The darkness on the ground was spreading.
Starrk frowned. Kyōraku Shunsui's Bankai had finally been forced out, so he naturally had to be on high alert.
He watched as the darkness on the ground formed black pine trees, pine needles sprouting from them. Wherever these trees spread, the world became dim and oppressive.
Originally, this battle was taking place at high noon. They had received false sunlight in Las Noches, but upon arriving in the Human World, they were under the true sun.
The sun's light was brilliant, warm, and peaceful, but now—everything had vanished.
The world suddenly plunged into darkness, a bone-chilling cold piercing straight to the heart, as if they had returned to Hueco Mundo!
Even far from the battlefield, the entire Karakura Town could feel this overwhelming spiritual pressure.
The freezing temperature, as if it would freeze even bone marrow, sent shivers down every spine.
Baraggan, who had been sitting motionlessly on his throne, couldn't help but look toward a certain corner of Karakura Town. His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
Harribel, locked in combat with Bazz-B, also stopped involuntarily. Both looked toward that corner almost simultaneously, and feeling the spiritual pressure emanating from it, Harribel's pupils widened.
"This… what is this?!"
"There's… such a powerful Shinigami?" Even the usually arrogant Bazz-B couldn't help but become serious, staring at the area where that dark, cold spiritual pressure was being released.
All around, others—Hinamori, Kira, Tōsen, Ichimaru, Askin, Renji, Komamura Sajin, Shuhei, and more—paused their battles at the emergence of Shunsui's Bankai.
Even Yamamoto Genryūsai cracked an eye open, glancing toward the corner of Karakura Town.
At this moment, what should have been a quiet corner had become the center of the world's attention.
…
"This… is your Bankai?"
Starrk looked up at the dark sky, then down at Kyōraku Shunsui, sitting on the ground, and asked softly.
Kyōraku Shunsui slowly stood. Beneath the dark sky, his expression was tinged with melancholy.
"Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū. My Bankai. Do you want to know its abilities?"
"Will you tell me?"
"Are you kidding? Even if I were to tell you, it wouldn't be now." Shunsui smiled wryly, shrugged, and asked in a profound tone, "How do you view this world now?"
Starrk said nothing, descending gently to the ground to stand at Shunsui's level, his mind racing with possibilities.
Undoubtedly, Kyōraku Shunsui had used his Bankai.
So… what was this Bankai's power? What type was it? It didn't seem to be directly offensive.
Seeing Starrk remain silent, Kyōraku Shunsui continued,
"Doesn't it look very dark and lonely, or rather… despairing?"
"Loneliness, despair…" Starrk replied. "Sorry, for a Hollow, this is just commonplace."
"For now… let's talk about our Espada."
Starrk raised his hand, displaying the number '0.'
"The Espada are composed of the ten Arrancar with the strongest killing abilities. But at the same time, they represent ten forms of death.
Loneliness, Senescence, Madness, Sacrifice, Nihilism, Despair, Destruction, Intoxication, Deception, Rage.
What you Shinigami call despair, to us Hollows, is merely the self-pity of a child; it's vastly different from our level.
This is also why Hollows are stronger than Shinigami. It is determined by what we have experienced… and what you call… loneliness and despair."
"Your tone seems different now."
Starrk's taunt did not anger Shunsui. He simply gazed up at the sky and said,
"Now, you sound more like a Hollow than before."
"…I am a Hollow to begin with."
Starrk finished speaking—and suddenly fired a Cero at Shunsui!
Boom!
The Cero shot from his palm, blasting toward Shunsui.
Yet Shunsui didn't dodge at all!
The Cero didn't strike a vital point, but it pierced Shunsui's shoulder—ironically, the same hand Starrk had previously slashed with Katen Kyōkotsu. That hand was now as good as useless.
But at that exact moment, Starrk's eyes widened in disbelief.
How… could this be?!
Starrk realized that part of his own shoulder had suddenly been blown away!
What… what's going on?!
Was this Kyōraku Shunsui's Bankai? Did his Bankai synchronize damage between the two of them?
Starrk's attack had been a test. He wasn't sure what kind of Bankai Shunsui possessed. If it was like Yoshio's, which directly drags people into Hell, he'd need to break free and escape quickly. Shunsui's slow actions, his idle conversation—they made Starrk wonder if he was stalling, allowing the Bankai to fully activate, or if it was a charging-type Bankai whose power increased over time.
Because he had no intel, Starrk couldn't wait any longer.
