled down his face. Uchiha Hikaru, too, couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly, keenly sensing the two presences approaching from behind.

Almost at the same time that Muzan opened his mouth to scream.

Two blurry shadows, like ghosts, suddenly emerged from two corners of the room, rushing towards Uchiha Hikaru's back with a sharp whooshing sound, as if to kill her instantly!

"?!"

Tanjiro, who was rushing over from the direction of the courtyard and witnessed everything, opened his mouth wide and subconsciously wanted to speak up to warn them.

But before he could speak, Uchiha Hikaru took a step to the side as if he had foreseen the future. At the same time, he tilted his head slightly, opened his arms, and his fair hands, wrapped in transparent "Chakira," reached out and grabbed the two attackers. While activating the sealing technique, he casually flung them forward!

Bang-!

With a muffled thud, the shadowy mass crashed to the ground, revealing its true form: two hideous, blue-faced demons with eyeballs bearing the characters "肆" and "伍" carved into their foreheads and mouths, respectively.

"Upper Moon Four, Hantengu; Upper Moon Five, Gyokko?"

(End of this chapter)