Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Maki Ichinose

 is a fight taking place during the Bount Invasion between 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and his former subordinate, Maki Ichinose, over his past killing of Kenpachi Kiganjō.

Prelude
At dusk on the day that 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya learns of suspicious activity in the Kusajishi forest, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki grabs his Zanpakutō in his office and prepares to leave, which prompts his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, to ask him if he is going to meet Maki Ichinose. Confirming this, Zaraki informs her that Hitsugaya has been able to track and locate him, and in response, Yachiru declares that she is going as well since she also wants to meet Ichinose.

Later that night, at the logging operation in Kusajishi, Gō Koga informs Jin Kariya that their preparations for a surprise attack on the Seireitei are on schedule, which pleases Kariya, while Ichinose approaches and reveals that several Shinigami, including a captain, are approaching their location. As Ichinose suggests that he stay here to deal with them, Kariya observes that things will be easier later if they deal with the Shinigami now and permits Ichinose to do as he wishes, which Ichinose affirms.

Soon afterward, Hitsugaya, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai incapacitate several villagers in a clearing and are confused by their numbers being lower than reported. With Renji asking him what they should do, Hitsugaya orders them to split up and move ahead before they all depart with Shunpo. At the now-empty logging yard, Ichinose stands alone in the middle of the clearing as Hitsugaya runs out of the trees and realizes that he has found one. After Ichinose identifies himself in response to Hitsugaya demanding to know who he is, Hitsugaya questions if he is the Shinigami who has been helping the Bount.

Ichinose denies being a Shinigami any longer and claims that he is now a comrade of the great Kariya. When Hitsugaya demands to know where the Bount are, Ichinose unsheathes his Zanpakutō and asserts that he does not need to answer Hitsugaya, who decides to force an answer out of him and assumes a battle stance alongside Ichinose before the two of them rush forward and clash in a shower of sparks. With Ichinose managing to pin Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō underneath his own, Hitsugaya is left perplexed at Ichinose helping the Bount when he has so much skill, and when Ichinose explains that he saw Kariya's goal as justice, Hitsugaya is further confused, leading Ichinose to state there is no justice in Soul Society.

However, as Ichinose concludes Kariya will purge the Shinigami, he is visibly alarmed and leaps back with Shunpo to separate himself from a startled Hitsugaya while Ichigo knocks out a villager in the nearby forest and walks into the clearing with Ririn and Uryū. Informally greeting an annoyed Hitsugaya, Ichigo asks him about what is going on in this forest as Rangiku appears next to them alongside Renji with Shunpo and reports there really are too few villagers in the surrounding forest. Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble, prompting Ichigo and his friends to look into the forest and see a protesting Orihime riding on Nanny with Sado holding the reins behind her.

After Nanny slides to a halt, a stunned Ichigo wonders why Orihime is here, which prompts her to reveal Ganju and the others are currently routing the villagers as Ganju and Daiji's gangs incapacitate the villagers in the forest with their boars and refuse to let any of them get away. Orihime notes they accompanied Ganju to the forest in order to stop the villagers gathering in it, but Kurōdo declares there are too few people present, and as Hitsugaya questions what this means, a shocked Sado recalls facing off against Sawatari, who can manipulate space in a manner similar to Noba, leading Rangiku to affirm this while Ichinose tells them Kariya's forces are at the Seireitei.

However, with Ichinose vowing to stop them from pursuing Kariya, Hitsugaya questions how Ichinose plans to do this when he is so heavily outnumbered and criticizes his overconfidence. When Hitsugaya orders her to go on ahead with the others while he handles the situation himself, Rangiku protests this, but Hitsugaya reminds her the Bount have been steadily increasing their power by absorbing Reishi ever since they arrived even if the Seireitei itself is not in immediate danger. With Rangiku acknowledging this and telling Renji to come with her, Ichinose asserts none of them are going anywhere and releases his Shikai, Nijigasumi, causing his blade to shine.

As Ichigo and his friends reel back in surprise and find themselves blinded by the bright light, Hitsugaya rushes forward and stabs at Ichinose with his own Zanpakutō, only for Ichinose to be revealed to be an illusion that fades away around the blade, prompting a confused Hitsugaya to look back and see himself cut off from the rest of the group by a flat yellow-white light engulfing the area around Hitsugaya. Though still perplexed by this, Hitsugaya sees Ichinose running toward him and angrily moves to clash with him. Suddenly, Hitsugaya finds himself crossing blades with an equally flabbergasted Renji and pulls back his Zanpakutō.

