Tossing this in today too!
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When the sound of wet, tearing gluttony that had filled the room finally ceased, Lucifer pushed the door open and stepped back into the laboratory. The first sight that greeted him was Yeriel, standing amidst the silence, drenched from head to toe in gore.
Dark, thick blood still trickled from the corners of her mouth, staining her body and hair. She had quite literally bathed in blood. Lucifer watched her with a faint, chilling smile, stepping closer to wipe the residue of the meal from her lips.
"Well done. Now, you will likely be drawn into your inner world. If you can face the Hollow within and emerge victorious, you will transcend the limits of a Soul Reaper. If you lose, you will be devoured by that internal beast instead."
"......."
"I will be waiting. Come back to me as a victor."
Lucifer whispered with uncharacteristic softness to the silent Yeriel. Her gaze finally drifted up to meet his, and she forced her trembling lips to part.
"If I return... make me your woman."
"Very well. Consider it done."
Lucifer replied without a hint of hesitation. He knew all too well that wavering in such a moment would shatter the fragile trust they had built. Maintaining a calm, reassuming smile, he drove the point home.
"When you return, I shall acknowledge you as my own, just like Tibel and Is."
At those words, a deep crimson flush crept up Yeriel's cheeks, and she hurriedly ducked her head. She had made the demand herself, but the ease with which he accepted—the sheer certainty in his voice—made her heart race with embarrassment. Before she could process the feeling, a sudden, piercing scream tore from her throat as she collapsed.
"Aaaaagh!"
As she writhed on the floor, a white mask began to calcify over her face, bone-like plates manifesting in shards. Lucifer watched intently, recognizing the signs of Hollowification. However, his brow furrowed in dissatisfaction; he wasn't looking for a simple mask. He was experimenting with a complete soul fusion.
"Is it a failure?"
He had expected something beyond the primitive Hollowification process after she devoured those souls—a true evolution through assimilation. As if responding to his doubt, Yeriel’s body suddenly jerked upright. Her physical form began to warp, and a monstrous, inhuman shriek echoed through the lab.
"KYAAAAAAARGH!"
Her silhouette blurred, shifting toward something more predatory and beast-like. She was losing her Soul Reaper identity, her essence skewing heavily toward the Hollow side. Behind the developing mask, her eyes bled from their usual hue into a terrifying, luminous gold—a clear sign that her instinct had completely overridden her sanity. She had gone berserk.
Sshik!
Without warning, she lunged. Yeriel swung claws that had grown unnervingly sharp, aiming straight for Lucifer's throat. Lucifer flickered out of existence, using Sonído to casually sidestep the strike. Undeterred, the feral Yeriel pivoted with predatory speed, launching a second assault.
"I suppose I should teach a disrespectful child some manners."
Lucifer’s smile turned cold as he watched his experiment lash out. While the two clashed in the physical world, a far more desperate struggle was beginning within her soul.
Inside the Inner World where the unconscious Yeriel had been pulled, the scenery had changed entirely. It was no longer the place she knew; it was a realm of suffocating crimson. A red sky, red earth, and a sun that bled scarlet light. In the center of this bloody world, a figure slowly manifested before her.
"Who are you?"
"Tatsuki..."
"Yeomwol?"
The entity that appeared was indeed her Zanpakuto spirit, Yeomwol. However, her voice lacked its usual serenity. Her form was trembling, her voice brittle and fraught with pain. She looked at Tatsuki with eyes filled with dread.
"Run... something strange is inside me... Kyaaaaagh!"
"Yeomwol!"
Yeomwol’s warning ended in a shriek as her body erupted in spiritual flames. As the fire died down, the spirit slowly raised her head, and the atmosphere shattered.
Shiver!
Yeomwol’s eyes had turned a piercing gold. Her entire appearance began to distort into something grotesque yet majestic. The sorrow in her eyes was replaced by a boiling, murderous intent. A cruel, thin smile stretched across her pale face as her fingernails elongated into talons. The most jarring changes were the twisted horns sprouting from her forehead and the massive red wings unfurling from her back.
"Kyakekehkekeh!"
A chill ran down Yeriel’s spine as that bizarre, guttural laughter filled the red world.
"Yeomwol..."
Faced with the distorted version of her own power, Yeriel felt a paralyzing wave of primal terror wash over her.
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Toss! Toss! Toss!
The project to turn Yeriel into a munchkin, led by the bad boy Lucifer, is officially underway!
The battle has begun: Lucifer vs. Berserk Yeriel on the outside, and Yeriel vs. Hollowified Yeomwol on the inside. Heheh, Lucifer is someone who uses every card he has with maximum efficiency. He really is a villain, isn't he? Heheh. I tried to make him live up to the name Lucifer. I chose 'La El' because it sounded somewhat connected to God or the celestial race in my mind. In my interpretation, Lucifer La El translates to something like 'Demon God.'
And for the suffering Yeriel—once this arc is over, I’ll officially promote her to the rank of main heroine! Woooooo! Let out a shout of joy!!!!!!!! Anyway, that’s the plan.
User Scholar of Slaughter seems to have a thing for yanderes that matches their nickname, kekeke. For me, it's cool-dere, tsun-dere, and yan-dere. Lately, I've developed a soft spot for the tsundere vibe thanks to Misaki Ayuzawa from Kaichou wa Maid-sama!.
In the next chapter, it looks like we’ll have a split battle inside and out... though since Yeriel is the focus, we’ll probably see more of her internal struggle.
By the way, does the third-person omniscient(?) point of view I’m using feel awkward? I’m not even sure if I’m calling it the right thing, but does it flow naturally?
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