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

Returning to the six people in front of them, putting aside whether bullying the weak with numbers is dishonorable, the fact that they were easily defeated by Iori is enough to make them lose their value in the eyes of their elders.

Traditional Japanese families can be quite ruthless; they'll give up on someone if necessary, preferring to adopt a stepson or have a son-in-law marry into the family rather than let a good-for-nothing inherit the family business!

Moreover, Bleach places great emphasis on physical strength, making this aspect even more blatant.

"I meant well, I wanted to cover up this shameful thing for you." Iori's smile was as warm as a spring breeze.

The leader hesitated for a moment: "Are you willing to keep this a secret?"

"No problem, but you'll need to pay a small price."

"...Ah! I see."

The masked man thought for a moment, then, believing he understood Iori's meaning, sneered disdainfully, "As expected of someone from Rukongai. Tell me, how much do you want?"

"money?"

Iori tilted her head: "Indeed, I'm not someone who sees money as dirt, but the extra money that can tempt me... is something you can't afford."

Just kidding, his "literary works" circulate throughout the entire Seireitei, and the royalties he receives from Kyoraku Shunsui each month are quite considerable. If it weren't for supporting a certain money-devouring mad scientist... Iori would have been living like a god long ago!

"No money?" the masked leader asked疑惑地, "Then what do you want?"

"Don't be nervous, just stay here quietly."

"……what?"

"After all, there are practical tests of 'virtual' only in the higher grades. As a second-year student like me, I don't even have the chance to use a real sword, let alone practice. If I want to go further, this is far from enough."

Iori swung her wooden sword, making a short, sharp whistling sound, and laughed, "Because the feeling is completely different when you hit a wooden stake versus a human body~"

“…You bastard!”

The masked man finally understood; his eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead, which Iori couldn't see.

"They actually used us as wooden stakes!"

"You can fight back."

Iori disagreed. Although these masked men were not very skilled, as he had just said, no matter how many times they swung their knives, whether they were cutting thin air or inanimate objects, the feel of their knives could never compare to that of living humans.

After just one battle, Iori felt that his attribute values ​​had improved slightly, even more effectively than the time he had spent practicing his empty swings for over an hour!

"Do you really know what you're doing?!" The masked man, who had been so arrogant before, trembled in his voice. "If word gets out about this, what will the teachers' colleges think—ugh!"

"So you finally realized it? You're the ones who should be keeping my secret, since it's too embarrassing for you."

Seeing his expression, Iori sighed: "Can't you muster a little courage? As a Shinigami, you should have been prepared for the consequences when you decided to gang up on me."

"Cuck!"

The masked man said with difficulty, "Is...reconciliation possible?"

laugh!

Iori smiled.

"Please don't be afraid. I am not a demon and will not leave you with any wounds that are difficult to heal."

The moonlight streaming in through the window illuminated the boy's face, his smile warm and gentle.

"After all, precise control of strength is also an important part of cultivation, and if someone gets injured, you can also practice returning to the Dao at the same time."

I assure you that I will make full use of your bodies and that there will be absolutely no waste.

"Yami! Don't come any closer!"

"Stand firm, grip your weapons, and charge! Even if you're going to be a target, you have to do your job properly, senior."

Iori stepped forward: "This is where your 'value' lies."

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

Ding--

[CG included]

【Savage smile】

Category: Art Style CG

grade:--

quality:--

Rewards Overview:

Art style value +2

Note: Current cumulative art style score is "33".

'What?! This adds to the art style stat?! What a happy accident…'

Iori paused for a moment, then fought with even more gusto.

……

"What a scary brat!"

On a rooftop, a short figure wearing a haori (a type of shihaka) jacket sat on a tile, with a sake bottle and a small cup beside her. Her face was flushed as she looked at the dojo. Although it was difficult to see clearly from this position, she seemed to know everything that was happening.

Judging by her appearance, some people would believe she was under twenty. She was short and thin, with a youthful face, long purple hair tied in pigtails, a black leather mask over her left eye, and a sleazy sitting posture and tone of voice.

She's a total delinquent girl!

But anyone who sees her white haori will immediately put away their contempt, because it is the only thing that the captains of the Gotei 13 are qualified to wear, and it can be said to be a symbol of strength and merit.

"But it suits my taste. Lately, the team members have all been well-behaved; it's rare to see such an interesting guy~"

Youth is wonderful; it reminds me of the old days!

But the old guys are either dead or imprisoned, and that guy Yachiru is always smiling, which is disgusting. Life is getting more and more boring...

Hmm? The texture of this spiritual pressure... is it just my imagination? Has this guy gotten a little stronger...? No, no, no, it couldn't be that obvious.

The girl with the eye patch picked up the bottle and shook it, looking quite puzzled.

"So much left... Has my alcohol tolerance gotten worse?"

Chapter 8: The Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force

"Whoo~"

Having worked up a good sweat and depleted most of her spiritual pressure, Iori dressed and walked out of the dojo feeling refreshed. Several figures flashed past her, lying haphazardly behind her.

It was already midnight. Iori looked at the moon hanging high in the sky. Just as he was about to go back to his dormitory to get some rest, a voice suddenly called out to him.

"Hey kid, wanna come up for a couple of drinks?"

Iori looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dimly lit figure sitting casually on the opposite rooftop, holding something reflective in its hand, which looked like a wine glass.

'So close... I didn't even notice before?'

