A High-Stakes Gamble / My Blade Is Coated in Deadly Poison

But what should I do next? Am I just supposed to wait here? Why haven't the enemy captured me yet?

All of this is unknown.

Aizen was patrolling the South 28th District at this time. It was already late at night, Aizen asked to stay overnight at a farmer's house. The farmer and his wife were very hospitable.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, the voice of Yamabuki Chidori came from Aizen's Hell Butterfly.

"Huh? Teacher? Is there something you need so late?" Aizen woke up immediately.

"The situation is a bit unusual. Fifteen Grim Reapers have gone missing deep in the mountains of the 28th District, suggesting a powerful enemy may have appeared. We must go and provide support immediately," said Yamabuki Chidori. "The enemy's ability seems to put people into a deep sleep. Also, they won't be too strong in a direct confrontation, so please be careful."

Aizen never expected something like this to happen.

Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately engaged in battle.

I'm currently looking for a suitable opponent; this patrol mission is just too boring.

How could I miss out on such a great opportunity?

"Teacher, please rest assured, I will go to provide support immediately." Aizen picked up his Zanpakuto and headed towards the deep mountains at top speed.

Chiharu Reika was also busy at this time.

Although Yamabuki Chidori was staying put, there were eleven people who came out with her. If she went back alone, how could she face her companions in the future?

Even if it costs me my life, I will make sure my comrades return safely.

Chiharu Reika closed her eyes to feel the Reiatsu from her teammates.

Everyone's ability to sense Reiatsu is different.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the strength of one's Reiatsu.

For example, Kenpachi Zaraki is strong enough, but he has almost zero sensitivity to Reiatsu. In other words, unless the enemy appears in his field of vision, he has no ability to pursue the enemy.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri once remarked about Kenpachi Zaraki: "He's clearly a beast, yet he's lost the most important ability of a beast."

The reason Kurotsuchi Mayuri made those comments is quite simple.

Kenpachi Zaraki ran around recklessly, and ended up destroying the 12th Division...

Chiharu Reika has some sensitivity to Reiatsu. Although she couldn't pinpoint the exact location, she could sense the general direction. With a death wish, she rushed in that direction.

No matter what, she had to call her companions back.

I don't know how long we walked, but the dark forest suddenly opened up, and the bright moonlight shone down from the sky.

This was a huge open space, and through the faint moonlight, one could see many fine spider webs all around.

Directly above was an enormous spider web, almost completely covering the open space.

Those missing Death Gods were like giant rice dumplings wrapped in a spider web.

At the very center of the spider web is a huge spider—no, it should be described as a spider-like phantom.

It has a diameter of over five meters, more than a dozen legs, and a human face on its abdomen, covered with a white, bony mask.

"The only one who slipped through the net has arrived!" Xu let out a shrill, ear-piercing laugh.

These Shinigami all emanated very faint Reiatsu fluctuations, meaning they were not yet dead.

Spiders have the ability to store food, and it is thanks to this ability that these grim reapers can survive.

Just as Chiharu Reika was about to charge forward with her knife, Utsuro suddenly extended his sharp foreleg and pressed it against the forehead of a Grim Reaper.

"If you dare take another step forward, I'll stab his head through."

Chiharu Reika's advance came to an abrupt halt.

This Hollow can actually take hostages?

"What do you want?" Chiharu Reika asked coldly.

"I don't like fighting and killing. I like having fun. How about we play a game?" Spider Hollow toyed with the faces of the Grim Reapers using its sharp forelegs.

"What kind of game do you want to play?" Seeing that her teammates' lives were in the enemy's hands, Chiharu Reika naturally dared not make any rash moves.

"When I was alive, I was a gambler. How about we make a bet? We'll bet on these two people's lives!" He pointed at the heads of the two Grim Reapers: "If you lose, you cut off your right hand. If you win, I'll give them back to you. One hand for two lives, isn't that a good deal?"

Chapter 41: High-Stakes Gamble

"Gambling?" Chiharu Reika was a little unsure. She had never gambled money before, although her teammates loved to gamble, but she had never participated.

Chiharu Reika believes that gambling is meaningless and only brings temporary pleasure. She thinks it's better to use that time to practice swordsmanship and improve one's strength.

But the situation left her no choice, so she could only grit her teeth and press on. "How do you want to play?"

