The initial release of a Zanpakutō—if one's power has reached the Bankai level—can be activated without uttering a release command. When Shinigami fight, they typically shout their release phrases partly out of long‐developed habit (after all, their primary foes are mindless Hollows) and partly to boost their own confidence, since words themselves can serve as a kind of strength.
For Aizen, performing the release ritual for Mirror Flower, Water Moon is an exceedingly simple matter in combat. The reason he refrains from using it in battle is not because he cannot, but because he chooses not to. Aizen is an immensely conceited and self-assured man—as evidenced by the fact that he didn't immediately kill those Facade Corps members or Kisuke Urahara who fell under Mirror Flower, Water Moon's influence back in the day.
Of course, that does not mean Daniel can simply disregard Aizen's reliance on Mirror Flower, Water Moon. What truly compels him to overlook its power is Yan Luo Jingdian. Now that Yan Luo Jingdian can also employ Mirror Flower, Water Moon—and even Tsunayashiro Tokinada can rely on it to nullify its effects—what chance does Daniel have?
Fighting Aizen is not merely a contest of raw power but also a battle of wits.
"This is utterly baffling—have they betrayed His Majesty or what?"
The Extinction Masters who arrived later were stunned to see their comrades clashing against each other. Although discontent with Yhwach had existed among some Extinction Masters, hardly anyone would dare betray him—at least, not while Yhwach was still alive.
Yhwach dealt as ruthlessly with his enemies as he did with his own. A single failure meant that a subordinate lost all value. Several talented Extinction Masters did not die at the hands of their foes; they were eliminated by Yhwach himself.
Frankly speaking, the vast majority of Yhwach's failures were caused by his own actions. With one miscalculation, he abandoned the Star-Crossed Knight Order's hard-won advantage, causing the tide of battle to turn and, in the process, allowing several key figures—such as Ishida Uryūlong—to survive.
It is not that Daniel believes Yhwach should never have purged his subordinates, but that such purging should not be carried out arbitrarily on the battlefield. Doing so only incites betrayal among one's own ranks.
"Watch out—don't let Aizen's Zanpakutō release its power. His Zanpakutō's ability is pure hypnosis," came a gentle voice from afar, revealing the secret of Aizen's Zanpakutō ability.
"I don't rely solely on my Zanpakutō—I've mastered Break Technique No. 995: Dragon Revolving Annihilation."
Seeing the Extinction Masters rushing forward, all of them eyed their own Zanpakutō with extreme caution, fearful of falling under Aizen's total hypnotic control. Aizen chuckled softly, pointed with his left hand, and with that, five spiritual dragons—each tens of meters long—erupted within the Extinction Masters' ranks. Their power was no less formidable than what Daniel had unleashed earlier in Hueco Mundo.
"Help!"
"Where is the Star-Crossed Knight, sir?"
Under the onslaught of the five spiritual dragons, the encircling Extinction Masters immediately broke ranks and fled. Many of them cried out, naming the members of the Star-Crossed Knight Order.
"Flaming Finger of Burning Hell!"
"How dare two mere Shinigami act so recklessly!"
As the devastating power of the Five-Dragon Revolving Annihilation wreaked havoc, suddenly a swirling vortex of scorching flames burst forth from one side, colliding with one of the spiritual dragons. At the same time, the other four dragons encountered various attacks—one was crushed by a massive collapsing structure, another was struck by a barrage of concentrated spiritual light beams, one was caught in a spiritual particle cage, and yet another was seized by an adversary using his heavily muscled body to grab its head.
"Couldn't stand it any longer? Was that Hassworth speaking just now?"
Seeing one of the Five-Dragon Revolving Annihilation attacks being blocked, Daniel understood that the members of the Star-Crossed Knight Order had finally arrived. But he wasn't focusing on the five attackers—instead, his gaze shifted toward the source of the voice that had just alerted Aizen's ability. Without a doubt, that must be Yhwach's personal guard—also the commander of the Star-Crossed Knight Order and the only member whose name Daniel had managed to remember.
The reason Daniel remembered his name was simple: his ability was extraordinarily abnormal. In a way, Yhwach himself was inferior to him in that particular aspect.
"The abilities of the Star-Crossed Knight Order's members were all bestowed by Yhwach, yet she received none herself. That's truly peculiar."
Had Yhwach possessed all of the Order's powers, his strength would have soared to an even greater level—just as when Tsunayashiro Tokinada wielded Yan Luo Jingdian, he could stand against over twenty strong opponents single-handedly.
"Look at Aizen—he almost reminds me of a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki like Obito." While Daniel was musing over the battle between Aizen and Muzuki, a 5-on-1 clash erupted on Aizen's side.
