Dissension in the Substitute Team? Rukia's Betrayal

At the Urahara Shop, Tessai hauls in the reluctant healer Hanatarō to treat the gravely wounded Renji and the boy he shielded, drawing praise for his relief-team skill. Across town, Rukia and Orihime dodge the bladed assault of the aging Bount Yoshi, whose doll keeps chiding her for sloppy technique. When Mabashi muscles in and takes over the fight, he summons his flower-formed doll Ritz, drives Yoshi off with a bite to the neck, and then sends Ritz weaving through the ground and buildings after Rukia. After a frantic chase, Ritz burrows into Rukia's chest and possesses her, leaving her a glassy-eyed puppet who seizes Orihime by the collar.

At the construction site, Kira faces Koga and his gunslinging doll Dalk. Releasing his blade, Kira exploits its power to double the weight of whatever it strikes, steadily pinning the steel doll to the ground until she can no longer move. Koga, meanwhile, overpowers Ichigo with sheer physical strength and a scavenged beam, revealing the mental fortitude Bount build over their endless lives. Haunted by the memory of losing his companion Cain to a doll's power, Koga eventually seals Dalk himself, spares the pair, and departs, urging them not to squander their short lives.

Hanatarō is brought in to heal Renji and the injured boy. Mabashi displaces Yoshi, summons Ritz, and sends the doll to possess Rukia, who then turns on Orihime under his command. Kira releases his blade and uses its weight-doubling power to immobilize Dalk. Koga overwhelms Ichigo with physical strength, recalls the loss of his companion Cain, then seals Dalk and leaves both fighters alive with a warning to value their lives.

An anime-original entry from the Bount arc, this episode carries no source chapters and juggles three battles: Rukia and Orihime against Yoshi and then Mabashi, and Ichigo and Kira against Koga. A noted error has Kira mistakenly referring to Yumichika as a lieutenant while describing the strike team sent to the living world. The closing illustrated-book segment plays for laughs as the Shinigami Women's Association discovers their baked snacks gone, and a relieved Mayuri slips away as the culprit.