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

Shi Tan's eyes turned cold, and seizing the opportunity, he immediately used Instant Step to escape—

Snapped!

The man was slightly dazed. When he came to his senses, he found himself standing still, with another figure beside him.

Before anyone knew it, Iori appeared in front of him, the two almost face to face, a plain-looking left hand resting on Tokina's shoulder—

Can't move!

At this moment, Shi Tan was as still as a pheasant being watched by a tiger, his body instincts telling him that the other party could kill him in the blink of an eye, and that death could come at any moment.

bass!

The tapir-shaped dagger snapped in two without him even seeing what happened.

"That wasn't Shunpo, it was... a Hollow's footwork?"

"You're overthinking it. I didn't kill you because of anyone or anything."

Iori didn't answer the question about Hibiki, patted Tokina on the shoulder, then stepped aside to give his place to Tousen Kaname who came up.

As Shi Tan stared blankly at him, Captain Aizen turned around, smiled coldly, and uttered words that felt familiar to Shi Tan:

"It was just a whim of mine."

~~~~~

Chapter 318: This is what happens when the bonds are maxed out.

"Sorry."

Dongxian stood before Kagura's grave, his cold face expressionless, yet a sense of sorrow emanated from him.

"The blood has stained this land... I know that even killing him won't change anything, but at least when I pay my respects in the future, I can forgive myself for my incompetence."

After saying this, he fell silent, quietly "watching" his dear friend's grave, lost in thought. Iori didn't disturb him, standing alone on the other side of the hill, gazing up at the beautiful moonlight.

Woo~

The melodious flute music carried far into the night, as if someone was pouring out their heart in the wind. There was no resentment, only a faint longing and sadness, which made people feel as if they had lost their strength and became dejected. But after a long rest, a strange emotion rose from the chest.

It was as if some heavy burden had been lifted out of my body without my noticing. Even though I still remembered that sadness, I felt much lighter.

After a long while, Iori stopped playing, put the bamboo flute away in her private space, and smiled freely at the moonlight.

Ding!

[CG included]

[The Month of Farewell]

Type: Bond.

Quality: Legendary.

Grade: A.

Rewards Overview:

Strength increased slightly;

A slight increase in energy;

Mobility increased slightly;

Art style value +3;

Additionally, upon reaching a critical point with "Tosen Kaname," an extra reward is granted through the talent [Single-mindedly Yearning for Reversal]:

Art style value +6!

……

"I'm sorry, Lord Aizen, I've kept you waiting for a long time."

"It's okay, we have plenty of time, but you apologized many times tonight."

Iori smiled, in a very good mood, and was not affected by killing Tsunayoshi Tokinada.

"Excessive politeness can also be seen as a sign of distance, which we probably don't need between each other, right?"

"For an organization, a clear hierarchy is essential. No matter how Lord Aizen views me, I cannot overstep it."

"You are as strict as ever, but it is precisely because of this personality of yours that I feel comfortable sharing my secrets with you."

Iori spoke frankly, saying calmly, "You should have noticed it too, right? Tsunayoshiro Tokinada walked here on his own after being hypnotized, and I have never revealed this ability to anyone else."

—Although it is actually the older sister's ability.

"I feel extremely honored and even a little ashamed to have earned your trust."

Dongxian lowered his head. "For my personal matters, you've taken such a great risk, even having to reveal one of your trump cards... How can I ever repay this debt of gratitude?"

"That's your misconception, Tosen."

Instead of being pleased, Iori scolded Tosen: "Why do you think this is your private matter? I've already said that this was just a whim of mine, and I didn't do it for you."

"team leader……"

"Moreover, your expression, as if you have no regrets in this life, is truly disappointing."

"Ok?"

Dongxian felt inexplicably terrified. "Why?"

"After killing Shi Tan, did you feel much lighter because you thought you had avenged yourself and had no more obsessions? If that's the case, then I've overestimated you."

Iori chuckled softly: "But I don't think you're that narrow-minded. If you were facing darkness but still upholding your principles, you would know the true nature of tragedy."

Why did your dearest friend die so needlessly? Was it merely because of a moment's hesitation?

"Well!"

Tosen's body trembled slightly.

"Yes, we all understand that it is not only the villains who have caused all these tragedies. They certainly deserve their punishment, but they are not capable of committing so many crimes on their own. There is a force that has indulged or even protected them, which has allowed things to deteriorate again and again!"

This force is invisible to the naked eye; it is not a particular person or even an organization, but a 'consensus' that exists widely in the hearts of people from all walks of life.

This consensus gave Tsunayoshiro the capital to be arrogant, the power to act recklessly, and provided him with a place of refuge... This is the root of 'evil'!

"……I see."

Tosen frowned deeply: "I've always understood..."

