You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Captain, the captain of the Beijing Opera Band?"

"Well……"

The man with stubble opened his eyes halfway: "Hmm...it's Lisa-chan~ Good morning~"

You've come so early, thank you for your hard work!

Upon hearing this, the girl with glasses felt a throbbing vein in her temple: "...It would be so nice if you never woke up."

"Wow...that's so mean, why are you so angry so early in the morning...oh well, I was working on some documents in the room, wasn't I?"

Chunshui seemed to only just come to her senses, realizing it was already afternoon. She then forced a smile and said, "Look, I was just too tired from work, so I thought I'd take a break and soak up some sunshine. After all, such beautiful weather is rare… It's understandable if I accidentally dozed off~"

This man exuded a frivolous and slick vibe. Although his facial features suggested he was young, his demeanor and attire made him look like a middle-aged man, and the kind of frivolous one who frequented nightclubs...

Interestingly, even so, it's hard to dislike him; he's probably born with a talent for being likable.

"Really?" Lisa is only a minor fourth seat now, but in her daily life she is equivalent to Chunshui's personal secretary. She is very serious and has long been unable to tolerate this lazy and slack guy, so she shows no mercy even to her captain.

"Let me take a good look at how much official business you've handled!"

Before she could finish speaking, the girl had already rushed into Chunshui's study, seemingly determined to get to the bottom of this matter.

"This is troublesome... Lisa-chan will definitely be very angry later." Chunshui scratched his head.

Iori approached and sat down cross-legged, asking curiously, "What exactly did you do? Just being lazy in governance wouldn't have made Lisa this agitated, would it?"

"I was just too engrossed in creating. I talked to some young women to find inspiration and collected a lot of information... Sigh, it's normal that young girls can't understand."

Chunshui helplessly spread her hands: "We were just dancing together, we're completely innocent, we didn't do anything~"

"Then you really have no reason to be wronged!"

Iori shook her head and couldn't help but laugh: "It's been so long, you're still the same as ever, Kyoraku-sensei."

"You too... no, quite the opposite, you've really changed a lot, Aizen-sensei."

Kyoraku was not surprised at all that Iori was there. He got up, sat down, and nodded slightly to him.

"I've heard about what happened to you in Hueco Mundo. It's truly remarkable that you managed to escape unscathed in that situation. It's truly admirable."

"Oh, it's nothing, I was just lucky." Iori waved her hand, her attitude humble.

Shunsui did not continue discussing Hueco Mundo with Iori. Their interactions had always been limited to romantic topics, and they had become friends because of their shared interests and mutual appreciation.

Although Chunshui didn't know that Iori had learned Bankai, he had read the expeditionary force's report. Renxin knew that Iori had made great contributions and should be promoted soon, and would work in the same thirteenth squad. He was afraid that Iori would become tainted by worldly things and become respectful and distant towards him.

However, the two talked for a long time afterward. Iori's attitude was the same as before, but his words and actions were more mature, which made Kyoraku feel relieved and his mood was much better.

They were chatting and laughing, but Lisa found some rather "vulgar" things in the room. Her face flushed, she rushed out to ask Kyoraku to explain, but Kyoraku said, "Could you get us some snacks to go with our drinks, Lisa-chan?" The bespectacled girl pouted and eventually obediently went to prepare them.

"You've taught very well."

"Don't let Lisa's appearance fool you, she really spoils me~"

Despite being a man several hundred years old and the captain of the Gotei 13, Kyoraku Shunsui had no sense of propriety or face, shamelessly saying things that were offensive to others, but Iori just smiled knowingly.

A while later, Lisa still hadn't returned. Chunshui was wondering what was going on when she saw Lisa rushing over with a document in her hand. Her young face was pale, and her breathing was a little erratic.

Seeing this, Chunshui squinted, put the straw hat on her head, and pulled it down to cover her eyes.

"Oh dear... it seems I won't be able to relax any longer."

