Desperate Struggle Under the Moonlit Night, the Mysterious Assassin and Zanpakutō

 is the one hundred seventieth episode of the Bleach anime.

As Ichigo learns more about Rurichiyo, he is forced to fight off an assassin going after the girl.

Summary
Ichigo’s classmates ask Rurichiyo all sorts of questions since she’s new, but Kenryū does all the answering for her, and he gives vague responses. He pays special attention to Ichigo because he thinks Ichigo is rude to Rurichiyo, but Ichigo mainly sees all this as just a nuisance. When it comes time to go home, Rurichiyo wants to walk with Ichigo, but Kenryū opposes the idea because he has already planned out a route and bribes her with the prospect of candy.

Ichigo knows that something is up because Kenryū is being too cautious, but he’s nevertheless fine with just leaving them alone for a while. That night, he and Rukia both sense a spirit force coming from next door, and they see Kenryū looking around on his rooftop. To their surprise, someone else suddenly appears in a flash of light and crashes through the roof. Though they follow this person into the house together, Kenryū decides to leave things to Ichigo as soon as he sees Enryū carrying Rurichiyo away to safety. The person turns out to be an assassin armed with a special sword, and when Ichigo prevents him from going after Rurichiyo, the two start fighting.

Ichigo is almost hurt when the reflective surface on the hilt of the assassin’s sword flashes light into his eyes, and he’s left completely open for a moment. His reflexes are enough to save him and he helps Rukia too when she is hit by the same technique. Ichigo quickly figures out that the reflected moonlight causes the assassin’s target to lose their senses for a moment and he uses this to his advantage by reflecting that light right back at the assassin with the blade of his Zanpakutō.

He is thus able to easily disarm the assassin and attempts to find out afterwards why the assassin is after Rurichiyo. However, the assassin tries to escape and lets himself be killed by Ichigo’s subsequent attack. Once the fight is over, Kenryū and Enryū return with the still sleeping Rurichiyo. Ichigo decides to invite everyone over so that Kenryū can finally explain what’s going on. When Rukia hears that Rurichiyo’s family name is Kasumiōji, she recognizes that as a house of high nobility from Soul Society. Kenryū in turn is amazed that Rukia is from the Kuchiki family and bows his head to her.

Kenryū explains that Rurichiyo is the legitimate heir to the Kasumiōji family, but both her parents are dead. There is a person named Kumoi who has been managing the house and has recently been trying to take over. Certain accidents have been happening around Rurichiyo, leading Kenryū to think that Kumoi is trying to assassinate her, which is why he brought her to the Human World for protection. Kenryū now formally asks Ichigo to protect Rurichiyo as a bodyguard, and Rukia forces Ichigo to do it while deciding to personally help as well. After Ichigo reluctantly accepts, Kenryū also reveals that Rurichiyo doesn’t know she’s being targeted, and they don’t want her to find out.

Meanwhile, in Soul Society, Kumoi meets with the leader of his men and sends him, alongside several other assassins to take care of Ichigo and his friends.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
The Shinigami Men's Association is forced to use the Men's Bathroom as their headquarters. There, they discuss "manly" cellphone designs. Shūhei Hisagi and Marechiyo Ōmaeda offer their ideas, but Tetsuzaemon Iba pronounces Hisagi's "not manly enough" and Ōmaeda's too expensive.

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. The Assassin

Powers and Techniques Used
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