Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Jin Kariya: Rematch

 is a battle taking place during the Bount Invasion, marking the second clash between Ichigo Kurosaki and Jin Kariya as well as Ichigo regaining access to his Bankai.

Prelude
In the aftermath of the cavern's partial collapse, Ichigo Kurosaki runs through the debris and repeatedly calls out to 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai and 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa. Having not received a response during this, Ichigo curses and is alerted when Kariya questions if he is the only survivor as the wall behind Ichigo collapses to reveal the two-platformed central chamber of the underground capital. Seeing Kariya, Maki Ichinose, Gō Koga, Yoshi, Mabashi, and Sawatari standing on the upper platform, Ichigo slowly approaches Kariya, who asks Ichigo how many Bount he must kill in order to make himself feel better since they are a valuable tribe and are already few in number.

After chuckling at Ichigo's baffled reaction, Kariya walks down the steps while the Bount grin behind him and stops at the base, where he admits he would have preferred it if Ichigo had been buried alongside Ugaki and dismisses this as simply meaning it will take him a little longer to get what he wants. Recalling Ugaki's disbelief at the collapse of the cavern, Ichigo demands to know if Kariya intentionally collapsed the wall concealing Ugaki, but Kariya points out the foundation was weakened and the wall fell on its own while Ichigo inquires how Kariya can call his tribe valuable when he used one of his comrades as a pawn.

Kariya asserts that he did not plan to do so and that events are just proceeding slightly faster than he expected them to before concluding that they must prepare to leave the Human World. Shocked by this, Ichigo wonders if Kariya really plans on connecting the Human World to Hueco Mundo like Sōsuke Aizen is. As he stares blankly at Ichigo, Kariya instructs Koga to begin preparations without him since he will be fine on his own, which leads Koga to recite an incantation twice that causes two etched pillars, an arching top, and a stone base with steps to emerge at 90-degree angles from the space behind him and slot together to form a Senkaimon.

Battle
With Ichigo astonished by this, Kariya reminds him that Bount who have absorbed large quantities of Souls can manipulate space, and as Ichinose offers to take over supervision of the process, Koga expresses appreciation for this and observes that he should have finished off Ichigo when he had the chance. When Kariya requests that they begin since he wants to test his own power as well, Ichigo levels Zangetsu at him and promises to crush Kariya along with the Senkaimon, to Kariya's bemusement, before rushing forward and slashing Zangetsu upward at Kariya from the ground, only for Kariya to casually block the blade with his forearm.

Holding Zangetsu in place for a few seconds, Kariya pushes his arm down and backward, causing Ichigo to stumble forward, prior to reaching out with his left hand and flicking Ichigo into the air, where he is sent hurtling across the room and tumbles multiple times across the ground before slamming into the wall on the other side of the chamber. As he uses Zangetsu to push himself up, Ichigo, now bleeding from a wound on his scalp, expresses disbelief at Kariya not being injured by a direct blow from Zangetsu and wonders how he can block an attack unarmed. Up on the platform, Koga tells Mabashi to understand that this is a display of a Bount's true power.

With Kariya rushing toward him, Ichigo forces himself to his feet and stabs Zangetsu forward with his left hand pushing it from the bottom of the hilt, but Kariya simply grabs the blade near the tip with two fingers on his right hand, stopping the movement of Zangetsu altogether and leaving Ichigo stunned as he slowly pushes Zangetsu up and stabs his left hand into Ichigo's abdomen, which results in a torrent of blood pouring out of the wound while Ichigo coughs up blood from his mouth as well. After kicking Ichigo in the chin to send him flying into the air, Kariya kicks him in the head once more, causing Ichigo to fly across the chamber.

Zangetsu slices through the ground that Ichigo hurtles across and eventually flies out of his hand as he crashes into the base of the steps. After Zangetsu lands on the ground a few feet away from Ichigo, Kariya casually walks over to Ichigo and pulls him up by his hair while expressing disappointment at this being the most he can do. Tossing Ichigo next to Zangetsu, Kariya states that he cannot test his powers at this level and suggests that Ichigo use his Bankai since he is the only one who can do so in the Human World without power restrictions, which is why Kariya believed Ichigo would make a good target to test his powers against.

As Kariya demands that he take his Zanpakutō, Ichigo struggles to get up and falls on his side, where his vision begins to blur as he strains to reach for Zangetsu. Seeing that Ichigo cannot grasp Zangetsu, Kariya kicks it away from his hand and observes that this seems to be the end, though Ichigo denies this. After musing that it would be a pity for Ichigo to die young without knowing anything, Kariya decides to tell him the true goal of the Bount, startling the Bount and Ichinose, whom Kariya assures that this is fine since he never tried to hide it to begin with. Kariya informs Ichigo that Yoshino Sōma and Soul Society's assumption about his plan is false.

