Three chapters in one night, will comb through for mistakes let me know if you see any.
Chapter Three: A Dance with Death
The instant Kenpachi vanished, Subaru's instincts flared.
His body reacted on its own, honed by countless deaths, forged by five years of relentless battle. His feet shifted, his blade raised, his breath held—
CLANG!
A shockwave erupted as their swords met, the force so great it shattered the ground beneath them. Subaru felt the impact rattle his bones, his arms screaming under the sheer weight of Kenpachi's power.
He's fast!
Kenpachi wasn't just swinging wildly—he was testing him, seeing how far he could push before Subaru broke.
Subaru gritted his teeth, shoving forward, pushing Kenpachi's blade off his own. He barely had a moment to recover before Kenpachi was already moving again.
A flicker of motion.
A blur of steel.
Subaru ducked just in time as Kenpachi's blade tore through the air above him, slicing through solid rock like it was paper.
He countered.
Twisting his body, Subaru lashed out with a precise thrust aimed at Kenpachi's exposed ribs.
Kenpachi barely moved—but he didn't need to.
The tip of Subaru's sword struck his side—and barely cut through.
The blade scraped against Kenpachi's skin, leaving only a shallow wound. Subaru's eyes widened. He's like a monster.
Kenpachi grinned. "That all you got?"
He grabbed Subaru's sword with his bare hand and yanked, pulling Subaru off balance.
Too late to dodge.
BOOM!
A fist slammed into Subaru's stomach.
His vision blurred. His ribs cracked. The force sent him flying across the battlefield, crashing through jagged stone.
Pain. So much pain.
Subaru coughed up blood, gasping for air. His vision swam.
But his hands never let go of his sword.
Kenpachi approached slowly, his massive blade resting on his shoulder. His grin never faded.
"You're still alive? Good. Means I don't have to go easy on you anymore."
Subaru wiped the blood from his mouth and forced himself to his feet. His body screamed in protest, but he ignored it.
"This isn't like before. I can't just die and come back. If I lose here… it's over."
Kenpachi charged.
Subaru braced himself, his grip tightening on his sword.
The next strike came with the force of a hurricane.
Subaru moved.
He twisted his body at the last second, dodging the massive blade by inches. The sheer wind pressure behind the attack tore through the landscape, leaving a deep crater where he had been standing.
"If that hits me, I'm dead."
But he couldn't just dodge. He had to attack.
He struck low, aiming for Kenpachi's knee. A precise cut, meant to cripple.
Kenpachi reacted instantly.
A kick.
It was faster than Subaru expected.
The impact hit him like a cannonball, sending him skidding across the battlefield. He barely had time to recover before Kenpachi was on him again, his blade descending like a guillotine.
Subaru rolled, the sword missing him by inches.
Think, think, think!
Kenpachi was too strong, too fast, too overwhelming. Subaru couldn't match him in power. But power wasn't everything.
Subaru's mind raced.
Kenpachi enjoyed battle. He thrived in the chaos. He never dodged. He never defended.
That was his weakness.
A plan formed in Subaru's mind.
"I can't beat him in a direct fight. But I can make him beat himself."
Subaru took a step forward.
Then another.
Then he charged.
Kenpachi grinned, raising his sword. "Finally getting serious?"
Subaru didn't answer. He closed the distance, blade ready, his heart pounding.
Kenpachi swung.
"There it is."
Subaru dropped his sword.
Kenpachi's blade tore through the air—and missed.
Subaru had thrown himself into the attack, twisting his body at the last possible moment. Kenpachi's sword skimmed past his face, missing by a hair.
Subaru was inside his guard.
His fist slammed into Kenpachi's jaw.
For the first time—Kenpachi staggered.
Subaru grabbed his fallen sword and slashed upward, aiming for Kenpachi's exposed chest.
The blade bit deep.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Kenpachi laughed.
"You crazy bastard," he chuckled, blood running down his chest. His single eye gleamed with pure, unfiltered excitement.
Subaru didn't stop.
He struck again. And again.
Kenpachi took every hit, his grin only growing wider.
"That's it," he growled. "More! MORE!"
His spiritual pressure exploded, shaking the battlefield.
Subaru barely had time to react before Kenpachi's hand closed around his throat.
"Nice try," Kenpachi said, his voice filled with exhilaration. "But now it's my turn."
He lifted Subaru into the air and slammed him into the ground.
Crack.
Subaru's bones shattered.
Kenpachi didn't let go. He dragged Subaru up and punched him in the stomach—once, twice, three times.
Subaru's vision blurred. He was losing consciousness.
"No! Not yet! Not like this!"
Kenpachi raised his sword for the final blow.
Subaru's hand shot up.
A dagger.
Kenpachi blinked. "Oh?"
Subaru quickly slashed at his face with the dagger.
Kenpachi roared.
The grip on Subaru's throat loosened just enough. Subaru wrenched himself free, rolling away, gasping for air.
Kenpachi stumbled back, blood pouring from his face. His grin never faded.
Subaru forced himself up, blade in hand. He could barely stand. His vision swam. His body was broken.
But he was still alive.
Kenpachi wiped the blood from his face and laughed.
"That hurt," he admitted. "Haven't felt this alive in years."
Subaru panted, barely holding his sword upright.
Kenpachi cracked his knuckles. "Alright, kid."
"This is the last round."
Subaru's heart pounded.
One last strike.
Winner takes all.
Kenpachi raised his sword.
Subaru took a breath.
