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

As for the second one...

He's not only the captain now, but also a prominent figure, with countless people watching him both openly and secretly. Since he doesn't possess the "Mirror Flower Water Moon" ability, and he's too embarrassed to ask his older sister for help with everything, he has to be cautious in everything he does.

Although he had confidants like Tosen, Iori needed an assistant outside the Gotei 13 system who could handle some things for him in Rukongai, such as managing Mayuri Kurotsuchi's sealed-off laboratories—and that person was Akame.

“Mother-in-law, I’ve found you a new shop assistant. Since Yuki and I won’t be able to come here often, she can help you out.”

In the house in the backyard of the shop, Iori was sitting on the tatami mat, introducing the new "employee" to her mother-in-law.

"Her name is Akame. She's a soul that was recently transferred to Soul Society. She has no 'family' and nowhere to stay. Since I've run into her, it must be fate... Granny, what do you think? Can we let her stay?"

"Red Eyes..."

"Yes, I have met you, Mother-in-law... I am a humble woman, please guide me!"

Akame hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to address him, but in the end followed Iori's form of address and added a few opening remarks.

This wasn't something she added randomly; it was knowledge she "downloaded" from the Greater Grail. After all, she came from a fantasy world to a Japanese-themed underworld, and it would be a huge effort to teach her everything from language to customs one by one. It was better to use the Greater Grail's mechanism.

Based on what I know, this is the most solemn thing to say in this situation!

Incidentally, Akame wasn't wearing her school uniform-like assassin outfit today. Instead, she wore a traditional kimono, with a light red base and simple lines below the ribs depicting faint white flowers and leaves, simple yet elegant.

What's remarkable is that she has long, glossy black hair and is less than 1.65 meters tall. Compared to Yuki, she is closer to the local aesthetic, and even the mother-in-law, who is used to seeing beautiful women, was pleasantly surprised.

After hearing Akame's opening remarks, she looked directly at Iori and asked her question with her eyes, which made Iori smile helplessly.

"No, she really just came to apply for a shop assistant job, not mine... at least not yet, right?"

"Huh?" Akame was taken aback. Although Iori was exchanging glances with her, she clearly didn't understand what he meant.

"Is there a problem...?"

"No, on the contrary, I feel very happy."

The mother-in-law chuckled, "It's a good thing that the family has grown. Iori and Yuuki are so busy, yet they still try their best to make time to see me. But actually, I don't need them to worry at all... Child, now that you're here, I have a reason to scold those two for not doing their jobs properly, hehe~"

"Well, I don't quite understand... but I'll work hard, Mother-in-law!"

"Don't be so serious~"

"But Iori, are you prepared for this?"

"Ok?"

The conversation suddenly turned to herself, and Iori was stunned: "Me? Resolve?"

"Yes, it's a good thing, but according to the rules of Rukongai, new members need to be approved by everyone before they can join."

The mother-in-law opened her eyes a crack and scrutinized her "grandson".

"So, when do you plan to tell Yuuki that you have such a beautiful woman in your family?"

"This……"

Chapter 266: The Tenth Division, Annihilated! (4K)

Explain? What is there to explain? Do I, Aizen Iori, need to explain my actions to others?

What a joke! A true man lives between heaven and earth; how can he remain depressed for long?

"Please speak on my behalf, Mother-in-law."

Iori grinned and said, "She should be happy too. After all, she's been unhappy with me, her 'little brother,' ever since. She even said she wished I were a girl. Now that she has a little sister, it's fulfilling her wish."

younger sister?

Akame brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, combed it, and felt a strange mix of emotions.

She had always been called "older sister" in the past, but she never expected to have the opportunity to experience what it's like to be the younger sister.

To be honest, she had imagined what the Soul Society would be like and had prepared herself mentally before coming, since the name sounded like the underworld from mythology. However, the reality was much better; at least from what she had seen so far, it seemed to be a relatively peaceful and tranquil place.

—Once she's been to the outskirts of Rukongai and Hueco Mundo, she'll probably change her mind.

At the same time, she did not expect that the first challenge after arriving would be Iori's family relationships... The people of the empire will probably never see this side of Iori again.

The current Iori is no longer the high and mighty emperor, but an ordinary young man who also worries about how to deal with family conflicts, just like Akame who is always concerned about Kurome—which makes her feel that the distance between her and Iori has been shortened a bit.

