"As expected, plans can't compare to changes—no one can hide behind the scenes forever. In the end, didn't the original Aizen end up crashing?"
Daniel sighed softly at the thought.
Facing Aizen now was far from ideal for Daniel. To be honest, he never intended to kill Aizen from the start; otherwise, back in Hueco Mundo—before Aizen had completed his Hōgyoku evolution—he could have struck him then, a far simpler battle that might even have earned him a Hōgyoku.
Although Aizen was undeniably dangerous, in strict terms he could also be considered a revolutionary—a man determined to upend the corrupt order of the Soul Society. Many within the Soul Society wished for change, but none possessed the initiative that Aizen did. Figures like Kisuke Urahara, Kyoraku Harumi, and others shared the desire for reform yet would never openly defy the Central Forty-Six Division.
More importantly, meeting Aizen revived an old thought in Daniel's mind: as someone who had journeyed across countless dimensions, he too needed allies. While individuals like Aides and Aestas might be powerful, Daniel didn't want them risking their lives on such perilous tasks. In that light, someone like Aizen was acceptable.
Of course, Daniel wasn't simply planning to use Aizen as a pawn. Given Aizen's strength and cunning, no one could treat him as such. In truth, their relationship would be mutually beneficial—Daniel would offer Aizen the chance to break free from this world, and in return Aizen would ally with him. Previously, his lack of power had prevented him from acting on such an idea, but now that his strength had surged, he could seriously consider it.
"I'm merely curious," Daniel began, "who exactly are you? Yhwach just mentioned he couldn't see you—what did he mean by that? And what is your true objective?"
"Of course, clever people tend to overthink—but it's not entirely incomprehensible."
Aizen's tone was measured. It wasn't surprising he was suspicious; if it had been Ichigo Kurosaki or Ishida Uryūlong, there'd be no question. Yet Aizen, unlike them, was far from naive—much as Kisuke Urahara had always been wary of him.
"My objective, as I've already stated, is simple: I have no interest in the Soul King. As for who I truly am… I'll tell you after our fight is over."
Daniel was equally curious about Aizen's power in his fifth-stage Hōgyoku evolution. This confrontation was the perfect opportunity for Aizen to witness Daniel's own strength. A display of power was necessary for an equal dialogue—and sooner or later, they were destined to clash. Daniel had originally planned to postpone that battle until after dealing with the Zero Division, but now fate had accelerated it. This fight would also help him gauge just how strong Ichigo Kurosaki really was.
"Is that so? I hope you don't disappoint me."
"Likewise."
Boom.
A thunderous explosion resonated throughout the Invisible Empire as Daniel's Zanpakutō and Aizen's clashed for the first time in earnest. The invisible shockwave swept away the ruined buildings around them—a raw, unadorned contest of reiatsu.
"It seems I'm still no match for Ichigo Kurosaki."
Though it was merely one clash, it revealed to Daniel the overwhelming power of Ichigo. When Ichigo battled Aizen, it was a crushing, overwhelming affair—he completely ignored all of Aizen's assaults, including the fully chanted Break Technique No. 90 and every other attack. Even if Ichigo's current state was only marginally stronger than Aizen's fifth-stage evolution, to utterly dominate him was out of the question.
To take Aizen's fully chanted Break Technique No. 90 head-on without sustaining damage was impossible. Though Daniel felt a twinge of frustration, he was not disheartened; after all, their starting points were worlds apart. Ichigo, born of a mixed heritage spanning three great bloodlines, had begun as an ordinary human. Moreover, Ichigo's ability wasn't a normal power—it was a one-time, high-risk, ultimate move with enormous side effects, hardly something to envy. Of course, if Daniel were to unleash his full power and all his gear, perhaps he could contend with Ichigo in a one-on-one battle.
Boom, boom, boom.
As their battle continued, the ground of the Invisible Empire looked as if it had been plowed—pockmarked with craters everywhere. Even the entire shadow dimension wavered, its stability compromised now that Yhwach and the Extinction Masters were no longer upholding it.
