Bleeach [61-63] (Patreon)

Chapter 61: Starrk and Lilynette

These two...

Yoshio knew them, yet didn't know them.

He knew them from the manga, but hadn't met them in this world.

A man and a girl, one tall and one short, neither wearing the masks that signify Hollows in Hueco Mundo.

They wore tattered cloaks and seemed to have noticed Hollow White's presence.

The traits were too distinctive.

Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck, who would one day become Espada No. 1.

Aizen also saw them now, a flicker of inquiry and surprise in his eyes.

"How odd. Why are there Hollows in Hueco Mundo without masks?" Ichimaru Gin glanced at Aizen, asking curiously, thinking Starrk must be the result of Aizen's experiments.

Aizen's lips curled: "Are they searching for something 'opposite' to themselves? And there's even a Menos Grande that can 'self-Arrancar.' Interesting. Do we… have a way to go take a look?"

Yoshio understood the implication in Aizen's words.

Hollow White was originally a Shinigami soul, but Aizen had used techniques to turn it into a Hollow.

Starrk, on the other hand, was originally a Hollow soul, but due to certain reasons underwent Arrancarization.

Hollows have a Hollow hole, representing an incomplete soul—or you could say, an incomplete heart.

So where did that incomplete part of the soul, the missing heart, go?

It became the mask on a Hollow's face!

And Arrancar break the mask on their faces, converting that portion of soul into their Zanpakuto.

Before Starrk, no Hollow in Hueco Mundo had managed to break their face mask, so no wonder Aizen took notice.

The Arrancar Aizen wanted to create were "Hollows Shinigami-fied." The experiment had started long ago, but to Aizen those were failures, unworthy of being called a "new species."

However, if it was Starrk, he seemed to be approaching Aizen's answer to this new species called Arrancar.

Perhaps Hollow White had discovered an existence opposite to itself, or something similar yet opposite, which is why it came to Hueco Mundo and stood before Starrk.

Judging by the liquid on them, the two had probably just completed their split, hadn't they?

In any case, no matter what Yoshio thought, they were heading to Hueco Mundo now.

It was also a good chance to observe Starrk's and Lilynette's Souls Abilities.

As Aizen opened a Garganta by some method, the three in the lab entered Hueco Mundo.

They were still wearing those special black cloaks that not only concealed their figures but also hid their reishi.

Yoshio witnessed Starrk's and Lilynette's Souls Abilities with his own eyes.

Starrk's Souls Ability was ["Spirit Split,"] and Lilynette's Souls Ability was ["Spirit Merge."]

["Spirit Split: Split off a portion of one's soul to form a clone. The clone differs from the original in appearance, reishi, and even the essence of the soul."]

["Spirit Merge: Reabsorb the split-off soul back into the body, inheriting all abilities the clone acquired during the split."]

These two abilities…

Oh my god, I want them too!

Yoshio was envious. He knew befriending Starrk wouldn't be that hard. For the extremely lonely Starrk, even if a Shinigami wanted to be his friend, he probably wouldn't refuse.

Of course, provided you're strong enough.

If you're not, you can't even survive near Starrk.

Yoshio figured he should be fine now—he was a Lieutenant, after all. If he got crushed to death by a Hollow's reishi, wouldn't that be an embarrassment to Lieutenants everywhere?

Just then, Starrk naturally noticed Hollow White's arrival.

Looking at Hollow White, Starrk felt something off.

He noticed this Hollow seemed different from the ones he usually encountered.

"You are…"

"Roaaar!" Hollow White's bellow was Starrk's only answer. Even without a mouth, it could make sounds.

Hollow White lunged in an instant, pouncing straight at Starrk!

Starrk's eyes narrowed slightly; the next instant he appeared behind Hollow White.

"I don't want to fight."

Hollow White immediately turned, blade-like forelimbs slashing toward Starrk.

But Starrk's figure vanished again and reappeared beside Lilynette.

Having missed twice, Hollow White seemed angered. A powerful light began to gather on its twin horns—that was a Cero.

Seeing Hollow White actually use a Cero, Starrk finally looked solemn, raising his hand as if to fire a Cero as well.

"Let's stop here, Captain Aizen. There's no need for these two to keep fighting," Yoshio murmured, and in the next moment, he flashed into position between them.

Boom!