In addition, she became interested in the "Yuhime" mentioned by Iori and her mother-in-law, mainly because she wanted to see what kind of woman could make the mighty Holy King so swayed.

Could it be that she will be even stronger than Esdeath?

"You, Yuki, didn't really want a younger sister when you said those things... Don't worry, nothing will happen." The old woman smiled calmly, not taking the matter to heart.

Iori said she was wavering, but she quickly showed a relaxed expression, seemingly not worried at all.

If we were to say who understands Aizen Sōyūhime best in this world, it would probably be Iori and her grandmother. Because they know Sōyūhime's personality and style very well, they are not worried about her having a conflict with Akame.

To outsiders, Yuuki is gentle and reliable, an outstanding talent with extremely strong charisma, which has earned her a lot of popularity. Even those who were originally jealous of her are won over in the process of getting to know her. There are really not many people who can resist her personal charm.

But Iori and her mother-in-law knew very well that the vice-captain of the 13th squad was essentially a very proud person, even "arrogant".

Her arrogance wasn't manifested in behavior like that of nobles and those in power, but rather in a spiritual way that distinguished her from others; very few people could gain her approval.

It's worth mentioning that her friendliness in dealing with people is not feigned, but rather closer to "politeness," though few can distinguish between the two.

It would be a good thing if Akame could be accepted by Yuuki, but even if she wasn't accepted, Yuuki wouldn't do anything special. She would still take care of Akame like family and wouldn't let anyone find fault with her—she absolutely didn't want to show her ugly side in front of her mother-in-law and Iori.

If she were to be truly swayed by this matter to the point of losing her composure... that wouldn't be like Yuuki at all.

if not?

Are we supposed to have respectable people like Yuuki and Akame spitting at each other and putting on a melodramatic show?

There are basic rules to spitting!

Therefore, Iori is not worried about domestic unrest, since Akame is both "family" and "subordinate," and Yuuki would not lower herself to compete with Akame... If Akame shows strength and talent that surpasses hers, it is possible that she will develop hostility.

Unfortunately, although it sounds cruel, Akame's "killing blade" and Yuuki's "wielder" are not on the same level at all... Including Esdeath and Sera, no one can compare to her in terms of "sense of ownership".

Iori is currently stronger than Yuuki, and the two have a very close relationship, but he has never had the idea of ​​bringing Yuuki under his command. The reason is this: compared to the seemingly unruly Esdeath, Yuuki is the one who will never "remain subordinate to someone else for long".

"I know nothing about dyeing fabric and making clothes; I'm a complete novice in these areas, but I will try my best to learn."

Akame assured her mother-in-law, "From now on, all the physical labor will be done by me. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually very strong!"

"Oh my, what an energetic child! But I'm not so old that I can't do anything yet. You're saying that a little too soon."

"I'm so sorry~"

"Don't be so serious, relax. We'll be 'family' from now on."

The mother-in-law smiled kindly: "Business in the shop isn't too busy. I'll teach you these things little by little."

That's great! Iori and Yuuki have both joined the Gotei 13. I had always thought this skill would definitely be lost, and I was prepared for it.

Now that a smart and adorable young girl has come to help in the shop, I feel full of energy again; I could work for another hundred or two hundred years!

"One or two hundred years...that's an exaggerated time span."

"That's how Soul Society is. Souls theoretically have no lifespan limit, and the concept of time is very different from reality. You'll need to adapt to it more."

Iori smiled and explained, but a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes when she looked at her mother-in-law, before she quickly returned to normal.

At best, there are no restrictions "theoretically." In reality, most ordinary souls will gradually fade away over a long period of time, or actively dissipate under the guidance of the Shinigami... Otherwise, the Soul Society would have been overcrowded long ago.

Grandma was just an ordinary soul. She was neither a death god with a higher spiritual density nor a hero with a tenacious will. She was one of the millions who would "age" and disappear over time.

Of course, if her mother-in-law had that intention, Iori and Yuuki had plenty of ways to make her stay, but it seemed that she herself did not have that idea.

"When to go back?"

The mother-in-law asked with concern, "I don't know why, but every time I see you, you seem to be in a hurry. Is the team leader's work that demanding?"

"After all, I'm in charge of patrolling and emergency support for the entire Seireitei, so I'm considered a big shot. It's normal for me to be busy."

