Your Excellency Is Strong, but My Art Style Is Above Yours!

"That was wonderfully said... I never expected even a young man to possess such courage and such a clear understanding of the greater good. I'm truly ashamed!"

"Your Excellency Aizen, my Zanpakuto is called—"

Under normal circumstances, such pleasantries might have left people at a loss. But everyone had just experienced a brutal battle, and while they were exhausted in both body and mind, they saw someone being so frank. On top of that, Iori had previously risked his life to cover the retreat of his allies and had even saved Tenkai Shūsuke at the risk of his own life... Who wouldn't praise him?

Even the worldly Saitō Fuyōfushi could not help giving Iori a thumbs-up!

Facing the tide of praise, Iori modestly lowered his head in acknowledgment before taking a seat beside Tenkai.

Mirror Water hung at his waist, but unlike an ordinary Zanpakuto, it remained in its Shikai state even after being called by name, rather than reverting to its Asauchi form.

But no one paid much attention to it, nor did they find it strange.

They had all heard from Tenkai that Iori had comprehended Shikai in a desperate situation in order to save him. Perhaps forcefully calling its name had caused some hidden issue, leaving Iori's Shikai unable to return to its Asauchi state—or perhaps it had become a Zanpakuto with a permanently released form.

There was nothing unusual about that. Soul Society had no shortage of strange Zanpakuto, and there were countless examples of Shikai or Bankai going wrong.

What was so surprising about a Shikai that could not revert? Some people's Bankai became permanent the moment they activated them, while others used their Bankai for decades without realizing there was a second stage!

In short, Soul Society had a long history, and every kind of oddity had appeared before. There was no need to make a fuss over everything.

Iori was not the protagonist of this military meeting. His performance had been outstanding, but the best record still belonged to Saitō Fuyōfushi, who had fought three Adjuchas alone during the battle, killed one, and driven back the other two!

This was, after all, a supernatural world. Top-level combat power could determine the entire course of a battle. It was precisely because Saito had won that the Bleach side had successfully weathered this Hollow Tide.

"Captain, your injuries aren't serious, are they?" one of the Four Heavenly Kings asked with concern.

Saito nodded carelessly, then picked up the cup of sake beside her and drank half of it. "Gulp... It's fine. Those three Adjuchas only looked impressive; they weren't that hard to deal with. If their abilities hadn't been a little unusual, I would have taken them down without a scratch!"

Seeing that she was still in the mood to drink and brag, everyone relaxed.

In theory, Adjuchas, mid-level Hollows, possessed Captain-level spiritual pressure. But just as Captain-level fighters varied in strength, Adjuchas also differed enormously, to the point that they barely seemed to belong to the same rank.

The Adjuchas that had attacked the camp this time had decent spiritual pressure, but their combat techniques were only so-so and posed little threat to Saito... Yet there was something she kept to herself instead of telling the Four Heavenly Kings.

She suspected that an even stronger Hollow had been directing this attack from behind the scenes, because she had sensed something bizarre from those three Adjuchas—a feeling as though they had been forcibly ripened...

But saying that aloud would have been too horrifying. A Hollow capable of freely controlling Adjuchas might well have been one of the highest-ranking Vastolordes. Such creatures were monsters that required multiple Captains to subdue; the Expeditionary Army alone would never be enough.

Saito had deliberately allowed herself to be injured, showing weakness to the enemy in order to see whether there truly was a high-level Hollow behind the scenes.

Yet until the battle ended, nothing unusual had happened, leaving her doubtful.

At that moment, Saito recalled a rumor she had heard long ago. Supposedly, an invincible Hollow had once appeared in Soul Society. Even Yamamoto had lost to it, and in the end, a major figure from Zero Division had been forced to intervene.

Over the years since the Thirteenth Division was established, although there had been no large-scale war with Hueco Mundo, there had been many conflicts between them... One of the previous generations of Kenpachi had once suspected that perhaps Hueco Mundo contained a place like the Seireitei, and perhaps even a "King."

"Deep within Hueco Mundo... there may be things hidden there that we do not understand."

The Four Heavenly Kings below exchanged glances, unable to understand why Saito had suddenly voiced such a sentiment. Only Iori silently agreed.

Hueco Mundo naturally hid many powerful Hollows, including quite a few Vastolordes, but Captain Saito was worrying a little too much.

After all, in the Bleach worldview, humans, Bleach, and Quincy were all the Soul King's "children." Only Hollows were picked up from the roadside!

Among the various power systems, the powerful Hollow line was basically treated the worst. The peak fighters among the Bleach and Quincy could suppress them steadily, and two hundred years later, there would even be the dark history of the "Queen of Hueco Mundo" being tied up for play. There really was no need to worry about Hueco Mundo rebelling~

"Oh, right. To commend Your Excellency Aizen for his accomplishments this time, stay behind after the meeting. You should still have questions about how to communicate with your Zanpakuto, right? I can teach you."

Saito then brought up an entirely unrelated matter. "I heard you know a little Kido? Perfect. You can help me change my bandages or something."

