Renji, Oath of the Soul! Death Match with Byakuya

Within the training chamber, Ichigo battles Zangetsu and his clones, refusing to stop even as his swords shatter and he collapses, still short of bankai and warned he may die before reaching it. Racing toward Senzaikyū to free Rukia, Renji is halted on a bridge by an oppressive presence: his captain, Byakuya. Renji intercepts a Senka strike, boasting he now knows every one of Byakuya's moves, and cuts off his shikai release, showing he has quietly attained bankai of his own.

Releasing Hihiō Zabimaru, Renji separates the great serpent's segments to let Byakuya's Senbonzakura pass harmlessly through and drives the captain to one knee. Byakuya rises and counters, using an incanted-forgoing Sōkatsui not to blind Renji but to disrupt the bankai, then binds him with Rikujōkōrō. He explains that a bankai's vast size, unmastered without a further decade of training, is its weakness, and dismisses Renji as unready.

Byakuya then unveils his own bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, whose storm of blade petals grievously wounds Renji. As Byakuya turns away, likening him to a beast reaching for the moon's reflection, Renji forces himself up. In a shared vision, both he and Ichigo swear on their own souls to save Rukia, and Renji drives his broken blade into Byakuya's scarf, drawing blood, before collapsing. Impressed that Renji's fang reached him, Byakuya drapes his scarf over the fallen lieutenant and departs. On the execution bridge, a sensing Rukia realizes what has happened to Renji, moments before Gin Ichimaru approaches her with a cruel smile.

Renji reveals he has secretly achieved bankai and forces Byakuya to one knee with Hihiō Zabimaru's segmented defense. Byakuya activates his own bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, and defeats Renji, but honors him by leaving his scarf after Renji lands a blood-drawing final blow. Ichigo continues his bankai training against Zangetsu despite mounting injuries. Rukia senses Renji's defeat and is then confronted by Gin Ichimaru on the bridge.

The episode adapts chapters 140 through 144 in the Soul Society rescue storyline. The anime expands the training sequences and the duel, and several details differ from the manga, including how Renji interrupts Byakuya's release and the choreography of the bankai clash. It marks the last televised English dub episode to use the full end credits. A comedic segment has Kon rapidly introducing several prominent Shinigami.