"Welcome to Yomi Palace, my lord."
A female voice echoed from the hall, familiar yet strange.
Arata pushed open the heavy palace doors, and the scene before him made his pupils slightly contract.
The space inside the palace was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Countless purple lanterns hung from the high ceiling, illuminating the entire hall.
In the center of the hall stood a woman in a black kimono, her back turned to him.
She had long silver-white hair down to her waist, and at the ends of her strands, purple specks sparkled like stars.
The most striking feature was the unusually shaped Zanpakutō at her waist, the saya was wrapped in a purple-black chain, and at the end of the chain hung nine skulls of various sizes.
"Meigetsu?" Arata called cautiously.
The woman slowly turned around, revealing a face that was seventy percent similar to Meigetsu's.
But unlike the cheeky and willful Meigetsu, the woman before him had gentleness woven between her brows. Her plump figure outlined attractive curves beneath the black kimono, and every one of her movements exuded the unique elegance of a mature woman.
"I'm pleased to meet you, my lord." She slightly bowed, and her ample chest trembled gently with the motion. "My name is Yomi, and I am the true body of this Zanpakutō."
Arata was momentarily confused.
The woman who introduced herself as Yomi looked at him with eyes full of love and tolerance, just like a mother seeing her child again after a long separation, which stirred an inexplicable calm within him.
"Then Meigetsu is…"
"Mama! Why did you come out!"
A familiar spoiled voice echoed through the hall, and then Arata saw a white-haired girl in a black cloak jump out from behind Yomi and angrily tug at her sleeve.
It was Meigetsu, the girl he had until now "thought" was the sword spirit.
"Didn't we agree that I get to play with the master first!"
Yomi lovingly patted her daughter's head. "Child, not only did you secretly give yourself a name, but you also hid it from your master. How rude."
Meigetsu stuck out her tongue, turned around, and leapt straight into Arata's arms, rubbing against his chest like a tame cat—completely unlike her usual self.
"Master, you won't be mad, right? I just thought the name 'Yomi' sounded too old-fashioned~"
Arata instinctively caught the girl who had flown at him. Her familiar scent lingered under his nose, but at that moment, all his attention was on Yomi.
The sudden appearance of this "mother" shocked him so much he didn't know how to react.
Yomi, it seemed, saw his confusion and smiled.
"My lord, there's no need to be nervous. This is the deepest consciousness space of the Zanpakutō. Only those who receive my recognition can enter."
Yomi slowly stepped closer, the hem of her kimono swaying gently with each step, revealing just a hint of her snow-white ankles.
When she stopped in front of Arata, a soft scent of sandalwood mixed with cherry blossom hit his nose.
"Perhaps this will be easier to understand. Me and Meigetsu are one and the same. She is the lively side of my Zanpakutō, while I represent the calm side."
Yomi extended her hand and gently touched Arata's face. The warmth of her fingers made his heart race. "Only when you receive approval from both of us can you release the true power of your Zanpakutō."
As they stood so close, Arata noticed that Yomi's pupils were a deep purple-black, completely different from Meigetsu's bright red.
When she looked at him, it felt like her gaze pierced into his soul and revealed all his secrets and worries.
"So, I have to earn your approval again before I can master the power of Bankai, right?"
Arata's voice was slightly tense. After all, the appearance and figure of the woman before him were truly irresistible, and deep down he was naturally drawn to her.
Yomi smiled and nodded, her proud, full chest rising and falling gently with her breath. "Master is very smart. But before that…"
She suddenly leaned close to his ear, and her warm breath brushed his earlobe. "Can you show me the Hollow power within you?"
This sudden request froze Arata's body, but then he composed himself and realized that the Zanpakutō was actually an extension of his soul power.
It was perfectly natural for Yomi to be able to see the Hollow power in his body.
Her palm was warm and gentle, yet at the same time carried an irresistible strength.
Although the request was a bit strange, it was his Zanpakutō, whatever it did, it wouldn't harm him.
Arata nodded and slowly passed his left hand over his face. The familiar white bone-like liquid quickly spread and solidified in an instant into a terrifying Hollow mask.
"Hmm…"
Yomi's fingers gently traced the edge of the mask, her movements so soft it was as if she were caressing a lover's face.
"It truly is pure Hollow power…" Yomi murmured thoughtfully, and a trace of complex emotion flashed in her purple-black eyes.
"But it's strange how this power is perfectly fused with the master's soul, without any rejection. Completely different from what I imagined."
Suddenly she leaned closer to the mask, her nose nearly touching Arata's lips. "My lord, can you feel my spiritual pressure?"
Arata nodded, and Yomi's spiritual pressure began to slowly flow into his meridians like warm spring water, perfectly blending with the Shinigami power in his body.
Even more incredible, when her spiritual pressure came into contact with the Hollow power, instead of causing conflict, it acted like a catalyst, making the two forces blend even more harmoniously.
