"So that's how it is..."
Ren flipped through the documents in his hand, which recorded the military achievements of the generals in this campaign.
The files detailed the slain members of the Sternritter and the individuals responsible for their deaths.
'The Explode' was incinerated by King, 'The Fear' was frozen to death by Kuzan, 'The Heat' was defeated by Ace, 'The Love' was decapitated by Whitebeard, and 'The Hero' was executed by the Third Raikage's AB combo...
Besides the five captured Sternritters and those Ren had killed personally, the fates of the others were clearly marked in this document.
Ren then listed the enemies he had killed in Silbern. Sengoku opened another file to cross-reference them one by one.
"Not only did we eliminate the Quincy King, Yhwach, but his most capable subordinates were powerless before the Great King."
"In terms of military merit, the Great King's achievements surpass the entire army in this battle!"
A flash of excitement crossed his face as he turned to look ahead, toward the three distant, thunderous battlefields.
"So, among the Quincy powerhouses, they are either killed or captured. These three are the only ones left putting up a fight."
"Though these three are powerful, with so many of our experts here and the Great King himself overseeing the situation, their defeat is only a matter of time. They won't be able to cause any more trouble."
Ren also looked toward the three distant battlefields.
Feeling the enemy's Reiatsu gradually weakening, he nodded slightly, seeing that victory was certain.
As if remembering something, he suddenly looked at Sengoku.
"Just now, you said our army lost over four hundred men?"
Sengoku said with a solemn expression, "Yes, that is the current approximate count. Those soldiers are either missing or killed... however, detailed data will have to wait until after the war ends."
"How did this happen?"
Ren's brow furrowed deeply, a hint of confusion showing beneath his serious expression.
"These soldiers all signed contracts with me. We are a community with a shared destiny, living and dying together. As long as I don't die, they shouldn't die."
"In that case, why were there still casualties?"
When Ren first signed the contracts with these people, he had indeed crafted many vague clauses to make them easy to reinterpret at any time.
As the active party of the contract, he held the final right of interpretation.
In addition, he had deliberately placed many traps in the contract that favored himself.
Ren knew that some of his operations were quite cold-blooded.
But he could still guarantee the basic life and death of those contractors!
At the very least, that 'shared life and death' was no joke, unless the limits specified in the contract were reached.
"Great King, war is like this. There is victory and defeat, life and death!"
Thinking of those fallen soldiers, Sengoku's gaze darkened, and a hint of sorrow flashed beneath his resilient exterior.
However, he quickly realized that Ren wasn't referring to the evils of war, but was expressing confusion over the deaths of his own troops.
He suppressed the sorrow rising in his heart and spoke with an unusually calm voice.
"Even without the Sternritter, there are still many strong individuals among the remaining Quincies."
"The fact that our army could defeat the Wandenreich with such a small cost is thanks to the contract with the Great King. Otherwise, our casualties would have been much higher!"
"It was precisely because they became the Great King's contractors that those soldiers could continue fighting tenaciously even after sustaining internal organ damage or being decapitated. They could continue the battle after receiving treatment."
"As for those who died..."
Sengoku's voice paused. He had been prepared for this.
He pulled out the prepared materials from the stack of documents in his hand, scanned them to confirm everything was correct, and handed them to Ren.
"Most of them were killed after encountering attacks from the Sternritter. Either they were obliterated by ferocious attacks, or their injuries were so severe that their bodies were too shattered..."
"Under such circumstances, these soldiers simply couldn't maintain their will, let alone retain their life force. Even the medical units couldn't provide effective treatment."
Ren took the documents and examined them carefully.
They recorded various information about the deceased soldiers: names, units, designations, and their final manner of death.
Just as Sengoku had said, these soldiers died too miserably to be saved.
Some soldiers were burned to ashes, while others were torn apart by ten thousand arrows or blown into a mess of shredded flesh and blood...
With such injuries, let alone treatment, the soldiers couldn't even retain their basic consciousness. How could they possibly remain 'undying'?
Ren silently set down the documents.
Such severe conditions were indeed beyond what even his contract could protect!
