Those Familiar Eyes (4K)

"..." Shunsui remained silent for a moment.

The news that Iori could Bankai had already spread throughout the punitive expeditionary force. If it weren't for the strict discipline of the army, there would be a long line of people trying to get close to him... Given the previous sacrifice of two captains, everyone believed that this young man would succeed one of them after the war and become one of the top figures in Seireitei.

What puzzled Kuchiki Ginrei was that although the ocean direction was the weakest side of the barrier, it wasn't so important that Bankai master would be required to guard it.

Ultimately, the most important thing is the main battlefield where experts gather. As long as we can break through the fortress head-on, it doesn't matter if some remnants escape. We can just continue to pursue them!

In any case, the Grim Reaper doesn't need to worry about the length of the supply line; they can just keep chasing.

If Ginrei were still the commander, he would definitely concentrate all the top combat forces on the front lines, instead of assigning someone like Iori Aizen to a place where... they might not even see the enemy.

The expeditionary force consisted of eight squads and some support personnel. With two captains already killed in action, there were only five or six Bankai masters left who could serve as combatants, which was really not a large number.

Although the Quincy's high-end combat power is not as good as the Shinigami, they have an exceptional "Holy Son"... Thinking about it carefully, winning will not be easy.

In a situation like this, shouldn't a master like Iori be used where it matters most?

This is different from the problem of Sengoku Kyōka; it will really affect the course of the battle, so Kuchiki Ginrei must find out the truth no matter what!

"This is my judgment based on a comprehensive assessment of all factors— Iori Aizen is not suitable for this operation."

Kyōraku Shunsui lowered his straw hat to cover his eyes, and his slightly muffled voice drifted out. "Putting him on the front lines might actually be a bad thing."

"What do you mean?" Kuchiki Ginrei asked, puzzled.

"This operation aims to completely eradicate the Quincy clan. You should know very well what that means, Captain Kuchiki."

Shunsui calmly said, "Whether they are wounded or civilians, all humans who have inherited the blood of 'Yhwach' must be eliminated."

"It's truly heartbreaking, but there's nothing we can do about it." Kuchiki Ginrei didn't have any other thoughts about it. "It's better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. If we drag things out now, similar tragedies will only happen again and again."

"That's true, but I'm sure many young people won't be able to accept it."

"... You mean Iori Aizen?"

Kuchiki Ginrei looked enlightened, then frowned deeply. "Hasn't he already been to Hueco Mundo?"

"Fighting inhuman monsters and fighting humans... the feeling is completely different, especially since this war is..."

"Are you worried that he can't handle it?" Kuchiki Ginrei could understand Shunsui's thoughts, but he found them absurd. "He has mastered Bankai, so his will must be incredibly strong. How could he possibly be shaken by something like this? You're just worrying unnecessarily."

"That's not necessarily true. Precisely because I know him well, I know that this person cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

Shunsui recalled for a moment, and said with a wistful tone, "We knew each other before he joined Thirteenth Division. We were not only collaborators, but also close friends with similar interests, so I could sense something special about him... He was different from us."

"Specifically?"

"It's a belief like 'protecting the Soul Society '."

Shunsui explained, "In order to maintain the balance of the Three Worlds and to protect the Seireitei, we can compromise on certain things, even if it goes against our own style—like now."

But he's different... how to put it? It feels like while he would certainly protect the world, it's not his highest priority. Once certain principles are involved, he will absolutely not compromise!

"Yeah..."

The Kuchiki Ginrei seemed to be deep in thought.

Although Shunsui's words were all wishful thinking and had no reliable basis, Kuchiki trusted his judgment of people—don't be fooled by Shunsui's appearance, he was actually several hundred years old and had long since reached Bleach of understanding of the world, so he wouldn't be wrong.

"Would he choose to disobey orders and even oppose Soul Society in order to protect Quincy women and children?"

"Who knows... I don't want to know the answer, so let's just not bring this up in the first place."

There was something else Shunsui didn't say: he vaguely felt that Iori had a habitual tendency to despise authority...

Despite his gentle and polite demeanor, Shunsui has a deep friendship with him and often studies his "works." Some subtle things can be gleaned from between the lines, so Shunsui is certain that Iori outwardly gentle but inwardly strong... seemingly a kind-hearted person, but deep down he may be a solitary beast.

Even the most righteous ordinary people, when faced with the dual pressures of upholding justice and obeying orders from superiors, can at most choose to stand by and do nothing.

But Iori... Shunsui inexplicably felt that this guy was very likely to resist with force... and using righteousness and authority to suppress him would only provoke greater resistance, which was not advisable.

"After all, he's not even thirty years old yet. For a Grim Reaper, that's far too young. Once he's lived for hundreds of years and experienced more, he probably won't be as difficult to deal with as he is now."

Shunsui raised her head and smiled helplessly, "That's why he was pulled away from the main battlefield. Do you understand?"

"Understood..."

Kuchiki Ginrei nodded, understanding Shunsui's concerns; he would probably have made the same decision in his place.

"But this would weaken the strength of the main battlefield."

