A/N: So, up until now I've been sticking with dialogue from the anime but from here on I'm leaning more towards the manga, though I will mix it up a little. You're forewarned, since I know switches like that can annoy some people. It seems Kenpachi got tired of being left out seeing as to how this is chapter two with him and he's still not finished with Nnoitra just yet. No worries, it will be resolved next chapter and then we'll be getting back to Ichigo- not to mention Ulquiorra, which I'm sure most of you are waiting for. Alright, that's enough yacking, on with the fic.
Nnoitra reacts as expected, charging forward without paying any heed to the changes in the air. Even Grimmjow would take a moment to assess the situation before diving headlong back into battle.
When their swords clash this time, Ichigo can hear them both crying out. Kenpachi is staring at Nnoitra impassively; his reiatsu reigned in tight and honed to cutting edge. He smiles at Nnoitra as it hits the right resonance and his sword starts sinking into the Espada's blade. The moment he notices, Nnoitra jumps back which saves him as Kenpachi's sword slices through, cutting both points off the edge of his blade and scoring a cut across the bridge of the Espada's nose.
"Looks like I've finally got used to your hierro's strength," Kenpachi says, his reiatsu thrumming in excitement and anticipation.
"Used to it?" Nnoitra might as well be gaping for how his reiatsu quivers, surprise blatant as he stares at Kenpachi. Ichigo wonders how long it's been since the last time someone was able to cut him. Probably Nel, back when she was still an Espada.
"I've gotten a little soft lately. It's like my muscles had shrunk and I'd lost my edge." Kenpachi swings his sword again, reiatsu dancing along the length and causing ripples in the sand. Nnoitra's eye widens as he finally realizes the situation. "Thanks for that. It was a great warm up. I'll show you my thanks with this!"
Kenpachi dashes forward sword first and Nnoitra is still so off-guard that barely manages to parry the blow. Before he can strike back, Kenpachi slashes him and Nnoitra is working off of instinct as he sticks his tongue out and shoots off a Cero.
"Look out!" Orihime shouts.
Yachiru doesn't react, just watches with delight as Kenpachi catches the Cero with his hand, his reiatsu intuitively wrapping around to contain it long enough for him to toss it aside.
"No way..." Nnoitra stares incredulously, practically in shock.
The Espada is frozen in place as he watches Kenpachi approach him at a leisurely pace. Kenpachi is towering over him before he finally recovers himself and he once more acts on instinct, like a cornered animal as he charges Kenpachi, his hand held as if a blade as he strikes. Kenpachi calmly sidesteps the attack, but Nnoitra's fingers catch on his eyepatch, ripping the seal off.
Kenpachi's smile widens, his reiatsu burgeoning and encompassing him as he raises his sword. He's completely unaware of how his Zanpakuto latches onto his reiatsu, the strength of his attack increasing with the jump in power.
Kenpachi's reiatsu is uncontained, roaring in triumph and relief as it's finally released and given room to expand; his reishi rains down and is sparking with the reishi in the air. Ichigo winces at the volume, casting Orihime a quick glance to see her with her hands over her ears, but her focus is on Yachiru who seems immune to it, absorbing the reishi as it touches her skin and letting the fury that is Kenpachi's reiatsu wash over her, her face brightening even more as she watches. Kenpachi's reiatsu simmers down quickly enough, more than happy to be free for a change.
The severity of Kenpachi's attack is enough that anyone lesser than Espada would've died outright. As it is, Nnoitra is barely standing, a gash spanning from his waist up to his shoulder and even scoring along the left side of his face, slicing through the cut already present.
Kenpachi takes in the damage he dealt and reaches up to touch his right eye, feeling where the eyepatch should be. He scowls at Nnoitra. "Fuckin' idiot. See what happens when you rip my eyepatch off? I go and lose control."
"What the hell is that eyepatch of yours?" Nnoitra pants out.
"It's a seal," Kenpachi answers.
"A seal?" Nnoitra's eye travels to the patch in astonishment and Ichigo absently fingers her bracelet, more than happy that Kisuke had been able to come up with something less obvious. And less creepy, she thinks, remembering the monstrous mouths that line the inside of the patch.
"I use that eyepatch to keep my reiatsu sealed and under control. So I can take the time to enjoy my battles." Kenpachi continues explaining. He eyes Nnoitra again, evaluating him. "Still standing, huh? Are you alive? Or are you actually half-dead?"
Nnoitra clenches his teeth, glaring at the sand as he continued panting. "Dumbass! As if I...would die... I... against... the blade of scum like you..."
Anger is palpable in the air as reiatsu starts building. The wind picks up as Nnoitra gathers it hard and fast, the reiatsu strong enough that it sets off on of Kenpachi's bells. "I'd never fuckin' die like that!" The Espada is seething as he raises his sword overhead. "Pray, Santa Teresa!"
