Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Byakuya Kuchiki: Rematch

 is a fight taking place during the Ryoka Invasion between Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, acting as the second and final confrontation between the two as well as the culmination of Ichigo's efforts to grow strong enough to save Rukia Kuchiki.

Prelude
During the execution ceremony of Rukia Kuchiki, the Sōkyoku is released and transforms into Kikōō, which attempts to destroy Rukia. However, at the last second, Ichigo Kurosaki arrives and stops Kikōō with his Shikai, Zangetsu, saving Rukia. However, Rukia demands to know why he is here, and with Ichigo taken aback by her reaction, Rukia asserts that Ichigo should know he cannot beat Byakuya, who will certainly kill him now, and claims to have made peace with death before telling Ichigo to go away.

Suddenly, Kikōō screeches and rears back, startling Ichigo, who realizes that Kikōō is backing up for a second strike and encourages him to bring it on despite Rukia frantically warning Ichigo that he will not be able to stop Kikōō a second time. However, before Ichigo and Kikōō can clash once more, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake and 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake restrain and destroy it and the Sōkyoku with the Shihōin Shield. While those on the ground shield themselves from the falling embers, Ichigo moves to the top of the execution scaffold behind Rukia, who questions what he is doing.

Ichigo begins spinning Zangetsu around while proclaiming that he is going to wreck the scaffold. Though Rukia attempts to inform him that the scaffold is designed to withstand the destructive power of a million Zanpakutō, Ichigo simply tells her to shut up and watch before driving Zangetsu into the scaffold and channeling his Reiryoku into it, resulting in the central portion of the scaffold being destroyed and the platform at the bottom being split in a massive explosion of force that rips through the underside of the cliff that they are positioned on.

As the dust clears, Ichigo reminds Rukia that he is rejecting her protests and declares that he really is going to save Rukia this time on his second try while standing on the right side of the scaffold and carrying Rukia under his left arm. With Rukia tearfully claiming that she will not thank him for doing so, Ichigo acknowledges this while Byakuya stares at them from below. Rukia asks Ichigo what he plans to do now because he is too hopelessly outnumbered to simply disappear, and when Ichigo responds that he will run away, a startled Rukia points out how there are captains down there, prompting an annoyed Ichigo to claim that he will beat them up and then run away. Reminding Rukia that she is not the only one whom he has to save, Ichigo details how he has to save Orihime, Uryū, Sado, Ganju, and Hanatarō as well so he can save everyone who helped him. As she looks at Ichigo's confident face, Rukia realizes that his strength is flowing into her and acknowledges his strength.

Suddenly, Ichigo and Rukia are alerted to a commotion on the ground, where they look to see Renji incapacitating the members of the Kidō Corps present as he arrives. With Rukia expressing relief at Renji being alive as he sees her, Ichigo lifts Rukia above his head, and as Renji realizes what he is about to do, Ichigo tells Renji to catch and hurls a screaming Rukia at him, leaving a flabbergasted Renji to berate him before being sent flying back upon catching Rukia in his arms. However, when Rukia and Renji begin admonishing him for doing this, Ichigo orders Renji to stop standing around and get Rukia out of here while protecting her with his life, which Renji complies with, leading to three of the present lieutenants rushing after him.

Upon seeing this, Ichigo appears in front of the three lieutenants with Shunpo, shocking them, and embeds Zangetsu into the ground. In response, Isane releases her Shikai, Itegumo, granting her sword two additional blades at 45-degree angles, while Chōjirō transforms his Zanpakutō into a rapier by releasing his Shikai, Gonryōmaru, and Marechiyo releases his Shikai, Gegetsuburi, transforming his Zanpakutō into a large spiked ball on a chain, only for Ichigo to shatter it with a single punch to Marechiyo's gut that knocks him out, astonishing Isane and Chōjirō. After grabbing Chōjirō's sword arm by the wrist to restrain him, Ichigo knocks him out with a blow to the head from his other hand, and with Isane stunned that he is not even using his Zanpakutō, Ichigo knocks her out with a single blow as well before pulling Zangetsu out of the ground to block a slash from Byakuya, whom he greets audaciously.