"team leader!"

"Don't panic, the sky won't fall, Lisa-chan."

Chunshui glanced at Yizhi, making no attempt to hide anything, and directly extended her hand to Lisa: "What is it?"

"Information from the front lines... coming from the real world."

Lisa took a deep breath, her throat bobbing: "Quinness... Anyway, it's bad news."

Upon hearing that it was military intelligence, Chunshui became serious. He took the document, unfolded it, and began to study it carefully. However, when he read to the end, even he, who was usually deep in thought, couldn't help but change his expression drastically.

"The Third Division and the Sixth Division... even Captain Kuchiki was seriously injured? What on earth happened...?"

"Um?!"

Upon hearing this, Iori frowned, her gaze falling on the document, a sense of unease creeping over her.

Although the world of Bleach is often described as having overpowered characters everywhere and captains being worse than dogs, that's because the plot of Bleach mainly revolves around these high-level combatants, unlike other shonen manga which mainly focus on leveling up and fighting monsters.

Since the protagonist is a fully leveled, idealistic character, there's no need for lengthy descriptions of how he cultivates.

It is precisely because high-level combatants often suffer setbacks that people feel that captains are not valuable... In reality, captains are definitely big shots in Soul Society.

After all, the Thirteen Teams have been around for eight hundred years. With the changing of the guard, they have only accumulated a dozen or so Bankai masters, each of whom is an extremely valuable asset.

And yet, two of these very people died in one go!

How could this not be astonishing? If word got out, the entire Seireitei would probably be shaken!

"Phew... Sorry, Iori. Let's drink another day, today isn't the time."

Kyoraku said apologetically to Iori, "Looks like I'm going to be busy."

"Then I'll take my leave first."

Iori did not ask for the documents, but instead decisively and politely took her leave.

As I walked out, passing by the barracks ahead, I could clearly sense the tense and serious expressions on the faces of the Grim Reapers, and they walked with much more haste, indicating that the news had already spread.

Instead of returning to his dormitory in the 12th Division or the Shinigami Academy, he left Seireitei and went back to Aizen's clothing shop.

After returning from Hueco Mundo, Iori naturally visited various relatives and friends to let them know she was safe and sound.

Some were like-minded friends, such as Senetsu Iba and Shunsui Kyoraku; some were partners with shared interests, such as Mayuri Kurotsuchi; and some were subordinates won over by their charm, such as Kaname Tosen.

But these are just "friends," and their priority is lower than that of "family."

He immediately returned to Rukongai to apologize to his mother, admitting that he shouldn't have left without a word for so long and made her worry.

Similar to him, Yuki also chose to return to the clothing store. The two of them teamed up to cover for each other, which also reduced a lot of the pressure from her mother-in-law.

They've been staying at the shop for the past two days, taking advantage of the holiday to help their mother-in-law organize the inventory... With such a big incident happening this time, Iori was certain that Yuuki would also receive the news, so he simply went back to the shop to wait for her.

As it turns out, Yuuki's connections are no less than Iori's, and besides, she has an official position in the 13th Division, so she was already waiting for Iori when he returned.

Avoiding Granny Aizen, the two exchanged their observations in the bedroom behind the shop, and then remained silent for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Yuuki, who was wearing black-rimmed glasses like Lisa, sighed softly, "It's a pity, my vacation is going to be ruined now."

Upon hearing this, Iori glanced sideways: Is such a big deal less important to you than a holiday?

-

As detailed reports from the front lines gradually came in, everyone realized that the situation was even more serious than initially suspected!

The Quincy Expeditionary Force, commanded by Kuchiki Ginrei, consisted of elite troops from five divisions (3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th, and 11th) plus some Kido members, representing nearly 40% of the total strength of the 13 divisions. This was the largest battle since the defense of Seireitei 800 years ago.