"This guy's acting as if he's a Tailed Beast—using his tail and unleashing what seems like a Tailed Beast Ball… no, that must be King Void's Flash! Thankfully, my battle instincts haven't changed—Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Observing the six white skulls trailing behind Aizen, their mouths beginning to glow with white light as if ready to unleash a massive attack, Daniel quickly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In an instant, his figure broke free from confinement and reappeared elsewhere. Earlier, during Aizen's battle with Yhwach, he had secretly marked several locations with Flying Thunder God seals; he hadn't expected these marks wouldn't be needed against Yhwach but would come in handy against Aizen.
Those six tentacled skulls could move freely. In a previous confrontation, Daniel had once been ensnared by them—just as Ichigo had been in the original tale, though Ichigo had been indifferent, deliberately allowing himself to be caught. In truth, Aizen's move here wasn't called King Void's Flash but rather the Radiant Destruction Break.
"Aizen, that's enough already. You don't really intend for us to fight to the death here, do you?"
After roughly assessing the gap in strength between himself and Ichigo Kurosaki, Daniel felt the urge to cease the battle. Once he withdrew from the fray, he refrained from launching any further attacks.
"Oh, then what is your identity?" Aizen inquired, also pausing his assault.
"There's no harm in telling you—I'm not one of the Seishō Bureau; to be precise, I'm not from this world."
"Not from this world? Could there be other worlds as well?"
Even Aizen, with all his cunning, was taken aback by Daniel's claim.
"Indeed—in fact, there are countless other worlds."
Daniel explained as he sheathed his Zanpakutō and formed seals with both hands, projecting images of planets into the air to illustrate the concepts of the multiverse and dimensional space.
"I acquired the ability to traverse different worlds by a twist of fate. I arrived here by accident and found this world extremely peculiar—in other worlds, Shinigami aren't like you at all."
"What are the Shinigami of other worlds like?" Aizen's interest was immediately piqued; for someone who relentlessly pursued higher states, other worlds were immensely enticing.
"How should I put it? To be precise, I haven't seen many Shinigami from other worlds—I've only encountered those from Hell."
After a moment's thought, Daniel briefly described to Aizen what Shinigami, Hell, and the Underworld were like across both Eastern and Western traditions.
"No Hollows? Only ghosts? That is quite fascinating."
"My purpose in traveling to other worlds is simple: to tour and, in the process, seek ways to become stronger. The cultivation methods of the Shinigami in this world are pretty good—especially for extending one's lifespan. You should understand why my target is the Zero Division."
"Isn't the Soul King's power supposed to make one stronger?"
"True, the Soul King's power can indeed make one very powerful, but the Soul King of this world is highly problematic. I've never seen one who builds a world on a wedge-like foundation. I suspect that once I acquire the Soul King's power, I might not be able to leave this world. So for me, although the Soul King's power is important, in an infinite multiverse there are other ways to grow stronger—it's not worth risking everything for."
Needless to say, Daniel would never jeopardize an entire world just to gain power. If he truly wished to do so, he could easily acquire god-like power in a world akin to that of Fullmetal Alchemist.
"Are there any strong ones in other worlds?" Aizen asked gravely after a pause.
"Strong ones in other worlds? Aizen, do you think I'm strong enough?" Daniel laughed.
"I am very strong—indeed, even in my current state, you stand no chance against me." Aizen's tone was confident, if not arrogant. Both combatants had concealed much of their true strength in previous skirmishes, but from the way Yhwach had been dispatched so decisively earlier, it was clear Aizen had hidden considerable power.
"Yet in some worlds, someone like me is merely ordinary; against the truly formidable, a mere breath might suffice to defeat me."
For those who casually unleash stellar explosions, his power is nothing special—and he is well aware of that.
"You must be joking, right?" Aizen cried in disbelief.
"It's the truth. For some beings, a planet is as insignificant as a marble—destroyable with a single finger; some can obliterate a universe with one thought, even create one."
"Hahaha, that's truly fascinating. In that case, wouldn't I be nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well?"
