Sakugo emerged out of the opening in the ground, and immediately noticed two distinct spiritual pressures. One was of a prisoner that she met prior to entering the 8th floor, and another was one that did not belong to any of the prisoners she had freed. She had felt it before, a long time ago. But she struggled to remember where.
As she finally exited that abyss, she immediately recognised Kai.
"What are you doing here?"
All sorts of emotions rushed through him when he heard that question. Was it a mistake to come here after all? He could tell at a glance that she was much stronger compared to before. In him stirred a brief moment of hesitation.
"What are you doing?"
It sounded like his own voice was whispering in his ear, yet it didn't belong to him.
"Why are you hesitating. She's standing right there. It was her who killed us, it was her who took our lives from us, SO WHY ARE YOU HESITATING?! KILL HER! TEAR HER LIMB FROM LIMB AND MAKE HER PAY FOR HER ACTIONS OF THAT DAY!"
His Spiritual Pressure surged up out of nowhere as he drew out both of his Zanpakutō's. He flash stepped in front of Sakugo before trying to decapitate her in a single swing, but something hard appeared to block his strike.
"Oh? Your much faster than before."
An invisible blade of air approached Kai which he dodged by jumping back. Sakugo was very shocked as the attack should've been untraceable.
"Jigoku yōsai, 5%!"
Faint parts of Kai's Shihakushō began to turn red as his Spiritual pressure rose to a level even greater than when he fought Akimitsu the Fullbringer. It wasn't just growing, but evolving into something unfamiliar to Sakugo and himself.
"DIE!"
Kai flash stepped in front of Sakugo once again, as he plunged his Zanpakutō's towards her. That strange barrier which he hit before, was once again blocking his attack now, but his rage prevented him from withdrawing and instead he pushed further on.
Sakugo was about to mock Kai for his useless endeavour, but then she noticed that her nitrogen barrier was bending.
Once her body became complete, Tachibana informed her that her Spiritual Pressure grew to the level of a middle class captains, and that the durability of her barriers was at the level a 99th level Bakudo spell. The only beings capable of outright destroying it, should've only been individuals at the level of Kenpachi and beyond. And yet somehow, Kai whose spiritual wasn't at that level, was somehow about to poke a hole in it.
The danger quickly made Sakugo strike back, while Kai felt an incredible invisible mass slam into him, sending him flying back into the water. He quickly regained his footing, but the water vapour surrounding him and Sakugo began to condense into droplets of water, rising, gathering and forming into a giant spear.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Kai recklessly charged at the attack, but then his body suddenly froze as he went over his limit. Sakugo threw the attack at him which created a massive explosion, echoing throughout the 6th floor.
Kai's spiritual pressure began to decrease as Sakugo wondered if she killed him with that attack.
"What was up with him? Getting so angry over something that happened 3 months ago... I hate clingy men. But at least you'll make for a good toy."
Senjuro who was unconscious from their previous battle, had been dropped near the entrance to the 8th floor. But Sakugo using her powers simply let him float up and over to her.
She then flinched as she looked towards the impact of the explosion. A second Spiritual Pressure had appeared, and blocked her attack.
"Who the hell are you?"
A woman in a black wedding dress blocked the attack with a Zanpakutō in her hand. Kai had collapsed behind her, although he was still conscious.
"Kai? I told you not to use it recklessly like that. 3% is your limit. If you go higher then you will put a strain on you Reiryoku."
He tried to force himself up but he quickly fell back down.
"I'm sorry, but I had to! That person has to pay!"
She simply sighed as she pierced her own sword into Kai's hand. Strangely he felt no pain, and instead it was as if his strength was coming back to him. He quickly got back up as the determination in his eyes began to rise.
"Kai, I can't help you like this again. Next time you'll be left to die."
He nodded as he said, "I know."
She gently put the Zanpakutō she took, back into Kai's hands when she then asked,
"At least use me this time? You'll have a better chance that way. If that woman really is the one who killed you, then as your blade, you should use me to cut her down."
She faded away as Kai gripped the longer Zanpakutō in preparation. The red streaks which stained his Shihakushō began to fade as his spiritual pressure further decreased, until they finally balanced out at a level higher than what it originally was, but still lower than Sakugo's.
"Hoodie, I don't know how many lives you've ruined since you killed me... but know that as we fight here and now, I not only fight for my revenge, but for the revenge of all those that have come before me."
She could only laugh at him which irritated Kai all the more.
"What do you think you are? An anti-hero!? I have a name now ya know? It's Sakugo!"
"Someone bothered to give a dog like you a name? If anything I feel bad for whoever is stuck looking after you. You must be a pain in the ass too keep around."
An angry vein popped out of her forehead as she fired a bullet of compressed nitrogen at Kai.
"You take that back!"
Kai didn't even need to raise his sword, as the bullet curved around him. This shocked Sakugo as the trajectory of the bullet should've been perfect already. Something had influenced her attack, but she couldn't tell what.
"I died to you because I was too weak. Linny died because I was too weak. It was my own weakness that has caused so much misery that I could've prevented, but no longer shall that be the case. No longer will I allow anyone to suffer because of my incompetence, even if I become a monster."
Kai sheathed his short Zanpakutō before grabbing onto his normal sized one with two hands.
"Bury the light, Mitsuna Hoshi!"