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Outside, a torrent of green and blue energy clashed ferociously, scattering the sands below and nearly ripping through the very fabric of Hueco Mundo's sky.
Ulquiorra maneuvered above, black wings propelling him as he brought his green javelin down. Starrk, on the receiving end of the javelin, casually raised his left pistol to absorb the force while the left pistol fired a powerful Cero. Ulquiorra barely tilted his head, the pistol's blast roaring past his cheek, scorching his skin and leaving a thin red line that vanished a moment later.
Seeing Ulquiorra's high-speed regeneration didn't faze Starrk. The lazy Espada wore his usual calm smile, as if this entire scene was just another routine day.
Kazuya chuckled to himself. Starrk didn't show it on his face, but anyone familiar with Starrk could sense the underlying annoyance. He had all the power to end this fight, yet here he was—dragging it out. Why? Because Kazuya asked him to. Starrk could reject anyone but not his friend. Besides, Starrk also knew Ulquiorra was Kazuya's fastest way to achieve Segunda Etapa, the second release stage of Resurrección.
Besides, Starrk wasn't a killer by any means. He shouldn't stain his hands with Ulquiorra's blood. The two had no enmity between them. Kazuya didn't wish to become Ulquiorra's enemy either. Making him submit was his final goal, after all. A goal he had almost accomplished through a mix of deceit and a display of absolute power.
In a sense, Soi Fon's instincts about Starrk and Ulquiorra's battle had been spot-on—it was a massive waste of time and energy for both parties. If she ever learned that the big bad wolf, the one who loved to bully her, was the mastermind behind Hueco Mundo's chaos, her jaw might actually hit the floor.
"Can't we just sit down and talk, or you know? Maybe have tea and snacks?" Starrk asked in a bored tone. "You and I both know you can't win against me or that fellow."
This indifference came from his supreme confidence. He never saw Ulquiorra—still far from his full potential—as an equal opponent. To him, this was just a chore. Surely there were better ways to spend the day.
Ulquiorra's deadpan expression remained unchanged, prompting Starrk to sigh. "What's taking Harribel so long? I want to go home and nap…"
With Ulquiorra here and Yammy lying dead in a pool of blood, there was nothing stopping Harribel from taking over Las Noches. The throne was already hers in all but name.
Ulquiorra, too, knew he was being stalled by Starrk, but there was little he could do to get out of this sticky stalemate. Every time he tried to approach Kazuya, Starrk would bombard him with thousands of Cero Rays, forcing him to take Starrk seriously. And when he pushed the intensity of the fight, Starrk would simply pull back, evading with lazy grace. Minor injuries aside, Starrk was never truly threatened.
Even Ulquiorra's most powerful strikes barely scratched him.
During this infuriating exchange, Yammy had fallen on the other side. The death of his long time comrade had struck him like a lightning bolt. For a moment, rage clouded his thoughts. Nelliel stood by Yammy's mangled corpse, lost in her own world, making her an easy target for vengeance.
But once again, Starrk interfered, cutting off Ulquiorra's path.
It was infuriating.
More than once, he felt tempted to use his Segunda Etapa to crush Starrk, but he restrained himself. Burning that much energy would leave him at a disadvantage against his true opponent, whom he wasn't even certain of defeating at his full strength.
Starrk's form blurred, appearing a great distance away from Ulquiorra. Twin ornamental pistols gleamed in his hands, his tattered coat flowing behind him in the wind. "Haven't you had enough? Why don't you come tomorrow? I can promise you my friend over there will keep you company."
Ulquiorra didn't reply, but his dull eyes sharpened ever so slightly. Beneath the surface, a murderous fire burned. Never before had he felt such a desire to kill. Not on a mission. Not for pride. Just to erase the nuisance standing between him and his greatest challenge.
"Hey, Starrk! He is getting impatient!" Lilynette said playfully. It was her first time being glared down murderously by such a strong opponent, but she remained fearless. Although she didn't know the circumstances behind her own origins, she was aware of Starrk and her own strength. They would never lose to any Hollow who didn't go by the name of Kazuya. "Ohhh, his pressure is spiking! What is he doing?!"
Starrk shrugged. "Beats me."
A burst of deep green Reiatsu rushed out of Ulquiorra. A vast, ancient presence emanated from him as if he wasn't just one Hollow but an amalgamation of thousands of Vasto Lorde.
Ulquiorra's long white coat dissolved, revealing his pale, slender torso, with the hole on his chest becoming larger and patterned as if black blood was spilled down the center of his chest. His form grew more feral—coated in black fur across his waist, arms, and legs. A long, fur-edged tail whipped behind him, and deadly claws now tipped his fingers. Even his feet transformed into talons. The tear-like marks under his eyes increased in size and turned black like blood.
His Hollow mask was gone. He had shed the last trace of it.
"I'll kill you."
Starrk's expression grew solemn. "Lilynette, we might have to get serious."
Lilynette, on the other hand, laughed boisterously. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
She was quite pleased to see Ulquiorra grow even stronger. It wasn't like every day she would get the opportunity to unleash this endless energy sealed in her. Starrk, too, never had a serious fight ever since the two were born.
They could finally let loose.
Ulquiorra didn't wait. He burst forward with terrifying speed, forcing Starrk to react in earnest. Even he would suffer defeat if he didn't give this form his full attention. Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa boosted his destructive power to such a large degree.
Hundreds of Cero Rays erupted from Starrk's pistols, forming a dense curtain of death. But with a single flap of his wings, Ulquiorra tore through the storm. Each Cero, though dangerous, was ultimately too weak to stop him. The shockwave from his wings vaporized every beam.
Then Ulquiorra tossed a number of his energy lances. Starrk blurred past each lance, not daring to take them head-on with his body.
Watching the clash made Kazuya's blood stir.
As much as he hated to admit it, Unohana's brutal training had awakened a sliver of battle lust in him. He was far from battle junkies like Kenpachi Zaraki, but…
He couldn't deny it anymore.
He wanted to thrash someone.
Too bad Hueco Mundo had no worthy opponent for him.
Perhaps, only Royal Guards, Aizen, Unohana, and old man Yamamoto could get him serious.
{Partner, you're giving me some serious 'it's so lonely at the top' air,} Nami whispered. {You should get used to it because… that's our future.}
'Who knows what the future holds.'
Even though he had grown stronger, he still had no idea where his System actually originated from nor the reason behind his reincarnation.
"You're both acting weird," Tsubaki whispered.
Quickly shifting his consciousness through every corner of Las Noches, he nodded with satisfaction.
"We're almost finished here. Can't wait to train with Retsu."
{Someone's been missing their Unomama.}
"How can I not?" He shook his head helplessly, and then his gaze fell on the two sneaky Shinigami. If not for this Hollow form, he'd have messed with the two of them. Half of it as a punishment for not listening to him and half of it for his own sadistic pleasure.
"You can still do that, Father," Tsubaki said. "It's even easier in your current form."
{Hahaha, this kid is getting foxier.} Nami burst into laughter. {Partner, mess them up!!!}
'Jeez, quiet down.'
…
Soi Fon and Yoruichi were still frozen in awe at the battle when the golden threads abruptly thickened, twisting and weaving themselves into the shape of a humanoid figure. The overwhelming Reiatsu that erupted from this being made their skin crawl and their instincts scream. Just standing near it was a challenge in itself.
Both knew they weren't this strange entity's opponent even if they fought with everything on the line.
Yet despite their shock, their muscle memory kicked in. Their stances shifted fluidly, weapons ready, eyes locked on the figure. They were veterans of their field at the end of the day.
"It's dangerous!" Soi Fon hissed, raising her wariness to the maximum. "That Kazuya—where did he go?!"
She didn't realize how deeply she had come to depend on him until now. Despite their clashes and differences, he was the most reliable man in these foreign lands. Failure, defeat, and frustration had slowly been chiseled into respect and admiration. Somewhere along the way, she had started to believe he was invincible.
Yoruichi's gaze flicked toward Kazuya, who was still seated in his original position. They couldn't count on him here—not with this many Hollows watching. Making a move now would reveal his identity to Soi Fon.
"Forget about him. We have to get through this on our own."
"Who's remembering him?!" Soi Fon snapped instinctively. But the tightness in her voice gave her away.
She was Soi Fon, the Head of Onmitsukidō, and the Captain of the 2nd Squad. She had even 'surpassed' her former mentor and her most dazzling predecessor. There was nothing she couldn't solve with her fists and sheer will. "No matter what happens, I'll kill my way back to Soul Society if I have to."
"You Soul Reapers have the audacity to come here," a deep, ancient voice assaulted their ears. "I'll have your heads for trespassing into our land. I won't let anyone eat you should you choose to end your own lives."
Soi Fon felt a chill crawl up her spine. "He wants to kill us."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. There was something strange about the golden figure. Despite the lack of discernible features, something about it felt... familiar. She couldn't place it, but it was as if she had encountered this presence before. In truth, she had never met him before.
At that moment, Soi Fon started walking toward the golden-figured Hollow. "Yoruichi-sama, go. I'll cover your retreat."
Yoruichi looked at her in surprise, then quietly smiled. Only the harshest circumstances would reveal the true heart of a person. For Soi Fon to stay back and fight this obscenely powerful Hollow just to give Yoruichi a chance of safety showed her true heart.
"You haven't changed in the slightest."
Soi Fon, who was prepared to risk her life, felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the most dazzling smile lighting Yoruichi's face.
"You're a hundred years too early to protect me, kid." Yoruichi shoved Soi Fon back and walked towards the Hollow, who wanted their pretty heads. "Wait for me in that cave."
Soi Fon felt her eyes growing blurry as she saw the shadow of the mentor who had abandoned her; the one-of-a-kind tomboy princess of Shihōin Clan who used to be her most admired woman; the Flash Goddess who surpassed the limits of Shinigami's speed.
Her throat choked with thick emotions.
"Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fon stepped forward and stood by Yoruichi's side. "Let's fight together."
Yoruichi blinked in confusion. The way Soi Fon had said her name… the weight in her voice… it was different. No sarcasm. No resentment. No bitterness. Just admiration and unwavering loyalty. As though Soi Fon had completely let go of her past.
It only confused her more.
After all, her plan had been simple: create an opening, stall the enemy, then escape with her unmatched speed. She never intended to go down in a blaze of glory. But somehow, Soi Fon had imagined a noble sacrifice, a last stand, and it touched the deepest parts of her heart.
The utter misunderstanding between the two confused even the instigator.
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