The weapon that had pierced Starrk's body was a bomb combining Storm and Lightning Flames.
It was extraordinarily hard and possessed tremendous penetrating power. Unfortunately, it could only be loaded individually and could not be fired through the bomb chain.
It was an upgraded version of the High-Powered Ion Beam, though Tsunayoshi preferred to call this particular weapon the Bomb Barrett.
Immediately after firing the Bomb Barrett, Tsunayoshi hurled another Rocket Bomb.
He had no intention of giving Starrk any time to recover.
"Damn it! Starrk, throw me out. I'll teach those brats a lesson first!"
Lilynette communicated with Starrk through their mental link.
Lilynette could see everything happening on the battlefield. Her suggestion to fight alone was meant to buy Starrk enough time to recover. With High-Speed Regeneration, all Lilynette had to do was withstand the first wave of attacks, and Starrk would be able to recover completely.
"Leave it to me."
Starrk answered her mentally.
There was no need for either of them to be modest about it. Lilynette was originally a part of Starrk that he had separated from himself. Both of them existed for the sake of protecting the other.
Starrk threw his two pistols toward the incoming Rocket Bombs.
Under Lilynette's control, the pistols began spinning. Reiatsu surged from their barrels in a circular arc, and two azure crescents collided with the incoming Rocket Bombs.
Twin Wolves: Revolving Fire.
Tsunayoshi froze for a moment.
He had assumed Starrk was about to transform his pistols into the wolf pack, but instead, the spinning guns alone had destroyed his attack.
It was a technique he had never seen before.
For a moment, Tsunayoshi even forgot to continue his assault.
Lilynette flew back into Starrk's hands.
In the brief interval between her departure and return, Starrk's injuries had already healed completely. Apart from his tattered clothes, there was barely any sign that he had been injured at all.
The moment he regained his pistols, Starrk launched another attack.
This time, he abandoned his stationary firing style.
Instead, he repeatedly used Sonído, appearing at different locations across the battlefield. He fired once, changed position, fired again, and continued moving without giving Tsunayoshi a chance to pinpoint him.
Starrk was essentially using his overwhelming Sonído speed to bully his opponent.
But Tsunayoshi wasn't troubled by it.
He simply pulled a bomb from his waist and detonated it in front of himself.
BOOM!
When the smoke cleared, several circular barriers surrounded Tsunayoshi.
Starrk's hit-and-run tactics meant that the power of each individual attack was limited. Against attacks of that intensity, the defensive capabilities of the cAI System were already sufficient.
The bomb Tsunayoshi had used was the:
Weapon Bomb — cAI Defensive Barrier.
This Storm-based Bankai system condensed various properties of the Storm Flame into bombs. Even weapons and equipment could be stored within them.
And Tsunayoshi still had an entire arsenal of bombs waiting for Starrk.
Starrk's mind raced.
Infinite Cero was ineffective against Tsunayoshi.
His hit-and-run tactics couldn't break through Tsunayoshi's defenses either.
Among his ranged attacks, only one option remained:
A tremendously powerful Cero that required a long charging period.
But Starrk didn't believe Tsunayoshi would give him enough time to charge it.
Based on the overwhelming bombardment from earlier, the moment Starrk stopped moving, Tsunayoshi would undoubtedly launch a counterattack.
"Starrk, let's fight at close range!"
Lilynette spoke at the perfect moment.
The two of them were originally one being, so of course she knew what Starrk was thinking.
She was simply giving him an excuse to make the decision.
"I know."
Starrk replied mentally and released his two pistols.
Just as Tsunayoshi thought Starrk was going to use that spinning-gun technique again, he saw the two pistols dissolve into countless Reishi particles.
The particles immediately began gathering again.
One after another, vicious wolves with gray fur and crimson eyes appeared behind Starrk.
Los Lobos.
This was the true power of Starrk's Resurrección.
Each wolf was formed from a fragment of Starrk's own soul.
They were Starrk.
They were also Lilynette.
The wolf pack was primarily controlled by Lilynette. The wolves could tear enemies apart at close range, but they could also self-destruct.
Each wolf was essentially a living missile capable of producing a tremendous explosion.
