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

But the key point is that Saito had been trying to avoid thinking about it before, but now he has to face it.

The reason I feel self-loathing is not because of the age gap, although it is extremely large. Death is a profession where one could be killed at any time. If one lives each day as if it were the last, then the age difference, whether it is a thousand years or a year, is meaningless.

What Saito was unwilling to face was the sad truth that she had given up on being a woman a long, long time ago, and now weakly craved the comfort of a man.

She never imagined she would have such thoughts and impulses; she almost didn't recognize herself anymore!

Throughout history, countless heroes and great men have made the same mistake...

Once you get used to swords and battlefields, it's hard to return to a normal life. No one can cleanly sever ties with the past. Even if you survive and retreat to the mountains, the experiences will still haunt you like a nightmare.

So, he simply numbed himself completely to the bloodshed and used his Zanpakuto and haori to prove his identity!

Everyone did it this way, and they got the corresponding results.

Yamamoto and Unohana are somewhat different, but they also paid a price to separate themselves from their past, and strictly speaking, they are no longer the same people they used to be.

Saito is not a flexible person. She is not good at anything other than fighting and drinking, and she is not as pretentious as the other two (making trouble for herself when she has nothing to do). She is unable to restrain herself for a certain goal.

Therefore, her thoughts were the same as those of her deceased companions:

Live life to the fullest, and die a joyful death!

No one needs to remember them, and correspondingly, they will have no regrets or concerns when they die.

She had already done what she needed to do in her lifetime, and there should be an iron throne in hell waiting for her arrival!

But it was at this moment that she had a new idea...

That's too cunning, and such a cunning approach is not in her style!

Now that things have come to this, you're saying you've found love, have someone to care about, and have become sentimental... What a joke!

When it's time to put a period to the end, let's not do any unnecessary follow-up discussions!

But then again, when did I start to like... or rather, when did I become aware of my feelings?

—Gazing calmly at Iori's profile, Saito Immortal was slightly lost in thought.

It was really inappropriate at such a critical moment, but surely no one would notice if I acted a little recklessly? Respect for the deceased is paramount, so let's not hold it against her.

It is now the second day since the start of the war. The Hueco Mundo has gathered a massive army of Hollows that has shocked the Gotei 13 and launched an attack on Tsunayoshiro's fortress.

Although Tsunayoshiro's fortress was protected by a powerful anti-membrane barrier, the [Lost Palace] side also "timely" developed technology to weaken its effectiveness, opening a path to the inside.

The entire day was spent in fierce battle. Although the intense spiritual pressure fluctuations were not as great as those between Iori and Lone Wolf, they were still far superior to ordinary captain-level clashes.

According to the plan, the expeditionary army will launch an attack from another direction soon, but it is actually just a feint to attract the enemy troops and reduce the obstacles for the decapitation team so that they can strike at the heart of the enemy!

Ultimately, the outcome of wars in the Bleach world depends on high-end combat power. In the original work, whether facing Aizen's forces or the Wandenreich, the outcome is still determined by only a few individuals. The role of ordinary members is as insignificant as an anthill under a flood.

This may sound harsh, but it's the truth:

On such a battlefield, most ordinary Grim Reapers, like the Killian, are cannon fodder.

Their greatest role is to use them as a feint to draw attention, and this will actually minimize casualties.

The Kido Clan will be the organizers of this attack. Their leader, Tessai Kōhō, has enough strength to keep things under control, so there's no need to worry about anything going wrong.

The key to everything lies in whether Iori's team of captains can kill Tsunayoshi Tokinada in a short time. Saito is in this team, and everyone, including her, believes that Iori can lead them to complete this mission.

Anyone who witnessed that battle that nearly shattered Hueco Mundo would have no doubt that Iori possessed that strength!

Incidentally, after the battle that day, only Esdeath went to check on the situation, and no one saw the specific results. However, Iori said that the investigation had been completed and that Lone Wolf was not one of Tokina's subordinates, but had simply wandered around and encountered some accidents.

He had already sealed the lone wolf away using Kido, and it wouldn't come out to cause trouble until the war was over. Trusting Iori, no one doubted it, and the black cube that appeared in the crater after the war did indeed contain a powerful spiritual pressure reaction.

Such a powerful Vasto Lorde was suppressed by Iori single-handedly, without even suffering any injury. This was a performance worthy of a Captain-Commander, which made everyone marvel and feel more at ease.

Of course, Saito's attention wasn't on that.

The girl's late-blooming love was more intense than she had imagined. At this moment, she was like a hungry wild beast, seeing nothing but the fresh meat in front of her.

This may sound a bit blunt, but there is no more apt analogy, because in Saito's mind, even matters between men and women should involve mutual tearing and biting, accompanied by blood and sweat.

Despite lacking experience, I am certain I will not lose when I get serious—Saito's unfounded confidence is of unknown origin.

However, she may not have the opportunity to put it into practice; she has already decided to die like a captain of the Gotei 13.

But before that, she had one more question:

At what exact moment did her heart fall for Aizen Iori?

The reasons or opportunities for people to fall in love with each other are often ambiguous and unclear, not understood by others, and even by themselves.

Saito, a mature woman with a thousand years of experience, believes that so-called "love at first sight" is nothing more than lust at first sight, and the so-called "decisive moment" is just hindsight.