A sinister grin spread across Xu's face, revealing his cunning scheme. "My game is simple. I roll the dice, and you guess high or low. If you guess right, you win; if you guess wrong, I win. Simple, right? A die has six sides: one, two, and three are low, and four, five, and six are high. How about it? Want to gamble your lives on two teammates?"

"Okay, I'll bet with you." Chiharu Reika agreed without hesitation. Chiharu Reika Reapers who had previously disappeared were also here.

"That's great! I love people who are straightforward! Come on!" Xu spat out two dice from his mouth and asked vaguely, "Do you want to bet on big or small?"

Chiharu Reika knew absolutely nothing about gambling, so she could only grit her teeth and casually say, "I bet on big!"

"Alright, let's witness this moment of the Miracle together!" Xu spat the dice into the sky, and under the faint light, the two watched as the dice rolled from the sky to the ground.

Chiharu Reika's palms were covered in cold sweat as she prayed incessantly. She wasn't afraid of losing her right hand; what she feared was not being able to save her teammates.

Both of their eyes were drawn to the dice on the ground, the air grew tense, and a smile appeared on Xu's face.

"You're lucky to have won, little girl!" Xu wasn't angry at all because he lost; instead, he threw down the two teammates who were hanging on the spider silk.

The team members were all in a semi-conscious state. Chiharu Reika hurriedly checked their physical condition and finally found that they had only been injected with some kind of anesthetic and were not in any danger of death.

"I'm a man of my word. I release people when I say I will. How about it? I still have thirteen chips left. Want to continue?" Xu smiled as he looked at Chiharu Reika.

"Of course we have to continue." After winning the first time, Chiharu Reika gained a little confidence and wanted to win back all the teammates she had lost.

"Let's continue! I'll bet three." The ethereal being used spider silk to suspend three Grim Reapers: "If you win again, I'll give you these three. If you lose, you'll return the two you won and cut off your own right hand. How about it?"

"Fine, I'll bet with you." Chiharu Reika gritted her teeth. At that moment, one of the Grim Reapers she had saved showed a slight reaction, reaching out to grab Chiharu Reika's trouser leg and saying in a very weak voice, "Chiharu-chan... don't bet with him... this is..."

"Buy big or small! Decide quickly!" The Hollow's voice was extremely harsh, directly interrupting Death's words.

Chiharu Reika was already a little carried away. Biting her lip, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "Buy the smaller one!"

Death closed its eyes in agony. Those who frequent casinos know what gambling is.

Nine out of ten gambling games are scams!

Everyone in a casino cheats; it's just that some people are so skilled that others can't tell.

How do gamblers initially fall into the trap? Isn't it because they believe they can win?

"Then watch the dice!" Xu's face revealed a cunning expression as he spat the dice from his mouth into the sky. The dice flew very well, almost side by side with the white clouds.

Chiharu Reika's eyes were fixed on the dice, her heart rising and falling with each roll.

Even the instant the dice landed, Chiharu Reika didn't dare to look at them.

"As expected, newcomers always have good luck!" Xu's voice carried a hint of impatience. Chiharu Reika looked over and discovered that the dice only showed a one.

So, she won again? The weight lifted from her shoulders, Chiharu Reika forced a smile.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Three Grim Reapers were thrown over. Chiharu Reika hurriedly checked their physical condition. They had all been injected with some kind of anesthetic and were temporarily unable to wake up. Even if they woke up, they would not be able to fight for a short period of time.

"So? Want to keep playing?" Xu chuckled as he looked at Chiharu Reika. "You have five Shinigami right now. How about this, I'll leave you one chip to turn things around, and I'll bet four!"

After winning twice in a row, Chiharu Reika was full of confidence. "Okay, I'll bet four against you. I'll bet on big!"

Little did they know, they had fallen into a trap carefully laid by the enemy.

He used a spider silk to pick up the dice that had fallen to the ground, put them in his mouth, and then suddenly spat them into the sky.

Chiharu Reika's heart rose and fell with the dice once again, and now she understood why her subordinates all loved gambling.

There's an anticipation of the unknown when gambling, and over time this feeling can turn into pleasure, even addiction.

This is what is known as gambling addiction.

Tick-tock!