Battle
Byakuya inquires why Ichigo insists on trying to save Rukia, prompting Ichigo to demand to know why Byakuya does not save Rukia despite being her brother in return. Pausing for a moment, Byakuya asserts that this is a foolish question and that Ichigo would not understand his reasoning even if he did answer before concluding that there is nothing to discuss. After asking Ichigo if he is ready, Byakuya begins exerting his Reiatsu while pushing down on Zangetsu with his Zanpakutō, resulting in Ichigo breaking the sword lock by leaping several meters back. Byakuya states that only one path is open for him to take and promises that both Ichigo and Rukia will die by his hand, and after Ichigo removes the Tentōken, he and Byakuya rush toward each other.

Ichigo and Byakuya clash repeatedly, eventually overturning a section of the ground with the force of their blows as the ground underneath Byakuya ruptures from Ichigo's subsequent overhead strike with Zangetsu. After separating and moving back to stand on separate chunks of ground, Byakuya observes that Ichigo has mastered Shunpo as well and begins to downplay this, but Ichigo interrupts him by commenting on his cool-headed nature and asserting that Byakuya analyzing him like he is not a threat is just an act before reminding Byakuya of his promise to kill Ichigo. Pointing out how Byakuya has not even scratched him yet and demanding to see his Bankai, Ichigo reiterates Byakuya's promise to kill him and execute Rukia himself, which Byakuya does not care about.

Proclaiming that Byakuya makes him sick and that he plans to hit Byakuya with everything he has got while crushing all of the latter's powers because of how twisted his promise to execute his own sister is, Ichigo concludes that he does not care about Byakuya's sense of duty or honor and asserts that he will never let Byakuya say this in front of Rukia again before demanding once more that Byakuya activate his Bankai so he can crush it and make Byakuya beg Rukia for forgiveness. Despite this, Byakuya refuses to change his mind or both Ichigo and Rukia's fates regardless of what Ichigo says and declares that he will not need to use his Bankai against Ichigo for at least a thousand years before releasing his Shikai, Senbonzakura. However, as the blade petals approach him, an unfazed Ichigo unleashes a Getsuga Tenshō that tears through the entirety of Senbonzakura in one blast, stunning Byakuya.

Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō surges off the side of Sōkyoku Hill, and as the dust clears, Byakuya stands as one of his tekkō falls off his injured left arm, which begins to bleed. With Byakuya questioning if this flash of light was the power of his Zanpakutō, Ichigo stands in front of a large chasm with Zangetsu over his shoulder and confirms this before explaining that the Getsuga Tenshō consists of Zangetsu absorbing his Reiryoku at the moment of attack and firing highly concentrated Reiatsu from the tip, which is then magnified and discharged, and admitting that he could not use it at will or even knew how to discharge it until today as he recounts Kisuke Urahara stating that all he could teach Ichigo was the proper state of mind.

While observing that he finally understood this after training with Zangetsu because the latter was the only one who could teach him about Zangetsu, Ichigo tells Byakuya the name of Getsuga Tenshō and embeds Zangetsu in the ground while demanding once again that Byakuya use his Bankai. After sarcastically commenting on how glorious the name Getsuga Tenshō is, Byakuya decides to give Ichigo what he wants and drops his Zanpakutō onto the ground, which it sinks into like water, while promising a surprised Ichigo that he will be gone like dust in the wind before he can regret his decision. With two rows of blades rising up behind him, Byakuya activates his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

As the blades split apart into innumerable blade petals that surge toward him, Ichigo grabs Zangetsu and leaps away while Senbonzakura Kageyoshi crashes into the ground where he was standing. When Senbonzakura Kageyoshi follows him into the air, Ichigo fires another Getsuga Tenshō directly at Byakuya, only for the latter to casually block and disperse it with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. Suddenly, Ichigo finds Senbonzakura Kageyoshi massing behind him in midair, and as one of the blade petals cuts his shoulder, Ichigo turns and attempts to block the swarm with Zangetsu, only for the remainder of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi surrounding Byakuya to join the rest and overpower Ichigo, who is slammed into the ground in a flurry of blade petals. While the dust clears, Byakuya details how Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is an attack comprised of millions of blades coming from all directions that Ichigo will never be able to evade with a slow technique.

With Byakuya clarifying that this is true despite the considerable power of his Zanpakutō, the dust clears to reveal a wounded and bleeding Ichigo lies in a large crater created by the attack. However, when Byakuya turns away, Ichigo merely berates himself for thinking that he could beat a Bankai with a Shikai, and as an alerted Byakuya admonishes him for not thinking before he speaks because his words imply that he has achieved Bankai, Ichigo confirms that this is exactly what he is saying as he stands up. Seeing Byakuya stunned by what he just said, a wounded Ichigo questions if Byakuya is going to make him say it again or if the latter does not believe what he is seeing before proclaiming that he is nowhere near finished.

