Aizen’s Spiritual Pressure did not fluctuate at all. Clearly, his control over it was exceptional; even his Shikai had been released with utter calm.
"So this is... Kyoka Suigetsu?"
Luke admired the Zanpakuto in Aizen’s hand. The blade reflected the moonlight beyond the window, carrying an air of elegance beneath its mystery.
Yet he himself felt nothing unusual. He had no idea whether he was currently under hypnosis or not.
With that thought, Luke instinctively checked his personal interface, discovering the benefits of Endspace’s system for the first time.
There was an additional negative status listed in his personal details.
Negative Status: Complete Hypnosis. The Explorer is under the Complete Hypnosis of Sosuke Aizen’s Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu. Your five senses are under his control.
Note: Anyone who witnesses Kyoka Suigetsu’s release becomes its prisoner forever. Once one has become Kyoka Suigetsu’s prisoner, Aizen can create illusions for them whenever he releases his Zanpakuto.
Note: This status may be actively removed by Kyoka Suigetsu’s wielder.
"I will not demonstrate my Zanpakuto’s exact ability. There are only the two of us here, after all. What I wish to show you is the process of release, and to help you grasp the key to attaining Shikai."
As he spoke, Aizen held Kyoka Suigetsu horizontally before his face. Moonlight shimmered across its blade and illuminated his features. "What do you believe is the greatest obstacle preventing you from attaining Shikai, Luke?"
After pondering for a moment, Luke decided to roughly explain his circumstances to Aizen.
"I saw a purgatory..."
After Luke’s explanation, Aizen furrowed his brow slightly. This was the first time he had heard of someone encountering such a bizarre sight within the depths of their soul.
"You are saying that the being you believe to be your Zanpakuto rejected you and drove you out?"
Luke nodded. "It roared once, and the wind blew me away. I had no power to resist at all."
He had tried many times afterward, but strangely, he could no longer reach that purgatory. Every resonance attempt showed him only endless darkness.
"Perhaps your subconscious is resisting..."
Aizen analyzed the matter. "Normally, a Zanpakuto is part of one’s own soul—a reflection of one’s inner self. You were not expelled because your Zanpakuto rejected you. You were expelled because you are rejecting the power yourself."
Luke was somewhat baffled. He pointed at himself. "Me? I am rejecting power?"
This analysis seemed absurd to him. He was a fanatic for martial arts, a man pursuing the pinnacle of strength. How could he possibly reject the chance to gain more power?
Aizen nodded, his brow tightening as though he found the matter troublesome. "You said you grew up in Rukongai. Did you suffer some psychological trauma as a child? For example... did you accidentally kill someone important to you?"
Luke immediately shook his head. Unlike the residents of Soul Society, who aged slowly and lived for long periods, he had only lived twenty years in this life. Ever since he could remember, he had trained under his master.
Gareth had taught him the virtues a martial artist should possess, as well as many principles for living as a decent person. Luke had always controlled his strength well and had never used it to bully the weak.
As for accidentally killing someone, that had absolutely never happened. He had killed people before, but never by accident. When he killed, he had intended to kill.
"Then that is strange..."
Aizen pondered aloud. "Or perhaps something similar did happen, but you buried those memories so you would not lose your mind?"
Luke shook his head. "Impossible. I trust my own memories. Just help me think of a way to reach the depths of my soul again, Sosuke."
"I can help you achieve a deeper resonance. You may simply be too anxious, unable to relax your mind enough to resonate. Have you heard of hypnotherapy?"
Luke’s expression turned strange. Aizen sounded like a psychiatrist speaking to a patient. The man clearly regarded Luke as some weirdo with hidden psychological trauma.
Hypnotherapy, my ass. I am already hypnotized by you, aren’t I?
Then Luke paused.
Hypnosis?
His eyes lit up. He understood what Aizen meant. In a sense, Aizen’s ability could genuinely help him tremendously.
Aizen was a genius. He understood the principles behind awakening a Zanpakuto and knew the tricks involved. If he used hypnosis to guide Luke into resonance, it might truly allow him to awaken his Zanpakuto!
"You know hypnosis too, Sosuke?"
Luke asked. He still had to play along. He could hardly say, I know Kyoka Suigetsu’s true ability. Hurry up and hypnotize me.
"A little. First, assume the posture for resonance and relax."
Aizen sat cross-legged across from Luke and met his eyes, Kyoka Suigetsu resting horizontally across his knees.
Luke did not waste time. He sat down properly and placed his hand on his Asauchi.
"Now, keep your eyes on my Zanpakuto. I will sway it gently. You need to relax yourself..."
Aizen put on a convincing act, guiding Luke step by step. "That is it. Now close your eyes and imagine that you have entered your soul’s inner world..."
After that, Luke could no longer hear Aizen’s voice. He found himself once more in the depths of his soul’s inner world, standing before the abyss.
As he stepped forward and the sensation of weightlessness overtook him, Luke could not help but marvel.
Hypnosis actually worked!
Before long, he had arrived in purgatory again and stood before the cage.
The crimson gates swung open. The black demon god silently met Luke’s gaze.
Those eyes contained emotions too complex to count: fury, despair, mockery, loneliness... and a nearly imperceptible trace of longing.
In the next instant, a violent gale surged forth. Before Luke could ask the demon god’s true name again, he was blown away.
"Luke! Luke, wake up!"
A familiar voice rang beside his ear. When Luke opened his eyes, he found himself sprawled on the bed, drenched in sweat, while Aizen vigorously shook him from the side.
"Sosuke? What happened?"
Luke’s head throbbed. As he sat up, he glanced outside the window. It seemed dawn was approaching, even though it had felt as though only a few minutes had passed between Aizen hypnotizing him and the gale ejecting him from that place.
"I do not know either."
Confusion also filled Aizen’s eyes. "You fell asleep shortly after I hypnotized you. At first, your Spiritual Pressure fluctuations were fairly stable, but later they became unusually violent. You even began to give off traces of purple-black Spiritual Pressure."
This hypnosis session had completely exceeded Aizen’s understanding of souls. He might have been the one guiding the hypnosis, but he could not see the sights Luke had witnessed.
Based on his understanding of Zanpakuto Shikai, he had guided Luke to communicate with the self buried deep within his soul. By his own theory, even if Luke failed to awaken his Zanpakuto, the worst outcome should have been that the blade simply refused to reveal its true name. Luke should have awakened quickly.
But in reality, once Luke entered that strange state, he had been unable to wake. Even Aizen, who was usually so composed, had begun to panic.
It was not that he was terribly worried about Luke. The two of them were conducting a forbidden experiment. If something happened to Luke in the dormitory, Aizen would be unable to keep his own secrets hidden—and that would interfere with his grand plan.
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