Hadō #995: Dragon Spiral Annihilation—its power as the 99th Hadō spell is beyond question, but its actual battlefield record? It's much like Naruto's Amaterasu, which burns its victims to death. There are several reasons for this. First, using this technique requires an enormous amount of spiritual pressure; an ordinary captain would likely deplete their reserves with a single use.
Second, this technique is primarily designed for crowd control. When it comes to single-target potency, it might not even compare to Hadō #90: Black Coffin. In the end, when Aizen used the Hōgyoku against an unyielding Ichigo, he opted for that Hadō instead of Dragon Spiral Annihilation.
That's why it's often called a "chicken rib" move—it's not very effective against powerful foes, yet it's too extravagant for dealing with minor opponents. Of course, if one's goal is merely to show off one's strength, then that's another matter entirely.
Still, Dragon Spiral Annihilation has one undeniable advantage: it draws attention. In the original story, Kisuke Urahara later employed this very technique to divert Tsunayashiro Tokinada's focus and thereby strike a deal with Dao Yuhen Auwula.
When it comes to Kidō spells, Daniel Davis's choices are much like Aizen's—he favors Hadō #90, Black Coffin, as well as Hadō #66, the Binding Prison of Six Staffs, which Byakuya Kuchiki excels at.
"Inner Hadō? The 0th Division is always messing around with some inexplicable stuff."
Although Kidō is said to consist of a hundred numbered spells, in practice both the Binding and Breaking spells only go up to number 99. A hundredth Kidō spell simply doesn't exist—or rather, it exists only in the 0th Division.
Daniel had originally believed that Inner Hadō was meant to be superior to ordinary Hadō. However, from Tsunayashiro Tokinada's memories he learned that, strictly speaking, Inner Hadō isn't inherently stronger than standard Hadō; its might depends entirely on the strength of its user. The difference is akin to that between the Gotei 13 and the 0th Division—the different nomenclature is merely to emphasize the latter's uniqueness.
Indeed, the same Kidō spell can have vastly different effects depending on who uses it. For instance, with Hadō #90: Black Coffin, Aizen can kill a captain in an instant without even completing the incantation, whereas someone else—even with a full incantation—might not be able to do the same.
"Next up is you, Yanluo Mirror Codex."
Though his training had given Daniel more confidence when facing Aizen, he felt that if he could harness the Yanluo Mirror Codex, his confidence would be even more bolstered. Imagine if, just as Aizen is about to unleash Kyōka Suigetsu, Daniel suddenly counters with this move—the shock on Aizen's face would be priceless.
There's no rule that a counterfeit always loses to the genuine article; it all depends on whether both sides have sufficient spiritual pressure. Theoretically, the power of a Zanpakutō primarily relies on its spiritual pressure. Yet if one wields a truly formidable Zanpakutō, its significance is entirely different. Just as in the original tale—where Tsunayashiro Tokinada, relying solely on the Yanluo Mirror Codex, went head-to-head with over twenty Shinigami, Arrancars, and Fullbringers led by Captain Jing Le Chunshui, and even managed to suppress them—all of that was due to the overwhelming power of Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu, which forced Tsunayashiro Tokinada to switch Zanpakutō. For instance, if he had used something like Ryūjin Jakka, Jing Le Chunshui alone might have been enough to slay him.
"First, let's see what happens when you use the Yanluo Mirror Codex. What exactly is it going to do?"
Without bothering either master with trivialities, Tsunayashiro Tokinada—whose life Daniel had spared—finally got to show his worth by using the Yanluo Mirror Codex to continuously alter his Zanpakutō's Shikai, while Daniel silently observed the state of his soul.
"Paying money is no longer enough—now it's all about sacrificing one's life. Perhaps this 'life sacrifice' is necessary because Tsunayashiro Tokinada isn't strong enough to fully control this Zanpakutō. If the Spirit King were to use it, such a sacrifice probably wouldn't be required. By the way, isn't this Zanpakutō originally the Spirit King's? Even if it isn't, it still dates back to that era."
As for the origins of the Yanluo Mirror Codex, Tsunayashiro Tokinada wasn't entirely sure—he only knew that it was a Zanpakutō passed down through the Kōmyada family for generations. Its true history has long been lost, but when combined with the divinely gifted armaments of the Shihōin clan, one can at least hazard a guess.
"'All of creation, reduced to ash; Ryūjin Jakka.'
'Scatter, Senbonzakura.'"
After analyzing the rate at which Tsunayashiro Tokinada's soul was being consumed, Daniel finally took hold of the Yanluo Mirror Codex himself and tentatively activated its Shikai a few times.
"So this is what sacrificing one's life feels like. The cost, though not unbearable, is best avoided when unnecessary."
