01x10 - The Battle

[bunniefuu]

It happened again!

I blacked out again.

How many times was that?

I black out amid battle,
again and again...

only to find myself
back where I left off.

This brings back memories.

I always enjoy my battles,

but not to the point
where I'd lose myself

or have blackouts
in the middle of it.

That happened only once...

That day I fought you.

The blue skies above are hopelessly clear

At my wit's end, I feel a growing frustration

As if to laugh at us hopeless cowards

Countless eyes stare at us

This soul of mine breaks again and again

All I can do is hold it tight

Until the day it turns to ash

I've absorbed all of this sorrow

It has shaped me, painted me

But that's how we got here, right?

One step at a time, just like breathing

These countless scars on my palm

That no longer fade

Are my badge, my story

I faced the fear and shred it to pieces

And let it walk beside me once more

RUKON DISTRICT -
SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Captain!

It's just not possible...

No matter how much we search
the Rukon District...

I doubt we'll find anyone
strong enough to satisfy you.

I'm impressed you figured out
my true intent...

Cutting down gangs from
the Rukon District won't

make much difference in preserving
the peace in the Seireitei.

The size of this pile of bodies is
the size of your dissatisfaction!

That pile...

How long has it been there?

Huh?
This wasn't your doing?

Who's that kid?

I was bored...

With the sword.
With fighting.

And so I wandered around
in search of a foe

who could please my sword.

That's probably why our swords
drew us two weary souls together.

Such bliss...

I hadn't expected this.

I never would have thought that

I could experience
such unparalleled joy

by crossing blades with a child...

But I never thought

that child would place shackles
on himself because of our battle.

I landed one!

Before, I could only react.
But now, I can counter it.

It's almost as if each time
I experience a blackout...

I wake up feeling reborn!

Kenpachi Zaraki, you probably
have not realized this...

That you are unconsciously

restraining your powers
while in battle.

Do you know why you narrowly lost
your battle with Ichigo Kurosaki?

Do you know why you narrowly won
your battle with Nnoitora Gilga?

Was it because they were strong...?

I'm sure that's how it seemed
to the others.

But I knew that wasn't the case.

In each instance, you suppressed
your power to the limit.

During that battle, we both
experienced unparalleled joy.

The only difference was that

you learned the joy
of fighting on the edge.

That is my sin.

You must have been ecstatic.

Everyone around you was weak.

You had no enemies
you could test your sword against.

I was the first foe you encountered
who could rival your power.

However...

I was weaker than you.

I was the first person in your life
you could call a foe.

You believed that if you lost me,

you would never experience
the joy of battle ever again...

You wanted to bring yourself
down to my level,

so little by little,
you unconsciously

began to suppress your power
into a deep, dark place.

I was devastated.

My weakness drove you
to suppress your power.

But one day, I noticed something.

Each time you flirt with death
against a powerful foe,

you start to break your shackles

and return to the person
you used to be...

I am strong.

Stronger than anyone besides you.

That is why I will k*ll you.

Even if it takes a hundred
or a thousand tries.

That is why I will heal you.

Again and again...

Until you return
to what you really are.

From there...

you will surpass me
and reach even greater heights...

Do it!

You thought I was dead, didn't you?

Guess again.

You, of all people, should know
the reason why I mastered Kaido.

Bankai...

Minazuki.

Playtime is over...

Ah, I'm melting...

I'm melting away...

This is fun.

What is this?

It's different.

All of it.

Everything feels different.

But why?

So that's it...

I've been asleep this whole time.

I've been playing out our exchange
in my dreams.

All this time, I thought there
wasn't a word for this exchange.

But thanks to you, I've finally
learned what it's called.

Thank you.

So this...

This is...!

This is battle!

Hey, did you know?

I love fighting.
I love it.

There's nothing I can do about it.

Yes, I knew.

Probably long before you ever did.

Say, Kenpachi Zaraki...

You learned the ability
to suppress yourself

so you could enjoy the battle
for eternity.

I learned the ability
to heal myself

so I could enjoy the battle
for eternity.

But now, I am certain.

This power I obtained
was for this single battle.

In any era,
there can only be one Kenpachi...

