Hantengu and Gyokko had arrived earlier, of course.
Kikyo had already warned the group about their presence.
But…
Their decision to attack Uchiha Hikari at this moment wasn't voluntary—it was a direct order from Muzan, forcing their hand.
Gyokko's stance was unclear, but Hantengu, with his cowardice rivaling Muzan's, would never have rushed in so boldly otherwise.
As the two Upper Moons drew Hikari's attention, Muzan seized the chance to betray his allies and unleash his ultimate move—
Self-destruction!!
Five hundred years ago, he'd "defeated" Yoriichi Tsugikuni with this very tactic. Even with Yoriichi's near-divine swordsmanship, he couldn't destroy all 1,800 of Muzan's fragments, leaving 300 pieces that allowed Muzan to survive.
And this time…
Boom—
Muzan's body began to swell rapidly, as if it would burst any second.
But at that moment…
Hikari's black tomoe spun gently in her eyes, radiating an entrancing power.
Muzan, already fixated on her every move and trying to flee in the opposite direction, locked eyes with her. His expression grew dazed, and in the next second, he froze completely in place.
—Tsukuyomi!
In the instant Muzan was ensnared, halting all movement, Kikyo, dressed in her miko outfit, rushed into the room. She pulled a stack of talismans from her sleeve, flicked them toward Muzan's back, and they glowed with faint golden runes, spreading across his body. In mere seconds, they encased his swelling form tightly.
Meanwhile, Tamayo, who'd been lying in wait, darted out from her hiding spot and plunged a syringe into Muzan's arm artery.
In the original story, Tamayo had developed four poisons to counter Muzan: one to turn him human, one to accelerate aging, one to block self-destruction, and one to destroy cells. Since the timeline was earlier and Hikari wanted Muzan alive for experiments, the syringe contained only the anti-explosion drug.
Finally, Hikari's shadow clone, equipped with a "mini-bracelet," activated the Blood Coral Barrier, trapping the rune-bound Muzan inside.
And with that, the "Muzan Capture Plan" was a success.
To be fair…
With Muzan's strength, he could've held his own against Hikari for a few rounds if he'd fought to the death.
But from the start, he was terrified by the idea of "Yoriichi's reincarnation." Seeing Hikari's red hair and crimson eyes, fear consumed him. When hit with Tsukuyomi, he couldn't muster even a shred of resistance, freezing for those crucial seconds—giving Kikyo and Tamayo ample time to act.
When he snapped out of it, Muzan was in full panic. "What… what did you just do?!"
"Relax, we're just inviting you to stick around and watch the show," Hikari said lightly, nodding to Kikyo to keep an eye on him before stepping outside.
A cold breeze swept through, lifting her red hair slightly.
Hantengu and Gyokko had fled to the courtyard using their Blood Demon Arts, staring in shock at Muzan, trapped in the room, and Hikari, walking out. They were at a loss for words.
Elsewhere in the courtyard, Kokushibo and Akaza appeared.
Kokushibo, cloaked in his haori, stood at a distance, his expression calm as still water. But all six of his eyes locked onto Hikari, as if trying to see through her.
Akaza, meanwhile, eyed Hikari with a cocky grin, itching for a fight. "So you're the human Muzan-sama was talking about? That refined fighting spirit—you're something else. I can't wait to take you on!"
"…Heh." Hikari smirked, giving Akaza a quick once-over before looking away. "Don't get it twisted. I'm not your opponent… Yamato, this redhead's Akaza."
"Huh?!" Yamato's eyes lit up, turning to Akaza with delight. "That's you?"
"…?" Akaza blinked, confused.
But in the next moment, Yamato whipped out her kanabo, took a powerful step, and closed the dozens of meters between them in an instant, swinging with a Thunder Bagua!
BOOM!!
The ground shook as if the estate itself quaked.
Akaza's reflexes kicked in at the last second, bursting into a retreat to narrowly dodge the blow. The two-meter-long kanabo slammed into the ground, carving a meter-deep crater. Flying debris tore into Akaza's arms, raised to shield his chest.
Blood sprayed.
By the time Akaza landed, the gashes on his arms had mostly healed, but his face was a mask of shock.
This person…
Is she even human?! Those horns, that near-three-meter height—what's going on? She feels more monstrous than an actual demon!
"You dodged?" Yamato, unaware of Akaza's thoughts, was mildly surprised by his speed. Her fighting spirit flared again. "Let's go again!"
This time, with less than twenty meters between them—one human, one demon—Yamato charged, slamming into Akaza and sending them crashing outward!
Boom, boom, boom…
From Hikari's perspective, all she saw was a three-meter-tall humanoid hole punched through the estate's wall. Yamato and Akaza vanished through it, accompanied by crackling lightning and scattered bloodstains along the way.
Hikari silently mourned for Akaza for a second.
Upper Moon Three wasn't weak. Without holding back, he could take on two Hashira like Kyojuro, pre-Mark and pre-Crimson Blade. But against Yamato? He was in for a beating. The only question was how long his regeneration could hold out.
