Restricted Death

Chapter 182 Gin Ichimaru

The Spirit Arts Academy Cultural Festival has become a regular event among the Shinigami of the Gotei 13.

Although it wasn't specifically organized for them, in the days leading up to the annual cultural festival, the Shinigami of Team 13 were the most eagerly anticipating group, aside from the students of the Spirit Arts Academy.

This year, the First Division also issued a special notice that all Shinigami of the Thirteenth Division, except for those in important positions who are required to remain on duty, are entitled to a day off.

The Grim Reaper on duty today will receive extra compensation for his vacation later.

Shiba Iwasaru, carrying a huge cardboard box, climbed step by step onto the roof of the Spirit Arts Academy's teaching building.

"Sis, can't you hire a few more people?"

He put the cardboard box together with the other cardboard boxes on the roof and breathed slightly.

Konghe sat on the edge of the rooftop, holding a pipe in his right hand, his gaze fixed on the noisy and joyous scene below.

She glanced at him sideways and said, "What, can't I even order you around now?"

Yanjiu said helplessly, "I didn't mean that. I have many other things to do today."

"Nothing is more important than my business."

Yanjiu sat down beside her and couldn't help but complain, "It's so lively today! I haven't really enjoyed myself in all these years at the Spirit Arts Academy. Many of my classmates are dating girls now. Sis, don't you worry about your brother's marriage? I want to date cute girls too!"

Upon hearing this, Shiba Kukaku took a puff of his pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and said disdainfully, "What girl has such poor taste that she would be interested in you?"

Yan Jiu retorted, "I'm quite prestigious in the student council, you know. Many of the younger female students respect me!"

He did indeed have a high reputation at the Spirit Arts Academy. Apart from Rukia, everyone treated him with great respect. Only with his older sister would he be treated with disrespect.

"I'll be the president next year, so I'm not coming to help you at next year's cultural festival no matter what."

Konghe tapped his pipe and sighed, "Looks like you're tired of me too. One by one, you've all become Grim Reapers. What's the point of me being all alone at home? I'll just move out once you graduate."

Yanjiu looked speechless and said, "I'll still be living at home after I graduate, so I'll probably be going home even more often than I am now."

Konghe said sadly, "What's the use of coming back if your heart isn't at home? Once you really have a girlfriend, I'm afraid you'll find me even more of a nuisance."

Rock Vulture couldn't stand her acting anymore, so he quickly stood up, patted his butt, and said, "Stop acting, I can't take it!"

With that, he quickly walked down from the rooftop.

Kukaku turned to look at her younger brother's departing figure and couldn't help but chuckle.

Becoming a grim reaper is indeed quite a test of character; my younger brother, who used to be so timid, now dares to argue with me.

As Yanjiu stepped off the rooftop and walked among the numerous stalls, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Brother Xin!"

He waved vigorously forward.

Nobumasa was strolling around the area with Hinamori and Hitsugaya. Matsumoto Rangiku had originally set off with them, but she left alone after entering the Spirit Arts Academy.

Hinamori was wondering whether she should find an excuse to send Toshiro away as well, but then she thought that if Toshiro was left alone, wouldn't he be too pitiful? He might just go back to the barracks.

"The rock vulture."

Hinamori and Hitsugaya also greeted Ganju.

As they got closer, Xin could smell a distinct gunpowder emanating from Yanjiu, and asked, "Has your sister arrived yet?"

"On the rooftop."

Yanjiu pointed to the teaching building behind them.

Xin glanced at the rooftop and said, "It seems your sister always stays up there on this day every year. Doesn't she plan to come down and take a look around?"

Rock Vulture shrugged: "I asked her to come down, but she said she wasn't interested and that the final fireworks display had to go smoothly."

Xin laughed and said, "It seems that only fireworks can really interest her."

"My sister is such a weirdo."

After chatting for a while, Yanjiu left because he had work to do later.

“Ganju looks much more mature now than before,” Hitsugaya remarked.

“After all, I’m going to be the student council president,” Shin said.

"The assistant to the student council president each year becomes the president of the next term. I'm afraid this is going to become a tradition," Hitsugaya commented. "Captain, I feel like you've set a bad precedent."

