Bleach Portal

Episode 21 - Enter! The World of the Shinigami!

The sound of pounding footsteps may be heard as an incursion signal outside west wall has been sounded. Renji and Rikichi wonder what is going on.

Meanwhile, Ichigo, Chad, Orihime, Ishida and Yoruichi run as fast as they can through to Soul Society. Ishida notices the wall “chasing” them, the path that they are running on collapsing faster and faster. Yoruichi tells him that if he can look back, he might as well run faster, as if they get sucked into the Capturing Flow (wall), they are done for. Suddenly there is a waterfall of whatever material makes up the wall, and it catches Ishida’s cloak. Ichigo begins to draw Zangetsu to help Ishida, but Yoruichi stops him, saying that the wall arrests spirit entities, and hence if he swings Zangetsu, he too would be ensnared. Ishida is pulled into the capturing flow, but Chad reaches him and tears his cloak, freeing him. He then puts Ishida over his shoulder and runs with him that way despite Ishida’s desperate requests to be put down. Ishida then notices something coming, a bright light coming from what looks like a moving rock. Yoruichi explains that this is the Capturing Thrust, the cleaner that comes every 7 days. As the exit nears, the very fast capturing thrust nearly reaches them, but Orihime puts up her shield just in time. The 5 shoot out of the sky like arrows into Soul Society.

Orihime appears the first to recover, and comments on Ichigo’s “artistic” landing pose. Ishida complains that this was not what he had signed up for, and that he didn’t think he would have to use his extra cape so soon. Chad and Ichigo are shocked that Ishida actually thought to bring an extra. Orihime is glad that no one is hurt, but Yoruichi launches itself into her face and reproaches her for not listening to what it had said. Luckily, it had been the shield that touched the thrust, and not the flowers. If they had, it would have cost Orihime her life. Orihime apologizes meekly as Ichigo tells Yoruichi not to yell at Orihime, as after all, if she had not put up the shield, they would have suffered injuries.

As they look around, there seems to be no-one about. Yoruichi explains that this area is called “Rukongai”, or “wandering soul town”, and it is where souls first led to Soul Society reside. It is located on the outer edge of the “Seireitei”, or “court of pure souls”, where the Shinigami live. It is also the most poor and liberated place in Soul Society, and the majority of souls live here. Ichigo notices that further away, the streets look very different. Before Yoruichi can say anything, he rushes over, thinking it must be the Seireitei. Yoruichi warns him not to approach the place so recklessly or he will die, but it is too late. Walls drop out of the sky, blocking Ichigo’s path. Now, a wall of sorts surrounds the entire Seireitei.

Ichigo coughs because of the dust, but stops when he hears a voice saying that it has been a long time since anyone tried to breach the Gate of Pure Spirits, and a long time since he had a visitor. He would take good care of Ichigo. The Shinigami inside the Seireitei are assured because it is Jidanbou who guards the gate. Jidanbou holds a large axe, and he invites Ichigo to hit him anywhere he feels like. Ishida, Orihime and Chad are taken aback by Jidanbou’s size, which is past that of human limits. Yoruichi elucidates that Jidanbou is one of the heroes chosen from all Soul Society, and the guardsmen for one of the four Great Pure Spirit Gates, a.k.a. the Gate of White Way. Ishida says that to get in, they have to defeat him, but Yoruichi tells him that would not be easy. In the 300 years that legendary Jidanbou has guarded the gate, the gate had never been breached. Ishida is intimidated by Jidanbou’s credentials, and Yoruichi says that it is the time to show off their intellect by sitting together and formulating a plan. He starts to call Ichigo back, but Chad and Orihime are running in that direction already to help him.

