Chapter : 18 A little battle!

A hushed breeze whispered through the grains of airborne sand, cradling Vali aloft in its silent currents. Before him hovered an enigmatic trio—one adorned with square glasses and brown hair , another sporting an unconventional silver mane, narrowed eyes like slits, and a mocking smile, and the last, with rich dark skin and intricate, dark brown braids and a garment resembling a unique, glass-like fabric in his eyes. Each figure exuded an aura of mystery that hung in the air like an unspoken secret.

"Hello. May I ask who you are?" Vali inquired, shattering the prevailing silence.

"You can call me Aizen. He is Gin Ichimaru, and he is Kaname Tosen," Aizen introduced, each name uttered with a measured resonance.

"Now, may I ask who you are or what you are you?" Aizen questioned, his keen eyes fixed upon Vali.

Vali's armored visage dissipated, revealing his face. "I am Vali," he introduced himself.

Aizen approached, placing a hand on Vali's shoulder. "This is interesting. What kind of armor is this?" he inquired, leaving Vali bewildered. "I didn't sense him at all. How did he reach me this close?" Vali wondered.

Floating a bit backward, Vali hesitated, and Aizen reassured, "There's no need to be scared. I'm just interested in you," studying Vali's expressions.

As Vali covered his face again with the returning armor, he muttered, "What was that feeling? It was heavy, as if I was being suppressed." Albion's voice echoed in his mind, urging him to come to his senses.

"You're getting more and more interesting. There are two beings inside of you—one is yourself, and there is another," Aizen remarked, unveiling the layers of intrigue surrounding Vali.

"What's wrong with that guy?" Vali muttered to himself. Abruptly, Albion's voice cut in, "Vali, look out!" A swift motion and Gin Ichimaru's sword grew long and pierced Vali's armor at the side of his waist.

The sword vanished, leaving a slight hole in Vali's armor, but it immediately mended. Vali remained unharmed, his armor slightly larger than his height, creating hollow spaces that saved him.

"The armor also gets mended on its own," Aizen remarked with intrigue. Vali, now calm, observed the three mysterious figures.

"Why did you attack me?" Vali questioned Gin calmly as if nothing happened.

"Just wanted to see if you could dodge or not," Gin replied, his trademark smile etched on his face.

"I see. Why don't we check that again?" Vali suggested, his armor releasing bluish energy. Albion voiced concern, "There are three of them, and mysterious. What are you planning?"

"Didn't you say I need to fight someone stronger for more experience? They'll be perfect training dummies," Vali reasoned.

"But there are three of them. What if they decide to come at you all at once?" Albion worried.

"Don't worry, Albion. I'll use the magic circle to teleport if things get out of control," Vali assured as he dashed toward Gin. attempting a punch that was thwarted by Gin's sword tip. Adjusting his strategy, Vali went for a kick, but Gin swiftly dodged. As the pursuit unfolded, Kaname and Aizen observed from a distance, the latter urging Vali to show more.

Gin and Vali continued their high-speed chase, with Vali surpassing Gin's speed. He managed to touch Gin's shoulder, sending him flying before stopping midway. Gin, undeterred, pointed his sword towards Vali with an unyielding smile.

As Vali extended his palm, Gin's sword grew in size, attempting to strike. However, it was abruptly halted, as mysterious voice resonated, "Divide... divide..."

As gin sword returned back to his size, perplexed, stared at his hand " What was that " gin muttered not understanding how his spiritual power got halved.

Meanwhile, Aizen and Kaname noticed something amiss with Gin's spiritual power. "Something's wrong with Gin's spiritual power," Kaname remarked.

Aizen, maintaining his composure, pondered, "A power to divide his opponents' powers in half." His interest was evident.

Vali, realizing the impact of his ability, noted, "Seems like Divine Dividing works on him." While Confusion washed over Gin as his spiritual power was unexpectedly halved.

" That's some odd technique " a voice abruptly echoed in Vali's ears, accompanied by Aizen's hand resting once more on his shoulder. Reacting swiftly, Vali distanced himself, thoughts racing as he pondered why he couldn't sense this mysterious figure.

"What's with this guy? Why didn't I sense him?" Vali mused internally, frustration lingering as he found himself unable to react to Aizen's unpredictable movements.

"Don't be so on guard; I mean no harm to you," Aizen reassured, flanked by Gin and Kaname, an otherworldly yellow aura enveloping the trio.

"I hope we can meet again," Aizen declared before the three vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Gin, caught in a conversation with Aizen, expressed his desire for a prolonged confrontation. "Did we really have to let him go so early? I wanted to enjoy a bit more of a fight," he remarked.

Aizen, however, remained composed, revealing his calculated plans. "We needed to get back to the Soul Society immediately. As for him, it's all according to my plan," he asserted cryptically.

As Vali floated there, contemplating the bizarre encounter, he couldn't help but label the trio as peculiar. "Those three are really weirdos. First, they attacked me, then teleported somewhere."

"I think they had no intention of hurting you," Albion chimed in, suggesting a retreat. "I think we should return for now."

As Vali created the magic circle, teleporting back to the barren land in the underworld. "By the way Albion, what do you think that place is?" he asked as he made his way home.

"Got no clue, kid," Albion replied.

Upon reaching home, Vali found himself sitting with his grandfather, engrossed in the mundane activity of watching TV. Meanwhile, Sarah and Hiroshi had already returned to the human world, with Sarah still blissfully unaware of the supernatural events. Suddenly, a breaking news report flashed on the screen.

"Breaking news: Riser Phenex, youngest son of the Phenex family, and Rias Gremory, heiress of the Gremory family and little sister of Sirzechs Lucifer, have been confirmed to engage in the future."

Vali couldn't help but scoff at the announcement. "What kind of nonsense is this? Aren't they still kids?"

Alistair, with a knowing smile, clarified, "Well, it's a decision made by their families. They won't be engaged now; it'll happen when they're a bit more grown up." His smile widened mischievously. "Vali, what do you think about having a fiancée for yourself?"

Vali shot his grandfather a narrow look. "What are you talking about, Grandpa? I don't need a girl. I want to grow stronger; they'll just waste my time."

Alistair chuckled knowingly. "We'll see about that in the future when your hot blood will be uncontrollable in front of the hot ladies."