After pulling Ichigo up by his collar, Kariya inquires about what good connecting the Human World to Hueco Mundo would do and reveals that they are actually heading for Soul Society itself as revenge, due to its status as the birthplace of the Bount, leaving Ichigo shocked. Kariya pulls Ichigo up by his collar and details how Soul Society performed a series of experiments in the past that inadvertently created the Bount by altering Souls in the cycle of reincarnation, leading to the Bount being ostracized by normal Humans and to Kariya planning to destroy Soul Society as retribution, before throwing Ichigo across the cavern, where he finds Zangetsu lying nearby.

While grabbing Zangetsu and getting to his feet, Ichigo counters that Soul Society doing this to the Bount does not give them an excuse to harm their fellow Humans and refuses to forgive Kariya for this as he glows with light-blue Reiatsu. However, when Ichigo fires a Getsuga Tenshō at him, Kariya casually swipes through it with his bare hand, causing the blast to be redirected into the wall behind him without harming Kariya himself. Smirking at this, Kariya comments on a stunned Ichigo having had this much power left and deduces that this is all he can do at this point prior to leaping forward and slashing his hand diagonally across Ichigo's chest.

With his chest cut and his red rosary strap shattered by this blow, Ichigo is sent flying back several feet and grunts in pain as he lands. Though a cursing Ichigo resumes his battle stance, Kariya claims that Ichigo does not have the power to defeat him, and when Ichigo rushes forward and slashes at him, Kariya reappears behind Ichigo and knees him in the stomach, slams his knee into a gasping Ichigo's head to send him flying into the air, and finally kicks Ichigo in the side after he falls to the ground and bounces off his head, resulting in Ichigo tumbling over to the platform while Zangetsu embeds itself in the ground several feet away.

As he stomps on Ichigo's back, Kariya asserts that absorbing living Souls has given him even greater power and that Soul Society's Shinigami are insignificant in the face of the ever-growing power of the Bount, which will force them to kneel in deference. A pained Ichigo wonders if this is the end, but recalls his friends who were hurt by or fought against the Bount, leading him to realize that he did not come all this way alone and resolve to not die in a place like this. Struggling to his feet, Ichigo calls out to Zangetsu and tells Kariya to shut up when the latter curiously inquires if this is the name of Ichigo's Zanpakutō, to Kariya's bemusement.

Slowly, Ichigo walks toward Zangetsu and reaches out for its handle, only to be shocked when Kariya pulls Zangetsu out of the ground himself and holds it aloft. When Ichigo wonders what he is doing, Kariya explains that he has heard of Zanpakutō being considered the alter ego of Shinigami and asks Ichigo if he considers Zangetsu to be a partner before leveling Zangetsu at Ichigo and proclaiming that he will kill Ichigo with his partner. However, Ichigo merely chuckles, to Kariya's confusion, and begins walking forward while questioning what Zangetsu is doing. With Kariya wondering what he is doing, Ichigo grasps the blade of Zangetsu.

After telling Zangetsu to show himself, Ichigo plunges the tip of Zangetsu into his chest, causing the blade to dissipate while Zangetsu appears behind Ichigo. Suddenly, Ichigo opens his eyes to find himself within his inner world on the side of a skyscraper, where Zangetsu lands on the tip of a pole before him. Upon being asked by Zangetsu if he is prepared, Ichigo admits that he might actually have been relying on Zangetsu too much since he had his Bankai available if thing got bad, which was further reinforced by Kisuke Urahara telling him as much, leading Zangetsu to describe Bankai as the extreme readiness involving blades and pain.

Zangetsu insists that Ichigo not be afraid because his blade will dim if he hesitates and reminds Ichigo that he once gained power with an unwavering heart. With Zangetsu inquiring once more about what Ichigo is preparing to do, why he is fighting, and whom he wants this power for, Ichigo remembers how he became a Shinigami in order to protect those important to him and asserts that he attained Bankai by swearing on his soul that he was willing to sacrifice his life before requesting that Zangetsu lend him his power, which prompts Zangetsu to reiterate that he is Ichigo's power and assure Ichigo that he can trust in his own power, to Ichigo's acknowledgement.

Back in the real world, Kariya sees his hand is empty and is astonished to find Ichigo holding Zangetsu by the handle in front of him. As Kariya demands to know what he did, Ichigo declares that this is what he is prepared to do and activates his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, leading Kariya to leap back while the resulting steam clears to reveal Ichigo with his black sword and longcoat. Seeing Kariya expressing disbelief at this, Ichigo moves behind him with Shunpo and stabs at Kariya, who briefly forms a Wind Barrier to protect himself prior to leaping to the side and sliding along the ground as Ichigo slams into the area where he was standing.