Hollow White's and Starrk's Cero condensed and fired at each other—making Yoshio, who suddenly appeared in the middle, the natural target.

Yet Yoshio merely extended a finger, and a moment later, a transparent, smooth, seemingly fragile mirror appeared before his fingertip.

Boom!

Both Cero converged on that mirror, impacting Yoshio, but he had already activated Hinamori's "Ultimate Defense" and Nanao's "Mirror Reflection."

Boom!

The combined Cerο was reflected downward from beneath Yoshio's Mirror Reflection, shooting off at a perfect ninety-degree angle from the point of convergence—directly in front of Yoshio!

With an ear-splitting roar, a massive explosion erupted on the distant reishi sands, a towering blast consuming and incinerating the white dunes there!

Both Hollow White and Starrk were startled—neither had expected Yoshio to suddenly appear in the middle, much less to block and even reflect their Cerο!

"Alright…"

Floating in midair, Yoshio looked at Hollow White above and Starrk standing on the reishi sands below. He clapped lightly and said, "I don't think there's any need for you two to fight."

"How about we sit down and talk?"

Then Yoshio glanced skyward again and said, "Captain Aizen, anything you'd like to add?"

"…You're too hasty, Yoshio-kun." Aizen stepped out as well, unknown light flickering in his eyes as he looked at Yoshio.

"Isn't Captain Aizen interested? 'Hollow White' and an 'Arrancar' are rare sights. I don't want either of them hurt."

Yoshio had indeed acted rashly, but he had to.

If the fight continued, the current Hollow White was absolutely no match for Starrk!

And Aizen would never save his own test subject!

If Hollow White were killed by Starrk, Aizen would simply judge his creation imperfect.

But Yoshio couldn't think that way—he hadn't obtained ["Cocoon Transformation"] yet!

Chapter 62: Starrk Joins and Heads to Las Noches

Aizen didn't care whether Hollow White lived or died; he could make another.

But Yoshio did. Until he obtained [Cocoon Transformation], Hollow White absolutely could not die!

So he said something to Aizen, then launched his move.

For this, he used [Mirror Reflection].

He hadn't permanently acquired [Mirror Reflection] yet—meaning he could only use it once for now—but he used it anyway.

Mainly, he worried [Ultimate Defense] might not withstand the Cerοs of both parties. One Cerο would be fine, but the overlapping pincer of Hollow White's and Starrk's Cerοs warranted caution.

Seeing Yoshio suddenly appear, both Hollow White above and Starrk below were surprised.

Yoshio sighed. "Alright, White, knock it off. Outdoor time's over for today."

Hollow White rumbled, displeased.

Yoshio shrugged. "Enough. You're not his match."

Yoshio had spent a long time with Hollow White. Though Hollow White couldn't speak, Yoshio could still understand it.

"You're… a Shinigami?"

Meanwhile, on the other side, Starrk frowned and moved in front of Lilynette, as if to shield her.

Naturally, Hollows are wary of Shinigami.

Though Starrk was strong, after a string of unexpected developments he was still on guard.

"Yes. But I mean you no harm."

Yoshio said, "'White' is my friend. I don't know why he suddenly came looking for you."

Yoshio deliberately emphasized "friend," because he knew the thing Starrk yearned for most was a friend.

Sure enough, Starrk froze.

"A Shinigami… and a Hollow are friends?"

This…

No matter how you look at it, that's strange, isn't it?

While Shinigami aren't irreconcilable mortal enemies with Hollows like the Quincy are, the two sides are still opposed by nature.

He had never heard of a Hollow and a Shinigami becoming friends.

"I'm a bit different from other Shinigami." Yoshio didn't elaborate, only said, "It seems 'White' was somewhat rude just now. I apologize on his behalf."

"…" Starrk fell silent a moment, then turned to leave with Lilynette, saying, "Do what you want. But as a Shinigami, you'd best not stay in Hueco Mundo. If you run into other Hollows, you might lose your life."

"…Funny, every Hollow I meet says that," Yoshio muttered, a bit startled.

It sounded familiar.

The first time he met Nelliel, she'd said the same thing.

Come to think of it, a real coincidence.

There were only a few "normal" Hollows in Hueco Mundo—Nelliel, Starrk—and he'd happened to meet both.

"…Is that so? Then you're quite lucky."

Starrk was about to leave without looking back when Aizen suddenly stepped out.

"Shinigami…!"