However, their numbers were not unlimited.
Tsunayoshi quickly counted roughly thirty wolves surrounding Starrk.
Because the wolves were controlled by Lilynette, if every last one of them were destroyed, Lilynette herself would disappear.
Starrk was someone who valued his companions enormously.
In the original course of events, it was precisely because Lilynette disappeared that Starrk completely lost the will to fight, eventually allowing Kyōraku Shunsui to pierce his Hollow hole and kill him.
In a sense, the wolves Starrk had created by splitting his soul were companions he had created for himself.
Tsunayoshi couldn't help but wonder.
If Starrk valued his companions so much, why would he bring them into battle and then develop a fighting style that involved having them blow themselves up?
No matter what, he should have kept at least one wolf beside him.
And if necessary, couldn't the final wolf simply have transformed back into his pistols?
Why insist on fighting to the bitter end?
But the appearance of the wolf pack wasn't Starrk's only change.
Two blue blades of condensed Reiatsu formed in his hands.
These were Starrk's weapons for close combat:
Canglang Blades — the Azure Wolf Blades.
Tsunayoshi once again aimed his skull-shaped launcher at Starrk.
He had no intention of allowing Starrk to approach him easily.
One after another, Cloud Attribute Infinite-Proliferation Bombs were fired.
Tsunayoshi intended to use the same kind of overwhelming suppression Starrk had used against him and completely seal off his opponent's path forward.
Starrk wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
He charged directly into the dense barrage of bombs.
The wolves surrounded him, and several of the wolves at the front opened their jaws and fired Cero.
Tsunayoshi immediately understood what Starrk was trying to accomplish.
He was breaking through.
Using the Cero fired by the wolves to clear a path, Starrk shot through the bombardment like an arrow.
Facing the charging wolf pack, Tsunayoshi hurriedly raised his defensive barriers in front of himself.
He then fired Rocket Bombs through the gaps between the barriers.
Some were aimed at Starrk.
Most were aimed at individual wolves.
Tsunayoshi intended to eliminate part of the wolf pack first.
But he hadn't expected the wolves to respond by firing Cero of their own.
One after another, the wolves spat out Cero, destroying every Rocket Bomb before they could reach their targets.
This ability was outside Tsunayoshi's expectations.
His impression of Starrk's wolves had primarily been that they were living explosives.
But it also made perfect sense that they could fire Cero.
After all, they were fragments of Starrk himself.
For Starrk, firing Cero was as effortless as breathing.
Starrk charged toward Tsunayoshi once again.
He was already extremely close, and with the wolves providing covering fire, Tsunayoshi had almost nowhere left to retreat.
In that case, he had no choice but to use a special bomb.
Tsunayoshi pulled a crimson bomb from his thigh and loaded it into the launcher.
Then he fired directly at Starrk's face.
A torrent of crimson flame erupted from the launcher.
This bomb contained the purest form of Storm Flame.
The bomb detonated inside the launcher, causing the concentrated Storm Flame to spiral outward.
To Starrk, it was a raging Crimson Flame Tempest.
Starrk immediately crossed his twin blades to block the attack.
But the force of the flame storm was immense.
It pushed him backward continuously.
Seeing his hard-earned momentum about to be lost, Starrk gritted his teeth and ordered one of the wolves to charge directly into the storm.
A tremendous explosion erupted.
The flame storm disappeared.
Starrk's expression tightened.
The wolves were his closest companions.
Normally, he would simply have them circle the battlefield and provide support from the outside.
Having to personally sacrifice one of them now made his heart ache.
After briefly steadying himself, Starrk prepared to continue.
Then he noticed something emerging from the smoke.
A tiny cat.
It had a white body, a golden-yellow back, and an adorable appearance.
The little creature flew right over Starrk's head.
For a moment, Starrk simply stared at it in confusion.
He quickly recovered.
No matter how adorable the creature was, something appearing in the middle of a battlefield could only be part of the enemy's scheme.
Fortunately, every member of the wolf pack was formidable.
Starrk immediately ordered Lilynette to surround the cat.
It was truly a case of a cat wandering into a den of wolves.
