The Resolution to Kill

 is the thirty-first episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai conclude their rematch.

Summary
With the sun beginning to set in Soul Society, Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai stare each other down near the steps leading up to Senzaikyū in the Seireitei. With Ichigo having sustained a head wound from Renji's last attack with his Shikai, Zabimaru, that drips a considerable amount of blood onto the ground, Ganju Shiba and 4th Division 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada express concern for him, prompting Ichigo to assure them that this is nothing.

Though Hanatarō is amazed that he can remain standing in this condition, a sweating Ichigo notes that his vision is blurry and his legs are trembling as he mentally urges his body to stop shaking. Grinning at the sight of this, Renji begins running toward Ichigo and taunts him as being just barely able to stand despite how confidently he is speaking before leaping into the air and bringing Zabimaru down onto Ichigo, who narrowly dodges by rolling away at the last second.

As he angrily proclaims that Rukia Kuchiki would not be going through this if Ichigo did not exist and had never met her, Renji extends Zabimaru overhead and brings it down onto Ichigo once more, prompting Ganju to warn him to run away. Ichigo leaps out of the resulting dust cloud and onto the roof of the building next to the one he crashed into prior, and upon seeing this, Renji declares that he will not let Ichigo get away while slashing Zabimaru diagonally through the corner of the rooftop. With Ichigo running away from this, Renji jumps up onto the rooftop and rushes toward Ichigo, who clashes with him in an explosion of force that radiates outward.

While Ichigo and Renji continue to clash, a stunned Hanatarō sees Ichigo being pressured and concludes that it is impossible to fight a lieutenant after all. Elsewhere, 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori stands with 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira as she shows him Renji's lieutenant badge and explains how she found it in front of Renji's room in the Sixth Division barracks after he left the lieutenant's meeting early. When Izuru inquires if the captains are aware of this, Hinamori admits that she has not told them and sadly notes that she only refrained from telling her captain, Sōsuke Aizen, because she did not want Renji to get punished.

Though Izuru assures her that this was the wise decision because they do not know what is going on, Hinamori questions what it could mean for Renji to remove this before he left, and Izuru observes that it must be important as he recalls how Renji has been concerned about Rukia's situation before promising to look for him as well. Back outside the steps leading up to Senzaikyū, the ground shakes with the force of the battle while Renji sends Zabimaru hurtling into Ichigo, who is sent sliding back after blocking it with the broad side of his Shikai, Zangetsu. Retracting Zabimaru, Renji breathes heavily as he glares for several seconds at a panting Ichigo, whom he calls stubborn.

As Renji inquires if he really wants to save Rukia this badly, Ichigo clarifies that he will save Rukia, prompting an angered Renji to slash Zabimaru into Ichigo's right should while reminding him that Rukia's crime became more serious because he stole her powers. Proclaiming that it is Ichigo's fault that Rukia is going to be killed, Renji slams Zabimaru into him, but Ichigo manages to stand his ground while blocking with Zangetsu and asserts that he is going to save her because knows this before pushing Zabimaru away. Ichigo watches closely as a surprised Renji retracts Zabimaru and mentally notes that he has finally deduced Renji's limit of three attacks.

In the past, as they stand in his underground training area, Kisuke Urahara details to Ichigo how attacks are limited to fewer consecutive uses the more powerful they are. When Ichigo expresses confusion at this concept, Urahara uses revolvers that can only fire six bullets and missiles that can only fire once as examples of how successive attacks are limited to certain numbers. In the present, Ichigo mentally reviews Renji's three attacks of extending Zabimaru and attacking with it twice before he is forced to retract it, which he decides to test while recalling Urahara's explanation of how the maximum number of attacks matters more than the total each time.

As he remembers Urahara's assertion that an enemy will always use the maximum number of attacks when the battle is intense, Ichigo runs toward Renji, who curses him while sending Zabimaru hurtling toward Ichigo. Sidestepping Zabimaru, which crashes into the ground, Ichigo mentally counts this as the first attack and recalls Urahara stating that his chance lies in figuring out the maximum number of successive attacks. Dodging Renji's second strike with Zabimaru, Ichigo remembers Urahara's conclusion that the most important attack is the last one before the enemy begins their successive attacks once more and deflects Zabimaru once more on its third strike.