Compared to the Grim Reapers, the Quincy group is at a disadvantage, being remnants of the defeated forces from eight hundred years ago.

Although so much time has passed, the population has recovered to its current size due to the reproductive efficiency of the living. However, because of the loss of the "King," most of the newly established families are Quincy hybrids, and pure-blooded families have always had difficulty reproducing, resulting in a shortage of high-end combat power.

Kuchiki Ginrei's fighting style has always been steady and methodical. Given the strength of the Shinigami side, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they should be able to defeat the Quincy sooner or later... But the capriciousness of fate is something no one can predict.

In the extraordinary world, even if the strength of the two sides is vastly different, as long as a top-notch combatant appears, the outcome can be reversed—the Quincy bet on this.

At first, the Shinigami, led by the Kuchiki clan chief, advanced step by step and gained a great advantage over the Quincy. However, after realizing that they were about to be completely defeated, the Quincy, who had been hiding in a city, used some unknown means to create an existence called "Saint Child".

The lower-ranking members did not know the name Yhwach, but the captain-level Shinigami did know that in the intelligence, Kuchiki Ginrei referred to him as "the son of Yhwach"!

This holy son suddenly appeared in a local battle and killed the captain of the Third Division with his first move. Then he rushed straight to the commander-in-chief, Kuchiki Ginrei. The captain of the Seventh Division was killed while covering him. The entire battle was reversed because of this one person's outburst!

Upon seeing this intelligence, Iori knew that the Seireitei was definitely going to get serious this time and would never compromise with the Quincy, especially since the name "Yhwach" was involved...

Sure enough, a few days later, the expeditionary force members who had been reassembled were dispersed and incorporated into the Gotei 13.

Iori was transferred from the 12th Division and recruited into a special operations team directly under the successor commander, Kyoraku Shunsui.

After receiving the transfer order, Iori also looked at the list to see who her teammates were, and then couldn't help but sigh:

Aizen Iori, Aizen Yuuki, Senko Kyouga, Amagai Shusuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Muguruma Kensei...

Each of them has defected once; my great Soul Society is truly full of talented people!

Chapter 175: Your Big Sister's got your back! (4.5K)

People like Yoruichi Shihouin and Kensei Muguruma have not yet become captains, but they have already made a name for themselves in the 13th Division and are highly anticipated young martial arts fighters. In addition to them, there are also relatively unknown people like Kisuke Urahara and Kaname Tosen. If nothing unexpected happens, they will all be able to master Bankai.

Among them, the one that Iori is most interested in is Kensei Muguruma. After all, it is the only time-type Zanpakuto in the entire Bleach series. It has the ability to fast-forward the enemy's perceived time, making it a combination of King Crimson and Made in Heaven.

His immense power even made the name "Kensei Muguruma" the benchmark for combat strength in the entire series, which is simply terrifying!

cough!

To be honest, none of the members of the direct squad are simple characters. Iori and Yuuki go without saying, and Kensei Muguruma is a highly respected elder brother figure among the young Shinigami. He is also very strong and is just one step away from breaking through to Bankai.

Yoruichi is a direct descendant of the Shihouin family. Although there has never been a female successor to the family headship before, it is said that among the current generation of descendants, whether from the main branch or the side branches, no one is more outstanding than Yoruichi. Therefore, she may become the one who breaks the tradition.

Sending Yoruichi to the mortal world and placing her under Shunsui's command might lead to some kind of power struggle or family feud behind the scenes... But since she's gone to the front lines, given Yamamoto's personality, he would never allow anyone to influence the war for personal gain, so this is actually a form of protection for Yoruichi.

Tenbei Shusuke is quite simple. His father is Shunsui's junior brother, a direct descendant of Yamamoto, and his strength is not weak either. Such a trusted talent should naturally be carefully cultivated.

Compared to the people mentioned above, the one who stands out the most is "Qianzi Xianghe".

Iori mastered Bankai in about three years after entering the Shinigami Academy, and was regarded as an "abnormal species" by Saito.

