"You feel that? That is the pressure of three times your own weight baring down upon your own shoulders!" I shouted out as I pointed at the Hashira who have been barely able to move from this weight alone.
"And you feel it don't you? That your very will is being tested, can you withstand it and keep conscious the entire time? Because the closer you get to me the stronger your will is tested to be able to even reach me!" I shout out at them as they felt like a wave of pressure hitting them and making some even slid back from the force of it.
"What even is this?! This is overshadowing my own Flashiness!" (Tengen)
"Is that what your complaining about?! You should be *Step* More Concerned *Step* With Moving Forward!" (Sanemi)
"This is a challenge *Step* placed before me by god! *Step*" (Gyomei)
"It really *Step* Gets the heart racing *Step* like a burning wildfire *Step* I will burn brightly! *Step* So I won't go down Easily! *Step*" (Rengoku)
"I know it's *Step* unladylike *Step* to be *Step* Strong like this! *Step* But I can't Just *Step* Stand behind and watch you all take the charge! *Step*" (Mitsuri)
"*Step*….. *Step* ….. *Step*…. How Very *Step* Annoying…. *Step*" (Obanai)
I rubbed my chin as while compared to all the other worlds I have been to so far Demon Slayers Power scaling is on the weak end of things, but they do have more willpower than most people in One Piece ever do if they can withstand Conquers Haki baring down on them and barely being fazed mentally compared to the physical impact of conquers Haki hitting them head on.
"I am impressed, you Demon Slayers do have a tenacious sense of Will Power, you can withstand the mental strain that my Pressure is exerting on you, but can you handle the weight you must bare on your shoulders?" I asked as the very ground cracked with each step every single one of them took as they were, for the most part, now at a even pace.
There hearts were beginning to pump blood at well over 200 beats per minute causing their bodies to rapidly begin to heat up as well from the rapid pumping of blood as they forced themselves to continue to move under this immense pressure.
'Cmon, I know you all have the potential and luckily I've put you in a situation where you must awaken your marks.' I thought to myself as I looked at them all as I could see the phantoms of there marks appearing on their bodies, and luckily Conquers Haki is a Pivotal Power of its world.
Pivotal Powers as the True System calls it, are called as such that only the best of the best or a select few lucky individuals in certain verses have such powers and through studying the system I learned something rather crucial.
Pivotal Powers can resonate with other Pivotal Powers from other Verses, so with that in mind I thought that if I used Conquers Haki on them it would in fact activate their Demon Slayer Marks as while I was joking around with Shinobu she was almost able to do a partial awakening as a faded image of a butterfly was slowly beginning to form on her face as I was messing with her but after I was stopped it disappeared and wasn't able to form.
So now I was putting them all through this endurance test that was unconsciously putting their bodies in a life or death Scenario as my eyes were able to see every single one of them begin to slowly form their Demon Slayer Marks until they finally had reached ten feet away from me.
"""Ugh!""" Suddenly all of them were forced into a crouched position as plenty of them groaned out as they gritted their teeth with such forced their gums slowly began to bleed as now they felt like they were carrying a boulder on their back.
"You have almost done it, all of you, but the only way you can reach me now is if you finally unlock your true potential as a Demon Slayer! Without it none of you will be able to move from where you right now and the more you wait, the more the pressure increases until your crushed underneath, So, is this all the Hashira of this Era have in them?! Because at this rate none of you will ever be able to kill Muzan if you can't Awaken and pass this insurmountable Wall that stands before you! This is the line that you must cross if you wish to go from Mediocrity and into the realm of true Legends!" I said giving them a speech with my arms spread wide as my red demonic eyes blazed with a fiery light as they all stared at me with gritted teeth but a clear burning flame in their eyes as well.
Everyone has lost someone close to them due to demons whether it's family, friends or people they came to know and care about or even some who seeked out the Demon Slayers to Change their life, Chage their Fate even, but one thing was for sure as that they needed the strength of will to give it everything they had to one day kill the King of Demons.
*Step*
And then it happened as Mitsuri's Demon Slayer Mark fully formed right around her exposed collar bone as she took the first step, then Rengoku, Sanemi, Gyomei, Tengen and Obanai follow their lead as they all formed their Demon Slayer marks as a fire burned fiercely in there eyes as they were all able to stand up on there own legs with their bodies willfully being able to hold up this weight upon them as they, step by step, until they finally reached me.
I lifted my hand and snapped my fingers making the pressure they felt on them vanish completely making most of them lean over to catch their breath as it was pure will power that was needed to even reach me while they completely ignored the screaming pain their bodies felt just to reach this point.
"Congratulations, you have all earned your marks." I said as I made magic mirrors for everyone but Obanai and Gyomei as they felt a burning sensation in their arms and were able to look at their arms to see the marks.
While Sanemi got a windmill on his right cheek, Rengoku some flames on his lower Left Cheek, and Tengen some musical notes underneath his right eye as they all looked at the mirrors a bit surprised at see these markings appear.
"These are the Demon Slayer Marks, they are what is needed if you hope to even remotely have a chance at stopping Muzan once and for all, it has helped unlock your true potential, but this strength has a curse to it." I say as Gyomei puts his hands together.
"Yes…. The Curse of the Demon Slayer Mark…. I've heard of it well…. Anyone who attains their mark and activates it…. Won't live passed the age of 25 as the cost for this power is taking away your lifespan for immense strength and power." He goes onto explain which shocks some, angers others, with Obanai being indifferent to it like Gyomei as well.
"But, what if I was able to help you unlock powers, powers only those with a soul can unlock? Powers that no demon possesses and one that will strengthen your soul and slowly return the lifespan you have lost in gaining these marks, would you take this power I would offer you?" I ask them as they all looked at me with a serious look in their eyes as they wanted to, but most seemed to be waiting to see who would step up first.
But soon enough Rengoku stepped forward himself, "Anything that will be of assistance in bringing us closer to the end of Demons as a whole then I am willing to take on anything you are willing to give us in our endeavors!" He said with a look a fierce determination in his eyes as he stood face to face with me as a crow landed over head on the branch above us as it watched this scene.
"I see, you have proven you have guts and will, this will be my reward to you and the rest of the Hashira for coming this far." I say as I return to my human form as I put my blade back on my hilt as I held out my hand.
"Take my hand and I shall unlock even more of your true potential." I say to which he nods as he takes my right hand before I place my left hand on his shoulder as my body began to glow in a green light before I began my chant.
"For it is through Freedom that we Achieve Immortality. Through this we become a Paragon of Liberation and Choice, to rise above Fate. Infinite in Possibilities and Unbound by Death, I release your Soul and by my hand, free thee." And with the sound of Shattering Glass as if the vessel that was his body had just broken as the floodgates that were binding his soul to his body were fully unlocked as an Aura of flames surrounded his body before I let go and wiped my hand over my brow.
"I'm a little surprised that it took a bit of my energy out of me to unlock your Aura Rengoku, try to get used to it while I unlock everyone else's as well." I say to home before I move onto the others as I did the exact same to all of them as well as they all began to get used to these new sensations that they felt in each other and how they were able to perceive what the others thought of them as well.
Now the Hashira have even more strength in their battles to come, but I was far from done from getting them stronger from this alone.