Assault From a Formidable Enemy! A Tiny Final Line of Defense?!

 is the eightieth episode of the Bleach anime.

At Kisuke Urahara's request, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba prepare anti-Bount traps around the Kurosaki Clinic, but are angered when Ichigo Kurosaki brushes them off as pointless and unhelpful.

Summary
In Ichigo Kurosaki's room at the Kurosaki Clinic, Kon is angered to find Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba lounging on Ichigo's bed because he believes that this location is reserved for him as the mascot. However, as she reads a magazine, Ririn counters that she can stay wherever she wants to and mocks Kon's belief that he is a mascot. Though Kon asserts that the population density of the area is bad enough already and that having the three of them in the house is annoying, Kurōdo points out that they are in their plushie bodies.

With Kurōdo concluding that they do not take up space in this form and thus are not getting in the way of anyone else, Kon prepares to attack him, only for Ichigo to enter the room and stomp him down while admonishing the other Mod-Souls for not heeding his request for them to be quiet, leading Ririn to claim it is not their fault since the outdated Kon keeps attacking them. While Kon takes offense to this, Ichigo pushes him back down and expresses exasperation at being forced to look after the Mod-Souls.

The previous night, at the Urahara Shop, Ichigo sits with Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, Kisuke Urahara, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba around the table in the central room. When Tessai Tsukabishi enters the room, Ichigo questions where Uryū Ishida is and is told the latter is in the back room due to his wish to be alone, which Ichigo acknowledges as he recalls Yoshino Sōma dying in Uryū's arms earlier. Upon being asked by Rukia about the Bount who disappeared, the Mod-Souls reveal their sensors are currently completely ineffective for a reason they do not understand while Ichigo wonders what the Bitto were.

Urahara details how Bount create Dolls by gathering and controlling Reiryoku existing in the natural world and concludes that Ichigo saw a countless number of new Dolls that were necessary enough to require ending the life of another Bount in order to create them. As Rukia notes that this has become troublesome, Urahara suggests they start over after gathering data and requests that Renji accompany him to investigate the remnants of the Bount Mansion. Turning to Orihime and Sado, Urahara instructs them to attend Karakura High School from his shop for some time and reminds the perplexed pair that the Bount being undetectable makes them much more dangerous.

After bringing up how both Orihime and Sado live alone, Urahara asserts it would be safer to reside in the shop where there is a barrier even though school should be safe, which Orihime and Sado affirm, before turning to Ichigo and telling him to return to his household since his family is likely worried by his extended absence. With Urahara also recommending he think of a plan for when the Bount make their move, Ichigo expresses confusion at this, prompting Urahara to explain he will be taking the Mod-Souls with him to keep watch for Bount movement. Though Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba promise they will be extremely helpful to him, Ichigo remains unconvinced.

In the present, Ichigo sits down at his desk and muses on his decision to bring the Mod-Souls home as he watches Kon argue with Ririn over which of them is superior, Noba stare out the window, and Kurōdo fly in circles above them, resulting in an annoyed Ichigo concluding this was a bad idea. Suddenly, Rukia slams open the closet door behind Ichigo and demands the Mod-Souls be quiet because they are disturbing her reading, which reminds Ichigo she is also present while she describes the climax of the story she has just reached. When Ichigo orders her to not loiter in his closet, Rukia reminds him they decided this would be her sleeping quarters earlier.

Upon being approached by Kon, who requests that she let him in, Rukia simply smacks him back down to the floor with her book, leaving Ichigo to question if he will ever learn as Ririn claims that stupidity cannot be cured even by death and Kurōdo observes that Kon's stupidity is impressively unshakable. Suddenly, Kon and Ririn begin tussling on the floor over this, and as Kurōdo and Noba join them, an exasperated Ichigo pulls Kon and Ririn out and demands that they stop fighting since it is driving him crazy, only for Kon and Ririn to fall limp and not move. Further irritated by this since he assumes that they are not listening to him, Ichigo looks up to find Yuzu Kurosaki staring at him.

