Chapter 293: You Have No Idea

"The commotion from his battle is getting louder."

Gin Ichimaru squinted, waving his hand to clear the surrounding dust. Through the haze, he saw H'el's figure chasing the Shinigami into the forest.

From their first encounter in the desert, where H'el used a mere stone to force him out from behind a tree, to effortlessly killing several adults at the village entrance, defeating them, and taking the Sakura blade, his momentum had been unstoppable, with a divine-like force.

Especially during his fight with Jiro Urahana, he learned Shunpo after watching it twice, killed a Hollow that no one had seen before, and now, directly confronted the Soul Society's enforcers. He learned the exclusive Kido spells of Shinigami on the spot and drove the Shinigami to a humiliating retreat. His strength grew exponentially, defying all reason and common sense.

Even with Gin Ichimaru's rational mind, he couldn't help but feel a sense of inferiority, unable to match H'el's prowess.

This person seemed destined to be revered from the moment he appeared in the world.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

As the dust gradually settled, those previously subdued by Ichiro Urahana's spiritual pressure began to stand up, their eyes filled with shock and awe, fanning away the dust and coughing.

The burly man with a square face who was the first to surrender to H'el, quickly stood up, his face full of panic.

He never expected that even Ichiro Urahana, the Shinigami backing Jiro Urahana, couldn't defeat H'el and was now being chased by him.

He could almost foresee his own fate.

Rising to his feet, he hurriedly ran in the opposite direction, trying to escape the village.

Gin Ichimaru, with his eyes half-closed, noticed Ishino's escape.

Over the past few days, under H'el's almost tailor-made guidance, he had unlocked his potential and could now manipulate spiritual energy. No ordinary adult could be a match for him anymore.

While he might not be able to defeat a full-fledged Shinigami, facing a traitorous adult, using him as his first target to kill with his newfound spiritual powers, wouldn't be a bad thing.

Just as Gin Ichimaru was about to enhance his leg speed with spiritual energy to chase after Ishino,

Suddenly.

A Shinigami in traditional attire appeared before him.

Masaki, with a delicate face, idolized Aizen above all. His every word and action deliberately imitated Aizen's demeanor.

He looked at Gin Ichimaru with the same gentle and encouraging gaze that Aizen had once used on him. Masaki smiled slightly and then focused his attention on Rangiku Matsumoto, who was fanning away the dust.

"This is Aizen-sama's target." Masaki's gaze swept over Rangiku, seeing nothing particularly special about her.

But Aizen-sama always had his reasons, reasons beyond his understanding.

Masaki was about to act without further speculation.

"Who are you?" Gin Ichimaru's heart tightened, halting his steps meant to chase the guy. He hadn't expected that besides Ichiro Urahana, there would be another Shinigami.

Seeing that this newly arrived Shinigami's attention was on Rangiku Matsumoto, Gin Ichimaru didn't hesitate. He drew his sword, with a ringing sound, the blade glowing with spiritual energy as he swiftly slashed towards Masaki.

He had already realized that this Shinigami's target was Rangiku.

At that moment, an image of H'el chasing Ichiro Urahana flashed through his mind.

Was this a diversion?

Was H'el worth such an effort from them?

Was it to capture Rangiku?

Why?

A series of questions accompanied Gin Ichimaru's drawn sword as he struck at Masaki.

"Hado #1: Sho!"

Shojin Matsuki, with a hint of Aizen's indifferent disdain, didn't even draw his sword. He simply raised the scabbard slightly, chanting the spell.

The power of the spell burst from his hand holding the scabbard, impacting Gin Ichimaru's sword, dissipating the spiritual energy waves on the blade.

"Ugh!"

Gin Ichimaru grunted, a massive impact force traveling up the blade, dispersing the spiritual energy he had gathered. His sword was jolted upward, nearly slipping from his grasp as his hands trembled violently, palms tearing and bleeding.

The force hadn't dissipated, crashing into Gin Ichimaru's body and sending him flying.

His slender frame was hurled ten meters, rolling three or four more before he managed to dig his fingers into the ground, halting his momentum. He half-knelt, enduring the pain in his chest, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His dirt-smeared face, eyes narrowed to slits, looked up.

"Gin!"

Rangiku's face turned pale, and she started to run over.

Masaki calmly tapped her on the back with his scabbard, knocking her unconscious. With his other hand, he grabbed the back of her clothes, lifting her frail body, making her look even smaller.

"Who are you? Why are you taking Rangiku?"

Gin Ichimaru, still half-kneeling with his fingers dug into the ground, narrowed his eyes with a fierce glare.

At this moment, he only hated that he had met H'el too late.

Even if he had met H'el just a few months earlier and practiced the breathing techniques H'el mentioned to uncover his potential, he wouldn't have been so easily blown away by a single use of that technique from this Shinigami.

Only now did he realize how extraordinary H'el was, learning and improving the spells during battle, forcing a Shinigami to flee step by step.

And himself... he was blown away!

Damn it!!!

It was so unfair that he had only just begun to discover his spiritual power, at his weakest and most helpless, unable to protect his companion, when an unbeatable enemy appeared!

Masaki merely glanced at Gin Ichimaru without any intention of answering.

He was on a mission from Aizen and still had to meet with him in the forest, so he had no time to answer a child's questions.

He turned to leave, carrying Rangiku.

Seeing Masaki about to leave, Gin Ichimaru coldly said, "Your companion will surely die. Aren't you afraid he'll come back for revenge?"

"Ha~~~"

Shojin Matsuki laughed loudly, showing a thick disdain at the corner of his mouth.

"You don't know what you're up against."

With that mocking statement, he used Shunpo, appearing in mid-air the next moment, heading into the forest with Rangiku.

Gin Ichimaru was furious, biting his teeth hard, and the narrow slits of his eyes revealed an unquenchable anger.

"You don't know what you're up against either."

He stood up, clutching his severely aching chest, coughing up blood which he held in his hand.

Gin Ichimaru drew an arrow on the ground, enduring the pain, and ran in Masaki's direction, leaving a trail of blood as a marker.

°°°

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