Chapter 337: The Sword Of Damocles Above The Gotei 13
In the vast and desolate throne hall of Las Noches, silence reigned.
Ichimaru Gin stood casually near one of the shattered white pillars, his arms folded loosely within the sleeves of his haori. His trademark sly smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but there was something weary in his posture. His snake-like eyes narrowed slightly as he looked across the empty palace at the man before him.
Kyo Mazuru.
The man who, just days ago, had single-handedly overturned the fate of Hueco Mundo—and the Soul Society.
Mazuru stood with his back partially turned, his long black hair fluttering faintly in the spiritual winds that drifted through the throne room. The air around him was charged with a suppressed spiritual pressure that still hadn’t dissipated after the climactic battle. He slowly turned his head, his crimson eyes settling on Gin with a calm yet piercing gaze.
"Gin." Mazuru murmured.
Gin met that gaze with a grin that was both amused and tired. "Heh... Captain Mazuru. I suppose I should stop calling you that, huh? But old habits die hard."
Mazuru said nothing, but his silence invited Gin to continue.
Gin sighed softly, a rare note of sincerity creeping into his voice. "You didn’t want to kill them, did you? All those old friends from Soul Society... Yet they came marching into Hueco Mundo with swords drawn. In the end, you had no choice but to stand against them."
He chuckled hollowly. "So you showed your strength. Defeated the captains, one by one, and forced them to retreat. It’s terrifying, really. If it were me... I couldn’t have done it."
His voice trailed off, and for a moment, only the low whispers of residual reiatsu echoed in the palace.