With Yuzu expressing concern over this, Ichigo hides Kon and Ririn behind his back while attempting to assure her that this is just for his next class recreation activity, but Yuzu looks away and informs Ichigo that she will be making sukiyaki tonight in order to cheer him up. Though Ichigo tries to clarify that he is not upset, Yuzu promises him that he can come to her or Isshin Kurosaki if he needs to talk about anything because they are family and runs off to go shopping, leaving Ichigo to protest that this is not necessary. Once Yuzu leaves, Rukia slides open the closet door again and mockingly notes that she has completely misunderstood the situation.

Ririn observes that Yuzu has good reason to be concerned and Kurōdo brings up how Ichigo is an adult talking to multiple plushies, leading Ichigo to wonder whose fault this is before being interrupted by his Substitute Shinigami Badge alerting him to a Hollow nearby, which he considers good timing since being around the Mod-Souls was lowering his intelligence. After proclaiming that he is going to head out for a change of atmosphere, Ichigo presses the badge against his chest to enter his Shinigami form and exits through the window with Rukia despite Kon's protests, leaving Ririn to declare that she, Kurōdo, and Noba can now begin their own work.

While Kurōdo admits they would not be helpful against a Hollow anyway, Ririn glares at Kon, who is sobbing over being left alone by Ichigo and Rukia, and dropkicks him into the closet for crying so much before inquiring if Kon understands the situation. As Kon expresses confusion, Ririn reminds him the Bount are targeting individuals with strong Reiryoku, and though Kon still does not understand, Kurōdo brings up Ichigo's family having strong Reiryoku as well, prompting Ririn to conclude they must set up a plan in order to protect the Kurosaki Family, which Kon acknowledges. In a park elsewhere, Ichigo purifies a Hollow with a diagonal slash of his Shikai, Zangetsu.

When Rukia runs up to him and notes he has gotten good at purifying Hollows, Ichigo affirms this and suggests they return. However, upon returning to Ichigo's street with him, Rukia stops running and looks around while asking Ichigo if he thinks something is strange about the area. Upon being asked for clarification, Rukia describes the sensation as a strange presence emanating from the Kurosaki Clinic, though she assures him that it is not a Bount. Outside the front door of the Kurosaki Clinic, Kon finishes preparing multiple lines of rope stretched between stakes embedded in the house and bushes before being kicked into them from behind by Ichigo.

Kon turns around and demands to know what Ichigo is doing, only for Ichigo to counter that this is what he is asking. Opening the front door and appearing on the doorstep with Kurōdo and Noba, Ririn declares that this is a Bount trap, to Ichigo's disbelief, and that it will protect them should a Bount attack while Kurōdo details how they have borrowed tools from Urahara to create a powerful trap. However, the Mod-Souls reveal that their trap is simply a basket propped up by a stick wrapped in rope with a plushie underneath it, which Kurōdo describes as a tool that uses bait to lure the Bitto in and demonstrates by yanking the stick away, causing the basket to fall over the plushie.

With Rukia impressed and Ichigo smiling in exasperation, Kurōdo concludes that they can trap the Bitto like this and explains that the basket is woven from a special bamboo that seals Reiryoku, which Rukia is further impressed by despite Ichigo's protests. On the upper balcony, the Mod-Souls show Ichigo and Rukia an array of CD-shaped reflective panels and two archery target-themed balloons hung from a clothes rack, and when Ichigo questions what it is, Ririn explains how it is a Bount repellent that gathers minute Reiryoku from the air in the two balloons before releasing light from the panels that discourages the Bount from approaching.

As Ichigo reminds the Mod-Souls that the Bount are not birds, Kon draws his attention to six water-filled plastic bottles placed on the floor of the balcony and proclaims that they are also Bount repellent, but Ichigo presses his hand against his face and points out how these are meant to scare away cats. After bringing Ichigo and Rukia to a Human-shaped outline drawn on the floor in one of the hallways, Ririn refers to this as an indoor trap for any Bount who invade the house and details how an enemy stepping on the mark in the center of the outline's chest will cause the mortar above them to drop, with Kurōdo clarifying that the mortar is made of Sekkiseki and seals Reiryoku.