The 'immortality' he provided after connecting with them wasn't true eternal life; its degree was quite limited, simply making their bodies incredibly durable.
Even an 'undying' body had to follow basic laws.
If it was just a small injury like decapitation or having a heart removed, it could indeed keep the contractors alive.
But if they were burned to ashes or had their brains pulverized to the point that their self-awareness was lost, he was powerless.
In fact, to avoid endangering himself, his Zanpakuto might even take the initiative to sever the connection between him and the contractor on the spot.
Ren rubbed his temples and couldn't help but sigh.
The excitement from the victory vanished in an instant.
Seeing Ren's expression darken, Sengoku said, "The Great King need not feel this way. War requires death; it's only a matter of numbers. There is no logic in this world where victory can be achieved without sacrifice."
"It is precisely because of the desperate struggle of those soldiers that we have achieved this victory. Only by winning can we avoid failing the soldiers who died in battle."
Ren's eyes flickered, and the expression on his face gradually returned to its previous hardness, becoming solemn once more.
"I know that war means death, of course. I just felt a momentary wave of emotion."
"Ultimately, it was my insistence that started this war. Strictly speaking, I am the one who caused their sacrifice."
Sengoku spoke softly, his voice projecting a sense of determination.
"Ever since we signed the contract with the Great King, we have been your followers, sharing the same fate and fighting for the same dream. The Great King moves forward unswervingly, and we strive to follow."
"Sacrifice is inevitable, but there is one thing... I hope the Great King will not forget this feeling in the future. Do not forget our sacrifice... If you do that, then for us subordinates, risking our lives is worth it."
Ren nodded, choosing not to dwell on it.
He stood up and looked toward the battlefield ahead.
Everyone has low moments and can feel sad, but one cannot stay immersed in it for too long. Otherwise, one might feel dread or even self-doubt regarding the path ahead.
Ren forced his thoughts out of these low emotions and focused back on the battle.
By now, the three battlefields had undergone decisive changes.
The towering giant fell, its body collapsing in a series of explosions, turning into shimmering Reishi and dissipating into the air.
The battle came to an end, and things gradually returned to a state of calm.
"The Reiatsu is dropping rapidly... it's gone now."
Sensing the giant's Reiatsu vanish, Ren shifted his gaze to carefully feel the other battlefield.
The Reiatsu of the poison-user in the distance had also begun to collapse, approaching zero in the blink of an eye.
Clearly, he had also been defeated and killed.
"Two fallen. That leaves only one last person."
Ren turned his gaze toward the final battlefield.
"The Visionary, huh?"
Perhaps sensing the disappearance of his two companions, Gremmy's Reiatsu suddenly flared up.
But this outburst didn't last long before it began to wither under a chaotic flurry of combat Reiatsu.
The end of the battle was not far off.
"Follow me to take a look."
Ren waved to the two beside him, jumped down from the clouds, and walked toward the last battlefield.
Sengoku put away the documents, and Shisui dispersed the auspicious clouds as they followed behind.
When Ren arrived at the battlefield, the fight had just concluded.
The ground was covered in massive trees, with trails of uncooled lava scattered throughout the forest.
A wooden giant knelt to one side, while on the other, a tall blue warrior holding a katana was rapidly dissipating.
Passing through layers of trees, a wave of heat rolled over them.
Ren scanned the area, taking in the state of the battlefield.
Sakazuki stood to one side, his back tattered and covered in dust, with half of his face streaked with blood.
His fingers were curved like claws, and accompanied by scalding lava, he swung out and pierced through the body of the white-clad Quincy.
On the other side was Garp, bare-chested, his muscles bulging and veins popping, revealing a powerful aura.
A fist the size of a sandbag swung out, slamming directly into the Quincy's head.
Gremmy took both attacks, his face turning pale and weak as blood spilled from his mouth.
"What a miserable sight. It seems the battle is over on your end."
Seeing Ren arrive, Sakazuki and Garp relaxed their combat stances.
Gremmy could no longer hold on; his body swayed, and he fell to one knee.
He looked up, his vision blurring for a moment before he restored it with his imagination.
Seeing Ren's approaching figure, Gremmy wore a bitter smile.
