Daimaru

"Boss Daimaru, they've stopped outside the town."

Daimaru sat on the steps of his dilapidated shack, listening to his subordinate's report as he gazed towards the entrance of the small town.

As the overlord of West District 79, Daimaru was a striking figure in the crowd. He stood over two meters tall, with a powerful and sturdy build. His bulging bronze muscles seemed ready to burst his clothes. His eyes were small, but they held no impulsive recklessness; instead, they were exceptionally steady and calm.

There were many madmen in the later-numbered districts, and Daimaru was one of them. However, unlike the madmen he had eliminated, Daimaru was more ferocious than anyone when he was mad, and more steady than anyone when he was cautious.

It was precisely this personality – going mad when he needed to and staying steady when he needed to – that had earned him the top position in West District 79.

But he was unwilling to remain confined to this small area forever. Soul Society was vast. Not to mention other districts, West District 80 alone was home to many terrifyingly powerful villains.

To gain complete control of the later-numbered districts, he had to defeat those monsters.

Daimaru had tried once, and the result... he was defeated effortlessly. If the villain in West District 80 hadn't disdained to kill him because he was too weak, he would be dead by now. Having survived the encounter with that monster by sheer luck, Daimaru realized something: no matter how great one's influence, if one's own strength was insufficient, they were merely meat on a chopping block in the eyes of others.

And the simplest way to become stronger was to learn the combat techniques of the Soul Reapers. But to learn these things, one had to become a Soul Reaper, something Daimaru absolutely could not accept.

Therefore, after his crushing defeat, Daimaru had been searching for a way to learn Soul Reaper combat techniques without becoming one.

Shiba Ganju was precisely the method he had found!

The Shiba Clan was once one of the five great noble families of Seireitei, which was no secret in Soul Society.

And according to Daimaru's investigation, the ruffian named Shiba Ganju was the biological younger brother of the current head of the Shiba Clan.

Of course, Daimaru knew very well that even a fallen noble family was not someone he could afford to provoke. The current head of the Shiba Clan was a being that even the great villains of the eighties were unwilling to provoke. So, he manipulated a few ruffians to lure Shiba Ganju to District 79.

As far as he knew, the fallen Shiba Clan consisted of only a brother and sister and two servants. If he could capture Shiba Ganju and force the Soul Reaper cultivation techniques out of him, Daimaru could simply hide in other districts of Rukongai. The few members of the Shiba Clan would have no way of finding him.

Moreover, Daimaru had no intention of killing Ganju. After obtaining what he wanted, he would naturally let Ganju go. This way, the Shiba Clan should not seek his death.

"Boss Daimaru, they seem to be preparing to turn back. Should we have the brothers make their move?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Daimaru's calm eyes.

He scanned his surroundings and said coldly, "Let them make their move! But remember one thing: absolutely do not kill Shiba Ganju. As for the others... try not to kill them if possible, but if they resist strongly, killing them is acceptable."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with eagerness.

The later-numbered districts were never short of crazy individuals, and the crazier the deed, the more excited they became. As the signal was given, centered around the six of them, figures emerged from all directions, instantly surrounding them.

"Bro... Brother Iwao..."

Hawk's face turned instantly pale as he looked at the people closing in around them. "They seem to have targeted us."

Shiba Ganju said nothing, but his expression also darkened.

He could tell that these people had clearly been lying in wait. Thinking back to Duan Mu's question just now, even if Ganju wasn't the sharpest, he could sense that something was wrong.

Those ruffians had deliberately lured them here!

With that thought, Ganju gritted his teeth fiercely and said to Duan Mu beside him, "I'll find a way to break through a gap later. You take Hawk and the others and run as far as you can."

The people surrounding them were all emitting spiritual pressure fluctuations, more or less.

And the burly man who had emerged from the town was emitting an even stronger spiritual pressure than himself. On their side, besides himself, only Duan Mu possessed some spiritual pressure. It was impossible to confront these people head-on.

At the very least, he had to ensure Duan Mu and the others escaped safely!!

Ganju placed his hand on the gunpowder at his waist, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings, hoping to find a weak point to help Duan Mu and the other five escape the encirclement.

"It's not that easy to leave."

Duan Mu shook his head. After his observations, even setting aside the leading burly man, among those surrounding them, there were at least ten people with spiritual pressure strength equal to Ganju's. These people were distributed everywhere, making it impossible for Ganju to break through a gap.

Moreover, judging by the formation of the encirclement, the other party was prepared to kill all of them rather than let anyone escape to report back.

Trying to break through would not be easy!

"You are Shiba Ganju, aren't you?"

Daimaru stopped about five meters away from the six of them, his gaze fixed on Ganju, who was blocking them. A sinister grin spread across his face. "I advise you to surrender obediently. After all, my subordinates never know when to hold back. Once a fight breaks out, the other five, besides you, will all die at their hands."

As soon as he said this, Daimaru's subordinates all bared the same sinister grin. They stepped forward in unison. Although their movements were not perfectly synchronized, with each step they took, the killing intent around them intensified.

The condensed killing intent of over a hundred people caused the wild boars beneath Duan Mu and the others to become restless. As for Hawk and the other four, they were even less able to bear it. Their backs were instantly drenched in sweat, their faces as pale as paper, and they almost slipped off the boars.

These hundred villains, who had survived mountains of corpses and seas of blood, were not on the same level as the ruffians Hawk and the others had encountered before. Without even engaging in combat, the palpable killing intent had already left the four of them stunned and on the verge of fainting!

Ganju's face turned pale. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white. He kept telling himself not to be intimidated by the opponent's aura, but an overwhelming sense of powerlessness enveloped his entire body.

He alone...

Could not help Duan Mu and the others break through this encirclement!!

However, compared to Hawk and the other four, Ganju's resolve was much firmer. After several deep breaths, some color returned to his pale face.

Although Duan Mu's 'Soul Reaper Study Group' was little known in Rukongai, basically only known to students of the Soul Reaper Academy, it was not kept secret from him and Uzuki.

Therefore, Ganju knew very well...

While Duan Mu's spiritual pressure was extremely weak, his actual combat ability might not be weaker than that of a formal member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!

At this moment, the opponent's attention was entirely focused on him. As long as he could keep these people occupied, Duan Mu, with a surprise attack, might still be able to lead Hawk and the other four out!

With this thought, he instinctively wanted to brief Duan Mu on his plan.

However, before he could speak, Duan Mu's low voice reached his ears:

"Throw the Blood Tear Beads beneath our feet!"

Blood Tear Beads?

Iwao flinched at the words. The so-called 'Blood Tear Beads' were a type of firework he made using 'special chili peppers.' After exploding, the fireworks would produce red smoke, which could obscure the enemy's vision while also harming their eyes and throat.

But this move had a fatal flaw: it couldn't be detonated nearby, or the user would also be harmed by the chili smoke. Yet, Duan Mu, who knew this all too well, was telling him to set off the Blood Tear Beads under their own feet.

Did he think the enemy wasn't strong enough and wanted to weaken himself first?