Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Grand Fisher

 is a battle taking place during The Death Trilogy Overture between Ichigo Kurosaki and his mother's killer, the Hollow Grand Fisher.

Prelude
In the afternoon of June 17th, as the Kurosaki Family walks up a hill to the local cemetery, Yuzu Kurosaki complains that the hill is too steep while Karin Kurosaki disagrees. Overhearing this, Isshin Kurosaki tries to encourage Yuzu by walking up the hill on his hands, prompting Karin to tell her sister to not make eye contact with their father because attention will only encourage him.

However, Isshin proclaims that he does not need attention because he is self-motivated and begins rapidly running toward his daughters on his hands before tripping and sliding under Yuzu, whom he notes is wearing polka dotted underwear. Irritated by this, Karin kicks Isshin away as she tells him to vanish, and Isshin tumbles to the bottom of the hill as he declares that this will lead to great volatility in the Tokyo stock market, leading Karin to claim that he should stick to listed stocks as Ichigo watches in embarrassment.

As Ichigo notes how hot it is and how different this June 17th is from the rainy day that his mother died, his sisters notice another visitor standing nearby and wonder if she is here to see their mother as well as a shocked Ichigo realizes it is Rukia, who waves at him. When Yuzu asks him if Rukia is a friend of his, Ichigo claims to have never seen her before in his life, but when Karin begins to recognize her, Ichigo frantically reverses course and tells his sisters that he and Rukia were best friends in junior high before declaring that he will take a minute to set her straight alone as he runs off. Seeing this, a chuckling Karin rubs her chin and asserts that they should should give Ichigo some space.

Elsewhere, Ichigo demands to know what Rukia is doing here, prompting her to state that he will need her help if a Hollow shows up. Ichigo points out that Rukia could have done so with more stealth, but when she brushes this off as her not thinking things through, a surprised Ichigo asks her if she is mad at him. Clarifying that she is just curious, Rukia brings up how Ichigo said his mother was killed, and as Ichigo denies having said this, she notes that he also said that he has been able to see spiritual beings since he was very young before asking him if his mother was killed by a Hollow. With Ichigo remaining silent at this, Rukia asserts that Ichigo having that much power as a child could have led to him being targeted by a Hollow, but Ichigo loudly and aggressively denies this.

Asking a stunned Rukia why everything needs to be about Hollows with her, Ichigo claims that there was no Hollow involved in his mother's death. However, Ichigo suddenly stops upon seeing a young girl standing at the top of the stairs behind Rukia and nervously wonders what she is doing here before running off, to Rukia's confusion. Wondering who Ichigo was talking about, Rukia looks at the top of the stairs, but does not see anyone, prompting her to wonder if the girl ran away or if something else happened as she runs after Ichigo. Rukia catches up to Ichigo and grabs the back of his shirt, which causes him to trip and fall, before demanding to know why he ran, only to be shocked when Ichigo informs her that he is the one who killed his mother.

Later, as she prays in front of her mother's grave, Karin asks her mother how she is doing and notes that her being dead probably mitigates this before assuring her that she, Yuzu, and Ichigo are all doing fine. However, Karin also notes with a pained expression that her father is doing too well and annoying her as Isshin enthusiastically announces the annual "Kurosaki Family Tombstone Dominoes Tournament", with the first match being between himself and Ichigo and where the losers must serve the winners for the week, as Yuzu begs him to stop while Ichigo watches in embarrassment. As Isshin prepares to begin, Yuzu warns him that he will not get dinner tonight if he actually proceeds with this tournament, shocking Isshin.

Meanwhile, as she sits on the wall above, Rukia recalls Ichigo's claim of having killed his mother and notes that it was likely a random homicide or an accident because Ichigo could not have intentionally hurt his mother before berating herself for bringing up the possibility of a Hollow killing her. When Kon emerges from her backpack, Rukia states that she did not say he could come out, prompting Kon to complain about how hot and stuffy it is inside the backpack as he asks her to take pity on him. Kon points out that they may as well go home because Ichigo wants to be left alone today, but Rukia reminds him that she needs to stay nearby in case a Hollow shows up.