Iori paused for a moment, then chuckled, "But I don't have anything to do today, so I'll stay and show Akame around the area. I'll sleep at the shop tonight."

"Is that okay? It doesn't count as dereliction of duty?"

"I'm the captain, so I have these privileges. Besides, Seireitei is very safe right now—"

--boom! ! ! !

A blinding white light swept across the sky, obliterating the shadows of buildings and pedestrians.

The ground suddenly trembled!

Immediately following, a sound like a thousand muffled thunderclaps overlapping surged from afar, sweeping across the entire Rukongai, shattering the amber surface of the water, and causing the cup to fall from the astonished old man's hand—

"Ok?"

Instead of collapsing onto the tatami as expected, a strong, firm hand gently supported her upper arm and back. This sudden change startled her mother-in-law slightly, and then she noticed that the blanket that had slipped from her grasp had returned, and even the tea inside hadn't spilled.

"Iori?" The old man looked up with concern as he came to his senses.

Only then did she see... no, she should say she realized that Iori was no longer a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy. In the past few years, he had matured and looked eighteen or nineteen years old, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a young man.

Looking at that familiar yet even more handsome face, the mother-in-law felt a sense of relief.

Then she noticed that besides Iori, Akame had also appeared beside her at some point, holding a red-handled, black-inscribed katana at her waist, poised to be drawn.

Indeed, it's extraordinary—the mother-in-law wasn't surprised at all.

Although she was just an ordinary person, she had a wealth of life experience. The person that Iori solemnly introduced to her could not possibly be a wandering spirit she had just encountered on the road.

However, she did not investigate further because she firmly believed that Iori would not harm her.

"Iori, what is this...?"

"It's alright, Grandma." Iori's expression was relaxed, but his eyes were cold. Although he was comforting the old woman, his heart was filled with ripples. It was rare for something to make him so serious, which showed how amazing the energy fluctuations released by the explosion were.

The next moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and little Aizen Nemu rushed in: "Dad... no, brother! Outside, outside—"

"No need to panic, it's not a big deal."

Iori didn't go out to check immediately. Instead, she helped her mother-in-law up and handed her over to Akame. Then, she stood up leisurely, walked over, and patted Nemuro's head.

"You stay here with Grandma. Sister Akame will protect you. Brother, go check out the situation outside."

Don't worry, it's just a minor issue and should be resolved quickly.

"……Um!"

Initially shocked, Nemuro relaxed upon seeing Iori's composure.

Iori looked back at Akame, and the two exchanged a glance and nodded.

"I'll leave this to you."

"Rest assured, no matter what happens, I will do everything in my power to protect their safety."

Iori had no doubt about this. He smiled at Akame and then calmly walked out of the room, muttering incantations as he cast a semi-transparent, smooth barrier that folded into a closed cube and enveloped the room.

——【Mirror Gate】!

This is a very high-level barrier-type demonic art, capable of reflecting all external attacks back, making it almost impossible to break through from the inside.

Although it cannot withstand attacks at the Bankai level, it is already extremely excellent as a barrier that does not require a medium.

The source of the explosion was quite far from here, and Iori didn't think that what happened next would affect this place. However, it was better to be prepared than to encounter any accidents. With the double protection of the [Mirror Gate] and Akame, this little shop and its owner would be safe and sound.

Only after doing all this did he feel relieved and turn his gaze to the distance—

That was truly an astonishingly surreal sight!

A white column of smoke, resembling a tornado, rose from Seireitei and shot straight into the sky, forming a mushroom cloud-like dome. Lightning-like spiritual energy reactions flickered within the smoke, clearly perceptible even from such a distance.

There was originally an invisible barrier above Seireitei that blocked spiritual particles released by the "Killing Spirit Stone," but now a gap has been forcibly broken through, and the shattered barrier, like broken glass, can be seen slowly recovering.

Bankai... Its destructive power far surpasses that of a regular captain's Bankai!

Judging from this, the initial explosion occurred inside Seireitei... It's unimaginable how many casualties it caused!

What the hell happened?

A Hollow invasion? No, even if Barragan brought the entire Las Noches, it would be impossible for him to cause such a commotion.

It's possible that Stark, the Wolf King before the split, was involved... but he was a laid-back Vasto Lorde who would never cause trouble.

Was there a rebellion similar to the one in Sumeru? But on this scale...