Chapter 308: Giving Up

Aizen's zanpakutō shook in his hand, ready to fling Gin Ichimaru towards H'el.

"Aizen, I wasn't negotiating with you," H'el said coldly, sitting in his dark steel chair, his gaze icy. "Return my dear subordinates, or I will kill you here for using Gin and Rangiku as shields."

Aizen's hand paused. Gin's figure wavered but wasn't thrown to H'el.

H'el's dominance was unexpected.

There was no room for negotiation.

Either Aizen sent Gin and Rangiku back whole or the battle continued.

Aizen didn't believe he would die at H'el's hands, despite H'el already beginning to injure him.

But those were just warm-ups.

The captain-level spiritual pressures approaching from the distance made it impossible for Aizen to stay. Any delay could expose his position, making future actions in the Soul Society difficult.

Aizen's expression grew slightly stern, his eyes narrowing beneath his black-framed glasses, a dangerous glint in them.

Then he suddenly smiled, turning his head to Gin beneath his zanpakutō, saying amusedly, "It seems H'el doesn't care about your life, Gin. You could have survived, but he isn't willing."

"Is that so? Isn't all this because of you, Shinigami-san?" Gin responded with a sly smile.

Aizen's eyebrows twitched slightly.

This boy had such clear thinking.

Aizen laughed, turned away from Gin, and looked towards the Gates of Hell. "You don't have much time left, H'el. The Gates of Hell are about to capture you. If another conflict arises, you'll be forced into Hell."

"I don't want someone like you to be imprisoned in Hell forever," Aizen said wistfully. "If you disappear from my sight, it would be a pity."

"Aizen, I don't care about you.

You might self-righteously think that I will be your lifelong rival, an adversary to challenge and drive you forward, someone to make you feel less alone in this world.

But I don't care about you.

No matter how many Shinigami or children you kill to create your artifacts.

No matter what schemes you employ in the Soul Society, manipulating nobles and learning the truths of the world.

Even if you eventually ascend to the heavens and become the ruler of this world, I don't care."

H'el spoke coldly, his gaze indifferent as he continued:

"The Gates of Hell will pull me in, but I'll be out in five minutes at most. Everything you do will fail, I guarantee it.

Your only chance to continue your schemes and strengthen yourself for a future battle with me is to return my subordinates now.

Otherwise, you have no future."

Aizen shook his head with a wry smile, feeling somewhat helpless against H'el. "You know, H'el, your arrogance and honest words always make me believe in you."

"I believe in what you say and look forward to fighting the strongest version of you in the future."

Aizen's smile carried a hint of excitement and anticipation as he shook his zanpakutō, flinging Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto toward H'el.

Rangiku, eyes closed and mouth covered, was startled. A dark, viscous substance appeared beneath Gin and Rangiku, supporting them and bringing them back to H'el's side.

While the thing in Rangiku's soul was important to Aizen, it wasn't irreplaceable. In comparison to the future battle with H'el, Rangiku's soul seemed less significant.

"Next, I entrust H'el with keeping this battle and my information a secret," Aizen said confidently, smiling. "I know H'el will refuse my request, but I also know he won't tell anyone."

H'el glanced at him indifferently.

Why is Aizen so troublesome?

If you don't want to fight, just leave.

Aizen read H'el's expression, smiled, and used the unfinished Hōgyoku in his left hand to release an even more chaotic spiritual pressure than before, masking all traces of his own reiatsu in the area.

With a smile, Aizen turned to leave. Before departing, he said, "H'el, I look forward to seeing you in the Soul Society."

He then swiftly disappeared using Shunpo.

Watching Aizen's figure vanish, H'el coldly began to control his Shikai universe to stop absorbing reishi.

Behind him, a dark sphere with a diameter of three thousand meters rose again, transforming into three thousand smaller spheres, each three meters in diameter.

One of these dark spheres flew to H'el's side, quickly forming into a zanpakutō.

The zanpakutō was entirely black, with a short, rectangular guard of dull gold, intricately engraved with beautiful patterns that extended to the hilt. It was exquisite, mysterious, and the blade itself was straight, one meter long, sharp, and ended in a slanted point.

Another dark sphere formed a thick, black sheath, into which the zanpakutō was sheathed. Gradually, all the dark spheres disappeared, leaving only the sheathed zanpakutō in H'el's hand.

His zanpakutō remained in a permanent Shikai state.

H'el lowered the reiatsu of his zanpakutō Shikai universe to the minimum, causing the Hell's Gate in the sky to shudder, unable to sense the presence of anything that could disrupt the Three Realms.

The almost fully opened Hell's Gate slowly began to close and eventually vanished from the sky.

H'el manipulated the reishi, bringing Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto gently down to the scorched ground.

"Gin, can you still move with your injuries?" H'el asked.

Gin clutched his chest, still feeling pain inside, but he could walk back to the village.

"I'm fine, I can walk back to the village," he said, wincing with pain.

H'el nodded, then turned to Rangiku, who was patting her chest and wiping away tears while taking deep breaths. "Rangiku, step forward and squat down," he instructed.

Though still shaken and tearful from the recent events, Rangiku did as H'el asked, stepping forward and squatting down.

"What's going on, H'el..." she started to ask, but felt H'el's weight on her back before she could finish.

"Carry me back, I need to rest for a while..." H'el murmured, his arm draped over her shoulder, zanpakutō in hand, his voice heavy with sleep, drifting off as he spoke.

Rangiku was stunned, her eyes welling up with silent, grateful tears. She struggled but managed to stand with H'el on her back.

Gin silently supported Rangiku as they began the arduous walk back to the village.

°°°

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