Bleach/Conclusion of the Death Match! White Pride and Black Desire

Conclusion of the Death Match! White Pride and Black Desire
Season 3, Episode 18
Airdate	November 22, 2005
Production Number	59
Written by	Genki Yoshimura Masahiro Okubo Masashi Sogo Michiko Yokote Natsuko Takahashi Rika Nakase
Directed by	Noriyuki Abe
← 3x17 Unseal! The Black Blade, the Miraculous Power	3x19 → Reality of the Despair, the Assassin's Dagger is Swung
Bleach — Season Three

Conclusion of the Death Match! White Pride and Black Desire is the eighteenth episode of the third season of Bleach, and the fifty-eighth episode overall.

Co-Stars: Jeannie Elias (Yachiru Kusajishi), J.B. Blanc (Makizo Aramaki), Dan Woren (Byakuya Kuchiki), Kyle Hebert (Ganju Shiba), Steve Staley (Toshiro Hitsugaya), Megan Hollingshead (Rangiku Matsumoto)

Plot Overview

The gang of Ichigo's friends have finally made it up the stairs leading to Sōkyoku Hill, but what they find is the forest of dead trees in front of them with no sight of Ichigo. Although Orihime tells everyone that Ichigo is certainly the root of the explosive power ahead of them. But Chad expresses uncertainty over Rukia's whereabouts since he can't sense her power. Above them, Yachiru tells them that Rukia escaped long ago. Ganju wonders outloud why Ichigo is still fighting if Rukia is safe, which prompts Uryu to explain that Ichigo must destroy the very resolve to execute Rukia if she is to be truly safe. Makizo considers all of this to be madness, but Orihime understands that Rukia isn't just a friend to Ichigo; she's someone who changed his world.

Back in the battle, Byakuya is still convinced that he can win this fight. He pushes Ichigo back and removes the sword that he's impaled upon to show the true form of Senbonzakura, which completely cuts all defensive capabilities in order to devote all of the power towards offense. Countless pink swords circle overhead, buy Byakuya explains that the swords aren't there to kill him with, they're only a show for an opponent whom Byakuya has resolved to kill with his bare hands. He calls down one of the pink swords and the two clash against each other in battle. The force of the attack knocks Yachiru out of her tree and Uryu fears that if they stay in their current position, they'll be killed in the "crossfire." Instead of running, they all stay and wait, hoping that Ichigo will return to them soon.

In the "annihilationscape" Ichigo notes that Byakuya's movements have been increasing in speed. He figures that he'll be able to keep up, but Byakuya takes advantage of Ichigo's hesitation. He stabs another sword through Ichigo's foot and blows a hole in his shoulder using magic. The attack causes Ichigo's body to lock up and Byakuya explains that his speed hasn't changed, but rather Ichigo's speed. Ichigo has reached his limit, according to Byakuya, and he tries to strike the killing blow. As he starts to black out, another voice comes from Ichigo—the voice of the "anti-Ichigo" that he fought once before.

The hollow half-mask appears over Ichigo's face and he starts to fight with new insane fervor. He stops one of Byakuya's words and starts to use techniques that had not been seen in the fight before. He also fights with an erratic style that Byakuya can't keep up with. Eventually, he lands several blows which tip Byakuya off to his apparent true nature. But before the hollow Ichigo can finish the battle, the normal one takes over again. This entire bit of fighting makes Byakuya uneasy, but he decides to not inquire about what exactly just happened. Instead, they make one more attack that will decide the outcome of the battle.

Ichigo asks Byakuya one more time why he didn't try to save Rukia, but Byakuya tells him that he will only answer that question if Ichigo wins the battle. Byakuya refocuses his power to show his "endscape" technique and Ichigo focuses all of his spiritual energy into one final attack (which incidentally clashes black against Byakuya's white). When the energies clear, both are hemorrhaging from their wounds, but Byakuya is the one who is defeated. As promised, he answers Ichigo's question. He tells him that he was following the law and that there are no exceptions to law, not even affection for relatives. He also says that he was upholding an example for all soul reapers, but Ichigo doesn't understand. He says that if her were in Byakuya's position, he would have fought the law. At this point, Byakuya understands that Ichigo's enemy was actually the laws of the soul society themselves. He tells Ichigo that the battle is his and that he'll no longer pursue Rukia.

Ichigo collapses, but his friends are there to support him. Orihime laughs off her excursion into the soul society since she wasn't hurt at all. But, she says that even though she was out of danger for the entire time, she still worried about Ichigo every moment.

Meanwhile, Toshiro and Rangiku have come to the conclusion that they have to cut open the emergency locks to get inside the Central Office of 46. When the alarm doesn't sound, they realize that someone rigged it so that no one would notice should two interlopers come to investigate. The two run inside, but what they find is shocking.