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

Scarface stared intently at Iori, his body being pulled in all directions by countless forces, experiencing a cruel punishment that seemed to combine slow slicing and dismemberment, yet a flame of hope still burned in his eyes.

"Die... vanish, Death!!!"

—Buzz!!!!

The enormous beam of light stirred the atmosphere and forcibly absorbed all the spiritual particles in the space the moment it was released. Unlike ordinary attacks, it did not weaken due to distance; instead, it grew stronger as it flew!

Iori's vision was filled with the azure glow of the rumors, the atmosphere seemed to freeze, making her body feel incredibly heavy.

The boy's mouth opened slightly, seemingly stunned by the scene.

Her expression then softened into a smile of pleasure.

"Yagi-no-Mae! Raging Waves!"

Thunder and torrents, two divine forces, unleash their power to split mountains and open seas with a continuous supply of energy!

This is currently the most destructive technique Iori possesses; when used at full power, it unleashes a frenzy that rivals even Kouya's.

boom! ! ! ! !

The explosive spiritual pressure instantly shattered the surrounding layers of water curtain, and the residual force soared into the sky, transforming into a dazzling pillar of light that easily tore through the clouds like a divine sword!

"I see……"

Iori gripped the Ama-no-Murakumo sword tightly, but still couldn't stop the rain-like spiritual light from penetrating her body.

He could clearly sense the spiritual particles that constituted him being destroyed, and then constantly recombining, changing like flowing water but ultimately returning to a constant form.

"...Nagi, the Mirror of Still Water...So this is what it feels like!"

——Buzz!!!

The dazzling light engulfed everything. Death, who was watching from afar, could only squint at the pillar of light shooting into the sky. He was so intimidated by the terrifying spiritual pressure that no one dared to utter a word, or even express their feelings.

It is unknown how long this continued. When the destructive fluctuations gradually subsided, the original forest had been torn in two, and the tall trees had been completely destroyed, leaving only a thick layer of dust, which was neither ash nor scorched earth, which turned into a muddy swamp after being soaked by water...

Snapped!

The Quincy lay in the mud, his pure white uniform stained with mud, his body riddled with holes and unable to even lift his head, only able to hear the footsteps slowly approaching.

……Failed.

If you fail, there's no need to say more... the loser doesn't even have the right to make excuses.

Even the Quincy Final Form, which is meant to be a one-time trump card, is useless, so what else is there to say?

This young Shinigami will surely become the gravedigger of the Quincy, won't he? It's unsettling... but none of that matters to him anymore.

As a soldier, he fought to the last moment for the greater good, just like the many Quincy and Grim Reapers who have already been buried on the battlefield... without any guilt or regret!

"so close!"

As the shadow fell, he strained to open his eyes and saw Iori's handsome and refined young face, with a hint of sternness.

"Impressive, you're almost there."

"...Liar...Ha, is this also a kind of gentleness?"

Scarface looked at his body, which was completely unharmed except for his Shinigami armor, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. His eyes gradually lost their luster...

Chapter 179: You pervert! Don't underestimate the client's rage! (4K)

"Oh my gosh~ I never expected to meet you in a place like this, I'm so lucky~"

I owe you a lot this time, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten away so easily. I must find a chance to thank you properly... But what is our relationship anyway? Don't get hung up on such trivial matters.

"By the way, you must have earned quite a few military merits this time, right?"

After Scarface's defeat, the Quincy scattered and fled in order to preserve their strength. In order to avoid being surrounded by more enemies, Iori had no interest in pursuing these stragglers. After gathering his forces, he took Mayuri Kurotsuchi and retreated back to the camp.

Although only one person was saved, at least the most important vice-captain was brought back, so Iori's unit did nothing wrong.

He mastered the "secret" of Bankai, and it quietly spread among officers at all levels...

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was the first to approach Iori, not because he wanted to curry favor with her, but because he needed her help.

"Once the credit is recorded, the enemy's corpse is no longer of any use. It would be better to leave it to me to dispose of properly."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi approached Iori under the guise of thanking him, but his true intentions were revealed after only a few words: he wanted to take Scarface's body as research material.