Aizen burst into loud laughter.
"Although I believe you, I still require some proof."
"You're incredibly suspicious. Let me see… here, take this: a Spatial Ring. With your mental power, you can unlock it. I'm pretty sure nothing like this exists in this world."
Daniel offered the Spatial Ring. Even though Kidō can achieve spatial transference and carve out vast underground spaces, a portable spatial item is unheard of here.
"Can you take people with you?" Aizen asked as he took the ring, immediately mastering its use. After a brief silence, he continued,
"Of course you can—you mean you want to leave this world."
"Since I know other worlds are so dazzling, how could I be content to remain here? If you tell me this, doesn't it imply you'll take me away?"
Aizen was, after all, Aizen—he immediately guessed Daniel's intent.
"Indeed, I have that idea. A character like you would undoubtedly shine in a stronger world. But you must also understand that I can't simply whisk you away without reason."
"I can serve you; that's your goal, isn't it? And you needn't worry about my betrayal—if I ever want to become stronger, I must rely on you."
"No need to serve me—let's form an alliance instead. I have an oath for that."
In the world of Harry Potter, there are many such oaths—like the Unbreakable Vow, which, barring a vast disparity in power, is inviolable.
"An alliance oath?"
"Indeed, an alliance oath. How about it?"
"No problem."
Even if it were to serve Daniel, Aizen agreed—let alone an alliance oath.
"Then let's begin." Establishing the oath was simple—just mutual consent.
"Next, it's time for them to act."
Even if traveling to other worlds were possible, the upcoming plan hadn't changed much. Aizen soon reined in his thoughts and focused on preparing for the upcoming battle at the Soul King's Palace.
"Have they appeared?"
In the World of the Living, when a swarm of Arrancar appeared in the sky, the arriving Shinigami immediately took notice, contacted the Soul Society to report the situation, and then moved to intercept them.
"Aizen."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, upon seeing Aizen at the forefront of the Arrancar, nearly couldn't help but draw his blade and charge. Orihime Inoue nearly perished at Aizen's hand, which enraged Hitsugaya immensely.
"You still haven't died. It seems your counterattack has improved considerably," Aizen sneered as he glanced at Hitsugaya and the Shinigami behind him.
"Just as you can't stop me—bring out the others! Today, I will show you all what true despair is."
"Prepare to activate the Dimensional Transfer Pillar."
While Aizen, accompanied by Arrancar and Shinigami, clashed, Kisuke Urahara immediately ordered the Shinigami scattered throughout the Seireitei's shadow realm to activate a barrier that had long been prepared—swapping Karakura Town with an open area outside the Seireitei. One must admire the prowess of Kidō practitioners: in such a short span, they created a sand table identical to Karakura Town.
"Aizen."
Soon, a host of captains from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads arrived in the World of the Living, led by Captain Yamamoto. Aizen's Arrancar forces were so immense that the Thirteen Court Guard Squads couldn't hold them back.
Of course, all this intelligence came from Gin Ichimaru.
"Aizen, was it truly necessary to go this far?"
Kyoraku Harumi, after surveying both sides' formations, stepped forward. He truly did not wish to battle Aizen at this moment—especially with a Yhwach lurking in the shadows.
Before arriving, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had long debated whether to deploy all their forces. Many feared that full mobilization might provoke Yhwach, but in the end, Captain Yamamoto decided: full deployment, to first eliminate one enemy.
"The Soul King's Palace—I have finally arrived."
While Arrancar and Shinigami clashed in the World of the Living, along the Omotesandō of the Soul King's Palace, a golden light suddenly materialized, transforming into a golden portal. Then Daniel and Aizen stepped through.
"The concentration of reiatsu here is incredible—such an environment naturally makes one stronger."
The moment Daniel entered the Soul King's Palace, he immediately sensed the abnormal density of spiritual energy around him. The sheer volume was such that even a lieutenant-level Shinigami would likely be overwhelmed upon entry.
Please let me know if you need any further modifications or clarifications!
(End of Chapter)
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