"There are also remedies for that. Aizen Souyuki's Zanpakuto can create illusions over a wide area. If she works with the Grand Kido Master, she will definitely be able to play a significant role on the battlefield."

"The Grand Kido Master... is indeed no less capable than an ordinary captain."

However, Ginrei asked with a puzzled look, "Didn't Aizen Souyuki have a similar problem to Iori Aizen?"

"Hmm... how should I put it?"

Shunsui hesitated. "That girl is kinder than Iori... but she doesn't seem like the type to take any real action for something like this."

"Probably because she's more mature, after all, she's the older sister."

"That makes sense." Shunsui nodded.

Having answered his question, and having nothing else to do, Kuchiki Ginrei bowed and took his leave. But as soon as he stepped out of the tent, the sunlight streaming in suddenly reminded him of something:

Both had their hidden dangers, Iori only had personality issues, so Shunsui deliberately transferred him to a place far away from the main battlefield for the sake of stability.

Sengoku Kyōka risked being collectively disliked by his comrades, while Kyōraku said there was nothing he could do about it...

Does Shunsui believe that Iori's "value" to Soul Society is far greater than Koga's?!

This fact stirred something within Ginrei, increasing her sympathy and guilt towards Koga.

Chapter 188: A Familiar Gaze (4K)

The endless waves are blocked by cliffs and reefs, flowing into a crescent-shaped bay. The seawater here is clearer and calmer than outside, resembling a huge saltwater lake.

A small boat was tied to a wooden post in the harbor, swaying slightly with the waves. It seemed to belong to the fishermen in the area, but in order to escape some kind of "unseen natural disaster," most of the local people had already fled, so it was naturally abandoned here.

Iori, dressed in Shinigami uniform with the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi hanging at his waist, gazed intently at the undulating sea, the wind whispering like the howls of animals in his ears... or perhaps it was just his imagination, but the wind seemed to carry roars and clanging sounds.

"Looks like it's already started."

Unlike the other Onmitsukidō who went into hiding, Shihōin Yoruichi Earth Flow openly on the beach, side by side with Iori.

With her hands behind her head, she kicked a seashell away out of boredom. The usually cheerful and outgoing leader seemed listless.

Even from this distance, the two could clearly perceive the intense Reiatsu fluctuation. Their sheer scale far exceeded that of Captain-level, as if the entire sky had been frozen, giving them a sense of heaviness in a physical sense.

"You seem unhappy, Iori."

"What a strange question. Why should I be happy? There's nothing in this war that can make people feel relaxed or happy."

Iori spoke calmly, seemingly without much reaction, and even uttered a small complaint.

"If the Captain-General and his team had been able to eliminate the Quincy once and for all eight hundred years ago, there wouldn't be this disaster today."

"They probably didn't expect this race to be so resilient, did they?" Yoruichi, as the heir of Great Noble, obviously knew more than the average member. "After all, they are a race created by humans, and they should have declined after losing their creator... It's really unexpected that they can prosper to this extent."

Perhaps it's because their "creator" didn't actually die, so this bloodline has never lost its driving force.

"It's not out of hatred or conflict of interest, but simply because of different positions, people want to wipe each other out... This world is truly cruel."

"That being said, the responsibility does not lie with us."

Yoruichi waved her hand helplessly. "Their Quincy power will completely shatter the soul into Reishi, preventing them from entering the soul cycle. If they continue to develop, the balance will be broken, which will affect the stability of the Three Worlds."

The Seireitei has negotiated with the Quincy many times, asking them to exercise restraint and reduce the number of times they 'hunt,' but no consensus has been reached. The Quincy continue to eliminate Hollows in the World of the Living without any scruples.

We also tried to cooperate with them, asking them to report the coordinates after discovering a Hollow so that the Grim Reaper could take it down... but we were still rejected!

If it were a necessity for survival, that would be one thing, but Quincy are living humans who can survive as long as they eat and drink. They don't need to hunt Hollows at all. In the end, it's just their tradition and obsession.

So, although we have the advantage, ultimately it's the Quincy have repeatedly crossed the Seireitei's bottom line..."

Are you trying to comfort me?

Iori stopped and looked at Yoruichi with a half-smile, saying, "Don't worry, I have never doubted the legitimacy of this war."

As you said, the Shinigami's position is to protect the Soul Society, while the Quincy's actions will disrupt the balance of the Three Worlds. This is an irreconcilable antagonistic relationship, and war is inevitable when neither side can back down.

I just... can't bring myself to harm someone who can't fight back.

"I didn't want to either." Yoruichi's eyes flickered. "We've managed to escape today, but sometimes we don't have a choice."

After saying that, the brown-skinned girl turned and gave Iori a deep look.

"You'd better be prepared sooner rather than later."

From a Shinigami's perspective, she is considered a "young person," but she is already two or three hundred years old. She has witnessed the dark side of Soul Society and done some dirty work... Otherwise, she would not be able to become the leader of the Onmitsukidō, and would not be qualified to inherit the Shihoin.

Yoruichi also has a younger brother, who is still a child at the time, and whose personality is not suitable for being the head of the family. In other words, if she wants to prevent the power of the Shihoin from falling into the hands of a branch family, she can only show that she is more outstanding than her peers.

