Protect Karakura Town! Ichigo, towards the Real World!

'''Protect Karakura Town! Ichigo, towards the Real World!''' is the two hundred and eighty-sixth episode of the Bleach anime.

The captains in Hueco Mundo decide to send Ichigo back to Karakura Town.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: August 31sth, 2010
 * English Airdate:
 * Opening Song: ChAngE
 * Ending Song: Echoes
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 378, Chapter 379, Chapter 380
 * Kanji: 空座町を護れ！一護、現世へ！
 * Romaji: "Karakura-cho o mamore! Ichigo, gensei e!"
 * Arc: The Fake Karakura Town arc Part 2

Summary
After Rukia crashes to the ground, Yammy decides to go and kill the person who defeated Ulquiorra. However, a voice is heard from Rukia's direction and Yammy looks to see who it is. Ichigo is shown standing in front of Rukia, and he tells Yammy that he's gotten much bigger since the last time he saw him. Yammy begins to angrily charge a Cero, but Ichigo fires off a Getsuga Tenshō at Yammy's face, stopping him from completing his attack. Rukia asks Ichigo why he isn't saving Orihime, but Ichigo informs her that he already did and that Orihime is simply at the top of the dome healing Uryū, since it's much safer up there. Yammy suddenly punches at Ichigo but the Shinigami is able to avoid the attack and bring Rukia a short distance away from Yammy. As Yammy heads towards them again, Ichigo tells Rukia that he's going to settle things here and then head to the Human World, allowing him to end this war. Ichigo then heads towards Yammy, and Rukia wonders what happened to Ichigo above the dome, remarking that his eyes weren't the ones of someone victorious, nor were they the ones of someone about to enter battle. Yammy tries to grab Ichigo but the Shinigami is too fast for him, continuously moving Yammy away from his original location. Ichigo suddenly appears behind Yammy who punches at the Shinigami, but Ichigo blocks the blow with his blade. Yammy tells him to stop running away, but Ichigo informs him that he was simply moving him away from his friends, and that if it's just the two of them then he can beat him down with brute force. Ichigo then dons his Hollow mask and fires off a Getsuga Tenshō at Yammy's neck, causing the Arrancar to crash into the ground.

Ichigo immediately removes his Hollow mask, and Rukia notices that the markings on Ichigo's mask are completely different from how they used to look. Ichigo thinks to himself that his Hollowfication felt completely different compared to how it used to be, and he wonders if it has to do with his Hollow transformation when he battled Ulquiorra. Yammy suddenly gets back up and smashes his face into Ichigo but the Shinigami is once again able to dodge his blow. Yammy spits out some rubble from a building that he bit into, and Ichigo wonders how he only made a small cut to Yammy's neck despite the fact that he used a Getsuga Tenshō while in Hollowfication. Yammy asks Ichigo why he's so shocked, and points out to the Shinigami that he's the strongest Espada and that all of the other Espada are trash compared to him. Yammy then fires a Bala at Ichigo and successfully hits him, asking the Shinigami if he has any strategies to beat him. Ichigo points out to Yammy that hes never had strategies when beating his other opponents, it was just that he had to win. He then tells Yammy that it doesn't matter if he's the strongest Espada because he'll still win anyway because he has to. Yammy begins to angrily fire off a barrage of Balas at Ichigo and he tells the Shinigami that he can't just get rid of the huge power difference between them with that reasoning. As Ichigo is hit by the Balas, he thinks to himself that despite the fact that Yammy is the one with all of his comrades dead, Orihime still had a much more pained look on her face. Ichigo slashes at one of the Balas, destroying it, telling Yammy that he doesn't expect him to know friendship, nor does he regret cutting down his enemies, but he still doesn't like the fact that he talked trash about the people he has fought. Ichigo then dons his Hollow mask again, but this time the mask immediately dissipates; Yammy immediately grabs a stunned Ichigo. As Ichigo wonders why he can't take out his mask again, Yammy tells him that he did well comparing to the "scum" that he fought before. Yammy then begins to squeeze Ichigo in an attempt to kill him.