Ichigo runs toward Renji as the latter begins to retract Zabimaru and recalls Urahara revealing that the enemy will be completely open during this period before leaping toward a surprised Renji and declaring that this is the end. However, when Ichigo slashes Zangetsu downward at him, Renji evades his attack and sinks Zabimaru deep into Ichigo's left shoulder. As he reiterates that Ichigo cannot defeat him, Renji rips Zabimaru partway down Ichigo's chest, resulting in the wound spurting blood while Ichigo falls to his knees and wonders how Renji countered him. With Ganju and Hanatarō watching in concern, Renji observes that Ichigo seems shocked by his counter.

After admitting that Ichigo's strategy of looking for an opening between attacks was good and his timing was perfect, Renji asserts that this came about because Ichigo is slower than he is and cannot overcome the different in their power. Raising Zabimaru above his head, Renji claims that Ichigo cannot save Rukia before slamming Zabimaru down onto Ichigo, creating a cloud of dust that spreads over the area while Ganju calls out to Ichigo. In the Shishinrō within Senzaikyū, Rukia expresses astonishment and looks out the narrow window. Elsewhere in the Seireitei, Yoruichi Shihōin stands on a rooftop as multiple Shinigami run around below.

Upon sensing the powerful Reiatsu surge from Renji's attack, Yoruichi expresses concern for Ichigo. Meanwhile, Hinamori is left stunned by Renji's Reiatsu as Izuru leads three other Shinigami toward the battle when he senses it as well. Back at the battleground, the dust clears to reveal Renji standing several feet back from Ichigo, who uses Zangetsu to push himself to his feet while Hanatarō expresses relief at him being alive and Ganju realizes that he dodged the blow at the last second. With Renji commenting that he really is stubborn, a heavily panting Ichigo stares at him and recalls more of his training with Urahara prior to entering Soul Society.

In the past, while kneeling several feet away from Urahara to catch his breath, Ichigo angrily accuses Urahara of having actually tried to kill him with his last attack, which Urahara confirms before revealing that he is trying to push Ichigo into a corner. Walking over to the chasm Ichigo left in the ground earlier, Urahara explains that his plan is to push Ichigo until he can use the technique that created the chasm on command, but Ichigo asserts that this was a fluke and not something he can do whenever he wants. However, Urahara states that he has to be able to use it at will and observes how Ichigo has only just begun to access the true power of his Zanpakutō.

Though he notes that Ichigo has potential, Urahara describes him as only being at the level of a 3rd or 4th Seat right now and begins approaching Ichigo as he concludes that Ichigo will need to be able to use his technique at will if he wants to fight evenly with combatants of Lieutenant-level strength and above. When Ichigo admits that this is easier said than done because using the technique before took everything he had and he does not remember how he used it, Urahara cheerfully affirms this before suddenly leaping forward and jabbing his Shikai, Benihime, at Ichigo, who narrowly blocks it with the broad side of Zangetsu as he is sent sliding back by the force of the blow.

Jumping into the air above Ichigo, Urahara slashes and jabs at him, both of which Ichigo dodges, as he takes advantage of Benihime being lodged in the ground by his second attack to balance on top of the handle and kick Ichigo in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. With Urahara pulling Benihime out of the ground and lunging toward him, Ichigo barely manages to block his subsequent slash with Zangetsu while lying on the ground and angrily attempts to push Urahara back, only for Urahara to flip over his head and onto the side of a nearby rock pillar, which he leaps off of before clashing with Ichigo once more as the impact pushes the latter back.

After reiterating his plan to push Ichigo until he remembers how to use his technique, Urahara sends him flying into the air with a slash of Benihime, resulting in Ichigo smashing into the top of another rock pillar. As Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu Tsumugiya, and Jinta Hanakari attempt to tend to Ichigo's injuries, Urahara steps in front of them and requests that they not do so yet before running toward the pillar Ichigo crashed into, leaving his crew surprised. Having fallen onto the ground behind the pillar, a bloodied Ichigo realizes that he really will die at this rate and is shocked when Urahara appears in the air in front of him and slashes at Ichigo with Benihime.

Ichigo narrowly dodges Urahara's slash as the pressure created by it gouges a fissure into the ground behind him, and while Ichigo rolls out of the way upon seeing him rushing forward, Urahara slams Benihime into the ground where he was standing, creating a large impact crater around himself as a cloud of dust rolls over Ichigo. While Ichigo pants heavily, a solemn Urahara expresses disappointment in Ichigo's condition before asserting that his blade only resonates with fear. Detailing how Ichigo's every move revolves around his fear, Urahara declares that this will not bring him victory in battle because nothing is born of fear as he raises Benihime above his head.

With the air around him distorting due to his intense Reiatsu and chunks of the ground flying upward, Urahara tells Ichigo that his actions should revolve around his resolve to kill and not let himself or others be killed before drawing attention to Benihime, which he describes as being filled with his own resolve to kill Ichigo. Upon seeing Benihime glowing with red energy, a stunned Ichigo gets to his feet and glares at Urahara, who is startled to see Ichigo's eyes glowing blue. As Urahara's crew watches in astonishment, Ichigo raises Zangetsu above his head and begins exerting his Reiatsu, resulting in the air around him distorting as well while Zangetsu glows with blue energy.

While a smiling Urahara notes that this will do, Jinta and Ururu realize that Zangetsu and Benihime are howling, which leads Tessai to observe that they are crying out because they cannot wait to cross blades. In unison, Ichigo unleashes a Getsuga Tenshō as Urahara uses Nake, Benihime to fire an energy wave of equal strength, and the two attacks detonate on contact, creating a massive explosion that rips through the surrounding landscape. The dust and light clear to reveal Tessai shielding Jinta and Ururu with his body, and as they sit up, the three of them express shock upon seeing Ichigo and Urahara standing on opposite sides of a newly-created X-shaped chasm.

As Ichigo pants in exertion, Urahara commends him for having resolve after all. In the present, Ichigo glares at Renji, who is unnerved by his newfound resolve, and rests Zangetsu on his shoulders, prompting Ganju to realize that he intends to continue fighting while Hanatarō notes that he is completely different from before. Apologizing for keeping Renji waiting, Ichigo asserts that he has resolve now and promises to get him this time as his eyes glow blue. Stunned to see Ichigo's body briefly glow with blue Reiatsu before exerting pressure outward, Renji wonders what has happened to him and remembers how something similar happened during their first battle in the Human World.

However, Renji concludes with astonishment that it is different because Ichigo is currently calmly controlling his Reiryoku, which is now much stronger, instead of exerting it at random like he did before. Upon seeing Ichigo bearing down on him in the air above while yelling, Renji sends Zabimaru hurtling toward him, but Ichigo dodges it in midair and mentally recalls Urahara's instructions to revolve his actions around not letting himself or others be killed. When Ichigo lands behind him, Renji curses and slashes a still-extended Zabimaru at him, prompting Ichigo to block vertically with Zangetsu as the segments of Zabimaru grind across his blade.

Ichigo repels Zabimaru and lifts Zangetsu above his head, and as it begins to glow with blue Reiatsu, Ichigo repeats Urahara's instruction to kill when one attacks. Though he slashes at Ichigo once more, Renji finds Zabimaru shattered and his chest deeply cut by Ichigo's subsequent Getsuga Tenshō, resulting in a large amount of blood spurting into the air while Renji's hairband is destroyed. With a sphere of energy expanding outward from the point of impact, Ganju declares that Ichigo did it as Renji is sent flying back, where he crashes into a large chunk of rubble. As he realizes Ichigo got him, Renji questions what just happened and sees Zabimaru has been broken.

Mentally cursing as he looks along the length of the newly-created fissure in the ground to see Ichigo still standing, Renji recalls Ichigo asserting that he has resolve now and notes how much pain he is in, with his body feeling heavy, his legs not moving, and his arms unable to rise. Upon realizing that he has lost, Renji coughs up blood and screams skyward as he thinks of Rukia.

Next Episode Preview
3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira informs the audience that the next episode will reveal 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai's shocking past, and after 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori describes it as a youth's bittersweet memories and a sentimental secret story, they both instruct the viewers to not miss it. Though Renji angrily berates them for giving a summary that can cause misunderstandings, Ichigo Kurosaki admits that this sounds like fun, prompting Renji to demand that he not take it seriously.

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Renji Abarai: Rematch (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Zanpakutō Techniques:

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai: