Then Let's Drag Them All Down With Us! (4.5K)

Why are you so confident?

Soujun was puzzled. "Just because we reached an agreement with the 'King' of Las Noches? Although they have indeed kept their promises during this time, how can we entrust our fate to something like 'the integrity of the Hueco Mundo'?"

"Hmm, you make a good point."

Iori nodded, then changed the subject.

"Okay, actually I don't believe in any agreements. The reason I'm so confident is mainly because—I am the King of Hueco Mundo."

"...Um?"

"I am the King of Hueco Mundo, Hiyori (Esdeath) is the Queen or Queen... Well, actually, we have long ruled this territory. This trip to Hueco Mundo is just to cover up my personal ambitions."

"...ah?"

Soujun raised her face, her eyes clear as if she were an untainted college student.

He blinked, paused for three seconds before coming to his senses, and immediately showed an angry expression, but his good rest suppressed it.

Interestingly, his anger was not due to the "crimes" confessed by Iori.

"I'm speaking to you very seriously, can you stop trying to brush me off with words like that, Captain Aizen!"

Do you think I'm lying?

Iori calmly accepted Soujun's gaze.

"No!"

The young nobleman of the Kuchiki clan declared resolutely, "I think you've had too much to drink!"

"Are you taking this as nonsense? These days, nobody believes the truth anyway," Iori said, pursing her lips.

"I admire Captain Aizen's talent in many ways, but your occasional unruliness and Pegasus really need to be controlled!"

Soujun spoke as if advising a friend, "Some things are not to be joked about."

"... I appreciate your kindness."

Seeing that Soujun didn't seem to be making empty promises or having ulterior motives, Iori also became more serious and composed.

"But there's really no need to worry so much. As you can see, the people here are just on rotation. The normal punitive expeditions and patrols haven't been suspended, and the security of the camp is naturally being taken care of by someone."

Of course, there's also the most important point—I don't drink it myself.

If an emergency occurs, I will not hesitate to use ice Kido to instantly bring these guys back to their senses.

"Um... I'm sorry, Captain."

After Iori explained, Soujun suddenly realized. "That would indeed be foolproof, but it seems a bit cruel to you. It's so lively, but you have to stay sober and not join in."

"Because I'm the captain."

Iori smiled, glanced at the pale-faced young nobleman, and turned to take a few bottles from the wine cabinet.

"You look terrible, shall I make you a drink?"

"Liquor?"

Soujun hesitated, but after carefully reviewing her schedule, she realized that she was actually on a tight schedule and there were no major tasks waiting for her.

"In this situation, shouldn't I also do something in return?"

"In Hueco Mundo, everyone needs a way to pass the time, and getting drunk is considered relatively mild."

Seeing his eager expression, Iori comforted him, saying, "Of course, unlike those guys, I can't give you any strong liquor. I'll just mix fruit juice and sake to make a refreshing drink to cheer you up."

"That's not bad either."

Soujun nodded. Although drinking together during work hours was not in line with the Kuchiki clan's style, this was Hueco Mundo, and it seemed that he had no choice but to break the rules occasionally in order to get along with his colleagues.

"Then I'll leave it to you... please get me a milder one."

After saying that, realizing that she was about to "break the rules," Soujun felt a little expectant.

Seeing the excitement he was trying so hard to hide on his face, Iori turned around and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Of course, I'm not the kind of guy who forces people to drink. How about I start with a beginner-level drink... with some oolong tea in it?"

Oolong tea?

