(Ulquiorra watched Starrk emerge from the Garganta, holding 'that woman'. The other looked nonchalant as per usual, but his face was evidently hiding some true emotions, something that Ulquiorra had no real way of understanding, nor comprehending. Starrk was a strange one; he had principles and feelings, yet he was lazy, hoặc unconcerned about the comings and goings of others and never seemed interested in fighting, an odd temperament for one whom had been chosen as Primera Espada. Ulquiorra had hoped to vượt qua, cross blades with him one day.)

Ulquiorra nodded to him and motioned at the woman. 'You can put her there, I'll take care of her until Lord Aizen says what we can do with her.'

Starrk nodded. 'Fine, whatever, I'll let bạn do that, Ulquiorra, I have stuff to do. Must find Lilinette...'

(Starrk put his hands in his pockets and strode out of the chambers, looking unconcerned again. Ulquiorra noticed that a strange flicker of doubt and feelings crossed the other's face, when Ulquiorra mentioned Lord Aizen.)

-Just what is your game, Coyote Starrk?-

Meanwhile, Starrk had found Lilinette and was watching her, his arms folded. 'So, what should we do, Starrk? I'm bored!'

'Meh, we can do whatever... Go anywhere, see anything. Just tell me what bạn want to do and we can go and do it.'

'Starrk! bạn moron, are even taking that seriously? I'm bored of sitting around in Aizen's palace, doing absolutely nothing. It is time we figured out something to do, instead of watching everyone else do what we could be doing. I can't believe bạn just handed that girl over to that cold bastard Ulquiorra... He might kill her, especially if Lord Aizen says so. Just what is his game, anyway? He is only Number Four and yet he follows Aizen around like a Mất tích puppy, hoping that he might have task for him to do. It's sickening!'

'Ulquiorra? Who cares, he's just a lackey of Aizen, who will fight for him. We are Lord Aizen's companions, not lackeys. I don't want to fight anyone. I thought this was our goal, to find companions who wouldn't be killed from our reiatsu.'

'But, now we are in the same position we were before. We still have nothing to do and bạn still haven't proven your power to anyone yet. In fact, not your power, OUR power! I want to wipe that empty look of Ulquiorra's face, it just pisses me off! And Nnoitra, I wanted to see that bastard dead and gone too. That grin just annoyed the hell out of me!'

Starrk frowned. 'Nnoitra is dead... That Shinigami Captain killed him, just before I took back the girl Lord Aizen was after.'

Lilinette grinned. 'Well, that is one down, so far. So, how about it, why don't we go fight Ulquiorra?'

'Because, I don't want to fight unless it is absolutely necessary. I'm not here to fulfill your fighting urges, y'know.'

Lilinette glowed, her reiatsu, meager as it was, flared around her. 'Starrk, bạn bastard! Don't do this to me now, I want to see our power in action. Now, let's go and find Ulquiorra.'

Starrk sighed. 'We can go see what he is up to. But, I have no intention of fighting him. I hope bạn realise that, because I'm serious, Lilinette, there is no need to fight him!'

(Both leave their chambers and follow the long corridor, until they reach the end and then enter the large hall-like room, which is where the Cuarto Espada had been earlier. Voices began to become louder.)

[Play âm nhạc - Torn Apart OST]

'What is a soul? Could I see it if I tore open your chest? Could I see it if I cracked open your skull?

(Ulquiorra stood, poised, in front of the woman, his hand held out in front of her, as though he was about to blast her with a Cero.)

'Lord Aizen no longer needs you. There is no-one left to protect you...'

Lilinette sonidoed, appearing in front of Ulquiorra, her arms outstretched. 'Bastard! bạn are a cold bastard, Ulquiorra. Leave the poor girl alone and let her have peace until Lord Aizen returns...'

'Linilinette, bạn idiot! We are meant to be joining Lord Aizen right now, so stop this and lets go. bạn want to fight, so lets go there and fight.'

'Starrk! This is what I want. bạn can go if bạn wish, but I will protect this poor girl, until her Những người bạn come, hoặc Aizen kills the Shinigami.'

Ulquiorra looked at her. 'I have no empathy towards you, girl. bạn are but the lowly Fraccion of a lazy fool, who proclaims himself as the Primera. bạn have till three, otherwise my Cero will kill bạn too.'

'No.'

'One. (Pause) Two. (Pause) Three. Fine, that was your warning. Cero!'

(Ulquiorra's green Cero burst from his hand, barreling towards Orihime and Lilinette. Starrk sighed, his annoyance at Lilinette had grown, but his sudden irritation at Ulquiorra was greater. No-one would destroy his companion. No-one. Starrk used his sonido, appearing in front of the Cero and simply sliced through it with his Zanpakuto.)

'I'm afraid I cannot allow bạn to terminate the life of someone I view as a companion. Lilinette and me, we chẻ, phân chia, split fromone being, simply through sheer lonliness and solitude. I won't allow bạn to harm her!'

Ulquiorra glanced toward him, his eyes cold and empty. 'Do what bạn wish, Primera Espada. However, just know that bạn are letting Lord Aizen down from this sudden display of emotion. I will crush you!'

[End Music]

(Starrk grinned at him. Then waited for the oncoming attack, that was sure to come.)

'You know, I didn't really want to fight at all. Now, I just want to protect her. Lilinette, stay back... I'll handle this for now. bạn watch over that woman, Lord Aizen would be furious if we caused her death. Ulquiorra, why were bạn about to kill her? Aizen never instructed bạn to do so.'

Ulquiorra shook his head. 'He might as well have. She is trash to us now, and we don't need her. What a foolish idea, that would abandon him, to save a girl he doesn't even want. bạn obviously do not comprehend the weight of your actions...'

(Starrk responded bởi parrying Ulquiorra's strikes and then making his own strikes. They clashed for a time, until Ulquiorra charged another Cero, firing at him, point blank. Starrk grinned and fired his own, blue, Cero, which exploded and forced Ulquiorra's back. They clashed again, Starrk parrying all of Ulquiorra's strikes expertly.)

-To Be Continued-