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

According to the original story, the "Millennial Blood War" that will happen two hundred years later proves that once Yhwach awakens, the potential of this clan will be unleashed, and they will quickly grow to a level comparable to or even surpassing the Gotei 13.

Of course, the Seireitei at this time is unaware of the existence of the "Wanken Empire"; their eyes are only on the Quincy descendants who are barely surviving in the mortal world. Even with the loss of two captains, no one doubts that Soul Society will ultimately prevail!

The key question is what price the Gotei 13 will pay to achieve victory... This is what Kyoraku Shunsui needs to consider.

To be honest, Shunsui himself was actually resistant to the appointment, but with Kuchiki Ginrei seriously injured, aside from Yamamoto, who needed to be the Captain-Commander in charge of Soul Society, the only qualified, capable, and prestigious candidates left were Shunsui, Unohana, Saito, Shihouin Clan Head, Shiba Clan Head, and others.

Unohana leads the Fourth Division, which is a medical unit, but she herself has no desire to be one.

The Shihōin, which already controls the Second Division and the Execution Army, is positioned similarly to a secret service agency like the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and it is not appropriate to grant it such great military power.

As for Saito and Shiba... they each have their own personality issues.

Kyoraku Shunsui's advantage lies precisely in this:

He may seem cynical, lazy, and frivolous, but Yamamoto knows his disciple very well. Shunsui understands the cruelty of the battlefield and has the corresponding awareness, so he doesn't have any unnecessary psychological burden.

Besides, there are plenty of Grim Reapers who are good at chopping people up, but very few who are willing to use their brains...

The crushing defeat spurred the Forty-Six Chambers and the long-established Seireitei leadership. When Yamamoto decided to send his personal disciple to lead the expedition and gather elite Shinigami from various departments, the power that Soul Society had accumulated over a thousand years was revealed without any concealment.

The second batch of support troops will consist of three squads:

Second Division, Captain Shihōin Hyakuhū;

Fifth Division, Captain Sujiba Seigen;

Eighth Division, Captain and Commander-in-Chief Kyoraku Shunsui;

In addition, there are direct guards, covert mobile units, and members of the Ghost Path Sect accompanying them!

Retsuya Unohana will personally lead her subordinates to join the members of the Fourth Division in the present world, but she will stay behind and not directly participate in the battle.

Considering that there might be figures like Hirako Shinji and Ootori Rōjūrō among them, it can truly be said that there are many fierce generals here!

The intentions of the high-ranking officials, including Yamamoto, are quite clear:

With overwhelming force, we directly crushed the Quincy, completely eliminating the hidden danger. We must never allow the tragedy of eight hundred years ago to repeat itself!

Before Iori received the transfer order, he went to see Tosen Kaname to discuss the matter. Then he completed the procedures for leaving the school and was assigned to the punitive expedition team.

He now has some influence, and his so-called direct guard is not just a few people. Including Iori, they should be considered mid-level officers like squad leaders. It would be easy for him to bring Tosen Kaname under his command.

No one raised any objection to this:

It is common and reasonable to promote friends or relatives to be trusted confidants, since on the battlefield, people instinctively want their loved ones to protect them.

Let alone the feudal Soul Society, even on Earth in the 21st century, this is standard practice.

Moreover, this is a war, not a gilded career. For Tosen to have a blind person with mobility issues willingly give up a stable student status and join the combat troops is a courageous act that deserves commendation.

Even the commander-in-chief, Kyoraku Shunsui, upon learning of this, remarked with emotion:

With such loyal and brave men in my Soul Society, how can we not accomplish great things!

-

"Nice to meet you, sir... My name is Kensei Muguruma, and I'll be your captain this time. Please take good care of me!"

When the main officers of the direct guard met, Kensei Mukuro, a white-haired, short-haired young man who was the guard captain, took the initiative to step forward and introduce himself.

Unlike the amiable appearances of ordinary people, this guy, who clearly loves fitness, spoke with great energy, and his sharp eyes made it seem as if he was choosing his opponents as he swept over everyone.

"Greetings, Senior Rokusha. Everyone, thank you for your hard work. My name is 'Senji Xianghe,' and I am skilled in Kido and Shunpo. From now on, we will be fighting side by side on the battlefield. I hope to gain everyone's recognition."

A handsome and dignified young man took over the conversation, bowing slightly to the crowd. His words and actions exuded the air of a diligent and high-achieving student.

"Oh dear, everyone seems so serious, hahaha... Just call me Tenbei. I and this guy both came from the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, so we have quite a bit of combat experience. I'm sure I won't hold you back."

Tenbei Shusuke affectionately hooked his arm around Iori's neck, while the handsome young man turned his head away in disgust.

"Aizen Iori... I've said everything I needed to say. Anyway, nice to meet you."

"Aizen Sōyūhime is not very senior in the Gotei 13. She was just promoted to the third seat of the 12th Division and has now been transferred to the Direct Guard. She is truly flattered."

Yuuki always presents a gentle and elegant demeanor to outsiders: "I'm skilled in Kido and swordsmanship, and I also know a little about Kaido. If you have any minor injuries or illnesses, feel free to come to me~"

The third seat of the 12th Division... So it was her, and this boy too...

