We Are the Same Kind

"You're afraid of dying? Are you joking? I didn't sense any fear of death in you. You enjoyed our fight just now too, didn't you? You and I are the same kind of people!" Kenpachi rose to his feet. In that short time, his wounds had already stopped bleeding—physical resilience worthy of a beast.

"No way, am I really that dangerous?" Duke was taken aback by the remark and replied awkwardly.

"That's simply the truth. No matter how you hide it, you can't deny it. Your Zanpakuto's ability is quite good. Now I can fight without holding back. I was worried I might accidentally kill you. Who knows how long I'd have to wait before meeting another strong opponent like you?" Kenpachi said delightedly. His smile made him look even more savage.

"Thank you for the compliment. I'll accept those words on behalf of my partner." Duke held New Moon and Full Moon and assumed a fighting stance.

"Hmph! A Zanpakuto is nothing more than a tool for battle. Calling it a partner who fights alongside you... only weaklings say things like that. Those aren't words people like you and I should utter. You're a strong man I acknowledge, yet you're spouting such absurd nonsense!" Kenpachi scoffed, deeply disdainful of Duke's self-deprecation.

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that." Duke frowned. He did not know whether Kenpachi Zaraki would learn his Zanpakuto's name in the future, but the Kenpachi before him was undoubtedly tragic.

"Those who don't even know what a blade's name is, who blindly believe only in their own strength, will never understand. When two parties who do not trust one another fight together, it only weakens both of their Power Levels." Duke steadied his breath and gathered his strength, ready to strike. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "It seems I've already won! If you don't trust the blade in your hand, how can you defeat me?"

"Then come and try!" Kenpachi let out a wild roar and swung his blade down with all his might.

Sensing the Reiatsu on Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto, Duke's expression shifted slightly. This Reiatsu, this slash—it had grown stronger again. Fortunately, after stalling and talking with Kenpachi for so long, the move he had been preparing was ready as well.

"Unseen Divine Wind Style—White One Tiger!"

White One Tiger was of the Four Symbols, positioned in the west and aligned with metal. Skilled in battle and governing slaughter, it was also the year's fierce god! Unseen Divine Wind Style—White One Tiger! Unyielding fighting spirit and an undying soul became a white tiger determined to kill its prey without fail. Any prey caught in those beastly eyes would be seized by its claws, then torn completely apart by its sharp talons.

Duke's blade light fell, and a ferocious White One Tiger leaped forth. Its sharp claws and fangs tore through the wind, carrying overflowing Sword Qi. Its proud head raised in a silent roar as it shattered Kenpachi's Reiatsu and swallowed it whole.

What a terrifying move! I can't take my eyes off it at all. If I let my guard down, I might get eaten. The gale it brings is keeping my body from moving... So this is what death feels like. Not bad at all! Facing the colossal beast, Kenpachi showed no fear. Instead, he grinned savagely in excitement, lowered his body slightly, and pushed his Reiatsu beyond its limits once more. His Zanpakuto traced a brilliant arc as he swung at White One Tiger's claws.

Roar--------

A tiger's roar shook the sky!

Golden and white light illuminated the night, outshining even the bright moon overhead. Souls in distant areas could feel the oppressive pressure created by the violent collision of Reiatsu in the air. The weaker souls trembled, their instinctive terror keeping them from lingering as they began to flee.

As the dust settled, Kenpachi turned around. Two enormous tears across his chest poured blood, while his shoulder bones and ribs had all been shattered. Yet there was not the slightest trace of fear on his face. Instead, he looked even more excited. The more brutal the battle, the more exhilarated he became. Blood was a catalyst to him, and a fight of this level excited him beyond restraint.

"It missed my heart by just a few centimeters. I almost died! That was exhilarating!" Kenpachi swayed on his feet. Though he had lost too much blood, his face showed no weakness. Instead, he seemed more energetic than ever, making one doubt whether it was truly his body that had been injured.

"He actually dodged it?" Duke narrowed his eyes. Moonlight reflected by New Moon and Full Moon gleamed in them, and he was utterly shocked. He had seen clearly that White One Tiger came with a divine wind that made evasion absolutely impossible, yet Kenpachi had broken free through brute force. At the brink of life and death, Kenpachi... had broken through again...

"It seems we can't keep going. You're getting stronger and stronger. If this continues, I really won't have any chance of winning." Duke let out a breath and assumed a strange stance. His Reiatsu began to surge irregularly, and the gale around them gradually turned scorching. If possible, Duke did not want to use this move. Its power was immense, but the price was the user's lifespan. Even with New Moon and Full Moon's cheating Shikai ability, the life force it consumed would not be easy to replenish.

"Oh! Another interesting move? But I don't want to try it anymore. Otherwise, I really might die!" His Reiatsu erupted, then drew inward. Kenpachi no longer let it spill out aimlessly, instead gathering it around himself. Though he hated to admit it, Kenpachi knew his injuries were too severe, while Duke could continuously heal himself. As one side waned and the other grew stronger, he could very well be worn to death. Kenpachi was not afraid of death, but that did not mean he wanted to die. He had not yet had his fill of the life of glorious battle he pursued!

"Then let's settle this in one move! Dan!" Golden Reiatsu erupted forth, and a massive sword split the pitch-black night sky. Kenpachi's long blade came crashing down from afar, its soaring momentum unstoppable. Neither heaven nor earth—nothing could block this strike.

