At first, Naraku Sora thought this was just a simple trial.
But when that tyrannical roar nearly flipped his skull cap, he came to a sudden realization.
That damn woman was pranking him!
Everything happening before his eyes was definitely not an illusion.
Naraku Sora delivered a backhanded Genryū vertical chop, splitting a pouncing lower-class Hollow in two. Sticky blood sprayed out, dyeing the white sand beneath his feet crimson.
The good news: the combat power of lower-class Hollows was very poor, not even comparable to a rookie Soul Reaper who had just joined the squad.
The bad news: this was the most numerous cannon fodder species in the sea of Hollows. Looking out, there was no end in sight.
He was just a 9th Seat, not even a Lieutenant, so why did he have to be sent to such a terrifying place just to master Shikai?
Just how wicked was that woman, Shutara Senjumaru?
It was like a bad woman telling him, "This is attack, this is defense, now let's go kill that ridiculous enemy called Genichiro Ashina."
What was the difference between this and preparing to show off his skills in another world, only to suddenly find that the door couldn't be opened from this side?
Naraku Sora threw a straight punch, instantly blasting apart the head of a Hollow to his front left. White and red matter exploded directly, looking as if a dye shop had opened.
Whether it was his Zanpakutō, his fists and feet, or even his head and torso, everything became a weapon for killing Hollows.
Wherever he passed, blood flowed like a river; his efficiency was frighteningly high.
However, in the face of sheer numbers, no matter how hard Naraku Sora tried, it was nothing more than a drop in the bucket. The area covered by the sea of Hollows didn't show even the slightest decrease.
The crescent moon in the sky quietly watched everything happening in the endless sea of Hollows.
Countless electric arcs condensed, wrapping around the blade. With the fall of a Genryū chop, a huge gully dozens of meters long was plowed open instantly.
Countless Hollows were crushed the moment they made contact. Amidst the erupting roar, lives were directly erased, and the shockwaves rolled out in all directions.
It was still led by Hadō #11, Tsuzuri Raiden.
The difference was that Naraku Sora relied on his perfect understanding of Shakkahō to convert his own Reiatsu into the corresponding Kidō Reiatsu.
Then, he injected it all into the Zanpakutō blade through the tsuba, swinging out a powerful strike filled with extreme destructive power!
His perfect mastery of Kidō was vividly demonstrated at this moment.
In this never-ending slaughter, Naraku Sora was gradually mastering the power that belonged to him.
Rip—
Manpower has its limits. Just as the Hollows in front were instantly erased, a fatal oversight appeared behind Naraku Sora.
However, the pouncing bite that gathered the full strength of the Hollow only broke the skin. After parting the flesh, it became stuck on that skeleton which was unreasonably hard.
Blood-red Reiatsu surged around Naraku Sora, manifesting an emotion named tyranny.
Hollows were constantly annihilated and erased. Viscous blood gathered into rivers. Hurricanes and thunder erupted under his violent trampling, and suffocating airwaves turned over the surroundings.
While achieving a brilliant combat record, he also received hideous and terrifying wounds in return.
Although these Hollows tried their best to only break a negligible layer of skin, as time dragged on, the wounds gradually increased.
Fresh blood sprinkled down like rain, merging into the gurgling river of blood beneath his feet.
A ring explosion combined with Hadō #33, Sōkatsui, suddenly detonated with Naraku Sora at the center. Azure flames swallowed the surrounding Hollows.
It directly cleared out a large area.
Naraku Sora stood in the center, his whole body soaked in blood and filth. His ghastly white teeth were particularly striking against the backdrop of fresh blood, and a beast-like ferocity was thoroughly triggered.
His eyes were frighteningly bright, as if a fire were burning inside them.
"The battle has just begun."
The boy murmured in a low voice. The Zanpakutō in his hand was wrapped in blood-mist-like Reiatsu, and brilliant light condensed on the tip of the blade.
Accompanied by a roar that shattered the air, Naraku Sora grinned and charged into the depths of the sea of Hollows until he was completely submerged.
...
...
Scorching flames ignited from the ruins and wreckage, permeating and expanding until they illuminated the appearance of this land.
On the boundless scorched earth, countless cracks spread everywhere.
Hot wind filled with sulfur and ash turned over, lifting the black smoke that blotted out the sun, revealing a blazing red, boundless starry sky.
Naraku Sora looked at all this, a trace of discomfort flashing in his eyes.
Compared to the decaying world before him, he preferred the sea of Hollows that had just drowned him.
At least Hollows were living things.
But now, wherever his gaze fell, there was only unconcealable dead silence. Even the stars on the dome had become twisted and winding, like melted glass.
There was no sign of any life. There were only withered skeletons struggling out from the cracks in the ground, their heads twisted and torsos knotted as if they had endured unspeakable, extreme suffering.
Naraku Sora calmly gazed at everything in his sight. This place reminded him of a place described in some texts—
Hell.
Not long ago, he fought to the death in the sea of Hollows, exhausting all his Reiatsu to fight against the endless tide of Hollows until the end of his life.
This method greatly shortened the process of Naraku Sora comprehending his own power.
Even now, he still didn't know what method Shutara Senjumaru had used to make that death match just now so real and clear.
Even the pain of death had been perfectly replicated.
And when he comprehended his own power, he appeared in this place that was strange yet carried a trace of familiarity—
His Inner World.
"You seem to feel very uncomfortable here."
A calm voice carried a trace of imperceptible laziness, as if having just gathered from a deep sleep.
Naraku Sora looked in the direction of the voice. Under the blazing red dome, a slender figure like a flame gradually emerged from within the twisted, winding stars.
A black dress hem radiated out like water ripples, hanging down from the stars, unstained by dust.
Countless crimson patterns were interwoven, forming a design that revealed a trace of weirdness amidst the solemnity, appearing to be constantly changing and outlining.
A pair of rosy eyes, like gems, shone with brilliance, appearing as the core of the world.
Naraku Sora looked at the tall figure under the dome with a face full of surprise. He saw that the dress revealed half of a slender calf, so white it was dazzling.
It formed an extremely sharp contrast with the desolate world.
The exquisite face held a familiar sense of beauty, as if he had seen it somewhere before. The woman tilted her head and looked at the boy with a smile:
"I also want to make this place more beautiful, but its existence depends on you."
"This is the Inner World, and also your possession."
She walked slowly to the boy's side. A pair of fair hands cupped his cheeks, and her smooth forehead pressed gently against Naraku Sora's forehead. Following that, a voice that was gentle yet revealed a trace of determination sounded softly in his ear:
"No matter when or where, I will watch over your side, even if it means overturning the entire world..."
The moment her voice fell, the scene before Naraku Sora's eyes suddenly blurred. When it became clear again, a mature and exquisite face came into view.
Shutara Senjumaru revealed a triumphant smile:
"Silly boy, this mistress didn't lie to you, did she?"