The training hall was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ethan stood in the center, breathing steadily, blade lowered, body relaxed—
but inside him, two women's voices were moving like moonlight and fire.
Yoru-no-Hikari, cool and patient.
Akahana, sharp and hungry.
Unohana watched from the shadows, silent as death itself.
"Begin," she said.
Nothing else.
Just that.
Ethan closes his eyes
Not to retreat inward—
but to open the doors.
Inside his soul, both spirits appeared instantly.
Akahana flickered into existence in an arc of crimson flame, arms folded, crimson eyes bright with challenge.
"Back so soon?"
Her lips curled. "Try not to collapse this time."
Yoru-no-Hikari drifted beside her in a sweep of silver and pale blue, like winter wind folding into human shape.
"Akahana… behave."
Then, to Ethan:
"Your reiryoku has stabilized. We can attempt full synchronization now."
Ethan exhaled slowly.
Tonight wasn't about summoning one spirit at a time.
It was about calling both.
At once.
Panel flicker — System Watching
The familiar blue interface expanded before him, thin as mist.
> [SPIRIT SYNCHRONIZATION STATUS]
Yoru-no-Hikari — 62%
Akahana — 57%
Dual Integration Potential — Unlocked
[ACTIVE MODULES]
• Spirit Communication Module (Beta)
• Reiryoku Pathway Expansion II
• Multi-Spirit Synchronization Primer
• Instinct Combat Mode v2
[PASSIVE TALENT — ACTIVE]
ETERNAL MULTIPLIER BODY
The Panel dimmed again, waiting.
Ethan cracked his knuckles.
"Alright. Let's try this."
The First Attempt — Collision
He pulled both spirits at once.
The effect was instantaneous.
Silver moonlight slammed into crimson flame—
two tides smashing against each other.
Ethan's knees nearly buckled.
Unohana spoke without moving.
"Don't suppress them. Guide them."
The power felt like it was tearing him in opposite directions—
Yoru's cool precision dragging him left,
Akahana's explosive pulse ripping him right.
He grit his teeth.
"Work with me!"
Inside, the two spirits glared at each other.
Akahana scoffed.
"She's too cold."
Yoru-no-Hikari didn't blink.
"And you are too loud."
Ethan threw up his hands in frustration—physically and spiritually.
"We're on the same team!"
The Moment Everything Clicked
One breath.
Two spirits.
Ethan extended both hands toward them.
"I'm not choosing one of you.
I'm choosing both.
We move forward together—with balance."
Yoru's eyes softened.
Akahana's mouth twitched upward.
And then—
Their energies didn't clash.
They spiraled.
Crimson flame wrapped with silver moonlight, forming a helix that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Ethan's entire body jolted as both energies merged into his core.
> [SPIRIT SYNCHRONIZATION RISING]
Yoru-no-Hikari — 62% → 74%
Akahana — 57% → 70%
Dual Integration: Stable
Unohana's eyes narrowed, analyzing every twitch of his reiatsu.
"…You're doing it. You're actually doing it."
Sword Draw — Two Spirits, One Blade
Ethan took his stance.
Yoru guided his posture—
hands angled, feet placed precisely.
Akahana ignited raw willpower—
blood surging, spine straightening, attacks demanding momentum.
Their voices collided:
"Breathe through your center."
"Strike as if you're breaking the world!"
And Ethan—
He did both.
Blade up.
Energy swirling.
Balance achieved.
Unohana finally spoke:
"Good."
Unohana Attacks First
No warning.
Her blade flashed with that terrifying elegance she hid beneath the smile of a healer.
Ethan reacted—
Not with instinct.
Not with training.
But with harmonization.
Yoru guided the deflection angle.
Akahana fueled the counterforce.
Steel rang.
Unohana's strike was redirected neatly—
something Ethan had never achieved until now.
Unohana's eyes gleamed.
"Again."
The Second Exchange — Record Breaking
Unohana vanished.
Reappeared behind him.
Ethan spun—Akahana kicked his body into raw rotation speed while Yoru locked his centerline.
Their combined voices whispered:
"Move."
He dodged her blade by a hair.
Unohana smiled.
"You improved more in one minute than most do in years."
The Panel chimed:
> [ETERNAL MULTIPLIER BODY — TRIGGERED]
Intensity Multiplier: x2.3 → x4.1 → x7.9
Growth Accelerating…
A shiver ran down Ethan's spine.
He didn't consciously activate the talent—
it responded to pressure.
And under Unohana?
Pressure was infinite.
He Moves Faster
Every swing
every dodge
every breath
became cleaner, sharper, more efficient.
Yoru's calm precision refined his movements.
Akahana's blazing will amplified his strength.
They weren't fighting with Ethan.
They fought as parts of him.
Unohana intensified her attacks.
He blocked.
He countered.
He adapted.
Not perfectly—
but impossibly fast.
Unohana finally stepped back, sheathing her sword with a soft click.
"You will surpass most captains in due time," she murmured.
Ethan blinked.
"What?"
She smiled.
"Not today, of course. You would still die instantly."
"…Thanks?"
Panel Update — End of Session
Blue light flickered beside him.
> [TRAINING SUMMARY]
Dual Spirit Synchronization: 71% Avg
Swordsmanship Growth Rate: +340%
Reaction Speed Increase: +280%
[REMAINING PP: 0]
Efficiency boosted by ETERNAL MULTIPLIER BODY.
Akahana materialized behind him, arms around his shoulders like a teasing flame.
"Not bad, partner."
Yoru-no-Hikari stood at his other side, serene, composed.
"You are finally ready to wield us properly."
Ethan exhaled.
For the first time—
He felt complete.
Two spirits.
One blade.
One body evolving far faster than even the Panel expected.
Unohana turned away.
"Rest for now," she said calmly.
"We resume at dawn."
Ethan groaned.
Akahana grinned.
Yoru smiled faintly.
This was only the beginning.