Jidanbou slams down his axe and drags it along the ground to create a wall enclosing Ichigo and himself – a fighting arena. No-one can believe their eyes as Jidanbou says that they have bad manners and are probably from the country. He begins to share with them the rules: 1, when you come in from outside, wash your hands; 2, don’t eat things that have fallen to the floor; 3, when you duel, come one at a time. Since his first opponent is Ichigo, Chad and Orihime will have to wait their turn. Chad tells Orihime that when he sees an opportunity, he will open a hole in the wall, through which she should send Tsubaki. Surprisingly, Jidanbou has very sharp hearing and can hear them “mumbling”. Ichigo shouts to tell them that he is okay and to let him fight Jidanbou. Ishida runs up and refuses, saying that their time is limited, and so instead of Ichigo fighting on his own, they should confront the situation together so as to proceed on quickly. It is now that Ichigo realizes Ishida’s presence, much to Ishida’s extreme annoyance. Ichigo says that he will probably be able to take Jidanbou on, and Ishida is not too pleased at the word “probably”, and bangs his fists on the wall. Ichigo tells him that the plan had been for him to use all 10 days to regain his Shinigami powers, but as he had done so in just 5, he had used the remaining 5 days and nights to spar with Urahara. He did not learn the essentials of combat, but rather, gained guts and stamina as Urahara would not teach him anything. Ichigo draws his Zanpakutou, and Jidanbou asks him if he is done talking. Ichigo says that he does not remember asking him to wait, and Jidanbou recites the next rule, which is when someone waits for you, you thank them. He swings his axe down on Ichigo, who manages to, much to Jidanbou’s surprise, block the axe with Zangetsu. Ichigo says that Jidanbou’s attacking before he was in position is lacking etiquette, and Jidanbou has no answer to that, and instead begins to laugh.

No-one has stopped Jidanbou’s axe in a while, and since he has met a worthy opponent, he will for once fight with abandon. 3 people have stopped his axe before, but all subsequently fell to the second. Jidanbou raises his axe and brings it down on Ichigo, who has Zangetsu ready in front of him. Jidanbou begins a volley of swings called the “10 Jidan-Hit Festival”, all of which Ichigo successfully blocks. These, however, destroy the “wall” which Jidanbou had erected, sending boulders flying in the others’ direction. All emerge uninjured, but Jidanbou is stunned that Ichigo is still standing. Chad realizes that what Urahara had taught him was what other Shinigami had that he lacked – experience.

Jidanbou won’t throw in the towel just yet, and retrieves a second axe from inside his kimono. He strains and scrunches up his face until it turns red and veins are clearly visible. His bicep armor drops off and he raises the two axes, telling Ichigo that this is his must-kill technique, “Ten thousand year Jidan-Hit festival” He swings the axes down, and Ichigo looks up at him and apologizes because he will smash those axes. And he does. There is a great explosion, and what protects Ishida, Orihime and Chad is the shield which Orihime puts up in the nick if time. Jidanbou falls backwards and skids into the gate.

Everyone stands in awe of Ichigo, but Jidanbou still will not give up. He says that Ichigo did not send him flying, but he himself had slipped on his can. There is no way he could have gotten tossed through the air. He holds what is left of is axes in front of him, saying that he will get Ichigo with them again. He realizes that his axes are gone, and his hands begin to tremble and he starts to sweat profusely. Yoruichi and the rest are impressed and astonished by Ichigo’s feat. Jidanbou begins to cry like a child over his broken axes, causing the ground to tremor violently each time he bangs his fists against the ground. The rest are also rather amazed at Jidanbou’s transformation, and Orihime finds that his weeping sounds like a siren. Ichigo tries to apologize to Jidanbou for breaking his axes, and this prompts Jidanbou to say that he is such a nice guy for worrying about his enemies. Jidanbou is inspired by Ichigo who cannot not comfort a crying person. He declares that Ichigo has a total victory, as he has lost to Ichigo as a warrior and as a man. He has never lost once in the 300 years if gatesman-ship. Being the first to defeat him, Ichigo has the permission on Jidanbou to enter the Seireitei.

Ishida asks if it is okay for them to go in too, and Jidanbou replies that he had lost to their “leader” and thus has no right to stop them. Ishida is infuriated that Jidanbou should regard Ichigo as their leader. Jidanbou learns of Ichigo’s name, and he finds the name “really cute”, much to Ichigo’s annoyance. Ichigo defends the “manliness” of his name by explaining its meaning, which is “first prize” and “guardian angel”. Jidanbou warns him to be careful as beyond the gate is nothing other than strong guys.

He then digs his hands under the gate and begins to lift it slowly. Ichigo and Orihime are flabbergasted to know that the gate could actually be lifted at all. Ichigo runs forward to Jidanbou’s side as he notices Jidanbou stop and stare. Jidanbou is trembling at the sight of the silver-haired captain whom Byakuya had met in the corridor, Ichimaru Gin, 3rd division captain. Ichimaru raises his head to look at them, and smiles in his usual, creepy way.

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