Though Ichinose calls out Kariya's name in concern, Koga instructs him to focus on maintaining the Senkaimon since Kariya will come to them soon, which Ichinose reluctantly agrees to. Ichigo orders Kariya to stand, and when Kariya rushes toward him and throws a punch, Ichigo casually blocks it with his sword, causing the ground beneath them to rupture and upturn from the force of the impact. After Ichigo and Kariya move to opposite sides of the chamber, Kariya reappears behind Ichigo, only for the latter to smile and reveal he can see Kariya as he moves into the air behind and above Kariya before they both yell and clash with each other again.

Elsewhere in the capital, Yoruichi Shihōin and 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi run through a cavern lined by buildings, where they begin pushing ahead after Hisagi informs Yoruichi that they are close and she hopes that they are not too late. Back in the chamber, Ichigo and Kariya trade blows in midair and clash once more with enough force to shatter the crystal formation on the ceiling, which crashes into the ground below in chunks while Ichigo reappears nearby and praises Kariya for dodging his attack so well. Having been cut on his right cheek, Kariya turns around to face Ichigo on the other side of the crystals and admits that he performed a solid attack.

Aftermath
Suddenly, as Ichigo and Kariya prepare to finish their battle and rush toward each other, a Heilig Pfeil hurtles through the chamber and destroys part of the crystal rubble, stopping both combatants in their tracks as they stare in astonishment at Uryū, who stands at the top of the stairway leading into the chamber with his Spirit Weapon, Kojaku, formed. Behind Uryū, Rukia, Orihime, Sado, and Rangiku run into the chamber with Kon, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba as they call out to Ichigo. Though relieved by his friends being safe, Ichigo turns his attention back to Uryū while the latter asserts that he cannot be a burden to them forever.

When asked by Ichigo if his Quincy powers have returned, Uryū smiles and admits that they have not done so completely. In the past, 12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi explains to Uryū that the Quincy Bangle is a battle accessory passed down between Quincy for several hundred years that can control Reishi. Upon attaching the Quincy Bangle to his right wrist, Uryū finds himself engulfed in energy that forms his new clothes and Kojaku. In the present, Uryū puts his hands together and collects a sphere of Reishi that he turns into a Heilig Pfeil and nocks in Kojaku, prompting an amused Kariya to suggest that he not miss again with this shot.

However, Uryū moves behind Kariya with Hirenkyaku and denies having missed with his previous shot. After commenting on how Uryū's usage of Hirenkyaku means his powers really have returned, Kariya pauses and asks Ichinose if the Senkaimon is ready yet, which Ichinose confirms as the Senkaimon shifts in color from green to orange and the energy around his hands dissipates. At Kariya's command, Koga steps forward and recites a second incantation while forming a large, intricate seal in front of his outstretched hands, and as a startled Ichigo questions what Koga is doing, Uryū demands that Ichigo not move, to the latter's surprise.

Koga presses the seal against the Senkaimon, causing it to split vertically down the middle, and pulls the two halves aside, revealing a blue Senkaimon underneath that exerts a slight vacuum on the air in the chamber. With Ichigo wondering what he is going to do now that the Senkaimon is open, Uryū counters that the Senkaimon is not open yet, further stunning Ichigo, and responds to Kariya's similar inquiry by aiming his Heilig Pfeil at the Senkaimon. Behind them, Rukia, Sado, and Orihime run down the steps, with Orihime tripping and being caught by Sado, whom she thanks, while Kurōdo notices and draws their attention to Uryū aiming at the Senkaimon.

Seeing this, Orihime questions if Uryū plans to destroy the gate, but as the Mod-Souls begin cheering on this course of action, Rukia silently stares at Uryū and notes that she has an odd feeling about the situation. In the center of the chamber, Uryū apologizes to Ichigo and requests that the latter allow him to do this before firing the Heilig Pfeil into the Senkaimon, which begins glowing with a bright light-blue light as the Bount grin at the sight of it, prompting Kariya to turn back to Uryū and sincerely thank him because this means that they can finally go as Uryū clarifies to Ichigo that the path to Soul Society has just opened for the Bount.

With Ichigo speechless at this, Kariya realizes Uryū knew what he was doing, which leads Uryū to recount how Nemu informed him of both this and the reason why Kariya was pursuing him for so long, due to the requirement for those entering Soul Society to convert their bodies to Reishi even though Bount who have absorbed living Souls being able to open spaces to different dimensions. Kariya explains how even though the Bount cannot convert Reishi, there are a few among the Quincy who can freely control Reishi, meaning Reishi conversion through the Senkaimon becomes possible if they use the Heilig Pfeil of such a Quincy as a conductor.

While Ichigo deduces what this means, Uryū affirms his conclusion that his Heilig Pfeil passed through the Senkaimon and turned it into a Reishi Henkan-Ki in order to convert the Bount to Souls, prompting Ichigo to demand to know why Uryū is helping the Bount. Kariya asserts that he believed Uryū would come since Soul Society is an enemy to the Quincy as well the Bount, and after recalling his disappointment at Uryū having lost his Quincy powers, Kariya claims that Yoshino Sōma supported Uryū well by leading his Quincy powers back to Kariya in addition to forming the Bitto before offering to walk together with Uryū.