While Kurōdo concludes the Mod-Souls can proceed to attack an enemy disabled by this trap, Ichigo turns to Kon and inquires if there was anything special about the trap he was preparing earlier, leading Kon to recount how the ropes are coated in a special medicine that seals the Reiryoku of anyone who touches it with their feet. Ririn confirms Urahara made all of these when Rukia asks about it and that they have ensured the safety of Ichigo and his family, and as Ichigo wonders who would fall for these traps, he and the others hear 4th Division 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada wail in distress outside the front door, where they discover he has tripped over the ropes.

Having fallen face-first into a pie he was delivering, Hanatarō looks up and cheerfully greets Rukia as Kon revels in the success of his calculated artistic dual trap. When asked by Ichigo what he is doing, Hanatarō explains that he was making a delivery since it is a service offered by the convenience store that he works at, but is perplexed by the mention of the Bount when Ichigo deduces that this is how he got caught by the trap. With an unimpressed Ichigo reminding him that he came to the Human World due to the Bount, Hanatarō struggles to remember why he came here, leaving Ichigo and Rukia exasperated as Ririn claims that they have proven the usefulness of their traps.

Despite this, an annoyed Ichigo simply instructs them to clean it up, shocking the Mod-Souls, who protest that they are anti-Bount traps, only for Ichigo to assert that they have had their fun and invite Hanatarō to clean his face off inside the house. While Rukia expresses disbelief at Hanatarō actually falling for the trap and follows Ichigo inside the house, with Kon and Hanatarō quickly following suit, Ririn is left angered by Ichigo's attitude and Kurōdo assumes that he and Rukia are not taking the threat of the Bount seriously before concluding that the Mod-Souls must strike fear into their hearts, with Noba agreeing and Ririn chuckling darkly in anticipation.

Some time later, Ririn and Kurōdo stand on Ichigo's bed in oblong blue armor prepared by Urahara that amplify their powers, which Ririn admits she never thought would be used here as Kurōdo points out how they conveniently resemble the Bitto as well. Ririn details their plan to confront Ichigo and Rukia like this, leading Ichigo to attack them, and for her to dodge her attack by amplifying her Illusions with the armor while Kurōdo links his Shape-shifting with the armor to display his power, followed by Noba controlling the traps to seemingly force them to run away when Ichigo begins to panic, all to make Ichigo and Rukia appreciate their work.

With Ririn declaring that they will risk their lives to show Ichigo and Rukia how useful their anti-Bount plan is, Noba teleports onto the bed and warns her and Kurōdo that Ichigo and Rukia are coming, prompting them to don the helmets on their armor and prepare to begin their plan with instructions for Noba to active the traps efficiently. Shortly afterward, Ichigo, Rukia, Hanatarō, and Kon enter the bedroom, and as Hanatarō apologizes for borrowing so many things from him, Ichigo dismisses this as not worthy worrying about. Suddenly, a shocked Kon draws Ichigo's attention outside his window, where he sees Ririn and Kurōdo in their armor on an adjacent rooftop.

Though Ichigo is too startled to respond, Rukia fires '''Hadō #33. Sōkatsui out the open window, forcing a frightened Ririn and Kurōdo to be extracted by Noba's Teleportation''' right before the blast hits the area where they were standing. As Ichigo admonishes Rukia for overdoing it, Ririn and Kurōdo lie on the ground below with their armor charred and thank Noba for saving them, only for Noba to reveal that he cannot hear what they are saying. Seeing this, Ichigo tells Noba to run away and Rukia fires '''Hadō #31. Shakkahō''' at Ririn and Kurōdo, who are teleported away once more while Noba shields himself from the resulting explosion.

Leaping through the window down to the ground, Rukia runs up to Noba and inquires if he is alright, leading a blushing Noba to assure her that he is before hiding his head in his shirt. Back on the rooftop, Ririn emerges alongside Kurōdo and wonders why Rukia is not surprised. Kurōdo reminds Ririn that Rukia works as a Shinigami and is used to life-threatening situations, meaning that she has no hesitation in attacking targets. Wanting to stop since this is dangerous, Ririn sees Ichigo in his bedroom, but as Kurōdo attempts to explain their appearance to him, Hanatarō sees them and assumes that they are being eaten by Bitto, to their shock.