"Hey, Lijebaro, who exactly are you targeting?"
Amid the melee, a female Extinction Master with wavy pink hair, pink eyes, and incredible strength suddenly clutched her left arm and roared. It turned out that just as she lifted a wall from a building previously destroyed by the Five-Dragon Revolving Annihilation to hurl it at Aizen, her left shoulder was suddenly pierced.
"This guy must have seen his Zanpakutō and fallen under complete hypnosis. Dammit—go stop him!" A fellow Extinction Master—who had been watching the battle from afar while wearing a bizarre yellow helmet that obscured his eyes—shouted a warning to his comrades.
One must admit, this man was exceedingly clever—he instantly pinpointed a way to counter Aizen's Mirror Flower, Water Moon, even if it was only a temporary fix.
Mirror Flower, Water Moon's complete hypnosis means that those affected won't heed their allies' words—they'll only regard them as enemies. It's akin to the original scenario where certain Shinigami mistook Aizen for someone else, or when Tōshirō Hitsugaya attacked Himura Tōru under the influence.
Of course, such warnings aren't entirely futile—they at least allow comrades to shield each other, sparing themselves from being caught in the crossfire of an ally's sniper attack.
While Lijebaro's Universal Penetration ability didn't significantly affect Daniel and Aizen, it proved deadly against some members of the Star-Crossed Knight Order. After all, Lijebaro was one of Yhwach's four personal bodyguards. Even when facing Kyōraku Harumi and the Hakkyōken, he wasn't entirely destroyed—and ultimately, he only fell when confronting Aizen.
"Even at this distance, he's been affected by Mirror Flower, Water Moon. Is it because he's a sniper, using his scope to catch the changes in Aizen's Zanpakutō?"
Having experienced the full effect of Mirror Flower, Water Moon firsthand, Daniel was well aware of its complete hypnotic influence. The suggestion embedded within the hypnosis is passive—it does not issue direct commands but rather designates a certain identity. Anyone under the spell, upon seeing that designated person, will automatically recognize them as such.
It's much like how Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, remained under Hydra's influence until certain trigger words were spoken, allowing whoever controlled him to command him to kill—even if that person were someone like Pei'er.
As for how far this hypnosis can radiate, Daniel was unsure. One might guess it has no effect across worlds; as for within a single world, no experiments had been conducted yet.
Of course, if one's power far surpasses Aizen's, this hypnosis would be ineffective.
"A spiritual particle shield—truly a masterful command of Kidō."
Facing the combined assault of five members of the Star-Crossed Knight Order, Aizen remained as calm as ever. His Shunpo was executed with breathtaking precision. If Yoruichi were present to witness Aizen's Shunpo, she would surely be astonished.
Similarly, when confronted with flames hot enough to melt the very ground, Aizen merely smiled and conjured a transparent shield that completely deflected the attack.
This mastery over Kidō was Daniel's greatest takeaway. It meant that when he later employed the magic of the Kamataiji, forming seals and shaping constructs could be simplified—almost as easily as summoning a shield on a whim. With sufficient preparation, he could even unleash a spiritual shield a hundred layers thick—its defensive power rivaling that of Captain Yamamoto's Bankai, capable of shattering it in a single blow.
"Where did this guy acquire such battle experience? Was it honed fighting in Hueco Mundo, or did he simply use Mirror Flower, Water Moon to hypnotize others as sparring partners?"
If Aizen's command of Kidō is as sublime as it appears—a product of his natural talent—then his prowess with Zanjin and Shinken, too, is nothing short of astonishing. These abilities aren't achieved by merely secluding oneself and studying in isolation; especially in swordsmanship, one cannot progress without constant combat.
It's much like why the members of the Eleventh Division are generally stronger than those in other divisions—without frequent battles, even comrades have nothing to spar with.
Soon enough, Daniel realized that Aizen possessed not only Hueco Mundo and Mirror Flower, Water Moon, but also the ability to completely hypnotize his opponents—just as he sometimes fought his own shadow clones. Relying solely on complete hypnosis, Aizen could, in theory, take on even the likes of Kenpachi Zaraki, Ubuyashiki Shieko, or even Genryūsai Yamamoto.
"Break Technique No. 90: Black Coffin."
Whether it was a test or an exhibition, in an instant Aizen appeared beside the fire-wielding Extinction Master. With a casual motion, he executed his No. 90 Kidō, and with a single strike, felled his opponent.
"Bazbi."
Upon seeing his comrade fall, even though the Star-Crossed Knight Order members didn't hold close bonds among themselves, concern flickered in their eyes. The enemy's strength had already been demonstrated—and if one fell, they'd be outmatched.
"I'm going to kill you! I will kill you, Perfect Saint Body!"
