Dora Bulma and the Black Flying Nimbus

In the laboratory.

Bulma first took out a pair of oddly designed goggles and gloves, put them on Uchiha Hikari, and donned a pair herself. Then, she took out a device shaped like a flashlight. The moment she pressed the switch, a narrow pale-purple beam, sharp as a blade, shot out and extended two or three meters before dispersing slightly.

"This is a Laser Sword. The beam contains ultraviolet rays, infrared rays... as well as gamma rays and X-rays. Just press the button to release them as a high-energy beam, then use a magnetic field to constrain them into the shape of a sword. You can adjust the intensity of the light here while using it..."

"However, this beam can cause some damage to human skin, so you need to wear goggles and gloves. Also, be careful not to point it at anyone... Though if it's you, Hikari, there definitely won't be a problem."

"Mm..."

As Uchiha Hikari watched Bulma display several Laser Swords one by one, she pondered for a moment. "Did you pay the Jedi Order royalties?"

"Huh?"

Under Bulma's puzzled gaze, Uchiha Hikari offered no further explanation. She walked over, took one of the Laser Swords, and gave it a few experimental swings. "These beams... don't have physical form?"

"Of course not. They're just light. How could they possibly have physical form?" Bulma replied as though it were obvious.

That made sense.

Whether lasers or radiation, they were essentially electromagnetic waves. When they came into contact, they would pass straight through each other. They couldn't crackle and clash for ages like fluorescent tubes.

"Still, the kind you mentioned is theoretically possible."

Bulma rubbed her chin as she thought it over. "If we replaced the laser with ultra-high-density plasma and used an even stronger containment field to control its shape, it really could cut objects like a real sword... But once plasma particles collide with neutral air, they immediately lose energy. We'd have to solve that problem before a Laser Sword could be maintained for a long time..."

While Uchiha Hikari listened with a completely baffled expression, Bulma had already set the idea aside and walked to the next workbench.

"And there's this."

"This is an Ultraviolet Protection Suit. It's a little heavier than an ordinary coat. Once you put it on and press this switch, it instantly produces an intense light like the sun's, creating a full 360-degree illumination around your body with no blind spots—bright as day. Without trees or buildings blocking it, it can cover everything within a two-hundred-meter radius. The power source can last roughly two to three hours..."

"...Solar Flare, right?"

Uchiha Hikari could not help commenting again.

But Bulma continued.

"Still, after hearing what you and Tanjiro said last time, I'm not entirely sure whether that thing will work. So, just in case, I invented something new. Ta-da! This one!"

"I named it the 'Mini Bracelet.' As long as you wear it on your wrist and press this button, your whole body can shrink to the size of an index finger. Then you can hide inside your clothes pockets."

As she spoke, Bulma demonstrated it on the spot. When she pressed the button, her body visibly shrank until she was only a few centimeters tall. Standing by Uchiha Hikari's feet, she waved.

"...6."

Uchiha Hikari admitted that she did not understand science.

But as far as she was concerned, instantly shrinking someone to the size of an index finger was far more unbelievable than a Laser Sword or plasma. Yet judging by Bulma's tone, the invention process for this thing seemed to have gone much more smoothly than the previous two... Considering the Dragon Ball World had miraculous things like Capsule Corp, perhaps the principles behind growing and shrinking objects at will really were not that complicated.

It was just...

(This tech tree is crooked in a way that's anything but ordinary...)

Moreover, even if they counted from the time she had finished searching for the Dragon Balls, Bulma had had at most a little over two months for inventing. She also had to attend school during that time... This research efficiency was honestly absurd.

"Do you have any other new inventions, Dora Bulma?"

Uchiha Hikari blinked and looked at Bulma expectantly.

Under her gaze, Bulma scratched her head a little sheepishly. "No... Well, there is one more design that's still being improved. It's a gun version of the Laser Sword, temporarily named the 'High-Energy Particle Gun.' But I've only just made a prototype, and there are a lot of technical problems that haven't been solved yet, so I won't show it to you this time, Hikari."

"..."

There really was another one...

Uchiha Hikari was a little speechless.

She had previously thought that, no matter how gifted sixteen-year-old Bulma was, her abilities should have had their limits. In the original story, things like inventing spaceships and the Time Machine happened nearly ten years later. But now it seemed... she had underestimated the true worth of the word "genius."

"Limited abilities" only applied when comparing her to top scientists of the older generation, such as Dr. Brief and Dr. Gero. Compared with ordinary researchers, Bulma was already far beyond measure.

(Looks like I can find time to discuss the idea of a Gravity Training Room with Bulma and develop this training method ahead of schedule...)

After chatting with Bulma a while longer and verbally settling on a departure date for the Demon Slayer World, Uchiha Hikari got up to say goodbye.

Then, she flew all the way to the Sacred Land of Korin and climbed the tower to visit Korin.

It was obvious.

Korin was a little happy about Uchiha Hikari's visit.

After all, Korin Tower was isolated from the world. Kami above rarely came down, and every day this lonely old cat stayed here without even anyone to talk to. He could only pass the time by observing the world below, and it had grown rather lonely over the years. Uchiha Hikari had long anticipated this, so she brought Korin a large batch of gifts—

A pile of comics, novels, discs, and two DVD players.

"What are these? Inventions from the human world?"

"Mm, things to help you pass the time."

Unfortunately, neither the Dragon Ball World nor the Naruto world had particularly developed entertainment industries. If she could bring over entertainment products from twenty-first-century Earth, Korin would not have to worry about running out of things to play with for the next several decades.

After briefly teaching Korin how to use the DVD player and demonstrating it herself, Uchiha Hikari brought up each of the problems she had encountered while cultivating ki recently and sought Korin's guidance.

That night, Uchiha Hikari used the cooking utensils she had left behind last time to make a meal and stayed on the tower.

She remained there for three or four days.

Only then did she prepare to leave.

This time, Uchiha Hikari did not ask for any Senzu Beans.

After all, she had already brought back a large bag last time. Although there were many Senzu Beans during this period—several whole jars of them—and Korin himself did not care much about them, she could not ask for them too often and make herself unwelcome.

As long as she came to visit from time to time and invested properly in their relationship, she could directly carry off several jars in the future and achieve Senzu Bean freedom.

—Better for her to take them than for Yajirobe to eat them all out of stock someday.

As for Kami in the temple, she would most likely need Korin's introduction before she had a chance to meet him...

However.

Although Uchiha Hikari had not said anything, Korin suddenly called out to stop her as she was about to leave.

"What is it, Master?"

"...This immortal cat never agreed to be your master."

Korin first denied Uchiha Hikari's form of address, then said, "Didn't you say last time that you wanted me to give you a Flying Nimbus? Actually, aside from those golden Flying Nimbus clouds, there's also a black kind. This type of Flying Nimbus doesn't require a pure heart. Even someone with an evil heart can ride it. If you don't mind that it's ugly, you can take one back."

As if to prove his words, Korin raised his staff and waved it. Before long, a purplish-black cloud flew in from beyond the sky and landed inside Korin Tower.

"Eh?"

Uchiha Hikari examined the Flying Nimbus and vaguely thought of something. Somewhat uneasily, she asked, "Master, you're not planning to throw me off halfway through my flight, are you?"