Upon being asked by Hitsugaya where he came from, Renji returns the question and explains that he was certain Ichinose was attacking him before it turned out to be Hitsugaya, who is left shocked by this. Nearby, Ichigo wonders what is going on here and is told by Hitsugaya to not get reckless because they will end up attacking each other. With Kurōdo informing an uncertain Orihime that this means any movement could be hazardous, Hitsugaya deduces that this is the power of Ichinose's Zanpakutō, which leads Ichinose to confirm this and detail how Nijigasumi is a blade of light that reflects and refracts through the air around his enemies to create a new space.

Concluding this is what creates the illusion, Uryū insists he must still have Reiatsu as a Shinigami and attempts to sense it, but is stunned to discover he cannot do so while Noba responds to Sado's theory that Ichinose is shifting through dimensions the same way Noba does by observing he did not detect Ichinose opening up space. Though Ichigo claims Ichinose could not possibly disguise his Reiatsu, Uryū reminds him the cave used by the Bount had a special mineral that blocked their ability to detect Reiatsu and suggests Ichinose could be using this. Suddenly, while Hitsugaya expresses frustration at them wasting time, a startled Rangiku finds herself attacked.

Renji hears Rangiku's cry alongside Hitsugaya and points out how Ichinose will take them out individually if they keep standing around, only for Ichinose to proclaim none of them will be leaving here alive, and though Hitsugaya warns the others to be careful, Ichinose mentally asserts it is useless and rushes toward Sado from behind as he prepares to slash at him. Suddenly, Zaraki intercepts Ichinose's strike, astonishing the latter, and exerts his Reiatsu in a powerful burst, dispersing the yellow-white light and returning the surrounding area to its normal state as he greets Ichinose and comments on how long it has been since they last met.

With Zaraki casually forcing Ichinose back with a swing of his Zanpakutō, causing the latter to fall to his knees, Yachiru pops up over Zaraki's shoulder and cheers at having found Ichinose. As Orihime calls out to Yachiru and begins cheerfully catching up with her, Zaraki turns to Ichigo and instructs him to visit the Eleventh Division first when he dies and comes to Soul Society so they can give him a warm reception, though Ichigo is not enthusiastic about this. Upon being addressed by Hitsugaya, Zaraki notes that things have been getting entertaining around here lately, leaving Hitsugaya to look away in irritation.

Watching this from nearby, a stunned Uryū expresses disbelief at Zaraki's Reiatsu being immense enough to easily blow away Ichinose's own Reiatsu. As Renji tells Zaraki the Bount have already begun their attack on the Seireitei and Ichinose stopped him and his group from pursuing them, Zaraki looks down at Ichinose and brings up how he was told the latter would rather live with Bount than among his own kind, but Ichinose counters that what he does is none of Zaraki's concern and refuses to confirm Zaraki's inquiry about the leader of the Bount being named Kariya, prompting an unimpressed Zaraki to note he has not changed at all.

Zaraki wonders what Ichinose plans to do now and states that he will not try to stop him if he wants to carry out his orders of stopping Ichigo and his friends, shocking Hitsugaya, before theorizing that Ichinose still holds a grudge against him and would like to fight him instead. As he gets to his feet, Ichinose mentally notes that he should dispatch Ichigo and his friends as quickly as possible so he can move on to support Kariya and the others in the Seireitei, only to recall Zaraki's killing of Kenpachi Kiganjō and curse while assuming a battle stance, which leads Zaraki to praise him as having more determination in his eyes than he did the last time they met.

After Ichinose declares he will cut Zaraki down and exerts his Reiatsu on the surrounding area, a grinning Zaraki welcomes this since he was beginning to get bored and drags the tip of his Zanpakutō through the dirt in front of his feet while instructing Ichinose to display what Kariya has taught him, only to be interrupted by Yachiru encouraging the two of them to give it everything they have got. With Yachiru leaping off Zaraki's shoulder to watch from another place so he can concentrate, Ichigo expresses concern for Zaraki, only for Yachiru to suggest they let Zaraki and Ichinose settle this by themselves because Ichinose would prefer this.

Battle
Acknowledging this, Ichigo is told by Hitsugaya that they have to go and runs off alongside his friends as he tells Zaraki that Ichinose is all his. When Zaraki observes that they can finally get down to business and invites Ichinose to hit him with his best shot, Ichinose agrees as the blade of his Zanpakutō glows with a multitude of hues and turns invisible prior to running forward and repeatedly slashing at Zaraki, who effortlessly blocks each strike and ridicules Ichinose for believing that he could land a blow with these weak attacks. However, Ichinose startles Zaraki by moving behind him with Shunpo and slashing horizontally at the left side of his head.