Starrk's pupils dilated as Aizen approached, and he murmured, "Indeed, Shinigami can't be trusted."

He figured Yoshio was deliberately stalling for time, waiting for teammates to arrive and kill him—a Vasto Lorde.

"Four… no, five enemies?"

Starrk said under his breath, "Troublesome…"

"You seem to be mistaken." Aizen came forward, studying Starrk.

Though Lilynette was also an Arrancar, she was clearly not the focus of Aizen's attention.

"I haven't come to kill you. I just want to ask you something."

Aizen looked at Starrk and said slowly, "Interested in coming with us?"

Behind him stood Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname at his sides, and farther back a crescent moon.

Under the sparse moonlight, Aizen extended his hand as if inviting Starrk.

Starrk frowned and glanced at Yoshio and Hollow White.

"Are they your companions too?"

He meant Hollow White.

"'White' was created by me. If he sought you out, it's likely he sensed something opposite to himself." Aizen said truthfully.

"I see," Starrk murmured. "In that case, you must have many strong ones at your side."

"And… you all look formidable yourselves."

"With me around, you won't die so easily."

"Welcome, Arrancar." Aizen's gaze swept behind Starrk, then behind Yoshio, before leveling forward again. "Your name is…?"

"Coyote Starrk."

Starrk placed a hand on Lilynette's head and added, "She's Lilynette Gingerbuck."

"Then let's head to a place along the way."

Aizen glanced at Yoshio again; Yoshio merely shrugged.

He already knew where Aizen intended to go.

Aizen's original plan was to establish a base in Hueco Mundo, then rule it, so he could later conduct Arrancar experiments in the Hollow realm.

This time, since they were already in Hueco Mundo and had revealed themselves to recruit Starrk, it was the perfect opportunity to seize Las Noches.

"Where are you going?"

Starrk didn't know these details, but he still followed Yoshio and the others.

Because Starrk had enough confidence in his strength—he believed even if they schemed against him, he could escape unscathed.

It was also what he yearned for in his heart.

Maybe…

These people could truly stay with him without dying!

Starrk had always sought such people—even if they weren't Hollows…

It didn't matter.

"Find a place to live. We can't just keep drifting around Hueco Mundo forever, right?" Yoshio said with a smile.

They soon arrived near Las Noches.

"The King of Hueco Mundo…"

Yoshio said, "Interesting. There's actually a king who rules all Hollows here."

"That King of Hueco Mundo…" Starrk seemed never to have heard of such a thing. Indeed, he had no Hollows around him, not even anyone to exchange information with.

He simply drifted aimlessly through Hueco Mundo, like a lone skiff on a boundless sea, pushed by wind and waves, going with the flow—no idea of his destination, no idea when he would stop.

The seven of them headed toward Las Noches.

Hollow White seemed uninterested in other Hollows, only trailing beside Yoshio, occasionally locking onto Starrk with his spiritual pressure.

Starrk, of course, felt Hollow White's presence, but showed no expression.

"There are… many strong ones here."

Until…

As they entered Las Noches, Starrk murmured,

"There are three Vasto Lorde, just counting those." Yoshio murmured back.

Chapter 63: Me? Guard Las Noches Alone?

From what Yoshio knew, there were currently three Vasto Lorde in Las Noches.

First, of course, was Baraggan, the King of Hueco Mundo; as the future Segunda Espada, his strength was beyond doubt.

Second was Las Noches' scientist, the future Octava Espada, Szayelaporro Granz.

Szayelaporro had once been a powerful Vasto Lorde, even stronger than Baraggan, but his ambition wasn't in battle—it was in pursuing a perfect life.

Thus, in Las Noches he served only as a scientist.

When Aizen formed the Espada, he was among the earliest Zero Espada.

However, Szayelaporro cared nothing for combat power; in fact, he was ideologically averse to it.

So he split from his warlike brother, Yylfordt Granz, whom he had previously devoured.

Because of the split, both saw a massive drop in power, falling directly from the strongest Zero Espada to the point of not even qualifying for the Espada.

Later, Szayelaporro returned to the Espada as the Eighth, while Yylfordt served as Grimmjow's Fracción until his death.

At this time, Szayelaporro had not yet split and still possessed the terrifying combat power of a Vasto Lorde.