Everyone present had some background. Although Iori's "Bankai" was still a secret, everyone knew that he was favored and strongly recommended by Saito. Yuuki was also favored by Jushiro Ukitake of the Twelfth Division.

No one doubts the judgment of the two veteran captains. These two siblings seem to have nothing extraordinary about them except for their good looks, but their strength is definitely not simple!

Putting everything else aside, having such strong teammates is very reassuring, and both Kensei and Hibiki have kind eyes.

"It seems someone is late."

Kensei looked around. The guards were almost all there, but apart from the ordinary soldiers, it seemed that one officer was missing.

"...Has the Shihōin family not arrived yet?"

As the team leader, Kensei Muguruma frowned. He was a very upright person and would not show any disrespect to others, even if they came from a higher social class than him.

If this person was deliberately late, then they had disregarded the rules of the Thirteenth Squad, which was tantamount to not respecting him, their superior. If that were the case, then even if she was a direct descendant of one of the five great noble families, he would absolutely have to make her—

"Ahhh, I'm so sorry, I accidentally played... ah, I overslept!"

Before the sound could fully reach them, a tall and beautiful figure appeared in the wide square in front of the gate, hurriedly putting her hands together and bowing, looking very embarrassed, which made the cadres focus their attention.

So fast!

Not only is he fast, but this guy's Instant Step is almost silent... his footsteps are as light as a cat's.

"But it's not too late, is it? The agreed time... Oh, perfect timing! Hehe~"

Yoruichi, with her brown skin, is an energetic and beautiful girl. Her rare short purple hair makes her look dashing. Unlike others, her shihachi outfit is not loose, but it can perfectly highlight her tall and curvaceous figure. She looks like she's on the cover of a fashion magazine no matter where she stands.

Overall, it may not conform to the aesthetics of this era, but if it were in later generations, it would definitely be considered a professional model if it were on the street.

"It was almost too late. The battlefield isn't that forgiving... This is a one-time exception, understand?"

Kensei's tone was stern, while Yoruichi stuck out his tongue and scratched his head sheepishly.

"understand!"

The brown-skinned girl also became serious and bowed, saying, "I will be more careful in the future."

"Hmm... then let's leave it at that."

Kensei turned around, waiting for the portal to open.

At the very front of the square stood Kyoraku Shunsui, the commander-in-chief of this punitive expedition!

Kyoraku Shunsui led his elite Eighth Division to be the first to arrive in the mortal world, supporting Kuchiki Ginrei while stabilizing the battle, and then receiving the follow-up troops. It can be said that he took on the most difficult task by leading from the front.

Iori and the others will be traveling with the commander-in-chief as his personal guard, and they will likely have considerable responsibilities to shoulder.

In the square, some people were apprehensive, some were excited, and some were used to it... but on the surface they were all very unified, all looking serious and solemn.

Only Yoruichi Shihouin quietly approached Iori, cutting in front of Yuuki, and grinned as she leaned closer: "You must be Iori, right?"

“Just call me by my name…” Yuuki blinked, her seat taken from her.

Iori glanced at the young lady and nodded, puzzled. "What do you need me for?"

He and Yoruichi shouldn't have much of a relationship...

"It's nothing, I just came to see my junior brother~" Yoruichi casually put her arm around Iori's shoulder.

—Tenbei on the other side was surprised.

"Junior brother?" Iori's eyes flashed, as if he had thought of something.

"Isn't Saito-san your teacher? She taught me a lot."

Yoruichi chuckled and said, "Although I didn't learn all my skills from her, you're still my junior brother~"

She is most skilled in hand-to-hand combat and Shunpo (instant step), both of which are based on the Shihōin family tradition and also learned from the seniors of the Thirteenth Division. Among them, Saitō was the one who helped her the most, as well as a great figure from the Reiō Palace whose identity is not convenient to be revealed.

Of course, she was able to reach her later heights through her own continuous breakthroughs; these people merely provided her with ample nourishment.

“Is that so…” Iori was a little puzzled as to whether she could be considered Saito’s apprentice.

Yoruichi was quite generous, readily offering her support: "If you ever get into trouble, just come to me. Your older sister will protect you!"

"Thank you so much!"

Chapter 176: Mayuri Kurotsuchi, First Encounter with the Power of Flags (4K)

War is more boring than I imagined.

There were no epic battles. Kyoraku Shunsui led his troops into the real world and established a camp. He then made contact with Kuchiki Ginrei and successfully rescued the heavily damaged vanguard. After consolidating their forces, they opened a new blockade line.

No large-scale battles occurred throughout the process. Although the Quincy sent out small groups to harass and try to lure the Shinigami into attacking, Kyoraku Shunsui was not distracted by the bait. He strictly controlled the actions of his subordinates, and even if there were opportunities to gain an advantage, they could not take the initiative to attack. His top priority was to support Kuchiki Ginrei, and no matter what happened, the original plan could not be disrupted.

Because the Shinigami were on high alert the entire time, neither the retreating Kuchiki Ginrei nor the supporting Kyoraku Shunsui showed any weaknesses. As a result, the Quincy abandoned their harassment operations and instead focused on consolidating their forces to establish a defensive line.

