A Conversation with Coyote Starrk

Koyatai Starrk fell silent. Moonlight shone on his white, Arrancar uniform, casting a long shadow over him. His gaze was complex, neither entirely suspicious nor entirely trusting, but rather a contemplative expression somewhere in between.

Seeing his expression, Lilynette Gingerback jumped in front of him urgently, waving her hands. "Hey, hey, Starrk, you don't believe what he said, do you? He's the enemy! He's obviously trying to turn us against us!"

"Alright, Lilynette, I understand." Starrk waved his hand impatiently, but his gaze never left Liu Hao. After a moment, he asked, "What do you want from telling me all this?"

Liu Hao's expression turned serious. "None of you are the kind of people who would kill, it would be a pity if you died. After all, Hueco Mundo needs some powerful people to keep things in check."

These words made Starrk raise an eyebrow. "So you don't want us to die?"

"Yes," Liu Hao answered frankly, "If it were that number 2, I wouldn't even say a word, I'd just go for it."

"Looks like you admire us." Starrk's tone was slightly teasing, but his eyes remained sharp.

Liu Hao nodded. "I suppose so. I know you represent Loneliness, because you've been too strong and have never had any companions. Aizen freed you from this Loneliness, so you're grateful. But I don't think this favor is worth losing your lives for. Besides, he only sees you as tools, to keep his enemies occupied; there's no need for you to risk your lives."

He paused, then continued his analysis, "Look at Kaname Tōsen, he was immediately killed by Aizen after being severely injured; Gin Ichimaru just watched the whole thing. In Aizen's eyes, everything except his own goals can be sacrificed."

Starrk didn't immediately refute him, but instead asked, "I noticed you said Tier Harribel wasn't dead, but you seemed a little regretful. Why is that?"

"Her," Liu Hao's expression became complicated, "During the Aizen incident, although she was wounded by Aizen, she and her three Fracción survived and were released back to Hueco Mundo. However, due to another war, Hueco Mundo suffered heavy losses, and she was imprisoned. I don't know if she died in the end, but the outcome probably wasn't good."

"Another war?" Starrk keenly caught the key phrase. "Is it a war against Soul Reaper?"

"That's not it," Liu Hao shook his head, "In order to deal with the losses in Hueco Mundo, Soul Society still needs to deal with some ordinary souls to stabilize the balance of souls in the Three Worlds."

Starrk pressed, "Whose war was it?"

Liu Hao hesitated for a moment. "Let's not talk about it for now. After all, we have to get past Aizen first, otherwise Soul Society will suffer heavy losses and won't have time to take care of Hueco Mundo."

"What happened to Soul Society during that war?" Starrk asked one question after another, showing his seriousness about the matter.

Liu Hao sighed, "We were slaughtered twice, losing two Captains of the millennium level. And if the Captain the Twelfth Division hadn't used technology to save some of the other Captains, we probably would have lost three or four more."

"Soul Society has suffered such heavy losses too." Starrk's tone was tinged with surprise, then his eyes flashed, "You don't want me to die, do you also want me to be able to help you deal with the enemy in the future, or at least keep the enemy tied down in Hueco Mundo?"

"Stuck in Hueco Mundo?" Liu Hao chuckled wryly. "Don't be ridiculous. I actually hope that you can run as fast as you can with some rational Hollows, and hide well, so you don't lose the life you finally managed to save."

Upon hearing this, Lilynette Kingjebak roared, "You bastard, how dare you look down on us!"

Liu Hao looked at her seriously. "I'm serious. Our Captain-Commander died at their hands, let alone you. With your current strength, our Captain-Commander alone could wipe out Hueco Mundo."

This statement is not an exaggeration. Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's strength is legendary among the Soul Reaper. Even Starrk, the strongest of the Espada, knows the gap between himself and that strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years.

"Alright, Lilynette." Koyatai Starrk calmed the agitated Lilynette down, then looked back at Liu Hao. "So you just don't want me to die?"

"Yes," Liu Hao answered frankly, "Of course, if we fail to resolve that crisis beforehand, we will still need your help, since that war swept across the Three Worlds Realms."

Starrk sighed, "It seems you know a lot about the future."

"Sigh," Liu Hao sighed deeply, "It's because I know so much about the future that I consciously or unconsciously avoid Aizen. In the end, I cultivated to the point where I could avoid his Kyōka Suigetsu, making him see me as a great enemy, which is why he wants to eliminate me. But even without me, his future would only be one of failure. I just want to minimize the tragedy in this process."

These words made Starrk fall into deep thought. After a moment, he asked, "Since you know his future is destined to fail, why don't you try to persuade him?"

Liu Hao's expression turned serious. "Aizen is one of the most talented people in the history of Soul Society. He's a lot like you. Because he's too talented, no one can understand the ease with which he can do anything. This makes him very Loneliness. He actually wants to be more ordinary, so he'll have more people to talk to."

He paused, letting his words settle in the other person's mind. "And precisely because he excels at everything, he possesses an extremely proud and arrogant heart. Therefore, he doesn't allow himself to fail, and he doesn't believe anyone can make him fail. Such a person is simply incapable of accepting advice from others."

After hearing Liu Hao's words, both Koyatai Starrk and Lilynette Kingjebak fell silent.

