The Immortal Man

Bleeding on the ground, Ichigo Kurosaki is asked by the spirit of his blade whether he wishes to fight, win, or merely survive. He chooses victory, and the spirit pulls him into his inner world, where he clings to a skyscraper window fearing another fall. Told the world is stable now that he is no longer Hollowfied, Ichigo is tossed an Asauchi and informed that his true weapon must be earned. When the spirit hurls the real Zangetsu away, a white-clad double, his inner Hollow, snatches it and challenges Ichigo to take it back.

Their contest is one-sided at first. The Hollow flings the blade with Deadly Darts and mocks Ichigo for never trying to understand his sword, treating it as a nameless tool. Ichigo comes to accept the criticism, resolving to learn about the source of his strength and fight alongside it rather than commanding it. In a sudden reversal, the two swap weapons, and the Hollow, satisfied that Ichigo is ready, dissolves back into the spirit's cloak. The spirit vows to hold back the rain of Ichigo's despair so long as Ichigo trusts him.

Back in the real world, Ichigo stands with a reforged Zangetsu and blue Reiatsu surging around him. He wounds a stunned Kenpachi before the captain can react, and the two exchange furious blows. Delighted by an opponent finally stronger than himself, Kenpachi tears off his eyepatch, a device built by the Research Institute to bleed off his power, and his Reiatsu explodes into a skull-shaped column. Ichigo answers by trusting his sword completely, his own energy forming a Hollow mask, and the two rush into a final clash that flattens the surrounding buildings, each impaling the other before Ichigo collapses.

Ichigo enters his inner world and duels his inner Hollow to prove he deserves Zangetsu, learning to work with his blade rather than merely wield it. He revives and gains the upper hand on Kenpachi, who removes his power-limiting eyepatch to fight at full strength. Their last exchange leaves both grievously wounded, with Kenpachi's sword through Ichigo's side and Zangetsu buried in Kenpachi's chest.

The episode adapts chapters 110 through 113 during the Soul Society infiltration, opening with D-tecnoLife and ending with Happypeople. A comedic subplot shows Ikkaku Madarame laughing at Yumichika Ayasegawa's hair, permed into an afro by Ganju's firework. The anime expands several exchanges of the duel, softens the blood in the climactic clash, and briefly gives the inner Hollow black lips, an error corrected in later appearances.