The Depleting Reiatsu! Ichigo, Death Struggle of the Soul

 is the three hundred and thirty-fourth episode of the Bleach anime.

Summary
Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto glares defiantly at the onrushing blast of energy, preparing the flames of Ryūjin Jakka, but Nozomi Kujō suddenly steps in front and raises Arazomeshigure to block the attack. Yamamoto and Inaba voice their disbelief, and Kon shouts out Nozomi's name as the blast connects.

Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Lieutenant Renji Abarai, who is tending to the fallen, and Yamamoto watch Nozomi's struggle against the attack. Nozomi grimaces in pain as the sheer volume of Inaba's redirected energy pushes her beyond her limits. Inaba shouts out in concern for Nozomi, saying it's too much for her. Nozomi just grits her teeth and struggles on. Yamamoto wonders if Nozomi is trying to protect him. Arazomeshigure chimes, and Nozomi gasps. Inaba states that she can't absorb any more, and shouts for her to get away. Nozomi refuses to give in and Arazomeshigure begins to crack as the amount of energy it is absorbing exceeds its maximum capacity. Inaba begs Nozomi to stop, as she'll die if she keeps trying. Arazomeshigure finally shatters, and Nozomi is overwhelmed. Yamamoto catches her as she is blasted backwards, and yells for her to get out of the way. He promptly splits the blast down the middle with Ryūjin Jakka and steadily forces the head of Inaba's attack back towards him with his own. The stalemate continues, before the sheer volume of energy creates a vast explosion that engulfs both combatants and all the observers.

Both Yamamoto and Inaba fall out of the sky, Yamamoto's garments set ablaze. Rukia runs over to him, shouting out in concern. Kon runs after her, but then sees Nozomi falling as well and attempts to catch her, but she steps on him and runs over to the Captain-Commander's side. Kon laments how she ignored him while Nozomi asks Yamamoto why he saved a Mod-Soul like her. Yamamoto snaps at her not to get too full of herself, and that it would take another one thousand years for him to need to be protected by the likes of Nozomi. Besides that, he adds, despite being a Mod Soul, she's still a young girl. Kon grows agitated and demands that the Captain-Commander be more honest with Nozomi.

Yamamoto collapses, and everybody shouts out in concern. Renji suddenly senses something and shouts to Rukia, alerting her to an advancing Inaba. Rukia, Nozomi, and Renji steel themselves for their foe's approach, but Renji's attention is drawn as Ichigo coughs and asks where Inaba is. Renji points in the general direction of the scientist, and Ichigo sits up. As the dust settles, Inaba raises Raikū and manages to struggle to his feet. Kon comments that "that bastard won't stay down." Inaba looks up and notes how Nozomi is alright. He grins maliciously and voices his relief. Nozomi and Rukia brace themselves for combat. Inaba chuckles, and tells her that it won't do Nozomi any good to resist, as she can't fight with Arazomeshigure in its current state. Inaba advances, but Ichigo and Renji block his path.

Inaba halts and asks why Ichigo blocks his path. Ichigo states that it's because Nozomi doesn't want to go with him. Inaba asks why he says that, startling Ichigo. Kon demands to know what is wrong with Inaba; "of course she doesn't want to go with you!" Inaba chuckles and states that he is Nozomi's creator, thereby making him her father. He states that the research is about to become complete. Ichigo wonders what he means; Kon assumes he means the takeover of the World of the Living and Soul Society. Ichigo tells him that they will never allow that. Kon adds that such a thing would never make Nozomi happy. Inaba states, however, that it would make him happy, therefore Nozomi should be happy as well. Kon shouts for Inaba to stop spouting nonsense, to which Ichigo agrees, saying that Nozomi is not like him.

Inaba laughs, unnerving everybody. Ichigo wonders what's so funny. Inaba notes how Ichigo talks like he understands Nozomi. He tells them that no one understands Nozomi better than he does, and laughs on as Nozomi looks away in shame. Ichigo asks what he means. Inaba explains that he and Nozomi were born from the Reishi of a single Shinigami. Kon wonders what he means; Inaba just states that it means exactly how it sounds. Kon asks for Nozomi to clarify, but Nozomi doesn't respond. Kon presses her for an answer, but is brought to a halt when Nozomi falls to her knees.

Inaba chuckles and notes how she hasn't forgotten. Kon grows angry and yells at Inaba to stop laughing at every little thing. Inaba ignores him and states that Nozomi always knew that if she was ever captured, she and Inaba would become one, making her their enemy. That was why she tried to keep her distance from Inaba. He asserts that she tried to push everybody away, but began to feel an attachment to those who tried to protect her. Nozomi begins to remember a number of moments beginning with the time she met Kon, remembering various people, but many of those moments centering around Kon. After all the flashbacks, Inaba shouts how that is why she couldn't tell them anything. Kon shouts for Inaba to quit saying everything like he knew about it and to stop telling Nozomi how she feels. Inaba finally gets to the point: Nozomi is him, and he is Nozomi. Inaba challenges them to ask Nozomi the truth of his statement. Kon turns towards Nozomi, who cannot bring herself to look in his eyes as Inaba continues his laughter.