"Unseen Divine Wind Style—Vermilion Bird!"

Firelight, flames! Within sacred blazing flames, a crimson firebird soared into the sky. Each flap of its wings left behind a bright trail of fire that shot into the heavens and became a long rainbow. Carrying an unyielding will, it charged toward the hundred-meter blade. Crimson firelight and the golden giant blade resounded through the night. The earth trembled, the sky collapsed, and the enormous blade cleaved Vermilion Bird in two before crashing into the ground, instantly setting off countless thunderous explosions.

"I won..."

Kenpachi laughed wildly, only to suddenly realize that firelight surrounded him on all sides. Within the flames, the cleaved Vermilion Bird was reborn in fire. It spread its wings once more and swooped toward him like a meteor. Kenpachi hurriedly raised his blade to block. His sword met Vermilion Bird's sharp beak, and scorching waves of flame roasted his exhausted body. Soon, the beast's brute force sent him flying.

"Vermilion Bird is like a Phoenix, a creature that revives after death. Even if it is cut apart, it will rise again from the abyss of death!" Duke's voice came from within the Phoenix. "You felt it too, didn't you? The Phoenix's life!"

I can't breathe... Why... I should have dodged it completely! Why can't my body move... Kenpachi was pinned to the ground by Vermilion Bird. Before blood could even spill from his ruptured wounds, it evaporated completely. He desperately swung out a streak of golden Sword Qi, but Vermilion Bird, sweeping in with flames that filled the sky, swallowed him whole.

Boom--------

The sandified earth melted under the searing heat, forming brilliant crimson crystals. Duke stepped across the cooled glass and walked into the center step by step. Kenpachi lay there. He was in terrible condition. His Zanpakuto had broken, and his entire body had been burned into blackened charcoal. His chest rose and fell faintly. After inhaling the scorching air, he coughed up two clotted masses of blood.

That blood, that Reiatsu, and... those eyes like a Ghost God! This is what I longed for... Kenpachi lay on the ground, watching Duke approach. The blade tip neared his nose, and icy cold spread through his body. Though his entire body was so hot he was nearly dying, the chill from the blade jolted him awake.

"That move is truly incredible. Especially when paired with your Zanpakuto's ability, its power is amplified without limit," Kenpachi said with difficulty. "I still don't know your name. At least let me know who defeated me..."

"Duke! My name is Duke. What about you?" Duke panted heavily. Heat waves rolled across the ground. Vermilion Bird's power was indeed terrifying. In only a few seconds, it had drained a great deal of his life force. He had no idea how long it would take to recover.

"A name... I don't have one."

"You're strong, so let's call you Kenpachi!"

"Kenpachi?" Kenpachi smiled faintly at the words. "Not a bad name. I'm from Zaraki District. From this day onward, my name will be Kenpachi Zaraki... What a pity. I only learned my name before dying... I still wanted to keep fighting... What a miserable defeat!"

"If you knew your Zanpakuto's name, perhaps I would have been the one to lose this time." Duke looked at the broken blade in Kenpachi's hand. If Kenpachi could use Shikai, the outcome might have been different.

"My Zanpakuto's name... Can you tell me what you're called?" Kenpachi raised his hand slightly and stared at the broken blade as he murmured, "I really don't want to lose."

After a moment, the Zanpakuto gave no response. Kenpachi helplessly lowered it, his heart as dead as ashes.

"Kill me! Take my head! I can't hold on much longer. Rather than dying such a pathetic death, I would rather be killed by you." Kenpachi looked at Duke and pleaded.

"As you wish!" With that, Duke drove his blade into Kenpachi's head.

The next day! Under the blazing sun, at the edge of the crystallized sea of sand, a tall figure lay beneath a tree. With loose hair and a scar running from his forehead through the left side of his face, it was Kenpachi, the man whose head Duke had pierced.

"Is this the world after a soul dies?"

Kenpachi opened his eyes, shielding the glaring sunlight filtering through the sparse leaves with one hand. He rolled over, intending to sleep a while longer. Last night's battle had exhausted him completely, and he needed proper rest.

"It's already noon. How long are you planning to sleep?"

A familiar voice sounded beside him. Kenpachi sprang up, grabbed the serrated long blade at his side, and slashed at it. Duke was eating the food he had struggled to find. He hurriedly dodged, fell headfirst to the ground, and knocked over the water beside him. After getting up, he snapped angrily, "Hey, enough already! You're this energetic the moment you wake up?"

"I'm not dead..." Kenpachi froze upon seeing Duke. His last memory was of Duke driving a blade deep into his forehead the previous night.

"It's New Moon and Full Moon's ability. As long as someone still has a breath left, it can save them. Aren't you jealous?" Duke said proudly.

"Although I don't know why you saved me... there's no point thinking about it. Since I'm still alive, let's continue our earlier battle!" Kenpachi paused, then licked his parched lips and revealed his signature savage grin. His fighting spirit surged and boiled once more. Since that defeat, after years of wandering and countless battles, he had finally tasted the bitter fruit of defeat again!

"Um... compared to fighting, don't you think what's under your foot is more important?" Duke pointed beneath Kenpachi's feet. A little pink-haired girl was hugging Kenpachi's ankle.

"..." Kenpachi.