Byakuya Kuchiki vs. Zommari Rureaux

 is a battle taking place during the Invasion of Hueco Mundo, focusing on 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's conflict with Espada #7. Zommari Rureaux upon discovering the latter attempting to finish off an incapacitated Rukia Kuchiki.

Prelude
Upon arriving at Aaroniero Arruruerie's frozen palace, Zommari Rureaux observes that the last of the first generation of Espada has fallen and was not even able to kill his opponent, Rukia Kuchiki, who lies unconscious nearby. After criticizing how soft his comrades are in ensuring their Shinigami opponents are dead, as the only way to make sure is to separate their heads from their bodies, Zommari draws his Zanpakutō while promising Aaroniero that he will clean up the latter's mess.

Suddenly, Zommari finds himself confronted by 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, who has been sent to Hueco Mundo by Kisuke Urahara at the behest of Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Inquiring about Byakuya's identity, Zommari infers that Byakuya is a captain from his haori and introduces himself as Espada #7. However, Byakuya asserts that the captains are just enemies to the Espada, which Zommari acknowledges, and when asked by Byakuya if he is the one who grievously wounded Rukia, Zommari clarifies that he did not and was simply about to finish her off instead, to Byakuya's anger. As he stands across from Byakuya with his Zanpakutō held out, Zommari wonders why the latter is not attacking.

Battle
When Zommari advises him against tending to Rukia because it would be pointless, Byakuya sternly questions why it would be and moves behind Zommari with Shunpo, only for Zommari to initiate Gemelos Sonído and reappear behind a startled Byakuya to attack while his image remains in place in front of Byakuya. After clashing with Zommari, Byakuya skids back across the ground and inquires about how Zommari can appear in two places at once like this, prompting Zommari to explain that he has the fastest Sonído of all the Espada and can create quasi-doppelgangers by modifying his Sonído with additional steps to initiate Gemelos Sonído. With Zommari comparing this to a magic trick and assuring Byakuya that there is no shame in not being able to track him by eyesight since magic is meant to trick people, Byakuya accepts this.

However, Byakuya warns Zommari that he should be ashamed for revealing his secrets so soon and moves to Zommari with Shunpo to slash him diagonally across the chest, then turns around and cuts through Zommari vertically upward when he reappears unharmed behind Byakuya. Suddenly, a third Zommari appears between them behind Byakuya and apologetically informs the latter that Gemelos Sonído is not limited to two doppelgangers, but when Byakuya counters that he did not believe it was and fires '''Hadō #4. Byakurai through Zommari's chest, Zommari and another doppelganger appear in front of a stunned Byakuya while his head is turned and clarify that Gemelos Sonído''' can create up to five doppelgangers before impaling Byakuya through the front and back with their Zanpakutō simultaneously.

With Byakuya bleeding from the mouth and groaning in pain, Zommari bids him farewell and claims that he lost because he was too arrogant to identify himself, only for Byakuya to disappear, leaving only his captain's haori impaled on a shocked Zommari's blade. Reappearing behind Zommari, Byakuya reveals that this was Utsusemi and laments having to use a technique he learned from Yoruichi Shihōin prior to telling Zommari that despite his pride, he will lose this battle because he is simply outclassed. Zommari questions Byakuya's criticism of him as being proud and explains that he merely wished to treat the captain before him as an equal regardless of their adversarial status without any pride in his heart, only for Byakuya to assert that an Arrancar thinking they are of the same class is the pride of which he speaks.

In response, Zommari muses that arrogance seems to be ingrained into Byakuya's very being and declares that he will smash it into the recesses of Byakuya's soul before activating his Resurrección, Brujería, by levitating his Zanpakutō parallel to his chest, clasping his hands together, and twisting his head 90 degrees to the right, which bends his Zanpakutō at a right angle five times along the length of its blade and releases a substance that fully covers Zommari, then drips down to reveal Zommari having gained dozens of eyes around his bone-clad torso and a large, bulbous lower body with single-eyed faces adorning the rim. With Byakuya staring at this, Zommari holds out his right palm, which has a large eye whose pupil widens as he initiates Amor. Upon seeing this, Byakuya immediately moves behind Zommari with Shunpo to avoid being struck by the technique.

