Chapter 296: I Won't Allow You

Gin Ichimaru's entire body ached with fatigue, seeping from every muscle. His frail frame, clad in coarse cloth, was drenched in sweat, causing the fabric to cling tightly to him.

His thin figure, resembling a fox, slipped silently into the underbrush. Dragging his exhausted body, he peered through the gaps in the foliage with his slightly opened, light blue eyes, watching the two figures in the clearing.

Rangiku, like a tribute, was being presented to Aizen by Masaki Seino.

Seeing this scene, Gin clenched his teeth, his neck veins bulging. His light blue eyes filled with rage, and a surge of anger seemed to revive his tired body. His blood boiled, urging him to rush out and rescue Rangiku.

But he couldn't. He wasn't a match for Masaki Seino, let alone the person who had taken Rangiku as a tribute.

In the underbrush, Gin's fingers dug deep into the soil, gripping dry leaves and damp sand. He wasn't just holding the sand; he was holding onto his fury.

He forced himself to watch everything unfold, rational yet furious, because he knew he couldn't change it.

He wasn't strong enough.

His bond with Rangiku had been fragile since H'el arrived.

Yet, both he and Rangiku had become H'el's companions, revolving around him.

For Rangiku, that carefree, lazy, yet wild girl, he felt a kinship, a shared sorrow.

Before H'el appeared, they were nothing but strays.

After H'el arrived, he quickly became their center, allowing them to settle in the village's tallest house, enjoying ample food.

Beside H'el, they found a place to belong, no longer stray dogs.

H'el had brought them into the village, teaching them how to tap into their potential, hoping they would grow stronger without holding back.

Now!

Why, at his most powerless moment, did someone come to harm his companion?

Why did someone he couldn't match appear before he could realize his potential?

Watching Rangiku being treated like a tribute, Gin's teeth nearly shattered from clenching, his neck veins throbbed, and his body trembled with rage.

Reason told him to stay in the underbrush, but his body trembled uncontrollably, his blood boiling like molten lava, turning into a searing rage that consumed his small frame.

Rushing out would be the most unwise choice.

But was it right to just watch his companion be toyed with to death in someone else's hands?

Watching helplessly as Rangiku was about to be turned into a monstrous spider like the other captured children? He couldn't stand it any longer. He stepped firmly into the dark soil, ready to spring into action, whether he could save Rangiku or not.

A hand suddenly appeared on Gin Ichimaru's back, resting firmly on his frail, trembling shoulder.

"You've done well."

H'el's calm voice, like a pillar of support, reached Gin's ears.

In an instant, Gin's trembling stopped. The burning anger in his blood cooled quickly, and the furnace of rage in his heart transformed into a calm warmth.

A feeling of steadiness, peace, and relief washed over him.

Then came the overwhelming pain, the soreness in his limbs, and the exhaustion that made him sweat profusely. His eyes, heavy with fatigue, seemed ready to close as he collapsed to the ground.

"From here on, it's up to you," Gin murmured, almost asleep, with a weak smile on his lips.

He saw H'el, holding his Asauchi, smile as he stepped past him. In the sunlight filtering through the underbrush, H'el's handsome silhouette was bathed in a golden glow. He tilted his head with a smile and made an ok gesture before stepping out of the bushes.

"What do you think you're doing to my subordinate?"

Stepping out of the underbrush, H'el saw Rangiku being presented to Aizen by Masaki Seino. With his Asauchi in hand, H'el's face was open and handsome, his expression calm and unreadable.

Aizen's movements froze, his hand stopping mid-air as he reached for Rangiku. He looked surprised at H'el's appearance, a hint of shock in his eyes behind his black-framed glasses.

In his perception, he had only sensed Gin Ichimaru's presence, not H'el's. Seeing H'el emerge from the underbrush instead of the child he had detected was a surprise to Aizen.

Among the captains of the various divisions in the Seireitei, Aizen's power was top-tier. While Captain-Commander Yamamoto could make Aizen wary, he was not overly afraid. As for the other captains, he didn't take them seriously. Having reached the pinnacle of a Shinigami's power, he was beyond the reach of an ordinary captain.

Yet, despite his immense power, he couldn't sense H'el.

What kind of technique allowed such control over one's body and spirit particles? H'el had perfectly harmonized his spiritual energy with his surroundings, becoming one with nature. His breathing, the heat from his pores, and his movements were indistinguishable from natural elements like stones, trees, or air currents. To Aizen, H'el felt more like part of the environment than a living being with thoughts and emotions.

H'el had reached a state of complete harmony with the spirit particles of the Soul Society, making him undetectable through conventional sensory means. The most astonishing aspect for Aizen wasn't that H'el's immense power allowed him to achieve this harmony, but that someone so relatively weak had accomplished this feat through sheer technique. This realization profoundly shocked him.

"Oh, it seems, Masaki, you were followed," Aizen said, withdrawing his hand from Rangiku's head. He smiled, his eyes behind the black-framed glasses gleaming with curiosity as he looked at H'el.

He had never encountered spiritual pressure so faint yet so powerful.

Hearing Aizen address him as "Masaki" in such a formal tone made Masayuki Seino shiver. He realized he had been too careless and had allowed someone to track him.

"Aizen-sama, please continue. I will handle the rest."

"Go ahead." Aizen said calmly.

Masaki carefully laid Rangiku on the ground, bowed to Aizen, and turned to face H'el, drawing his zanpakuto with a serious expression.

"I do not allow you to look directly at Aizen-sama."

°°°

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