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Episode 17 - Ichigo Dies!

This episode starts with the ending of the previous, whereby Renji mocks Ichigo for not knowing his Zanpakutou’s name, and then attacks him successfully. Ichigo falls to his knees as blood spills out of the wound. Renji stands in front of him, swinging his extended Zabimaru around in the air, telling Ichigo that it’s over because of the “power gap” between them. Zanpakutous change their shapes based on their owner’s own spirit power, and Zabimaru is a representation of his spirit power. Ichigo continues to kneel there, numbed by pain and shock. Renji goes on to say that it is about time for him to leave as the air does not suit him.

Rukia had hoped that Renji’s first attack would show Ichigo the “power gap” between them, so that he would back down while his wounds were still shallow. She realizes that it is no point as Ichigo would not back down even for that. In her mind, she urges Ichigo to run if he can as Renji positions Zabimaru for the killing blow. Ichigo does not budge, so Rukia rushes forward to grab Renji’s arm to buy time for Ichigo to run. Renji curses her and tells her that she’ll get into more trouble, but she continues yelling at Ichigo to stand and run. However, instead of doing that, he picks up his Zanpakutou, shocking both Rukia and Renji, who then manages to get free of Rukia’s grip.

As Renji tells Ichigo that he thinks it a drag to have to finish someone who is half-dead, Ichigo gets to his feet. Rukia calls out for him to run, but he does not. Renji decides that since Ichigo won’t make the first move, he shall. There is an unusual blue aura around Ichigo’s Zanpakutou, and suddenly there is a strong wind and a great increase in his spirit power. Before Renji can react, Ichigo jumps up and slices his left shoulder. He then runs back toward Renji and swings his Zanpakutou again, this time sending Renji flying. Renji manages to land on his feet by grabbing the railing when flying. However, his visor-like thing breaks into half and falls off. Ichigo merely stands there and grins stupidly as Renji wonders where this power had come from.

Ichigo comments that Renji’s speed has decreased, but Renji retorts that it was he who increased his speed. Ichigo goes on to say that he feels good: his wounds do not hurt and he is confident of defeating Renji. Renji once again stands and extends Zabimaru and swings him at Ichigo, but Ichigo merely steps aside to dodge it, or hits it back with his Zanpakutou. Rukia watches as Ichigo attacks Renji, pushing him back on his heels. Byakuya still displays no expression on his face.

Ichigo mocks Renji as being good at scurrying around like a rat, and his spirit power increases yet again, stunning Renji, who wonders how high Ichigo’s spirit power will go. The pressure of Ichigo’s spirit power presses down on Renji such that he finds it hard to move. Ichigo is coming at him from above, and Renji knows he cannot escape. When the Zanpakutou was supposed to have made contact with Renji, the two realize that the Zanpakutou has been cut such that only one small bit remains. All of them are shocked, and Ichigo rules out the possibility of Renji doing it. He now realizes that Byakuya must have done it, but he is too far away and couldn’t possibly do anything. Yet, in Byakuya’s hand is the missing piece of Zanpakutou! He holds it up slightly, then drops it.

He prepares to draw his Zanpakutou, and Ichigo gets ready to defend himself. However, Byakuya appears behind him suddenly and manages to cut him without anyone seeing him draw his Zanpakutou fully, cut him or sheath the Zanpakutou. Ichigo falls slowly face-down onto the floor, wondering what had just happened, and Byakuya merely says that he is so slow, even in defeat.

Rukia calls out for Byakuya, and even Renji is in shock. He has not seen that incredible move in a long time, in which even by straining his eyes, he could only follow the second attack. If he is that way, Ichigo must not even know what hit him. As Renji continues to stare at Ichigo and wonder what was up with the immense increase in spirit power during their match, Byakuya asks him what is wrong, and Renji says there is none, and that he did not have to step in against such a weakling, as he could have managed on his own. Byakuya merely says that if he always stands by and watched, even his skills would rust.

Rukia rushes over from the other side of the street, but Renji stops her and pins her to a signpost with a hand on her throat. Rukia wants to help Ichigo, but Renji tells her that he is already dead, and even touching him now would add 20 years to her sentence. What reason is there to worsen your crimes for a dead man? Rukia argues that she involved Ichigo and it is her fault that he died, so what is wrong with her running to his side? Byakuya then speaks, saying that she cannot bear not to go to him even if her crimes may worsen. Byakuya says that he understands; Ichigo does closely resemble “him”.

As Ichigo lies in an ever-widening pool of blood, he suddenly extends his hand and grabs Byakuya’s hakama (pant portion of kimono), telling him not to move the conversation along without him. Rukia, relieved, starts to call out his name, but stops short when Byakuya narrows his eyes at her. Byakuya tells Renji and Rukia that they will go now, but Ichigo continues to tug on his hakama, saying that he cannot hear and to look at him when he talks. Renji is shocked that Ichigo is still able to move. Byakuya tells Ichigo that he must not want to keep that arm.