When Byakuya is left confused by nothing coming out of Zommari's outstretched hand, Zommari infers that he anticipated an attack and sarcastically apologizes with a grin while revealing that it is already taking effect. After a startled Byakuya notices a sun-shaped mark on his left ankle, Zommari proclaims that Byakuya's left leg belongs to him now and observes that there is dominion in all things, with subordinates subject to their superiors, people subject to their kings, clouds subject to the wind, and the moon subject to the sun. Concluding that Amor lets him take control of anything that his eyes look upon, Zommari sees Byakuya's unimpressed expression and claims to sympathize with his lack of understanding because many things are incomprehensible for those who lack wisdom.

After Zommari promises Byakuya that he will soon understand and beckons his left leg to take a step forward, Byakuya involuntarily steps forward with it, and as Zommari notes that it is pointless to resist since Byakuya no longer controls it, Byakuya responds to Zommari attempting to have his left leg take another step by drawing his Zanpakutō and swiftly slashing through his lower left leg's muscles and tendons, rendering it completely incapable of movement. Briefly stunned by this, Zommari commends Byakuya for his quick thinking and decides to try a different approach by aiming Amor at an unconscious Rukia nearby with two of the eyes on his right shoulder, forcing Byakuya to move in front of her with Shunpo and intercept their line of sight with his body.

With Zommari impressed by how well he moves with only one leg and calling him worthy of the captain rank, to Byakuya's irritation, 4th Division 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada rushes into the chamber and expresses relief at having finally caught up to Byakuya, though he is alarmed by the sight of blood pooling around Byakuya's left foot and by Rukia lying on the ground next to him. Following Zommari's observation that they have a loud visitor, Byakuya tells Hanatarō to back away, clarifies that he is being annoying rather than getting in the way, and warns him that he may not be able to keep Hanatarō out of this fight as things stand. Having been covered with a sun-shaped symbol by Amor, Byakuya's left hand suddenly reaches toward his throat, forcing him to slash through his left arm's tendons and muscles near the shoulder with his Zanpakutō in order to render it unable to move.

As Hanatarō expresses alarm at this, Byakuya fires '''Hadō #1. Shō''' at Rukia, breaking the ice encrusting her on the ground and sending her lifeless body flying several feet back prior to telling Hanatarō to step back. After observing that Byakuya displays a cold-blooded, ruthless, and decisive nature by disabling his left arm and leg solely to prevent his enemy from using it even though they are part of his own body, Zommari notes that this seems rash because Byakuya only has his right arm and leg remaining now, which Zommari considers a foolish condition to challenge an Espada in while Hanatarō begins carrying away Rukia behind Byakuya.

Despite this, Byakuya reiterates that the difference between him and Zommari is like that of heaven and earth prior to clarifying that even after discarding his left arm and leg, he has still not nearly lowered himself to Zommari's level. In turn, an annoyed Zommari muses that Byakuya overestimates his own strength even more than expected and informs Byakuya that the eyes on his body are the key to Amor, as each of them can control a single subject. When Byakuya's eyes narrow at this, Zommari praises his quick understanding and reminds Byakuya that he used Amor with two of his eyes, which allowed him to take control of something else besides Byakuya's left arm, while Byakuya whirls around to see a sun-shaped mark on Rukia's head just before she is compelled to slash Hanatarō diagonally across the chest with her Zanpakutō, to his confusion and astonishment.

Before Byakuya can rush over to Rukia, Zommari orders him to stop and has Rukia hold her Zanpakutō against her own throat, to Byakuya's shock, while Hanatarō collapses. Zommari reveals that while Amor lets one eye take control of one thing at a time, using it on an individual's head lets him control their entire body, leading him to declare Byakuya has lost and tell the latter to drop his sword. In response, Byakuya lets go of his Zanpakutō, but uses his right hand to cast '''Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō on Rukia, and as Zommari curses in confusion and frustration at his inability to move Rukia's body any further, Byakuya reappears behind him with Shunpo, asserts that Zommari's control means nothing to him, and drops his Zanpakutō into the ground to activate his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, which surrounds Zommari with a whirlwind of swirling blade petals and prompts the latter to frantically initiate Amor''' with all the eyes on his body, including hidden ones on his neck.

