Hikari Uchiha meant what she said—
As the strongest in the Akame ga Kill! world, what made Esdeath so terrifying wasn't her Teigu, the "Demon's Extract," but her unyielding spirit. No matter the situation, she believed she could rise to be the strongest and relentlessly pursued that goal with ironclad determination.
In other words…
It wasn't the "Demon's Extract" that was powerful—it was Esdeath herself.
Even if she'd ended up with something as lackluster as the "Twin Axes" Teigu, she'd probably still have become an unstoppable force. Only someone like Hikari, an "enemy from another world," or the near-plot-device-level curse poison of "Murasame" could force her out of the game.
—Oh, and by the way, when Esdeath was first choosing her Teigu, she actually had her eye on the "Twin Axes" but passed it up because the "Demon's Extract" was more appealing. The "Twin Axes" ended up in the hands of Daidara, one of the Three Beasts, who used it to take down plenty of enemies before getting sliced in half by Brand in a one-on-three fight.
If Esdeath had taken the "Twin Axes"…
With her talent and skill, she might've developed some unique techniques for it. They just wouldn't have been as overwhelming as "Mahapadma" or "Ice Storm Commander-in-Chief."
"Hey, Esdeath, how's your training with 'ki' and 'Haki' going?" Hikari asked casually.
"…It's coming along," Esdeath replied coolly. "I've got a bit of a grasp on Observation and Armament Haki, but I still need to refine them. As for 'ki,' I'm still figuring it out."
"Hmm…"
That wasn't surprising.
Hikari could mimic Haki after watching Yamato's battles thanks to her Sharingan. Esdeath didn't have that advantage. Normally, getting the hang of Haki or "ki" takes months—some guy with a certain Nika fruit took two whole years. Esdeath's talent was undeniable, but mastering abilities from other worlds would naturally take time and effort.
"How about this," Hikari said. "In a few days, I'll take you to meet a mentor. He might give you some pointers."
The "mentor" she had in mind was in the Dragon Ball world.
Not Master Roshi at Karin Tower, though.
It was the Turtle Hermit himself—Master Roshi.
No way around it—Esdeath's worldview and personality probably wouldn't mesh well with Master Roshi. Plus, her hands were stained with far more blood than even the so-called "world's top assassin," Tao Pai Pai. Master Roshi wasn't exactly fond of Tao, so meeting Esdeath might lead to some… unpleasant encounters.
Better to play it safe and visit the Turtle Hermit first.
Sure, Master Roshi was a bit of a pervert, but his martial arts achievements were nothing to scoff at. His Turtle School philosophy—"eat well, sleep well, train well"—had a simple, back-to-basics wisdom that was worth a special trip to learn from.
Conveniently, Hikari had a stash of H-manga, doujinshi, and various DVDs she'd picked up from the Dragon Clan world… more than enough to cover the "tuition."
And while she was at it…
Hikari planned to put her strategy to recruit Dr. Gero into action.
This was a plan she'd made a while back.
If she waited too long, Goku would start collecting the Dragon Balls, inevitably clashing with the Red Ribbon Army and dismantling their bases one by one, including their headquarters. By then, Dr. Gero would be on the run with the rest of the Red Ribbon remnants, and finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Speaking of which…" Hikari mused. "Isn't it about time for the World Martial Arts Tournament in the Dragon Ball world?"
So…
Should she bring Esdeath along to check it out?
Maybe even sign her up for the tournament to see what kind of level Earth's martial artists were at in this era…
As Hikari's mind wandered, her eyes unconsciously drifted to Esdeath's chest, lingering on the ample, fair curves. It looked like she was just staring blankly.
With Esdeath's personality, embarrassment wasn't in her vocabulary. Still, under Hikari's gaze, she started to look a bit uneasy.
"Had enough?" Esdeath asked. "I know you're my boss now, but staring at your subordinate's chest like that isn't exactly polite, is it?"
"…Ahem, sorry, I was thinking about something else," Hikari said, snapping out of it and shifting her gaze. She glanced at her own jade-like figure, then took a couple of steps toward a lower part of the hot spring and sat on a smooth rock, hugging her knees.
The air fell quiet for a moment.
The only sounds were Eri splashing around with her rubber duck, accompanied by wisps of white steam curling up from the hot spring's surface.
Suddenly, Esdeath cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "I've told you my story. How about you, Hikari? Let's hear more about you guys."
"Me?" Hikari paused, then said, "Well, like I mentioned before, I was sealed underground near the Leaf Village by a coalition of rival clan ninjas a hundred years ago. Before that, there's not much to tell—just being locked up in a square iron cage…"
"That's not what I mean," Esdeath interrupted, glancing at Eri, who was a few meters away, happily playing with a pile of plastic toys. She chose her words carefully. "If I'm not mistaken, Eri and Miss Kikyo… they're from other worlds too, aren't they?"
"?" Hikari's eyelid twitched. "You figured it out?"
"Of course," Esdeath said with a slight nod. "At first, I thought you all lived in this world, just from different countries or regions, which would explain the different hair colors, appearances, and clothing styles. But… neither of them seems to know much about this world, not even basic common knowledge.
So, I thought about myself.
If you could bring me here from the Empire, then it's the same for the others, right?"
Her gaze locked onto Hikari, waiting for an answer.
After a brief silence, Hikari nodded, opting for honesty. "You're right. Eri and Kikyo, just like you, come from other worlds."
