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Rukia faces off against the 9th Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie in his released form. She apologizes to Kaien and says that she won’t be able to go any further. She says it is her fault that the Hollows have his body because she killed him.

She has a flashback of his death back in Soul Society, hugging her as his life slowly ended.

As Rukia ponders these things, she runs at Aaroniero but her lack of focus causes her to be blasted back. She comments that she no longer has the strength to raise her sword. Seeing his opportunity, Aaroniero lunges forward with his trident. Knowing that she cannot fight back, Rukia does not make any move to dodge. The trident hits her sword and breaks through piercing her in the chest. Her eyes widen and she gasps as Aaroniero laughs. Rukia’s eyes dim and she faintly hears a voice calling her name. In a flashback, a hand swings down and slaps her in the head. She falls to the ground and shouts at Kaien. He explains that yelling and shaking her had not worked so he slapped her head.

She asks what he would do if she woke up with a kink in her neck. Kaien is puzzled and asks if she was sleepwalking. Rukia finally gets a look at her surroundings. She finds that she and Kaien are in a forest somewhere. Kaien calls out that he will leave her behind and she runs to catch up to him. As she runs takes in everything around her and remembers it. She runs right past Kaien and he looks at her, seeming to wonder if she is feeling alright. She runs back to him and he flicks her forehead. She remembers that it is the first time that he took her training.

A new scene opens up of the first time she might Kaien when she joined the 13th Squad. Kaien greets her and she turns and says hello. Kaien freezes for a moment then walks forward, grabs her head and tells her that a Vice-Captain just greeted her and she needs to introduce herself properly.

Another flashback begins and she is sparring with Kaien in a field. She is distracted by a bird and Kaien disarms her. He looks at her in a funny way and suddenly her stomach growls. She blushes and Kaien grins at her. He comments that she wants to eat and she says that that is not the reason. He tosses her katana to her and she juggles it around as she tries to catch it without cutting herself. She tells him not to throw it at him when it is unsheathed. He sheathes his own sword and starts walking off.

Her next scene is of her meeting with Byakuya. She says that she has joined up with the 13th Squad. He asks what Seat she is and she says that she was not assigned one yet. She says she does not have the strength to be assigned one right after joining a squad. She apologizes and he says that she can go. She has a flashback then of a sword fight with another student. He defeats her and she reflects that she was never adept with a sword. She then has a scene with a kidou attack and she hits the target. She says she did have good grades in that class but they were average when she graduated to the Protection Squads. She sits on a log and Kaien sits nearby. He turns to her as he eats and she asks why she is even there. Kaien answers that it is obvious and that she is meant to fight to protect. She is confused and after a moment he tells her Captain Ukitake’s outlook on life.

There are battles to protect life and battles to protect pride/honour. Kaien says that he thinks that they are protecting the same thing which is the heart. Rukia looks at him and says that it sounds lame. Kaien asks Rukia where she thinks her heart is. She is unsure how to answer the question and eventually she puts her hand on her chest. Kaien smiles and says that he feels the heart is outside the body and it is in the bond with people and things you care about. As Rukia thinks about Kaien’s words he says to her that there is one thing she must never do in the battles to come and that is to die alone. He says that when they die, their hearts are entrusted to their friends and they live on inside them.

In Hueco Mundo, Aaroniero is laughing while Rukia lies limp on his trident. Slowly, as she remembers the words of Kaien, the light returns to her eyes. She slowly takes hold of the trident. Aaroniero stops laughing and comments that she is still conscious. Aaroniero says it doesn’t matter since she cannot kill him. Ice particles fall from above and encase Rukia’s hand and the shaft of the trident. Rukia says she remembers and slowly raises her broken sword until it points toward Aaroniero’s head. Aaroniero wonders what she can possible do with a broken sword blade. Slowly Rukia utters: “Third Dance…” Aaroniero’s eyes widen and a blade reforms on the broken edge of Rukia’s zanpakutou. The new blade is piercing through Aaroniero’s forehead. The illusion dissipates and reveals the 2 heads of Aaroniero and the bottom one has the sword embedded in it. She says that she is the one who has Kaien’s heart. With that she says “Farewell, Espada” and cleaves through Aaroniero’s head, shattering the glass container. Aaroniero’s released form ruptures and waves of green liquid come gushing out as Rukia falls to the ground. The head of Aaroniero that was not pierced rolls around the floor writhing in pain and calling out for Aizen. The head slashed by Rukia says he refuses to accept it. Then the head falls into two pieces.

Rukia struggles to rise but fails. The voice of Kaien tells her not to die and she sees the faces of all her friends as she struggles for breath. She remembers her time as a prisoner in Soul Society and calls out quietly to Orihime that she is on her way. She then collapses.

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