Under Riezel's gaze, all the Hashira quickly decided on their respective opponents.
Kyoujurou and Sanemi were the first to make their choice and formed a group.
As both of them drew their swords swiftly, Sanemi was the first to launch an attack, rushing at Kyoujurou.
Next were Obanai and Mitsuri.
Despite their opposite personalities—one gloomy and indifferent, the other cheerful and lively—the two formed a group faster than anyone else and seemed to get along quite well.
Riezel remembered that these two had a mutual affection in the original work, where they were a canonical couple.
It was hard to believe that the bubbly and cheerful Love Hashira would be interested in the gloomy and unlikable Serpent Hashira.
Nevertheless, Obanai treated Mitsuri quite well.
In any case, when the Hashira argued, Obanai would often rebut and dampen the spirits of any Hashira who spoke, except when Mitsuri was speaking.
Soon, the two of them moved to the side and began their fight.
Surprisingly, the third group was Shinobu and Gyoumei, another unexpected combination.
Shinobu was almost like a goddess in the Demon Slayer Corps. Despite her young age, she managed the Butterfly Mansion quite well and always greeted people with a smile, earning the secret admiration of many members.
In contrast, Gyoumei, known as the strongest Hashira and the backbone of the Demon Slayer Corps, was often intimidating with his frequent tears and imposing body. Within the Corps, this clearly made the Stone Hashira more respected than admired.
In light of this, within the Demon Slayer Corps, every Hashira had their own level of popularity.
Shinobu and Mitsuri were among the most popular due to their likable personalities and beauty.
Kyoujurou and Tengen were also quite popular—Kyoujurou for his kind-hearted nature and enthusiasm and Tengen for his carefree, honest nature.
However, their odd behaviors, like Kyoujurou's loudness and Tengen's narcissism, slightly diminished their popularity.
As for the rest, they were less favored.
Sanemi and Obanai were prime examples—one was violent and vicious, the other gloomy and sharp-tongued.
Their popularity was undoubtedly at the bottom.
Giyuu and Muichirou also had low popularity.
Giyuu's silent and difficult nature made approaching him a daunting task.
Muichirou, on the other hand, was simply apathetic and always indifferent, though many found his youthful innocence quite endearing.
Adding the tearful and intimidating Gyoumei to the mix, these were the least popular members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Given this, it was surprising that Shinobu and Gyoumei paired up so quickly.
Only Riezel, who knew the original work, knew that Shinobu and Gyoumei actually had a very good relationship—perhaps second only to Mitsuri and Obanai.
When Shinobu was a child, before she became a Demon Slayer, her family was attacked by demons. Her entire family was killed, leaving only her and her elder sister alive because they were saved.
Yes, it was Gyoumei who saved Shinobu and her elder sister back then.
As a result, when Shinobu and her elder sister decided to become Demon Slayers and join the Demon Slayer Corps, they found Gyoumei. It was through his guidance that they joined the Corps.
Shinobu respected Gyoumei greatly.
Gyoumei, in turn, secretly cared about Shinobu.
Despite their age difference of about ten years, they were somewhat like a father and daughter.
Because of this, the two formed a group.
As for the last group, it consisted of Tengen and Muichirou.
There wasn't any deep connection between these two, as they just saw that the other was alone and naturally paired up.
Thanks to this, a truly lonely soul was born.
"..."
Giyuu silently looked at the enthusiastic battles unfolding, with the Hashira fighting fiercely with each other.
As he noticed the Water Hashira standing alone in the center, isolated despite being surrounded by pairs of comrades, Riezel couldn't help but step forward.
"Hey, you didn't get hated, did you?"
Riezel's casual remark seemed to hit Giyuu's nerve.
"..."
"...No."
Giyuu was silent for a long time before responding.
"Are you sure?" Riezel looked skeptical.
"It's just a matter of probability..." Giyuu said expressionlessly. "Since there are nine of us, once we pair up, there's bound to be one person left alone. I just happened to be that person."
After saying this, Giyuu turned his head to look at Riezel's eyes.
"I wasn't hated."
Clearly, he seemed to want to emphasize this point.
Riezel didn't know what to say, so he just gave Giyuu a sympathetic look.
"If that's the case, stop standing here and go watch their fights from the side. Otherwise, you'd look really pitiful."
"..."
Without saying anything, Giyuu stood alone to the side, enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere.
Riezel stopped paying attention to him and watched the battles from the side.
Undoubtedly, the battles between the Hashira were quite spectacular. It was as expected since they were among the strongest in this world. Although Riezel thought they weren't that great since they hadn't awakened any of the three abilities, they were still the top fighters of their time.
