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

Apart from those unlucky souls who were thrown here as soon as they entered Soul Society, the people gathered in the Lawless Zone are all muddle-headed and confused.

Here, you can see corpses lying on the roadside every day, their necks cut open or their bellies ripped open...

Iori didn't bring her entire "super team" with her; only Amagai and Tosen were at the vice-captain level, the rest were just ordinary seat officers.

All eight members of the group were dressed in Shinigami uniforms, making them extremely conspicuous in the lawless zone. Unlike the awe that ordinary civilians felt upon seeing Shinigami, the ronin here were instead filled with "interest" in this Shinigami squad.

As a result, before they had even walked a few blocks, there were more than a dozen nonsensical conflicts like "What are you looking at? What's it to you?" Even though Iori restrained his men from committing too many killings, there were still more than double-digit deaths.

This made Iori start to doubt whether he had made a mistake... The difficulty of recruiting soldiers in this godforsaken place might be far greater than he had expected!

-

"Sing, you cleansing insects!"

Unlike the unrestrained and exuberant release of others' Zanpakuto, the blindfolded, black-skinned Shinigami drew his Zanpakuto as a restrained and calm spiritual pressure wave swept by. The iron rings attached to the tsuba emitted a high-frequency vibrating sound like a tuning fork.

"One style."

The invisible sound waves were naturally impossible to defend against. They entered everyone's ears, causing a moment of disorientation. When they shook their heads and regained their senses, they heard several "thumps" as the short-shirted bandits on the other side collapsed to the ground.

Some still had their eyes open, but their bodies were as immobile as cicadas falling from trees at the end of summer. They were conscious but unable to perceive the outside world as if they were being haunted by a nightmare, and could not even move their eyes.

"...The Zanpakuto of the Fourth Seat of Tosen is amazing no matter how many times I see it."

The members of the Third Division, led by Amagai, watched this scene with admiration: "They subdued them so easily, saving us so much trouble."

Tenbei is also among the top-tier vice-captains. Taking down these ronin would only take a few strikes, but Iori had warned him not to kill too many. If he wanted to control his power and only weaken them to defeat them... that would be much more difficult than killing them.

Over the past few days, they have had their schedules delayed quite a bit because of this.

After Tosen volunteered, dealing with the ronin bandits became much easier. This blind fourth seat only needed to lightly swing his Zanpakuto to release sound waves that could steal the enemy's consciousness or hypnotize them. Within the range of the sound waves' influence, it was a divine skill for clearing out the small fry.

"No, I just did what I'm good at, nothing special."

Tosen smiled slightly at his companions' praise and said humbly, "But if it can help everyone, that would be even better."

"Haha, the fourth seat of Tosen is indeed a good person~ I've heard other members of the team say this before, but I've truly experienced it after working with you on this mission."

Tenbei chuckled, looked at Aizen Iori who was extending his finger to let the Hell Butterfly land on it, and then turned his gaze to the only ronin samurai in the arena who could still barely stand.

"To be able to remain conscious under the [Qingchong] of the Four Seats of Tosen, hmm... you're quite a useful person. State your name."

Tian Beicheng added, "Also, you have two choices: one is to continue this promising career as a local gangster to the end, and then be wiped out on the spot by us."

The second option is to wear the same clothes as us... and become the Grim Reaper!

"You think you're worthy? You're nothing but the dogs of the Seireitei—"

hum!

Sound waves exceeding the frequency of human hearing swept over the man's body, and he, who was already struggling to stay upright, suddenly had his eyes roll back and collapsed to the ground.

Tenbei glanced at the person expressionlessly, then withdrew his hand that had been gripping the Zanpakuto.

"The Four Seats of Dongxian".

"I apologize for taking action without permission. Please forgive me."

"No, I just think...you really are very gentle."

Tenbei's eyes held appreciation for the man, showing no prejudice against him because of his disability.

"But then again, there are really a lot of tough nuts to crack here. If one out of ten people is willing to be recruited by Seireitei, that's already pretty good. Tsk!"

Of course, Iori and his group couldn't send every recruit back to Seireitei, and it would be too troublesome to incorporate them into their teams on the spot. So, after recruiting someone, they would simply have them report to Seireitei a few days later, just like a regular interview.

Naturally, there will be people who are unwilling to go, but those who lie can't escape the eyesight of Iori and Tosen, so the actual recruitment efficiency is quite good. In the past few days, at least five or six skilled guys have been persuaded by Iori and the others (physical) to give up their carefree life in the lawless zone and enter the Seireitei.

"If you're not tough enough, you won't stay in lawless territory, and you certainly won't be able to survive in a place like this, right?"

"Yeah... the captain's receiving intelligence again. Are they pushing him so hard?" Tenbei thought to himself as he looked at Iori's serious face.

Of course, he wouldn't criticize Iori; he was targeting those guys who all talk and no action.

"A bunch of big shots who only talk the talk, and they still have the nerve to come and urge us on!"

What Tenbei said won the unanimous approval of the team members, who were all indignant.

