Chapter 258: Overwhelming Power
Following the spectacle of Ravel's and Robin's joint attack, Kenpachi, covered in wounds and bereft of his Reiatsu-limiting eyepatch, gazed up at the sky where the remnants of the flaming tornado were still in the process of dispersing.
"Looks like we're not the only ones having fun..." remarked Kenpachi, the fervency he had shown at the beginning of the battle replaced by a weary grimace. He had lost so much blood that his limbs and abdomen felt cold, but rather than feeling concerned about his condition, he was annoyed that he wouldn't be able to test the edge of his Zanpakuto against Vahn's scales...
"Crazy bastard...what about this is fun...?" groaned Issei, holding his right hand to a large gash across his chest, courtesy of Kenpachi. He wasn't at risk of bleeding out, but due to the intent infused within the mad Captain's attacks, the wound throbbed and refused to close.
"Everything..." responded Kenpachi, his expression uncharacteristically serious as he revealed, "From the moment I first understood I was alive, fighting is all I've ever known. No...it's fighting that made me feel alive in the first place. Nothing else even comes close..."
"You're delusional," retorted Issei, snorting disdainfully before conceding, "Don't get me wrong, I understand the desire to grow stronger and battle powerful opponents, but there's more to life than fighting. Have you never groped or buried your face into a pair of pillowy breasts? Because that's a hell of a lot more enjoyable than being sliced to the bone and having your organs ruptured..."
"Mmn...it is pretty nice..." affirmed Sairaorg, nodding approvingly with his arms crossed. Despite being the one to endure the majority of Kenpachi's attacks, he had no serious injuries thanks to his exceptional strength and durability—further honed by enduring the intense gravity and pressure of the 31st Floor. At that level, gravity was more than 200x the standard, but the real difficulty was that the air was so dense with Aetherion that it felt like breathing in an aerated liquid and traversing the sea floor a thousand meters deep.
"Heh...is that so...?" asked Kenpachi, regaining a toothy grin, his usually grey eyes gaining a golden luminance and similarly golden Reiatsu rising from his body as he appended, "But we're not here to share our feelings and prattle like women. Let's finish this!"
Holding his right hand in front of Issei's as the former stepped forward, Sairaorg, holding Kenpachi's gaze, confidently stated, "I'll handle things from here. You'll go and check on the others..." before stepping forward with his usual blue-tinted Touki gaining a golden hue.
Though his first instinct was to ask Sairaorg if he was certain he could handle Kenpachi alone, Issei only needed one glance at the older Devil's serious countenance to understand he shouldn't get in the lion-like man's way. Thus, after a quick "Kick his ass..." he took to the sky and flew like a rocket to where Yamato was currently engaging the much faster Byakuya in a game of cat and mouse...