When these Hashira fought seriously, the scene was indeed impressive.
Obanai and Mitsuri both used derivative breathing styles.
Obanai wielded Serpent Breathing, with sword movements that twisted and turned like a snake, capable of bypassing defenses to strike directly at the enemy. Mitsuri, on the other hand, used Love Breathing, a breathing style that combined gentle grace with fiery aggression.
Both of them were undoubtedly skilled swordsmen.
Moreover, the Nichirin Swords they used were also unique.
Obanai's Nichirin Sword was a curved, double-edged blade shaped like a slithering steel snake. Its blade was purple, with a gold circular guard engraved with two snakes connected by several plant-like patterns.
In his hands, this steel snake seemed to come alive—each slash appeared capable of bending and changing direction, always striking at Mitsuri from unseen angles.
On the other hand, Mitsuri's Nichirin Sword was as soft and flexible as a whip but possessed incredible toughness. Its blade was black with a pink edge, a green handle with pink heart patterns, and a pink four-leaf clover guard with a golden border.
In her hands, this steel whip displayed astonishing power as she wielded it with such speed and frequency that it created a web of flashing blades, making her attacks seem to come from all directions.
In terms of attack speed and frequency, Mitsuri clearly far surpassed Obanai.
Both of them were skilled swordsmen capable of changing their attack trajectories unpredictably. Watching them fight was quite a spectacle, with the flashing blades clashing around them, sparks flying with each collision.
Meanwhile, the battle between Shinobu and Gyoumei was equally stunning.
Shinobu's movements were mesmerizing when she used Insect Breathing, flitting about the battlefield like a colorful butterfly. She darted in front of Gyoumei, leaping through the air, sometimes lunging at him like a stinging bee, beauty concealing deadly poison.
Yet, all of her attacks were effortlessly deflected by Gyoumei.
Among the Hashira, Gyoumei was undoubtedly the one who wielded the most striking weapon.
Instead of a sword, his weapon was a combination of an axe and a flail, linked by a long chain. At first glance, it seemed incredibly heavy, but he swung it with ease, making it whistle through the air.
Gyoumei stood his ground like a massive rock, not moving his feet at all. Each time he swung his weapon, Shinobu's attacks were flicked aside. His movements appeared effortless, yet they carried immense weight, making Riezel glance at him with respect.
However, one thing was clear—Gyoumei had no trouble facing Shinobu at all.
At this moment, the difference in strength between the two was evident.
Although they were at the same level, Gyoumei was equivalent to upper Level 4, capable of direct confrontation with an Upper Rank without losing. On the other hand, Shinobu was only equivalent to lower Level 4.
In fact, the battle between them was somewhat unfair.
If Gyoumei hadn't abandoned attacking completely and focused solely on defense, Shinobu might have already been defeated long ago.
Riezel watched them for a while, then lost interest in the stagnant battle and turned his attention to Tengen and Muichirou.
These two were also users of derivative breathing styles.
One used Sound Breathing, which produced loud explosions and immense power in combination with explosives, while the other used Mist Breathing, moving back and forth like a thin mist, making it hard to see his form and trajectory.
Muichirou's Nichirin Sword was of a standard type, with a pale blue blade and a black handle featuring a golden square guard with four corners, each adorned with a hollow square.
Tengen, on the other hand, wielded dual swords resembling massive cleavers connected by a chain on their red handles, while their blades were black with golden edges and a notch on each edge.
Riezel must admit that their fight was extremely bizarre.
Tengen's dual swords could trigger violent explosions when swung, creating an impressive spectacle, while Muichirou moved like a ghost—silent and elusive. It felt like a clash between a mage and a ghost, making it hard to determine who would emerge victorious in such a short period.
Despite this, the most intense battle, however, was undoubtedly between Kyoujurou and Sanemi.
One was enveloped in flames, and the other in a whirlwind.
Their figures were completely obscured, resembling a blazing vortex colliding with a tornado as they chased and collided with each other, producing continuous rumblings and impacts.
Seeing the intensity and ferocity of their battle, one might think they harbored deep-seated hatred, each trying to bring the other down.
However, this wasn't a mere heated battle.
Clearly, they were both fully immersed in their fight, gradually forgetting to hold back. It became a duel where both sides went all out without any restraint.
However, as he watched their fight, Riezel furrowed his brows.
'Since they've been fighting intensely, shouldn't their heart rates and body temperatures have gotten high? So why haven't they awakened the Mark?'
With this thought in mind, Riezel believed there must be other conditions required to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark.