Ikkaku Madarame vs. Edrad Liones

 is a fight taking place during the Arrancar Invasion between 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and Arrancar #13. Edrad Liones, marking the first usage of an Arrancar's Resurrección.

Prelude
Following Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies' brutal encounter with Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo in Karakura Town, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame is selected to join a Strike Force headed by 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, meant to assist Ichigo and his friends in the new conflict, as Renji's first pick for the team. Upon reuniting with Ichigo at Karakura High School, Ikkaku stands by while Rukia Kuchiki forces Ichigo to battle a Hollow and later leaves with the rest of the Strike Force to discuss the situation at the Kurosaki Clinic.

Simultaneously, Ulquiorra returns to Las Noches and relays his confrontation to Aizen and the other Arrancar through Solita Vista, where they learn that Ulquiorra determined Ichigo was not worth killing and thus left him alive. Though Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez criticizes him for this since it presents the risk of Ichigo growing too strong to kill later, Aizen determines that Ulquiorra did nothing wrong, to Grimmjow's frustration. That night, Grimmjow comes to Karakura Town himself and is joined by Edrad Liones and the rest of his Fracción once the sun sets. When Shawlong Koufang notes that he sensed several different strong Reiatsu on their way here, Grimmjow has them utilize Pesquisa in order to accurately determine how many combatants are nearby, and once they are all detected, Grimmjow orders his Fracción to kill anyone with Reiatsu.

During this, Ikkaku sits on the roof of a building with 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa and brings up the onigiri they purchased earlier, which he observes the intricate and neat packaging of in their complex wrapping paper and how they are in all the local stores before revealing that a sales girl told him they are replaced dozens of times each day, something he considers impossible. With Ikkaku concluding that the sales girl could not possibly have the skill to pull this off and that something nefarious must be going on behind the scenes, Yumichika concurs and admits that he was just thinking the same thing.

Simultaneously, Ikkaku and Yumichika exit their Gigai and express excitement at the prospect of facing the Arrancar while preparing to move out. Soon afterward, Edrad confronts Ikkaku and Yumichika. Upon sensing Di Roy Rinker's death from across Karakura Town, a grinning Edrad asserts that whoever fought Di Roy was lucky due to the latter never being strong enough to become an Arrancar and warns Ikkaku and Yumichika That they are not so lucky because he is not Di Roy prior to performing and attacking with Palma Plancha, which creates a large explosion of force that dwarfs the surrounding buildings.

Fight
Shortly afterward, Keigo Asano, who had been sent out by Mizuho Asano to get her a drink, is interrupted when a powerful explosion occurs at the intersection in front of him, and as he scrambles back in shock, Keigo sees Ikkaku standing in the clearing dust with blood streaming down from a wound on his forehead. When a frightened Keigo recognizes Ikkaku as one of the people who came to Karakura High School today and demands to know what he is doing running around in the middle of the night while bleeding and carrying a sword, a surprised Ikkaku recognizes him in turn before Edrad hits him in the face with a Hierro-enhanced strike that sends Ikkaku crashing into the ground next to Keigo. A laughing Edrad inquires if this is the best that the Shinigami can offer, leading Keigo to pick up on his mention of shinigami and wonder what he is talking about prior to Ikkaku getting his attention and suggesting they make a deal.

After detailing how he and Yumichika need a place to stay tonight and how Edrad is going to kill Keigo, Ikkaku promises to save Keigo from Edrad if Keigo lets them stay at his house for a while. With a stunned Keigo expressing confusion at this, an angered Ikkaku orders Keigo to give him an answer, prompting Keigo to agree as a pleased Ikkaku stands up and faces Edrad, whom he asks about the identity of. Initially responding with his Arrancar number, Edrad pauses and dismisses this since there is no point in introducing himself to a dead man, only for an unimpressed Ikkaku to comment on his poor etiquette and reveal he always tells those he trains to introduce themselves to their victims because someone who is about to be killed has the right to know the name of their killer. Introducing himself as the 3rd Seat of Kenpachi Zaraki's division, Ikkaku instructs Edrad to take note of his name since it is the last one that the latter will ever hear.

Ikkaku begins battling Edrad through the streets of Karakura Town using his Zanpakutō and questions why Edrad is not using his own Zanpakutō, which he assumes could just be for show. When Edrad explains that the Arrancar have skin like heavy armor due to their Hierro and claims that he can defeat Ikkaku with his bare hands, Ikkaku suddenly slashes at Edrad's arm while reinforcing his Zanpakutō with its scabbard in his other hand, forcing Edrad to partially draw his own Zanpakutō from its sheath to defend himself, which prompts Ikkaku to observe that he realized his vulnerability and chose to keep his arm. After pushing Ikkaku back, Edrad criticizes himself as disgraceful for having to draw his Zanpakutō against a mere Shinigami, but Ikkaku simply promises to make Edrad release its power next.

Nearby, a bewildered Keigo watches the fight and wonders who the two of them are, and in response, Yumichika recontextualizes Ikkaku's position of 3rd Seat as making him the second most powerful man in the most feared division of the Gotei 13. Though Keigo is confused as to why he is not helping Ikkaku, Yumichika draws Keigo's attention to Ikkaku's overjoyed expression and notes he is having fun fighting a formidable enemy for the first time in a long time before asserting he does not want any help and would reject any offered to him. Keigo admits he does not understand this and inquires if Yumichika is sure Ikkaku will win, only for Yumichika to casually state he is not and observe Ikkaku will die happy if he loses, to Keigo's disbelief.

Meanwhile, Edrad uses Palma Plancha and his own Zanpakutō to match Ikkaku's strikes with both his Zanpakutō and its scabbard while internally observing Ikkaku is genuinely skilled despite his rough fighting style and overconfident demeanor, though he calls Ikkaku's fighting style direct and predictable due to attacking from the left with his Zanpakutō and blocking from the right with its scabbard, and after forcing Ikkaku back with a Palma Plancha strike, Edrad presumes he can always predict Ikkaku's next move this way and it will be easy to find an opening as he slams his left hand into the ground where Ikkaku is standing, forcing the latter to leap high into the air.

However, when Edrad sees Ikkaku moving to swing his left arm and presumes the latter is attacking with his Zanpakutō, he is astonished to find himself blocking Ikkaku's scabbard, which Ikkaku had moved to his left hand, before Ikkaku slashes at his face with his Zanpakutō in his right hand. In the aftermath, blood sprays into the air while Ikkaku and Edrad separate from each other, with Edrad having been slashed across his face and Ikkaku expressing disappointment at not having cut the former's head off like he intended to.

Internally, Edrad ruminates on Ikkaku making him think his fighting style was predictable just to catch Edrad off-guard and switching his Zanpakutō to his other hand just as Edrad made his move, which he is left aghast at the huge risk of due to Ikkaku being just as liable to deal a critical injury as be killed in the process and realizes is Ikkaku fighting for sport instead of to win. Furthermore, Edrad mentally admonishes Ikkaku for exposing himself just to lure Edrad in, which he considers only superficially clever, and for treating this like a game with his own life being disposable while Ikkaku pulls two teeth out of his mouth and deduces that Edrad's Palma Plancha consists of him filling his hand with Reiatsu to strike opponents with.

Impressed by Edrad knocking out two of his teeth with this, Ikkaku tosses the teeth away and decides to have 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon make him some new ones prior to vowing to keep hitting Edrad and figuring out his moves until the latter is forced to release his Zanpakutō. In response, an amused Edrad admits that he underestimated Ikkaku and that it would be better to fight with his Zanpakutō released against someone like him. Though Ikkaku assumes that this is Edrad acknowledging his skill, Edrad denies this and points out that Ikkaku fights for sport instead of to win while promising to show him what it is like to be completely outmatched so he never makes the mistake of fighting an Arrancar for fun again before entering his Resurrección, Volcánica, which visibly unnerves Ikkaku. Calling Ikkaku's reaction impolite, Edrad notes that this is how Arrancar release their Zanpakutō as he stands before Ikkaku with gigantic arms terminating in tall shoulder spikes arching over his head, which is encased in white armor. After bringing up Ikkaku's philosophy of introducing himself to those he is about to kill, Edrad fully introduces himself to a stunned Ikkaku.

Edrad explains to an astonished Ikkaku that an Arrancar's Zanpakutō is sealed with the core of their power inside their body, differentiating them from the Zanpakutō wielded by Shinigami, and concludes that releasing their Zanpakutō also releases their true power and appearance, meaning that this is his true form and Volcánica is his true power before generating flames in his fist and firing a powerful blast at Ikkaku, who is sent flying back several blocks through Karakura Town. Upon witnessing this alongside a terrified Keigo, Yumichika contacts the Shinigami Research and Development Institute and requests a large spatial freeze around Ikkaku due to the enemy's destructive power increasing beyond what they expected and putting a number of Humans at risk of getting caught up in the fight, with Yumichika noting their safety is the top priority while building repairs can be paid for by the Eleventh Division as usual.

After explaining that the other Arrancar who are invading Karakura Town likely being more powerful than expected as well means that identical spatial freezes should be placed around the opponents of 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, Renji, Rukia, and Ichigo in addition so they do not take any chances, Yumichika solemnly asks that a division funeral be prepared for Ikkaku as well once this is acknowledged.

Meanwhile, Edrad punches Ikkaku into the ground and sends him crashing through the side of a building into the air with a swipe of his hand as he laughs uproariously. Suddenly, Ikkaku stops himself in midair with Hohō and releases his Shikai, Hōzukimaru, to continue fighting while Edrad follows him into the air and attacks with a flaming punch that breaks through Hōzukimaru and sets Ikkaku on fire, leaving him to fall and crash into the street below. Descending to the ground below, Edrad advises Ikkaku to give up since knowing when to quit can be a virtue for a warrior and warns Ikkaku to not get blown to pieces due to how well he fought, but Ikkaku simply grins at him, prompting a disappointed Edrad to slam his fist down onto Ikkaku in a huge pillar of flame. However, Edrad is shocked when the smoke clears to reveal a bloodied Ikkaku standing up and bracing himself against Edrad's fist with his back.