Xin smiled faintly and said, "If those who come after only know how to follow the old ways, it will be useless no matter how good the start is."

"Hey, Toshiro, are you envious of Ganju?" Hinamori suddenly asked with a smile.

"Why would I envy him?" Hitsugaya scoffed. "I'm the third seat now."

Hinamori smiled and said, "Ganju might become a third seat in the future, but the position of student council president is not something just anyone can do. It's a resume that you can keep for a lifetime!"

"So what? I can't be the third seat forever," Hitsugaya said.

The three chatted idly as they continued their stroll.

Xin glanced around casually, seemingly somewhat absent-minded.

"Hinamori-senpai?"

Suddenly someone called out to Hinamori; it was a student from the Spirit Arts Academy who recognized Hinamori.

Hinamori stopped and had a brief conversation with the other person, but when she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that only Hitsugaya was left beside her.

"Where's the captain?"

Hitsugaya shrugged and said, "He said he suddenly had something to take care of, so he left alone."

"What's wrong?" Hinamori was taken aback, and a number of thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

What could possibly happen at this time?

Did you meet someone...?

Hinamori looked around and asked, "Did you see anyone you know?"

"No."

Hinamori frowned slightly.

Could it be... that he went to find Rukia?!
This made her quite exasperated: "Why didn't you keep an eye on him?!"

Hitsugaya looked speechless: "His legs are on his body, how can I see them? Besides, he's the captain, so of course I have to listen to him."

Hinamori glared at him angrily and asked, "Which way did the captain go?"

#
Xin weaved through the crowd, turned several corners in the square, and arrived at the edge.

It's much quieter here.

He saw two people not far away: Matsumoto Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin.

Since entering the Spiritual Arts Academy and separating from Matsumoto Rangiku, Shin has been locking onto Matsumoto Rangiku's spiritual pressure location. When she and another strong spiritual pressure fluctuation came together, Shin immediately followed.

The two seemed to be talking about something, but it was impossible to hear what they were saying. Matsumoto Rangiku, who was usually very outgoing, seemed a little reserved in front of Ichimaru Gin, and her face showed a hint of sadness.

Shin walked over and spoke first: "So that's why you were walking around alone. You had someone you wanted to see." The two, whose conversation was abruptly interrupted, looked at Shin at the same time. Matsumoto Rangiku pursed her lips, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw Shin, but she didn't say a word and quickly left with her head down.

Shin watched her retreating figure and said to Gin Ichimaru, who was standing there, "My vice-captain doesn't seem to be in a good mood. I wonder what you two talked about?"

Gin Ichimaru still wore his ever-present smiling face: "Captain Tachikawa, isn't it rather impolite of you to interrupt someone's conversation like that?"

A nearly transparent barrier of spiritual particles suddenly expanded outward from the center of the letter, enveloping Gin Ichimaru within it.

The sudden turn of events startled Gin Ichimaru, and his narrowed eyes opened and closed slightly.

"Captain Tachikawa, what does this mean?"

Xin walked over slowly and said, "It's nothing, I just saw that you made my vice-captain unhappy, so I wanted to teach you a lesson."

"..."

Gin Ichimaru was momentarily confused by Shin's thought process, and his tone couldn't help but show a hint of surprise: "Captain Tachikawa, are you serious?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt that his body was out of control. This was not a feeling of pressure from spiritual pressure, but rather that his body was as if it had been forcibly fixed in place. He could not feel the presence of any external force, but he was unable to move.

This caused Gin Ichimaru's gaze to change slightly.

At the same time, he became suspicious. Was Tachikawa Nobuma going to attack him here?

The other person shouldn't be such an irrational person.

Gin Ichimaru increased his spiritual pressure output in an attempt to break through the invisible "shackles" around him, only to find that it was all in vain.

what happened……

Gin Ichimaru's heart sank.

"Don't bother," Xin said leisurely as he walked up to him.

"This is the power of my Zanpakuto. Unless your spiritual pressure is far stronger than mine, you cannot break this limitation."

Zanpakuto...

Gin Ichimaru's eyes flickered: "What do you mean? I remember Captain Tachikawa's Zanpakuto should be of the Hodo type."

“It’s another kind of power,” Xin said casually.

“I can freeze things in place. For example, right now, I’ve frozen your action in a standing position. As long as I maintain this power, you will be stuck standing there forever.”

Gin Ichimaru remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on the letter.

Xin continued, "This ability can also be applied to myself. In our previous battle, your attacks were ineffective against me because I stopped my physical health, so external forces could no longer harm me."

"Not only physical and demonic attacks, but once I activate this ability, no external factors can affect me."

"..."

Gin Ichimaru suddenly felt his body move again. Thinking back on the feeling just now, it seemed that a special spiritual particle had enveloped him.

Although he was free to move again, he remained frozen, staring at the letter that was very close to him, when he suddenly realized something and his pupils contracted.

He did indeed have doubts about the true power of Shin's Zanpakuto, which stemmed from Captain Aizen's thoughts.

After their battle at the Shinigami Exchange Conference, Aizen had this suspicion. Gin Ichimaru had carefully explained the entire process of his battle with Shin, which Aizen had witnessed.

If it were truly a Daoist ability, it shouldn't be an ability that completely negates external damage.

It would be more reasonable if it possessed the super-fast regeneration ability of some virtual beings.

To this end, Aizen even sent out a new experimental subject, Hollow, to test Shin, and the final result was beyond their expectations.

The ability that faith possesses may not simply be a return to the past, but rather a power that can bring things back to their original state!
The Shinigami of the 10th Division have been swallowed by Hollows. Even Retsu Unohana cannot restore their bodies. Moreover, when they are restored, even their clothes are intact!
Gin Ichimaru took a deep breath and said, "Why is Captain Tachikawa suddenly telling me all this?"

Xin raised the corners of his mouth and said, "It's nothing, just showing off my strength. You noticed the spiritual particles I released just now, right? I also stopped the spiritual pressure fluctuations in this area. In other words, I can release spiritual pressure here at will, and people outside won't notice anything unusual."

Upon hearing this, Gin Ichimaru was deeply shaken.

He couldn't help but ask, "What...do you know?"

Xin slowly shook his head: "I don't know anything. On the contrary, are you ready to get beaten up?"

-

Gin Ichimaru did get beaten up; Shin attacked him with his bare hands, yet Gin didn't put up a fight at all.

When he returned to the crowd in the square and saw Aizen, the latter seemed somewhat surprised.

"what happened?"

Gin Ichimaru reached out and touched a bruise on his face; it stung a little.

"They got into a fight."

Aizen smiled and said, "Gin, it seems you haven't let go of those things yet."

"Captain Aizen is overthinking it."

"Really? Then why did she attack you? And the fact that she was able to injure you means you didn't fight back, right?"

Gin Ichimaru's eyes flickered. "Captain Aizen... the one who fought me was Captain Tachikawa."

Aizen's voice paused.

Gin Ichimaru glanced over out of the corner of his eye, but only saw the reflection on the mirror of his glasses.

A moment later, he heard Aizen's gentle voice.

"You mean, Tachikawa Shin?"

Such a question sent a shiver down Gin Ichimaru's spine, and his drooping fingers trembled slightly involuntarily.

He didn't notice...

He didn't notice...

Gin Ichimaru said calmly, "Ah, it was him. He said I upset his vice-captain, and that's how we got into a fight."

"silver."

Aizen smiled and looked at him: "You seem a little unsettled."

Gintoki Ichimaru revealed his smiling face: "I got into a fight and even suffered a loss, so naturally I'm not feeling too good."

He could even sense the unease within himself, yet he failed to detect Tachikawa Shin's spiritual pressure...

Aizen smiled and said, "Gin, to be honest, I've been keeping an eye on your spiritual pressure ever since you left me, but apart from you and Vice-Captain Matsumoto, I haven't detected any third person's spiritual pressure fluctuations approaching you."

"However, if it's Tachikawa Shin, then everything makes sense."

"Gin, can you tell me in detail what happened?"

Gin Ichimaru looked at Aizen's warm and gentle smile; he had always feared him like a god.

But now, that veil of divinity seems to have been lifted, revealing nothing more than the mortal body it conceals.

(End of this chapter)