Bleach Episode 009 - Unbeatable Enemy!

Around Yuzu’s neck is coiled something or another, constricting her and lifting her into the air. Karin can only watch, pinned down by the Hollow’s hand, as he says that yuzu is too noisy, and that one hostage is suffice, moving her towards his mouth. Ichigo arrives to chop off the tentacle-like thing that holds Yuzu, saving her from the Hollow. But the Hollow has a back-up plan in the form of Karin, who he then holds up in his hand in a vice-like grip. Ichigo lays Yuzu down next to a gravestone and yells for Karin, who mutters his name softly before closing her eyes. Eikichirou arrives, just as Ichigo sees a familiar face standing in front of the Hollow – that of the child he tried to save by the river that night. Ichigo curses the laughing Hollow, saying that it was he on the bank that day 6 years back. Ichigo tells Rukia that this was the child he had tried to save, but when he had awoken, had disappeared.

The girl speaks, saying that she doesn’t remember anything that long ago. Her skin starts to come off, revealing a hole of sorts on the crest of her head, from which a red cord-like thing shoots out and into the Hollow’s head, connecting the two. The former, now a mere doll, hangs from the latter’s head. Rukia says that this Hollow is “Grand Fisher” that hides himself, making the appendage from his head take human form and act as bait for those who can see it (those with high spirit power), who will then become food to increase his power. He has eluded Shinigami for 50 long years, and its favorite food is women – meaning that Grand Fisher was the one who killed Masaki. Grand Fisher laughs, saying that Ichigo is a lucky kid to survive after encountering him. He reveals that he was most likely after Ichigo’s soul, but women appealed to him more. Eikichirou says that there aren’t many Hollows that piss him off as much as this one, and Ichigo, obviously feeling the same way, lunges at the Hollow, his Zanpakutou poised and ready.

The Hollow dodges the attack, and as Rukia runs towards him shouting for him to be careful, the Hollow extends a hand in an attempt to squish Ichigo, but missing as Ichigo jumps onto the ledge. The Hollow’s fur grows out and surrounds and wraps around Ichigo, who declares that Grand Fisher is the only one he will never forgive. Rukia binds the Hollow, chanting the incantation “Disintegrate, Black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself and burn; tear away your own throat! Way of Binding no. 9! Geki!” The Hollow moves even under her spell, shooting out a fur spear that hits Rukia back. Grand Fisher then says that he will now eat Karin, and when Ichigo calls out his sister’s name, asks if he will allow him to eat him instead.

Eikichirou jumps up and slices off the Hollow’s hand, thus freeing Karin. Seizing the opportunity, Ichigo slices his way out of the fur. But the Hollow extends more of its fur spikes, all aimed at Karin. Eikichirou steps in just in time to deflect most of the spikes, but gets pierced by a number in the process. Amidst the spikes he sees a green image of a woman just as Ichigo cuts away all the spikes and asks why he did that. Eikichirou replies that Shinigamis keep fighting Hollows no matter what, and will never forgive Hollows for taking away the lives of precious people, and leaving in their wake, emptiness. He will never forgive that, and entrusts the task of protecting them (not the Hollows) to Ichigo before collapsing to the ground. As Rukia walks over to Eikichirou, Ichigo asks if he is dead despite being a Shinigami. Rukia replies that even Shinigami are not immortal – the form is different, but death is… Before she can finish her sentence, they start hearing Eikichirou snoring like a pig, and are surprised and annoyed that he is merely asleep.

Kon, who is in Ichigo’s body, arrives, his lion body tucked under his arm. Rukia instructs him to take the sisters and run, and he does so. She steps forward and tells Ichigo to back her up, but Ichigo jumps up to face the Hollow, telling her to stay back and mind her own business because he’ll do this alone. Rukia tells him not to be ridiculous – this thing has evaded Shinigami for 50 years. He tells her to shut up, because this is his fight. He raises his Zanpakutou and charges at the Hollow.

Meanwhile, Isshin and Kon stand at the steps of some shrine/temple and as Karin stirs, Kon asks if she is alright, changing his voice mid-sentence. He throws his head back in anguish at the seemingly impossible task of keeping his eyebrows furrowed all the time. Ichigo is doing just that, running through the mass of fur lances and slashing the Hollow’s mask. But wait, the Hollow disappears and reappears next to Ichigo, saying that he is slow. Fur thorns bombard Ichigo, who each time manages to leap away in time. The Hollow comments that he is surprised that even with his abilities, he had the guts to tell him to stay away from his friends. Ichigo thinks back to the time his mom died, the aftermath in which he couldn’t begin to imagine how sad or lonely Yuzu and Karin felt. Holding his Zanpakutou ready, he says that he had decided to protect them, and proclaims that he will defeat him.

Ichigo rushes at and swings his sword at the Hollow, but it once again vanishes and re-emerges behind him, reminding him that Rukia had told him not to be careless. Ichigo swivels around just in time to block the Hollow’s hand with his Zanpakutou. Grand Fisher asks Ichigo how many times he has lunged at him without a plan – that is the definition of careless. The nails of the Hollow grow suddenly, piercing Ichigo. Removing them, he says that Ichigo is impulsive – sending away a comrade and lunging at him based on a fleeting emotion. In this way, he shall perform for Grand Fisher’s amusement and die at the end. Rukia starts to run towards Ichigo, but he yells for her to stay away. He will beat the Hollow, even if it costs him an arm or a leg. The Hollow says that will be the reason for his downfall. Being young, he angers easily, and thus, his blade is dulled by the anger. He is far too young to fight with the Grand Fisher.