The third Vasto Lorde was Picaro, the "102" among the three-digit ranks—a group of kids. Aizen deemed these children unfit to be part of the Espada, so he booted them out into the "three digits."

Still, no matter how unruly they were, they were ultimately among the higher-tier Menos Grande.

So…

How to put it—Aizen actually had plenty of hidden cards in the original story; he simply chose not to use them.

While the Espada were indeed his ten strongest Arrancar, they weren't without equals.

For example…

Loly Aivirrne, who replaced Grimmjow.

And besides Loly Aivirrne, Picaro clearly counted too. As a Vasto Lorde, even after being relegated to the three digits, becoming Espada again was obviously no problem.

But Aizen probably didn't care much about the Espada from the start—what he cared about most was his own evolution.

If he truly let his subordinates flatten Soul Society, how would he push himself to the limit in battle so the Hōgyoku would submit to him?

Starrk followed Yoshio, came to the Hollow realm with Shinigami, and helped Shinigami seize the King of Hueco Mundo's rule—no matter how you looked at it, it was odd.

Yet a sliver of yearning rose in Starrk's heart.

So much powerful spiritual pressure was here; perhaps…

He wouldn't be alone anymore.

"Who goes there?"

Suddenly, a massive presence appeared before the group and roared at them.

"I am Cacameal, under the King of Hueco Mundo—"

Slash!

Before he could finish, Tōsen Kaname sliced him in two with a single stroke, cleaving the massive Menos Grande cleanly apart.

In the next instant, the party used Shunpo to enter the palace.

Inside, a dozen or so Hollows seemed to be in a meeting. At the head was a skull-shaped Menos Grande wearing a crown, seated upon Hueco Mundo's throne, with a faint crescent moon overhead.

Yoshio looked and saw that Baraggan's Souls Ability was ["Aging."]

["Aging: Release the breath of death to cause aging."]

Isn't that just Baraggan's ability?

Baraggan's inherent power—his Souls Ability?

How perfunctory…

This was the first time Yoshio had encountered such a Souls Ability.

Souls Abilities correlate with a person's inherent powers, but also consider the person's traits, past, present, and future experiences—even impressions and judgments from higher-dimensional beings—blended together into what Yoshio could perceive as a "Souls Ability."

But thinking it through, Baraggan had only two labels.

One: King of Hueco Mundo. The other: his Resurrección, Arrogante.

Sigh—he was the Segunda Espada, yet had almost no personal story.

Yoshio grumbled inwardly. He actually thought this was fine, because aging as a power was already strong.

In any world, time-related abilities aren't weak, and this one was a direct offensive type to boot.

If he could obtain it, that'd be great.

However…

Yoshio felt that, if he wanted to raise Baraggan's favorability to eighty, he might as well try to raise Yhwach's.

Forget it—these things depend on fate. If he could get it, great; if not, he couldn't force it.

Yoshio kept an open mind; it wasn't like he had no other options.

Sometimes, because of his status, it was impossible to gain certain people's favor.

But if he became friends with Starrk, it would be different.

He could use Starrk's Spirit Split… to split off clone after clone, then use the clones to earn others' favor.

He couldn't change his own identity, but a clone was different. A clone could approach whomever he wanted to win over with a different identity and stance.

For example, Baraggan—he could split off a clone and have it help Baraggan to gain his favor…

Mm, still sounds too hard.

You can't expect someone like Baraggan to ever like you.

But he could use it on the Quincy!

Once he permanently obtained Ishida Sōken's [Quincy Heir], he could fully forge a Quincy clone to enter the Wandenreich and use that clone to gain the Quincies' favor.

And precisely because of this, he absolutely had to show up before Starrk—otherwise, if he missed this chance, who knew when he'd ever get Spirit Split.

Yoshio drifted into thought; when he came back to himself, Aizen was already close to finishing Baraggan.

So fast…

Looking at the somewhat aggrieved Baraggan, Yoshio almost wanted to laugh.

"And then…"

Aizen glanced at Yoshio, seemingly perceiving his mood, and couldn't help saying, "Yoshio-kun, you'll stay in Las Noches."

"?"

Yoshio blinked. "What do you mean?"

Aizen smiled. "We still need to return to Soul Society. So naturally, Las Noches will be your responsibility."

You're kidding me, right?

You want to leave me alone in Las Noches?

You just beat up Baraggan—are you sure he won't bite back the moment you leave?!