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

"...Traveling between parallel worlds, while I can't do it myself, I can understand it."

Yuuki's focus wasn't on the other world, but rather on the core of the question: "Where did you come from?"

"..."

“I don’t believe that souls born naturally in the Three Realms can possess such innate abilities, and your experiences before coming to Rukongai, that is, before your death, are a blank—your ‘birth’ is clearly full of secrets.”

"Yes, that's it."

Iori laughed: "I've shared the story of traveling to another world with others, but this is the one thing... I've never wanted to mention to anyone. You're the first one."

"Ugh!" Yuki's heart tightened, and she subconsciously felt a hint of joy rise up, but she quickly suppressed it.

Now is not the time to be fooled by sweet talk!

"Sister, do you know that the otherworldly realms I went to all have names?"

"A name?" Yuuki frowned. "Something like 'Soul World'?"

"...No, it's even more interesting, just like the book's title."

Iori rattled off a list of titles with great familiarity: "For example, 'Akame ga Kill!'—Akame and Rei's hometown, 'Typemoon,' 'Godkiller'..."

"Wait a moment!!!"

Yuuki's chest heaved violently as a terrifying thought surfaced in her mind. Anger, confusion, shame... countless emotions intertwined in her eyes, finally transforming into a cold laugh: "Could it be that the Three Realms we inhabit also have a 'name'?"

"Bleach, literally translated as 'bleaching,' is generally referred to by fans as 'Death God.'"

"..."

Yuki didn't ask what "fans" meant; with her intelligence, she had already realized the truth.

"So... am I just a character in a book?"

"Strictly speaking, it's a comic... but in the comic it's not actually you, it's a man... anyway, it's very strange."

Iori also struggled to explain: "Including Yamamoto-sensei, Shunsui, Hikifune Kiryu, Shihouin Yoruichi... they are all characters from comic books."

"You're the only one who isn't, right?"

"...At least that's how it is in my memory." Iori didn't say it was a death sentence, clearly leaving room for maneuver.

"This is my biggest secret because I've read this comic and know what kind of place it is and what kind of stories will happen here. So I understand that if I expose myself, I will become an outcast in everyone's eyes."

Having gained the power to face any challenge without fear, I chose to remain silent in order not to damage my existing relationships… Today is the first time I've spoken of this to anyone; even my spouse knew nothing about it before.”

“…You must be joking!”

Yuuki took a deep breath, clenched her teeth, and spoke again after half a minute, her voice much louder: "What a joke! This kind of thing..."

She forced herself to calm down, closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment, then looked at Iori with an imposing aura: "So? Are you going to flaunt your victory and superiority to me now?"

"Is that what you think?"

"I used to think that the Spirit King was unworthy of his position. He was nominally the cornerstone of the Three Realms, but in reality, he was the root cause of the Three Realms' decay and ruin. That's why I longed to transcend the shackles of my birth... But now you're telling me that even the Spirit King is just a character in a book, and that I've only been moving towards an illusory goal from the very beginning?"

Yuuki suddenly laughed, her voice filled with profound sorrow: "Is this what 'a mirage' is? This author really knows how to satirize people!"

"No, he probably didn't think that much about it."

Iori blinked: "It might be a little hurtful—you're not the main character, so the original author didn't put that much effort into it, let alone deliberately plant this kind of foreshadowing."

Iori is being conservative, because according to the setting book, Aizen is just a minor character who was turned into a major villain because of an idea from the original author. This kind of temporary change in setting is similar to Itachi being forcibly whitewashed.

"..."

Yuuki fell silent, but Iori could sense her anger and resentment... It was truly... well, truly pitiful.

Iori gazed at her silently, then suddenly bowed deeply: "I'm sorry, sister!"

This unexpected move stunned Yuuki.

“In my memory, Bleach is a manga world.” Iori’s voice was soft. “But I come from another dimension, an ordinary world without spirit particles or Zanpakuto—so I have questioned everything around me from the very beginning.”

I must also admit that these secrets have always been kept from you; I haven't been as honest as I've claimed.

"Questioning everything... Yes, in your eyes, my mother-in-law and I are just 'roles,' it's hard for us to have real feelings for each other."

“My feelings for my mother-in-law are genuine—the only person I feel repulsion or even fear is you.”

"Ugh?"

Iori stared directly at Yuuki and said solemnly, "Because you are the 'final boss' of this world!"

"..."

Yuuki's body trembled slightly: "Me?"

"The most ambitious villain in the history of Soul Society, and also the most notorious traitor!"

Iori stared intently into her eyes: "Holding the [Mirror Flower, Water Moon], you deceived the entire Soul Society!"

You distrust everyone, have no expectations of anyone, and your thoughts are unknown to anyone... Everyone is someone you can use.

Yuhime was initially taken aback, then seemed thoughtful, and finally smiled with relief, accepting the explanation.

"Me? It wouldn't be surprising if I were to do something like that."

Is that why you're setting up a trap to wear down my will and make me completely admit defeat?

If that's the case, then you've succeeded! Heh... Right now, I truly lack the strength and will to fight you... Congratulations, Iori—you've protected this Soul Society.

"Big mistake!"

Iori said decisively, "If I wanted to protect Soul Society, I could have done it a long time ago. There's no need for all this trouble."

The reason it developed this way is that, on the one hand, you, like in the original work, have ambitions and take action. Given your personality, even if you are forcibly restrained, you will not be willing to accept it and will eventually remain obsessed.

To fulfill your wish, we will do everything in our power, from cunning to force, to make you give up completely!

On the other hand... it's what prompted you to perfectly fuse with the Hogyoku and become a true Spirit King.

"Me? The Spirit King?" Yuhime was stunned.

"To be honest, I really hoped that you would give up your ambitions for me... but in fact you still chose to rebel and did not hesitate to attack me."