However, Byakuya states that Zommari should not bother because each eye only controls a single subject and he only has fifty eyes on his body, meaning that he has no hope of controlling a hundred million blade petals filling the air. With Zommari sweating in fear at this, Byakuya concludes that Zommari should try saving himself if he wants to see a truly pointless endeavor compared to Byakuya's situation prior to initiating Gōkei, which envelops Aaroniero's palace in a massive sphere of blade petals. Byakuya stands in the air outside the whirling sphere and explains that the technique envelops an enemy in all the blade petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi to strike them from all sides simultaneously before ordering Zommari to disappear as the blades converge in the center of the sphere, obliterating most of the palace in the process.

In the aftermath, Byakuya lands on the floor of the palace and dispels the Kidō barrier he erected to protect Rukia and Hanatarō before noticing the Amor mark remaining on his left hand, causing him to admit Zommari is tough as the latter is revealed by the clearing blade petals to have protected himself with El Embrion, which he emerges from with all the eyes on his body other than the two on his head left white and bleeding. With Byakuya sealed Senbonzakura Kageyoshi back into his Zanpakutō, Zommari curses him and opens the eight slits on his forehead to reveal eyes nestled within that he immediately uses Amor with.

However, Byakuya simply casts '''Bakudō #81. Dankū, erecting a tall and transparent barrier in front of himself that blocks the combined Amor and has a large sun-shaped symbol imprinted onto it, and tells a stunned Zommari that it blocks Hadō''' spells below #90. before noting that he assumed Amor is similar to a Kidō spell when he stopped it from affecting Rukia with '''Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō''' earlier. As Byakuya observes that he was right, an enraged Zommari begins repeatedly using Amor on the barrier in an attempt to break through it, but Byakuya moves behind him with Shunpo and holds his Zanpakutō to Zommari's neck.

Byakuya criticizes Zommari for ceasing to pay attention to his surroundings in his frustration despite claiming to be the fastest Espada, and though he initially begs for mercy, Zommari sees Byakuya's stern expression and infers that the latter will choose to execute him rather than show mercy, which he proclaims is arrogant prior to pushing away Byakuya's blade and moving back to lecture Byakuya for him and other Shinigami considering themselves gods who can slaughter Hollows as though they are vermin. As he demands to know by what right the Shinigami slaughter Hollows, Zommari points out that no one gave the Shinigami the authority to protect Humans and declares that they call Hollows evil solely because they believe that they hold the power of justice in their hands.

Suddenly, before Zommari can continue ranting, Byakuya moves to him with Shunpo, delivers a swift strike, then moves past him and clarifies that he is not acting in his capacity as a Shinigami, but rather is killing Zommari because the latter raised his blade in contempt of Byakuya's pride.

Aftermath
With a large diagonal gash appearing across his chest, Zommari frantically begins shouting praise of Sōsuke Aizen over and over before his body dissipates and fades away, leaving Byakuya to tell 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu to come out. When asked if her captain, Retsu Unohana, sent her, Isane confirms that she did so due to sensing Hanatarō's injury, prompting Byakuya to acknowledge this and leave her to begin healing. Some time later, Rukia regains consciousness, to the relief of Isane and Hanatarō. Wondering why Isane and Hanatarō are here as they caution her against sitting up since she is not fully healed yet, Rukia is shocked to see Byakuya looking out into the distance nearby.

After Byakuya sternly reiterates Isane's instructions for her to remain still until she is healed, Rukia notices Byakuya's haori lying on the ground as well as blood dripping down his left arm, both of which Byakuya tells her to ignore prior to warning Rukia that the true battle lies ahead of them.