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

This world is extremely friendly to him. Not only is the exchange rate between art style value and spiritual pressure the highest "ten", meaning he can exert his strongest strength here, but there are also a bunch of his followers here. As long as he interacts with them normally, he can gain bonds and casually improve his art style. It couldn't be easier.

If it weren't for the thrill of adventure, he would genuinely enjoy being the "Captain of the Third Division."

"is it you?"

Iori raised her head, gazing at the sky, as if she could see through the azure curtain to a more distant place.

There, there are a pair of indifferent eyes that have existed since time immemorial. The multiple pupils squeezed together do not inspire fear, but rather a strange and sacred aura.

Just as Iori was "looking" at him, he was also gazing at Iori in silence. Even though he couldn't move, his will could cover the entire Soul Society and control the changes of all things.

After this return, it's clear that the Soul King's "gaze" has become even stronger.

Was it because Iori brought back another eyeball, or because Yhwach woke up early? Or... was he simply urging Iori to do something?

Although they hadn't communicated directly, Iori intuitively believed that the Soul King harbored no ill will towards her, but rather held great expectations. As for the specifics... she would find out sooner or later.

That's right, it was right when he climbed up to the Spirit King's Palace to settle accounts with the head monk...

"You're so eager to meet me, Your Majesty the Spirit King?"

Iori's smile held a hint of curiosity. "No need to rush. I'm already prepared; I just haven't encountered the right opportunity yet."

Iori's current strength is enough to make him no longer afraid of the Soul King, but he still holds him in high esteem, unlike Aizen in the original story.

After all, we have different perspectives.

Having seen so many other worlds and possessed numerous illustrious identities, even if the current Three Realms were given to Iori for free, he would still find it too troublesome and wouldn't necessarily want them.

Moreover, in a sense, the Spirit King is a true "god," not only having the merit of creating the world, but also dedicating himself to the entire world.

That's right. Although the secret heritage of the great nobles records that it was the ancestors of the five great nobles who attacked the Spirit King, turned him into a "human pillar," and forced him to serve as the wedge supporting the world.

But now that Iori has reached her current level of power (the Spirit King is even a notch above her in terms of realm)... to be honest, he really doesn't think the so-called five noble families can do anything to the Spirit King. It's more likely that he will sacrifice himself rather than be forced to sacrifice.

Any scheme or trickery is laughable in the face of absolute power. If a powerful figure like the Soul King could be subdued by a sneak attack using some kind of divine artifact, then Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu would be the strongest Zanpakuto—but it is not!

The two most powerful weapons, Ryujin Jakka and Zangetsu, are generally considered to have the best stats!

Even if Aizen himself said it, he would admit it.

Iori is more inclined to believe that the Soul King had long been aware of the plot against him, but instead of resisting, he went along with it and helped the five noble families.

It is probably because the Spirit King's eye, which can see into the past and future, is omniscient and omnipotent. He already knows his future and what he needs to do. In order to maintain the balance of the three realms and promote the world's progress, he must become a "human pillar".

He probably even anticipated having all his organs removed and being turned into a human pillar.

Therefore, Iori also really wanted to meet this creator god in person and ask him his true thoughts...

"Captain~"

"Hmm? Lou Shilang, is there something you need?"

"This is a summary report of the recent Hueco Mundo campaign. Please take a look and see if there are any parts that need polishing?"

"I know your writing style; it must be very good."

Iori smiled and took the document: "Give it to me. I'm going to the First Division anyway, so I'll pass it on to the Captain-Commander."

Are you going to see the Commander-in-Chief?

"Yes, it's been a while."

Iori recalled Hiko Shiki, whom she had killed in the other world, and a strange smile appeared on her lips.

"Well... let's go say hello."

"?"

Fengqiao Loujuro blinked, puzzled but deeply admiring of Iori.

After all, the only people in the entire Seireitei who would bother to greet the Captain-Commander when they have nothing better to do are this guy and Captain Ukitake.

Even Kyoraku and the captain wouldn't take the initiative to meet with the old man...

"Then it's up to you."

……

"I'll take my leave now, Lord Yamamoto."

喀～

As the saibe left the room, Yamamoto opened his eyes, which had been squinting, and looked at Iori opposite him. Each of them had a cup of hot tea beside them, and a chessboard was placed between them.

No, strictly speaking, it's "Shogi," which is Japanese chess.

"Captain Saito's matter must have given you a headache for a long time, right? Thank you so much."

"It doesn't matter."

Yamamoto nodded almost imperceptibly, but his eyes remained fixed on the chessboard the entire time, seemingly not taking the matter to heart.

He's not just an old man who only knows how to fight; he's actually quite accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and has a very high level of education.

However, with his rising status, fewer people were willing to play shogi with him, and his old friends could no longer visit him often. Therefore, playing shogi with Iori was a rare pastime for him.

This is a new opponent, but nothing to fear!

No matter how talented someone is, playing chess requires experience and extensive research. How could Iori, a young Shinigami who spends all his time training and dealing with documents, possibly be proficient in these things?

You have to understand that Iori's calligraphy is excellent, which must have required a lot of effort, so there's no reason why he should be equally good at shogi!

This is a great opportunity...

Seeing that they were about to lose their advantage as teachers, it would be good to be able to demonstrate their authority in a place like this—

Yamamoto appeared calm today, but was actually extremely serious, and didn't seem to care much about the topics Iori was discussing.

Saito's issue with blurring his image?

