Although the situation for Kyoraku, Ukitake, Sui-Feng, and the others on the battlefield was extremely unfavorable, they had not yet been pushed to the brink. So Yamamoto still did not have Toshiro intervene.
After all, the stronger the enemy, the more they can stimulate potential. Only through a series of trials against powerful foes could the members of the Gotei 13 grow stronger more quickly.
Because Toshiro and Yamamoto existed, Soul Society surpassed Aizen's side in terms of peak combat power. So regarding this war, Yamamoto felt his side had already secured victory, at least concerning dealing with Aizen's subordinates, there would be no surprises.
Because of this, Yamamoto treated the battles against the Espada as a grand training exercise to hone Kyoraku and the others. Naturally, he wouldn't have Toshiro personally step in and end the war immediately.
Of course, if Kyoraku and the others were truly pushed to the brink, Yamamoto would naturally not stand by and watch them be killed by the enemy.
"Hey, Captain, dodging around like that is quite disgraceful. Hurry up and bring out your Bankai, and fight me properly!" Starrk said to Kyoraku, who was being forced to dodge continuously, while constantly firing Cero from the dual pistols in his hands.
"Sigh, forcing others isn't very nice, Espada. Besides... acting disgracefully is kind of my style." Even with Ukitake assisting him, Kyoraku could still only do his best to evade Starrk's attacks, with few chances to strike back.
"Heh, acting disgracefully? I'm starting to think... you and I are actually quite similar!" Hearing Kyoraku's words, Starrk couldn't help but chuckle helplessly.
Hum—
Just as Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Starrk, as well as Sui-Feng, Omaeda, and Barragan were fighting, a Garganta suddenly appeared in the air again.
"Hmm!?"
Startled, both sides of the battle temporarily stopped fighting.
"A Garganta... Are there reinforcements coming to join the Espada?" Ukitake asked in surprise.
"Hey, hey, hey, someone coming to help the top three Espada? Unimaginable. If that's the case... we'll have to let Old Man Yama and Toshiro personally intervene..." Kyoraku said with a wry smile.
"Ah... wu..."
An Arrancar with short golden hair, purple eyes, and freckles on his face made an indistinct sound as he walked out of the Garganta.
"Who is that guy...?" Ukitake asked seriously.
"...It seems an unknown character has appeared." Kyoraku frowned.
"Wonderweiss..." Starrk murmured.
This suddenly appearing Arrancar named Wonderweiss was specifically created by Aizen using the Hogyoku to seal Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka.
"Ah wu..."
After walking out of the Garganta, Wonderweiss turned around and made another unintelligible sound into the Garganta.
"Thud. Thud. Thud..."
Heavy footsteps came from within the Garganta, and then an abnormally large, beast-like one-eyed Arrancar crawled out.
"What is... that thing?" Ukitake asked gravely.
"That eye... is from back then..."
Komamura, on the ground below, saw the huge Arrancar's single eye and suddenly remembered the scene when Aizen used the Negación to defect from Soul Society.
At that time, countless Gillian on the other side of the light prison had combined their power to transfer Aizen and his group from Soul Society to Hueco Mundo. But Komamura had noticed back then that besides the countless Gillian, a giant eye seemed to have appeared on the other side of the light prison. And that eye belonged to this one-eyed Arrancar that had just appeared.
"Ah wu—"
Just as everyone's attention was on the giant one-eyed Arrancar, Wonderweiss suddenly looked at Ukitake beside Kyoraku and made an indistinct sound.
"Ukitake! Look out!!" Toshiro from the rear seemed to suddenly remember something and shouted to Ukitake.
"Hmm?"
Hearing Toshiro's voice, Ukitake was puzzled and was about to turn around...
Whoosh!
Wonderweiss's figure flashed, instantly appearing behind Ukitake.
Stab!
A crimson, bewitchingly beautiful spray of blood bloomed. An arm had pierced through Ukitake's body from behind.
"Ugh..." Ukitake looked down at the palm protruding from his chest, an expression of disbelief on his face.
"You..." Ukitake turned his head with difficulty and saw that the one who had ambushed him was the Arrancar who had emerged first from the Garganta.
"..."
Wonderweiss gave Ukitake an eerie smile, then withdrew the arm that had pierced through his body.
Whoosh!
Kyoraku's figure flashed, appearing behind Wonderweiss with his Zanpakuto raised high. His expression was twisted with rage, utterly furious.
At the very least, Toshiro had never seen Kyoraku so filled with murderous intent, with such a terrifying expression.
But it was no wonder Kyoraku was so angry. He and Ukitake had known each other for countless years, always the closest of friends and comrades. And now Kyoraku had witnessed with his own eyes Ukitake being ambushed and 'killed' right before him. The fury in his heart was unimaginable.
However, just as Kyoraku was about to swing his sword and slay Wonderweiss to avenge Ukitake, a pistol was suddenly pressed against Kyoraku's back, freezing him in place.
"It seems the anger of seeing your comrade fall has made you lose your reason. But... sorry, since Wonderweiss has appeared, it means Aizen-sama no longer wishes to wait. So... although I regret not being able to witness your Bankai, this battle... ends here!" Starrk said with some regret in his voice.
Having said that, Starrk instantly pulled the trigger of the pistol in his hand.
Boom!!!
A dazzling blue Cero erupted from Starrk's pistol. With the pistol pressed against his back, Kyoraku couldn't even dodge and directly took the full force of Starrk's Cero.
Then, after the Cero dissipated, Kyoraku, covered in wounds, could no longer stand and fell straight towards the ground below.
At the same time, Ukitake, ambushed by Wonderweiss, swayed and fell towards the ground together with Kyoraku, as if the two best friends were sharing life and death.
"Shunsui! Jushiro!!" Yamamoto cried out in concern from the rear, unable to stay put any longer, and prepared to act.