Estinien only realizes at a delay, as his victory becomes assured, how satisfying this has been. Kaeya is one of them, after all - one of the Kenoma that had dragged him earthward, who had used the fragile peace he'd offered against him. However Kaeya saw it at the time, to Estinien the perception of his slight has been magnified far beyond simply aiding another of his sect in a chance encounter.

Gen had practically said it himself. That he was a threat to them. He'd been taunted. Humiliated.. They'd wanted to take him down all along, hadn't they? To break him, to capture him, to drag him back to their Regent to be flayed of everything that held him together. Is this not justice?

His tail wraps tighter, its spines piercing flesh. His claws bite flesh at Kaeya's throat as he squeezes, rivulets of blood breaking free at each tip. He could, he should end it here, he realizes. He came here for his comrades, after all, and Kaeya could be handled at their leisure if he's captured.

It's that desperate burst of ice that tells Estinien that victory is not yet assured. He feels the cold of it claw at his limbs, threatening to trap him with his opponent. It hurts, but that isn't the primary concern. He will not allow himself to be bound, to be forced into stillness. Not again.

The flash of a shard beneath that eyepatch is all that he needs. He knows that without a shard, an Aion is nothing. If he claims it, every other part of Kaeya will be superfluous.

With a snarl, digs his claws deep into Kaeya's eyesocket, wrenching his shard free.