Blazing Souls

Sensing the distant clash between Renji and Byakuya, Kenpachi rips the raining blades from his body and relishes the mounting chaos across the Seireitei. On the bridge, Byakuya describes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi as a storm of steel petals that grinds everything before it into dust, and tells the gravely wounded Renji to take pride in still holding a human shape. When Renji's hand twitches on his hilt, Byakuya warns that any movement will only hasten his death.

The shards of Hihiō Zabimaru dissolve back into Renji's sealed blade as he insists the fight is not over. He charges, and Byakuya pins him with thirteen conjured swords, two of them spearing his sword arm. Byakuya draws one free and vows to grind Renji into dust. Barely able to breathe, Renji suddenly envisions a battered Ichigo rising before Zangetsu with a broken blade. The two grin in unison, and when Byakuya asks whether Renji still means to save Rukia, both Ichigo and Renji declare they swore it on their own souls. Renji shatters the sword pinning his arm, flings the pieces at a stunned Byakuya, and lunges forward with his weapon.

Published in Weekly Shonen Jump as "Parthian Shaft," the chapter appears in the seventeenth volume, Rosa Rubicundior, Lilio Candidior, under the title "Blazing Souls." It was adapted into episode 52, Renji, Oath of the Soul! Death Match with Byakuya.