Aizen didn't care about White's survival. If it died, he could always create another one.
But Haruki couldn't afford that. Until he obtained the "Cocoon Transformation" ability, White absolutely could not die!
So, after saying a word to Aizen, Haruki intervened.
For this, he used "Mirror Reflection."
He hadn't yet permanently obtained the "Mirror Reflection" ability, meaning he could only use it once at the moment. But in this situation, he decided to use it.
Mainly, he was worried that the "Strongest Defense" ability might not be enough to withstand the combined Ceros of both White and Starrk. If it were just one Cero, he wouldn't have been concerned, but with both attacking simultaneously, it was better to be cautious.
When Haruki suddenly appeared, both White above and Starrk below were surprised.
Haruki sighed and said, "Alright, White, stop messing around. Today's field trip is over."
White let out a roar, seemingly dissatisfied.
Haruki shrugged. "Don't be difficult. You're no match for him."
Haruki had spent a lot of time with White, so even though White couldn't speak, Haruki could still understand its intentions.
"You're… a Shinigami?"
On the other side, Starrk frowned. He stepped in front of Lilinette, as if shielding her.
Hollows, of course, were wary of Shinigami.
Even though Starrk was strong, the sudden turn of events had put him on guard.
"Yes, but I mean you no harm."
Haruki said, "White is… kind of my friend. I'm not sure why it suddenly came looking for you."
Haruki deliberately used the word "friend" because he knew that Starrk longed for companionship.
Sure enough, Starrk was taken aback.
"A Shinigami… friends with a Hollow?"
This…
No matter how you looked at it, it was strange, right?
While Shinigami weren't as irreconcilably hostile to Hollows as Quincies were, the two were still natural enemies on opposing sides.
He had never heard of a Hollow and a Shinigami being friends.
"I'm not like other Shinigami." Haruki didn't elaborate further, simply saying, "White was a bit rude earlier. I apologize on its behalf."
"…" Starrk remained silent for a moment, then turned to leave with Lilinette, saying, "Do as you please. But as a Shinigami, you shouldn't linger in Hueco Mundo. If you run into other Hollows, you might not survive."
"…Well, actually, every Hollow I've met has said something like that." Haruki was momentarily stunned.
That sounded familiar.
When he had met Nelliel, she had said something similar.
What a coincidence.
There were only a few "normal" Hollows in Hueco Mundo—Nelliel and Starrk—and he had run into both of them.
"…Is that so? Then you're quite lucky."
Starrk didn't look back and was about to leave, but Aizen suddenly stepped forward.
"Shinigami…!"
Starrk's eyes widened as he looked at Aizen, then muttered, "As expected, Shinigami can't be trusted."
He thought Haruki had been stalling for time, waiting for backup to kill him, a Vasto Lorde.
"Four… no, five enemies?"
Starrk said softly, "This is a bit troublesome…"
"You seem to have misunderstood something." Aizen walked over, also examining Starrk.
Although Lilinette was also an Arrancar, she clearly wasn't the focus of Aizen's attention.
"I'm not here to kill you. I just want to ask you something."
Aizen looked at Starrk and said slowly, "Would you be interested in coming with us?"
Behind him stood Gin Ichimaru and Tōsen Kaname, flanking Aizen on either side. Further back was a crescent moon.
Under the scarce moonlight, Aizen extended his hand, as if inviting Starrk.
Starrk frowned and glanced back at Haruki and White.
"Is that your companion too?"
He was referring to White.
"White is my creation. It sought you out because it likely sensed something opposite to itself," Aizen explained truthfully.
"I see." Starrk said softly, "In that case, you must have quite a few powerful beings around you, right?"
"Not to mention… you all seem quite strong yourselves."
"So even if I join you, you won't die easily."
"Welcome, Arrancar." Aizen looked past Starrk, then past Haruki, his gaze level as he said, "Your name…"
"Coyote Starrk."
Starrk placed a hand on Lilinette's head and added, "This is Lilinette Gingerbuck."
"Then let's head to a certain place along the way."
Aizen glanced at Haruki, who shrugged.
He already knew where Aizen was planning to go.
Aizen's original plan was to establish a base in Hueco Mundo to facilitate future Arrancarization experiments.
Since they were already in Hueco Mundo, had revealed themselves, and had recruited Starrk, they might as well take over Las Noches in one go.
"Where are we going?"
Starrk, unaware of these plans, still followed Haruki and the others.
This was because Starrk had complete confidence in his own strength. He believed that even if these people had some scheme, he could escape any trap unscathed.
At the same time, it was also a deep-seated desire of his.
Perhaps…
these people really could stay by his side without dying!
Starrk had been searching for such companions, even if they weren't Hollows…
It didn't matter.
"To find a place to live. We can't just wander around Hueco Mundo forever, right?" Haruki said with a smile.
Before long, they arrived at the outskirts of Las Noches.
"The King of Hueco Mundo…"
Haruki said, "How interesting. There's actually a king who rules over all Hollows in Hueco Mundo."
"The King of Hueco Mundo…" Starrk seemed to have never heard of such a thing. Then again, he had no other Hollows around him, so he couldn't exchange information with anyone.
He had been aimlessly wandering Hueco Mundo, like a lone boat on the ocean, pushed by waves and wind, drifting without knowing its destination or when it would stop.
The group of seven walked toward Las Noches.
White didn't seem interested in the other Hollows, simply staying close to Haruki and occasionally locking its aura onto Starrk.
Starrk, of course, sensed White's presence but showed no emotion.
"There are… many strong beings here."
Only when…
they entered Las Noches did Starrk finally speak softly.
"At least three Vasto Lordes," Haruki replied quietly.
...
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