Upon being called out to by Ichigo, Rukia jumps up to the rooftop and fires '''Hadō #4. Byakurai''' at the screaming Mod-Souls, resulting in them being sent flying by an explosion of lightning and thunder. While Rukia stands in the clearing smoke and wonders where they went, Ichigo pushes Kon's Gikongan out of his plushie body with his Substitute Shinigami Badge and swallows it, allowing him to enter his Shinigami form, before asking Rukia where the Bount went, and though she admits that she lost track of them, Rukia asserts that they cannot have gone far. After they move outside the front of the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia reveals that she contacted Renji.

When Noba attempts to get their attention and explain the situation, Rukia assumes he feels guilt over letting his friends get eaten and comforts him. With Noba denying this, Ichigo instructs him to take care of things here and to contact them if anything happens before running off, which leads a startled Rukia to run after him. Kon vows to avenge Ririn and Kurōdo as a fellow Mod-Soul despite not having known them for long, but when he runs toward the front door of the house, Kon triggers the trap he set up and screams as he is caught in an explosion, leaving Hanatarō and Noba to catch up and stare in astonishment as a charred Kon weakly requests they go on without him.

Elsewhere, Ichigo and Rukia meet up in an intersection and head off in different directions after confirming they did not find the Bount in the areas they just searched. Behind them, Ririn and Kurōdo peer out of a trashcan and comment on the barbarity of Ichigo and Rukia as they hop out with garbage on top of their helmets. After Ririn states they have to clear up this misunderstanding, Kurōdo suggests they begin by taking off their armor, but he and Ririn quickly realize their armor is malfunctioning and cannot be removed. As Ririn wonders why she can hear his voice, Kurōdo notes the armor's internal radios are intact even though the external speakers are broken.

Hearing this, Ririn remembers Noba also has a receiver for this radio, which Kurōdo deduces will save them if they return to Noba's location. However, Ririn questions if there will be a problem if Noba explains the situation, prompting Kurōdo to observe he has not done so yet judging by Rukia's attitude earlier. While they attempt to sneak back to the Kurosaki Clinic, Ririn and Kurōdo are shocked into hiding by Keigo Asano, who walks by and laments being forced to return his older sister's CDs for her. On a streetlamp pole nearby, Kurōdo asks Ririn if he is gone as they both cling to the pole, only for her to presume he has noticed them when Keigo stops in the street.

Suddenly, Keigo calls out to Zennosuke Kurumadani and inquires about what he is playing today, which leads Zennosuke, who is perched on a rooftop guardrail, to angrily deny playing anything. Though Keigo is disappointed that he does not want to make friendly conversation, Zennosuke demands Keigo not talk to him and questions why there are so many people who can see him in Karakura Town. Not recognizing Zennosuke, Ririn is surprised to learn he is the Shinigami assigned to Karakura Town and wonders what Rukia and the others are doing here if this is the case, with Kurōdo suggesting they are not doing typical Shinigami work.

However, Ririn and Kurōdo are interrupted when Rukia appears on a rooftop near the pole and orders them to stay still while pointing her open palm at them, which leads them to run away and across the opposite rooftop as she begins firing multiple '''Hadō #33. Sōkatsui''' at them. With Ririn and Kurōdo passing him on the taller building, Zennosuke sees Rukia approaching him and begins to greet her, but is forced to dodge multiple '''Hadō #31. Shakkahō''' fired by her before being hit in the chest by one, engulfing him in an explosion. Down on the ground, a stunned Keigo assumes Rukia is playing war and admits he never thought she was into this.

Back at the Kurosaki Clinic, Hanatarō wipes his brow and smiles after disabling the trap in front of the front door, only to find himself confronted by Ririn and Kurōdo when they return to the front gate. Attempting to run away in fright, Hanatarō slams his head into the open door and spins around before collapsing in incapacitation, which prompts Ririn and Kurōdo to simultaneously and maliciously think of a way to escape from here. With Hanatarō realizing what they are planning to do, Ririn and Kurōdo attempt to take him hostage, but are interrupted when Ichigo lands before them and demands that they stop while assuming a battle stance with Zangetsu.