An enraged Ichigo attacks, in spite of his weakened condition. Rukia, Renji, and Kon, who is armed with a small rock, soon follow. However, Inaba quickly defeats the four and steps on Kon's face. He then tells Nozomi to join him in going back to the place where they belong, but is refused. Inaba narrows his eyes and calls her decision "unfortunate." He decides to take her back forcefully, and advances, while Kon blindly attacks, but misses. Nozomi attempts a strike at Inaba, but he catches her wrist and forces her to drop Arazomeshigure. Kon curses Inaba and throws his rock, hitting him surprisingly hard in the back of the head, distracting Inaba enough to allow Nozomi to wrench her wrist from Inaba's grasp. Kon shouts at Nozomi to escape while he distracts Inaba, though he acts mostly as a pest than an obstacle. Nozomi slowly retreats; Kon wonders what she is waiting for and shouts at her to run.

After a short struggle, Inaba finally gets a hold of Kon and remarks that even though he is a Mod-Soul, he is a failure. He hurls him underfoot and contemptuously mangles the Mod-Soul with his foot, resolving to "eliminate you completely from both the World of the Living and Soul Society." He finally forces Kon's Mod-Soul pill from his plushy's body and is about to destroy him when Nozomi suddenly blasts him with a Hadō #58: Tenran and rescues Kon's pill and body before fleeing. Inaba attempts to follow, but is halted by a blast of fire from a barely conscious Yamamoto. Inaba angrily declares he doesn't have time to battle with the Captain-Commander and uses Shunpo to chase Nozomi. Ichigo then regains consciousness.

Nozomi takes a break from running and stops to rest before reviving Kon. Kon gets emotional, exclaiming that she saved him, but she promptly slaps him twice. Kon laments how even now she has her guard up, but then suddenly he warns her about Inaba trying to grab her from behind. She uses Kon as a weapon and smacks him away, and suddenly the slope gives out from beneath Inaba's foot and he slides away. Nozomi flees under a snowfall and collapses, unable to run further. Kon tries to urge her to go on further, but she tells him to go on without her. Kon refuses to let her sacrifice herself, but Nozomi promises that she won't die. Kon ponders for a moment, and then realizes what she is going to do and refuses to let that happen, flinging himself into her arms. Nozomi hugs her fellow Mod-Soul for a moment, then lifts him up and proceeds to use Bakudō #30 Shitotsu Sansen to pin him to a rock. Kon is shocked by her betrayal, and Nozomi smiles sadly for a long moment before heading back the way they came.

Ichigo is in the forest, unsteady on his feet. He prays that his Reiatsu is enough for just one attack. Nozomi walks through the forest nearby, only to run into Inaba. Elsewhere, Kon manages to rip the rock from the ground and then proceeds to run back the way they came, carrying the rock on his back. Ichigo shouts for Nozomi to get down, and Inaba attempts to use Raikū, but finds that it has vanished. Nozomi gets down and covers her head with her arms, and Ichigo unleashes all his Reiatsu in a powerful Getsuga Tenshō that completely obliterates Inaba. Nozomi gets up and rushes over to where Ichigo is, to which Ichigo tells her that he's alright. He begins to tell her to come with him, but suddenly Inaba finishes with "to where we belong."

Both people spin around to see Inaba laughing, and Nozomi wonders how he survived. Inaba reveals that back when the slope crumbled under his feet, he took a small precaution: copying himself. He created a decoy to ensure that they would waste their time with the decoy. He bids farewell to Ichigo and defeats the Substitute Shinigami with a single strike. Ichigo falls face first into the ground, completely unconscious. Nozomi calls Ichigo's name before Inaba hand-knifes her in the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious as well. Inaba picks up Nozomi and opens up a time-space portal with Raikū. Kon races onto the scene and jumps at the portal just after it closes up and falls to the ground, shouting Nozomi's name in anguish. Meanwhile, Ichigo's shihakushō turns white, his powers now gone.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi are shown using their computers, with Tessai stating that they have completed freezing the space of the battlefield. Kisuke then says that it is time to go help the Shinigami in battle, but a warning alarm sounds, showing that Ikkaku Madarame and the Reigai-Kenpachi Zaraki's Spiritual Pressures have created a fissure on the frozen space. Kisuke then says the problem must be dealt with first, but then another warning alarm sounds, showing that the protective barrier in the frozen space has been destroyed by Nozomi's Zanpakutō ability. Tessai then states that Yamamoto and Ichigo's combined techniques have created a huge hole in space, which causes both Kisuke and Tessai to panic. The scene then shifts to Kisuke arriving at the battlefield, murmuring that he did not make it in time to lend a hand.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Kagerōza Inaba
 * Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
 * Kon
 * Rukia Kuchiki
 * Renji Abarai
 * Ichigo Kurosaki
 * Nozomi Kujō
 * Orihime Inoue (flashback)
 * Uryū Ishida (flashback)
 * Kisuke Urahara (flashback)
 * Yasutora Sado (flashback)

Fights

 * Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Ichigo Kurosaki & Nozomi Kujō vs. Kagerōza Inaba (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:
 * Hadō #58 Tenran (闐嵐, Orchid Sky)
 * Bakudō #30 Shitotsu Sansen (嘴突三閃, Beak-Piercing Triple Beam)

Techniques used:
 * Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer) (flashback)
 * Kagerōza Inaba's Space Manipulation (flashback)

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:


 * Arazome Shigure (退紅時雨, Faded Scarlet Late Autumn Shower)
 * Raikū (雷矩, Lightning Ruler)
 * Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火, "Flowing Blade-like Flame")

Bankai:


 * Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heaven Chain Slaying Moon)

Other powers:
 * Horōka (虚, Hollowfication) (flashback)