"We've always had a pleasant working relationship, haven't we?"

"The body? It's already been cremated." Iori wasn't wearing his Shinigami uniform in his tent, but rather a loose-fitting outfit similar to a martial arts uniform. When Mayuri Kurotsuchi came in, Iori was dozing and meditating, and frowned in displeasure at being disturbed.

"Burned...burned?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes widened, making his already unconventional appearance even more bizarre.

"How could you... Do you know how rare a pure-blooded Quincy's corpse is?! Unbelievable! Those are incredibly valuable research materials!"

"That's my 'military merit,' how I handle it is none of your business, right?"

Iori glanced at him through half her eyes, then reluctantly ended her meditation and stretched her neck.

He certainly knew how rare that corpse was, after all, after Yhwach's "death," most of the pure-blood families perished along with him, with only a few survivors remaining in the world.

These families can only ensure the purity of their bloodline through intermarriage; otherwise, all offspring are mixed-bloods. This has resulted in the Quincy population returning to its peak, but the number of pure-blooded individuals is extremely small.

Among them, elites like Scarface are even rarer; you could probably count more than ten in the entire clan. Since the start of the war, there have been very few records of Quincy of this caliber being defeated.

This shows how great the contribution Iori made.

If Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't done something so despicable that he had angered the other side, this high-level Quincy would never have casually left his base camp to go to the chaotic area, much less fight to the death!

The higher-ups only publicly stated that they had dealt with an enemy leader, but remained tight-lipped about the details, probably because they themselves felt it was too embarrassing to talk about it...

If it were the original Team Thirteen from eight hundred years ago, they probably wouldn't mind, but after so many years of "quality education," the current Team Thirteen still cares about things like honor.

"Why do this?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was both angry and confused: "For you, isn't it enough to just get the military merit? Why do you have to deal with the corpses... Ah, you... could it be that you have developed an unnecessary sympathy for the Quincy?"

“The charge of sympathizing with the enemy is too serious. I’m afraid I can’t bear it. Please watch your words and actions, Lieutenant Mayuri Kurotsuchi.”

Iori stood up and looked directly at her nominal superior within the Thirteenth Squad: "As a mere seated officer, I really dare not think so much."

"..."

As the boy stood up, a faint spiritual pressure fluctuation swept through the space inside the tent, causing Mayuri Kurotsuchi's blood to flow faster. While he was fearless on a psychological level, the physiological reaction was something he couldn't control.

Although no one saw how Iori killed Scarface that day, everyone had experienced the power of the Quincy's final form. Mayuri Kurotsuchi knew that even if he forcibly used Bankai in front of Scarface in that state, he would not escape death... However, Iori was able to escape unscathed.

The difference is self-evident.

During wartime, militant fighters like Iori are most likely to rise to prominence, and in fact, he has already come into the sights of many high-ranking officials. Mayuri Kurotsuchi is only nominally a level above him, but no one believes that a Bankai master will remain relegated to the position of a seated officer indefinitely.

From the perspective of strength, status, and even personal standpoint, Mayuri Kurotsuchi has no right to question Iori—she just saved your life!

Mayuri Kurotsuchi has no concept of good or evil, but at least he knows who he can mess with and who he should avoid.

"I just want to remind you... Treating the body of an enemy kindly after killing them does not aton for the blood debt on your hands. If you are only seeking inner peace, then it is nothing but hypocrisy at best."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi no longer cared about Scarface's corpse, but he had a natural inclination to provoke others, especially those hypocritical individuals.

"You don't actually think that doing this makes you a chivalrous or martial artist, do you?"

"……what?"

Iori frowned: "You're just talking to yourself. I don't need to explain to others what I want to do. I just do what I think of."

Why, you are not convinced?"

"Of course not~" Mayuri chuckled, feeling much better after stinging Iori.

"I'm just concerned about you, Lord Aizen~"

Iori glanced at Mayuri Kurotsuchi's strange smile and knew he must have misunderstood something, but he had no intention of explaining.