As they run back to the street in terror, Ririn and Kurōdo find themselves attacked by Renji, who releases his Shikai, Zabimaru, and slams it into them, sending Ririn and Kurōdo flying. Ichigo runs up to Renji and expresses relief at him arriving while Rukia joins them and asserts that they cannot let their guard down since the enemy is allied with the Bount despite their small size. Nearby, a scuffed Ririn and Kurōdo realize that nothing they can say will matter, and when Ririn proposes they perform their joint technique since they have no other option, an initially stunned Kurōdo agrees and merges with Ririn to form a giant being called Konpakumajin.

Though he is amused by the appearance of Konpakumajin and attempts to attack it as its eyes flash, Renji is shocked to find himself holding a broom instead of Zabimaru, which Rukia points out is now in one of the hands of Konpakumajin, who slams it into the ground, forcing Ichigo and his friends to separate. Ichigo moves into the air with Hohō and comes down on Konpakumajin, but is astonished to see Yuzu bound to its torso and begging him to save her after its eyes flash again, allowing Konpakumajin to smash its arm into him and send Ichigo crashing into the parking lot in front of the Kurosaki Clinic while Rukia wonders what is going on.

The eyes of Konpakumajin flash once again, causing several rabbits shaped like Rukia's drawings to appear and surround Rukia before latching onto her, leaving her laughing at how much this tickles. Attempting to help Rukia by attacking Konpakumajin, Ichigo and Renji are smashed back down to the ground by it, and as Konpakumajin prepares to stomp on Ichigo and Renji, Rukia shakes the rabbits off of her body and points out how strange this is, leading Konpakumajin to laugh and proclaim that there is no escape from this even if they realize that they are being attacked with illusions before its eyes begin to flash once more.

Suddenly, the reflective discs on the Bount repellent rack begin shining with a violet light, dazing and confusing Konpakumajin to the point of causing it to collapse in the street, where it reverts to Ririn and Kurōdo. With Kurōdo lamenting having made such a mistake, Renji stands over him and Ririn with Ichigo and Rukia while admonishing them for using illusions. As Ichigo levels Zangetsu at them and expresses his intention to punish them, a frightened Ririn and Kurōdo are teleported away by Noba, who approaches Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji in his Gigai with Ririn and Kurōdo held in his arms before removing them from their armor.

Upon being asked what the meaning of this is, Noba begins to explain the situation, only for Kon to pop up from behind his shoulder and detail how this is armor made by Urahara that increases the wearer's power in their plushie bodies before concluding that what Ichigo and his friends saw earlier were augmentations of Ririn's Illusions and Kurōdo's Shape-shifting, to Ichigo's astonishment. Later, at the Urahara Shop, with Ichigo, his friends, and the Mod-Souls gathered around the table in the central room, Urahara apologizes for the trouble caused by the armor and decides to take it back because it would not be good if the Mod-Souls were mistaken for enemies.

Bringing up how poorly things would have gone if he were not present due to Noba's low inclination for explaining things, a chuckling Kon points out that Ririn and Kurōdo might have been dead by now and demands to know why Ririn is glaring at him since she should be grateful, only for Ririn to kick him off the table and berate him for being so pushy before furiously attacking Kon as the others watch. Urahara suggests they remove the Bount traps as well since they are problematic, and when asked by Ichigo if anyone cleaned them up, Kurōdo and Noba deny this. Back at the Kurosaki Clinic, Karin Kurosaki comes home and finds Isshin trapped under the mortar in the hallway.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
In Soul Society, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki is informed by his subordinate, Makizō Aramaki, that 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya is drafting Shinigami, prompting Aramaki to elaborate that Hitsugaya wants to dispatch several individuals to the Human World and inquire who they should send. When asked about 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, Aramaki reveals that they are eating sweets, sleeping, and filing documents respectively, and when Kenpachi orders him to have Yumichika go, Aramaki questions why they are not sending someone who is not busy doing real work, only for Kenpachi to assert that play is more important and that work can be done later.

Events

 * The Fall of Yoshino Sōma (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō Techniques:

Other Techniques:
 * Teleportation
 * Illusions

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Dolls summoned:
 * (flashback)