He puts his hand around the face of the doll, and when he removes them, the face has changed – it is now Ichigo’s mother. Rukia looks at Ichigo, asking if that is who she thinks it is. Ichigo curses the Hollow, who says that even the most hardened of Shinigami will have someone they cannot kill, and by finding that person, he has thus far avoided Shinigami. For Ichigo, that person must be his mother. Rukia calls out to him, but the image of a white-haired Shinigami flashes into her mind. He tells her that yes, if she goes to save him now, she will probably save his life. But what of his pride? He tells her to remember that there are two kinds of fights: one to protect life, and the other to protect pride. She must always remember the difference. The Rukia of that time relaxes the hand on the hilt of her Zanpakutou. Remembering all this, she tells herself that this fight is for Ichigo’s pride, and she cannot interfere. In her mind, she wills Ichigo not to die.

Eikichirou wakes up and styles his hair a little before running off. The Hollow asks Ichigo if he could possibly raise his Zanpakutou to his mother, and Ichigo yells at him, telling him not to bring his mother’s image out in a place like this. As he charges at the Hollow, he stops suddenly as the doll swings in front of him, telling him to put his Zanpakutou away and not to kill her. Ichigo’s moment of shocked debate allows the Hollow a chance to form a very thick and sharp barb out of its fur, which it launches at Ichigo, puncturing his shoulder. Eikichirou arrives just as the Hollow reminds Ichigo that anger dulls the blade, and that the fight will be over in the next attack. Grand Fisher extends his claws saying that so far, Ichigo is the youngest, most impulsive and by far the weakest Shinigami he has encountered. As he raises his hand and aims at Ichigo, the doll suddenly is engulfed by a blue light, and emits lightning, shocking all around.

Eikichirou grins, saying that is the mother’s soma – her wish has taken form, or, the lure has remembered Masaki’s dying wish. Eikichirou mentions that he had glimpsed her earlier, and that the fight is still up in the air. Masaki, her arms wide open, says that she is proud to have known him, Yuzu, Karin and Isshin. She motivates Ichigo, telling him to live, be strong, gentle, and smile. She thanks Ichigo before disappearing back into nothingness. Ichigo kneels on the floor as the rain gets heavier and so do his tears (I think) as he asks his mother if that was what she was thinking at the time. Grasping the hilt of his Zanpakutou tightly and grabbing hold of the fur barb, he asks if anger really dulls the blade. And even if it does, he says, a dull blade is more than enough to beat a loser like you. Tearing the spike out of his flesh and spilling blood, he thrusts his Zanpakutou into Grand Fisher’s neck.

Orihime, leaving Tatsuki’s house and waving, asks herself: If I were the rain that binds together the earth and the sky, who in all eternity will never mingle, would I be able to bind the hearts of people together? Remembering her brother, she thinks to herself that she feels like she can understand Ichigo a little bit. The subject of his thoughts shoves his Zanpakutou further into the Hollow before yanking it out laterally. Grand Fisher writhes in pain before ascending into the sky, declaring that he will never forgive Ichigo, a mere Shinigami. Ichigo yells after him to come back, and as he continues to bleed, sticks his sword into the ground. Rukia rushes forward, grabbing his shoulders and saying that it is enough – neither can fight anymore, so the fight is over. Ichigo says that it is not, because the Hollow is still alive, before crumpling into Rukia’s arms. Rukia says that he survived, and thanks him.

Eikichirou comments that Ichigo is a bad ass kid who could grow to be a monster, since a Shinigami’s spirit power is the same as his life force. He stands, saying that he’ll be going home now – he’s not as crazed as to break up a serious couple. He’ll just tell them that Rukia’s reached “that age”, but when Rukia tells him not to, he says he will make something up, and if they find out, they do. Later, Isshin and Ichigo (or is it Kon?) look at the full moon and the wispy clouds going past. Ichigo goes back to Masaki’s gravestone and apologizes for his inability to avenge her. Isshin appears next to him, saying that as long as he’s healthy, she can rest assured on the other side. Ichigo tells him not to eavesdrop on his son talking to himself, then says that he thought he had quit when Isshin lights a cigarette. Isshin says that Masaki had complimented him on how cool his hand looked when he was smoking when they first started dating, that being the first and last compliment she had given him. That’s why he smokes just once each year, in front of her grave for her too see.

Ichigo shudders as he asks his father how he can smile, and why no one is blaming him. It would be easier, he says, if his father would just tear into him. Isshin asks him why he should blame him for Masaki’s death. If he did, Masaki would be angry at him, and furthermore, no one was responsible for her death. It just so happened that the woman he had fallen in love with was one willing to die to save her son. Also, Ichigo is the man whom the woman he had fallen in love with had died protecting. Isshin starts to walk away, then gives Ichigo a kick to the back, telling him to live life to the fullest, age to the fullest, go bald to the fullest, and to die long after he does, preferably with a smile. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to look Masaki in the eye. He tells Ichigo not to be wishy-washy – he’s too young to look cool carrying his grief around. Ichigo stands there as Isshin says that he’ll be downstairs, and asks Rukia if she is listening. Rukia is listening from behind a tree as he tells her that he wants to be Shinigami for a while longer, so that he can become stronger and protect everyone from Hollows. He will beat Grand Fisher, if not; he won’t be able to face his mom. Rukia merely smiles and says his name, sounding relieved and pleased.