Next, Brand followed suit, charging at Gyokko near the main building.
Gyokko teleported around with his pots, unleashing bizarre fish monsters and countless poisoned needles. Most were deflected by Brand's sword, though a few struck his dark green armor, leaving faint white marks before bouncing off.
None hit flesh, but Brand grew cautious—he'd died in another timeline to General Liver's poisoned "Blood Slash." Activating Specter's Haunt, he chased Gyokko in full armor, slashing relentlessly.
In less than half a minute, from Yamato's strike to the one-human, three-demon pairs splitting off to their own battlegrounds, it all unfolded at breakneck speed.
Through it all, Kokushibo hadn't moved, his gaze fixed on Hikari.
"Something's off…"
"What's off?" Hikari tilted her head.
"…You're not him."
Kokushibo's tone was strange.
"Huh?" Was my cover blown?
It made sense. Kokushibo was Yoriichi's brother, the person closest to him in a way. Muzan had only met Yoriichi once, but Kokushibo had lived with him for years. He'd know what Yoriichi was like.
Still…
Hikari decided to have a little fun. With a soft sigh, she looked at Kokushibo with pity. "Abandoning your humanity to join these demons, all for this kind of power? How tragic… dear brother."
"?!!"
Kokushibo's expression shook, his six eyes widening to their limit, as if transported back to that night over 400 years ago. In his memory, that white-haired figure had said the same thing before dying—
"Tragic… is it?"
He closed his eyes, then opened them.
Kokushibo's hand gripped his sword hilt. "Perhaps."
"Born as the gods' favored, how could you understand the struggles of ordinary people chasing power? After that day, I spent 400 years honing my swordsmanship, all for this moment… Whether you're him or not, let me see what true strength looks like!"
Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon – Incessant!!
With those words, Kokushibo drew his blade in a flash, slashing through the air. Countless crescent-shaped sword waves surged toward Hikari!
Hikari casually drew her Dragon Bone Blade, swinging it to create matching whirlwinds that collided with the incoming sword waves.
A relentless cacophony of clashing air erupted.
Sword waves peeled off the blades, only to dissipate into nothing.
Kokushibo then lunged forward with ferocious momentum, engaging Hikari in close combat.
In a playful mood, Hikari moved like she was strolling through a garden. With her Sharingan active, she observed Kokushibo's Moon Breathing and began mimicking it at a visible pace.
Sword waves scattered everywhere.
At that moment, Esdeath, still without an opponent, turned her gaze outside the estate.
That direction—where Mitsuri Kanroji and Shinobu Kocho were stationed—had erupted in combat. It was night, so details were hard to make out, but faint glimmers suggested ice pillars forming and falling in the air.
—Blood Demon Art: Winter Icicles.
—Douma's Blood Demon Art!
"…Upper Moon Two's over there?" Esdeath frowned.
After exchanging a glance with Hikari, she conjured an ice platform beneath her feet, soaring toward the glimmers.
Moments later, a massive frost surged skyward, forming a fierce blizzard that swept through the entire estate and the surrounding valley in an instant!
Oh, and there was one more demon in the courtyard.
Hantengu.
Per their plan, he was Eri's opponent.
For once, Eri entered combat mode. Her usually clear, doe-like eyes now glowed with molten gold. Facing the trembling Hantengu, cowering on the ground, she shouted a single draconic word:
"Death!!"
Hantengu's Blood Demon Art relied on splitting. Normally, he appeared as a frail, harmless old man, easily beheaded by most Hashira. But after decapitation, he split into Sekido, Karaku, Aizetsu, and Urogi—each with near-Hashira-level strength. Combined, they formed the formidable Zohakuten.
Even killing Zohakuten wasn't enough—Hantengu still had his Cowardly Ghost and Hateful Ghost forms. Only by finding his finger-sized true body could he be truly killed.
Mechanically, he was harder to kill than Akaza.
But…
Eri's Judgment was a conceptual absolute death!
The moment she spoke, a terrifying force erupted from her, forming a narrow vacuum tunnel in an instant.
Hantengu, at the tunnel's end, split apart.
Literally.
His body shattered into pieces, and though he seemed to try forming his Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Pleasure clones, Eri spoke again, swinging her delicate right hand.
More cracks spiderwebbed across Hantengu's fragments, encasing them like a net.
Then—
Crack!
Upper Moon Four, Hantengu, became the first demon to die that night. His frail body was pulverized by Judgment, reduced to countless bloody fragments, scattering like blooming flowers.
The sight left Ubuyashiki, Tanjiro, and the others dumbfounded.
They'd known Eri had dragon blood and was a hybrid, but they had no idea about the Dragon world's Words of Power. They never imagined this seemingly gentle, harmless redhead could be such a powerhouse.
Even Kokushibo, locked in combat with Hikari, and Muzan, trapped in the room, were visibly stunned.
Eri, unfazed and not even winded, lowered her arm. After confirming Hantengu's death, she turned to Hikari with a radiant smile.
She didn't speak, but her beaming expression practically screamed, "Praise me quick!"