Although the Death Gods suffered a great loss before, they were not having an easy time either. Their space for movement had been restricted to a very small area. The so-called "Holy Son" was just a desperate attack under the disadvantage... It can only be said that they made the right gamble.

Even though they have temporarily repelled the army of death, they have only gained a respite. It is too early to say that they have turned the tide.

Iori Naoki belonged to Kyoraku Shunsui. Although he was a Bankai master, he was only a mid-level officer and had little autonomy. He was always following orders and carrying out missions. As a cog in the war machine, he didn't have many thoughts about it.

However, this was the first time he had encountered a Quincy, and he fought against them.

Unfortunately, his teammates were too capable, and the Quincy was killed before he could show his strength, so Iori had no way of understanding the group's abilities and characteristics.

He still hoped to have a good fight with a powerful pure-blooded Quincy, after all, this is the second largest power system besides the "Shinigami". As the saying goes, "the stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade", and it would not be a bad thing for Iori to learn more about it.

In addition, one of the Shikai abilities of [Mirror Still Water], "Storm," is used to avoid physical damage by turning a part of the body into spirit particles, which is theoretically countered by the Quincy's ability to manipulate spirit particles.

One of the main reasons he volunteered to join the expeditionary force in Hueco Mundo instead of coming to the human world was to avoid the Quincy—he tried not to do things he wasn't sure of.

But now, through the sublimation of the Third Law, he has obtained a perfect body with a materialized soul. Even if the part of him that has been transformed into a spirit particle is interfered with by external forces, he can recover on his own and is not afraid of the Quincy's abilities.

Feeling confident, Iori was eager to test the limits of her body.

However, soldiers are not free to do as they please, and the direct guard cannot be mobilized at will. After the situation stabilized, Iori and others were responsible for guarding the safety of the main general's camp. They had little opportunity to contact the enemy, so Iori had no choice but to restrain himself and wait patiently.

As the days passed, although the two sides frequently clashed, no large-scale decisive battle broke out. Kyoraku Shunsui had the Kido Sect construct a super-large detection barrier to monitor the movements of the entire battlefront.

Like a game of chess, they constantly mobilized their own forces to nibble away at the Quincy's outer strongholds, gradually removing their eyes, ears, and claws, completely seizing the initiative in the war, and gradually returning to the advantageous position that Kuchiki Silver Ridge had once held.

But he wasn't in a hurry to determine a winner, because his advantage could be further expanded:

Although Shinigami also need to eat and drink, their resource consumption is much less than that of Quincy, who are living people. In addition, they have the entire Seireitei backing them up, so even when they go on cross-dimensional expeditions, the logistical pressure is not too great.

This time, with Unohana leading the elite Fourth Division to treat the wounded, as long as the injuries are not too serious, they can recover. In this kind of long but low-intensity small-scale conflict, the Fourth Division can make full use of its role and greatly reduce the loss of manpower.

Correspondingly, the Quincy clan did not have such good logistical and medical conditions.

On the other hand, we must also consider the purpose of the war. It should be understood that this is not a war to seize territory or a dominant position, but a life-or-death struggle for survival caused by irreconcilable differences in fundamental ideas!

The Shinigami's goal is not simply to win or defeat the Quincy, but to annihilate them as a whole!

Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a clumsy and inefficient "encirclement," and one cannot deliberately leave any openings...

A cornered beast is destined to fight to the death. In order to minimize losses, the Quincy must be weakened as much as possible before the final battle, the more they are worn down, the better!

Kyoraku wouldn't rush into a head-on battle just to pursue battlefield honor. He would use every available means to ensure victory before taking the initiative to open the curtain.

And so, Iori waited a long time without any chance to show off her skills. Instead, she did a lot of work helping Kyoraku Shunsui with his paperwork. After a while, she felt like her body was going to rust—even though there was no deterioration after the soul materialized.

Finally, the main camp received a distress signal sent by the Ghost Path. It seemed that a non-combat unit had been attacked by the enemy on the road. Coincidentally, several nearby teams were on combat missions and could not spare troops to provide support.

Seeing this, Iori volunteered before anyone else could speak, offering to lead a team to rescue the unit. Shunsui didn't hesitate much, only considering it briefly before decisively granting permission, allowing Iori and Yoruichi to lead their subordinates to immediately begin the rescue operation.

Although one of them was a future junior brother and the other was a direct descendant of the Shihōin family, this was a battlefield, and they weren't here to gain experience. Shunsui had no qualms about ordering them around.

Besides, what could possibly happen when a Bankai master and a Shunpo expert are just rescuing a non-combat unit?

-

"Vice-Vice Captain! What should we do now? Does this thing really work? Will we be discovered?"

"Tsk..."

In a house, several panicked-looking grim reapers, dressed in robes as white as a white kimono, anxiously surrounded a strange man with an impatient expression, asking him questions.

This strange man wore an armband with the number "twelve" on it, and a soft leather mask of some unknown material on his face that vividly expressed his true feelings—this man was none other than Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"Quiet!"