The day after receiving the gift…
Bulma handed over her modified "Demon Slayer World 2.0 Laser Sword" to Ubuyashiki Kagaya, giving him a serious rundown of the precautions.
"…The light is just as harmful to humans as it is to demons. If you overexpose yourself—especially to sensitive areas like the eyes, throat, or heart—it could cause permanent injury or even death, so you've gotta be careful.
In a pinch, you can press the red groove at the bottom of the hilt and throw the sword. It'll self-destruct after a five-second delay to keep it out of the wrong hands."
"As for the energy, as long as you don't overuse it, it should last three to five months without a problem. Use it sparingly, and it'll hold out even longer."
"Thank you."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya bowed deeply again, carefully stowing the laser sword.
Now that the laser sword had been delivered, how the Demon Slayer Corps would use it was up to them.
Most of the nine Hashira were highly skilled with swords. Except for those like Himejima Gyomei or Kanroji Mitsuri, whose unique weapons couldn't be easily swapped out, the others should be able to master the laser sword quickly. Picking two suitable "sword wielders" from among them shouldn't be an issue.
And now…
It was time for the final—and most important—reason Uchiha Hikari had come here.
…
**Late at Night, Snowy Mountain, Mountainside**
Uchiha Hikari, Bulma, Tanjiro, and Rengoku Kyojuro, who'd tagged along, came to a stop.
Before them stood an old, weathered wooden cabin. Nearby, a few lonely gravestones dotted the landscape. Though spring had already begun, the high altitude meant patches of unmelted snow still lingered around them.
"Hikari-san, this is the place," Tanjiro said softly, his breath forming a small cloud in the cold air.
Hikari didn't respond right away, instead scanning their surroundings.
She'd known Tanjiro's family lived on a snowy mountain, but she hadn't realized the altitude here was close to a thousand meters. Judging by the thick snowpack, it probably didn't fully melt even in summer.
But…
For what they were about to do, that was actually good news.
With Tanjiro's permission, Hikari formed a series of hand signs, summoning seven or eight shadow clones. She then pulled a pile of shovels from a Capsule Corp capsule, handed one to each clone, and they began carefully digging around the graves.
Meanwhile, her real body took a slow walk through the cabin and made a quick trip to the back of the mountain.
Nothing noteworthy.
Not surprising, really.
This had once been Tsugikuni Yoriichi's home, but that was three hundred years ago. Even if Yoriichi had left something behind, time would've likely erased it. The fact that the red sun-patterned earrings had been passed down was already a testament to the Kamado family's careful preservation. Expecting to find anything else was a long shot.
As for the "Blue Spider Lily"…
Tanjiro vaguely recalled it, but according to his memories, the flower only bloomed for a few days around the autumn equinox, opening during the day and wilting at night. Right now, all they could find near the stream were some bulb-like roots that looked like they might belong to the spider lily.
Hikari dug up a few to take back for analysis, hoping to uncover something useful.
Finally…
Several thin wooden coffins were unearthed and laid out in front of the Kamado family's cabin.
Hikari gave a slight bow of respect, then opened one of the coffins, revealing a body that hadn't fully decomposed. The thin air and freezing temperatures of the snowy mountain had preserved the corpses far longer than normal.
After taking a small piece of skin from the body, Hikari retrieved a demon from a sealing scroll and placed it onto a prepared ritual array.
"Ninjutsu…"
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
With a series of hand signs, the array glowed faintly. Dust swirled from the air, enveloping the demon's body layer by layer, reshaping it into the form of a gentle-looking woman in white.
"…"
The moment Tanjiro saw her, he gripped Nezuko's hand tightly with one hand while the other clenched into a fist.
A few seconds later…
Under the watchful eyes of Hikari and the others, the woman's eyelids twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze swept the surroundings before settling on Tanjiro and Nezuko.
"It's been a long time… Tanjiro, Nezuko."
"…Mom!"
At the sound of her voice, Tanjiro choked out a sob and rushed forward without hesitation. The woman, Kamado Kie, opened her arms, embracing her eldest son and daughter tightly. Her slightly clouded eyes shimmered with tears.
"…Huh??"
At that moment…
Bulma, Rengoku Kyojuro, and Uzui Tengen, who'd witnessed the whole thing, stood wide-eyed, their faces full of disbelief.
"L-Little Hikari, this is…?" Bulma stammered.
"Impure World Reincarnation, a ninjutsu that temporarily brings the dead back to the living world. It requires a piece of the deceased's body as a medium and a living body as a vessel to complete the technique… I wasn't sure it'd work, but looks like it did," Hikari explained softly.
Since she hadn't been certain the technique would succeed, she hadn't explained the details to Bulma and the others beforehand, only saying she was helping Tanjiro preserve his family's bodies for a potential future revival. But now…
It seemed Senju Tobirama's version of Impure World Reincarnation wasn't as underwhelming as she'd thought.
Over the next ten minutes, Hikari performed the technique again, bringing back Kamado Takeo, Shigeru, Hanako, and Rokuta.
Once it was done, she stored all the coffins and their bodies in a Capsule Corp capsule.
—While it was still unclear how next year's Dragon Ball wish would be used, the vacuum-sealed environment of the capsule would preserve the bodies even longer.
On the other side…
Kamado Kie finally calmed her whirlwind of emotions. She stepped forward and bowed deeply to Hikari. "Uchiha-san, thank you so much for giving our family this chance to reunite. Being able to see Tanjiro and Nezuko again after death… I'm already more than content. If there's anything you need us to do, please don't hesitate to ask."
"You know my name?" Hikari raised an eyebrow.
Kie nodded. "Though Takeo and I have passed on, we can occasionally glimpse what's happening around Tanjiro and Nezuko from the other side. I've been fortunate enough to see you a few times."
"…"
Hikari was a bit surprised but didn't dwell on it. "First, I'm sorry, Kamado-san, but I might need to run a few small experiments with your body."
**(End of Chapter)**