As long as the Kuchiki, Shihouin, and Shiba families stand together with the Thirteenth Division, there's absolutely no need to worry about the so-called "46 Chambers"!

To put it bluntly, what Yamamoto cares about is order, and the five noble families and the thirteen divisions together can guarantee absolute order!

What Iori didn't know was that his appearance and the series of events, while leading to the decline of Tsunayoshiro and seemingly weakening the five great noble families, actually increased their influence.

Because among the original five noble families, Shiba had always disliked Tsunayo, and Shihouin and Kuchiki kept their distance from her, now that Tsunayo had lost her voice, the remaining three families were able to reach a consensus on many issues.

During this time, Yamamoto also noticed this and felt that he had fewer worries and was in a rare good mood. When Iori came to visit, he was naturally in high spirits.

To be honest, Iori doesn't know much about shogi, since the rules of Japanese shogi differ greatly from the original, so Yamamoto definitely had the advantage this time.

This was the case before Iori used AI.

In terms of mental ability alone, Iori is not weak either; he can calculate the entire game. However, even a lion must fight a rabbit with all its might, which is exactly the kind of teaching he received from his respected teacher, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!

"As expected of a newbie, I've never seen this kind of movement before... Huh?"

"Teacher, what's wrong?"

"No...it's nothing, it's just that this puts you in a passive position, and I feel a little bad about it...hmm?"

Despite having the upper hand on the board, Yamamoto frowned deeply, as if he were a general caught in an ambush.

"This move... this is wrong..."

"teacher?"

After a few more moves, for some reason, Yamamoto's expression gradually froze.

"……what?"

"It's your turn to go."

"...Speaking of which, I have some things to discuss with you in detail regarding Saito."

"Oh, I understand."

Yamamoto beamed with delight: "Alright, in that case, let's—"

"Let's finish this game quickly."

Iori smiled and scratched her head sheepishly.

"I've made a fool of myself with my meager chess skills, teacher. Please don't worry about my feelings, continue!"

"..."

Chapter 479 Who plays chess without a helmet?

After a moment of silence, Yamamoto calmly reached for the chess piece, but perhaps his movement was a little too forceful, and the cane leaning against the wall was knocked down. He "accidentally" triggered the disguised Kido, which erased the wooden cane, and Ryujin Jakka slid out of its sheath, revealing a section of it.

Snapped!

The hilt of the knife struck the corner of the chessboard with a crisp sound, and Iori's expression changed involuntarily, while Yamamoto had already finished his move.

"I'm really getting old."

Yamamoto sighed as he sheathed Ryujin Jakka: "It's been so long since I've used it, maybe it's protesting against me."

"Teacher, you're overthinking it. You're still in your prime."

"Haha, don't try to be as glib as Chunshui."

Yamamoto stroked the damaged chessboard with a touch of melancholy: "This steel chessboard is the one I used when I was young. Back then, people were more impulsive and easily angered. Ordinary wooden chessboards broke too easily, so we switched to stone ones, and finally, steel mixed with killing intent stones... Alas, time flies by."

"..."

Iori glanced at the wooden chessboard, which was painted but had an unusual texture, and her eyes twitched involuntarily.

"I can roughly imagine the style of chess my teacher used when he was young."

Yamamoto seemed to snap out of his reverie and began urging Iori, "It's your turn."

"……Oh."

Iori thought for a moment and remembered that she hadn't brought her helmet when she went out today, so she stopped looking at the AI.

After a fierce battle on the board, Iori gradually turned the tables and gained the upper hand. The assassin he had planted earlier suddenly revealed his ferocity. Yamamoto was once forced into a desperate situation, but at the crucial moment, he saw through Iori's mistake and decisively attacked. Before Iori could adjust his position, the battle was over - he was checkmated.

"I still can't beat the teacher!"

Iori conceded defeat, wholeheartedly remarking, "Old ginger is spicier; that's certainly true!"

"Hmph, you're still a long way off."

Yamamoto spoke calmly, but the corners of his mouth, hidden by his beard, were slightly upturned, and his excited heartbeat had not yet calmed down.

That was close! It almost happened... but thankfully, the teacher's authority was preserved. Thank goodness!

"By the way, you mentioned Captain Saito earlier. Is there still some twist in her case?"

"This one……"

Yamamoto was momentarily speechless, but having dealt with millennia of political affairs, his adaptability was still quite good.

"The 46th Chamber had some complaints, but it's been settled. Although sending her to the human world is tantamount to exile, she's still under the Gotei 13's system, so it's difficult for them to interfere."

"The teacher must have put a lot of thought into this."

Iori bowed her head in thanks, "I thank you on behalf of Saito."

"Iori, are the rumors true?"

Putting the important matter aside for the moment, Yamamoto asked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, "Are you and Saito immortal?"

Yes, we became a couple.

Iori frankly stated, "However, she doesn't seem to have any longing for the white kimono (wedding dress), and probably doesn't want to establish a traditional family relationship with me."

"That's...something that others can't do, kid."

Even Yamamoto was filled with respect, and his gaze toward Iori changed slightly: "Well, you're both single, which isn't exactly unbelievable, but the fact always gives people a sense of shock."

You and Saito... what a wonderful combination!

I never expected that guy would actually be with my disciple…

"Are none of your team captains from the same cohort married?"

"Iori asked."

"Of course there are, such as the head of the Shihōin family at that time."

Yamamoto stroked his beard and said, "Some people were already local tyrants with established businesses before they became captains... but all the female captains are single."