"I never thought that at the end of the fight, I wouldn't even manage to touch a single corner of the enemy boss's cloak."
"It seems my title of the 'strongest' is quite undeserved."
Ren surveyed the messy battlefield and walked over to the three men, looking at Gremmy.
Hearing him say this, Ren spoke up, "With your strength, being able to contend with my four strongest subordinates is enough to be proud of."
"Coming from you, that doesn't feel like a compliment at all."
Gremmy chuckled bitterly and slowly raised his hand, only to see his own hands dissipating.
Sakazuki intended to land a finishing blow to ensure the guy was dead, but Ren stopped him with a wave of his hand.
"Sakazuki, there's no need for a finishing blow. He's finished."
After Ren spoke, he looked back at Gremmy.
The corner of Gremmy's mouth curled into a bitter smile.
"Ah, you're right. It seems I've reached my limit. This imagined body can't even hold itself together anymore."
His gaze swept over Sakazuki and Garp.
The sound of clanking armor suddenly rang out as Hashirama Senju and Madara also rushed over from the distance, flashing into the area.
Gremmy looked at everyone and seemed to sigh.
"I said before that I wouldn't even need to use a single finger to deal with you all."
"But in truth, I don't even have a single finger. This entire body is merely a product of my imagination."
As his voice fell, Gremmy's body suddenly burst apart, dissipating into nothingness.
An object popped out from where his head had been and fell to the ground.
It was a brain resting in a semi-circular container.
Gremmy's weak voice echoed through the air.
"This is my true form. Pathetic, isn't it? Even though I was the strongest, I'm this hideous mess."
Looking at the sudden appearance of the brain, Garp's expression darkened as he let out a soft sigh.
Hashirama Senju bit his lower lip, a look of pity flashing across his face.
None of them could have imagined that the enemy they needed to team up to defeat was actually just a brain.
Sakazuki's expression remained cold, while Madara looked on with disdain.
Ren remained unmoved and said softly, "It seems you've completely lost, Visionary."
"Yeah, I lost."
The brain on the ground was trembling, as if it had used up its last ounce of strength.
Gremmy's voice, however, became strangely relaxed, showing a hint of relief.
"I'm satisfied with this battle."
"Since you all humored me for so long, powerful enemies, I'll give you one final warning."
At this point, Gremmy's voice became suddenly serious.
"Haschwalth is not dead. In fact, Yhwach's body wasn't destroyed. When you launched your attack, Haschwalth came to find me..."
"He took Yhwach's body and some members of the Sternritter and escaped long ago."
"What?!"
Ren's eyes widened suddenly as he stared intently at the brain.
Shisui and Sengoku also showed looks of surprise.
"Are you serious?"
"Yhwach... isn't dead?!"
Gremmy did not answer. The brain on the ground was motionless, as if dead.
His words continued to echo with an unchanging tone, like a pre-recorded message.
"Among the people you dealt with, some were products of my imagination... Of course, that includes Askin and Gerard as well..."
His voice eventually became intermittent and ended completely with the conclusion of his imagination.
Ren suddenly snapped back to his senses, his expression changing drastically as he fell into a dark mood.
He looked at Sengoku and the others behind him, only to see they were in the same state.
"How can this be?!"
"Hmph, Hashirama, don't you understand yet... we've been played!"
"But this guy is an enemy after all. Whether his words can be trusted is still unknown."
"No, my intuition tells me that he was a proud man who wouldn't deign to lie!"
The noisy voices of the group gradually rose.
Ren frowned deeply, his eyes fixed on the brain.
Suddenly, he remembered something and looked at Sengoku.
"Sengoku, check the combat records against the enemy and see if there's anything unusual!"
"If it's as he said and some of the enemies were products of his imagination, then those enemies will certainly not leave a corpse behind when they die."
Sengoku also immediately understood.
"And vice versa—if a corpse can be found, it proves that the dead enemy was the real deal!"
Ren nodded and looked at everyone with a grave expression.
"I ask you all to keep this matter a secret."
"To the soldiers in the army, announce only one thing—and that is our indisputable victory!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]