After personally testing the Yanluo Mirror Codex, Daniel gained a deeper understanding of its life-draining side effects. With the aid of the Philosopher's Stone and Kamatagi's magic—which primarily targets the soul—even sacrificing life can be gradually replenished. As long as he doesn't use the Yanluo Mirror Codex incessantly, its impact on him remains manageable.
Kamatagi's magic is all about the soul; even if one pays with one's life, it can slowly be recovered. That's why Daniel has always chosen the righteous path without resorting to nefarious shortcuts—even though that means his current power is lower than it might otherwise be. Still, he could very well learn a trick or two from a "certain Doctor Strange."
"A body formed from spiritual particles is still called a Shinigami, yet it even possesses a soul—and after death, it might even enter Hell. What peculiar rules! But this does give room for the Operation Fruit to show its effect. Room."
Having experienced the Yanluo Mirror Codex firsthand, Daniel began formulating ideas on how to avoid its side effects. With the power of the Operation Fruit, combined with Kidō techniques, he could potentially transfer those side effects onto the Philosopher's Stone. In doing so, he'd be able to use the Yanluo Mirror Codex to its fullest extent. As for the consumption of the Philosopher's Stone, one Tsunayashiro Tokinada's soul would suffice for a long period—and considering that there are plenty of sinful Shinigami in Soul Society (not to mention Hollows), it would be more than enough. Perhaps once his own strength advances further, those side effects will vanish entirely.
"So this is the limit of the soul? Next, I must find a way to transcend it."
Even as he researched how to offload the Yanluo Mirror Codex's side effects, Daniel never neglected his own cultivation; his spiritual pressure had already reached its peak during his previous seclusion.
In the world of Shinigami, those with powerful souls enjoy the benefit of rapidly growing in strength. It appears that Ichigo, in less than a month, has already reached captain-level prowess.
And then there's Aizen. When he joined the 5th Division, his power was already extraordinarily high—and at that point, he already had the blueprint for his plan. Eventually, sensing danger from him, Pingzi Zhenzi brought Aizen into his inner circle as his vice-captain, hoping to keep a close watch. But Aizen proved one step ahead, using Kyōka Suigetsu to trick Pingzi Zhenzi.
"Transcendence into hollows, huh? I suppose I'll have to seek out Aizen after all."
In the Shinigami world, if one wishes for the soul to break its natural limits, hollowfication is one option. Aizen's spiritual pressure is so immense that he has undoubtedly already undergone hollowfication. Kisuke Urahara, too, possesses this technique—but he'd never use it as a bargaining chip. Aizen, however, is different; if something can move him enough, not only might he consider hollowfication, but he might even be persuaded to hand over his Hōgyoku. Of course, the leverage would have to be truly enticing.
Both the hollowfication of Shinigami and the process by which a Shinigami becomes Hollow are methods of transcending one's inherent limits.
"Aizen hasn't made his move yet—are others stirring up trouble again?"
Back at his villa in Kūza Town, Daniel sensed the unmistakable spiritual pressure of Yei Shihōin, Suifeng, Ichigo, Renji, and the others wafting through the air. Intrigued, he immediately set off toward the source.
Aizen had just acquired Kisuke Urahara's Hōgyoku; even if he planned to cause mischief, he'd need to fuse at least two Hōgyoku together.
"Long time no see, everyone."
Upon arriving, Daniel immediately saw the assembled group. Renji—the Vice-Captain of the 6th Division, who had now taken over Rukia's duties—was among them.
Although Rukia's spiritual pressure had normalized after the Hōgyoku left her body, neither Byakuya Kuchiki nor Renji and the others wanted her to resume Shinigami work in Kūza Town, so Renji was temporarily assigned in her stead.
"Teacher Davis."
"What's going on here?"
Seeing several ordinary human corpses lying beside Yei and Suifeng, Daniel couldn't help but ask.
"They're Soul Hunters. We hadn't seen any trace of them for so many years—I never expected them to reappear now," Suifeng replied, her tone oddly a mix of displeasure and delight.
"They're creatures that devour human souls to extend their lifespans. This isn't the place to discuss it—go to Kisuke's shop. You all need to be briefed."
At the mention of going to Kisuke Urahara's place, Suifeng's expression darkened immediately. Although she disliked how close Yei and Kisuke were, she understood the gravity of the situation and said no more.
"How can such dangerous beings exist? Why have they appeared?"
At Kisuke Urahara's shop, as he explained the situation regarding the Soul Hunters, Ichigo asked anxiously.
Kūza Town was already dangerous enough with occasional Hollows appearing; now a group of soul-devouring beings has emerged. Naturally, Ichigo was very worried—after all, his family all lives here.
"They must be here to take revenge on Soul Society—probably having heard that its defenses have recently weakened."
Currently, members of the 3rd and 5th Divisions of the Gotei 13 have been detained for questioning, so their duties have been reassigned to the heads of other divisions.