However, this time Amagai and the others were wrong. The Hell Butterfly that lingered on Iori's fingertips did not fly from Seireitei, but came from his confidante, Akame.

In order to help them adapt to Soul Society more quickly, in addition to the training methods for Zanpakuto, Iori also specially taught them some basic techniques of Shinigami, including the Hell Butterfly, which allows them to communicate over long distances.

Yes, at this moment, the black-haired assassin and the Ice Queen have entered the lawless zone and begun to fight in the chaos. On the one hand, they can hone their control over spiritual pressure in actual combat, and on the other hand, they can help Iori select a few suitable subordinates. After all, someone like Esdeath is the most suitable person to rule in the "jungle".

With their strength, these two could be considered top-tier in Rukongai, and should theoretically be able to act with impunity. However, in order to guard against special circumstances, Iori insisted on placing them in the higher-ranked lawless areas, avoiding the lowest-ranked "hells".

After all, in the most challenging battleground, there was that man—Kenpachi Zaraki!

Of course, the current Kenpachi doesn't yet have the title of "Kenpachi," but his strength is no different from that in the original work. Even Iori, let alone Esdeath, would be wary of him.

If you manage to provoke the other person enough to say "I remember now," Iori might actually lose her chance... After all, she's a character with maxed-out innate abilities, just like Ichigo Kurosaki.

Theoretically, soul materialization is very effective against enemies of the "slashing king" type. Kenpachi Zaraki is a pure physical damage dealer, so there shouldn't be any problem.

But theory is one thing, in actual combat, the most formidable opponent is one with explosive potential!

It's just that she's a bit ugly; otherwise, she'd be half a protagonist template!

However, it turned out that Iori had worried too much. There was no message for help in the Hell Butterfly sent by Akame, indicating that the combination of the two was invincible here.

That's true. Rukongai is so big; it's not easy to run into a homeless savage like that.

boom!

At the edge of her perception range, an unfamiliar spiritual pressure intruded. Although it was just normal walking, in Iori's mind it seemed like a raging, crackling flame. "Looking at it" for too long would almost burn her.

That's secondary; the most important thing is the intensity of that spiritual pressure...

Far beyond the average captain level!

...Iori narrowed her eyes slightly, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly: I will never set a flag again.

Chapter 275: Swords and blades are not such inconvenient things (4K)

Most Shinigami learn to control and suppress their spiritual pressure when they reach the rank of vice-captain or captain, so as not to affect ordinary people in their daily interactions. For example, the Captain-Commander can release his spiritual pressure so fully that it can even cause people to faint, and even the captains feel uncomfortable.

Unlike the Shinigami of Seireitei, the person who appeared in Iori's perception range at this moment was completely unrestrained, as flamboyant as a torch in the dark night. Although it was just a spiritual pressure fluctuation without any attribute, it could evoke strange concepts such as "wildness" and "life force".

That person was undoubtedly a stranger to Iori, but in an instant a familiar name appeared in his mind, and even the usually calm and composed Iori couldn't help but show a helpless bitter smile because of how troublesome this person was.

"Is this good luck or bad luck? Such a vast lawless zone, how could it be..."

"team leader?"

One of the squad members noticed Iori's change and asked curiously, "Is something wrong? Should we take out these guys?"

"what happened?"

Tenbei also came over: "I handled it poorly... Hmm? This is!"

The tall young man's expression suddenly changed. He looked into the distance with a serious and cautious expression. All he could see was a desolate wilderness with sparse vegetation. He could not see any unusual phenomena, but Tianbei could not relax.

"How intense... so ostentatious, it's almost like being an idiot... but what's with this feeling......"

His perception was far inferior to Iori's, and there was a huge gap in spiritual pressure between them, so he could not accurately judge Iori's specific strength. However, the instincts he had developed in Hueco Mundo told him that it was a kind of existence that was more dangerous than a Menos Grande and more primitive than a wild beast.

"Tenbei, did you feel it too?"

“Yes…” Tenbei narrowed his eyes and gripped his Zanpakuto tightly. “What astonishing spiritual pressure. I never imagined there would be such a powerful expert outside of Seireitei.”

"It was a pleasant surprise."

"But it seems that the other party is not an easy person to deal with." Just by sensing the volatile spiritual pressure that was full of unease from afar, Tenbei had no hope of subduing the other party.

"Even you couldn't easily suppress this kind of guy, could you?"

“Indeed.” Iori nodded, speaking as if he were commenting on an old friend. “Although he’s an idiot, he’s not someone who’s easily fooled, no, persuaded.”

"Just to be on the safe side, should we temporarily step aside and inform the other captains about this?" Tianbei's idea was straightforward: "If we can't subdue them, we'll deal with them. The more people there are, the better our chances will be."

"Don't forget our mission this time, Amagai," Iori chuckled. "We sent you to Rukongai to recruit soldiers with the ultimate goal of maintaining the balance of the three realms, but now you want to sink the soul of a captain-level officer into hell?"