Despite this, Uryū simply tells Kariya to not get the wrong idea and reveals that he is allowing the latter to go to Soul Society so he can settle this with him there. Initially startled by this, Kariya mocks Uryū's desire to avenge Yoshino and his inability to see the bigger picture, but Uryū vows on his pride as a Quincy to defeat Kariya. As he accepts this, Kariya is alerted by Ichinose and observes that it is time as he joins the other Bount in front of the Senkaimon, where he is enveloped by the light within alongside the Bount and Ichinose while inviting Ichigo and Uryū to follow them to Soul Society if they wish to do so, as the Bount will be waiting for them on the other side.

While Ichigo grabs Uryū's shoulder and angrily demands to know what he has just done, Yoruichi and Hisagi appear in the chamber and run up to them, leaving Ichigo surprised as Yoruichi notes that she was too late. With Ichigo's friends running over as well, Yoruichi turns to Uryū and asserts that he has created a serious problem, and when Ichigo inquires about his reason for doing this, Uryū questions in turn whether they would have been able to defeat Kariya if they had kept fighting here even though Ichigo has regained his Bankai. Though Ichigo insists that they would not have known unless they tried, Yoruichi admits that it would have been difficult.

Uryū states that this is all he has to defeat Kariya and recalls destroying a rock with a Heilig Pfeil after donning the Quincy Bangle, where he noted that he was indeed wielding a Quincy's power again and refused to believe that he could defeat Kariya with it, only for Nemu to remind him that he cannot muster much power with it in the Human World where the concentration of Reishi is very low before asking Uryū to think about what would happen if he went to Soul Society where everything is composed of Reishi, to his shock. With this in mind, Uryū begins to tell his friends that they might have a better chance at defeating the Bount in Soul Society.

However, Yoruichi criticizes him for following such a shallow line of thinking and points out how Bount get stronger in Soul Society alongside Shinigami and Quincy. When Ichigo expresses confusion at this, Yoruichi reveals Bount can absorb as much Reishi as they want to in Soul Society, which Rangiku notes is awful, and wonders if Uryū knows what kind of tool the Quincy Bangle is, which leads him to admit it could stop working at any time because it functions by drawing out a Quincy's power and is not stable as a result. With Uryū asserting he needs this power and Yoruichi warning him his actions could destroy the world, Ichigo punches the back of Uryū's head.

Though Uryū is irritated and perplexed by this, Ichigo simply smiles and wonders why Uryū is taking his time as he invites him to go to Soul Society with the rest of them. As Uryū stares in shock at this, Orihime tells him that he should do what he wants to do and Sado grunts in agreement while Rukia calls them all hopeless, leaving Uryū to quietly thank them. Rangiku is left touched by this exchange, and when an exasperated Yoruichi notes that they cannot stop at this point and must finish by mobilizing all of Soul Society's Shinigami, Rangiku affirms that this is the best course of action to take as Yoruichi admits Soul Society must take responsibility for the Bount.

Suddenly, the group's attention is drawn to 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, who is assisted in walking into the chamber by 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira while 11th Division Lieutenant Yumichika Ayasegawa walks behind them. After Renji responds to Ichigo's relief at him still being alive by proclaiming that he would not be killed so easily, Izuru questions where the Bount are, only to be disheartened alongside Renji and Yumichika when Yoruichi informs them that they are too late. Yoruichi promises that they can pay the Bount back in Soul Society and assures Orihime that she and Sado can use the Bount Senkaimon if it is adjusted a little.

With Orihime and Sado acknowledging this, Rangiku realizes something and pulls her Denreishinki out of her shihakushō to call her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, while Ririn leaps off of her shoulder to Ichigo's, flustering him, and declares that the Mod-Souls will be going to Soul Society as well since they do not have Bount sensors. As Yoruichi confirms that they will be relying on the Mod-Souls, Kon observes that he should probably just go home, but is reminded by Rukia that he will be alone if he does so and envisions Yuzu Kurosaki, Jinta Hanakari, Ururu Tsumugiya, and Don Kanonji tying him to a large wooden cross and tormenting him over a fire.

Kon frantically begs Rukia to take him with her, and after Rangiku reveals that Hitsugaya has granted them all permission to enter Soul Society, Ichigo firmly states that they will be entering Soul Society. Meanwhile, in the air above the Seireitei, a portal opens as Kariya and his allies fly out while encased in energy. Noting that this is Reishi air and that it is better than he imagined it would be as the Reishi heals the wound on his cheek, Kariya proclaims that they will begin their revenge while they fly toward the Seireitei.