"So far, I hadn't had any trouble dealing with people on my level or weaker—my magic consumption was minimal against them. But against someone like him? I wasn't sure… Better to test the waters first before diving in."
I needed to consider the what-ifs. If my magic didn't work, I would have to formulate a different strategy.
"A quick attack and a quick retreat…"
I decided. I would strike from a distance, test his reaction, and retreat deep into the forest if necessary.
The activation of Kyoka Suigetsu isn't so simple. Aizen made it look easy, but in contrast, it was incredibly difficult.
Its effectiveness depends on how well the user can manipulate the five senses. And that's where I'm weak. The reason I could handle most opponents so far was due to my incredible physique and my ability to disable their senses entirely—eliminating them before Kyoka Suigetsu lost its effect.
I borrowed this fighting style from Hunter x Hunter's Zodiac Monkey, Saiyu. His abilities—See-Not Monkey, Hear-Not Monkey, Speak-No Monkey—aligned well with my approach.
The main purpose is to disable their senses and beat them to death. In my case, I simply shut down all their senses—disabling their vision, rendering them mute, deaf, and numb—instead of casting complex illusions. In their confusion, I struck them down before they even realized what had happened.
In *Bleach*, Aizen successfully deceived the captains and Vizards, but that was only possible due to his vast intellect, extensive knowledge, and absolute mastery over his ability. To make someone see, hear, smell, taste, and feel exactly what I want, I would need to understand the inner workings of their brain, predict their reactions, and perfectly align my hypnosis with their expectations. In other words, everything must be perfect.
In theory, I could create false scenarios on the battlefield, but I lack the experience and mental discipline for such high-level deception.
It requires extreme multitasking—or rather, multicasting. Even though I was targeting weaker opponents in large numbers, this situation was entirely different.
I'm uncertain about the magic consumption or whether my hypnosis will even work. Even if I manage to deceive them, skilled opponents could likely see through the illusion by analyzing my movements or their surroundings. Since Kyoka Suigetsu's activation is undetectable, they might assume it's a magic-infused sword and try to destroy it.
The same applies to illusions in general. Even if I cast a powerful spell, my illusions can't replicate actual magic. Magic sense functions like a sixth sense—an instinctive awareness of magical energy. And unfortunately, that's a field I have no control over.
Using an analogy, it's like poisoning someone's drink. The contents of the glass are unknown to me, yet I still slip in the poison. Since poison alters the taste, I need to make sure it's undetectable. To do that, I hypnotize their sense of taste, making them believe the drink is coffee.
However, if the drink was actually pineapple juice, they'd immediately notice something was off. Since when does coffee taste like pineapple juice? That realization would raise suspicion, and they might figure out it was poisoned.
To avoid this, I would need to taste the drink myself first and perfectly replicate its original flavor in the illusion. But not every glass is transparent, and I don't always have the luxury of knowing what's inside before I act.
It's much easier to disable all senses than to create a complex illusion. When their senses are completely cut off, they become powerless against me.
That said, I can think of three things that could nullify Kyoka Suigetsu. As mentioned in the anime:
1. Directly touching the blade.
2. Being blind or otherwise unaffected by visual perception.
Last, just my speculation:
3. Possessing an immense level of power, sharp perception, or unyielding mental resistance. Anyone with strong enough instincts or sheer willpower might be able to break free. For now, these are just concerns since everything is uncertain. But it's always better to be safe than sorry.
"He hasn't arrived yet. From the looks of it, my detection abilities are superior to his—at least for now."
The biggest question is, how can I make him look at Kyoka Suigetsu?
To fully activate my ability, he only needs to glance at it.
"In that case…"
I stab the sword into the ground, letting a few drops of blood spill beside it.
"They say curiosity killed the cat. No matter how powerful someone is, humans are always bound by curiosity. Even if my setup is clumsy, he'll still investigate it. In fact, the stranger it looks, the more attention it'll attract."
"Now, I just need to hide…"
Merging into the shadows, I find cover within a nearby bush, waiting.
Time passed, and it didn't take long for him to enter my range. The moment I caught a glimpse of him, my eyes widened in disbelief.
"This guy is…"
I muttered, barely believing what I was seeing. I didn't expect to meet him here. But it seems fate has other plans.
"Interesting..."
*
He, of course, didn't fail to notice the sword.
"A sword?"
"And this blood… it's fresh. Did someone come here?"
He muttered, falling into deep thought. His sharp instincts were at work, analyzing the situation with the experience of a seasoned warrior.