"Mama! Don't get so close!" Meigetsu angrily separated them. "Master is wearing the mask, that's very dangerous!"
Yomi smiled and straightened up. "Silly girl, the master has already completely mastered that power, hasn't he?"
Arata removed the mask and exhaled in relief. "It's just as you said. Hollowification is no longer a burden to me, but why…"
"Because it is the essence of the master's soul," Yomi said meaningfully.
"Shinigami and Hollow are two sides of the same coin, and our power can help the master maintain the balance between them."
Before Arata could think it through, she was already standing upright, the sleeves of her kimono spreading like butterfly wings. "Master, would you like to see the true Bankai?"
Arata's eyes sparkled, and he immediately stood up.
"Of course!"
The three of them came to a massive altar at the back of the palace.
The altar was circular in shape, its edges engraved with ancient runes, and in the center was a Zanpakutō shaped like the Dark Moon, but several times larger.
"This sword is called Yomi Meishō and represents the true form of both me and Meigetsu."
Yomi gently ran her fingers over the massive blade in the center of the altar, and a purple-black spiritual pressure wrapped around her fingertips like a living being. "Master's Bankai is the summoning of this Yomi kingdom to descend upon the world."
Arata stared at the Zanpakutō that radiated a sinister feeling, and his heart began to race.
He could feel the terrible power hidden in that blade, a power on a completely different level than Shikai.
"The power of Yomi Meishō is divided into two parts," Yomi's voice suddenly became solemn. "First, it creates a realm of the dead. Every enemy who enters that realm will be corroded by Yomi miasma, their spiritual pressure will continuously leak, and their flesh will gradually decay."
She raised her hand and waved. Within a radius of five hundred meters around the altar, countless distorted shadows suddenly appeared. Those translucent ghosts let out piercing screams, flickering in and out of the purple-black mist.
"Second, awaken the dead in the underworld to fight for you." Yomi's fingers passed over the blade, and a drop of blood fell onto the altar.
"Among the nine most powerful dead, I call them the 'Nine Ghosts'."
As she moved, the runes on the altar began to glow one by one, and nine distinct silhouettes condensed in the mist.
Arata noticed that the spiritual pressure those dead emitted reached the level of a captain or even higher!
"Today I'll show the master just one of them first." Yomi clasped her hands into a seal, and the phantom on the far left of the nine suddenly solidified.
"Devil of Destruction — Kazan."
Boom!
A red silhouette shot up from the altar into the sky, and when it landed, the entire palace trembled.
It was a giant nearly three meters tall, its body wrapped in burning, blood-red chains; its face covered with a horrifying bronze mask, and only eyes burning with mad battle lust were visible.
"Roar–!"
Kazan roared toward the sky, and the violent spiritual pressure formed a red shockwave visible to the naked eye, making Arata's cloak flutter.
Just standing before him, Arata felt a suffocating pressure.
"Kazan was a berserker from one world. After death, his soul fell into the underworld and I subdued him."
Yomi's voice remained clear amidst the violent spiritual pressure. "His ability is very simple, destroy all enemies he sees."
"But, according to his words, whenever he's summoned, the master's speed and strength are greatly enhanced."
As if to prove her words, Kazan suddenly smashed his fist into the ground.
A terrifying shockwave spread in a fan shape, cracking the earth wherever it passed, and scattered bones and weapons turned to dust in an instant.
Arata's pupils suddenly contracted. The power of that attack was comparable to the Bankai of an average captain!
"And this is just the weakest among the Nine Ghosts," Yomi said casually, and with a single wave of her hand, Kazan's figure dispersed into mist.
"As for the remaining eight, the master will find out when he truly masters the Bankai."
Arata took a deep breath, trying to calm his stirred emotions.
He thought his Shikai was already powerful enough, but he didn't expect the Bankai to be even more terrifying!
And, if he remembered correctly, that Demon of Destruction, Kazan, eerily resembled a character from an online game he used to play as a kid.
"So, Yomi, how do I get your approval?" he asked directly.
Yomi, as if recalling something amusing, covered her smile with her palm. Her mature, seductive expression made Arata's heart skip a beat.
"Very simple. Master, you just need to stay in this illusion for fifteen minutes."
"Illusion?" Arata frowned slightly, his gaze shifting between Yomi and Meigetsu. "What kind of illusion?"
Yomi didn't answer, and a mischievous light sparkled in her purple-black eyes. "The master will soon find out."
She waved her delicate palm, and the scene in the hall suddenly changed.
The once dark palace turned into a hot spring bath in an instant. Thick steam clung to the air, and flickering candlelight spread around, making the whole space blurry and seductively unclear.
"This is…" Arata looked around and realized that, without knowing when, he was dressed in a wide yukata, with a slightly open collar revealing his firm chest.
"Master, please be careful." Yomi's voice came from the mist, but her body was nowhere to be seen. "The illusion has begun. You just need to endure for fifteen minutes to pass."
Arata took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and cautiously looked around.