Esdeath's sharp observation skills weren't news to Hikari. Since she'd already picked up on it, there was no point in denying it. Better to just come clean.
Besides, Hikari was already planning to take Esdeath to the Dragon Ball world anyway.
"I knew it…" Esdeath said, her expression confirming her suspicions.
But then, the warrior queen asked the question she cared about most: "Are there strong fighters like Moryo in their worlds?"
(That's her first thought?) Hikari mentally rolled her eyes before nodding. "Oh, definitely. And there are plenty of them."
"If we get the chance, I'll take you to check it out."
The Inuyasha world had its fair share of powerful demons—Sesshomaru, the Reaper Ghost, the Jewel Ghost, and even that moth demon from one of the movies, all probably on par with Moryo.
And in the Dragon Clan world, there were the Four Dragon Kings, plus the Black King and White King above them. Sure, some were in slumber, and a couple had been dead for millennia, but if she could get Xia Mi to spar with Esdeath, it'd be a good match. With the Dragon Kings' physiques and recovery, plus Hikari's Senzu Beans, there'd be no worry about lasting damage.
Speaking of which…
Esdeath's "Demon's Extract" was made from the blood of a super-dangerous species that could manipulate ice. The exact process was unclear, but it definitely wasn't just a matter of storing blood—probably something closer to alchemy.
If Hikari could figure out that refining process and apply it to the Dragon Kings in the Dragon Clan world…
Could she steal their "authorities" and turn them into new Teigu?
Hikari was pretty curious about that.
…
You can't soak in a hot spring for too long.
The water's high temperature and mineral content are great for nourishing the skin in moderation, but stay too long, and you risk dehydration, blood vessel dilation, and other nasty side effects—potentially even life-threatening ones.
After about an hour, Hikari got out of the pool and sat on the shore.
Eri followed, plopping down beside her.
The hot water had turned Eri's fair skin a rosy red, and her dark red hair, soaked and clinging to her chest and back, accentuated her curves even more.
Esdeath, on the other hand, looked unfazed. From the side, her skin remained smooth and pale, unaffected by the heat.
Well…
As the wielder of the "Demon's Extract," even outside of battle, cooling herself down with her Teigu's power was probably a breeze.
Meanwhile, Kikyo approached from the inn's outer path, carrying a tray with milk and juice. She sat by the pool and set the tray down in front of them, her voice gentle. "After soaking in the hot spring, you need to rehydrate. I asked Miss Mizuko to prepare some drinks, so have some."
"Thanks," Hikari said, grabbing a glass of milk and downing half of it before letting out a satisfied sigh. She glanced at the shrine maiden. "Kikyo, not joining us for a soak?"
"No, thanks," Kikyo said, shaking her head with a wry smile. "My body's just a clay puppet now. It looks human enough, but if I soak in hot water, I'd lose strength and my skin would crack. So, I'll pass."
"Oh?" Hikari hadn't considered that, and her tone faltered slightly. "By the way, you've heard Bulma talk about the Dragon Balls, right? They're not like the Four Souls Jewel—a fake wish-granter. They can actually grant wishes. Want to try using them to turn yourself human again?"
"…Thank you, but no," Kikyo said, shaking her head again. "I died fifty years ago. Being able to exist in this era at all is already a stroke of incredible luck. Asking for more would be greedy. Please, Hikari, save that precious wish for someone else."
"…"
In theory, the Dragon Balls could only grant one wish, and it couldn't be something like "give me three more wishes" to game the system.
Tanjiro had mentioned ages ago that he wanted to use the Dragon Balls to revive the humans who'd died at the hands of demons in the Demon Slayer world. As one of the earliest chat group members, Hikari and Bulma both knew about this, so they wouldn't pretend otherwise and use up the wish without a word.
That said…
The Dragon Balls' once-a-year wish was starting to feel a bit limited.
So…
Hikari was starting to form an idea: "After we deal with the Red Ribbon Army in the Dragon Ball world, I'll ask Master Roshi if I can visit the Lookout and meet the 'Kami' up there."
Maybe, after collecting the Dragon Balls this time, she could take a trip to Namek.
…
Hikari and her group lingered in the Land of Hot Springs for a few days.
During that time, Hikari soaked in the springs a few more times, went sightseeing, and joined Eri and Kikyo for a picnic in the countryside, snapping plenty of photos for memories. The rest of her time was spent preparing gifts for Master Roshi.
The doujinshi she'd asked Chu Zihang to procure came in several boxes.
With so many manga, she couldn't just dump them all on Master Roshi. She needed to sort through and pick out the best ones.
Eri, curious as ever, kept sneaking over to peek, but Hikari shooed her away with an excuse. "Kids shouldn't be snooping around this stuff. Too much of it's bad for you…"
"…"
Fair enough.
But it was a bit funny hearing that from Hikari, who looked twelve or thirteen, directed at Eri, who was almost eighteen.
And just like that, a few days flew by.
Once everything was more or less ready, Hikari gave Esdeath a heads-up, used a sealing technique on her, and tucked the scroll containing Esdeath into her pocket. Then, she sent a request to Bulma through the chat group.
[Nameless requests to enter Bulma's world]
[Bulma has approved the request]
With a flash of white light, Hikari opened her eyes and found herself back in the Dragon Ball world after a long absence.