Soujun breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay!"

~~~~~

Chapter 310 Let's drag them all down with us! (4.5K)

"Call!"

Inside the large tent, Kuchiki Sōjun suddenly stood up. His thin body appeared unnaturally pale in the shadows, and his jet-black hair accentuated this impression.

The young nobleman stared blankly, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He subconsciously looked at himself, then at the scene inside the tent, muttering to himself, "What's wrong with me... What happened? Hmm!"

Just as he was about to recall, a thin, jagged pain shot through his forehead, causing him to clutch it. In his distress, fragments of memory gradually surfaced in his mind.

"Oh right... I was drinking with the captain... that cup of oolong tea... ugh! Why, why don't I remember anything after that?"

Where is this place?

And, more importantly—

"Why am I not wearing any clothes?!"

Just then, footsteps sounded outside, and a shadowy figure stood in the doorway, accompanied by a voice that sounded familiar to Soujun.

"Oh, you woke up so quickly? You seem to be in pretty good spirits, that's a relief. I didn't expect you to be such a lightweight; I should have known better than to agree to your invitation."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, have you forgotten? You were the one who insisted on having a few more drinks, and you got angry when I didn't give you any."

Iori chuckled and came in, then lit the oil lamp so that Soujun could see the surrounding objects clearly and discover that this was actually a patient sanatorium in the medical department.

"Did I... did I lose control while drunk?"

Soujun felt incredulous, and at the same time, a faint sense of shame welled up in her heart. "I actually... in front of Captain Aizen... well, it was just a few drinks... I'm so ashamed!"

"Oh, don't mind it, it's nothing. Everyone gets carried away sometimes."

Iori smiled and comforted him, then picked up Shinigami uniform from the side and threw it at him.

"And I've really seen something new. I rarely see you so happy. Your smile is much brighter than usual."

"... What have I done?"

Soujun asked anxiously.

The thought of being completely naked made him feel increasingly uneasy, fearing that something irreversible had happened.

Did he have sex after drinking?

Luckily, everyone present was a man... wait, no!

I'm even more uneasy now!

Fortunately, Iori spoke up in time to dispel his concerns, "It's nothing. You just said you were too hot and took off your coat. Then you accidentally spilled some wine on yourself and passed out. So we had to take you naked and bring you here to rest for a while... Well, it's only been a few Tokiomi."

"I see..."

Although this is embarrassing enough, it doesn't seem so bad compared to the worst possible outcome in my mind?

I'm so sorry!

Soujun felt extremely rude. "Although I have a low alcohol tolerance, I don't usually drink so recklessly... I'm sorry to have troubled you, Captain."

"No, no, no, it was my idea to have a proper showdown in the first place. Soujun, you were dragged into this, so it's already magnanimous of you not to be angry with us."

Looking at the sickly, handsome man before her, Iori thought about his previous behavior and secretly curled the corners of her lips.

He certainly concealed some of the facts, after all, if he were to tell the whole story, his capable subordinate might have been driven to suicide by jumping into a well... Some things are better left unsaid by the parties involved.

But to be honest, this person's alcohol tolerance is indeed a bit low; he clearly didn't drink many cups—it's definitely not Iori's fault.

After all, Iori didn't bring out something as potent as "Water of Life," but instead used the extremely precious [Kiki Divine Sake], a legendary wine brought from the Type-Moon world, brewed for the gods... It's absolutely the best of the best!

If there's anything inappropriate about it, it's simply that, to increase the "excitement," a drop of purified Mapo Juice was added—the essence of a certain famous Magic Crest...

Although Iori had never drunk it, she felt it was nothing special.

"Let's not talk about that for now. Your fainting made me realize a problem. Although I had noticed it before, I never took it seriously. It was my oversight."

What Iori said next warmed Soujun's heart, "Your Hakuda and Zanjutsu are quite good, but your health isn't very good. Living in a place like Hueco Mundo must be very difficult for you, right?"

You've been enduring all this time? That's admirable... Is there anything I can do to help?

Soujun's gaze softened, a mixture of emotion and melancholy. "You've gone to so much trouble, but there's no need to worry too much. I've been like this since birth. It's not some tangible illness, but rather an intangible fate that binds me, something beyond human control."

But you can rest assured, even the weakest men of the Kuchiki clan have their own ambitions, and I will absolutely not hold my comrades back!

"... Do you think I'd be happy to hear something like that?"

Iori frowned instead. "Soujun, I'm asking you, on the battlefield, what's the most important thing between comrades?"

"This..."

Kuchiki Sōjun vaguely sensed that Iori was somewhat angry, but he didn't know where it came from. He could only lower his head and think for a moment before saying, "It's trust."

"That's right, mutual trust is what allows us to entrust our backs to each other with peace of mind."

Iori asked seriously, "Then Soujun, can I trust you?"

Soujun was taken aback, then became excited. "The Kuchiki clan would never betray their promise!"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with the family name!"

Iori's voice suddenly rose, suppressing Kuchiki Sōjun's imposing aura.

I'm targeting you personally!

Putting aside pointless beliefs and family honor, how can we trust someone who doesn't even care about their own safety to look after others?

Remember, you can only protect others if you protect yourself first!

Having said all that, do you still want to drag this ailing body to the battlefield?

"..."

Kuchiki Sōjun fell silent. He instinctively wanted to refute Iori's words, but he also knew they were true. He was an unstable factor on the battlefield. Although he was determined not to cause trouble for his comrades, it was actually difficult to do so. He might make a mistake at any time, causing unnecessary losses to the team.

He was determined to risk everything to avoid bringing shame to his family, but he couldn't openly claim that he wouldn't have any problems...

"I understand. I will resign from my current position and transfer to the logistics and clerical departments."

Soujun said in a heavy tone.

Unexpectedly, Iori interrupted, "Who said you had to resign?"

"Um?"

Soujun looked up in surprise.

Iori smiled and said, "I said that patients cannot go to the battlefield because the Expeditionary Army has not reached that point yet. With sufficient combat power, there is no need to leave hidden dangers for ourselves, but it is by no means to exclude you."

The solution is simple: while we have the time and resources, let's focus on improving your health, and then we won't need to worry about so much else.

"Huh? This... hehe..."

Kuchiki Sōjun gave a bitter laugh, "I appreciate your kindness, Captain, but I'm afraid it's impossible. If my illness could be cured, the Kuchiki clan would have done it long ago with their resources and connections. But it turns out that this is fate, and there's no way to defy it... I'm sure Captain Ukitake feels the same way as me."

His discouragement was understandable. The medical methods in Soul Society are quite advanced, but they can only treat acquired illnesses and injuries. They are completely helpless against congenital deficiencies and certain terminal illnesses.

Kuchiki Sōjun was like that, and so was Fujitora Shijuro.

Otherwise, given the capabilities of the Five Noble Clans and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, how could they possibly ignore the illnesses of these two young noblemen?

Iori holds a very special place in Kuchiki Sōjun's heart. He believes that Captain Aizen will surely achieve great things in the future, and the peace of Soul Society for the next few hundred or even a thousand years may depend on this person.

Therefore, even though Soujun was the eldest son of Great Noble, he was still happy to serve under Iori.

But combat power is one thing, while medical skills are a completely different field!

Not to mention, Soujun's condition is beyond the cure of pure medical skills; it requires something like a "The Miracle," just like "that" Captain Ukitake encountered before...

But Iori appeared very confident. "I can't guarantee anything, but the situation can't get any worse, so let me give it a try. What if it works?"

"Couldn't things get worse...? Heh, you're right."