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As Aaron's figure slowly emerged from the shadows, Rukia's expression grew more tense.However, upon realizing that Byakuya Kuchiki and the others were all spirit beings, she gradually relaxed.
But Ishida Uryƫ, who was nearby, was a living human. This caused Rukia's tension to return.
"I hope he doesn't interfere; otherwise, the aftermath of Captain Kuchiki's battle could leave him seriously injured," she thought, watching Aaron approach with concern.
Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryƫ also noticed Aaron's slow approach, each with their own thoughts.
Since Ichigo knew he was a spirit body, he shared Rukia's concerns.
Meanwhile, the injured Ishida Uryƫ, upon spotting Aaron, called out loudly, "Sensei! Get out of here! It's dangerous!"
Aaron smiled and reassured him, "Uryƫ, I appreciate your concern, but it's not a big deal. Don't worry."
Uryƫ looked at the seemingly ordinary man before him, speaking so nonchalantly, and frowned, thinking to himself, "Not a big deal? The situation is pretty serious right now!"
Abarai Renji, spotting the unexpected newcomer, saw an outlet for his frustration. Clutching his wound, he turned to Byakuya Kuchiki and muttered, "Captain Kuchiki, should I handle him?"
Byakuya cast a calm glance at Renji and replied coolly, "Renji, have you forgotten Seireitei's rules? We cannot attack ordinary humans in the World of the Living without just cause."
Renji scoffed, shifting his gaze to Ichigo, who lay on the ground, before looking at UryĆ«. "This guy is your teacher? Hah, good thing he's just a regular human without spiritual power, or elseâ"
Before Renji could finish, something unexpected happened.
Aaron scanned the area casually before remarking with a smile, "If you keep struggling, Kurosaki, you'll pass out from excessive blood loss."
Ichigo, lying on the ground, stared at his teacher in stunned silence.
He never imagined his seemingly ordinary homeroom teacher could even perceive spirit beings.
However, the brief hope that flickered in Ichigo's heart quickly vanished when he thought of his sisters.
"He might just be a normal human with slightly higher spiritual awareness," Ichigo reasoned. "After all, I've never sensed any Reiatsu from him before."
Byakuya Kuchiki, now observing Aaron more closely, frowned slightly.
There was something strangely familiar about this man.
"Rukia is here as well," Aaron said with a chuckle, turning his gaze toward her.
"Sensei! Get Ichigo and Uryƫ out of here! It's dangerous!" Rukia urged.
As Aaron turned to look at Rukia, Byakuya Kuchiki finally saw his face clearly.
At that moment, he recalled the timeworn portrait hanging in the Kuchiki family's ancestral hall.
"Withdraw," Byakuya ordered coldly.
Renji and Rukia noted Byakuya's sudden shift in demeanor. Renji, still nursing his wounds, was baffled by his captain's abrupt change in attitude.
Byakuya fixed his gaze on Aaron, his expression calm, but a storm raged within him.
The weight of certain legendary stories pressed upon him, deepening his frown.
As Renji and Rukia stepped through the Senkaimon, Byakuya vanished in a blur of Shunpo.
As they departed, the black barrier gate closed behind them.
Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryƫ, still processing what had just happened, exchanged puzzled glances.
"Why did they just leave�" Ichigo muttered, his voice laced with confusion.
"Maybe it was just a coincidence," Uryƫ replied hesitantly.
Both of them, exhausted, silently exhaled in relief.
Just as Ichigo turned to speak to his teacher, he realized Aaron had vanished.
Ichigo: "???"
Uryƫ: "???"
At the gateway to Soul Society, Byakuya Kuchiki walked in silence, flanked by Renji and Rukia.
After hesitating for some time, Renji finally voiced his curiosity. "Captain Kuchiki, why did you order the retreat?"
Hearing this, Rukia, who had been deep in thought, also looked up, her face full of questions.
As they crossed into Soul Society, Byakuya's mind drifted back to his childhood.
Back then, he had been a mischievous child.
One day, after completing his kendo training under the watchful eye of his grandfather, Kuchiki Ginrei, they visited the Kuchiki family's ancestral hall.
Young Byakuya pointed curiously at an old portrait and asked, "Grandfather, who is this? Is he a Kuchiki ancestor?"
Byakuya could still vividly recall his grandfather's expression and words that day.
"His name is Aaron," Ginrei had said. "He was my classmate."
"He has no blood ties to the Kuchiki family, but remember thisânever offend this man."
At first, Ginrei's face had held a nostalgic look, but then his expression turned solemn, almost fearful.
"Never offend him? Is he that powerful?" young Byakuya had asked, confused.
From that conversation, Byakuya learned of Aaron's astonishing featsâ
A lone warrior who battled against Hueco Mundo for five hundred years.
A man who single-handedly executed a massacre in the Central 46 Chambers.
As Byakuya grew older, he began to grasp the weight behind the name "Aaron."
In his grandfather's words, this was a man with limitless potential.
"Captain? Captain?" Renji called softly, snapping Byakuya out of his thoughts.
"Brother Byakuya, what's wrong?" Rukia asked, her voice laced with concern.
Byakuya took a deep breath, met their questioning gazes, and began to recount the legend of AaronâŠ
Meanwhile, back in Karakura Town, Ichigo and Uryƫ finally relaxed after Byakuya's departure.
However, they had no idea their teacher had left without a word.
"Tch, and we were worried about his safety! He ran off without even saying anything!" Ichigo grumbled.
Though Uryƫ remained silent, his expression soured.
Time passed, and Ichigo, weakened from blood loss, felt his consciousness slipping away.
Just then, a shadow loomed over him, accompanied by a sinister smile.
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