While Xianghe is somewhat inferior to it, it is still quite frightening:

He achieved this goal before graduation!

Back then, this caused quite a stir in the Seireitei, to the point that even Yamamoto personally intervened.

However, it is worth mentioning that Xianghe did not follow the conventional path of constantly increasing spiritual pressure, gradually coming into contact with the sword spirit, and eventually suppressing and taming it in order to cultivate Bankai.

At that time, Xianghe had only recently achieved Shikai when the sword spirit took the initiative to tell him the true name of his Bankai!

This allowed Xianghe to master Bankai even when he was still at the level of a seated official!

This was so outrageous that even the captains found it unbelievable:

Logically speaking, this spiritual pressure intensity is completely insufficient!

They all wondered if something had gone wrong, but after a thorough investigation, they found nothing wrong. The reason for this situation was simply that Xianghe had skipped a cultivation step—

Subdue your Zanpakuto!

In the Shinigami power system, both Shikai and Bankai are processes of developing one's own potential and overcoming oneself.

Only those with unwavering will can utter the true name of their Zanpakuto, and only those with hearts as firm as a rock can defeat the unruly spirit of the sword and bring it into submission.

It has a bit of the feeling of subduing inner demons and desires in Buddhism.

Untamed sword spirits are mostly difficult to get along with. The kind like Uncle Zangetsu who thinks of you is an exception (and it turns out he really wasn't a proper Zanpakuto). Nine-tailed types are more common, and the most extreme ones are even Ryoumen Sukuna, who is afraid of not being able to kill their master...

But the sword spirit of Xianghe is very peculiar. It not only has no hostility towards its master, but even thinks of him in every way. It is not just a relationship between Naruto and Sasuke, but it can be compared to Yuno Gasai's obsession!

This allowed Hibiki to skip the taming stage of Zanpakuto, and even with insufficient spiritual pressure, he could summon the true name of his Bankai, making it arguably the most unique Zanpakuto in the history of Soul Society.

This was originally a good thing, but Xianghe actually did not benefit from it:

His Zanpakuto has too much autonomy; it can even materialize on its own. However, his spiritual pressure is not yet at the Bankai level, resulting in insufficient control.

Moreover, this knife's abilities are too unique; it can be said to be the natural enemy of almost all Grim Reapers, and even captain-level figures are quite wary of it...

With these two factors combined, Xianghe was seen by the higher-ups as nothing more than a grenade with the pin pulled... no, a mobile nuclear bomb!

Therefore, Xianghe was not only far from being treated like Long Aotian, it was almost censored by the higher-ups in the early stages!

It was Kuchiki Ginrei, who was in charge of investigating Hibiki at the time, who discovered during their interactions that Hibiki was a young man with a strong sense of justice. So, together with Yamamoto, he advised the 46th Chamber to vouch for Hibiki and keep him in the city.

After that, Hibiki became a member of the First Division. Although he did not become Yamamoto's disciple, he was often taught, but he was strictly forbidden from using his Zanpakuto abilities without permission.

Before reaching the captain level and being able to fully control one's Zanpakuto, permission from superiors must be obtained to release it.

As for why he was sent to the front lines this time... it's probably not to deal with the Quincy, but to serve as a supervisory force.

Yamamoto is a very pragmatic person. He governs the Thirteenth Division not with love and courage, but with strict discipline and a system of rewards and punishments.

Overall, the Soul Society still has some foundation. Even if it fights the Quincy to the death this time, these potential stars will be able to stand out and take charge within a hundred years.

That's the advantage of having a complete training system... In contrast, Hueco Mundo relies purely on talent, and the probability of raising a Vasto Lorde is ridiculously low.

The Quincy originally had a very complete and powerful power system, but after losing Yhwach's leadership, they were like trees without roots, barely able to maintain themselves but unable to conceal the fact of their decline.