(Third-tier spirit power, which is equivalent to a Shinigami at the Bankai level or higher, means that after death their bodies cannot be decomposed into spirit particles to return to the three realms, but can only be sent to Hell.)

Tenbei fell silent. He was also a formally trained scholar, and his father was a disciple of Yamamoto, so he naturally knew more than ordinary Shinigami. Sending souls into Hell meant increasing the power of Hell, which, given the already fragile balance of the three realms, would undoubtedly create considerable hidden dangers.

Now Tenbei is in a dilemma. The team's mission is to recruit stronger cannon fodder, but the guy who has appeared is clearly beyond that level.

Considering that these are savages from a lawless zone, a great battle is inevitable upon meeting them. Even if I win, it will be difficult to convince them to submit. With reservations, I can't simply kill them... So it's probably better to avoid them.

Anyway, that guy's control over spiritual pressure is ridiculously poor; he was detected from a great distance, making it very easy for him to avoid. Consequently, the other side is most likely unaware of the Shinigami squad's existence.

Iori noticed Amagai's inner turmoil and couldn't help but chuckle softly, "It's rare to see you so anxious, Amagai."

"It's better to stay in Hueco Mundo. Although conditions were harsh and there was danger at all times, at least you don't have to think about so much. You just need to remember how to hold a sword and how to kill enemies."

Tenbei scratched his head: "Tasks that require thinking aren't for me~"

"Don't underestimate yourself."

Iori thought for a moment, as if to comfort him: "Don't be so down, how about I perform a magic trick for you to cheer you up?"

"A magic trick?" The man was stunned by this wildly imaginative idea. "What kind of magic trick?"

“Summoning spell.” Iori smiled deeply. “You can also call it ‘Magic Transformation’.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a heavy and unrestrained spiritual pressure, like a raging sea, erupted from Iori's body, its overwhelming momentum soaring into the sky, seemingly freezing the very air itself.

Especially those who were not far away, such as Tianbei, turned pale instantly. Even though they knew that the pressure did not come from the enemy, they still subconsciously tensed up all their muscles as if facing a formidable enemy!

The only one who didn't change his expression was Tosen Kaname!

"Iori?"

Just as Amagai was about to ask a question, a spiritual pressure fluctuation suddenly came from the other side of the horizon, as if in response!

The already arrogant and unruly spiritual pressure roared like a provoked lion, its spirit soaring high, even slightly surpassing Iori's aura!

"Then, what is that?"

Some soldiers pointed in disbelief into the distance, where a plume of dust rose at the horizon, like a mad bull or an army marching, but neither of those could possibly move at such an astonishing speed!

When we first noticed it, it was still far away. But a few seconds later, the conspicuous dust billowed across the wilderness and headed straight for us. In the blink of an eye, it arrived here!

"Captain, be careful!"

Tenbei and Tosen immediately went on alert, releasing their Zanpakuto to prepare for the powerful enemy. However, the closer they got, the stronger the pressure became. Even the two, whose strength was comparable to the vice-captain, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

It feels like trying to intercept a mad horse with your bare hands... Wouldn't it be a mutually destructive outcome the moment the two sides make contact?

No, the other party is unlikely to be harmed...

"Get out of the way!"

A calm command startled Amagai, and Iori unceremoniously pushed him aside, calmly walking to the front of the group against the surge of spiritual pressure.

coming!

Like a high-speed train, a wild figure burst out from the billowing dust. Before it even arrived, a sharp aura cut across Iori's skin like a knife, even causing a phantom pain of being stabbed.

But this did not shake Iori in the slightest; instead, she smiled with interest.

Clang!

A magnificent longsword clashed with a tattered katana. The spiritual pressure, compressed to its limit, covered the blades. Even before they truly collided, they stirred up explosive wind pressure. There seemed to be an invisible barrier between the swords, and the two blades were frantically shouting to express their excitement.

boom!

The two separated by the shockwave and landed calmly on the ground, while Tenbei and the others were in a much worse state. Several of the weaker team members were almost blown away, but were saved by Tosen.

"Huh...is that you?"

The man was unusually tall, probably a head taller than Tambi. He was dressed like a wild man, with long, messy black hair hanging down, obscuring his face.

The long sword in his hand looked as if it hadn't been sharpened or maintained for hundreds of years, covered with rust and nicks, except for a bright spot on the uneven blade, which faintly reflected the light of blood.

He reached up and brushed his hair across his forehead, parting the messy long hair to reveal a face that was literally "angular," as fierce as the legendary Red Demon, with a very conspicuous scar running from his forehead across his eyelid to his chin on the left side of his face.

If it was a knife wound, then this strike was far too precise and too ruthless. The straight trajectory showed no hesitation, and as a master swordsman, Iori could even imagine the posture of the person swinging the knife...

"Hey, I'm asking you something."

He calmly asked the fierce-looking man, slung his long sword over his shoulder, "Is it you... the one who summoned me here?"

"Who called you?" Just as Amagai was about to reprimand him, he heard Iori speak and automatically shut his mouth.