Rukia comes forward, this time kicking Ichigo’s hand away from Byakuya’s hakama, saying that he is a filthy human unworthy of touching nii-sama’s leg. Meanwhile, memories of times spent with Ichigo flood her head. She tells him to know his place, “boy”. Ichigo looks stunned as she tells Byakuya to go (as in, she, Renji and him), as her eyes have been opened by this “human action”. She will humbly atone for her crimes back in Soul Society. As Ichigo raises his head to ask her what she is doing, he gets stepped on by Renji, who tells him that he knows not when to give up. Rukia tells them that they need not deliver a final blow to him, as he would eventually breathe his last if they just left him. Ichigo still thinks this some sort of joke, asking Rukia to look at him. He tries to get up, but Rukia shouts at him not to move. If he moves even one step, or comes after her, she will not forgive him. Eventually, he will die, so just lie there and live as long as he will.

Byakuya agrees, and says he will not deliver a final blow, as with his two attacks he had already shattered the two fatal areas of the soul, the chain link and the soul sleep, so Ichigo would probably not live past an hour, and even if he does, all his powers would be gone: not only Shinigami powers, but his spirit powers as well. Renji gets up on command and walks forward, past Rukia and Byakuya. He appears to focus his spirit power into Zabimaru, which glows. He sticks into the air, and it appears to absorb Zabimaru. He shouts “unlock!”, and turns Zabimaru like one would a key. A door appears, and opens. Three black butterflies flutter out, and the three Shinigami walk in through the door after Renji returns Zabimaru to his original form and sheaths him.

Ichigo continues to lie on the ground, staring after them, unable to speak or move as Rukia looks back slightly and the doors close. He is angry that he got protected again. The door disappears as he hits the wet ground with his fist. The lamppost flickers back on as a familiar pair of sandals pass the screen. Ichigo feels the pain, the heaviness, the cold, but looks up as footsteps near him. He looks up to see Urahara with an umbrella and Yoruichi on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Ichigo feels as though there is no pain, and thinks he is finally going to die. His body also feels warmth now, while before it had felt cold. He opens his eyes to see Tessai lying on him, and screams. Tessai comments that there was an instant reaction, very good; while Ichigo tries to push him off, yelling at him he is too close. Tessai ignores Ichigo and calls for Urahara, saying that Ichigo is awake. At this, Ichigo recognizes Tessai as one of Urahara’s shop workers, and asks him what he is doing in his bed. With that, he kicks Tessai off and sits up, but suddenly feels pain in his left shoulder and clutches it. He then realizes that he is not dead, and wonders why, and also realizes that it is not his house that he is in.

Just then, the doors slide open and Urahara walks in, saying that his wounds have not yet healed, and so moving violently is bad for him. He walks past the weirdly positioned Tessai, who immediately rights his pose, and tells Ichigo that if he moves too much, he will die. Ichigo then realizes that he is in Urahara’s residence, and that he was the one who saved him the previous night. Urahara says that Ichigo’s reaction was not what he had expected, as he had sounded rather indignant. As he remembers that night’s happenings, he remembers that Ishida would have been lying near by, and asks for him, if he is there too. Urahara replies that Ishida, since his wounds were not very serious, had gone home. After all, even if they had left him there, he would not have died for two days, so Urahara had treated most of his wounds on the spot. He also mentions that Ishida had been worried about Ichigo, which Ichigo finds a bit impossible. Urahara had invited Ishida to spend the night at his place, but Ishida had just thanked him and said to take care of Ichigo, as if they had any chance of defeating them and saving Rukia, it would not lie with him, but with Ichigo. This causes Ichigo to think of Rukia’s leaving back to Soul Society that night, and ask what he could do, if he cannot go after her. He convinces himself that he would be unable to save her.

Urahara then asks him if he really thinks there is no way to get to Soul Society. Realizing that Urahara does know a way to get there, he gets up hastily and asks what he must do to get there, and Urahara agrees to tell him, on the condition that for the next 10 days, Ichigo learns fighting from him. Ichigo says that there is no time for that, as they do not know when Rukia will be killed, and so he wants to get there ASAP and save her. Urahara says that he does not understand, and uses his cane to poke Ichigo’s forehead, and tells him that the way he is, he will die in Soul Society. His cane appears to have an aura about it, which is in such a way that it makes the cane look like a sword. He asks Ichigo if he thinks it possible for him to win against them in his current condition. He had let Ichigo fight them to let him see, rather than to tell him, that he, with his current strength, wouldn’t be at all useful in Soul Society. He says that “suicide” is when a weakling, like Ichigo, enters enemy territory. To save Rukia, Ichigo will have to grow up. Yoruichi watches from the door as Urahara continues, telling Ichigo not to use others as an excuse to die. He also says, standing up, that Soul Society normally gives a one-month grace period to death row prisoners, and it should be the case with Rukia too.

Urahara lists out his plan: 10 days to torture Ichigo, 7 to open the gates to Soul Society, and 13 left when they have reached – more than enough time. Ichigo remembers Rukia walking through the door without looking back at him, and asks Urahara if in those 10 days, he can become stronger. Urahara says that he will, if he desires from the bottom of his heart to save Rukia. He goes on to say that the power of love is stronger than steel, and to leave his doubts and hesitation out in the gutter. Can he handle a life-or-death situation with him for 10 days?

Ichigo scratches his head, then asks Urahara if he even had to ask. He once again remembers Rukia leaving, and feels that the rain has stopped. Yoruichi narrows her eyes as he looks up at Urahara with determined eyes. Outside, the moon shines bright.

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