"Huh?" Iori looked Saito up and down, hesitating. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it? There are so many wounded now, so medical care naturally has to prioritize the seriously injured. A minor injury like mine only needs someone half-trained like you to handle it." Saito sounded magnanimous, without the slightest trace of a young woman's bashfulness.

Iori gave an awkward smile.

It's not worth stirring up rumors over a flat chest... If only you had some ambition and were as endowed as Tohsaka Rin, I'd hold my nose and accept it. But with a figure even more Kugimiya than Railgun's... Sigh, an official one rank higher can crush you. I guess I'll just have to wrong myself a little!

After the previous Hollow Tide, the camp enjoyed a long stretch of peaceful days. Iori worked part-time with the medical team, helping out in the wounded soldiers' camp, while also studying basic knowledge and Shunpo techniques under Saito. His days were quite fulfilling.

But he had not forgotten the world of Akame ga Kill! Thanks to Hueco Mundo's special environment, he often needed only half a day to "recharge," so his trips between worlds became more frequent.

However, as the name "Takeru" spread throughout the Far East Island Nation, his reputation seemed to have temporarily reached its peak. Further advancement would require time to build up, which left Iori somewhat regretful.

This kind of endlessly repeatable plot CG had undoubtedly opened up a new path for him. If he obtained similar CGs in the future, he could follow this example and keep farming them... But gaining Art Style Value so efficiently would not be easy.

That was because Iori's success in the Far East depended on certain conditions.

First, the region was fragmented among competing powers and plagued by frequent disasters. The people desperately longed for a hero, and Iori had followed that trend.

Second, the Far East's combat power was not particularly high. There, Iori was like an ancient patriarch who dominated an entire era in a fantasy novel. After slaying the Azure Dragon, clearing the entire map was practically no challenge at all.

In other places, gathering such conditions would not be easy.

Soul Society?

Never mind that Soul Society was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; Iori's current level was not enough to stir up trouble. Just trying to become "the people's hero" would make Central 46 suspect that he intended to lead Soul Society into rebellion...

Fortunately, while Bleach was unsuitable, Akame ga Kill! still offered some possibilities.

On the continent across the sea from the Far East, the Thousand-Year Empire had already decayed. The people living in darkness all longed to be saved. To Iori, this was simply a heaven-sent opportunity!

At that thought, Iori's sense of justice suddenly awakened, and he wanted nothing more than to immediately "tread upon the bones of dukes and ministers beneath the heavenly streets"... But he knew he could not act so impulsively.

The Empire was ultimately far stronger than the Far East. Not only might Iori's rash actions allow the Revolutionary Army to swoop in and steal the fruits of his labor, but Esdeath, the Ice Queen and ultimate antagonist, truly was a ruthless figure. She was on a completely different level from other Imperial Arms users, an exceptional powerhouse who made one wonder whether she had wandered in from another setting.

Fortunately, she was still flesh and blood. Her physical combat skills were outstanding, but that was all; she still fell within the category of "if people are killed, they die." Otherwise, judging by that display and those settings, Iori would truly have felt uncertain~

Iori had always been a man of astonishing initiative. Once he decided on something, he acted immediately. He packed his luggage and transferred from the Far East to the continent—this was where Shangri-La's convenience as an Imperial Arms became apparent.

So long as he activated the Imperial Arms and the Taijitu Bagua formation unfolded, he could cross thousands or tens of thousands of miles in the blink of an eye... This kind of Imperial Arms should not have been used by a single person. Its optimal use was to coordinate with a small elite force and carry out decapitation strikes!

In a sense, it absolutely counted as a strategic weapon.

After returning, Iori spent a few days making preparations before quickly reconnecting with the Revolutionary Army under the identity of the Faceless One. Two days later, Nadjeta, the one-armed, one-eyed female general, came to find him and once again invited him to cooperate.

Naturally, Iori was willing. "Will I be working with that disguised assassin, Chelsea, again?"

"No, this time you'll be working with my team."

Nadjeta smiled faintly and said spiritedly, "I was ordered to infiltrate the Imperial Capital and gather intelligence, while also forming a secret unit to carry out assassination missions... Your old acquaintance Akame and her younger sister Kurome are both part of it."

"Heh~"

Iori naturally knew why Nadjeta had deliberately mentioned Akame, but he did not take the bait. Instead, he asked, "Does this secret unit have a codename?"

"Of course!"

Nadjeta spoke with faint pride. "We are known as 'Night Raid'!"

CG Recorded

Akame ga Kill!

Category: Plot CG

Level: --

Quality: --

Rewards Overview:

~Random matching in progress~

Dimensional Gate · Type-Moon Worldview

"Hm?!"

Iori's eyes abruptly widened, his gaze turning sharp enough to startle Nadjeta across from him.

"...What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I suddenly remembered some trivial matters." Iori's expression returned to calm, but a storm had already risen in his heart.

Type-Moon... The new plot CG had actually drawn Type-Moon!

That place was different from Akame ga Kill! Spiritual bodies would not be restricted there, and there were even special spiritual entities like "Servants." Now even the technology for materializing souls had a lead!