That is the rule
as well as an inevitable fate.

Because when the strong
find the next strongest,

they can no longer swing
their sword for their own sake.

The tip of their sword
will always be pointed

either toward
k*lling the next strongest...

or toward nurturing them.

The tip of my sword is...

He's the one.

This child is the one to be worthy
of the name Kenpachi.

Farewell...

The one man in this world...

who brought me joy.

That was magnificent,
Kenpachi Zaraki.

And now, this battle is over...

It's over?

Wait, are you going to die?

No, don't die.

Not yet.

I still haven't had enough.

Please don't die.

I'm begging you...

Don't die!

He's like a child.

What is there to cry about?

Sure, now that you've regained
your strength and defeated me...

You might see yourself
returning to the days

when you find many of your battles
to be boring.

But right now,

you have foes you can fight
to your heart's content...

and comrades you can
cross swords with on equal terms.

Most of all, you have a partner
who has awakened alongside you.

Everything I have gained until now,
I've relinquished to you.

I no longer possess anything.

Even the name of Kenpachi, which
I couldn't give to you back then,

has finally vanished from my hands.

Rejoice, Kenpachi Zaraki...

Rejoice for me as I pass away.

Ah, what sheer bliss to die from
accomplishing one's purpose...

Kenpachi...

Kenpachi of Zaraki...

Who's there?

Who's calling my name?!

Show yourself!

It seems my voice
has finally reached you.

The voice of the one

who has been watching you
longer and closer than anyone.

Huh?
Who the hell are you?

Kenpachi...

Kenpachi of Zaraki!

It's nice to meet you,
Kenpachi Zaraki.

My name is...

HOOHDEN - LANDING AREA

There's nobody here.

What is that noise?!

Lower your heads, lower your heads!

Because...

Your heads are so high!

I am the number one
Zanpakuto creator!

Oh-Etsu Nimaiya!

S-I-K-U...

Y-O-R-O!

Sikuyoro, whazzup!

Zanpakuto...!

Love it!

"GALAXY HOOHDEN"
- Welcome!
- Welcome!

What the hell is all this?

Paradise!
Paradise!

Don't be fooled...

They're probably

- illusions or something.
- This is truly paradise!

Shut up...!

So, Kurosaki!
Abarai!

And that strange
stuffed animal, too!

Did you guys enjoy
my welcoming show?!

Once again, I am Oh-Etsu Nimaiya,
the master of this Hoohden!

"BLADE GOD" - OH-ETSU NIMAIYA

Sikuyoro, whazzup!

Uh, uh!
Pow, pow, pow!

Hey!

Trade places with me...

I can't keep up
with this guy's vibe.

You idiot!
I can't keep up with it, either!

Hmm...

Something's not right...

You guys aren't any fun!

Want to leave?

- Huh?!
- Huh?!

- No, we'd like to stay, sir!
- Please let us stay, sir!

No!
No, no, no!

That's not the right way to ask!

The formal way you do it
in Hoohden is... like this!

Please, sir!

I'm not doing that pose!

Calm down, Ichigo!

We've got to do it!

Damn it...

- Please, sir!
- Please, sir!

Nice pose!

- Take a look, my honeys!
- Oh my god, that's hilarious!

- Take a look, my honeys!
- They look like bananas!

- Bastard...
- Bastard...

How long are you...

going to be doing that?!

What was that for, Mera?!

Follow me!

"HOOHDEN"
This is the real Hoohden!

"HOOHDEN"

I don't know what to say...

Come on in!

I don't want to go into
such a depressing place!

I wanna go back
to that other place!

I agree with you,
strange stuffed animal!

You feel me, right?!

That hurt...

Hey!
What the hell is this?!

Kurosaki, Abarai, have you noticed?

You two have not met
a single Soul Reaper besides me

on your way here.

All of my honeys
you saw earlier are...

Zanpakuto.

Zanpakuto?!

What's this?
That's odd.

Very odd indeed.

You guys are Soul Reapers

yet you can't tell the difference
between Soul Reapers and Zanpakuto?

What is wrong with you guys?!

Is it because you're both
the sort of unloving souls

who would allow this
to happen to your Zanpakuto?