Tsunayoshi's plan had apparently failed.
...Or had it?
A stream of pure yellow flame suddenly pierced through the smoke and struck directly toward the cat in the middle of the wolf pack.
Starrk was baffled.
Was Tsunayoshi insane?
Why was he attacking his own companion?
The answer lay in the special bomb Tsunayoshi had fired.
While in his Storm state, Tsunayoshi could use other Flame Attributes as auxiliary weapons, although the quantity was far smaller than his Storm-based arsenal.
He had only one pure bomb for each of the other Attributes.
But one was enough.
The yellow beam contained the purest Sun Flame—the power of Activation.
Bathed in the Sun Flame, the cat's body began expanding at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye—
It had grown into a fully mature leopard.
Gua had never been a cat.
It was a Storm Leopard.
And after reaching adulthood, Gua's sheer physical presence was enough to intimidate the wolf pack.
Its body alone was comparable in size to four or five of the vicious wolves.
But that wasn't the end.
Another special bomb flew toward Gua.
It detonated on the leopard's back.
Two triangular blades appeared, protecting both of Gua's shoulders like a suit of armor.
Weapon Bomb — Rain Attribute Triangular Blades.
Now Gua had reached its complete form.
Its foundation was the beast form of the Storm Attribute.
The Sun Attribute had accelerated its growth.
The Rain Attribute had equipped it with weapons.
A true three-Attribute composite weapon.
Gua Evolution — Taiyan Storm Skyfang!
Starrk immediately realized something was wrong.
"Spread out!"
Lilynette controlled the wolves and ordered them to disperse.
There was only one leopard.
If the wolves separated, the damage they suffered would be reduced.
But Starrk didn't know that Tsunayoshi's preparations weren't finished yet.
Another bomb flew above Gua's head.
It exploded.
Gua emerged from the violet flames.
And behind it—
Two identical leopards appeared.
A special bomb containing the Cloud Attribute had split and multiplied Taiyan Storm Skyfang.
Now there were three.
Taiyan Storm Skyfang — Trio.
The three Gua immediately charged toward different groups of wolves.
Cero struck their bodies repeatedly.
But thanks to the stabilizing properties of the Rain Attribute, they didn't even react.
They simply continued hunting the wolves.
Starrk could no longer afford to attack Tsunayoshi.
If he allowed those three leopards to continue—
His entire wolf pack would be slaughtered.
And if that happened—
Lilynette would disappear.
Starrk abandoned his offensive.
But Tsunayoshi refused to let him.
The opponent Starrk had been pursuing suddenly closed the distance instead.
A crimson blade extended from Tsunayoshi's right arm and slashed toward Starrk.
Weapon Bomb — Storm Blade.
The weapon was mounted on the arm guard of Tsunayoshi's right arm, resembling a sword-shaped Storm weapon.
Starrk was forced into close combat with him.
He had originally assumed that he would have the advantage in a melee exchange.
Instead, he quickly discovered that Tsunayoshi was just as difficult to deal with when combining his launcher and blade.
Whether it was because he had lost the support of the wolf pack or because he was too concerned about their safety, Starrk exchanged several blows with Tsunayoshi but still couldn't find an opening to disengage.
The battle between the Wolf and the Storm wielder had reached a stalemate.
Author's Note :
Starrk's fighting style has been modified here.
Before splitting himself apart, he fights like a dual-pistol gunslinger, constantly moving and firing.
After splitting himself apart, his style changes completely.
He becomes a dual-sword fighter accompanied by a pack of wolf-shaped autonomous weapons—
Essentially, a humanoid combat machine surrounded by a swarm of wolf-shaped remote weapons.
The three figures who stepped out of the Garganta were led by a laid-back man.
He had short, dark-brown curly hair, unshaven stubble, and wore a gray-and-white wolf-pelt cloak. Gray fur covered his limbs, contrasting with the white of his body. From a distance, it almost looked like he wore an eyepatch—his overall appearance resembling a mix of a hunter and a pirate.
The most eye-catching detail, however, was the pair of pistols in his hands.
Both were short guns—black as the base color, adorned with silver jet-like patterns and wolf-head designs.