In an unknown distance away, Mayuri is shown walking towards Ichigo's battle while Nemu drags along a loaded wagon. Mayuri wonders how much longer it'll be until they get there, and then remarks that Aizen is crazy for building a giant desert below the ceilings of Las Noches. Mayuri then realizes that if Ichigo's battle ends by the time he gets there, it would work to his advantage because then he can immediately collect specimens. Back at Ichigo's battle, someone uses the Kidō spell Sōkatsui and successfully hits Yammy. Another person swings their sword and cuts off one of Yammy's legs. Ichigo is freed from Yammy because of this and he falls onto the ground. He then looks to see who it was and spots Byakuya and Kenpachi arguing with each other over who should have had the first blow. Yammy angrily gets back up and Byakuya tells Ichigo to step out of the way. Before Ichigo can respond to this, Kenpachi calls Ichigo pathetic for always getting beaten up everywhere, swinging his Zanpakutō down on Ichigo. Ichigo dodges the attack and tries to reason with Kenpachi, but he doesn't listen to him and goes towards Ichigo again before being punched into the distance by Yammy. Yammy angrily tells his opponents that he won't forgive them, but is immediately hit by some rubble thrown at him by Kenpachi. Kenpachi tells Yammy that if he's going to hit him, then he should do it with all of his might, and Yammy begins to throw a barrage of punches at the captain. Ichigo attempts to go and help Kenpachi, but Byakuya reminds him that he was told to step aside and that he should go the Human World. Ichigo says that he will as soon as he defeats Yammy, and points that he can't anyway unless Urahara opens up a Garganta from the other side.

Mayuri suddenly arrives and tells Ichigo that he makes too much of a fuss about Urahara. Ichigo addresses the captain in shock, and Mayuri remarks that he doesn't like the fact that a Substitute Shinigami doesn't address him with respect, but lets the insult go anyway. Byakuya asks him if he's being generous because of the wagon he has with him, and Mayuri confirms it, claiming that he has found some rare treasures. He also reveals that he was able to analyze the structure of Garganta at the same place where he got these treasures, and orders Nemu to begin preparations for sending Ichigo back to the Human World. Ichigo tries to object against this, but Mayuri tells him that he's not allowed to talk because he's a test subject. Unohana suddenly appears and tells Ichigo that he has no need to worry since she'll go with him as well. Mayuri tells Unohana that she's out of her mind for wanting to willfully go along with this as well, but Unohana tells him that his experiment will definitely be a success, or else Urahara will end up laughing at him. Mayuri tells her to watch what she says because he can easily close the Garganta while they're in there, but Unohana simply tells the captain that this is impressive, and she calls for Isane and tells her to wait here and assist Byakuya. Unohana then prepares to go with Ichigo, but Ichigo continues to object because of Yammy's immense strength. Byakuya tells Ichigo that a Gotei 13 captain needs no assistance from the likes of him, and that his duty is to go and protect Karakura Town, as he's their Substitute Shinigami. As Ichigo is finally convinced to go, Rukia runs up to him and Ichigo tells her that he's going back to Karakura Town.

Karakura Town: Secrets of the Seven Mysteries
Ichigo regrets having chased down the seven mysteries and says he doesn't intend to follow the seventh and last mystery, as he is sure it has nothing to do with spirits. Kon reads the mystery from the paper: '''A high-school kid flies through the air with incredible leg power. When he sees a girl he lunges at her and tries to kiss her.''' Realizing he will get in trouble if Ichigo found out about it, Kon decides to keep this information to himself.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Yasutora Sado
 * 2) Renji Abarai
 * 3) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 4) Yammy Riyalgo
 * 5) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 6) Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (flashback)
 * 7) Nnoitra Gilga (flashback)
 * 8) Ulquiorra Cifer (flashback)
 * 9) Orihime Inoue (flashback)
 * 10) Mayuri Kurotsuchi
 * 11) Nemu Kurotsuchi
 * 12) Byakuya Kuchiki
 * 13) Kenpachi Zaraki
 * 14) Kisuke Urahara (flashback)
 * 15) Retsu Unohana
 * 16) Isane Kotetsu

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki, Kenpachi Zaraki & Byakuya Kuchiki vs. Yammy Riyalgo

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:

Shinigami techniques:

Hollow techniques:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Techniques used:

Zanpakutō released:

Bankai:

Resurrección used:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Other Powers: