| abstract
| - During their argument, Nozomi, who is dressed in the standard shihakushō of a Shinigami, stands up and declares she wants to fight. Stunned, only Ichigo and Kon manage to reply, stating just because she now has a Zanpakutō does not mean she will be able to fight against the very powerful Reigai. When Nozomi insists her Zanpakutō should be able to counteract Kagerōza Inaba's abilities once unleashed, Yumichika Ayasegawa, pointing out she does not sound too confident, asks what power she has. Nozomi does not remember everything yet, but she insists she knows she can defeat him. Ikkaku, unimpressed, decides it is not something they should take a risk over. Standing up, he asserts sitting around and talking is not going to defeat the enemy, and they have to move now. Nanao tell Nozomi they cannot risk allowing her to fight at this point and Ichigo agrees. However, he vows to help her awaken her true power so she can fight. Meanwhile, Inaba sends several of his captain-class Reigai to the Human World in order to retrieve Nozomi. These include the Reigai of Captains Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Byakuya Kuchiki, Sajin Komamura, and Kenpachi Zaraki. As they run through the Dangai, they encounter a trap set by Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi which alerts them when the enemies are caught. When Tessai asks if he should proceed with the next step, Urahara agrees, as they are not going to get support from Soul Society at the moment, and explains they will freeze them where they currently are. Inaba, realizing what has happened and who is responsible, laughs about how the Reigai are now separated, but claims it will not buy them much time. Elsewhere, Ichigo and his friends have taken Nozomi to a spacious field to help train with her. They all proceed to attack her one by one, forcing her to block their attacks, before she demands they come at her harder. Rukia Kuchiki, attacking, knocks her to the ground before Kon runs towards her in a worried fashion, begging her to quit this training, as it is clearly too much for her to handle. Nozomi, denying his request, gets to her feet, insisting this is the only way to awaken her Zanpakutō. As Kon makes to argue once more, she kicks him away in aggravation before continuing her training. Ichigo begins to trade blows with her repeatedly, not letting up. Thinking back to his initial days of training with Urahara, he quietly reaffirms they are doing the right thing. Next, Uryū Ishida starts to attack Nozomi, who, appearing to struggle, manages to block all of his attacks. Yasutora Sado, attacking again, uses his powers to try and punch Nozomi. As she succeeds in blocking his attack, crouching to evade it as well, they all watch, shocked, as her Zanpakutō, beginning to glow, absorbs Sado's Reiatsu. The group is stunned for a moment before Nozomi, taking this event as a sign their training is starting to work and they are close to releasing her power, insists they continue at the same rate. As Ikkaku, watching from the side, recalls how fighting with Kenpachi helped him become a better fighter, Yumichika, appearing beside him, asks him what is wrong, wondering if he is interested in Nozomi's abilities. Ikkaku, denying this, insists he is only concerned about when the Reigai will arrive in Karakura Town. Despite Nozomi's objection, both Kon and Orihime Inoue demand she rest, or else she will hurt herself. When Kon offers her a drink, she, turning it down, walks towards a fountain to wash her face. Ikkaku, approaching her, states training so hard will only end up hurting her and will not help her fight. Nozomi, denying this, claims this is her chance to fight and die so she can help others live. Ikkaku, reminded of his own pledge to die under Kenpachi, calls her a fool before she returns to her training. As the others begin to resume Nozomi's training, a burst of Reiatsu surrounds them, and the sky over Karakura Town appears to crack. Lieutenant Renji Abarai, arriving, confirms the enemy is attacking, and now is the time to take Nozomi somewhere to hide. Nozomi, rejecting this solution, demands they continue with her training. Renji, objecting, is faced with stiff competition from Ichigo and all his friends and, relenting, agrees to help as well. As the crack in the sky explodes, Reigai-Kenpachi, arriving in a secluded spot on his own, comments on how he is the first Reigai to arrive. Ikkaku, appearing, attacks him, insisting he is the Reigai's opponent regardless of Ichigo's plans. Before Ichigo, sensing Ikkaku's Reiatsu, can go help, he is stopped by Yumichika, who tells him Ikkaku is trying to buy them more time and not to waste his efforts. When the rest of the Shinigami arrive to help Ikkaku, he insists on battling Kenpachi alone. When they object, he reminds them they have other opponents as the other Reigai captains begin to arrive separately. Reluctantly, the other Shinigami, agreeing, leave Ikkaku to his fight and move out to face the new arrivals.
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