Tsuna raised an eyebrow.
He immediately recognized them.
They were Hollows—or rather, evolved Hollows approaching Shinigami form:
Arrancar.
Arrancar were Hollows who had broken their masks, revealing human-like faces—an evolutionary path of Hollows.
And the one at the front—
Holding twin guns—
Was the Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk.
What looked like an eyepatch over his left eye was actually his Hollow hole, and there was another in his chest.
He was already in his Resurrección form.
Resurrección could be roughly compared to a Shinigami's Shikai or Bankai, though their principles were entirely different.
Shinigami release their inner power through their Zanpakutō.
Arrancar, on the other hand, release their Zanpakutō to return that sealed power back into their bodies, reverting closer to their original Hollow forms.
In simple terms—
Starrk, as the Primera Espada, was currently operating on a level comparable to a Captain using Bankai.
Tsuna now understood where that earlier attack came from.
It had undoubtedly been fired from Starrk's guns.
Among Starrk's abilities, what left the deepest impression on Tsuna was—
Cero.
For most Hollows, Cero required charging and consumed significant Reiatsu.
But for Starrk—
Using Cero was as effortless as breathing.
His ability to unleash endless Cero was unforgettable.
Standing beside him was an even more recognizable figure—
One of the most popular characters in Bleach:
The Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.
Emotionless. Cold. Almost completely devoid of visible expression.
As for the last one—
Tsuna had to bite his lip hard to stop himself from laughing.
That person—
Was Inoue Hao.
With Tsuna and Urahara Kisuke's help, Hao had Hollowfied using a human soul, shattered his mask, regained his consciousness, and walked a completely different path.
After gaining the strength to protect himself, he had voluntarily entered Hueco Mundo to repay Urahara.
Now—
He had successfully infiltrated Aizen's ranks.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing alongside two Espada.
The moment Ichigo saw him, he clamped a hand over his mouth.
To outsiders, it looked like shock.
The others from the Human World also forced themselves into composure.
Orihime even hid behind Arisawa Tatsuki, afraid she might instinctively call out:
"Brother."
Fortunately, Tsuna and Urahara had not kept Hao's undercover identity a secret.
Otherwise—
Ichigo would have already rushed forward demanding why he abandoned his sister.
While Ichigo's group struggled to maintain control—
Hao was doing the same.
Only when he looked at Orihime did a faint trace of warmth appear in his eyes.
Before departing, Urahara had trained him thoroughly.
Under the alias "Hao," no one in Hueco Mundo suspected his origins.
Through sheer ability, he had risen as a natural Arrancar, earning Aizen's attention.
Interestingly—
The Arrancar sent to Soul Society this time were all naturally evolved Arrancar.
Ulquiorra, however, was a half-Arrancar, forcibly elevated by Aizen using part of the Hōgyoku .
These three were also Aizen's most trusted subordinates.
Even before meeting him, they possessed immense power.
Aizen had invested significant effort to recruit them.
In his view—
Their loyalty wasn't due to strength or benefits—
But his charisma.
And when Aizen called for help—
It was these three who answered.
As for the rest of Hueco Mundo—
He didn't trust them.
Most were unstable and unpredictable. The fact they didn't betray him was already fortunate—expecting rescue was unrealistic.
Starrk's timely arrival brought a smile to Aizen's face.
Only when Kyōraku Shunsui used his Shikai did Aizen realize—
This deceptively lazy man had already cut off his retreat.
Now, with Starrk and the others present—
His lack of high-tier combat power was resolved.
Silently, Aizen activated Kyōka Suigetsu.
The four—Urahara and the others—who had trapped him with Bakudō #73: Tozanshō were already under hypnosis.
They just hadn't noticed yet.
Aizen also knew Kyōraku was hiding in the shadows.
The moment he appeared—
He would be controlled.
No chance for a sneak attack.
"These are… Hollows?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai slightly opened his eyes, surprised.
Since when did Hollows look so human?
There was no need to guess—
This was Aizen's doing.
"Aizen… you've truly allied with Hueco Mundo!"
Yamamoto's anger surged.
Betrayal was one thing—
But collaborating with Hollows?
