Deadly Battle of Tears! Rukia vs. Orihime

Within his cavern hideout, Jin Kariya drains a Bitto of its concentrated Souls while Maki Ichinose offers an apology for having let Mabashi get past him. Kariya shrugs off the risk, reasoning that any Bount grows stronger by consuming living Souls and that a fight without danger holds no interest. At the warehouse district, Mabashi has turned his Doll, Ritz, loose inside Rukia Kuchiki, using her as a puppet against Orihime Inoue and Kurōdo. Ritz eventually expels Rukia's Soul from its Gigai to wring more power from her, threatening to burn through the body entirely.

Ordered to kill, the hijacked Rukia hurls Orihime skyward and unleashes Kidō blasts, but the Shun Shun Rikka rescue Orihime, and Santen Kesshun repeatedly absorbs the barrage. Tsubaki and the others press Orihime to strike back with Koten Zanshun, yet she refuses again and again, unwilling to wound a friend she wants only to save. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, an exhausted Ichigo carries Keigo Asano until Izuru Kira offers to share the burden, and the two reach the Urahara Shop, where Hanatarō Yamada prepares to channel Ichigo's Reiryoku into the fading Keigo.

Kurōdo proposes that they target Mabashi himself rather than Rukia. When Orihime finally fires Koten Zanshun at the Bount, Rukia throws herself in the path and takes the hit to her leg. Shūhei Hisagi arrives and intercepts Rukia's blade, recognizing that a Doll controls her. Straining against Ritz, Rukia briefly reclaims her voice and begs Orihime to fire on her, insisting death with her pride intact is preferable to being forced to hurt her friends. Orihime instead resolves to end it her own way.

Shielding herself with Santen Kesshun, Orihime advances through Rukia's Sōkatsui, drives Mabashi back with Koten Zanshun, then embraces Rukia and invokes Sōten Kisshun, tearing Ritz free and restoring her friend to health. Hisagi cuts down the ejected Doll, but as he moves to finish Mabashi, Ichinose appears, knocks the Bount out to stop him talking, and carries him off with Shunpo. Left behind, a weeping Orihime rejoices as a healed Rukia thanks her.

Mabashi uses his Doll, Ritz, to possess Rukia Kuchiki and pit her against Orihime Inoue and Kurōdo. Orihime repeatedly refuses to attack her controlled friend, relying on Santen Kesshun for defense. Izuru Kira helps Ichigo carry Keigo Asano to the Urahara Shop for treatment by Hanatarō Yamada. Shūhei Hisagi joins the warehouse fight, and Rukia momentarily overpowers Ritz to plead for release. Orihime frees Rukia by separating Ritz with Sōten Kisshun, Hisagi severs the Doll, and Maki Ichinose retrieves an unconscious Mabashi before the Shinigami can kill him.

This is an anime-only episode belonging to the Bount arc and is not based on any manga chapter. It concludes the joint battle of Orihime Inoue and Shūhei Hisagi against Mabashi and the possessed Rukia. The closing Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book short is comedic filler in which Ganju Shiba, overwhelmed by customers at a convenience store, loses his temper and reduces the shop's interior to sand with Seppa.