Tsukishima thinks back to the time Kūgo, as the Substitute Shinigami, found him as a child. She explains that the one who has saved Kūgo was Ichigo. Visibly upset, she asserts that they could never have saved Kūgo despite that fact he was the one who had saved them. Crouched on the ground behind him, Riruka shakily tells him to give up. Tsukishima begins to scream desperately to Kūgo for him not to die and to get up.
Her comrade removes the blade and hysterically insists that she get out of his way. Riruka demands to know if Tsukishima is stupid, pondering why he was going for the kill. Shocked by the sudden appearance, the exertion causes Rukia to collapse into Ichigo's arms. Tsukishima's blade cuts through Riruka's left shoulder blade, slicing off most of her left pigtail in the process. However, a green light flashes on Rukia's chest and Riruka Dokugamine suddenly appears to defend her, having previously used her ability to hide inside the Shinigami. Rukia notices this before Ichigo does and jumps in front of the blade to take the blow instead. As he speaks, Kūgo's powers begin to fade away, with the markings on his face completely disappearing and his eyes reverting to normal while his hair remains white, as he passes away.Īs Ichigo stands over his defeated enemy, a severely injured and distraught Shūkurō Tsukishima suddenly rushes in to attack him from behind. He wonders if that had happened would he have been the one forced to cut Ichigo down to stop him getting revenge of the Gotei 13. After falling, Kūgo glances at Ichigo and then at the broken edge of his sword he laments if things have been reversed had Ichigo been the first Substitute Shinigami and he had been the second. Kūgo still tries to battle back, but Ichigo easily slices his blade apart and cuts him down. Ichigo then concentrates Reiatsu on the edge of his blade and slices Kūgo across the chest with it, causing his opponent to fall to the ground. He screams Ichigo's name, raises his blade and shoots a large fuchsia beam of energy at Ichigo, who easily blocks the attack with his hand without flinching. He maintains that he will destroy all the Shinigami who betrayed him and yet Ichigo wants to understand him and then reject his ideals. He then laments that he is glad that the latest Substitute Shinigami is a man like Ichigo and not a man like Kūgo in that he has not changed his will once and has, in fact, changed the rigidity that had lasted thousands of year in the Soul Society.Īs they continue to battle, Kūgo realizes that instead of judging him like he expected, Ichigo has been trying to understand him by seeing things from his point of view. Hitsugaya confirms that she was correct in her assessment and that the Ichigo they had known for years now made the choice she knew he would make. He asks Rukia if she remembers asserting that Ichigo would never succumb to Kūgo's temptations.
Instead, they shared their powers with the person they were supposed to kill and were now dispatched to observe his decision. Hitsugaya then explains the change in their views because the contact with the new Substitute Shinigami had completely changed the views of the Soul Society irreversibly.
Rukia objects to the idea Ichigo would join Kūgo. Thus, the decision was made that when this happened, they would use that Substitute Shinigami to lure our Kūgo and then kill them both to prevent the problems that Kūgo had caused by betraying them, insisting that all of the captains shared this view at the time due to those problems. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya elaborates that the Gotei 13 had always known that once another Substitute Shinigami appeared, he would, sooner or later, be targeted by Kūgo. He thus reminds her that their true mission was to observe the decision that Ichigo made. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki pauses and asks Rukia if she recalls the reason for their mission to the World of the Living. They begin to turn away and leave the scene, much to the distress of Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki, who asks why they are leaving. Both in their Bankai, Ichigo Kurosaki and Kūgo Ginjō continue to clash as the group of Shinigami watch from below.