Ichigo holds Zangetsu out to the side and tells Byakuya to watch closely in order to see his Bankai before yelling loudly as his Reiatsu begins surging around him. While he watches this, a stunned Byakuya mentally asserts that this is impossible because only the most experienced Shinigami can perform Bankai, with even the four Noble Houses whose members are born with Reiatsu surpassing all others only having one member in several generations ever attain that level of power, to the point that the names of those who have achieved Bankai are etched into the history of Soul Society. Looking at Ichigo, Byakuya wonders how he could dream of achieving Bankai when he became a Shinigami on borrowed powers and has no noble lineage in addition to not being a proper Shinigami.

Despite this, Byakuya is unable to comprehend how Ichigo can be emitting such astounding Reiatsu. Suddenly, Ichigo points Zangetsu in front of him and grips it with both hands before activating his Bankai, which releases an explosion of energy that blasts off the edge of Sōkyoku Hill. The dust and energy clear before an astonished Byakuya to reveal Ichigo standing with his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, consisting of a ragged black coat with a red lining and a pure black daitō. However, Byakuya refuses to believe that what he perceives to be an ordinary Zanpakutō could be a Bankai and assumes that this is simply Ichigo gleefully treading on something else the Shinigami hold sacred once more.

However, as Byakuya moves to attack with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi while declaring that he will cut Ichigo down for insulting their pride, he suddenly finds Ichigo holding the tip of Tensa Zangetsu to his throat before he can react, stunning him. Ichigo observes that Byakuya's pride demands that he kill Rukia and steps back before proclaiming that stepping on this pride is the reason why he achieved Bankai as he levels Tensa Zangetsu at Byakuya. After recalling how he briefly lost sight of Ichigo and could not react in time when the latter held him at swordpoint, Byakuya looks at Ichigo standing before him and questions if Ichigo withdrew his blade out of overconfidence.

Asserting that arrogance destroys the footholds of victory, Byakuya claims that Tensa Zangetsu cannot possibly be a Bankai due to its miserable size and Ichigo himself being a Ryoka before warning Ichigo that he will regret not slitting Byakuya's throat when he had the chance because one only gets a single miracle per battle, Byakuya promises that Ichigo will not get a second chance and attacks him with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. At the last second, Ichigo evades the swarm of blade petals, which slices through the rocks behind him, and dodges another stream of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi sent by Byakuya before landing in front of him and slashing at him with his sword, which a surprised Byakuya blocks with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. Upon being attacked from the side, Ichigo rapidly moves behind Byakuya before the petals reach him.

Ichigo falls onto his hand to duck below another stream sent at him, allowing him to handspring behind Byakuya once again while the latter turns to face the area where he was located prior. Astonished by Ichigo's speed while the latter continues to evade Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Byakuya wonders if his Bankai cannot catch Ichigo, who begins moving so fast that he generates several afterimages of himself around Byakuya. With Ichigo questioning if he cannot keep up and noting that he can still go faster, Byakuya tells him to not get carried away and gestures with his left hand at Ichigo.

Realizing that Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is speeding up, Ichigo narrowly dodges the two streams of blade petals that subsequently crash into the area where he was located. Internally, Byakuya details how controlling Senbonzakura Kageyoshi with his hands makes it move twice as fast and asserts that there is no one whom he cannot catch before converging the entirety of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi onto Ichigo in midair, which he believes will be the finishing blow. However, Ichigo merely slashes all the blade petals around him away with hundreds of rapid strikes with his sword, leaving Byakuya staring in shock at him having swatted them all away, and reminds Byakuya of his claim that one can only have a single miracle per battle as he appears behind Byakuya and inquires what this is before stabbing at him. Byakuya turns around and catches the blade of Ichigo's sword near the hilt with his right hand before it can pierce his body, and as blood spurts into the air from his injured hand, Byakuya concludes that Tensa Zangetsu concentrates all its power into this small blade so Ichigo can fight with maximum force at hyper-speed. Acknowledging this as the secret ability of Ichigo's Bankai, Byakuya proclaims that he will simply crush that power and Ichigo along with it.

A surprised Ichigo pulls his bloodied sword out of Byakuya's grasp and leaps back. However, Byakuya simply tells Ichigo to observe the true form of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, taken when it has abandoned all defense and dedicated itself only to offense, and initiates Senkei while his blade petals mass overhead and form a thousand large swords that begin rotating in four rows around the two of them. With Ichigo intimidated by this, Byakuya explains 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 by his own hand as he summons one of the swords to his bloody right hand. As Byakuya concludes that he is only the second person to ever see it, Ichigo claims to feel special.

