Chapter 335: Ichimaru Gin Confronting Aizen

A figure appeared out of thin air.

He wore the pure white Haori of a captain and donned plain-rimmed glasses, appearing particularly gentle in countenance, much like a pushover who would accept any unreasonable request.

He walked to the low table, picked up the suddenly appeared teapot, poured out clear tea, and pushed it to Ichimaru Gin's side.

"After a journey ends, drinking a cup of warm tea can soothe the body and spirit."

"Apologies, I should have actually waited a moment, waited for your emotions to stabilize, Gin, before coming to find you, but now is a critical time for the plan; even the slightest change needs to be paid attention to..."

His tone carried a faint apology, sounding as if he were very concerned about having disturbed Ichimaru Gin's rest.

Holding the warm teapot in his hand, it seemed as if a halo of warmth even surrounded the man who had appeared so suddenly.

"Captain Aizen, you really are everywhere!"

Ichimaru Gin's smile remained, but his body was slightly tense; he had not expected that after disappearing for only half a day, he would already be noticed by Aizen, and was the subtext of the other party that he had detected his departure from the Soul Society? "Let's drink tea first; after we finish, we can talk slowly. Even if one encounters bizarre things, one needs to share them with someone. Keeping them hidden in one's heart will only torture one's soul, won't it?"

Aizen's tone was gentle, like a pushover concerned for a colleague, and he was very curious.

How Ichimaru Gin had suddenly vanished without a trace, without opening a Garganta, without any Reiatsu fluctuations, without teleportation, not to Hueco Mundo, and not even to Hell; he had just vanished into thin air like that.

And then appeared out of thin air... even he himself could not track the other party's movements.

The most critical thing was,

in just a short half-day, Ichimaru Gin's mindset seemed to have changed. If the mindset could still be explained, even his Reiatsu showed subtle differences.

The temperature inside the squad quarters had dropped slightly.

Was it caused by Ichimaru Gin's return? So, was he suddenly transported to a frozen, snowy realm by some mysterious power?

How interesting...

"Captain Aizen, what if I am unwilling to share?"

Ichimaru Gin felt immense internal pressure. He had wanted to quietly deceive Aizen, but the moment he returned, the other party was already waiting in the squad quarters, confronting him directly with no room for maneuver.

Should he try to fight it out?

If he could break Kyoka Suigetsu, perhaps he could win?

"What a stubborn temperament, just like back then."

Aizen was not angry because of his attitude; his emotions did not even fluctuate. He remained as gentle as ever, only saying: "Even if you have other thoughts, Gin, you must also consider those around you. After all, we live in this world and cannot always be alone, which is why we have become comrades, Gin."

Hum.

As the words fell,

Ichimaru Gin's smile faded, his eyelids lifted, revealing the snake pupil in his right eye and the scarlet left eye.

Aizen appeared to be talking about teammates,

but to Ichimaru Gin's ears, he was using Matsumoto Rangiku, the only person he cared about, to threaten him.

What a despicable guy! "Since that's the case, let me show Captain Aizen the harvest from my journey..."

Ichimaru Gin took out the Breaking Illusion Talisman and stuck it to the back of his hand.

He then fished out the round Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

The Tomoe spun wildly in his scarlet pupil, and his ability to break Genjutsu reached its limit.

Finally, there was the Phantom Demon Snake Lineage of the highest value; the Phantom Demon Eye suddenly released, and a golden snake pupil formed entirely of energy rose behind him.

Crack!

Ichimaru Gin seemed to hear the sound of a mirror shattering in his ears. Under the reinforcement of several anti-illusion items, the world that his five senses had fed back to his brain was like a mirror being broken, revealing a corner of reality. The Aizen before him dissolved into mist and vanished.

"Captain Aizen... I've caught you!"

Ichimaru Gin's eyes were full of excitement and fervor. He shook his head slightly and detected an extremely glaring Reiatsu outside the wooden door of the squad quarters.

Shoot him, Kamishini no Yari!

The narrow Blade surged instantly, shooting out at a speed invisible to the naked eye, precisely piercing the place where that Reiatsu was located.

He held nothing back and activated his Bankai directly.

Even Aizen did not know that his Bankai could release a violent Poison that dissolved cells; as long as he wounded the opponent, he could leave the Poison inside their body, causing them to be consumed by the toxin.

"Did it succeed?"

Ichimaru Gin gripped the hilt tightly, looking expectantly at the pierced door panel.

Outside was the corridor of the Third Division.

Logically, with such a violent commotion at night, squad members should have appeared to inquire, but now it was deathly silent.

"What a dangerous ability, Gin. I am very happy that you were able to share your secret; after all, teammates who guard against each other make one feel sad."

The door panel exploded.

Aizen walked into the Family Housing completely unscathed, his eyes showing a long-lost surprise.

He casually placed the broken Blade tip on the table and said: "Are you surprised? I should be the one who is surprised. Aside from Tosen Kaname, there is actually a second colleague in the Soul Society who can break my Kyoka Suigetsu."

Raising his head and looking at the horrified Ichimaru Gin, Aizen smiled gently: "Gin, I should have reminded you many times, right?"

"A Shinigami's battle is a battle of Reiatsu. Merely seeing through my Kyoka Suigetsu, while enough to make me look at you with new eyes, is... still not enough."

As his voice flowed out slowly,

the real world in Ichimaru Gin's eyes began to blur. The already shattered mirror was rapidly healing due to Aizen's ocean-like Reiatsu.

"No!"

Ichimaru Gin felt anxious. He hadn't caught Aizen's true form in hundreds of years; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Was he to watch Aizen hide himself again? Kamishini no Yari...

Just as he wanted to launch Kamishini no Yari at Aizen again, he suddenly could not feel the existence of his right arm.

Blood mixed with the severed arm flew high into mid-air and then landed heavily on the ground.

Aizen's expression had turned cold. He said: "Gin, I tolerated your probing, and I am very satisfied with the surprise you brought me, but since you failed, you shouldn't continue to make stupid moves. That would make me feel disappointed."

"Your heart is in chaos, Gin."

In an instant,

The erupting Reiatsu made the entire dense complex of the Third Division tremble, yet no Soul Reaper could notice the situation.

The armless Ichimaru Gin was pressed flat onto the ground, his cheek pressed tightly against the cold floor.

"It is my fault, Captain Aizen."

The pain calmed Ichimaru Gin down; although he was unwilling, he was also clear about the gap in strength between himself and Aizen.

The Reiatsu was retracted, and Ichimaru Gin climbed up from the ground as if nothing had happened, still wearing that smiling expression as he asked, "I wonder what Captain Aizen wishes to hear from my mouth?"

"Naturally... everything."

Aizen smiled gently, kneeling beside the undamaged table, just like a listener waiting for a colleague to share their travel experiences.

(End of chapter)