Chapter 294: Coyote Starrk

"Is that so?"

The middle-aged man, whose spiritual pressure was so overwhelming that it never seemed to wane, lazily scratched his unkempt hair before speaking.

"In that case, suit yourself. Though I should warn you—because of my spiritual pressure, no Hollows dare to approach within a hundred kilometers of this area. There really isn't anything of interest here."

Aizen adjusted his glasses. Unlike the gentle demeanor he often wore within the Seireitei, a knowing smile now played on his lips.

"But isn't the most interesting thing here… you?"

"What do you mean?" The middle-aged man lifted his gaze slightly.

"A Vasto Lorde-class Hollow, who achieved Arrancar form on his own… yet what's most intriguing is that you granted an independent consciousness to the power you obtained as an Arrancar."

As Aizen spoke, his eyes shifted toward the small girl-like Hollow that the man held down against his back.

The moment those words left Aizen's lips, a noticeable change flickered across the middle-aged man's expression. His voice turned heavy.

"Who… exactly are you?"

"As you've already surmised, I am a Shinigami. My name is Aizen Sōsuke."

Aizen spread his hands slightly, making no effort to hide the absolute confidence and arrogance in his tone.

The man's gaze darkened, and after a brief silence, he spoke. "Sharp eyes. You saw through me with just a glance. Are all Shinigami as formidable as you?"

"How absurd…"

Aizen instinctively scoffed at the idea in his usual arrogant tone. But just as the words reached his lips, a figure surfaced in his mind—Senju Makoto. A thought crossed him, and he added,

"Well… perhaps there is one other Shinigami capable of this."

As if completely unguarded, Aizen casually stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

"And how should I address you?"

"Coyote Starrk."

"Starrk, is it?"

Aizen spoke only after stopping in front of Starrk.

"You're lonely, aren't you? I can understand that. So much so that you were willing to split your power after becoming an Arrancar… just so you could have someone to walk alongside."

Starrk stared at Aizen, saying nothing.

Meanwhile, Aizen's gaze, scrutinizing and piercing, seemed to dissect the Vasto Lorde Arrancar before him entirely.

A Hollow endlessly wandering in solitude… what a pitiful creature.

Hollows that undergo Arrancar transformation wield Zanpakutō, yet theirs are vastly different from those of Shinigami.

For a Shinigami, Shikai and Bankai are a process of self-recognition—continuously refining and harmonizing their inner soul, pushing it toward transcendence.

But for an Arrancar, their Zanpakutō is merely a condensation of their original Hollow powers, taking a tangible form.

However, Starrk… instead of wielding his power as an extension of himself, he split it apart and gave it an independent will, even allowing it to manifest as a small girl-like Hollow.

From a certain perspective, this was a complete contradiction of self—a second fragmentation of an already unified soul, an act of self-denial.

If that were the case, then surely Starrk's relationship with his Zanpakutō was bound to blur, leading to confusion over who held dominance. Let alone truly wielding the full extent of his original power.

And yet, Aizen understood Starrk.

All of this—this fragmentation of self, this contradiction of power—was merely a means to end the unending solitude. A desperate attempt to find a companion in the eternal night.

"Starrk," Aizen spoke, his tone indifferent, "power is merely power. Even if you grant it a will of its own, even if you forcefully elevate it to stand as your equal, do you really believe that a fledgling consciousness can truly comprehend your loneliness… or your thoughts?"

A faint smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

A subtle expression—yet Starrk caught it instantly.

"That look on your face," Starrk remarked, "you seem… pleased with yourself."

"Far sharper than I anticipated," Aizen praised lightly.

"Yes, once, I was as lonely as you. But unlike you, I was fortunate enough to find someone in a decaying, mundane place—someone who could truly walk alongside me."

At those words, Starrk observed the faint satisfaction laced in Aizen's voice. His lazy, half-lidded eyes flickered with something close to envy.

"So?" Starrk asked. "Are you telling me all this just to brag about your companion?"

"Of course not."

Aizen shook his head slightly, his voice smooth and deliberate.

"I intend to form a group—a collective of Arrancar. You may not care about its purpose, but within it, you might find a true companion worth your time. So, what do you say? Coyote Starrk."

Starrk scratched his disheveled hair, clearly impatient.

"That sounds troublesome… and I assume it also means more fighting?"

Aizen didn't respond. He merely waited—his gaze unwavering, patient.

After a brief hesitation, Starrk finally extended his hand toward Aizen.

"Well… if there's someone interesting in that group, I suppose joining wouldn't be so bad."

However, Aizen merely glanced at the outstretched hand and made no move to shake it.

Instead, he said, "Save the handshakes for when you find someone worth walking alongside."

A flicker of sharpness flashed through Starrk's lazy gaze. Though Aizen's words sounded polite, the sheer arrogance behind them was overwhelming.

'So he doesn't see me as an equal? Not even worth a handshake? What an arrogant man… Aizen Sōsuke. Still, this makes me a little curious—just who is the one he considers worthy of standing equal beside him…?'

A thought stirred in Starrk's mind, yet he didn't react in anger. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle, sounding almost apologetic.

"My mistake. I almost forgot that I'm just joining as a subordinate. But earning true loyalty… that requires standing on equal ground, doesn't it?"

"Naturally," Aizen replied, his voice as composed as ever. "What do you think of the King of Hueco Mundo?"

Starrk's brow raised slightly. "Oh? Planning to kill Baraggan and take the throne?"

Aizen chuckled, his voice laced with quiet amusement.

"No. I intend to make 'the King of Hueco Mundo'—Baraggan—your equal. That should be a fitting rank for someone like you, don't you think?"

For a moment—even Starrk was taken aback by Aizen's calm yet audacious tone.

"…You can actually pull that off?" Starrk asked, an intrigued smirk forming on his lips.

"You're asking the wrong question," Aizen corrected smoothly. "The real question is—when shall we find Baraggan?"

With that, Aizen turned, leading Starrk and his manifested Zanpakutō spirit, Lilynette, away from the wasteland and into a new chapter of history.

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