Chapter 335: Gin Ichimaru Confronts Aizen
A figure appeared out of thin air.
Draped in the pure white haori of a captain, wearing rimless glasses, his expression was exceptionally gentle—like the kind of person who would agree to even the most unreasonable requests.
He walked over to the low table, picked up a teapot that had suddenly appeared, and poured out a cup of clear tea,
pushing it toward Gin Ichimaru's hand.
"After a long journey, a warm cup of tea helps soothe both body and spirit."
"Apologies. I should've waited a little longer—waited until your emotions had settled before approaching you. But this is a critical moment in the plan. Even the slightest change can't be ignored..."
His tone carried a trace of apology,
as if he truly regretted interrupting Gin's rest.
The warmth of the teapot and the presence of the man who had appeared so suddenly seemed to radiate a gentle glow.
"Captain Aizen, you really are everywhere, aren't you?"
Gin's smile remained as always, but his body subtly tensed.
He hadn't expected that his brief disappearance would already draw Aizen's attention—and from his tone, it was clear Aizen had noticed he'd left Soul Society.
"Let's drink first. Then we'll talk. Even if you encounter something strange, it's better to share it with someone. Keeping it buried inside will only torment your soul, don't you think?"
Aizen's voice was calm, caring, like an old friend concerned for a comrade.
But he was very curious.
Gin had vanished without a trace—no Garganta opened, no spiritual pressure fluctuations, no flash steps. It wasn't Hueco Mundo, not even Hell. He had simply disappeared.
Then, he reappeared—without Aizen being able to detect a thing.
The most crucial detail was that in just half a day, Gin's demeanor had changed. That, he could explain away.
But even Gin's spiritual pressure had subtly shifted.
The temperature in the barracks had dropped slightly.
If that was caused by Gin's return, then he had clearly been transported to a frozen wasteland by some unknown force.
Interesting…
"And what if I don't want to share, Captain Aizen?"
Gin was under immense pressure.
He had planned to sneak back unnoticed, but Aizen was already waiting in the barracks, addressing him by name—giving him no room to maneuver.
Should he go for it?
If he could break through Kyōka Suigetsu, maybe he had a chance.
"What a rebellious nature. Just like the old days."
Aizen showed no anger at Gin's tone. His expression remained calm and warm.
"But even if you have other intentions, Gin, you should still consider those around you. After all, none of us live in this world alone. That's why we become comrades, Gin."
Buzz.
As the words fell,
Gin's smile faded. His eyelids lifted slightly, revealing a snake-like vertical pupil in his right eye, and the crimson Sharingan in his left.
Aizen's words may have sounded like talk of camaraderie,
but to Gin, they were a veiled threat against the one person he cared about—Matsumoto Rangiku.
What a despicable man!
"In that case, let me show you what I gained on this journey, Captain Aizen..."
Gin pulled out an Illusion-Breaking Talisman and slapped it onto the back of his hand.
Then he produced a round pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
The tomoe in his crimson eye spun wildly. His ability to pierce illusions had reached its peak.
And lastly—
the most valuable of them all—the Phantom Serpent Bloodline. The Eye of the Phantom Serpent flared to life, and a golden serpent eye composed entirely of energy rose behind him.
Crack!
Gin seemed to hear the sound of shattering glass in his ears.
With the boost from all these illusion-breaking items, the world his senses had been feeding to his mind began to fracture like a mirror—revealing the true reality hidden beneath.
The Aizen before him dissolved into mist and vanished.
"Captain Aizen... I've caught you!"
Gin's eyes lit up with excitement. He tilted his head slightly and instantly located a powerful spiritual pressure just beyond the squad barracks' wooden door.
Shoot to kill—Shinsō!
The narrow blade shot forward, stretching at imperceptible speed toward the source of the pressure, piercing the spot precisely.
He held nothing back—immediately activating his Bankai.
Aizen didn't know this, but Gin's Bankai secreted a virulent poison that could dissolve cells. As long as it wounded the target, it would leave behind a toxin that would slowly consume them from within.
"Did it work?"
Gin gripped his blade tightly, eyes locked on the door he had just pierced.
Outside was the Squad Three corridor.
With such a loud commotion in the middle of the night, squad members should've come to investigate—but the silence was deafening.
"What a dangerous ability, Gin. I'm glad you decided to share your secret with me. After all, distrust between teammates can be… heartbreaking."
The door exploded outward.
Aizen stepped in, completely unscathed,
his expression filled with a rare flicker of surprise.
Casually placing the broken tip of Shinsō on the table, he said, "Surprised? You shouldn't be. I'm the one who's amazed—besides Tōsen Kaname, you're the first among our comrades to break through my Kyōka Suigetsu."
Looking up at Gin's stunned face, Aizen smiled gently. "Gin, haven't I told you many times before?"
"A Shinigami's battles are battles of spiritual pressure.
Simply seeing through my illusion is impressive enough to earn my respect... but it's still not enough."
As his words flowed like a calm stream,
the world Gin had briefly seen—the broken illusion—began to mend.
Overwhelmed by Aizen's vast, oceanic spiritual pressure, the fractured mirror of reality reassembled itself.
"No!"
Gin's heart pounded with panic.
After centuries of failure, this was his one chance to strike at Aizen's true form. Was he really going to watch Aizen slip away again?
Shinsō...
He tried to strike once more, but suddenly—he couldn't feel his right arm.
Blood sprayed as his severed limb arced through the air and hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Aizen's gentle demeanor had vanished. His voice was now cold.
"Gin, I tolerated your little test. And I was indeed pleased with the surprise you gave me. But since you've failed, you shouldn't persist with such foolish moves. That would only disappoint me."
"Your heart's in turmoil, Gin."
In that instant,
the burst of spiritual pressure made the entire Squad Three barracks tremble—
but not a single other Shinigami noticed a thing.
Gin, now missing an arm, was crushed to the floor, his cheek pressed tightly against the cold wooden floorboards.
"It's my fault, Captain Aizen."
The pain brought Gin back to clarity. Though he felt bitter resentment,
he understood all too well the difference in strength between him and Aizen.
As Aizen retracted his spiritual pressure,
Gin slowly got up as if nothing had happened, his usual squinted smile back in place.
"So, Captain Aizen—what is it that you want to hear from me?"
"Why, everything, of course."
Aizen smiled warmly and knelt by the table,
just like an old colleague waiting to hear about a friend's journey.
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