The air between them buzzed with raw energy, the weight of five years of brutal training pressing down on Subaru like an iron cage. His body was broken, his limbs heavy, his vision blurred from the blood dripping down his face. Yet, his grip on his sword remained firm.
Across from him, Kenpachi stood tall, his monstrous presence completely unshaken despite the blood flowing from the deep slash across his chest and the dagger still embedded in his eye. His grin never faded.
Subaru exhaled slowly.
There would be no second chances.
No resets.
No running away.
Win or die.
Kenpachi lifted his sword, pointing it straight at Subaru.
Subaru adjusted his stance. This was everything.
Then—
They moved.
Subaru lunged, pushing his body beyond its limit, his entire world narrowing down to the single instant where he had to win.
Kenpachi vanished.
Subaru's heart pounded. "Where?!"
A shadow loomed over him.
"Above!"
Kenpachi came down like a meteor, his massive blade tearing through the sky.
Subaru didn't hesitate.
He threw himself sideways, the impact of Kenpachi's attack obliterating the ground where he had stood just moments before. Shards of rock exploded outward, cutting Subaru's skin as he tumbled across the battlefield.
"He's too strong. I can't meet him head-on."
Kenpachi recovered instantly, stepping forward with a wide, sweeping slash.
Subaru ducked. The blade roared past his head, cutting so close he felt the wind shear his skin. He twisted, countering with a precise upward slash, aiming for Kenpachi's open side.
Steel met flesh—
But Kenpachi didn't even flinch.
His hand shot out, grabbing Subaru's wrist mid-strike.
Subaru's eyes widened.
Kenpachi lifted him off the ground and hurled him across the battlefield.
CRASH!
Subaru hit the ground hard, rolling through the dirt, his breath knocked out of his lungs.
Kenpachi didn't wait. He was already charging.
Subaru barely got his sword up before—
BOOM!
Kenpachi's sword met his, the impact sending a shockwave through the air. Subaru's arms screamed in pain as he was driven into the ground, cracks splintering outward from where his feet dug in.
He couldn't hold him back.
Kenpachi was too strong.
With a grunt, Subaru angled his blade, letting Kenpachi's sword slide off instead of resisting the full force. The second the weight left his blade, he spun into a counterattack—
Kenpachi dodged.
Subaru barely had time to react before Kenpachi's fist drove into his ribs.
Crack.
The world blurred.
Subaru hit the ground, pain exploding in his side. He coughed violently, tasting blood. His vision flickered.
"Get up!"
He forced himself to his knees. His body felt numb.
Kenpachi tilted his head. "You done?"
Subaru gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tighter.
"No."
Kenpachi's grin widened. "Good."
He rushed forward.
Subaru moved.
Kenpachi's sword descended like a guillotine.
Subaru shifted, the blade missing him by a hair. His instincts screamed, but he didn't hesitate.
Step in.
Close the distance.
Kenpachi swung again, horizontal this time. Subaru ducked, the wind of the attack blowing his hair back.
"NOW!"
Subaru dashed forward, slipping into Kenpachi's guard. His sword flashed, aiming for Kenpachi's throat.
A hand grabbed his face.
Kenpachi lifted Subaru into the air, gripping him like a ragdoll.
Subaru struggled, kicking out, trying to break free—
Kenpachi slammed him into the ground.
CRASH.
Darkness crept into the edges of Subaru's vision. His body refused to move.
"No. Not yet. I can still win."
Kenpachi raised his sword.
This was it.
Subaru forced his body to move.
With every ounce of willpower, he rolled to the side as Kenpachi's sword came down.
BOOM!
The blade tore through the ground where he had been lying.
Subaru twisted, his body running on nothing but desperation.
Kenpachi turned toward him, his grin widening.
Subaru's blade shot forward.
Kenpachi didn't dodge.
Shunk.
The world went silent.
Subaru panted, his arms trembling, his entire body frozen.
His sword was buried deep in Kenpachi's chest.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
Kenpachi laughed.
Low at first, then growing louder.
"AHAHAHA! You actually did it!" His voice was filled with pure, unfiltered joy. Blood ran down his mouth, but he didn't seem to care. "Damn, kid… you really are something."
Subaru gasped for air, trying to process what had just happened.
"Did I win?"
Kenpachi grinned down at him, even as blood dripped from his lips. "But…"
Subaru's eyes widened.
Kenpachi's hand moved.
SHUNK.
Pain exploded in Subaru's stomach.
He looked down—
Kenpachi's blade was buried through his gut.
Subaru's breath hitched.
Kenpachi grinned. "Told ya. Last round."
Subaru coughed, blood spilling from his lips. His vision darkened.
He had won.
And lost.
His sword slipped from his fingers.
Kenpachi's voice was the last thing he heard.
"Good fight, kid."
Then—
Darkness.
Return by Death
Pain.
Cold air.
The scent of blood.
Subaru's eyes shot open.
He gasped, clutching his stomach, expecting to feel the wound—but it wasn't there.
His body was whole.
His vision focused.
And then he saw it.
The battlefield.
The mist.
The White Whale.
He was back.
Back at the moment before everything had gone wrong. Before Rem, Crusch, and the others had died.
Subaru's breath trembled. His hand moved to his sword.
It felt lighter.
No—he felt different.
His muscles were sharper. His instincts keener. The fear that had once paralyzed him was gone.
He wasn't the same man who had died here before.
The memory of Kenpachi's final grin flashed in his mind.
Subaru exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"This time…"
He lifted his blade, his stance steady.
"I won't lose."