There just needs to be a reason to explain "why I like him/her", and I just happened to find an impeccable reason that can be accepted by both of us and the public, so I used it as the answer.

This is undeniably an extremely convenient and gentle way of thinking—humans often use ambiguity, both big and small, as a lubricant between each other.

If everyone could hear each other's true thoughts, the world would probably be destroyed within 24 hours.

Saito was different. After calmly reflecting on her past and carefully recalling all the reasons, and then eliminating any overly girlish ones, she clearly knew why she had fallen for him.

She really liked that face!

To clarify, she wasn't simply obsessed with looks; otherwise, the Gotei 13, which has produced many handsome men over the past millennium, wouldn't have made her realize that she was still a woman.

Strictly speaking, what she liked was the look on Iori's face.

Whether it's the naivety of someone just starting out, the perseverance during arduous training, the coldness revealed when trapped in dire straits, or of course, the gentleness radiating in private interactions...

Saito had never been one to appreciate art, yet she was deeply captivated by this face. Her emotions, long since numbed, her self shielded by alcohol and violence, only began to awaken when she saw this face—

The feeling of realizing you're still alive!

I want to see more... and more...

She had never seen Iori shy, nor had she ever seen him cry, nor had she ever seen him overjoyed, grief-stricken, or tender-hearted...

She wants to see all of these!

She wanted to know how Iori would react when she was confessed to;

He wanted to see if he could remain calm when a woman was on top of him.

I'm curious what her children would look like if she had them;

I also want to try and see if Iori can beg for mercy while crying on another battlefield...

She had so many things she wanted to do and see, but she didn't have the time; everything would come to an end in the near future.

Realizing this, Saito felt an indescribable anguish and, for the first time, began to doubt his own choice.

The predetermined "perfect" life and the new future full of unknowns are gradually tipping the scales in one's heart.

After all, there's no Iori in Hell—that thought just wouldn't go away.

"That's how it is..."

Like a soft murmur, Saito gazed at Iori, and suddenly hot tears welled up in one of his eyes.

So many years have passed... She thought she had long lost the ability to shed tears for anyone or anything.

But she didn't feel sad. Instead, she felt a sense of enlightenment, wiping away her tears while revealing a genuinely happy smile.

I finally understand... To me, Iori is equivalent to "the beauty of this world" itself!

This is a feeling that has long been lost, so much so that it is so unfamiliar that one dares not acknowledge it.

"Hey, Iori."

Suddenly, Saito softly called the man's name.

"Ok?"

"I—will come back alive!"

A light seemed to gleam in Saito's single eye: "I've made up my mind!"

"...That sounds like someone is about to die a martyr."

Iori glanced at Saito, who had pigtails: "If we go together, we should come back together. Isn't that just common sense?"

"Yes, but this time when I come back... if I can come back, I will no longer be myself."

Saito was speaking in a language that no one could understand, and he was grinning. For some reason, Iori found that expression very charming.

"I have something to tell you then—it's a notification!"

Just wait patiently!

"Oh...then I won't ask."

Iori smiled helplessly, though she didn't think much of it, she was inexplicably happy for Saito.

You seem to be in a good mood.

“Yes, I’m even starting to doubt why I didn’t notice it before… such an obvious fact.”

Saito gripped his Zanpakuto tightly at his waist: "This fussy, indecisive behavior is nothing like me!"

"Congratulations~"

Iori smiled and nodded, then suddenly her expression froze:

Did Saito just set a flag for the two of them?

"..."

Tsk! Thank goodness it was just an actors' gathering!

—The onlookers stared at each other, frozen in a state of near paralysis.

Saito and Iori weren't trying to hide it from anyone. Although their movements and noises weren't loud, they were less than ten meters apart, so it was impossible for them to escape the keen senses of the captains.

And then they heard all this...

Was that a confession?

[Isn't that a confession?]

[Make sure I notice!]

[...a man burdened with grave sins!]

When were these two people...?

Now is not the time to speak out.

[Ken, Saito's eyepatch isn't as cool as yours~]

Just then, Iori's voice rang in everyone's ears, "Everyone, are you ready?"

"Preparing? A wedding gift?"

Cang Chun replied subconsciously, "Don't worry, Xiu Mu is quite wealthy."

"No, I'm asking about preparations for battle."

Iori's eye twitched slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, please don't mind."

"..."

Iori glanced indifferently at everyone's faces, taking in all their expressions, and sighed inwardly.

These guys... did I not put enough pressure on them? They're so lax.

It seems it's time to give them a little more intensity!

"In that case, let's begin!"

……

"...It's about to begin."

In the war fortress of Gangmidai, a towering building, majestic like the Tower of Babylon, sits at the center.

This is both a castle tower and a military camp. From bottom to top, the residences are divided according to rank and strength of the Hollows. Killian is not qualified to enter, and the lowest rank is a mid-level Hollow. Those who can be ranked at the top are Arrancars.

As for the highest four tiers, they consist of three Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar, known as the "Three Egyptian Gods"—

Of course, both the title and the people themselves were fabricated by Iori out of thin air.

Using "clones" and "transformations," Iori easily created the "Three Phantom Gods," whose power was comparable to that of the Rebellious Gods!