Chapter 278: Gin Ichimaru

"Damn it!"

Gin's half-paralyzed body tilted uncontrollably, causing him to drop the persimmons he was holding, which scattered on the ground.

His slender frame leaned out from behind the tree trunk, his face rigid with an anxious smile. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he regained control of his body and staggered, nearly falling completely out from behind the tree.

Before he could roll or dodge, he heard the whistling sound of another stone shot by H'el.

Another stone sliced through the air, grazing Gin's face and leaving a thin cut. Tiny beads of blood oozed from the line, forming a small stream down his face.

"Do not move. The next stone will pierce your squinted eye," H'el said calmly, holding another stone between his thumb and forefinger.

Gin, who had been about to dodge, froze, halting his actions.

'He can shoot very accurately!'

Gin realized this now. The first stone seemed to miss wildly, shooting into the sky, but it had bounced perfectly to hit the nerve in his foot, making him lose control and fall out from behind the tree.

The second stone grazed his face just as he was regaining control, leaving a cut as a warning, not a miss.

H'el's stone-throwing skill was astonishingly accurate. But even more impressive was his ability to predict Gin's movements and manipulate him psychologically to come out from hiding.

The gap in their abilities was vast, and Gin immediately realized that surrendering was his best option.

"Don't throw any more stones. I surrender," Gin said with a smile, extending his tongue to lick the blood from the cut on his cheek. He tasted the iron tang of blood.

His squinted eyes hid his shock at H'el's skills, but he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, seemingly resigned.

"I believe your surrender," H'el said casually, tossing away the stone and walking toward Gin.

Three stones rolled away, causing Gin's eyebrow to twitch slightly.

H'el's act of discarding the stones gave Gin a momentary illusion that he could counterattack.

But he knew better.

Surrendering now posed no danger, but if he tried to attack, he would likely be killed.

Anyone can tolerate a single surrender, but it's difficult to extend that grace twice. Forgiveness is a virtue precisely because it is rare.

Though H'el no longer held any stones, Gin wasn't about to challenge him now.

H'el approached Gin, giving him a sly smile before bending down to pick up two persimmons. He dusted them off and turned back towards Rangiku.

Gin watched H'el's retreating figure in surprise, then glanced at the four remaining persimmons on the ground. His eyes narrowed into slits as he called out to H'el's back:

"All the persimmons here are yours."

H'el returned to Rangiku, pressing a persimmon to her lips. She instinctively bit into it. The taste jolted her out of her hunger-induced stupor, and she opened her eyes, biting eagerly.

"I only needed two persimmons," H'el said, taking small bites himself, letting his saliva soften the dry fruit.

He only needed enough food to stave off his hunger temporarily. There was no need to deprive Gin of his survival supplies. Once he reached a village or city, he would find plenty to eat using his abilities.

Watching Rangiku chew quickly, H'el cautioned, "Eat slowly. Bite off small pieces. You don't want to choke."

"Mm-hmm," Rangiku nodded like a hamster, slowing her pace.

H'el sat beside her, chewing the tart persimmon bit by bit, feeling it fill his stomach.

Gin, watching them both, began to relax.

He wasn't a heartless person, indifferent to others' suffering. But in the harsh world of Rukongai, resources were scarce. Every day, people fought to the death over food. Evil thrived. As a child in this unforgiving environment, Gin had to be constantly vigilant to survive. One mistake could mean death, leaving little room for altruism.

Saving up a few persimmons was no easy feat.

Seeing that H'el and Rangiku had no further intentions and even left four persimmons for him, Gin began to feel a bit of goodwill towards them.

Wiping the stinging cut on his face with the back of his hand, Gin looked at the blood, then at H'el eating his persimmon. Turning away, he picked up the four remaining persimmons from the ground, brushing off the sand.

"Are you heading to the village?" he asked as he watched H'el slowly eat half of his persimmon.

H'el removed the softened persimmon from his mouth and nodded. "Yes."

Hearing this, Gin's expression remained inscrutable, his face still seemingly smiling.

Rangiku, next to H'el, paused mid-bite, staring blankly at him.

"The nearby village... isn't a safe place for kids like us," Gin hesitated, then said.

Rangiku, with her cheeks full like a hamster, nodded in agreement, clearly unsettled by the thought.

"What do you mean?" H'el asked, nibbling on the softened persimmon.

"The village is controlled by a group of thugs. They capture children and train them to steal, rob, and deceive. Once trained, they take them to larger cities to profit from their crimes. No child ever returns. It's best to avoid the village." Gin warned.

He believed that Rangiku had ended up near starvation in the desert to escape such a fate.

For kids like them, the village was too dangerous.

Rangiku, still munching on her persimmon, nodded seriously.

"Are they very powerful?" H'el asked.

Gin thought for a moment. "They're just ordinary adults."

The thugs weren't exceptionally strong, just typical grown men who could easily overpower children.

Gin felt that once he grew up, he wouldn't be any weaker than them. Right now, his disadvantage was simply his youth.

In fact, Gin thought that H'el's stone-throwing skills were more formidable than these thugs.

"Would you rather follow me and find something better to eat, or stay outside the village and struggle?" H'el asked, finishing his persimmon and standing up. He began walking east, showing them his back.

Rangiku quickly swallowed the last of her persimmon, staggering to her feet to follow him.

Gin hesitated briefly, gripping his persimmons tightly. Watching H'el and Rangiku walk away, he decided to follow them.

°°°

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