Conclusion of the Death Match! White Pride and Black Desire

 is the fifty-ninth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's battle reaches its conclusion.

Summary
While running up the stars along the backside of Sōkyoku Hill alongside the other Ryoka, Ganju Shiba comments on the intense Reiatsu they are senses that only gets heavier as they get nearer to the top and questions if it really belongs to Ichigo Kurosaki, though Uryū Ishida admits that he cannot be certain. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the Ryoka find themselves before a copse of dead trees and realize that Ichigo's battle is taking place on the other side, which they cannot see.

However, Orihime Inoue reveals that she can still sense Ichigo because the scent of his Reiatsu remains the same no matter how powerful it grows. With Orihime concluding that it is definitely Ichigo, Yasutora Sado notes the strangeness of Rukia Kuchiki's Reiatsu not being present despite he supposedly being crucified up ahead, prompting 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi to inform them that Rukia escaped while sitting on a tree branch overhead. Upon being addressed by a shocked Makizō Aramaki, Yachiru cheerfully calls him by his old nickname.

Aramaki expresses resignation at Yachiru's indecisiveness regarding his nickname as Sado questions why Ichigo is still fighting if he managed to help Rukia escape. Telling Sado that this means Ichigo is fighting someone powerful, Uryū explains that simply freeing Rukia is not enough when knowing that the enemy is going to come after her, which results in him needing to defeat the enemy thoroughly and crush their conviction to see Rukia executed. With the other Ryoka solemnly accepting that this is why Ichigo is fighting, a shocked Aramaki asserts that something is wrong with them if they are willing to risk this much just for a friend of theirs.

Suddenly, as Uryū begins to counter that Rukia is indeed their friend, Orihime clarifies that Rukia is not just a friend because she is very to Ichigo due to being the one who changed his whole world. Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Ichigo stands with 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki grasping the sword of his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, by the blade, which has cut open his hand. After pushing the sword down, Byakuya pulls his hand along the blade, drawing even more blood, and he and Ichigo leap several meters apart, causing blood to spatter on the ground between them. While Byakuya tells Ichigo to look closely, the blood on the ground turns into pink flames.

Surrounding Ichigo and Byakuya, the pink flames surge and spiral into the air above them, creating a pink void around the two, as Byakuya details how this is the true form of his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, taken when he abandons all defense and risks everything to kill his opponent. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi forms a thousand large swords that begin rotating in four rows around the two of them, and with Ichigo intimidated by this, Byakuya assures him that the swords will not strike him all at once and that this is a technique he reserves for those whom he has sworn to kill himself as he summons one of the swords to his bloody right hand, where it becomes his sealed Zanpakutō.

Upon being told by Byakuya that he is only the second person to ever see this technique, Ichigo claims to be flattered before exerting his Reiatsu alongside Byakuya, causing chunks of the ground beneath them to break apart and rise into the air. With Byakuya declaring that he is beginning his attack and rushing forward, a yelling Ichigo runs toward him and attacks in unison with Byakuya, which results in an explosion of Reiatsu that bursts through Senkei and shocks the Ryoka watching through the trees with its bright light. Startled by this, Yachiru falls off the tree branch and manages to land on the head of Ganju, who expresses irritation as she runs off laughing.

As Sado wonders what that Reiatsu was, Uryū suggests to Orihime that they move a bit further away for their safety, but Orihime merely thanks him and insists that she wants to stay right here. Internally, Uryū observes that Orihime knows she will only get in the way if she tries to help and Ichigo would not want her to even if she could help him, yet has to fight to hold herself back all the same. Concluding that Orihime is waiting and praying for Ichigo, who briefly separates from Byakuya and pants heavily before leaping back into the fight while yelling, Uryū mentally warns Ichigo that he will have to answer to Uryū if he does not win as Ichigo and Byakuya continue to clash.

Within the Senkei dome, Ichigo and Byakuya clash repeatedly and fiercely, and as blood spatters on one of the giant swords, Ichigo and Byakuya cross blades in front of it before separating and moving around rapidly with Shunpo while continuing to clash in different areas. When their blades pass each other and manage to strike after being turned toward the ground to face upward by their sword lock, Ichigo and Byakuya leap back with fresh wounds as Ichigo mentally asserts that Byakuya has been getting faster ever since he activated Senkei, though he believes that he can still go a little faster to match this speed, only for Byakuya to disappear from sight.