But he also hadn't aimed for a fatal blow, worried Shunsui might be baiting him. He targeted a non-vital spot instead.
And the result? The damage was shared—his own shoulder was injured just as he hit Shunsui.
Trouble…
Starrk clutched his shoulder, cursing his own impatience. If he'd thought it through, Shunsui's behavior was more likely an invitation to attack than a stall for time.
"Act One: The Sharing of Pain…"
Kyōraku Shunsui spoke softly.
"The wounds suffered by the opponent will appear on one's own body as if shared."
"…So this is the ability of your Bankai." Starrk looked at Shunsui and said, "It is impressive, but I just need to not attack you.
Bankai places a burden on your body too. Even if I do nothing, you'll eventually collapse under the weight of this power and—"
"You… are regretting it, aren't you?"
As Starrk was speaking, Kyōraku Shunsui suddenly interrupted.
Starrk's pupils shrank; he felt a sudden unease. Shunsui pointed to the sky with his good hand, the other hanging limply at his side.
One hand pointed to heaven, the other to earth.
"If there's a First Act, then naturally there will be a Second Act, but…
The interlude between each act ends here; during the performance, silence must be maintained.
So…
Act Two: The Pillow of Shame."
As Shunsui spoke, Starrk did indeed feel a hint of regret for attacking. Who wouldn't, after all? Attacking only led to hurting himself. Regret was inevitable.
So… did it enter the second stage?
What was the second stage?
Starrk frowned. The next moment, pain radiated from within his body, and he heard a dripping sound.
He looked down—black spots had appeared all over his body, rapidly spreading. Blood began to flow!
It was a lot of blood. Even with Super High Speed Regeneration, he struggled to heal. Fortunately, his blood production kept up; though he felt dizzy, at least he didn't die from blood loss.
Seeing Starrk's current state, Kyōraku Shunsui spoke again:
"A man who regrets wounding his opponent, bedridden with shame, afflicted with an incurable disease.
And so, we quickly arrive at the Act Three.
The Abyss."
Boom—
Instantly, Starrk felt as if he'd been plunged into the deep sea.
The darkness and cold intensified, so thick and heavy it seemed to materialize as seawater, engulfing him.
Cold, solitude…
What comes to mind when you think of the deep sea? Deep cold, desolate silence… loneliness. People often compare the deep sea to space: endless, dark, vast, and isolating.
How tiny humans are in such a world, so small as to be insignificant, lost among infinity.
In the deep sea… it is the same.
Perhaps, the loneliest place in the world.
At this moment, in this deep sea, Starrk felt utterly isolated.
Bubbles drifted in the water; the black spots on his body were stained blood-red. He looked up at the distant sea surface—so close, yet forever out of reach.
Starrk… should have feared loneliness.
It was because he feared loneliness that he had split into two: Starrk and Lilynette. That was why he so easily accepted Yoshio and Aizen's invitation to join Las Noches.
He feared being alone.
Now, he was in the loneliest moment of his life.
"Two resolved individuals, together plunge into the surging water, until their spiritual pressures are completely exhausted."
Kyōraku Shunsui said softly,
"Ah, ah… indeed… you're truly a monster."
He looked at Starrk. Once, Starrk had stood with him on the ground; now he seemed to float in the sky, but no matter how high he flew, he could never escape this cold sea of spiritual pressure.
More and more wounds appeared; even blood began to flow from Starrk's eyes. Shunsui's ability was so bizarre that Starrk didn't know how to respond.
He couldn't attack—if he did, the wounds would synchronize.
But he couldn't do nothing, either; the "illness" would only worsen.
And… the cold seawater was draining both their spiritual pressures.
Starrk had always believed his spiritual pressure was unrivaled, but as it weakened, the illness worsened.
Fortunately, Shunsui couldn't drag things out, either.
Just as Starrk thought, Shunsui wouldn't compete with him in spiritual pressure; both had enormous reserves, and if they wore each other down, it'd only result in mutual destruction—or even put Shunsui at a disadvantage.
"It seems it's time for the next act, Ohana."
Suddenly, a woman appeared behind Kyōraku Shunsui. She placed her hands on his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his chest, like a lover leaning close.
"…Long time no see, Sakuranosuke."
Shunsui's gaze shifted from Starrk to his Zanpakuto.
"You call me Ohana?" Katen chuckled. "Isn't that a bit too intimate?
A master who only comes to play with me occasionally—how can he be qualified to call me that?"
