Rukia Retaliates! Release the Desperate Kidō

'''Rukia Retaliates! Release the Desperate Kidō''' is the one-hundred-fifty-fifth episode of the Bleach anime.

As Rukia battles Kaien, she struggles with wondering on whether or not he's truly Kaien.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: January 9, 2008
 * English Airdate: October 10, 2009
 * Opening Song: After Dark
 * Ending Song: Kansha
 * Manga Chapters: Parts of Chapter 264, Chapter 265, Chapter 266 and Chapter 267.
 * Kanji: ルキア反撃！決死の鬼道を放て
 * Romaji: "Rukia hangeki! Kesshi no kidō o hanate"
 * Arc: The Hueco Mundo arc Part 1

Summary
As Renji runs through the halls of Las Noches, he has trouble sensing Rukia’s reiatsu. He concentrates on trying to sense her when he is surprised by the arrival of Dondochakka Bilstin. Renji tells Dondochaka to not sneak up on him as every time he sees his face it feels like he is going to have a heart attack. He questions Dondochakka why he was scared, to which Dondochakka responds that Renji just started screaming and it frightened him and Renji also was talking to himself and Dondochakka thought he might have gone crazy. Renji carries on with Dondochakka following him.

The fight between Rukia and Kaien Shiba continues with Kaien on the offensive and Rukia the defensive. After managing to hit her cowl and knocking her to the ground, Kaien tries to impale her on the ground but misses several times. As he laughs away before trying for a finishing blow, Rukia is able to recover and strike Kaien’s blade. However, he slowly overpowers her and causes her to use Hohō to get away. The two charge at each other and cross blades before Kaien jumps away into the mist surrounding their battlefield, causing Rukia to completely lose sight of him. Kaien reappears and knocks Rukia to the ground once more. When she recovers, he jumps away into the mist again. This time, Rukia uses Some no mai, Tsukishiro to stop Kaien’s oncoming attack.

As Kaien falls off the platform they were on, he taunts Rukia, asking if that was all she had. Kaien tells her that her first and second dance will not work on him since he is the one who helped her learn them. Rukia then tries to reassure herself that her opponent is not actually Kaien Shiba. Suddenly, she feels Uryū and Sado’s reiatsu. Kaien tells Rukia that her friends are fighting the Privaron Espada, former Espada. He however tells her that she should not be relieved because they still were once Espada and that one of her friends beat a Privaron Espada earlier but paid a heavy price for it. He says her friends will be dead soon even without her. Rukia then uses Tsugi no mai, Hakuren as a distraction and attacks from another angle but Kaien is able to block. After sending Rukia to the ground once more, Kaien releases his Zanpakutō, Nejibana. Kaien attacks and is able to quickly overpower Rukia. Rukia notes that his style is exactly the same as the Kaien she knew. She says her heart may still say no but her brain tells her that this is indeed Kaien Shiba. The two continue to fight but Kaien is eventually able to knock Rukia’s Zanpakutō out of her hands.

Elsewhere in Las Noches, Ichigo senses a surge in his friends reiatsu’s. He tries to assure him that they will be alright as he squeezes Nel tightly. Nel cries out in pain and Ichigo apologizes. She then tells Ichigo he can make it up to her by letting her ride on his back. Back in Kaien’s tower, Kaien goes to finish Rukia off but she responds with Hadō #33 Sōkatsui and is able to learn that Kaien cannot take the light and is finally able to assure herself that this is not Kaien. She then fires Bakudō #4 Hainawa at the fake Kaien as she recites to incantations for Bakudō #61 Rikujōkōrō and followed by Hadō #73 Sōren Sōkatsui. The spell hits the wall behind Kaien and lets in a large amount of light, burning away his flesh and revealing the impostors true face. The impostor introduces himself as Espada #9, Aaroniero Arruruerie. He tells Rukia she is a fool for not firing her spell directly at him to which she responds that she was not aiming for him but wanted to prove that he was not Kaien. She says that she can fight without holding back now. Aaroniero however tells her that she cannot win and moves himself into the shadows as he changes back into Kaien. He tells her that his power is not shape shifting and that he is the only Gillian in the Espada due to his ability to absorb a Hollow’s abilities and reiatsu by eating it after they die, an ability he used on Metastacia who had absorbed Kaien. He tells Rukia that this is Kaien’s actual body and mind and then releases his own Zanpakutō, Glotonería.

Arrancar Encyclopedia
The segment is on creatures living in Hueco Mundo. Gin explains how the small lizard like Hollows survive when Bawabawa appears. Gin tries to talk to him but realizes Bawabawa cannot speak. Bawabawa then tries to eat Gin but Gin uses Shinsō to escape.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Renji Abarai
 * 2) Dondochakka Bilstin
 * 3) Kaien Shiba (Aaroniero's forecasting)
 * 4) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 5) Uryū Ishida
 * 6) Yasutora Sado
 * 7) Gantenbainne Mosqueda
 * 8) Ichigo Kurosaki (flashback)
 * 9) Nel Tu (flashback)
 * 10) Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio (flashback)
 * 11) Jūshirō Ukitake (flashback)
 * 12) Aaroniero Arruruerie
 * 13) Metastacia (flashback)

Fights

 * Rukia Kuchiki vs. Aaroniero Arruruerie

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:

Hollow techniques:

Techniques used:

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Bankai:
 * (flashback)

Resurrección used:

Other Powers
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)