"Very good..."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked with satisfaction at the five figures representing the Demon Slayer Corps' highest fighting strength in the courtyard, and sincerely sighed:
"The Demon Slayer Corps has become stronger again."
His gentle gaze slowly swept across the faces of each "pillar," finally settling on the cool and aloof face of Giyu Tomioka.
"But my children."
Kagaya changed the subject, his tone becoming serious.
"Now, although we have several powerful 'Pillars,' only Giyu has a record of actually fighting Upper Rank Demon head-on."
"We all know he's strong, but our understanding of his strength, and the terror of the 'Upper Rank,' is still relatively vague."
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."
"Therefore, I propose that we take this opportunity to hold a 'Hashira Training' here."
"I hope that through competition with each other, you can gain a more intuitive and profound understanding of your teammates' strengths and your own weaknesses."
Hashira Training?!
These words immediately created a subtle atmosphere in the courtyard.
"Oh! That's a great idea!!"
The one who reacted most fiercely was the most forthright and bold [Flame Hashira], Shinjuro Rengoku!
He slapped his thigh, a wide, excited smile spreading across his face, his eyes instantly locking onto Giyu Tomioka!
"Haha! Tomioka, don't hold back later!"
"Hmph! That sounds pretty fancy!"
Tengen Uzui, standing to the side, licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with a predatory, beast-like light.
He was thoroughly humiliated by Giyu Tomioka's unpredictable entrance, and he was seething with anger with nowhere to vent it!
Now that he had the chance to fight this brat legitimately, he was naturally more than happy to accept it!
"I also want to know just how spectacular the youngest 'Pillar' in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps really is!"
The newly joined Water Hashira Sabito, while not as flamboyant as the previous two, still had a fierce fighting spirit burning in its eyes!
He glanced at his expressionless best friend beside him, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the knife hilt.
Come on, Giyu!
'This is a good opportunity to show you that I'm no longer the weakling who could only follow behind you and need your protection!'
'I, too, am qualified to fight alongside you!'
As for Gyomei Himejima, he remained as compassionate as ever, silently clasping his hands together and softly chanting a Buddhist prayer.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha... I hope we can avoid damaging the harmony..."
Facing the war-ready gazes of his four colleagues, Giyu Tomioka, at the "eye of the storm," remained expressionless, his face unchanged for years.
He simply nodded calmly.
"I understand, my Master."
That nonchalant attitude made Tengen Uzui's eye twitch violently.
This guy...
It's as infuriating as ever!!
Half an hour later, at the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, in the back mountain.
In a vast open-air Dojo specifically created for "Pillar" level swordsmen.
With Amane's support, Kagaya Ubuyashiki stood at the edge of the Dojo. The four "Pillars" stood around the perimeter, surrounding the large area.
All eyes were focused on the very center of the venue.
There, Giyu Tomioka stood quietly with his eyes closed.
He casually rested his hand on the hilt of the knife, his whole being like a silent statue, blending into the surrounding environment.
'It has to end... quickly...'
Giyu Tomioka's inner world was far less calm than he appeared on the surface.
'Kanae and Shinobu are still waiting for me...'
'I promised to take them to the Swordsmith Village, I can't keep them waiting too long...'
'Hmm... let's finish this quickly.'
Having made up his mind, Giyu Tomioka slowly opened his icy blue eyes.
He glanced around at his four imposing colleagues, and spoke in a cold, emotionless tone, as if stating a fact:
"All of you, come at me together."
I'm in a hurry.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
When the words "I'm in a hurry" came out of Giyu Tomioka's mouth so casually, the air in the entire training field seemed to freeze for a moment.
The smile on Shinjuro Rengoku's face froze.
The prayer beads in Gyomei Himejima's hand stopped.
The fighting spirit in Sabito's eyes turned into astonishment.
Meanwhile, the most hot-tempered of them all, Tengen Uzui, suddenly had the veins on his forehead bulge out instantly!
"Asshole-!"
A deafening roar soared into the sky!
Tengen Uzui's once "gorgeous" face was now contorted with extreme rage!
"You arrogant brat!! Seeing your nonchalant attitude makes me furious!!"
"Today, I'm going to show you what true 'glamour' really is!!"
He roared, and the twin swords on his back instantly unsheathed! He transformed into a silver lightning bolt, charging towards that arrogant fool!
However!
Just as he was about to set off!
A figure even faster than him had already transformed into a deep blue streak of light, flashing past him in a flash!
It's Sabito!
Come on, Giyu!
