A flash of white light.
Hikari Uchiha vanished from Penglai Island and appeared in the Akame ga Kill! world.
She found herself in a spacious room, surrounded by the members of Night Raid, including Brand, all staring at her with looks of disbelief, like Konoha villagers spotting a legendary ninja.
"That's… incredible."
"She really crossed over from another world?"
"This is the 'Miss Hikari' Brand was talking about? She looks so tiny, like a kid…"
"She's kinda adorable…"
Amid the murmurs, Brand cleared his throat and spoke formally. "Nice to meet you, Miss Hikari. I'm Brand. These are my boss and teammates… This is our leader, Najenda, and this is Akame, Lubbock…"
After quick introductions, Najenda nodded and spoke in a serious tone. "It's an honor to meet you, Miss Hikari. Having a powerhouse from another world willing to work with us is a privilege. But I'm not sure how much you know about our world. The Empire's forces are packed with strong fighters, and even Night Raid members risk their lives every time we face them…"
"Just tell me who you want dead," Hikari cut in.
"Huh?" Najenda blinked.
Hikari cracked her neck, casually scanning the group. "Or we could spar first."
"You're skeptical about my strength and who I am, right? Well, I only know you guys on the surface too. So let's test each other's skills. Only the strong get to call the shots, don't they?"
"…"
Hikari had borrowed that "might makes right" line from Xia Mi, like something Sasuke might say to assert dominance.
But she was serious about testing Night Raid's strength to gauge her place in this world, especially against someone like Esdeath. As expected, Esdeath was likely the only one who could pose a real threat.
"Alright, let's do it your way," Najenda agreed.
She gestured for Hikari to follow, leading the group outside.
The area was a secluded valley, dense with jungle and far from prying eyes. The ground in front of the house was leveled, probably Night Raid's training ground, like the sparring fields in Konoha.
Hikari stepped forward a few paces, stopping about thirty meters away, stretching her arms and cracking her knuckles.
Across from her, Brand stood empty-handed.
"You're not using your Teigu, Mr. Brand?" Hikari asked.
"For a spar? No need for that," Brand replied.
"Suit yourself."
Hikari had wanted to face Brand with "Haunted by Demons" active, but she wasn't going to force him, like Naruto respecting an opponent's choice.
"Here we go."
The words barely left her mouth before Hikari's figure blurred, crossing the distance in an instant, appearing before Brand like a ghostly Shadow Clone!
"So fast?!"
Brand raised his arm to block, but a massive force sent him flying backward!
Hikari followed like a shadow, delivering a powerful side kick.
Boom!
This time, Brand reacted faster, planting his feet to steady himself and blocking the kick with his elbow. He threw a punch, which Hikari caught with her palm before flipping backward in a clean somersault, landing gracefully.
"Not bad… Let's keep going!" Hikari grinned.
"No offense, Miss Hikari!" Brand said, getting serious.
After the initial test, Brand started showing his true skill.
In Akame ga Kill!, Brand and Akame were among the Teigu users closest to Esdeath in strength. But "closest" was still a wide gap. In the final battle, Esdeath took on over a dozen Teigu users, including Akame, plus an army of tens of thousands, and still held her own. If not for Murasame's cursed poison, she might've been untouchable.
After a few exchanges, Hikari had a rough sense of Brand's level.
Strong.
But not as strong as Xia Mi.
More precisely, not as strong as Xia Mi in her dragon form.
(With "Haunted by Demons," Brand's probably a lot stronger—maybe close to dragon-form Xia Mi. So Esdeath's strength… could be near a fused Dragon King? Those super-dangerous creatures used for Teigu must be on par with the First Generation.)
Her thoughts raced as she spoke calmly. "Mr. Brand, still not using your Teigu? This level of fighting's getting a bit boring."
"…Alright, as you wish."
"Haunted by Demons!"
Brand threw his arms wide, and a burst of crimson energy erupted, forming a silver-white armor that encased his body.
Faintly, Hikari glimpsed a massive dragon-like silhouette behind him, quickly merging into the armor.
"Super-dangerous beast Tyrant, huh?" Hikari muttered.
Feeling the intense pressure, she summoned her +3 Dragon Bone Blade and took a deep breath. "Eight Gates Released: Third Gate of Life, open!"
"Thunder Breathing… Thunderclap and Flash: 256x Godspeed Slash!!"
In an instant, Hikari's speed skyrocketed, leaving afterimages as she tore through the air toward Brand.
As expected, Brand with "Haunted by Demons" was roughly on par with dragon-form Xia Mi. Without Xia Mi's "Eye of All Things" authority, Brand might even have a slight edge.
But his stamina was a problem.
After about ten minutes of intense combat, Brand, exhausted, deactivated "Haunted by Demons" and conceded defeat.
Only then did Hikari casually sheathe her Dragon Bone Blade, turning to Najenda, who'd been watching nearby. "How does that physical prowess compare to the Empire's general?"
"You mean Esdeath?" Najenda, still reeling from the fight, paused before answering. "Compared to the Esdeath who took my eye and arm, it's about the same. But against the one who consumed the 'Demon's Extract'? That's harder to say."
"Hm…" Hikari nodded, noncommittal. She hadn't used Susanoo or her Mangekyo Sharingan. "Is she in the capital now?"