"That's right. In fact, everyone understands this principle, but normal people cannot manifest it as an enemy, and they have no means to fight against it... let alone achieve victory."

Even to me, this is a terrifying prospect. Without absolute certainty, in the worst-case scenario, one might turn against the entire world, leaving no one to rely on.

"No! At least you still have me!"

Tosen exclaimed with unusual emotion, "No matter when, even if the world comes to an end, I am willing to follow you!"

"Not under their command, but on their left and right."

Iori smiled with satisfaction, then her expression changed, and she asked him seriously, "Now, it's time to ask this question:"

Tosen, will your revenge stop after killing the culprit, or will you uproot the entire system that caused this tragedy?

The answer is obvious.

Tosen's answer did not disappoint Iori. This Shinigami, who could not see any light, had long been accustomed to the darkness, but now he could feel a ray of light shining into this desperate world—that was Aizen Iori.

At least that's how Tosen Kaname sees it.

Iori had long since earned this person's loyalty, but this bond has now been elevated once again. Tosen's feelings for Iori can no longer be described as loyalty or longing... perhaps it can be called "faith"?

……

When the two attendants woke up, Tosen Kaname was nowhere to be seen. There was only a pool of dried, dark red blood on the ground. Tsuna Miyoshi Tokina was standing in front of Utamaro's grave, seemingly lost in thought.

"Little Lord?"

Seeing this, the two of them immediately understood what had happened yesterday.

Clearly, Tosen attempted to attack the young master after knocking them both unconscious, but was instead killed. Frankly, this outcome wasn't surprising, as the two were well aware that their young master possessed many hidden strengths, and a blind, novice Shinigami was no match for him.

I just don't know if that Tosen escaped or simply died... If he really killed the 13th Division's head officer, it could easily cause trouble if the aftermath wasn't handled cleanly.

Tsuna was already embroiled in a pile of lawsuits, and if he were to be charged with murder, it would be even harder for him to escape. He would most likely try to shift the blame onto someone else. Thinking of this, the two looked at each other with some worry on their faces.

They also knew that Shi Tan was generous, but also truly ruthless. Even after following him for so long, they couldn't guarantee that he would treat them differently.

After all, he was a villain who killed his wife over a quarrel!

"Young Master, Dongxian wants him..."

"Ran away."

"What? They escaped!"

The two were immediately shocked: "How is this possible? We clearly already... Young Master, did you deliberately let him go?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Shi Tan sensed their unease and turned around, coldly saying, "This matter doesn't involve you. That guy's enemy is me."

"..."

The two felt a bitter taste in their mouths. What he said was true, but they had, after all, struck first... If Tosen were dead, it would be fine, but now that he was alive, what would happen if he went to the captains to complain...

They weren't surnamed "Tsunayoshi," so of course they were afraid!

"It's alright, just insist that he was the one who came to assassinate me."

Shi Tan wasn't worried, as if he had already thought of a solution. "It's no secret that he and I have a grudge. If someone comes knocking on my door, this reason is perfectly plausible."

"But young master... what about the people from the Second and Ninth Divisions..."

"Are you afraid you won't be able to withstand the interrogation?"

"……Yes."

"waste!"

Shi Tan roared, "You can't even handle this little thing! You're utterly useless!"

"Well……"

The two servants nodded obsequiously, but were inwardly furious.

If it weren't for the fact that you, Shi Tan, have stirred up so much hatred, we wouldn't need to live in such fear. Now you're turning around and blaming us, ptooey!

"Since that's the case, we'll have to resort to some tricks."

Shi Tan seemed to be deep in thought, and muttered to himself, "I need to find more helpers. As long as I can get in touch with the 46th Chamber first and leave an impression on them, I can gain the upper hand... Even if I can't win the case, I can still muddy the waters."

"This is the only way now."

The servants breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at least they wouldn't be pushed out as scapegoats, since their master was quite confident in his ability to resort to crooked means.

"Then you can organize it."

Tsuna gave the two of them a disdainful look: "This is giving you a chance to live, understand?"

"Ming, I understand!"

Even if they harbored deep resentment, the two could only lower their heads and go against their conscience.

Shi Tan, full of confidence, said, "I'll host a banquet at home and invite everyone who's useful. I'll use all the connections I've built up. It's time to fulfill those big shots' promises... You know who to invite, right? I don't need to say more about this little thing!"

"Of course!"

The two quickly agreed, afraid of provoking their capricious master to lose his temper.

"……That's good."

Shi Tan smiled slightly.

His eyes gazed at the distant scenery of Seireitei, with its white walls and black roofs. This world, so clearly defined by black and white, concealed countless filths... beautiful, but far from clean.

"It's time for a good cleaning!"

……

"What? Tosen was stabbed?"