Upon intercepting this with his own Zanpakutō, Zaraki turns and blocks another attack from Ichinose when the latter reappears in the air on his right side, resulting in Ichinose returning to the ground behind Zaraki and kneeling in exhaustion as Zaraki expresses disappointment at Ichinose not being as powerful as he expected. Despite this, Ichinose claims that he is not done and disappears with the illusory power of Nijigasumi, leaving Zaraki surprised. When his haori is cut on its left shoulder and right lapel, Zaraki berates his intelligence and holds out his Zanpakutō to his side to block Ichinose's third attack, causing Ichinose to shimmer back into view.

Zaraki demands Ichinose not waste his time with these foolish tactics and leaps toward him before delivering a powerful strike that breaks him out of his illusion and sends Ichinose flying across the clearing, where he slides across the ground. However, with Zaraki proclaiming his time is up, Ichinose denies this and releases Nijigasumi once more, surrounding Zaraki with white light and unleashing hundreds of shadowy slashes that kick up a large cloud of dust around a pained Zaraki. Detailing how Nijigasumi makes all things invisible when it shines and leaves nowhere to hide, he is astonished to see Zaraki emerge unharmed.

With Zaraki glowing with yellow Reiatsu and admonishing Ichinose for not having changed at all since they last met, Ichinose realizes that he deflected all the slashes with his Reiatsu alone as Zaraki mocks him for believing such a low-level attack would work and observes that he was wrong about Ichinose leaving Soul Society in order to become stronger. After concluding that Ichinose is not even a challenge and that he will put an end to this, Zaraki dispels his Reiatsu and rushes forward to slash at Ichinose's neck, only for Ichinose to evade at the last second and move back from Zaraki as he exerts his own rainbow Reiatsu in a large aura.

Though Zaraki realizes that he has been hiding something and points out that Ichinose should know better than to hold back against him, Ichinose asserts that this is where the fight begins and initiates Saigyoku Nijigasumi, causing his Reiatsu to flare up further and impressing Zaraki, who blocks Ichinose's subsequent lunge toward him and begins clashing repeatedly. While Zaraki praises his quick reflexes as proving that he has gotten better, Ichinose ducks under a horizontal slash from him and stabs Nijigasumi forward, cutting through a shocked Zaraki's shoulder, prior to landing behind Zaraki from the air above and turning to face him once more.

Zaraki admits Ichinose is decent when he really tries, but an angered Ichinose berates him for being as arrogant as ever and questions how the Gotei 13 could ever let someone like him be a captain. Declaring a Gotei 13 captain should protect those serving under him, Ichinose wonders who Zaraki has ever protected and how he justifies his insane bloodlust as he leaps forward and slashes down at Zaraki, who blocks with his Zanpakutō and laments with exasperation that Ichinose's grievances against him are the same as ever before maniacally proclaiming he fights simply because it amuses him and this is all the reason he needs to continue doing so.

Blocking Zaraki's rapid subsequent attacks while moving backward, Ichinose leaps back and counters that Zaraki never earned the right to be called a captain of the Gotei 13 as he elaborates that this is proof of Soul Society's philosophy becoming rancid and deceitful, a corruption which Kariya sees and which is the reason Ichinose brought him to Soul Society, before concluding that Kariya has a vision and he has gained this power for the sake of risking everything in order to help Kariya achieve it. In response, Zaraki sarcastically inquires if Ichinose is going to talk him to death and demands that he use his power if he has such a severe problem with Zaraki.

Suddenly, Zaraki sees hundreds of small glimmers of light floating through the air around him, and when he questions what this is, Ichinose reveals this is the true power of Nijigasumi and tells Zaraki to disappear as he culminates Saigyoku Nijigasumi by expanding the glimmers of light into spheres that engulf a stunned Zaraki and begin spreading outward in a large dome, forcing Yachiru to leave the tree branch she had been sitting on and run several dozen meters away to another tree, where she sees the massive dome of light condense and settle. Below her, Ichinose claims Zaraki is dead due to Nijigasumi creating limitless light that will consume him.

When Yachiru points out how she can sense Zaraki is not dead, an annoyed Ichinose admits he is still breathing, but asserts it is only a matter of time until the light Zaraki is trapped in condenses into a small beam and squeezes the life out of him. Though Ichinose states there is no escape from this, Yachiru firmly denies that Zaraki will lose to him, leading Ichinose to sheathe his Zanpakutō and observe the compression is beginning as the dome begins shrinking in size. Within the dome, Zaraki muses on the strangeness of his blank surroundings and the increasing difficulty of moving prior to slamming his Zanpakutō into the ground, to no effect.