After some discussion, most of the work ultimately fell onto Tōshirō Hitsugaya of the 10th Division, much to the chagrin of Rangiku Matsumoto.
Originally, the workload was meant to be evenly divided among the 8th, 10th, and 13th Divisions, but then Jing Le Chunshui slacked off, Ukitake Jūshirō was in poor health, and on top of that, Tōshirō Hitsugaya—upset by Hinamori's attitude—could only bury himself in work.
I must say, Vice-Captain Rangiku Matsumoto has it very easy; in most divisions, vice-captains handle affairs, but in the 4th Division, Hitsugaya himself manages everything.
"Soul Hunters—essentially, they are none other than Bawant. Come to think of it, this is entirely Soul Society's own fault."
Kisuke Urahara then detailed the situation with Bawant, making no attempt to sugarcoat the issues that plagued Soul Society—it was, in truth, entirely their own doing.
Bawant's emergence resulted from Soul Society's Shinigami conducting research into souls, which, due to an unforeseen accident, caused the loss of one-tenth of the Seireitei. This outcome immediately incensed the nobles of Soul Society.
In the end, the Shinigami hunted down the survivors of that soul research. Although many were slain over the long chase, they left the Soul Hunters themselves unharmed—instead, those remaining went into even deeper hiding, their traces lost for centuries. And now they've suddenly reappeared. No wonder Yei had been so worried.
After their souls mutated, Bawant can absorb human souls to extend their lifespan—and in doing so, they also augment their power. In a sense, they are the Shinigami world's version of vampires.
"All of this is self-inflicted. No wonder Aizen said that one day you'll finally understand just how wicked and fantastical the creation of Shinigami truly is."
Although Kisuke Urahara revealed most of the details about Bawant with complete honesty, he deliberately withheld the most critical part. Daniel let out a cold laugh internally but chose not to expose him.
The Shinigami's hunt for Bawant is a battle of righteousness versus wickedness. Daniel refrained from saying too much, but from a human perspective, Bawant is naturally an enemy—much like ghouls.
However, regarding the emergence of Bawant, Kisuke didn't mention the fundamental reason: Soul Society conducted those experiments not because using human souls was unethical, but precisely because it was considered unethical—so they resorted to using the souls and abilities of Shinigami instead.
In reality, that was just a pretext. The true aim of those experiments was to research how Soul Society's Shinigami might achieve immortality. Although Shinigami generally live far longer than humans, their lifespans vary greatly depending on their power. Many of the ruling nobles were dissatisfied with this disparity—none more so than the head of the Kōmyada family, who was particularly proactive.
Even in the human world, many high-ranking, wealthy elders are unwilling to simply die; they spend vast sums each year trying to discover means to extend their lifespans. Not to mention, Shinigami already enjoy exceptionally long lives.
It's unclear whether it was due to the curse from defeating the Spirit King, but after the demise of their progenitor, the Kōmyada family never produced any truly powerful Shinigami. In contrast, the other three families have consistently produced captain-level Shinigami across generations.
Unfortunately, when this matter eventually came to light, the other three families—the Kuchiki, the Shihōin, and the Shiba clans—simultaneously turned against them, halting the research. No matter how formidable the Kōmyada family was, they couldn't possibly take on three families at once; both in terms of strength and influence, the odds were evenly stacked.
On the surface, Soul Society appears dazzling, but that's merely a façade. Behind the scenes, it's teeming with all manner of monstrous beings, demons, and deities—a glittering veneer that dates back to thousands of years ago, when Captain Yamamoto established the Gotei 13 and the Maō Spiritual Arts Academy.
But these events are ancient history now, and there's no need to bring them up with Ichigo.
"The second invasion of the Seireitei… and it's happening not long after the last one."
Even though Yei Shihōin, Suifeng, and the others managed to capture several Soul Hunters in the Human World, their leader still managed to bring a portion of his group into Soul Society. At this time, the reconstruction of Soul Society was far from complete—especially considering that even with the combined efforts of numerous Kidō users, only a little over half of the buildings that Kenpachi Zaraki had single-handedly demolished while fighting two foes had been restored.
Originally, once they entered Soul Society, the matter wouldn't have affected Ichigo much. Unfortunately, their group had attacked one of his classmates in the Human World.
"Now is a good opportunity."
This time, Daniel didn't follow Ichigo openly into Soul Society—after all, while Ichigo's status as Acting Shinigami permits him entry, Daniel himself cannot do so without drawing attention. Nonetheless, he infiltrated secretly. Once he saw several Shinigami captains locked in combat with elite Soul Hunter masters, he immediately cloaked himself in his black cape and headed north toward the distant reaches of the Seireitei.
"Werewolf clan, Komamura Sōjin—you owe me big time this round."
At the entrance of a massive cave deep within a vast, barren northern mountain range, Daniel activated a mirage space, transforming the entire area around the cave.
(End of Chapter)
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