Hey!
When did you—?!

Oh my...

A Zanpakuto that doesn't
receive love is so easily broken.

You two are completely surrounded...
by the anger of Zanpakuto.

If you can make it
out of there alive,

I'll consider fixing
your Zanpakuto.

What?!

I'll say it one more time!

I am the number one
Zanpakuto creator!

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five...

four... three...

Two, that's me, Oh-Etsu Nimaiya!

I don't make swords for losers.

You bastard...

Sikuyoro, whazzup.

There's something here...

Yeah...

There's nothing to be afraid of.

They are the ultimate Zanpakuto
that can become anything...

They're Asauchi.

Asauchi...?

ASAUCHI

It's the nameless Zanpakuto...

temporarily issued to
the over 6,000 members

of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads
during their time in the Academy

and then officially issued
when they become a squad member.

Every Soul Reaper eats and sleeps
with their Asauchi.

Through continuous training,

they imprint the essence
of their soul upon their Asauchi

to create their personalized
Zanpakuto!

And the one who creates
all of those Asauchi by himself...

is me, the Blade God,
Oh-Etsu Nimaiya!

Why do we have to be att*cked
by these Asauchi?!

There's no need to think about why!

The important thing to know
is that they're angry with you.

For what?!

For the way you use your Zanpakuto.

The way we use them?!

You don't understand?
Of course, you don't.

Is it how you fight,
or how you swing?

That's not it, so what is it?

This is how they think of you.

"We're fundamentally different!"

Let's start by discussing

whether Zanpakuto or Soul Reapers
are superior!

Everything we had left behind

Our breaths blending as mist

without form or expression

We lie buried as we glare
into the distance

I can't hear anything

I can't seem to cut anything

It feels like I'm sinking

Falling, falling

Touching

Eyes struck wide open

Something no one has ever seen

The furthest reaches are now visible to us

It cannot be undone
and cannot be stopped

This ensuing struggle

Whisk it away beyond
the ends of the earth

Along with our breaths

Take everything

Whisk it away beyond
the ends of the earth

Along with our futures

Along with our world

Something no one has ever seen

The furthest reaches are now
visible to us

Don't you know God's demand?

Don't you know God's demand?

As we tear each other down

71 hours and 48 minutes...

You lasted for three days.

I'm impressed.

You pass, Renji!

And... you fail, Ichigo!

W-Wait... I can still...

Nope! No waiting.
You're done.

You fail.
The end.

I...can still keep going!

Let me do this...!

There's no time limit, is there?!

There isn't a time limit,
but rather an emotional limit.

I'm not talking about whether
you can keep going or not.

You just weren't chosen
by an Asauchi.

It's not going to happen.

It's over.
The end.

- Wait!
- Give it a rest.

You were dumped.
So stop whining.

What's become perfectly clear
in these last three days

is that Renji's a Soul Reaper
while you, Ichigo, are not.

Don't worry,
I'll open up a way out of there.

And so,

time for you to go home.

What?

- Mera! Pull him out of there.
- Sure.

H-Hold on a second!

You're joking, right?!

Oh, one more thing.

Don't enter the Soul Society
ever again.

The Soul Society
is the land of Soul Reapers.

An ordinary human
without a Zanpakuto

has no right to enter it.

Damn it...!

You really think I'm just going
to leave after coming this far?

If I leave now,
what'll happen to Zangetsu?

Whether you leave or not,
it makes no difference.

Zangetsu cannot be fixed anymore.

Or rather,

I won't fix him.

As I said before...

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five...

four... three...

Two, that's me, Oh-Etsu Nimaiya!

I don't make swords
for a fake Soul Reaper.

You bastard!

Bye-buh-bye, Ichigo!

You're no good
as you are now, Ichigo.

The fact that an Asauchi
didn't choose you...

The fact that you've fought
this long without an Asauchi...

You don't understand
the significance of this.

You need to go back...

Back to your roots.

And you must learn
what your roots are.

Even if you are unable to return
upon learning them.

"KUROSAKI CLINIC"
Even if you are unable to return
upon learning them.

"You, without sin,
are like the sun."