As a result, she has already come into contact with many secrets that have been passed down for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. Cruel wars like the extermination of Quincy are not isolated events in the history of Soul Society.

The Grim Reapers, or rather the Seireitei, are capable of doing anything, no matter how terrible, in order to maintain the balance of the Three Worlds!

In that chaotic era of disorder, the noble Shinigami of Seireitei would often send people to sweep through the outer Rukongai when the number of souls was abnormal. It was a real massacre, and almost every time it caused more casualties than this extermination war!

Eight hundred years ago, after the Thirteen Court Guard Squads was established, it also systematically hunted down those unorthodox heroes in order to establish order, completely eliminating the threat of Rukongai to Seireitei.

Since Yamamoto took charge of the Seireitei and began strictly enforcing the Guardian Order, regularly interfering in the World of the Living and Hueco Mundo, there has been no large-scale unrest for a long time.

Compared to before the establishment of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the Seireitei is now much more "gentle." The new generation of Shinigami can still pursue things like justice and a sense of honor, and the Thirteenth Division even have their own team flowers!

Yamamoto's most destructive sword ironically became the sheath that restrained the entire Shinigami faction; it just goes to show how unpredictable life can be.

Yoruichi a very insightful person. She will not willingly step into the darkness, but she will not be corrupted by discovering the dark side either. She hopes that Iori will not be swayed by such things.

This "Little Brother Aizen" is too young...

Although he looks like he's sixteen or seventeen, according to records, this is only because his spiritual power awakened over the past two years, affecting his growth rate. When he first enrolled, he looked like an eleven or twelve-year-old kid.

Even by human standards, he is only just an adult (by 18th-century standards), let alone the Grim Reaper who is often decades or hundreds of years old.

As people get older and gain more experience, they gradually become more accepting and can handle problems that violate their principles properly... However, you can't expect a young person to do that.

Especially now that this young man has mastered Bankai!

Bankai master who is not yet twenty years old is seen by the higher-ups as Son Goku from Mount Paozu —they both look forward to his future and fear that he will go berserk and trample them to death.

Fortunately, Yamamoto is in charge of the Seireitei. A Water-type Zanpakuto without special abilities might become extremely powerful, but it won't threaten the rule of the Central 46. So overall, I'm still more optimistic about Iori.

... The battle continued into the night, with the Reiatsu fluctuation sometimes intense and sometimes subsiding. Iori and Yoruichi were able to roughly grasp the situation of the battle by relying on their long-distance perception. From their calm expressions, it could be seen that although the punitive expeditionary force could not be said to have a one-sided crushing victory, it was making good progress.

A crescent moon, faintly tinged with crimson, rose high into the sky, casting hazy moonlight across the sea. This light echoed the Kakkō in the distant city, creating a unique scene that was half serene and half fiery red.

"They probably won't last until morning." Yoruichi had a Hell Butterfly perched on her hand, as if she had received a military report. "As planned, the Quincy have completely collapsed."

"So... if anyone is to break through, this is probably their last chance?"

Iori turned around, leaving footprints on the soft sand. She slowly raised her left hand, her fingertips radiating a brilliant light—

"Hadō #4: White Lightning!"

Buzz!

Dense bolts of lightning leaped through the air, confined to a single direction, instantly shattering the atmosphere and plunging into the shadowy darkness before exploding in an empty space!

The surging spiritual pressure expanded, and a transparent membrane seemed to wrinkle in the space. Then, it was lifted from the inside, revealing more than a dozen figures hidden within it.

"Such powerful force!" Yoruichi exclaimed in surprise as she looked at Iori.

Is this a low-level Kido? Or is it related to the peculiar bracers on his hands?

The Shihoin Clan is known as the "Heavensent Armament Division," and has inherited many magical or powerful magical weapons. Therefore, successive generations of inheritors have a tradition of mastering hand-to-hand Hakuda (Taijutsu), with the intention of improving physical function and reaction speed in order to control various magical weapons with different functions.

For them, the Zanpakuto is not their only weapon.

Yoruichi believed that the "Lightning Emperor Summon" in Iori's hands were such a spiritual weapon. She was just curious how Iori, who came from Rukongai, managed to obtain such a treasure that could only be passed down by noble families.

Of course, this is a matter of personal privacy, and since it didn't originate from the Shihoin Clan, Yoruichi had no interest in digging into it.

Her attention quickly focused on the Quincy had revealed himself, and then she raised an eyebrow:

They were a group of soldiers with serious expressions, dressed in white uniforms. Although there were men and women, judging from their demeanor, they were clearly an elite force, not the old, weak, women and children one might imagine.

"I expected there would be guards, but I never thought I would run into you."

A man with a buzz cut and a mustache, a strong build, and a tough demeanor stepped forward. His voice was deep and magnetic, and his eyes held a faint sense of compassion. His attire made him look more like a priest than an ordinary Quincy.

Surprisingly, he seemed to know Iori?

Upon seeing Iori's face, he even showed an expression of disbelief, though it was quickly replaced by silent anger.