Amused by this, Zaraki cracks his neck and deduces he is not exerting enough of his Reiatsu. Back outside, Ichinose sighs and begins walking away as the dome condenses into a sphere, which prompts Yachiru to wonder where he is going. Upon being told Ichinose will be assisting Kariya, Yachiru inquires if he does not want to finish his fight with Zaraki, and when Ichinose says there is nothing left to fight, Yachiru simply reiterates that Zaraki is not dead, though Ichinose refutes this and threatens to do the same to Yachiru if she interferes. However, he is interrupted when a grinning Zaraki objects to this and removes his eyepatch, unleashing his Reiatsu.

Zaraki's Reiatsu surges upward in a wide beam flanked by a double helix, astonishing Ichinose, who is left staring in disbelief upon seeing the sphere of light cracking from the sheer pressure and ultimately exploding, sending a wave of dust rolling over Ichinose and the surrounding area. With Ichinose seeing the large crater in the ground left by the explosion, Zaraki appears in front of him with his Zanpakutō leveled at Ichinose's face and explains that he released some of the Reiatsu kept suppressed within his body for an occasion like this. With Ichinose refusing to believe Zaraki could overwhelm the Reiatsu of Nijigasumi like this, Zaraki notes that Nijigasumi derives its power from Kidō.

Despite Ichinose not understanding what he is getting at, Zaraki asserts he is still the same as ever and decides to commend Ichinose for forcing him to use his full power for a brief moment, only to berate Ichinose for believing his light could wipe away all shadows since the concept of shining light on everything is impossible to begin with. As Zaraki concludes it does not take scientific understanding to know there will always be a shadow no matter how much light is created, Ichinose demands to know how someone like Zaraki without any sense of honor can reach this position and have so much power when Kiganjō was killed despite his honor.

Enraged by the memory of Zaraki killing Kiganjō, Ichinose wildly slashes at Zaraki, who casually sidesteps this, and continues attacking as he criticizes Soul Society's message of order when a barbarian like Zaraki is allowed to become a captain. Suddenly, Zaraki intercepts Ichinose's thrust of his Zanpakutō by grabbing the blade with his bare left hand, and when Ichinose declares Zaraki will not get in the way of the Bount delivering long-overdue justice to Soul Society and blames Zaraki as being part of the reason this is all happening, Zaraki simply berates his intelligence and slashes Ichinose across his chest, causing the latter to collapse.

Zaraki challenges Ichinose to detail one of his noble goals if he is so obsessed with nobility and prove that it is actually his goal instead of a task given to him by someone else. With Ichinose demanding that Zaraki not act like he understands what Ichinose is doing, Zaraki shoulders his Zanpakutō and proclaims that this is why Ichinose is pathetic, since relying on other people and loyalty are two different things, prior to walking away and concluding that it is no fun to fight someone without their own goals because there is no passion involved. Struggling to his feet, Ichinose wonders if Zaraki came all the way out here solely to humiliate him with their fight.

In response, a chuckling Zaraki reminds Ichinose he would have ignored Zaraki and dealt with the others first if he were really concerned with achieving Kariya's goals, meaning he put his own goals above Kariya's when he chose to fight Zaraki instead. With Zaraki asserting Ichinose's power came from his hatred and desire to kill Zaraki instead of through Kariya, which means he should use that hatred if he really wants to win, Ichinose looks down and internally wonders if he is right as Yachiru watches from above and expresses concern for both of them. Seeing Ichinose assume another battle stance, Zaraki observes he has decided.

After mentally apologizing to Kariya over the possibility that he will not be there to share the glory when Kariya achieves his ultimate goal and requesting that the latter forgive him for this, Ichinose looks at Zaraki and roars while exerting his rainbow Reiatsu, leading a grinning Zaraki to hold out his Zanpakutō and exert his yellow Reiatsu in turn. Envisioning Kiganjō, Ichinose leaps forward and clashes with Zaraki in an explosion of Reiatsu. Though initially startled by Ichinose's ferocity and force, a delighted Zaraki pushes back against Ichinose's downward strike and ultimately cuts through the latter's Zanpakutō with his own to grievously wound Ichinose.

Aftermath
With his blood spattering across the ground, Ichinose thinks of Kiganjō and collapses, which prompts Zaraki to look over his shoulder and observe Ichinose's hatred was not enough. When Yachiru appears in front of him and questions if he killed Ichinose, a smiling Zaraki simply states he gave it everything he had, and as Zaraki begins walking away and invites her to go home with him, Yachiru bows to Ichinose and moves to Zaraki's shoulder with Shunpo. Later, having survived his injuries but heavily fatigued by the battle and ruminating on Zaraki's words about loyalty, Ichinose makes his way to Sōkyoku Hill to intervene in Ichigo and Kariya's final battle.