"If you can't kill me, you'll kill these guys instead... Are you trying to frame me?"
Hasumi Ren's voice echoed across the smoke-filled ruins.
"So, that was your true goal all along."
The remaining assassins' expressions changed drastically.
They never expected Ren's strength to be this overwhelming.
A single strike was all it took to severely injure their comrade.
If they kept fighting, let alone completing the mission, they would likely all perish here.
One of them glanced at the person standing next to Ayakawa Hiko. They exchanged a look and quickly made a decision.
"Retreat!"
The lead assassin barked.
The group instantly shifted targets, firing several Bakudo spells at Ren simultaneously, but he easily evaded them with Shunpo.
Following that, two Red Smoke Escape spells detonated in midair, the thick smoke instantly obscuring his vision.
"Trying to run?"
Ren's eyes narrowed. He shifted his footing to pursue, but abruptly stopped himself.
Behind him, an incantation began, accompanied by a surge of Spiritual Pressure.
The person who had been hiding behind Ayakawa Hiko, remaining completely silent this entire time, finally made a move.
This person was the hidden trump card Tsunayashiro Tokinada had planted among the group.
A cold glint flared in his eyes as an undisguised, chilling killing intent erupted from his body.
The incantation concluded, and a scorching Hado spell was aimed directly at the paralyzed Ayakawa Hiko and the others.
"Hado #54: Haien!"
The cold shout rang out.
At the same time, several more Bakudo spells shot out from the smoke, interfering with Ren's movement path.
A ring of flames flashed. Ayakawa Hiko and the others had no time to react before their bodies were instantly subjected to devastating injuries.
Having landed his strike, the man didn't dare linger for even a second. He turned to flee.
But the moment he took a step, an incredibly fierce slash tore through the air.
A silver gleam sliced through the smoke and dust, aiming straight for his back!
The assassin was horrified. He hastily turned to block, but the slash still viciously cleaved into his shoulder.
With a sickening tear, blood sprayed into the air, accompanied by the distinct sound of shattering bone.
The assassin let out a bloodcurdling scream. Half of his shoulder was nearly severed, the agonizing pain causing his entire body to convulse.
Knowing he was absolutely no match for Ren, he endured the injury and used the Bakudo #4: Hainawa thrown by his comrade as a tether, scrambling frantically into the dense forest.
The group stumbled away, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Ren's gaze swept toward the depths of the pitch-black forest, instantly making a judgment call.
He chose not to pursue.
Since the enemy dared to set up such a lethal trap, they likely had backup plans. Chasing them recklessly would only lead him into a deeper ambush.
More importantly, Ayakawa Hiko and the others were the only witnesses. If he left, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be silenced.
If they died, all the blame would undoubtedly be pinned on him.
That was their true objective.
Realizing this, Ren decisively halted his steps and turned to look at the figures slumped on the ground.
At this moment, Ayakawa Hiko and the others were clinging to life by a thread, their bodies covered in Reishi burns caused by the Kido.
If they didn't receive immediate medical attention, they likely wouldn't last much longer.
Ren quickly stepped forward and crouched down. A gentle yet steady Kaido Spiritual Pressure immediately gathered at his fingertips, slowly flowing into their bodies.
Ren's brow furrowed tightly; their injuries were quite severe.
Fortunately, his mastery of Kaido was profound enough.
There was still time to save their lives.
The smoke gradually dispersed, revealing the devastated ruins. The pungent scent of gunpowder and blood permeated the silent mountain forest.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the nearby woods, Nagano Masayasu watched the scene unfold, the tension in his eyes reaching its absolute peak.
Although the plan had been exposed, Ayakawa Hiko and the others were critically injured and on the verge of death.
The scheme hadn't completely collapsed just yet.
As long as Ayakawa Hiko and his group didn't survive, he could still follow the original plan and frame Ren for everything.
Nagano Masayasu took a deep breath and slowly stepped out of the shadows, inching his way toward the center of the ruins.
Suppressing his shock and panic, he quickly plastered a perfectly calculated look of astonishment and confusion on his face.
"I-I live nearby and came to chop wood. Excuse me, Lord Soul Reaper, what happened here?"
Ren glanced back at Nagano Masayasu but said nothing.
He remained crouched, his fingertips resting lightly on Ayakawa Hiko's shoulder as the gentle, steady Kaido Spiritual Pressure slowly poured into the man's body.
Ayakawa Hiko's entire body trembled, and his previously unfocused eyes regained a sliver of clarity.
"R-Ren..."
He opened his mouth, squeezing a hoarse sound from his throat.
Feeling the agonizing pain in his body ease and a spark of vitality return, his terror of death began to subside.
*'That's right... I heard before that Hasumi Ren was studying Kaido in the Fourth Division.'*
Regret, shame, and lingering fear... a complex swirl of emotions rushed over him all at once.
Previously, they had done everything in their power to isolate and ostracize Ren.
The powerful backer they thought they had clung to only saw them as disposable pawns to be thrown away at will.
In the end, the one who saved their lives was the very person they wanted to eliminate the most.
Ayakawa Hiko's lips quivered, and he finally managed to tremble out two words.
"Thank... you..."
However, Ren had no time to entertain his emotions, his brow still tightly furrowed.
Their injuries were heavier than he had anticipated, but keeping them alive wasn't difficult.
After stabilizing them, he still needed to send them to the Fourth Division for proper treatment.
Nagano quietly stepped forward.
His eyes were glued to the Kaido Spiritual Pressure flowing from Ren's palms and the gradually steadying breaths of the injured men. His heart sank heavily.
He had assumed these men were critically wounded and wouldn't last another moment.
But how did this guy know Kaido too?
Looking at Ren's masterful technique, it was clear he was forcefully dragging them back from death's door.
If these men were saved, Tokinada's scheme—and his own involvement—would be completely exposed.
A flash of fear crossed Nagano Masayasu's eyes. He quietly reached his right hand behind his back and drew a dagger.
At this point, it seemed he had no choice but to silence them himself...
He walked up behind Ren, his heart pounding like a drum, and shakily raised his arm.
Then, he brought it down hard.
Yet, without even looking up, Ren casually raised his left hand and accurately clamped down on Nagano Masayasu's wrist.
His grip didn't seem forceful, but it was as immovable as an iron vise.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Nagano Masayasu's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
He could clearly feel the Spiritual Pressure radiating from Ren climbing at a terrifying speed.
The Spiritual Pressure spread out like a tidal wave, startling countless birds in the mountain forest into flight.
This was the signal Ren was sending out.
Nagano Masayasu's face completely lost its color.
It was over.
Everything was over.
Ren stood up, his indifferent gaze sweeping over Nagano's pale face.
Casually knocking him unconscious and tossing out a Bakudo to bind him, Ren turned back around and continued stabilizing the others' injuries.
A moment later, the chaotic sound of footsteps echoed from the distance.
"There's an abnormal Spiritual Pressure fluctuation over there!"
"Stay on high alert!"
Several Soul Reaper members of the Tenth Division responsible for patrol and reconnaissance had arrived.
Lying on the ground, Ayakawa Hiko glanced at Nagano Masayasu's face. A myriad of emotions welled up in his heart, and he felt so ashamed he could barely lift his head.
Not long after.
The Tenth Division members quickly arrived, cordoned off the scene, and recorded the situation.
They saw the traces of Kido on the ground and the critically injured, dying noble scions.
Everyone's expressions turned incredibly grave.
The news of what happened here was transmitted back to the Seireitei at maximum speed.
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