So don't blame me. Only by 'dying' a little can you understand what you really want—just consider it my competitive spirit.

Iori smiled wistfully: "After doing all this, I have no more worries. I can entrust the Three Realms to you now. I believe you have enough magnanimity to be a good Spirit King."

"Give it to me?" Yuuki asked, puzzled. "What do you mean? You're making me the Spirit King again... It's like you're leaving."

"That's true... I have things I need to do."

Yuuki, I've been avoiding a certain issue, deliberately not thinking about it, but in the end, it's just self-deception.

Iori shook her head: "You just asked me where I came from?"

In my memory, it was an ordinary Earth, nothing special compared to many other worlds. Its only special feature was that you could find novels, comics, and games that corresponded to many other worlds... I used to take it for granted that it was normal.

Because for someone who was a chuunibyou (delusional teenager) and otaku before transmigrating, this really doesn't need much explanation.

But I suddenly realized a problem while reading "The Creator":

What's the difference between me and Altair?

Altair?

The information corresponding to the name automatically appeared in Yuuki's mind. It was all that Iori had forcibly instilled in her. Although it was a bit messy, she could still understand it in general.

"...Characters from fantasy works becoming reality?"

"She is the vessel of recognition power, able to freely travel between different worlds and change the fate and settings of the characters within them—is Altair the same person everyone sees me in the eyes of those characters?"

When we first met, I realized that Altair's abilities had no effect on me, so I concluded that I didn't exist in the stories she knew. In other words, my 'level (dimensionality)' is higher than hers.

Iori shook her head: "But that doesn't mean my existence is above all dimensions. Maybe I just haven't encountered it yet, or maybe it really doesn't exist... It's hard to prove."

In another world, I also encountered a person named 'Shimazaki Yosuke'. His body remained in his hometown, but his soul was reincarnated in another world.

This gave me another insight:

What happened to the 'me' in the original world?

Is he dead, in a vegetative state, or has he woken up again like in "Gantz"?

What am I if I'm reincarnated into Bleach?

Is it a soul from another world, or a native who has gained memories of another world? Or was it simply born out of thin air, possessing a special talent of unknown origin?

—Once a person begins to doubt their own existence, their original goals will become unclear.

I must say, this is one of the few things that makes me feel fear.

“Iori…”

Yuki was also in a daze. The amount of information she had received today was too much. The anger and confusion that had been building up in her heart became insignificant in the face of these shocking facts.

On the other hand, the fact that Iori was willing to tell her these things seemed to signify a unique level of trust and intimacy—leaving her with no room for complaint.

"For a long time, I have been consciously or unconsciously 'searching' in the hope of finding clues to the answers in different other worlds, or an opportunity to enlighten my mind."

So everything I do becomes rushed, and many things are left unfinished... I don't know when it started, but this isn't like my usual style anymore.

Iori seemed to have given up or come to terms with it, and smiled nonchalantly: "But it was just self-deception after all!"

To find the answer, there is indeed only one path—to go to my 'hometown' and find evidence of 'Iori's' existence in the past!

Yuuki took a deep breath, instinctively wanting to stop her: "No! We have no idea what might happen if we do this—"

“I know this is very risky.”

Iori nodded: "I've seen many similar things in 'Creator.' Some characters become extreme after learning the truth, and their ideals are shattered... I might also be stimulated by some of these things."

I'm not sure what state I existed in in my original world—ironically, for me, the cleaner my 'past life' was, the better.

I naturally hope it's just a miraculous time travel that brings the soul of the boy who died unexpectedly to Bleach, where he meets you all in Soul Society... But if it unfolds differently, I'm already mentally prepared.

In the worst-case scenario... thinking about these things is somewhat unnecessary.

Yuhime remained silent for a long time, then let out a long sigh: "So you want to hand over the Three Realms to me?"

"Although I am confident in my will and ability, it is best to make arrangements in advance."

Iori shook her head: "The Spirit King has already gained his freedom, and he is definitely unwilling to take over. After I transformed this vast Three Realms, it has become a complete system that can operate in a virtuous cycle. You are more than capable of managing it."

"My mark and authority are contained within that Hogyoku. In truth, you were already a candidate for Spirit King, my elder sister."

"Me? I don't care!" What was once her dream, Yuuki discarded like trash. "What good would it do to rule the three realms without you?!"

"But I can only ask you for help... Sister."

Iori rarely showed her "weak" side: "Besides you, who else can I rely on in this Three Realms?"

"..."

Yuuki clenched her fist: "Can't you just stay? Whether that's proven or not, it won't affect you now."

“It’s torture for me… I promise you, whatever the truth is, I will come back.”

Iori smiled and said, "Besides, I'm not absolutely certain I can find the way there yet."

In the vast expanse of dimensional spacetime, relying on weak causality to search for a distant world is like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Maybe I could search for a thousand or ten thousand years and still find nothing... then everything I'm saying to you now would just be nonsense."

"……never mind."

Yuuki turned around: "I'll let bygones be bygones. If you... leave for the time being, I will take care of this world for you as the Spirit King."

"Most importantly, it's your mother-in-law and the others... so you naturally won't overlook anything."

"And Akame, Ice Beauty...tsk!"

Yuki adjusted her mindset and said generously, as if she were the mistress of the house, "I will take good care of them, so don't worry."

"Hmm? We don't need that."

Unexpectedly, Iori waved her hand and said, "They have their own place, they don't need to bother you, sister."

What a joke! How could you let them get together like this!

Anyway, Iori has no shortage of "worldview" and authority, so it's fine to separate them properly.

Otherwise, putting all these guys with such different personalities together, who only have one thing in common—their love for Iori—together would be like raising a hornet's nest!

"……Um?"