After Byakuya inquires if he is ready, Ichigo leaps forward alongside Byakuya, embedding footprints in and shattering the ground where they were standing, and clash fiercely, resulting in an explosion of energy that rips out of the Senkei barrier around them. While blood spatters on one of the Senkei swords rotating around them, Ichigo and Byakuya clash fiercely in the center of the circular rows. When their blades pass each other and manage to strike, 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 too. Suddenly, Ichigo finds the tip of Byakuya's sword about to pierce him between the eyes and narrowly evades it at the last second, receiving a cut on his right cheek.

As Byakuya seemingly passes by him, Ichigo looks to his right, only for Byakuya to appear behind him and stab 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 reeling in pain, 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.

Byakuya pulls out the sword embedded in Ichigo's foot, allowing the latter to stumble forward, and observes that he has reached his limit. As a confused and bloodied Ichigo realizes that he cannot 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 and explosively increases their lethality while leaving his speed unchanged. With Ichigo realizing that he just got slower, Byakuya admits that he did well to defeat captain-class Shinigami and survive a direct attack from Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, but concludes 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, as just fighting or surviving means nothing, prompting Zangetsu to scoff 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.

Suddenly, Zangetsu slashes Byakuya diagonally across the chest with the sword of Tensa Zangetsu. With a large amount of blood spattering on the ground from a badly wounded Byakuya, Zangetsu laughs maniacally and berates Ichigo as not being good enough because of how his bones are creaking from the weight of his own Reiatsu. Crushing the Senkei sword that Byakuya was using in his left hand, Zangetsu declares that he will show Ichigo how to use Bankai, and as Byakuya calls another sword to his hand, Zangetsu unleashes a black Getsuga Tenshō, shocking Byakuya with its different color, and moves to Byakuya's left before unleashing another black Getsuga Tenshō. However, as Byakuya prepares to counter the two blasts approaching him, Zangetsu suddenly appears behind Byakuya and attacks him, allowing both 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 Zangetsu is a Hollow due to his Reiatsu and strange mask, Zangetsu stands across from him and dismisses the answer as irrelevant for Byakuya, only to be interrupted when his left hand grabs the still-forming mask on his face. With Byakuya staring in astonishment, Zangetsu 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 before ripping off the mask and regaining control.

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. Smiling, Byakuya agrees to this and decides to not ask Ichigo about the entity controlling him before observing that they should let the next clash decide this battle since neither of them have much strength left. As he affirms 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, and after admitting 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 a large tendril of black Reiatsu emanating from his sword and swirling around him, Ichigo leaps toward Byakuya, who follows suit, and the two clash one last time in an explosion of white and black Reiatsu.

Aftermath
Afterwards, 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 his sword before he falls over. As Ichigo refuses to fall down, blood spurts from a fresh wound on Byakuya's chest, prompting him to look at his injured hand and recall Ichigo's sword piercing through the blade of his Shūkei: Hakuteiken during their final clash. Byakuya brings up Ichigo's desire to know why he did not try to save Rukia Kuchiki, 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, stunning Ichigo, and that familial devotion is nothing next to the law. Affirming that he must not succumb to sentimentality, Byakuya concludes that the Kuchiki Clan is one of the four great Noble Houses who must set an example for all Shinigami and 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 recall 13th Division Lieutenant Kaien Shiba as he realizes that he was never Ichigo's enemy since the latter has been fighting the laws of Soul Society.

After noting that Ichigo is similar to Kaien, whose ferocity he found distasteful, Byakuya informs Ichigo that his ferocity has broken Byakuya's sword and that he will no longer pursue Rukia before disappearing with Shunpo while ceding victory to Ichigo, who 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 Inoue's face, causing him to fall over while Orihime apologizes for her hard head and explains that she was trying to catch him. As Ichigo expresses surprise at Orihime being here, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, Ganju Shiba, and Makizō Aramaki approach as well.

While Uryū comments on Ichigo being in such good spirits despite being covered in blood, Ichigo inquires who Aramaki is, only to be told by an exasperated Aramaki to ignore him. Ichigo expresses relief at his friends being okay, though Uryū clarifies that they are not okay and are only unscathed compared to Ichigo himself. When Ichigo asks her if 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.