But I didn't give him the luxury of time. Without hesitation, I activated Kyoka Suigetsu.
"Now, if it's working… he shouldn't be able to see the sword or the blood."
His eyes widened in shock.
"What? It's gone?! I'm pretty sure there was a sword here… or am I imagining things?"
He scratched the back of his head and left.
"This guy… despite being strong, he's certainly a fool."
I let out a deep sigh.
"I see... So it depends on distance and the individual."
I analyzed the effects carefully, noting the strain on my magic reserves.
"The consumption is about the same as teleportation magic... It's taxing."
On top of that, I can only cast full hypnosis on a single individual at a time.
In theory, I could put him into a deep slumber for an entire day, but the cost would be immense. This wasn't an ability I could recklessly spam in prolonged battles.
Feeling satisfied with my findings, I retrieved the sword and silently followed his trail.
A smile crept onto my face—only to vanish just as quickly.
"It's time for your punishment, Gildarts."
Without hesitation, I activated Kyoka Suigetsu. A flicker of energy. An unseen signal. The silent hum of magic pulsed through the air as the illusion took hold. The world around me shifted, as if reality itself were bending under the weight of my will.
"What… What's going on?"
Gildarts muttered, pacing in circles like a dog searching for the perfect spot to lie down. At times, he picked up a twig, holding it with care and even introducing himself.
"Is this the full power of Kyoka Suigetsu…?"
I asked myself in disbelief. Although he ran around, in truth, all that surrounded him was the peaceful, undisturbed forest, the leaves whispering in the wind as though nothing were amiss.
"Truly terrifying ability..."
When the moment came—the part where I severed his head with swift precision—his body crumpled into the mud with an unsettling thud.
"I could cut his head off, but my sword would shatter since he had surrounded himself with Crush Magic."
So my theory was correct. As long as I used it this way, I could utilize it.
With a deliberate motion, I deactivated Kyoka Suigetsu, undoing the illusion I'd woven around his mind. The ruined village vanished, replaced by the tranquil forest once more.
Next, I tossed a wooden puppet onto his fallen form—an object stolen from a puppeteer I had killed earlier. A simple charm embedded within, laced with hypnosis, would now make Gildarts see what I wanted him to see: a beautiful woman.
Minutes passed before his eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding his expression. He sat up, wiping the mud from his hands as he groggily muttered to himself.
"Ugh… What's going on? Didn't I die just now?"
His thoughts spun in disarray, but one question lingered in the air, unanswered.
"Was it illusion magic? It felt... so real. More importantly, who is that bastard!?"
Before he could process further, a voice—a soft, feminine voice—spoke from a distance, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Uhm... Are you okay?"
Without thinking, he turned, his gaze instantly locking onto the figure before him. His eyes widened, a gleam of astonishment lighting up his face.
"What a beautiful woman!"
She stood before him, a vision that would make even the most hardened hearts skip a beat. Her ears were pointed, the delicate features of an elf; her skin, as white and pure as snow; and her eyes, a hue of blue so deep, it might've been mistaken for the sky itself. Her hair shimmered like strands of gold, so brilliant it seemed to catch the very light of the sun.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, though his face was smeared with mud. Spitting into his palm, he casually ran his hand through his disheveled hair, trying in vain to compose himself.
With a smirk that was as self-assured as it was lecherous, he leaned closer and, with a wink, said:
"I actually felt sick… and I needed help… Otherwise, I might fall… fall in love with you!"
A shiver of disgust passed through me.
"Oh god, that's so cringe! Can you think of a better line?"
I retorted, though it wasn't like he could hear me anyway. Good thing I had experience in this field, and he was such a simple-minded fool—otherwise, this wouldn't have worked.
The puppet—his beautiful woman—blushed at his words, her hand rising to cover her smile, her expression coy. Gildarts, completely captivated, felt his heart race with excitement.
"I hit the jackpot!"
He thought, his mind giddy with anticipation. Not even realizing there's no such thing as elves in this world.
"Beautiful miss, do you know where the \[Red Blossom Village] is?"
He asked, his voice thick with desire.
Her smile widened, and she extended her hand toward him.
"Well, yes… Follow me. I'll take you there."
And just like that, she grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. Together, they ran through the forest, as if fleeing some unseen threat.
Gildarts, his heart alight with the thrill of the moment, struggled to hold back tears of joy. It was all so perfect—so unreal.
But from an outside perspective, it was a far different scene. Gildarts was nothing more than a mentally unstable man, flirting with a lifeless doll.