As he laments how unequal their power is, Ikkaku observes that the others hopefully will not notice because of how busy they are, and after complaining about how he did not want to use this, Ikkaku instructs Edrad to watch closely and not tell anyone about this prior to activating his Bankai. While a large, wide tornado crackling with Reiatsu forms around Ikkaku, Keigo is left bewildered by it while Yumichika notes with a smile that Ikkaku has decided to use his Bankai. Within the tornado, a stunned Edrad picks up on Ikkaku's mention of Bankai, prompting Ikkaku to confirm this as the tornado clears to reveal him standing with his Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, two massive blades linked to a third floating behind his back with a handle, before he assumes a combat stance with them.

Though Edrad calls this impressive, Ikkaku counters that his Reiatsu is not high enough to impress Edrad yet and instructs him to be impressed when he dies, prompting the two of them to leap high into the air to resume their battle. When Edrad throws another flaming punch, Ikkaku slashes his guandao upward and slashes cleanly through Edrad's outstretched fist, leaving the latter shocked that Ikkaku managed to cut him prior to looking up to see Ikkaku dropping down on him with the monk's spade pointed downward while grinning ferociously. Though Edrad manages to block the spade with his forearm, he grunts in pain and disbelief at the spade cutting into his arm and emits a jet of fire from the opening on his left shoulder to push Ikkaku back with a burst of flame.

With Ikkaku skidding back through the air, Edrad mentally deduces that rather than enhancing Ikkaku's Kidō, speed, or even defensive ability, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru is simply a huge amount of energy with tremendous destructive power, though he observes that such an offense-focused weapon is vulnerable to damage upon seeing that the spade is missing a chunk of its blade. While Ikkaku begins spinning Ryūmon Hōzukimaru around by the handle on the central blade, whose dragon crest begins to fill, Edrad internally asserts he can still win and will crush Ikkaku before the latter can cut off his arm as he concludes he cannot lose in a contest of raw power.

However, Edrad is startled to sense that the Reiatsu of Ryūmon Hōzukimaru is increasing, and as he comments on Edrad finally noticing this, Ikkaku explains that Hōzukimaru is lazy to the point of usually being asleep when he performs Bankai, such that the only way to wake its full power is to exchange blows with an enemy, with its dragon crest slowly turning red as it starts to wake and indicating that Ryūmon Hōzukimaru is at maximum power when it is completely filled. After the dragon crest turns completely red, Ikkaku inquires if Edrad is ready, which a smiling Edrad confirms, and the two clash for the final time in an explosion of Reiatsu and fire.

Aftermath
In the air above Karakura Town, the broken guandao blade of Ryūmon Hōzukimaru falls out of a cloud of smoke and embeds itself in the ground below, leaving Ikkaku holding the shattered handle and cursing as he coughs up blood and falls to the ground below as well. Behind Ikkaku, Edrad notes he is glad to have learned Ikkaku's name due to his right arm and a large chunk of his torso having been destroyed by Ikkaku's final attack prior to his eyes rolling back in his head while he falls to the ground below in turn. With Edrad's body creating a huge explosion of force on impact several blocks away from him, Ikkaku lies on the ground and clutches the broken handle of the guandao, causing him to remember meeting Kenpachi for the first time. Afterward, Ikkaku drags himself along the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind him, and is met by Yumichika, who smiles and asserts he knew Ikkaku would still be alive.

In response, Ikkaku affirms this and observes he was luckier than Yumichika could imagine today. Some time later, at her apartment, Mizuho wonders where Keigo is due to how long it has taken him to come back and vows to punish him when he returns. When Keigo opens the front door and meekly announces that he is home, Mizuho angrily demands to know where he has been, only to stop in shock upon seeing Keigo standing with a bloodied Ikkaku and an uninjured Yumichika, who have returned to their Gigai. With Mizuho visibly stunned by this, Keigo explains that he found Ikkaku and Yumichika lying in the street when he went to get her drink, which is why he did not get it, and that they are going to stay with her and Keigo for a while, which they do not have a choice in.

However, Mizuho simply congratulates Keigo on having done a good deed and readily welcomes Ikkaku and Yumichika into her home, leaving Keigo flabbergasted and questioning why they are not asking their parents first. With Mizuho gushingly greeting Ikkaku and pointing out how he brought them here when he calls her out on this, Keigo tearfully reveals that he was hoping she would politely decline so they would not have to let Ikkaku and Yumichika stay, and when Mizuho bluntly states that she does not mind, an incredulous Keigo demands to know why she does not mind since they are complete strangers and could be dangerous. Mizuho claims that she wants to be the kind of sister who would welcome a couple of strangers her brother brought home without questioning it, but Keigo dismisses this as irrelevant, which leads Mizuho to cheekily admit that she is attracted to men with shaved heads as well.

As Keigo expresses shock at this being her reason and informs her that Ikkaku is bald rather than shaven, an angered Ikkaku cuts off some of Keigo's hair with a slash of his wooden sword, which he levels the tip of against Keigo's head while reminding him that he is not bald, causing Keigo to timidly apologize and beg for his life.