Suddenly, Ichigo finds the tip of Byakuya's sword about to pierce him between the eyes, and as Ichigo narrowly evades this and receives a cut on his right cheek, Byakuya seemingly passes by him, leading Ichigo to look to his right while Byakuya appears behind him and stabs his sword at Ichigo's neck. Upon noticing this, Ichigo pushes down Byakuya's sword with his own and moves into a blade lock, prompting Byakuya to inquire why Ichigo is slowing down. Though Ichigo points out that he is still fast enough to block Byakuya's sword, Byakuya calls down another sword from the topmost row to his left hand and embeds it into Ichigo's right foot.

With Ichigo stunned by this, Byakuya places his left index finger against Ichigo's right shoulder and uses '''Hadō #4. Byakurai''', firing a beam of energy all the way through a stunned Ichigo's shoulder that leaves a smoking hole. After Byakuya pulls the sword out of his foot, Ichigo stumbles back in shock and coughs while Byakuya observes that this seems to be the limit for him. When Ichigo attempts to demand to know what Byakuya said, he quickly realizes that his body can no longer move. Byakuya brings up Ichigo's theory that Senkei increased his speed and clarifies that Senkei simply condenses the blade petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi into the shape of a sword.

Byakuya clarifies that Senkei explosively increases the lethality of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi while leaving his speed unchanged as his sword disintegrates into blade petals, leaving Ichigo to conclude with shock that he has been getting slower instead. Admitting that he did well to defeat captain-class Shinigami and survive a direct attack from Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Byakuya asserts that Ichigo is already a corpse no matter how hard he tries, which Ichigo should feel as well, before declaring that this is as far as Ichigo goes while preparing to deliver the finishing blow. Seeing this, Ichigo frantically orders his body to move because nothing will change unless he wins.

However, when a nearly-unconscious Ichigo asserts that he wants to win because just fighting or surviving means nothing, Hollow Ichigo scoffs at this while Ichigo's hand grabs Byakuya's sword by the blade mid-swing. As Hollow Ichigo reiterates that he cannot allow Ichigo to die, a shocked Byakuya inquires who he is, prompting Hollow Ichigo to claim that he does not have a name while a Hollow mask begins forming over the left side of his face before slashing an astonished Byakuya diagonally across the chest, drawing a large amount of blood, and laughing maniacally. While Byakuya leaps back in confusion, Hollow Ichigo berates Ichigo for getting crushed by the Reiatsu of Tensa Zangetsu.

After making note of how Ichigo's bones are creaking from exertion and calling Ichigo hopeless, Hollow Ichigo crushes the Senkei sword that Byakuya was using in his left hand and proclaims that he will show Ichigo how to use Bankai. With Byakuya calling another sword to his hand, Hollow Ichigo unleashes a black Getsuga Tenshō, shocking Byakuya with its different color as he moves away with Shunpo to evade it. Upon seeing Hollow Ichigo dropping down onto him from above with another Getsuga Tenshō ready, Byakuya disappears once again while the Getsuga Tenshō crashes vertically into the ground where he was standing.

Hollow Ichigo fires multiple Getsuga Tenshō at Byakuya from the front, and as the latter prepares to counter the two blasts approaching him, Hollow Ichigo suddenly appears behind Byakuya and attacks him, allowing the Getsuga Tenshō to slam into him in a large explosion of energy. While the dust settles to reveal a further wounded Byakuya, whose kenseikan shatters as he questions if Hollow Ichigo is a Hollow due to his Reiatsu and strange mask, Hollow Ichigo stands across from him and dismisses the answer as irrelevant for Byakuya, only to be interrupted when Ichigo internally tells him to disappear as his left hand grabs the still-forming mask on his face.

As Byakuya stares in astonishment, Hollow Ichigo struggles to stop his left hand from tearing off the mask and proclaims that they can win if Ichigo leaves this to him, but Ichigo internally demands that he disappear and stop interfering while Hollow Ichigo flails around in rage before successfully ripping off the mask and regaining control of his body, causing the mask fragments dropping to the ground to slowly vanish. After Ichigo apologizes for the interruption and suggests that they start over, a stunned Byakuya realizes that even though Ichigo could cut him while being controlled, this is not what the latter wanted, leading him to agree to start over.

Deciding to not ask Ichigo abut the entity controlling him, Byakuya observes that they should let the next clash decide this battle since neither of them have much strength left. After affirming this, Ichigo asks Byakuya once more why he did not try to save Rukia, which Byakuya promises to answer if Ichigo defeats him, to Ichigo's amusement. Byakuya initiates Shūkei: Hakuteiken, condensing Senbonzakura Kageyoshi into a large pair of wings connected by a halo behind him and a long sword in his hand in a burst of light, leading an impressed Ichigo to admit that he does not have any awesome moves like this due to Zangetsu only teaching him the Getsuga Tenshō.

Ichigo concludes that the only thing he can do is channel all his Reiatsu into one blow, which he proceeds to do. With multiple tendrils of black Reiatsu emanating from the area around his body, Ichigo leaps toward Byakuya, who follows suit, and the two clash one last time in an explosion of white and black Reiatsu that surges across Sōkyoku Hill and out into the sky, where it is visible from across the Seireitei as it begins to dissipate. On top of Sōkyoku Hill, Ichigo stands behind and facing away from Byakuya, where blood spurts from a fresh wound on his back and he is forced to prop himself up with the sword of Tensa Zangetsu before he falls over.

While Ichigo refuses to fall down, blood spurts from a fresh wound on Byakuya's chest, prompting him to stumble forward and look at his injured hand as he recalls Ichigo's sword piercing through the blade of Shūkei: Hakuteiken during their final clash. Opening his hand to release several blade petals, Byakuya brings up Ichigo's desire to know why he did not try to save Rukia, and with Ichigo looking back at him, Byakuya asserts that lawbreakers must face justice and be punished according to their crimes because this is the law. When Ichigo questions if he was going to kill his own sister to uphold the law, Byakuya states that sympathy for one's own kin is unworthy.

As Ichigo expresses astonishment at this, Byakuya states that familial devotion is nothing next to the law and affirms that he must not succumb to sentimentality before concluding that the Kuchiki Clan is one of the four great Noble Houses who must set an example for all Shinigami because that no one will uphold the law if they do not. However, Ichigo admits that he still does not get it and declares that he would have fought the law if he were in Byakuya's position, leading Byakuya to realize that he was never Ichigo's enemy since the latter has been fighting the laws of Soul Society as he informs Ichigo that his ferocity has broken Byakuya's sword and that he will no longer pursue Rukia.

With Byakuya disappearing with Shunpo while ceding victory to him, Ichigo celebrates having won, only to find himself wobbling and barely able to stand due to blood loss. Suddenly, the back of Ichigo's head collides with Orihime's face, causing him to fall over while Orihime apologizes for her hard head and explains that she was trying to catch him. Ichigo looks up from the ground while expressing surprise at Orihime being here, only to discover that Sado, Uryū, Ganju, Aramaki, and Yachiru are present as well. When Ichigo expresses relief at his friends being okay, Uryū clarifies that they are not okay and are only unscathed compared to Ichigo himself.

Upon being asked by Ichigo she is hurt, Orihime frantically denies this and recounts how Uryū protected her alongside the Shinigami, with 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki even giving her a ride, before tearfully admitting that she was not in any danger and was just worried about Ichigo. Apologizing for being unable to protect Ichigo, Orihime thanks him for not getting killed and expresses gratitude at him being alright, which Ichigo thanks her for while his friends smile. Meanwhile, at the Central 46 Compound, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya stands before the sword-barred main entrance with his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto.

When Rangiku wonders what they should do, Hitsugaya decides that they have no other choice and tells a surprised Rangiku to stand back before drawing his Zanpakutō and slashing horizontally at the door, resulting in a large portion of both the door and the blades barring it being cut apart and crumbling to pieces. Though Rangiku is aghast at him doing this to the Central 46 main entrance, Hitsugaya observes that the alarm has not gone off despite him breaking down the door, which means someone got in prior, defeated the guards, and made sure the alarm would not go off if someone tried to enter after them, leading Rangiku to realize that they wanted to keep things quiet.

Running through the door, past the thirteen protective walls, and down the long set of stairs into the council chamber in the center of the compound, Hitsugaya and Rangiku stop dead in their tracks with shock at what they see within the chamber when the lights turn on inside.

Shinigami Cup Golden
As Kazuya Usaka, Heita Toujoin, Kei Uehara, and Ryohei Toba stand around Kon in Ichigo's body, Heita tells the others that the kids from Mitsumiya hired someone to help them, only for Kei to claim that it does not matter because they have the strongest helper before telling Kon they are counting on him, prompting Kon to tell the kids to count on him. When the Mitsumiya kids arrive with their hired help, Heita tells them they are late as Kon turns around and realizes with fear that they have brought Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya. However, Heita and Kei merely see them as two children, and as Kon tries to caution them, Heita points out that they even brought a stuffed animal while Kon freaks out upon seeing his plushie body attached to Jinta's hip.

Fights
Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Byakuya Kuchiki: Rematch (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Hohō Techniques:

Kidō Techniques:

Techniques used:

Zanpakutō released:

Bankai:

Music

 * 01:47 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 15 - BL_35
 * 03:04 - Bleach OST 1 - 11 - Requiem for the Lost Ones
 * 04:37 - No Official Release
 * 06:12 - Bleach OST 1 - 09 - Enemy Unseen
 * 07:22 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 10 - BL_93
 * 08:14 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 05 - BL_86
 * 10:18 - Bleach OST 4 - 21 - Nothing Can Be Explained (inst ver.)
 * 12:09 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 09 - BL_82
 * 13:39 - Bleach OST 1 - 08 - Raw Breath Of Danger
 * 15:35 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 12 - BL_16 (Destiny Awaits - Other Version)
 * 17:52 - Bleach OST 1 - 19 - Never Meant To Belong
 * 19:56 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 11 - BL_995
 * 20:14 - Bleach OST 4 - 23 - Wrapped In Kindness
 * 21:36 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 17 - BL_13

Anime Notes
Removed Content:
 * Ichigo Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki's dashes imprinting and shattering the ground they were standing on.
 * Ganju Shiba wondering what Ichigo and Byakuya are doing to each other when the force of their clash reaches the Ryoka.
 * The flashbacks appearances of Renji Abarai and Kenpachi Zaraki.
 * Ichigo suggesting that he and Byakuya start over after regaining control of his body.
 * Shinigami reacting to the final clash between Ichigo and Byakuya.
 * Byakuya recalling Kaien Shiba and comparing him to Ichigo when the latter claims that he would fight the law were he in Byakuya's position.
 * Uryū Ishida observing that Ichigo is in good spirits for someone covered in blood after the latter's victory.
 * Ichigo asking Makizō Aramaki who he is and the latter flatly requesting to be ignored.

Added/Expanded Content:
 * Yachiru Kusajishi referring to Makizō Aramaki by his old nickname of "Maki-Maki" after he reacts to her presence.
 * Byakuya's arm glowing with Reiatsu when he calls down his first sword.
 * Ichigo and Byakuya exerting their Reiatsu, causing the ground to break apart and float into the air around them.
 * Yachiru being knocked off the branch by the force of Ichigo and Byakuya's clash, where she lands on Ganju's head and runs off laughing.
 * Yasutora Sado being shocked by the Reiatsu he is experiencing.
 * Ichigo and Byakuya clashing and separating during Uryū's analysis of Orihime Inoue's decision to stay where she is.
 * The Ryoka bracing themselves against another burst of force after Uryū concludes his monologue.
 * Ichigo and Byakuya clashing several times in different areas of the Senkei dome prior to the sword lock where they wound each other.
 * Byakuya disappearing from view prior to attempting to stab Ichigo's skull.
 * Ichigo stumbling back after being grievously wounded by Byakuya.
 * Hollow Ichigo flailing around and glowing with Reiatsu as Ichigo begins ripping his mask off.
 * The fragments of Ichigo's Hollow mask disappearing after they land on the ground.
 * Tōshirō Hitsugaya cutting through the barred main entrance to the Central 46 Compound, realizing alongside Rangiku Matsumoto that something is wrong when the alarm does not go off, and entering to investigate.

