The violent shockwave sent both of them flying.
Before either of them could hit the ground, Kenpachi Zaraki had already reached out and grabbed Ulquiorra by the head, driving his Zanpakutō into Ulquiorra's chest.
So close!
Ulquiorra used the beating of his wings to adjust his position, narrowly avoiding a vital point.
Black light surged from the hand gripping Kenpachi Zaraki's wrist. Without enough time to fully charge it, Ulquiorra detonated the black Cero early, using the explosive force to shove Kenpachi Zaraki's arm away.
Ulquiorra twisted his body with the momentum, letting the serrated blade tear through his flesh and draw out crimson blood.
He beat his wings and opened the distance. Green light extended in his hand, forming Lanza del Relámpago. Ulquiorra swung his arm, sending the spear flying toward the approaching Kenpachi Zaraki.
Kenpachi Zaraki swung his katana to cut it down, but the Lanza del Relámpago exploded violently. Ghostly green light expanded into a sphere, grinding against Kenpachi Zaraki's body. The burst of Reiatsu sent him flying, smashing through a tower and embedding him into the roof of Las Noches.
Ulquiorra pressed a hand to the wound in his chest, where broken bone was visible. High-Speed Regeneration activated, flesh and blood growing at a visible pace until the wound vanished.
Shinigami could not use High-Speed Regeneration. His opponent should be even more badly injured than he was...
"Hahahahahahaha!" Kenpachi Zaraki shot into the sky and slashed at Ulquiorra. "Nice reflexes! Looks like you've learned how to enjoy the fun of battle!"
The fun of battle... What was there to enjoy about something so meaningless?
Ulquiorra spread his wings and glided forward, moving toward Kenpachi Zaraki on his own. The instant Kenpachi's blade was about to fall, he hurled the Lanza del Relámpago.
Boom!
Ghostly green light swelled into a sphere again, but this time, because the distance was closer, Ulquiorra could see it more clearly.
Kenpachi Zaraki was not at the center of the explosion. He was off to one side.
He had not dodged.
He had merely swung his Zanpakutō as the Lanza del Relámpago approached, knocking it away before it exploded.
That way, Kenpachi Zaraki only needed to withstand the impact from one direction, which he could defend against with his Reiatsu.
Then... what about this?
Another Lanza del Relámpago formed in Ulquiorra's hand. The instant the explosion from the previous Lanza del Relámpago reached its peak, Ulquiorra hurled it toward Kenpachi Zaraki's back.
Two clusters of ghostly green light bloomed. The violent impacts collided and mixed, forming unpredictable turbulence that drove the ghostly green light to coil and intertwine as it blossomed above Las Noches.
He had won...
Chaotic light shone across Ulquiorra's face, and his dark green, lifeless eyes seemed to gain a faint glimmer.
Ulquiorra still did not understand the fun of battle Kenpachi Zaraki spoke of, but that did not matter.
In death, Kenpachi Zaraki would understand the happiness of nothingness that Ulquiorra spoke of.
Whoosh!
A biting gust swept past, cutting off the demon wing on Ulquiorra's right side.
Wha... what?
In Ulquiorra's wide eyes, a figure was reflected tearing through the ghostly green flames.
Kenpachi Zaraki... was still alive.
But he did not attack Ulquiorra.
Instead, he lifted his katana with a puzzled look.
He swung it.
A whistle rang through the air.
Kenpachi Zaraki frowned slightly, flicked his arm, and swung again.
A piercing screech rang out, and great chunks of brick and stone were sent flying.
His eyes widening slightly, Kenpachi Zaraki swung once more.
A thin mark appeared silently across a towering round tower. Its upper half slid off smoothly, then collapsed and shattered.
"Hey." Kenpachi Zaraki crooked a finger. "That Lanza del Relámpago thing. Do it again."
"Your Reiatsu is still rising..." Light flared in Ulquiorra's hand. "But you are not the only one improving."
As the battle dragged on, Ulquiorra grew more accustomed to controlling his current power.
The Lanza del Relámpago flew out, and Ulquiorra had already used Sonído to appear in another direction, launching yet another Lanza del Relámpago.
The moment the first Lanza del Relámpago hit, the third was already gripped tightly in Ulquiorra's hand.
The instant ghostly green light exploded, Ulquiorra charged straight toward Kenpachi Zaraki, intending to end this meaningless battle for good.
And precisely because he had approached the explosion, he saw something unbelievable.
The first Lanza del Relámpago had not detonated on its own. Kenpachi Zaraki had split it apart with one slash.
Amid the rising ghostly green flames, Kenpachi Zaraki's vicious eyes locked onto the second Lanza del Relámpago. His wrist turned slightly, adjusting the angle. His blade met the spearhead of the Lanza del Relámpago and cut into it, then moved along the shaft, actually splitting the Lanza del Relámpago down the middle.
The split Lanza del Relámpago separated into two halves, scraping past Kenpachi Zaraki's body before sinking into a tower and exploding.
His opponent had learned how to break the Lanza del Relámpago...
Ulquiorra beat his wings and accelerated toward Kenpachi Zaraki again.
But a Lanza del Relámpago used at range was different from one used in close combat. Ulquiorra flashed in close, and the Lanza del Relámpago in his hand condensed even further, a deep black emerging at its tip.
Then Kenpachi Zaraki reached out.
His closed hand gripped the sharp spearhead of the Lanza del Relámpago, and his violent Reiatsu forcibly suppressed its urge to explode.
His unrestrained Reiatsu vaporized the blood on Kenpachi Zaraki's body. Crimson blood mist tore free from his battered frame and formed a roaring skeleton, echoing the demon-like grin on Kenpachi Zaraki's face.
Ulquiorra put strength into his arm, but he could not move the Lanza del Relámpago even a little.
Kenpachi Zaraki had stopped his Lanza del Relámpago with his bare hand.
No... not stopped.
Kenpachi Zaraki's fingers bent, and the Lanza del Relámpago was forcibly crushed. Terrifying power was released, yet it could not harm his fingers at all. It could only squeeze out through the gaps between them, turning into several streaks of light that quickly faded.
It was destruction.
A chill surged from Ulquiorra's chest and spread through his entire body. Reiatsu surged in his hand, and dark green light gathered once again.
Then went out.
His severed arm spun into the sky, pierced by Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakutō. The light that had just gathered was slowly scattering.
"Got any other moves?"
Ulquiorra stood not far away, one arm severed, blood dripping from the wound.
Why...
He raised his eyes toward Kenpachi Zaraki. Ulquiorra's arm rapidly finished regenerating, and a Lanza del Relámpago began forming in his palm.
Kenpachi Zaraki swung his hand out and grabbed Ulquiorra's wing, then swept his arm and lifted him into the air.
Ulquiorra beat both wings, trying to steady himself, but he could not withstand Kenpachi Zaraki's strength at all. His demon wing twisted out of shape, stark white bone piercing through flesh as blood spilled out.
Kenpachi Zaraki slammed Ulquiorra hard into the ground, and the instant he tried to rise, Kenpachi stomped down.