Unforgivable.
To him, Aizen had abandoned the pride of a Shinigami.
As his anger rose—
The flames intensified.
"Head Captain, if you don't restrain yourself, Soul Society will be destroyed by your own hand first."
Aizen suddenly appeared before him.
Yamamoto knew—
He was under illusion again.
Without the Tozanshō barrier, he couldn't pinpoint Aizen's true body unless he raised the entire temperature of Soul Society—
Which he couldn't afford to do.
Even now, the heat was already affecting the realm.
If he fully unleashed Ryūjin Jakka—
He might destroy Soul Society before defeating Aizen.
Aizen was using Soul Society itself as leverage.
And Yamamoto—
Had no answer.
The flames receded, returning to his blade.
He sheathed it.
Against illusions, large-scale attacks would only harm allies.
But Yamamoto wasn't one to surrender.
As the flames withdrew, they briefly burned the hands of Unohana Retsu and Zaraki Kenpachi—
A signal.
The rest—
Was up to them.
Still—
It wasn't enough.
Three Arrancar, plus Aizen.
They couldn't win.
Urahara's group had already fallen silent.
So—
Only the Human World allies remained?
"Sawada Tsunayoshi… I wish to make a deal."
This immediately caught Aizen's attention.
With a glance from him, Starrk fired a shot.
Under hypnosis, Yamamoto was speaking blindly—unaware of what Tsuna would do.
"Aizen, it's just a deal. Anyone can make one," Tsuna said as he appeared before Yamamoto—casually swatting away the Cero.
Aizen knew he was right.
If Tsuna could deal with him—
He could deal with others.
That made things troublesome.
Before Aizen could act—
Unohana and Zaraki attacked.
They couldn't defeat him—
But they could stall him.
Unaware of the outside situation, Yamamoto continued:
"Help Soul Society stop Aizen's plan. In return—"
Aizen's expression changed.
"Starrk—kill him!"
Starrk sighed internally.
He had little interest in fighting—
But if his comrade asked—
He would act.
He raised his hand—
And unleashed a fully charged Cero.
A massive beam, over five meters wide, shot toward Tsuna.
This was no Bala—
This was true Cero.
Tsuna sighed.
"Can't anyone let people finish talking?"
He extended both hands—
Rear hand: Soft Flame (Sky Flame – Harmony)
Front hand: Hard Flame (Sky Flame – Power)
X BURNER!
A beam of equal magnitude collided with the Cero.
Blinding white light engulfed Sōkyoku Hill.
The shockwaves spread across Soul Society.
Because Tsuna stood close to Yamamoto, he heard the full terms:
Grant Tsuna and Ichigo Substitute Shinigami authorityAllow their group Captain-level privileges and free access to Soul SocietyClear Urahara and the Visored of all past charges
The first didn't matter much to Tsuna.
The third would happen anyway after Aizen's fall.
But the second—
That mattered.
He didn't want to be treated as an intruder every time he came.
And training opportunities in Soul Society—
Were invaluable.
"I accept your terms," Tsuna said. "But I won't fight Aizen. That's part of my deal with him."
Suddenly—
Yamamoto could hear him clearly.
A warm orange flame enveloped his body.
No burning—
Only warmth.
Sky Flame – Harmonization.
Tsuna neutralized Aizen's Reiatsu influence, restoring his senses temporarily.
"Deal!"
Yamamoto agreed immediately.
He still needed to act.
He had to recreate a sealed space like Tozanshō—
Only then could he fight Aizen properly.
Tsuna seemed to understand.
The moment Yamamoto finished speaking—
Tsuna turned—
And kicked him in the abdomen.
Yamamoto was sent flying—
All the way off Sōkyoku Hill.
Landing deep within the Seireitei.
…That brat.
Yamamoto cursed inwardly—
But didn't blame him.
Urahara's group was already out.
If he wanted to rebuild a barrier—
He needed manpower.
If quality wasn't enough—
Then quantity would suffice.
The Kidō Corps would have to act.
And Tsuna's kick—
Bought him time.
Under the relentless assault of Unohana and Zaraki—
Even Aizen couldn't maintain long-range hypnosis control.
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