He thought he would face some powerful enemy or dangerous trap, but.
"Master~"
A sweet voice called behind him. Arata quickly turned around and saw Meigetsu suddenly appear at the edge of the hot spring pool.
The white-haired girl had removed her usual black cloak and was wrapped in only a thin white bath towel. Her wet white hair clung to her slender neck, and drops of water slid down her collarbone into the barely hinted dip of her chest.
"Meigetsu?" Arata's Adam's apple moved. "You…"
"Master, don't you like it?" Meigetsu tilted her head, and an innocent light flickered in her red eyes.
She gently tugged, and the towel silently slipped off, revealing her snow-white skin.
Though her figure wasn't as full as Yomi's, it had the firmness and vitality of youth. Her narrow waist flowed into long legs that could barely be made out through the steam.
Arata felt blood rush to his head and quickly turned his face away. "Meigetsu, stop it, this is training!"
"Training can be fun too~" Meigetsu lightly jumped into the hot spring, splashing water all over Arata's yukata.
Like a nimble little fish, she swam to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and breathed warmly into his ear. "Master, hold me~"
The soft touch pressed against his back, and his whole body stiffened, tiny drops of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
He tried his hardest to suppress the heat rising in his body, repeating to himself that this was just an illusion.
But the girl's body temperature, scent, and even heartbeat were so real he could barely tell the difference between reality and illusion.
"Meigetsu, stop!" Arata gritted his teeth. "This isn't a joke!"
"Master is so cold…" Meigetsu pouted in protest, but had no intention of letting go. On the contrary, she clung to him even more tightly.
With her fingertips, she lightly traced Arata's chest, and a shiver ran through his body. "Your heart's beating so fast, why are you rejecting me?"
Just as Arata was on the verge of giving in, a soft laugh echoed from the mist.
"Seems the master has no resistance to Meigetsu~"
Yomi's figure slowly stepped out of the steam. She wore a transparent purple gauze dress. The wet fabric clung tightly to her body, emphasizing her painfully seductive, mature curves.
Her long silver hair was tied up, revealing her elegant neck, and droplets of water sliding down the tips of her strands fell across her collarbone into the depths of her cleavage.
"Yomi?" Arata's voice was slightly hoarse. "What kind of illusion training is this?"
Yomi slowly approached, and with every step the hem of her gauze dress lifted slightly, revealing just a hint of snow-white thighs.
She stopped in front of Arata and leaned forward, her ample chest almost brushing the tip of his nose.
"This is a test of the master's willpower." She smiled and gently lifted his chin with her fingertips. "As the master of Yomi Meishō, you must remain calm in the face of any temptation. After all…"
Her lips were nearly pressed to his ear, and her breath smelled softly, like orchids.
"Among the Nine Demons, there are those especially skilled in enchanting the dead…"
Arata closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. He felt the warmth of two female bodies on either side, their scent mingling with the hot spring steam, and the softness of their touch everywhere.
This was harder than facing ten Sternritter.
No, even if he stood face to face with the all-knowing, all-powerful Yhwach, the pressure wouldn't be half as intense!
"I understand." He took a deep breath and, when he opened his eyes again, his gaze had regained clarity.
"This is just an illusion. I won't be deceived."
"Bring it on!"
"Really?" Yomi raised an eyebrow and suddenly placed her palm on his chest. "Then why is your heart still beating so fast?"
A hot sensation burned in her palm, and Arata could almost feel a surge of energy spreading through his entire body from that touch.
Worse yet, at some point, Meigetsu had silently untied his yukata belt, and her small hands began to mischievously explore downward.
"Master, do you hate me?" Meigetsu bit her lower lip, her eyes turning red. "I just want to be closer to you…"
"No, I…" Arata was momentarily speechless, and his grip involuntarily loosened a little.
Meigetsu took advantage of the moment, freed herself, and threw herself into his embrace, pressing her soft lips to his neck.
"Master~" She gently rubbed against him, her wet body tightly pressed against his. "Just for a moment, okay?"
At the same time, Yomi's hand silently slipped under his collar, and the tips of her fingers lightly circled over his abs.
The unique scent of a mature woman swirled around his nose, mingling with the steam, and Arata's mind was on the verge of collapse.
No!
If this keeps up…
He clenched his teeth and dug his nails into his palms, trying to stay lucid through pain.
However, the attacks of the two women grew more intense. Meigetsu was already fully seated on his lap, while Yomi hugged him from behind, pressing her heavy chest against his back.
"Master, relax a little~" Yomi whispered into his ear, the warm tip of her tongue gently licking his earlobe.
"This is just an illusion…"
In Arata's ears, that soft female voice sounded like a demon's whisper, ready to drag him into the abyss at any moment.
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It's currently on hiatus, until the other chapters are released on the site I use, if you know where I can find the other chapters, tell me, it would help me a lot. This is the name of the fanfic: 死神:從灵王血统很很干翻三界