With a long, triumphant roar filled with fighting spirit, Sabito's figure shot straight towards Giyu Tomioka in the arena like a cannonball!
"Let me be your first opponent!"
"Water Breathing - Eighth Form - Waterfall Basin!"
While still in mid-air, Sabito's Nichirin Blade was already drawn from its sheath!
A deep blue blade of light drew a sharp arc in the air, carrying immense force, like a giant waterfall descending from the sky, slashing down towards Giyu Tomioka's head!
This strike was powerful, heavy, and incredibly swift!
The strong wind it whipped up even scattered gravel across the ground!
Despite the full force of this attack, powerful enough to shatter stone, Giyu Tomioka's face remained calm and composed.
Until the very last second before the deep blue blade touched the hair on his head!
"Zheng-!"
With a crisp clang of the blade, a pale blue light, as clear as a moonlit spring, suddenly shone upwards!
Draw your sword and parry!
"Clang--!"
The next second!
The blades of the two Nichirin Blades collided violently in mid-air!
A visible, violent shockwave suddenly spread outwards from the two of them!
"Wow... so fast!"
Tengen Uzui's wide-open eyes were filled with unbelievable shock!
'Whether it's Sabito's dash speed or that brat Giyu Tomioka's sword-drawing speed... they're both moving at an absurd pace!'
Are these two... monsters?!
"Wow! What a beautiful offense and defense!"
Shinjuro Rengoku clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes filled with admiration.
"They've brought out both the 'strength' and 'softness' of Water Breathing to such an extent! Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang-!"
A fierce battle has already broken out on the field!
Despite missing his first attack, Sabito was not discouraged at all! Using the force of the recoil, he nimbly flipped in the air and landed steadily.
Immediately afterwards, he stomped his foot hard, and his whole body transformed into a deep blue afterimage once again. The Nichirin Blade in his hand unleashed a barrage of slashes, like a storm, engulfing Giyu Tomioka!
"Water Breathing - Third Form - Flowing Dance!"
"Water Breathing - Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool!"
In an instant, Sabito seamlessly connected several Water Breathing techniques together!
The deep blue light of the blade, like a raging torrent, swept wildly towards Giyu Tomioka from all directions at all sorts of tricky and bizarre angles!
That desperate, all-out effort, that fearless spirit sent chills down Tengen Uzui!
'Is this guy... planning to decide the winner within three moves?!'
However, faced with this frenzied attack, like a raging storm, which could make any swordsman of the same level feel despair!
Giyu Tomioka's response, however, remained as calm and collected as ever.
With a flick of his wrist, the azure Nichirin Blade transformed into a dense array of perfectly rotating blue water wheels!
"Water Breathing - Second Form - Water Wheel!"
"Jingle bells, jingle bells!"
The dense, storm-like sounds of swords clashing filled the arena!
The ferocious slashes of the Sabito, powerful enough to cut through steel, were all easily blocked and deflected when they encountered the seemingly gentle blue light wheel...
Giyu Tomioka is like an unchanging reef in a storm.
No matter how fierce the storms may be, I will remain steadfast and unmoved.
It was an absolute ease that was outrageously effortless!
"Damn it... this guy..."
After a prolonged and fruitless attack, a fine layer of sweat had formed on Sabito's forehead, and his breathing had begun to quicken.
He could clearly sense that Giyu... was holding back!
Moreover, it's like releasing an entire Pacific Ocean!
Throughout the entire ordeal, the opponent only used the "Water Wheel" move, which neutralized all of my attacks!
This feeling is like an adult playing a boring, roughhousing game with a toddler who has just learned to walk.
Humiliation!
A strong, unwilling sense of humiliation welled up in Sabito's heart!
But he didn't give up!
The fighting spirit in his eyes burned even more fiercely because of this!
"It's not over yet!!"
Sabito roared and suddenly distanced himself from Giyu Tomioka!
He took a deep breath and poured all his strength into the Nichirin Blade in his hand!
"Water Breathing - Tenth Form - Constant Flux!!"
With his roar, a lifelike, deep blue water dragon, formed from the convergence of high-density water currents, suddenly took shape on the edge of his blade!
The water dragon coiled and roared, growing larger and more imposing with each rotation!
In the end, it transformed into a terrifying, unparalleled dragon-shaped slash capable of tearing apart the heavens and earth, and savagely devoured the figure that still stood in place, neither dodging nor avoiding!
At that moment, the entire training ground seemed to be completely swallowed up by that deep blue water dragon!