Chapter 79

I stopped in an empty street and frowned. A loud explosion echoed as Zaraki landed with a laugh. "Finally decided to stop running away?!"

My frown deepened as I kept my back turned to him. 'Running away?' Slowly, I turned to face him. We stood twenty or more feet apart, and I could feel the raw power radiating from him.

"Why do you want to fight me so badly?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. As I asked, I noticed Captain Unohana and her lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane, approaching. Zaraki laughed again, and Yachiru hopped down from his shoulder just as he swung his sword onto it. I sighed and walked over to Unohana, handing her the box with Eri inside.

"Please, look after her." I said. She returned a kind, slightly pitying smile in response. Turning back to Zaraki, I found his smirk had widened, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous excitement that matched the intensity in his voice.

"A reason to fight, Ryou? Don't waste your breath. I know your type because it's the same as mine." He rested his sword on his shoulder. "We don't need some grand purpose. We fight because it's in our blood. Standing on the edge of life and death, that's where we come alive to grow stronger."

His laughter was both challenging and approving. "You're drawn to it just like me. That line, Ryou, between life and death? You thrive there. That's why you're still standing here. So drop the excuses. Draw your sword. Show me what you've got!"

As he finished, his Reiatsu surged forward in a raw, overpowering wave. In response, I summoned Muramasa and released my cursed magic to match him. 'He's right, I want this fight more than anything right now.' Gripping Muramasa's handleless form, I charged straight at him, while he rushed forward, laughing wildly. 'Let's see how I match him without using cursed magic to enhance myself.'

Our swords clashed, the ground beneath us cracking into a wide crater that trembled with the force of our impact. Zaraki let out another booming laugh as we tried to overpower each other. 'I'm as strong as I was when fighting Zeus when I used cursed magic.' I thought, pushing hard against him, only for him to respond with even more strength.

"Haha! This is what I'm talking about, Ryou!" Zaraki roared, starting to push me back. Clicking my tongue, I allowed a small burst of cursed magic to enhance my body, bringing us into a stalemate.

We locked in place, testing each other's strength, before we both smirked and backed off to charge at each other again. We raised our swords overhead and swung towards one another, but our auras clashed so fiercely that they held our blades apart in mid-air, preventing them from touching. The ground beneath us shook as a deeper crater formed.

When our blades finally met, Zaraki's Reiatsu skyrocketed, prompting me to raise my cursed magic's aura to match his.

-General POV-

The day was quiet, with only the recent ambush that had left Lieutenant Sasakibe Chōjirō mortally wounded. But suddenly, a crushing wave of Reiatsu washed over everyone. Some frowned, while others sighed in recognition. 'Kenpachi Zaraki.'

Then, another energy, unfamiliar but just as powerful, pulsed over them, leaving some to frown deeper, while others felt a surge of excitement. A blast of golden yellow Reiatsu in the shape of a skull clashed against an ominous black and red aura, which took the shape of an open maw, fanged and swirling with malevolent energy, as though hungry to consume everything in its path.

The two auras collided, each trying to overpower the other, sometimes the skull surged forward, while the ravenous maw snapped back in a vicious, relentless push.

-Ryou POV-

I couldn't quite describe what I was feeling right now, happiness wouldn't be the word. Truthfully though, I didn't care what it was called since I knew that this feeling brought me joy beyond belief.

I pushed half of my cursed magic to enhance my body and managed to push Zaraki back, landing a slash across his torso that sent him skidding across the street. As he dug his feet into the ground to slow his momentum, he looked down at the wound I had given him. He placed his hand over it and raised his head to meet mine with an even wider smile as he clenched his fist. "Haha! Let's keep fighting, Ryou!"

I boomed out a laugh in response, pointing Muramasa, which was slowly being soaked by my blood due to its missing handle. "Only if you don't hold back, Zaraki!" He grinned even more and ripped off his eyepatch. Any semblance of control I thought he had over his Reiatsu was thrown out the window as it exploded forth, bringing with it a sense of danger I hadn't felt since Trihexa. My smile widened as I stopped finely controlling my bloodlust letting it run wildly, it burst out in an aura around me, colliding with Zaraki's.

I yelled with elation towards him. "Zaraki!" He replied with a booming laugh, "Ryou!"

Just as we were about to engage again, Unohana blitzed in front of me, with Yamamoto stepping in front of Zaraki.

I couldn't quite decipher the expression Yamamoto wore as Zaraki clicked his tongue and put his eyepatch back on, reducing the torrent of Reiatsu. But when I looked at Unohana, a cold sweat formed on the back of my neck from the kind smile she gave me. Tilting her head, she spoke in a soft voice. "Will you please lower your power, Sasaki-san?"

I stared at her for a moment before nodding and complying. She held out the box that contained Eri, and I took it, feeling the cold sweat dissipate. "Good, now how about we have some tea?"

I blankly nodded and followed her and her lieutenant. As we passed Yamamoto and Zaraki, I shot a smirk at Zaraki, who responded with a grin of his own. I muttered under my breath, loud enough for him to hear, "I landed the last attack, so I won." I heard a cough come from Unohana as she turned to me, gesturing for me to walk alongside her.

'She's hot.' I thought, glancing at her briefly before widening my eyes and quickly looking away. 'Why the hell are my hormones acting up now?!''