"Such sarcasm really is a bit much, you know." Shunsui smiled faintly. "I'm truly sorry, Katen."
"Oh, now that I look closely, you're not even wearing that woman's kimono. What's wrong? Afraid it'll get damaged in battle?"
"But in the end, you ended up covered in injuries yourself."
"Your tone is still as bad as ever."
"Hehe, of course. I learned that from a very bad master. Even if it's bad, we have to endure each other. I should call this…"
"Love?"
"It should be a vow," Shunsui whispered. "After all, we are partners who once swore to sacrifice ourselves together."
"Just… partners? You truly are… a harsh and ungrateful master~"
"He… also seems to be talking to someone."
At that moment, Starrk, floating in the sky, looked down at Kyōraku Shunsui and saw him seemingly speaking to himself. Shunsui, in turn, looked up and saw that Starrk also seemed to be muttering.
"I'm going to die," Starrk said softly.
"You won't die."
Behind him, then circling to his side like a sprite, Lilynette smiled.
"How could that be? Aren't you living perfectly fine?"
"I'm not his opponent," Starrk whispered. "He's too strong."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You're Espada No. 0! Everyone else is still fighting, and you're the first to give up! Isn't that too lame?!"
Lilynette seemed angry, even kicking Starrk's backside.
"Ah, ah… the enemy is too strong."
Starrk floated, seemingly lying on a pure white stone slab, one hand on his head as if to block dazzling sunlight.
"You haven't even used your full power yet!" Lilynette complained. "You used to be me too! Don't embarrass me, you idiot!"
Starrk glanced at Lilynette, his voice low.
"If I attack him, I'll get hurt too.
And he's still preparing a more powerful move. Right now, I'm alone, and I don't know what to do."
"How can you be alone?! Haven't I always been by your side?"
Lilynette's voice softened. She was small, and Starrk seemed to rest his head on her lap. She embraced him, pressing her head to his.
"You won't die, Starrk," Lilynette whispered. "No matter where, my soul… will be with you."
Then—
It's the fourth act!
The final act. The last strike.
Kyōraku Shunsui gripped his Zanpakuto with both hands. His injured hand seemed to regain its strength at this very moment.
"A woman's feelings are truly cruel, giving a man no chance to explain.
What shines in his throat are white threads steeped in attachment. At least with these hands, cut and discard them; the tangled threads of attachment end here."
As Shunsui whispered, the world shifted.
The gloomy sea turned pure white, yet retained a patch of darkness, like ink spilled on a pristine canvas.
Like a poet's blank space, Shunsui drew his twin Zanpakuto in this stark world of black and white.
"He's going to make his move."
As the man and woman nestled together, Lilynette's voice softly entered Starrk's ears again.
Starrk moved his arm, opening his eyes.
The world before him changed.
In this tragic adult drama, the final act unfolded—slowly, yet swiftly.
As if to bring the tragedy to a clean end, Kyōraku Shunsui appeared beside Starrk in an instant.
A pure white thread—like mucus, like spider silk—cut across Starrk's throat.
"Tear him apart, Los Lobos."
But in that instant, blue flames erupted from Starrk's body, and he transformed into a sky-devouring Los Lobos!
Starrk, a self-Arrancarized Hollow who fought against his own instincts, had always detested loneliness. That was why he chose this path.
In the Abyss, Starrk had felt despair in the face of utter isolation. But after despair came a strange calm.
Having experienced the true meaning of loneliness, Starrk found clarity. Only now did he discover his inner self, gazing deep into his own soul.
Loneliness…
Is this loneliness?
It seems… it's nothing more than this!
Because, just as Lilynette said—
No matter what happens, both of their souls will be together.
Then, no matter where, he was no longer alone.
And would never be alone again.
My soul…
Will always be with you.
Then—facing loneliness, whether experiencing or embracing it—no kind of solitude could make Starrk feel lost again.
Perhaps this is the true ending of Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū. (Bones of Heavenly Blooming Madness: Withering Pine Lovers' Suicide)
If it ends cleanly, how can it be called a tragedy?
If only one side dies, how can it be called…
Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū?!
The huge Los Lobos roared, howling. The pure white thread cut his throat, but his claws pierced Kyōraku Shunsui's heart at that same moment!
In this deep, dark, and cold sea of spiritual pressure, the two figures crossed paths, descending from the sky, slowly falling into—
An unknown abyss of darkness.
Until—
Forever.
The two bodies fell, landing at the edge of Karakura Town.
…