Reiatsu gathers in the end crescent of his sword, energy practically exploding outwards and sending the sand stirring once more. Yachiru almost falls from her perch but recovers quickly, staring wide-eyed at Nnoitra as his reiatsu continues building. Her eyes are radiating pure wonder as she watches, her own reiatsu rising in excitement and to combat the reiatsu in the air.
When the energy stops and the sand clears to reveal Nnoitra's Resurrección, Orihime's breath catches in her throat. His wounds have all stopped bleeding, closed by the force of his reiatsu. His mask is altered, still forming an eyepatch over his left eye, the teeth now extending over the hole making it look even more like a gaping mouth, but the sides have extended into horns from the side of his head, the right shorter than the left and both curving over his head and giving the appearance of a crescent moon. The most startling change though is his arms; all four of them. They're covered from shoulder to tip in bone plating, each finger tapered to a point and grasping the hilt of a large scythe.
"Yo." Nnoitra is smirking, confidence restored with the power boost. "How does it feel seeing an Espada's sword release for the first time?" When Kenpachi doesn't say anything, just stares at him, his reiatsu testing the Espada's, Nnoitra narrows his eye. "Say something, Shinigami."
Kenpachi's smile is completely wild and unreserved as he eyes Nnoitra hungrily. "That's some nice reiatsu." Once more he's caught the Espada completely off guard, the smug look falling right from Nnoitra's face. Kenpachi holds his sword up to inspect it, showcasing how the Zanpakuto is vibrating with excitement. "It's been quite a while since I've felt this sensation, like the reiatsu itself is sharpening my blade."
"Has it now," Nnoitra says. He tightens his grip on his blades and snarls at Kenpachi. "Then come and cut me with that 'sharpened blade' of yours!"
Kenpachi grins and charges without further fanfare, though he seems surprised when Nnoitra turns and blocks his attack.
"Oh?" Nnoitra taunts. "Is that all you've got?"
He lashes out, blade slicing Kenpachi and sending the huge Taicho crashing onto his back, a gash spanning from his left hip to his right shoulder. Blood is soaking the sand underneath him.
"That was a pretty gentle sword, Shinigami," Nnoitra sneers. "Guy's not even fuckin' twitchin'. Is that all?"
Nnoitra eyes Kenpachi for a moment more before he turns, his attention now on Yachiru. Ichigo clenches her hand the moment he does, her mind flashing back to a similar situation two years in her past. She closes her eyes, her reiatsu automatically reaching out and grasping onto Kenpachi's, reminding herself that he's still alive and strong and more than capable of fighting. She touches against Yachiru as well; a reminder that she's more than capable of handling Nnoitra herself if she absolutely has to. Ichigo opens her eyes to see Yachiru standing calmly, not the least bit worried as Nnoitra approaches.
"What a drag. I guess I'll just take out the rest of the trash."
"Yachiru-chan!" Orihime, only seeing a child and forgetting that Yachiru is a Fukutaicho in her own right, takes off. She sends her shield out before ever reaching her.
"Ha! What the fuck is that?" Nnoitra laughs, readying a blade.
Yachiru doesn't react, her eyes not even focusing on him. "Behind you," she warns, pointing. "I think you should look."
Nnoitra goes still as his senses finally pick up on Kenpachi who's at his back. He dodges, jumping out of the way of Kenpachi's sword and losing an arm instead of his head.
Kenpachi pops his neck, eyes going to Nnoitra's stub. "One down."
Nnoitra growls, glaring at him, "You fucker."
"You should watch out," Yachiru is smiling, still relaxed. "Ken-chan gets angry if you attack me."
Kenpachi glances at her. "Who d'you think you're callin' mad? You brat."
"Playin' dead, huh? Cheap trick, punk," Nnoitra says.
"Shut your face, I was busy thinking." Kenpachi replies. "With four arms, you're just gonna keep on blockin' my blade. That's no fun at all. So I was thinkin' how to stop you blockin' all my attacks. I was thinking what to do so they don't block me. But y'know, I just couldn't think up a single good idea down there. So I figure, I'll just decided to slice them all off, one by one."
Nnoitra narrows his eye but before he can say anything Yachiru chirps up. "But if you cut them all off, he can't fight you, Ken-chan!"
"Huh? Oh, yea." Kenpachi turns back to Nnoitra to apologize, "My bad. I'll leave ya with one."
"You'll leave me with one? What the hell you talkin' about? Screw that." Amusement lights the Espada's face. "That doesn't make any difference at all. 'Cause that arm you just cut off, is the last one you're gonna get! No, to be precise..." Nnoitra gathers his reiatsu again, focusing it to regrow his arm. When it's done, he flexes the hand to test its mobility. "You won't be able to cut off even one of my arms. I'm gonna use all four of 'em to take you out. You wanna know why?" Nnoitra charges forward, grabbing his fourth scythe as he goes, "It's 'cause you're weaker than me, Shinigami!"