The reason why Iori cremated the scarred-eyed body was actually quite simple:

This allows the initial interpretation of "Clear Mirror Still Water" to remain hidden.

The wounds created with "Che" are naturally very different from those caused by ordinary swords. Although the chances of them being noticed by someone with ulterior motives are very small, Iori still chooses to solve the problem once and for all.

After all, this is Bleach, not Akame ga Kill! If some research fanatic were to discover the secret of Shikai, it would cause Iori to lose his intelligence advantage.

Of course, this also preserves Scarface's dignity, ensuring he is not humiliated after death, which can be considered a good deed done in the process.

As for Mayuri Kurotsuchi's claim that he chose cremation to ease his conscience... that's just overthinking it.

At most, he might have some respect for the enemy he fought directly; he wasn't a pretentious person. Although he considered himself a pacifist, he would never be swayed by distracting thoughts.

Are you kidding me? Do you think he'd have a good ending if he fell into the hands of a Quincy?!

This is war!

Moreover, it is a struggle between positions and beliefs that has nothing to do with interests, and the process is often the most brutal!

"I think you're just too idle to be bothered by this kind of thing."

Iori looked calmly at Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and that indifferent gaze made the 12th Division Lieutenant suddenly panic.

"By the way, when did you come to the mortal world? The last time we met, you were complaining that you were too busy with work and it was affecting your research, so you asked me to extend the deadline for my request... I very generously agreed."

But what's the big deal? The 12th Division shouldn't be on the draft list, so why did you, a vice-captain, come in person?

Does this mean that the barren (spiritual) environment of the present world is more conducive to your research?

"..." The blue-haired, eccentric scientist's eyes flickered.

Iori leaned closer and whispered something in his ear, causing his pupils to shrink sharply.

"Or are you saying you took the money but didn't do any work?"

"—!"

"That's true. After all, I don't look like someone who knows anything about technology. How long it takes to complete the commission is up to you... Rather than finishing it early, we should prioritize projects related to the Quincy. After all, these opportunities are rare, and we won't be able to get so many samples after the war ends."

Iori smiled slightly, a playful look on her face: "Maybe you can stall for time and ask me for more funds to cover the deficit, right?"

"Ah this..."

Nie Jianli was drenched in sweat!

Is there anything worse than being caught slacking off by the client?

Have!

That means you can't beat him and you can't escape either!

Not only are they no match for him, but they are also completely at a moral disadvantage, considering that Mayuri Kurotsuchi still owes Iori a favor!

"...After this war, it's hard to say whether the Quincy clan will even exist."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi quickly regained her composure and argued in a sharp voice: "If we don't collect and preserve data in time, won't the bloodline and civilization of an entire nation disappear into the long river of history?"

You would never understand, but for a researcher like me, it's unbearable to see so many valuable things buried in dust, so I slightly adjusted my priorities—”

"I see, I understand. Then do as you see fit, I will fully support you."

So you're saying I... what?

Mayuri Kurotsuchi picked at her ears, wondering if she had misheard: "What did you say?"

"I will support you, Ne."

Iori, abandoning her previous cold demeanor, patted Mayuri Kurotsuchi on the shoulder in a friendly manner: "Research on the Quincy will help us gain a deeper understanding of this group, and it will also be helpful for future battles."

"...The future war?"

Mayuri glanced at Iori, not understanding what he meant, but remained cautious and said nothing more.

"In short, although I don't like your approach, I agree with your theory that we can only defeat the enemy by fully understanding them."

Iori smiled and said, "However, I have a very small condition that will be easy for you—could you please copy the data for me?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi immediately stared intently at Iori: "Data? You want data... not specific research findings?"

“If there’s anything really good, I’d certainly like to share some with you,” Iori said meaningfully. “After all, you just said—what kind of relationship do we have?”

“As an ally and funder, you have both ability and vision, and most importantly, you are very patient. You are indeed a good partner... I seem to have no reason to refuse.”

Mayuri Kurotsuchi said coldly, "But I still want to know what you need the data for."

Last time too, they asked me to gather some basic information about Soul Society, such as spirit particle density and spatial anchor points... Isn't that completely useless to an individual?