A complex resonance welled up in Starrk's heart. Yes, because he was too strong, wherever he went, the surrounding void would silently die. Because he could not bear this Loneliness, he chose to split in two, creating Lilynette to accompany him. Aizen's genius made him incomprehensible to others, and he must have been experiencing a similar Loneliness —preferring to become weak and mediocre, so that he would have companions by his side.

Starrk was all too familiar with this feeling. Before becoming Arrancar, as Vasto Lorde- class Menos Grande, he wandered the deserts of Hueco Mundo, and wherever he went, weak Hollows would collapse because they could not withstand his Reiatsu. That Loneliness that no one could approach, that pain of longing for companions but never being able to have them, was his deepest memory.

Aizen granted him the power of Arrancar, allowing him to control his Reiatsu and separating Lilynette from his body, making her an independent individual. He had always remembered this kindness. But if, as Liu Hao said, this kindness was merely a tool, used to sacrifice him and Lilynette...

"Alright, that's enough for now," Liu Hao broke the silence. "I should be leaving now. I'd appreciate it if you two could help me open a Garganta to the World of the Living."

Koyatai Starrk gave Liu Hao a deep look, then walked to his side. He didn't use his Resurrección, but simply snapped his fingers. With a crisp sound, a black hole appeared out of thin air in front of Liu Hao, its edges shimmering with unstable Reishi light.

Without hesitation, Liu Hao nodded to the two and leaped into the Garganta. The Imperial Princess followed closely behind, and their figures quickly disappeared into the swirling dark entrance.

The Garganta closed rapidly, and the space returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

Under the moonlight, Starrk and Lilynette stood there, silent for a long time.

"Starrk, do you believe what he said?" Lilynette finally spoke, her voice less excited and more unease.

Starrk did not answer immediately. He raised his hand, looking at his palm, as if recalling the feeling of confronting Liu Hao just now.

"He has no reason to deceive us," he finally said slowly, "After all, he is far stronger than us."

"How did you know?" Lilynette asked, puzzled.

Starrk's expression turned serious. "During my conversation with him, I considered intervening. At that moment, I suddenly felt a pang of fear, as if I were about to die."

He turned to face Lilynette: "At first, I wasn't sure if it was because of him. But later, every time I wanted to make a move, that feeling would come to me. So I became certain that if I acted, we would be the ones who died."

Lilynette's eyes widened in shock. "But we clearly can't sense his Reiatsu. If we didn't see him from afar, we wouldn't even notice him."

"That's what makes it even more terrifying," Starrk's voice was low. "If he can completely suppress his Reiatsu, it proves that his strength must be above ours, and he can perfectly control his power. If not... then his strength can crush us. Only power that transcends higher dimensions can be undetectable to us."

These words left Lilynette completely silent. As Starrk's alter ego, she knew all too well the strength of her partner. Starrk's status as the number one Espada was no empty title; his strength was among the top of all the Arrancar. If even he admitted that Liu Hao might be stronger than himself, then the power of this mysterious Soul Reaper was indeed not to be underestimated.

"What should we do then?" Lilynette asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. "If what he said is true..."

Starrk gazed at the pale moon over Hueco Mundo for a long time before replying, "Observe, wait, think. We still have time to make a choice before things become irreversible."

He turned to leave, but Lilynette grabbed his sleeve. "Starrk, have you really considered betraying Lord Aizen?"

This question made Starrk stop in his tracks. He had his back to Lilynette, his shoulders slightly drooping.

"I don't know," he finally admitted honestly. "Lord Aizen gave me companions, so we were no longer Loneliness. That kindness is real. But if that kindness requires you to repay it with your life..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Lilynette understood what he meant. They both knew that in each other's hearts, the other was more important than anything else.

"Let's go," Starrk said. "We need to go back first. This matter requires careful consideration."

The two left the rocky mountain one after the other, heading towards the Las Noches. The moonlight cast long shadows of them, which moved slowly across the white sand.

After walking for a while, Starrk suddenly said, "Lilynette, whatever happens in the future, promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Lilynette looked up at him.

"If a battle is truly unavoidable," Starrk's voice was unusually serious, "Don't be reckless. Survival is more important than anything else."

Lilynette paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "You too, Starrk. If you die, there's no point in me living alone."

These words warmed Starrk's heart. Yes, this was their relationship—not master and servant, not companions, but the meaning of each other's existence. This bond was more important than any favor.

The two continued on their way, their figures gradually disappearing into the night of Hueco Mundo. Behind them, the moonlight still coldly illuminated this desolate world, as if foreshadowing something, or perhaps merely witnessing the choices and destinies of countless lives.

The space Garganta was distorted and chaotic. Liu Hao Imperial Princess moved quickly through it, with the surrounding Reishi surging like a torrent.

"Do you really think they will change their minds?" the Imperial Princess asked Liu Hao, her figure appearing and disappearing amidst the Reishi energy.

While steadying himself, Liu Hao replied, "I don't know. But at least I gave them a chance to think. Sometimes, changing your destiny only takes a thought, a moment's hesitation."

"What you told them about the future..." The Imperial Princess hesitated for a moment, "Was it all true?"

Liu Hao was silent for a moment. "It's one of the possibilities I see. But the future is not fixed; every choice creates new branches. Like the Butterfly Effect, a small change can trigger a huge chain reaction."

He paused, then continued, "I just hope they can see possibilities beyond fighting and sacrifice. Sometimes, running away isn't shameful; only by surviving can you change the future."