The other party had behaved exactly like a longtime acquaintance—they had exchanged pleasant conversation and seemed to share a natural rapport.

Was the entire interaction merely an elaborate deception? The ancient proverb truly held wisdom: "A man's words can conceal his true intentions," and verbal assurances often proved hollow.

"Did I ever explicitly define my fighting style for you?" Kyōraku Shunsui responded with pragmatic indifference, adjusting his straw hat slightly. "The truth is, I maintain no consistent style whatsoever, but I can adopt whatever approach the situation demands. You simply misjudged my character."

In warfare, innocence was a luxury none could afford. He would employ any necessary tactic to secure victory. Though he genuinely respected the Arrancar standing before him, he would never exercise restraint when striking a decisive blow. This represented the only appropriate mindset toward combat.

Lilinette's voice rang out in Stark's defense: "Your tactics are absolutely disgraceful—engaging two against one without warning!"

"Not at all. Don't you constitute two combatants as well?" Ukitake Jūshirō regarded the pistol in Stark's right hand with genuine curiosity. Could this truly represent the manifestation of self-division? This appeared to be the opponent's unique capability—there must exist additional layers to this ability!

Stark, momentarily disheartened by the unexpected shift in battle dynamics, refrained from immediate counterattack. Instead, his gaze drifted toward Uehara Shiroha's position across the battlefield. "It seems this conflict could conclude at any moment. That man is merely entertaining himself. I can't help but envy him! Even amidst such intense warfare, he maintains that carefree mentality and approaches combat as recreation. Truly remarkable!"

To display such unfettered talent on a battlefield of this magnitude—such temperament paired with such overwhelming strength inspired genuine awe. In the estimation of ordinary warriors, Uehara represented genius beyond comprehension. Yet from Uehara Shiroha's perspective, they were simply unremarkable beings, indistinguishable from countless others.

Uehara's distinctive, unrestrained demeanor left a profound impression on Stark. However, this momentary distraction placed Stark in a strategically disadvantageous position. The current battlefield conditions heavily favored the Shinigami captains.

This development indicated that Lord Aizen needed to intervene promptly to recalibrate the situation. Soon, the concealed strategic elements would emerge from hiding. It appeared that Stark would need to approach this confrontation with substantially greater commitment.

In the subsequent phase of combat, Stark executed his techniques with maximum intensity, deploying a Cero barrage that engulfed half the visible sky, severely restricting Kyōraku Shunsui's evasive options. However, his meticulously constructed tactical snare proved ultimately ineffective.

Stark accurately predicted Kyōraku Shunsui's movement trajectory and fired with precision timing. Following his discharge, Sōgyo no Kotowari intercepted his attack directly and implemented the "elementary redirection counter." After performing rapid calculations, Stark narrowly escaped falling victim to their coordinated strategy.

His intellect remained exceptionally sharp, with analytical and observational capabilities that ranked among the most formidable in Hueco Mundo. Yet when confronted with such sophisticated deception, how could he realistically triumph against two opponents simultaneously?

Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō were far from ordinary Shinigami. They possessed exceptional strategic acumen, tactical brilliance, raw spiritual power, and specialized combat abilities honed over centuries.

One had initially projected a desire for relaxation and casual engagement, but this facade concealed intricate schemes and ruthless calculation. He moved with the unpredictability of changing winds and struck with lethal precision.

The other maintained an understated presence and projected gentle compassion, yet invariably materialized at tactically decisive moments. His abilities possessed a deceptive subtlety specifically calibrated to neutralize Stark's infinite Cero technique.

When confronted simultaneously by these formidable adversaries—both representing the elite Thousand-Year Captain class—even Stark's considerable abilities proved insufficient to maintain offensive pressure, inevitably forcing him into a defensive posture.

Curiously, the weapons wielded by these three combatants shared a common characteristic—all manifested in pairs, and their spiritual essences contained notable parallels:

Ukitake Jūshirō had been merged with organs from the Soul King himself, transforming into a divine vessel containing fragments of the Soul King's consciousness within his spiritual core;

Kyōraku Shunsui's Zanpakutō concealed the ancient artifact known as the Eight Mirror Sword, and his Zanpakutō spirit exhibited distinct personality fragmentation;

Stark's weaponry represented the externalized manifestation of his deliberately divided soul.

The spiritual essence of all three harbored profound secrets, each having experienced some form of fundamental division or fragmentation of self.

"Master Aizen, has the moment arrived for our intervention?" Ichimaru Gin inquired, surveying the surrounding walls of flame with his perpetual fox-like smile.

"Even though all Ten Espadas have returned to their original combat forms, they still appear insufficient to overcome my former classmate single-handedly. We must breach these fire barriers without further delay."

Tōsen Kaname maintained his characteristic silence, declining to placate Ichimaru Gin as he might have in another timeline. If their opposition consisted merely of standard Gotei 13 captains, he would retain the patience and confidence to allow circumstances to unfold naturally. However, current conditions had evidently eroded this confidence. The threat posed by Uehara Shiroha's potential to eliminate all Arrancar forces could not be ignored.

"Your assessment appears accurate." Though Aizen doubted that Uehara Shiroha would simply remain stationary while "crushing a collection of insignificant opponents," resolving the current tactical stalemate with their available combat resources seemed increasingly improbable.

Even without direct intervention from Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni himself, even if they faced merely a spiritual projection of Uehara Shiroha rather than his true form, the Ten Espada possessed negligible chances of ultimate victory.

Consequently, Aizen recognized the necessity of personal action.

During the ongoing battle, all combatants witnessed an enormous black void suddenly materialize in the sky above them, reality itself seeming to fracture.

The Shinigami collectively reacted with alarm, temporarily suspending their combat activities to observe the ominous dark aperture that had appeared in proximity to Aizen's position.

Harribel seized this opportunity to catch her breath, inhaling deeply. Although her engagement with Uehara Shiroha had lasted objectively less than several minutes, subjectively it felt as though years had elapsed. Both her physical form and mental fortitude had endured extraordinary strain. Each second had stretched into what felt like a year of continuous pressure. The experience had been grueling, yet she had persevered. If not for her exceptionally resilient character, she would have surrendered long before this moment.