When Nanatsuki asked Starrk that simple question—and explained the current state of Las Noches—Starrk quickly gave his answer.
He hated being alone. He longed for companionship.
If Las Noches was no longer a place of endless conflict, he'd be happy to go and make some friends.
Naturally, Nanatsuki accepted him as a disciple.
"You know, you're the first one to become my student not out of a desire for power," Nanatsuki said with a light laugh.
"I mean, I'm already pretty strong," Starrk replied, with the calm confidence of someone who had wandered Hueco Mundo for ages without encountering a single threat to his life.
"That's true. Among all my disciples, your starting point is the highest. But I can't show favoritism." Nanatsuki pulled out a glass box.
"What's that?" Starrk stared at the softly glowing orb inside the case.
Though it shimmered faintly, it gave off the oppressive gravity of a black hole—like it could swallow thoughts whole.
"This is the Hōgyoku," Nanatsuki said with a smile, imagining the image of Starrk as an Arrancar. "It accelerates evolution."
"Who knows, you might even fulfill a long-held wish."
"Really... so it can evolve Hollows?"
Starrk began to understand why this Shinigami—his new teacher—had managed to win over the great Hollows of Las Noches.
Hollows struggled to resist the lure of evolution.
Many had once been human. Reclaiming their human forms through evolution was the only path back to themselves.
With a mere thought, Nanatsuki activated the Hōgyoku.
In the next moment, brilliant light flared from the orb and engulfed Starrk completely.
Crack… crack…
The wolf skull mask on Starrk's head, the bone armor, the gray fur—all of it peeled away.
But unlike Nel, Harribel, Grimmjow, or Ulquiorra, his transformation unfolded in a unique way.
The twin cannon-shaped gauntlets on his arms detached and dissolved into a stream of white light.
A moment later, the light took form—into a one-eyed girl with green hair.
"What the..." Starrk blinked, stunned by the sudden appearance.
He had merely followed a thought in his heart: that his Zanpakutō should become a true companion.
And now, a portion of his soul had separated and manifested into a fully independent being.
"Fascinating. A fragment of soul… becoming a living entity." Nanatsuki stroked his chin. He'd observed the entire split with curiosity.
He glanced at the new girl's interface:
[Lilynette Gingerbuck]
[Reiatsu: Lv75]
Lilynette's profile was minimal—clearly different in essence from normal Hollows.
The relationship between Starrk and Lilynette was much like that of a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō.
She was a part of him—yet with her own body, she appeared wholly independent.
At that moment, Nanatsuki's own interface displayed a new prompt:
[Disciple Coyote Starrk has evolved into a Vasto Lorde. Reward Calculated]
[Reward: 100,000 General Ability EXP]
[Reward: Cero Metralleta]
Alongside the massive EXP, Nanatsuki also received Cero Metralleta—Starrk's signature technique.
With it, he now grasped the technique of rapid-fire Cero without the need for charge time.
From now on, he could unleash formidable Cero blasts on the fly!
"So, how long are you two going to stare at a lady like that?" Lilynette snapped, visibly annoyed.
"A lady?" Starrk looked skeptical. That word didn't seem to fit the wild child in front of him.
"Flying kick!"
Lilynette launched herself at Starrk, kicking him square in the face and knocking him over.
"A move like that is the opposite of ladylike!" Starrk protested, rubbing his nose.
"You wanna say that again?!" Lilynette shouted, climbing over him.
Starrk held her head at arm's length, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"She's lively, at least."
Nanatsuki watched the two bicker with a faint smile of his own.
"Maybe… I've finally found someone to spend my life with," Starrk said sincerely. "Thank you, Sensei."
With Lilynette at his side, he no longer felt the suffocating loneliness of the past.
"Ew… 'spend your life with me'? That's so cheesy!" Lilynette shivered theatrically.
"Come on. Let's get you both to Las Noches," Nanatsuki said with a warm grin.
Soul Society.
"I'm exhausted! Not even Mayuri, holed up in his lab, can compare to how drained I am..."
Urahara Kisuke had just finished calming down Kuchiki Aoba and wrapping up their 'date' for the day.
Though Aoba was sweet and innocent, her noble upbringing had also given her refined knowledge and taste—she wasn't someone easy to fool.
Still, even though the outing had worn him out, there was no time to rest.
He'd obtained several Soul King Fragments tonight.
He couldn't wait to return to his private lab.
After bidding Aoba farewell, Urahara dashed toward Rukongai.
He moved swiftly, heading for the deadwood forest where his lab was hidden.
After carefully sensing the area for observers, he stepped through the trees and vanished.
But what he didn't know… was that Aizen Sōsuke had been following him the entire time.
He had witnessed the entire date from the shadows.
With Kisuke unaware and missing vital intel, even he couldn't defend against the hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu.
"So this is where he built a private lab…" Aizen murmured as he scanned the deadwood grove, noting the numerous camouflaged barriers. "Clever. Even if someone detects the wards, they'll be misled elsewhere. Gives him time to clean up and escape…"
The layout was impressive. If he hadn't personally seen Urahara slip through the tree, Aizen might've been fooled himself.
Now that he had seen through the ruse, he walked straight in.
Inside, Urahara was completely unaware of the visitor who had followed him. He retrieved the Soul King Fragments taken from Aoba and began calibrating his Reishi instruments.
Then Aizen's gaze landed on the object on the table.
"The Hōgyoku," he murmured. For the first time, his serene expression shifted slightly—his eyes narrowed.
"No… not complete. It's still a prototype. He's missing more Soul King Fragments."
Aizen stared at the orb glowing with a faint blue light.
Without a doubt, this was a prototype Hōgyoku—created by Urahara Kisuke.
"Sensei was right. Urahara Kisuke really is a fascinating man."
Aizen now fully acknowledged his rival's brilliance.
Despite working with conditions far inferior to those provided by his teacher, Urahara had still managed to craft a functioning Hōgyoku prototype.