The Bride of Human Order · Beast of Continuation

Naturally, Iori was thrilled to draw another plot CG. While the world of Akame ga Kill! still contained potential worth exploring, it was ultimately unsuitable for spiritual entities like Iori, and its power system was too simplistic.

It was merely physical combat combined with Imperial Arms.

At their core, Imperial Arms transformed the abilities of Super Dangerous Species into something their users could wield. Geniuses like the Queen might surpass their origins, but the ceiling was right there. Making a breakthrough beyond it was extremely difficult.

In contrast, the Type-Moon series contained many parallel worlds, with a highly developed—one might even say bloated and cumbersome—setting. It also possessed more than one power system, offering many things that someone familiar with the plot could make use of.

Furthermore, spiritual entities were quite common in Type-Moon, and free-floating energy was not as scarce as it was in Akame ga Kill!

Mm, it suited his current needs perfectly!

There was only one point that required attention.

The Counter Force.

This was one of the foundational settings of the Type-Moon world, similar to the Heavenly Dao in cultivation novels. Although it never showed itself, it observed everything and intervened when necessary to ensure that "the development of the world" did not stray from its predetermined course.

However, according to the original work, so long as it was not a major event that could affect the course of history, the Counter Force generally would not interfere.

Iori was not some Great Demon King seeking to destroy the world. He merely wanted to farm some CGs and learn a few things along the way. With his basic knowledge of Type-Moon's background, he would not touch the Counter Force's sensitive points. After thinking it over, he felt there should be no problem so long as he was careful.

"I just wonder which specific world I'll be transported to..."

After verbally setting an agreement with Nadjeta, Iori returned to the inn where he was temporarily staying and began pondering in private.

The Type-Moon worldview was vast, and the differences between its parallel worlds were obvious. There was Tsukihime, where Dead Apostles ran rampant, and Fate, where Heroic Spirits descended into the world. Beyond those were the philosophically loaded Kara no Kyoukai, along with more niche works such as Mahoutsukai no Yoru, The Garden of Sinners, and DDD.

If he ended up in Kara no Kyoukai or Tsukihime, that would be fine. But if it were the worldview of The Garden of Sinners... Well, who knew whether a spiritual entity like Iori could survive the Age of Māra?

Should he test it first and see where the gate actually led?

Iori carefully checked his condition. After confirming that his spiritual pressure was sufficient, he used Shangri-La to transfer to his safehouse, stored away the excess items, and carried only the Heavenly Cloud Sword with him.

"Most Type-Moon works have fantasy elements. They should not lack free energy like mana or spiritrons. With my strength, unless the situation is too extreme, I should at least be able to hold on for ten seconds and open a gate, right?

"At worst, I can talk my way out of it. Type-Moon bosses always fall for that!"

Iori had already made up his mind. This time, he would only conduct a reconnaissance in force, see what was on the other side, and retreat decisively if anything felt wrong!

"Should I say something at a time like this? Fine...

Link Start!"

Buzz~

Brilliant, faintly colored light lit up. In a Japanese-style room with tatami mats and a low heated table, Iori's figure slowly condensed from spiritual radiance.

As the solid sensation of stepping on the ground reached his feet, Iori instinctively gripped his sword hilt, gathering spiritual pressure in preparation for any threat that might appear.

Yet the extreme situation he had imagined did not occur. Instead, Iori noticed that his "body" seemed to have changed somewhat... though he could not immediately say how.

The concept of "mana" in Type-Moon was quite broad. Life force produced by the physical body could be converted into mana, but souls could do so as well. Even Servants' bodies were formed from mana, though their purity and nature differed.

Could it be that the cross-world universal effect of Art Style Value had automatically converted Iori's Bleach body into this world's spiritual body? Was he using mana now?

Did that make him a Servant, a Phantom Spirit, or simply a ghost?

There had been no such change in Akame ga Kill! Was it really because that world lacked a mature energy system...?

Before Iori could think further, points of light in various colors lit up one after another in the empty air beside him. As countless particles gathered, figures began appearing within this tiny Japanese-style room.

At once, Iori grew tense, but he suppressed his agitation and did not act rashly.

That choice proved correct. After appearing, those people did not pay Iori any special attention. They merely glanced around casually before each finding somewhere to stand or sit.

"Oh my, there are quite a lot of people this time. It seems our 'former Master' is feeling a little lonely~"

An elderly gentleman dressed in British style teased them with a smiling expression. He glanced at Iori but said nothing, as though it were perfectly normal for an unfamiliar person to appear in this room.

They seemed to have mistaken Iori for a summoned Servant as well.

That was right. Every one of these people was a Servant!

As an old, perpetually unlucky player, Iori could even name each of them.

Black Dog, Blood Axe, the Duke, the Professor...

The more Iori looked around, the more alarmed he became. What was this place? It looked like an ordinary room, so why were there so many Heroic Spirits here?

A Holy Grail War? He had never seen this scenario before!

Just as Iori was sitting on pins and needles, a familiar, airy voice drifted in from outside.