01x07 - Born in the Dark

[bunniefuu]

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

Hey, Shunsui!

How dare you enter my room
without my permission again!

I know, I'm sorry, my bad!

What kind of apology is that?!

Unforgivable!

I mean it!

I'm sorry I snuck in,
but I was surprised

you had a painting hanging,
Old Man Yama, so...

Damn old geezer...

That's a monster that appeared in
the Soul Society a long time ago.

It showed up when the Soul Society
was facing a crisis...

only to make things much worse.

It will never show up again.

But if it ever does...

Then...

...I'll probably never
be back here again.

Old Man Yama!!

You may have been
the head of the Soul Reapers...

but your demise was pitiful,
Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Let's go, Haschwalth.

Yes, sir.

Trying to show that you won't
let me get away even in death?

Pathetic.

Shigekuni Yamamoto,
you half-hearted fool.

You will never know
why I removed you

from being counted as
one of the five Special Threats.

Why didn't you restore
your left arm?

You could've done so if you'd
ordered that human girl to.

I know why.

You didn't want to exploit humans.

I know all about it.

Even during your battle with Aizen,

you were apprehensive about
getting Ichigo Kurosaki involved

because he was a human.

And even now, you stood before me
trying to carry the burden of

the Soul Society and the World
of the Living on your shoulders...

and you lost.

You've grown weak,
Shigekuni Yamamoto.

You used to be different.

The original Thirteen Court Guard
Squads that you founded

were Court Guards in name only.

They were a group of
savage K*llers.

But because of that,
they were a fearsome bunch.

And as their leader,
Shigekuni Yamamoto,

you were truly a beast
with the sword...

You used everything and anything
to slay an enemy.

The lives of the people,
including your own subordinates,

weighed only as much as ash to you.

But that all changed after
you exterminated us Quincies.

Upon gaining a peaceful world,

you people had more things
to protect and to love.

You've deteriorated into
a bunch of weaklings

who would hesitate to take action

to satisfy your pathetic
sense of justice and pride.

You d*ed without realizing this,
so I'm going to tell you.

The Soul Society
is about to perish.

But the Thirteen Court Guard Squads
d*ed with us a thousand years ago!

Time to finish this.

Inform every member
of the Stern Ritter.

Tell them to thoroughly...
crush the Soul Society!

- Wha—?!
- What's that?!

Advance, Soldat!

Rebel army foot soldiers!

Stand your ground!
We can take them—

Th-They're too strong...

M-Must get help...!

It's over.

Don't disappear!

Don't disappear!

Don't disappear!

Don't disappear!

Finally...

Sorry, I wanted to open it sooner
from this side, but...

things never seem...
to go the way we want...

Huh?
Who the hell are you?

I'm Stern Ritter, Shaz Domino!

The power I was given is—

Hey, hang in there!

The Spiritual Pressure
disappeared?!

What was that just now?!

Rukia and Renji...

were they still alive?

Yeah.

Don't worry.

They're alive.

I see...

Thank goodness...

I don't have... much time left.

Though I am a captain of
the Thirteen Court Guard Squads,

I was unable to defeat

the despicable people
who trampled on the Seireitei.

I led many squad members
to their deaths...

I brought sorrow

to their subordinates
and to their families...

Only to lose and die in disgrace.

I am deeply ashamed of this.

You, on the other hand,
are a human.

Not only should you not be
involved in this fight...

you should not even be here
in the first place.

So forgive me

for the terrible audacity
of asking you this final favor...

Please...

protect the Soul Society...

Ichigo Kurosaki...!

This Spiritual Pressure...

Yes, it must be Ichigo Kurosaki.

Shall I purge him?

No. Let's go.

You...!

I didn't get a response.

That's fine.

That's the kind of man he is.

I know his answer
even if he didn't respond.

I'm counting on you,
Ichigo Kurosaki...

Your Majesty, I'll handle this...

Ichigo Kurosaki...

I don't know how you did it,

but I'm impressed
you broke out of Quilge's "Jail."

But do you really intend to
fight me in that ragged state?

Are you the enemy leader?

The "enemy," huh?

I am.

But you could also say
that I'm not.

Cut the crap!

I'm asking if you're the one
who wrecked the Soul Society!

I did indeed.

Your Majesty...

As you can see, Haschwalth...

he leaves me with no choice.

I will crush him here.

Getsuga...

...tensho!

He should still be alive.

Carry him to the castle.

We'll revive him
and put him under my command.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Impossible...!

Is that...

Blut Vene?!

Your Majesty!

Should have known better...

What's that?

You think you won just because
you withstood a few of my att*cks?

That's not what I meant.

I was right...

I wasn't imagining it.

What are you talking about?

It seems that using Quilge Opie
to keep you at bay was a mistake...

I should have used an Arrancar
instead of a trueborn Quincy...

Because of that, the memories
within your Spiritual Pressure

have awakened too soon.

You kept releasing
your Spiritual Pressure to the limit

while in contact with
Quilge's "Jail"

in order to destroy it.

The bits of Spiritual Pressure left
behind from this expl*sive release

mixed with some of
Quilge's Spiritual Pressure

as it returned to your body.

His Quincy Spiritual Pressure

slowly seeped into
the depths of your soul,

drawing out memories
within your Spiritual Pressure

from its core...

Quilge's "Jail" is meant to
restrain enemies...

It is unable to contain Quincies!

What... are you talking about?

Memories within
my Spiritual Pressure?

What's this about Quincies?

I see...

You don't know anything
about yourself, do you?

Not even about...

your own mother.

My plan was to take you back
and slowly re-educate you...

What are you—?

...but I no longer have the luxury
of doing that.

What are you—?

I've decided to force you
into submission

and drag you with me!

I said, what the hell
are you talking about?!

I'll tell you at the Wandenreich.

Qualkreis!

Now then...

Show me what you've got,
Ichigo Kurosaki!

Getsugatensho!

I will pierce you this time!

Don't assume you can evade it
with your Blut Vene!

My—

This is...

It is time, Your Majesty.

We've reached our limit for working
outside of the Schatten Bereich.

Please return to the Wandenreich.

Impossible.

We should still have time to—

Of course.
Sosuke Aizen...

This is one of his tricks.

During the few minutes
I was in contact with him,

he slightly altered my senses...

Haschwalth, you knew
but kept quiet, didn't you?

I figured it would be pointless
to try to stop you.

Well, it doesn't matter.

Let's go.

My time's up, so I'll be going now.

I guess you can't hear me anymore...

Stop!

You think I'd let you go?

After what you did
to the Soul Society...

there's no way I'd let you escape!

I said stop!

Farewell, Ichigo Kurosaki.

I'll come back for you again.

Heal your wounds and wait...

...my son... born in the dark...

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?

As we tear each other down

"I look to the heavens
and chase that star."

"b*rned into my eyes,
the afterglow of its smoke."