The ground of the clearing was littered with corpses, the smell of death lingering in the air, a nauseating stench.
Blood had gathered in puddles all around, still leaking from those recently departed, nastily splattered on cold skin.
Their still remained a few living, the cold hands of death not yet grasping them, they groaned, begging for their pain to end.
Kenpachi did not make a sound, though, none besides his ragged gasps for breath, and his coughs, blood filled, as he lay there in his pool of blood.
His eyes glanced to the side, his head lulling over, drawn to a weak noise, a tiny, high-pitched, murmur, from a voice he knew well.
Yachiru lay there, arms around her center, holding back her organs from spilling out, trying to make her feet move, trying to push herself closer to him.
He outstretched his arm weakly, and pulled her closer, careful not to jostle her much, and than clutched her onto his bleeding chest, attempting to calm her.
She whimpered at the movement, the pain coursing through her small body, and then stopped moving altogether.
Kenpachi would have thought her dead, had he not heard her shallow breathing.
He remained still himself, and listened to the moans of the dying, wanting to snort at their weakness, but to tired to do so.
"K-Ken-chan?" she voice barely sounded above a whisper, "Yeah?" he told himself his voice wasn't shaking.
"W-we're gonna' b-be okay, r-right?"
He didn't know what to say, she'd seen death before, she knew what was coming.
He decided that truth wasn't required at this point and mumbled "Yeah, we're-" he stopped for a shaky breath " we're gonna' be okay, kid"
She was silent for a moment, before she whispered "liar", he gave a half chuckle, half cough, and said "Yeah, I guess I am"
They lay there in silence, waiting for death to come.
"K-Ken?" her voice sounded weaker now, her light fading, "Mmh?" he grunted.
"We're" she swallowed, it was getting harder to keep her eyes open, "g-gonna' die."
It was a statement, a fact, not a question.
He still gave an affirmative grunt, "go ta' sleep, Yach"
"m'kay" she murmured, her eyelids sliding shut already.
Her breathing stopped, slowly, and Kenpachi closed his own eyes, slipping into eternal sleep.