Censorship:
 * Byakuya's injured hand does not have as much blood spattered on it as it does in the manga when gripping Ichigo's sword.
 * Byakuya's hand does not bleed further when he calls down his first sword.
 * The wounds that Ichigo and Byakuya receive from their sword lock clash do not bleed as they skid backward.
 * Byakuya does not have blood on his face when attacking Ichigo from behind.
 * Byakuya's use of Byakurai on Ichigo does not draw a large amount of blood from the exit wound, and the hole in Ichigo's shoulder is obscured by the smoke it is emanating.
 * Ichigo's hand does not begin bleeding when Hollow Ichigo uses it to catch Byakuya's blade mid-swing.
 * When Hollow Ichigo slashes Byakuya across the chest, part of the scene is grayscaled so that the blood is black for most of its appearance.
 * Hollow Ichigo's hand does not bleed when he crushes Byakuya's Senkei sword with it.
 * The cut on Byakuya's palm is not visible when he opens his injured hand.

Changes:
 * When they reach the top of Sōkyoku Hill, the Ryoka are not met with a blast of Reiatsu as they were in the manga.
 * In the manga, in order to draw more blood, Byakuya moves his hand toward the hilt of Ichigo's sword; here, he pulls his hand back toward the tip of the sword instead.
 * In the manga, Senkei is activated by forming Senbonzakura Kageyoshi into a dome around Ichigo and Byakuya that darkens to reveal the four rows of swords; here, Byakuya's spilled blood turns pink and flares up in Reiatsu flames that form the dome, after which the swords appear.
 * In the manga, Ichigo and Byakuya's clash during the conclusion of Uryū's monologue takes place on the ground; here, it takes place in midair.
 * In the manga, Ichigo and Byakuya wound each other immediately after their sword lock; here, Byakuya turns his and Ichigo's blades downward before they pass each other.
 * In the manga, when distracting Ichigo to set up his attack from behind, Byakuya catches his attention by moving past him; here, he draws Ichigo's attention by appearing behind him instead.
 * The blood on Ichigo's face runs down his left cheek in two parallel streaks rather than running from his left eye to his left ear as it does in the manga.
 * A flicker does not appear on Byakuya's finger right before he uses Byakurai.
 * In the manga, when Hollow Ichigo crushes Byakuya's Senkei sword, it breaks in two on either side of his hand; here, it instead separates into blade petals.
 * In the manga, the Getsuga Tenshō fired by Hollow Ichigo is completely black; here, it has a red outline, which will be its standard color scheme for all future episodes.
 * In the manga, after firing his first Getsuga Tenshō, Hollow Ichigo moves behind Byakuya and fires another to pin him between them; here, Byakuya dodges the first Getsuga Tenshō and another one fired from above by Hollow Ichigo, who then fires multiple Getsuga Tenshō at once and traps Byakuya in front of them, though the collision is still portrayed in a symmetrical manner as it was in the manga despite the attack setup being different.
 * Ichigo grabbing his still-forming Hollow mask does not fracture the upper-left portion as it does in the manga.
 * The area between Hollow Ichigo's mask and his face is portrayed as being filled with a smoke-like substance.
 * Shūkei: Hakuteiken is portrayed as having angry, bird-like heads on the ends of its two wings when forming.
 * In the manga, when preparing for his final attack, Ichigo concentrates his Reiatsu into his sword and right arm, where it swirls out in a wing-like shape; here, it first condenses in several circles in the air around him, then bursts outward in several streams from the ground around him.
 * In the manga, Byakuya looks at his open hand and closes it after his final clash with Ichigo; here, he looks at his closed hand and opens it.
 * In the manga, when preparing to leave, Byakuya approaches the broken execution scaffold; here, he approaches the side of Sōkyoku Hill instead.
 * In the manga, after Byakuya cedes victory to him, Ichigo proclaims that he won; here, he instead yells with adrenaline and pride.
 * In the manga, Yachiru is not present when Ichigo's friends visit him after his battle; here, she is.
 * In the manga, the stairs leading into the council chamber in the Central 46 Compound come before the thirteen protective walls; here, they are encountered in reverse order.