"Huh? Didn't you hear me?"

The man, not hearing Iori's reply, stood up, holding his sake cup and sake pot—

bass!

Iori felt a weight on his shoulder, and then a body reeking of alcohol leaned in, unabashedly wrapping its arms around the boy's neck, and said to him with a wicked grin:

"Could it be that you're not an adult yet? But it doesn't matter, this is the Soul Society, where souls don't need to follow so many rules. Come, smell this, it's excellent sake~"

As she spoke, she poured three-quarters of a wine glass and placed it under Iori's nose.

So fast!

—Iori felt a chill run down his spine and forced himself not to make a move. Such a level of Shunpo was beyond his ability to handle. If he were to fight, he would definitely suffer a crushing defeat!

I'm afraid even Yuuki's Shunpo is no match for this person... no, they're not even in the same league!

Only then did he see the other person's true face, which turned out to be a young woman wearing an eye patch.

She appears to be a young girl, but judging from her words and actions... she's probably a legally recognized loli, a product of Soul Society, since a soul's appearance and real age aren't necessarily linked.

'That hair color, that eye patch, that captain's haori... could it be... Saito, one of the original captains, who is immortal?'

Recognizing the man's identity, Iori was incredibly surprised, but her composure returned; at least she no longer needed to worry about being attacked. Given Saito's seniority and status, it was impossible for him to have any connection with those guys at the dojo.

Keep in mind that this is a veteran powerhouse from the same era as Retsu Unohana, who fought against the Quincy invasion a thousand years ago (strictly speaking, eight hundred years ago) and personally witnessed Yhwach!

In fact, Iori didn't know much about Saito's immortality. In his previous life, he was a Bleach fan, but not a hardcore one. He had only watched the anime and the first half of the "Thousand-Year Blood War," and was not very clear about many hidden details.

Saito did not appear in the main anime series; she only appeared briefly in a flashback scene. All that Iori knew about her was that she was one of the original captains... and that she seemed to be a lunatic.

Or rather, all the members of the original Thirteenth Division were lunatics!

Thinking of this, doubts arose in Iori's mind again:

Something's not right! Saito was supposed to be the first captain of the 6th Division, but the current 6th Division belongs to the Kuchiki family!

Moreover... Iori has been here for several years and has never heard of any captain with the surname Saito, so it's impossible that he was transferred.

There's something wrong with this guy!

However, he has been the captain for hundreds of years... he shouldn't just randomly draw his sword and kill people, right?

"Hey? Are you stupid? I'm talking to you!"

Saito poked Iori's cheek with displeasure: "What, do you think I'm an old woman and don't want to drink with me?"

Tch~ You don't know what's good for you. Don't let my current state fool you. I used to be a big shot. The line of men chasing me could stretch from the White Path Gate all the way to the 80th Rukongai!

Or... were you too frightened to speak upon seeing this haori?

"No, I'm just too shocked to speak."

Iori smiled and said, "I don't know what I've done to deserve the honor of drinking with such a beautiful woman."

"Hehe~ Sly~ Ha!"

Saito bent over and laughed: "But I like it! Keep it up."

Let me tell you, even if you know it's just smooth talk, a girl might verbally resist, but she'll actually be happy!

"Good lad, keep up!"

Before the laughter had even subsided, Saito released Iori and, without any apparent movement, returned to the rooftop in the blink of an eye. Iori had no idea how she had moved, and her heart trembled with fear.

However, the opportunity to meet such a powerful figure also excited him slightly, and he dared not be negligent, so he used his Instant Step to reach the rooftop.

Ka!

A tile slipped two inches after being stepped on by Iori.

Upon hearing the sound, Saito smirked and left again before Iori could speak, appearing almost simultaneously on another rooftop fifty meters away.

"So fast... What is she trying to do? Never mind!"

Iori's eyes narrowed, and spiritual pressure surged beneath her feet once more. In an instant, she arrived at the same rooftop. Looking up, she saw that Saito had indeed left again.

He was also stubborn and couldn't figure out what tricks this woman was playing, so he simply stopped thinking about it and followed Saito step by step, constantly using Shunpo, and soon left the Shinigami Academy.

"Wow? He actually kept up. Although I suppressed my speed, I'd say I'm at the vice-captain level. Judging from his uniform, he should just be a junior student... He has a bright future ahead of him."

Saito gradually increased his speed, making it increasingly difficult for Iori to keep up, but she could still manage.

Gradually, Iori's Shunpo technique began to feel more "smooth," and although she was tired, she became more adept at it.

This surprised Saito even more:

She's seen talented people before, but those with Iori's adaptability and speed of progress are rare. People who walk the line between life and death during wartime often unleash similar potential, but a Grim Reaper who grows up in peacetime...

"Oh no, my spiritual pressure won't be able to hold up at this rate!"

Iori frowned slightly, feeling her strength waning, but seeing Saito still leading the way, a fighting spirit rose within her, and she mobilized her remaining spiritual pressure to continue using Shunpo.

However, in order to conserve spiritual pressure, she became even more meticulous than before, appropriately reducing consumption and concentrating her mind on no longer considering anything else, focusing all her attention on how to use spiritual pressure more efficiently—

In that instant, the boy had a sudden inspiration and felt his body become much lighter. When he moved to a new location, there was not a sound under his feet, as if a breeze had passed by and even the fragile tiles did not tremble.