Although Unohana, who died, was revived and back in her Healer phase unlike her previous scary form, and everyone was happy with her revival, the atmosphere was still gloomy.
With their second defeat, the result of this competition became clear. They lost, as until now no one had found the weakness of Itachi and had the confidence to defeat Itachi, who can easily get the third victory even if they defeat the third and fourth candidates.
Tōsen on the other hand who was unconscious, finally became awake, but there was no resentment on his face with his loss. This loss was for the greater good, and from the beginning, his goal was to lose at the last moment after teaching Grimmjow a lesson, but it seems he had overestimated his own strength.
"Hey Shunsui, I can form a barrier around the battlefield so you can use your Shikai and Bankai without any worry if you want to fight." Itachi, seeing the Captains discussing and talking with Yamamoto, who had recovered from his mental trauma, said with mischief.
He really wanted to know how the current Stark fares against Shunsui. In the Fake Karakura Arc, Stark fought against Ukitake, Love, and Rose before the final battle with Shunsui, and even then Stark didn't give his all in the fight, making Itachi feel the battle was incomplete and unfair.
Stark should at least last till Shikai Shunsui uses all his games, and now that he can watch a live battle, then why not?
Stark, on the other hand, hearing this, looked at Shunsui with a strange expression. He really didn't hold much grudge against Shunsui for killing his possible future self, if a little, then it's for Lilynette's death.
But now that he knows all the games and tricks of Shunsui's Shikai and Bankai.... maybe he can win? Well, he is confident that he can defeat Yamamoto, but Shunsui's tricks if left alone are quite a hassle.
"Hey Stark, you bastard.... at least show some fighting spirit." Just then, a loud childish voice broke the strange silence. Beside Stark, a child wearing a few scraps of clothes and a bone helmet appeared as she said loudly.
"A child?" Just then, Ukitake's voice reached Lilynette's ears. Hearing this, she turned towards Ukitake in anger.
"Damn old guy, who are you calling a child? I am not the same as before, this time I will definitely kill you." Well, Lilynette also watched her embarrassing fight with Ukitake, who didn't fight her seriously and treated her like a child.
After receiving Itachi's power, she became even more hyperactive.... and this is the reason she was forced merged with Stark and only appeared now. Itachi didn't want her to make this serious atmosphere a circus.
"Itachi, you won't be sending a child to this battle, right?" Ukitake ignored the childish tantrum of Lilynette and asked Itachi.
"Well, she just looks like, behaves like, and has the strength of a child. Other than that, she is an adult."
"What did you say??? Don't think you can bribe me after giving me some powers." Lilynette, facing Itachi's insult, said with fury.
"And you, woman Kimono guy, if you have guts, fight yourself instead of sending a dying old man to die."
"Sigh, I will fight." Shunsui, after a few seconds of thinking, finally said with a sigh. It's not that he was ragebaited by Lilynette, but Yamamoto still hasn't completely recovered his Riatsu, and with his Bankai without any restrictions, he might have a winning chance.
"Very well, then it's Kyoraku Shunsui vs Coyote Stark.... Here's your battlefield.... DimensionalArena. Within it, you can give your all, and your abilities won't affect the outside world." Itachi, hearing Shunsui's answer, nodded as he snapped his fingers.
The next second, the middle of Seireitei was enveloped in a barrier, forming a circular arena of more than five kilometres in diameter.
Seeing this, Stark and Lilynette walked towards the arena.
"Wait, why is that Hollow also going? Isn't it one-on-one?" Toshiro, seeing this, raised his question. He didn't care whether Lilynette looked like a child, as he also looked like a child.
"Lilynette and Stark are one soul. In the past, Lilynette was separated from Stark's soul and gained sentience. They count as one." Itachi, facing the doubts of the Shinigami, explained the matter.
---
Inside the Battlefield
"Do you also have a second Resurrección like Ulquiorra?" Shunsui, facing Stark, wasn't in a hurry to start the battle as he asked with curiosity.
"No, like others, I have only one Resurrección."
"Hey, crossdresser, are you here on a picnic? Fight! And you, Stark, why are you being lazy?" Just then, Lilynette's voice interrupted their conversation.
"Is she always like this?" Shunsui ignored Lilynette and asked Stark with sympathy.
"Sigh, I can't control her."
"Ahhh, how dare you ignore me! DIEE!!!" Seeing Shunsui's repeated ignorance, Lilynette took her Zanpakutō out from her broken horn as she slashed towards Shunsui.
CLANG CLANG CLANG
For the next minute, Lilynette collided with Shunsui's Zanpakutō with ferocity as if to burn Shunsui with her anger.
It's not that Lilynette, after Itachi's enhancement, went from Vice-Captain level to Peak-Captain level, but Shunsui wasn't giving his all. Stark, seeing this, didn't interrupt as he watched the battle carefully.
"Bastard, take thi—" Just when Lilynette was about to attack once again, Stark appeared in front of her, blocking Shunsui's sword.
CLANGG
"Hey, just now you were about to attack with killing intent." Stark ignored Lilynette and said to Shunsui with seriousness.
"Well, since she is the other half of your soul, then I should weaken my enemy, right?" Shunsui, having been caught in his underhanded means, shrugged as he said lazily.
"Indeed, I do not blame you, but since you are serious, I should also respect you. Lilynette, fuse." Stark, pushing Shunsui away, said as he looked at Lilynette.
"Okay, I will show this crossdresser my true power." As Lilynette said this, she disintegrated into blue Reishi as she merged with Stark.
BOOOMMMMM
The next instant, Reiatsu filled the dimensional arena, and although outsiders weren't affected they could still see Shunsui's expression.
"This Reiatsu, it's comparable to mine and Old Man's. Though, shouldn't you be stronger than Ulquiorra, the Third Espada, after Resurrección?" Although Shunsui didn't believe that higher Reiatsu necessarily means higher strength, as he can fight the Squad Zero members except for Ichibei equally despite having lower Reiatsu.... but he is an exception because of his Bankai. So, does Stark also possess methods like him to bypass the conventional laws? Or is the strength difference between the top three Espada not too much ?
"Resurrección? When did you have a misunderstanding that I have entered my final form? This is my complete sealed state." Stark, clearing Shunsui's doubt, said as he became ready for the fight.
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