The dice bounced incessantly on the ground, and Chiharu Reika's heart pounded back and forth with them. Though it was only for a brief moment, it was incredibly agonizing.

The instant the dice stopped rolling, Chiharu Reika instinctively closed her eyes, and a harsh, mocking laugh reached her ears, "I knew it! Luck can't last forever, little girl. You lost this time!"

Chiharu Reika's heart sank to the bottom. The dice in front of her only showed one point; she had lost.

The spider silk swiftly coiled around, pulling the Grim Reaper back into the massive spiderweb.

"Little girl, I think you should just let it go! It's fine if you go back alone, why bother with the lives of these people?" Xu's voice sounded incredibly sarcastic to Chiharu Reika.

The last Grim Reaper gave a bitter smile, "Chiharu-chan, I believe you. No matter what you choose, I won't blame you."

"How about this? You're so good-looking, I'll take a loss. Let's go all in! If you lose, you cut off one of your arms and one of your legs. If I lose, I'll give you back all the Grim Reapers. How about that?" Xu laughed.

"No problem. We'll decide the winner in one go." Chiharu Reika had already disregarded her own life and death.

"Buy big or small!"

"Buy big!"

Xu spat the dice directly at Chiharu Reika's feet. This time, Chiharu Reika didn't close her eyes; instead, she stared intently at the dice.

Just as the die was about to roll to "4", a force from who-knows-where caused it to spin half a circle more, and it landed on a dot.

"Little girl, a bet's a bet! Cut off your own hands and feet! Otherwise, none of your companions will survive!" the sinister man sneered.

Chiharu Reika's face turned deathly pale, but she still drew her knife, aimed it at her calf, and swung it fiercely!

Chapter 42: My knife is coated with deadly poison

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the night sky.

Chiharu Reika didn't feel any excruciating pain in her leg. She mustered her courage and opened one eye halfway, only to see a knife held against her own.

"You... you are..." Chiharu Reika surprised to find that the person standing in front of her was a boy who was only eleven or twelve years old.

This boy is also a member of the 11th Division, and he is quite prominent.

"The 10th Seat of Chiharu, I haven't seen you since." Aizen looked at the girl before him with a faint smile.

How did you end up here?

"I was on patrol in the South 28th District when I received orders from the Seireitei to come and provide support," Aizen said truthfully.

"Support? Just you? Where's the main force?" Chiharu Reika peeked behind Aizen, but saw nothing.

"There's no large force here. I was the first to arrive. You don't look well. Are you having a mental breakdown? You actually tried to cut yourself with a knife," Aizen asked.

If the enemy's ability is mental, you need to be extra careful.

"No," Chiharu Reika explained succinctly.

This is a gamble that uses death as a wager.

Aizen gently adjusted his glasses. "I see! I understand the general situation. Now, please take this injured team member and leave immediately. I'll take care of the rest. I'm quite confident in my gambling skills."

"But leaving you here alone with your child..." Chiharu Reika was a little worried about Aizen.

"You went through so much trouble to rescue this colleague, you don't want to see him in danger again, do you? Please return to our previous base immediately. The Gotei 13's reinforcements will arrive soon. Trust me, I will bring all the remaining members back." Aizen's tone was unusually calm.

As Chiharu Reika looked at the boy before her, she had a strange illusion: this boy was her leader, and she should unconditionally obey his orders.

"I..." Chiharu Reika was still a little undecided.

The rescued Death God weakly said, "This young man is right. Your condition is unstable, and even if you stay, you'll only get in the way. Why don't we both escape first, so we don't become hostages to the enemy?"

Chiharu Reika bit her lip and nodded vigorously. "Aizen Sōsuke... right? Please hold on until the rescue arrives. I'll come to help you as soon as I've settled him in."

"No, I'm confident I can save everyone. Please guide the main force from our original encampment. Otherwise, even if reinforcements find us, it will take a long time," Aizen analyzed calmly.

Chiharu Reika could only lead the rescued team member down the mountain as quickly as possible. Xu did not stop them, but just watched this scene with a smile.

"Kid, you think you can take me on all by yourself? Are you really that confident?" Xu revealed a smug smile. He was just a greenhorn; he had plenty of ways to deal with him.

"Actually, you're very scared inside, aren't you?" Aizen suddenly said.

Xu Wei was slightly taken aback.