Bazbi's once-white Extinction Master uniform had turned blood-red. Covered in wounds, his eyes burned with murderous intent as he fixed his gaze on Aizen. Then he activated his Sacred Script ability.
The scorching heat—Bazbi's Sacred Script power—was, as the name implied, designed to raise the temperature of flames to even higher levels. His technique was simple: a series of "Flaming Finger" attacks, numbered one through four, very reminiscent of Ace's flame pistol, though at even higher temperatures.
Bazbi was naturally hot-tempered, and in a 5-on-1 skirmish, if he were the first to fall, it would mean he was the weakest. That thought alone ignited his fury—he already imagined that, in the future, others would mock him for it. And with Hassworth in the mix, it would be even worse.
Bazbi and Hassworth had once been close friends, but everything changed after encountering Yhwach. Back then, Yhwach had taken no interest in Bazbi but had chosen Hassworth instead. For Bazbi—who had been regarded as a prodigy since childhood—it was unbearable.
Especially since he had always maintained that his genius stemmed from being by Hassworth's side. Anyone else placed by Hassworth's side would have achieved the same results; it was Hassworth's unique ability that mattered.
In his anger, Bazbi resolved to prove himself and eventually joined the Star-Crossed Knight Order. Over time, he rose from a mere foot soldier to a high-ranking member bestowed with a Sacred Script by Yhwach. Yet even then, some claimed that he had only acquired his Sacred Script because Hassworth had pleaded on his behalf.
Bazbi repeatedly sought to erase that shame by demanding a duel with Hassworth, but each time he was rebuffed. One of the vice commanders even attempted to teach Bazbi a lesson—to show him his place—but was stopped by Hassworth, and the matter was dropped.
Though Bazbi was desperate to fight Hassworth, it could only happen if Hassworth agreed. Forcing a battle would be tantamount to an insubordinate act, and given Hassworth's position within the Knight Order, that would have meant execution. Bazbi wasn't foolish enough to attempt that.
"Die, die!"
After activating his Perfect Saint Body, a five-pointed star emblem appeared above Bazbi's head, and his spiritual pressure suddenly swelled. The searing temperature of his flames warped the very air around him. Disregarding everything else, he launched a fierce attack on Aizen. His fingers unleashed a torrent of flames like a machine gun—not only did they target Aizen, but they also engulfed his own teammates. Unfortunately, they still couldn't break through Aizen's spiritual particle shield.
"Damn bastard—the Perfect Saint Body is active!"
After the other four managed to evade Bazbi's flames and muttered a few curses, they too activated their Perfect Saint Bodies. In a 5-on-1 clash against a Shinigami, if they were to lose, Yhwach's retribution would be merciless. Many within the Star-Crossed Knight Order fought with wild abandon not because they relished combat, but simply because they did not want to die.
At this point, at least half of the Star-Crossed Knight Order's members were not survivors from the early days—they had been gradually supplemented over time, and many had even been replaced.
"Let me handle this."
As these five activated their Perfect Saint Bodies, the Extinction Master who had been silently watching suddenly called out. He then stepped forward in front of the five, pressed both hands forward, and shouted, "Attack!"
Upon hearing this, the other five immediately launched their most powerful assaults against Aizen. Among them, Bazbi was the fastest—flames spread across Aizen's entire body in an instant, leaving the other four to resort to basic Extinction Master techniques: spiritual bows unleashing divine annihilation arrows.
Even these basic attacks, now augmented by the Perfect Saint Body, were far more potent than before. In moments, Aizen's body was riddled with holes, and combined with the searing heat, he was reduced to a heap of ashes.
"No… it can't be."
The sight left Daniel, who had been watching the spectacle in silence, agape. His pupils contracted involuntarily. He could not believe that Aizen had been disposed of by these five; only moments ago, Aizen had held an overwhelming advantage.
Yet shortly afterward, Daniel's expression returned to calm. Though the situation before him was astonishing, he refused to believe that Aizen was truly dead—if it were, it would become the biggest farce imaginable.
"Your turn."
Bazbi, exhilarated by having burned Aizen to ashes, shifted his murderous intent onto Daniel. The other four soon appeared around Daniel, encircling him.
"Bazbi, are you an idiot? Don't you know his Zanpakutō can reflect attacks?" Before Bazbi could launch another flame assault, the pink-haired female Extinction Master shouted loudly.
"Don't be so hasty—do you really think you can just kill him like that?"
No sooner had Daniel's words fallen than the expressions of the six turned ashen. As they began to retreat, a familiar cry of anguish rang out—it was the Extinction Master who had leaped out just moments ago. Then, Aizen's voice once again echoed in their ears:
"Let's begin the next round."
(End of Chapter)
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