Kenpachi counters his attacks, keeping an eye on all four arms, but the strength behind one of the attacks manages to catch him off guard, sending him flying and crashing into a pile of rubble.
"You're such a lightweight! Look at you bein' blasted away from just one hit! I guess I'm just too strong for my own good." Nnoitra taunts. He jumps into the air, ready to attack again. "Or are you just runnin' scared like a little coward? Is that it?"
It's Kenpachi's turn to catch him off-guard again as he doesn't bother climbing out of the rubble, just aims a kick for Nnoitra's head. Nnoitra barely dodges the attack but he's so focused on Kenpachi's foot that he doesn't see the hand that follows, grabbing him by his head and slamming him into the rubble. Kenpachi goes to follow it with his sword but Nnoitra rushes to block it with all four of his scythes.
"Damn you," Nnoitra hisses, struggling to hold Kenpachi back. Or at least appearing to be struggling; from the way his reiatsu is dancing, Ichigo can see now that he's just baiting him.
"What?" Kenpachi taunts. "Is this all it's gonna take to finish you?"
Nnoitra narrows his eye at the blatant insult and in a flash extends a third set of arms, one of them impaling Kenpachi through the abdomen.
"Dumbass. I told you that you ain't takin' even one of my arms," Nnoitra is smiling again as he pulls his arm free of Kenpachi. "I'm gonna use all six of these arms to take ya out!"
Orihime gasps as Kenpachi spits up blood and Nnoitra's laughter fills the air.
Nnoitra flicks his wrists and another set of scythes join his armament, giving him six in total as he faces Kenpachi. "It's over, Shinigami."
"Kurosaki-kun..."
Ichigo glances to Orihime, offering her a reassuring smile. "Kenpachi is gonna be fine, Orihime. Like Yachiru said, this is his fight. He's not as simple as he likes to pretend to be and he's strong; he's more than capable of handling Nnoitra."
Orihime nodded slowly, her eyes going to Kenpachi once more.
"Hime?" Ichigo calls softly. "You remember what I said before? That we won't leave you here? That no matter what happens, we will come for you?"
There's confusion on Orihime's face, but she nods anyway, not a trace of doubt evident. "Of course."
Ichigo nods, her eyes going back to Nnoitra and Kenpachi. "This fight doesn't have much longer to go, but it might be a while longer before we can go home. Do you understand?"
Confusion is replaced with understanding, Orihime's eyes going from Nnoitra back to Las Noches, where Aizen and the rest of the Espada are. There's a trace of resignation and a hint of fear, but she doesn't waver. Even as she grips her arms tightly, she's standing tall and Ichigo can even sense a spark of hope before Orihime meets her gaze. She nods, a single dip of her head, but it's all Ichigo needs to know that Orihime understands exactly what she's saying and is willing to go along. If she hadn't been, Ichigo wouldn't hesitate to fight Starrk when he came for her, but she's immensely glad she won't have to.
She offers a nod of her own and lets the conversation fade, both of them turning their attention back to the two combatants just as Kenpachi starts laughing.
"Fuck yea! This is perfect! This is how it should be!" Kenpachi's smile is wild rapture, his reiatsu dancing in exhilaration. "What'd ya mean, 'over'? I've finally got a hole in me! Guess that makes the two of us even, huh? Now, how 'bout we begin, Espada?"
Kenpachi raises his sword, reiatsu thrumming even more as he hones it. Nnoitra, pissed at Kenpachi's carefree attitude, attacks and the battle goes from there, turning brutal hard and fast as they both finally fight all out. They're hacking and slicing at each other, Nnoitra landing more blows than Kenpachi, and with each blow that lands Kenpachi just laughs more.
His laughter seems to throw the Espada who keeps attacking and slicing and Kenpachi takes it all in stride, laughing more with each drop of his blood that is spilled, his reiatsu spiking and swirling with ever-growing enjoyment, taking honest pleasure in the fight. Nnoitra is thrown off-balance by the attitude and just tries that much harder, ire rising and strengthening his resolve to prove himself stronger.
Nnoitra finally lands a blow that brings the fight to another standstill, his scythe slicing Kenpachi's neck. Orihime gasps at the sight of the blood and Kenpachi reaches up, putting a hand over the wound. His reiatsu forms a weak seal, slowing the rate of the bleeding, but it's a temporary fix with the type of injury it is and Kenpachi knows it.
"Hell, at this rate, I really am gonna die," he laments. His eyes go to the false sky, staring up at the clouds. "Don't think I'd like that much, dyin'."