When Kon complains about how she is always focused on Hollows and never on actually enjoying her time in the Human World, Rukia decides he may be right and pulls her hat down. Down at Masaki Kurosaki's grave, Ichigo burns incense in front of it and remembers the day of his mother's death, where after being picked up by his mother from the karate dojo, Ichigo had spotted the mysterious girl from before by the river while it was overflowing and, not being able to tell the difference between living and dead beings at the time, had run off to help her, only to wake up under his mother's dead body afterward. As he admits that he does not know what actually killed his mother but is certain that she died protecting him, Ichigo recalls how Masaki was the center of his family's universe, with his sisters and father loving her as much as he did, and how he had vowed to protect her before asserting that he tore the heart out of his family's universe.

Elsewhere, as Yuzu cries on a set of steps, Karin sits next to her and claims that they are too old to be crying every time they visit their mother's grave, only for Yuzu to resume crying after a brief attempt to stop herself. Upon hearing Isshin blowing a whistle to get his children's attention, Karin tells Yuzu that this means that they need to go and tries to get her sister to her feet, only to stop upon seeing the mysterious girl standing on the edge of a nearby cliff. Karin wonders what the girl is doing there, and when Yuzu asks her whom she is referring to, Karin realizes that the girl must be a spirit if Yuzu cannot see her and tells her sister to stay there as she approaches the girl.

Asking the girl why she is staring over the edge of the cliff, Karin informs her that there is a priest living at the bottom of the hill if she is troubled by something. When the girl expresses surprise at Karin being able to see her, Karin confirms that she is spiritually aware and asks the girl to keep it to herself since it is embarrassing. However, after confirming that Karin can also hear her, the girl declares that she looks tasty as Grand Fisher begins to appear behind her, to Karin's shock. Meanwhile, after selecting a rooster-shaped whistle from a collection of animal-themed whistles in his bag, Isshin begins aggressively and repeatedly blowing into it.

Ichigo descends the stairs nearby with his hands over his ears and angrily asserts that Isshin does not have to use that to call his children. When Ichigo notices that Karin and Yuzu are not here yet, Isshin declares that this is why he is using his whistle and claims that he simply would have left without Ichigo otherwise before ordering his son to go look for Karin and Yuzu. Ichigo tells his father to look for them himself, but Isshin berates him for not loving his sisters enough, prompting Ichigo to point out that they are probably off using the bathroom and will turn up soon enough. Deciding that they should split up to look for the girls, Isshin tells Ichigo to go into the forest while he searches the cemetery, only for an irritated Ichigo to knock him down with a kick to the chin while declaring that he should lie down and look. While Isshin notes the new split in his chin will make him look like John Travolta, Ichigo senses something unnerving and takes off up the stairs.

At the cliff, Yuzu asks Karin what is wrong and reminds her that Isshin is blowing his whistle, but a scared Karin tells her to not come over before asking the girl what she is and what the thing behind her is, only for the girl to claim that Karin is especially gifted if she can see Grand Fisher. Elsewhere, Rukia senses the Hollow and is confused as to why she has not received an order from Soul Society about it, only for her Denreishinki to beep as it receives one, prompting Rukia to realize it came late as she leaps down onto the stairs nearby. As he runs up the stairs, Ichigo prays that the Hollow is not attacking his sisters before suddenly crossing paths with Rukia, whom he immediately begins running down the intersecting path with as they greet each other.

Noting that they must be going in the right direction if Rukia is here, Ichigo asks her if she is going to ask him anything, only for Rukia to state that she will not bring up the death of Ichigo's mother on her own because it is a deep and jagged wound that will only cause Ichigo more pain if she does so before promising to simply wait until Ichigo himself is ready to talk about it, which Ichigo thanks her for. Suddenly, Kon bursts out of Rukia's backpack, surprisin Ichigo. After Ichigo tricks Kon into revealing he is not truly devoted to her, Rukia tells them to be quiet as Ichigo notes the Hollow is close.

Elsewhere, Karin is sent flying by Grand Fisher and warns Yuzu to not come near before being pinned down by the Hollow, causing her to scream in pain. When she tries to help Karin, Yuzu is able to touch Grand Fisher's arm and wonders what it is as she demands that it release her sister, only for Grand Fisher to release a tentacle from one of the holes in its mask that wraps around Yuzu's throat and lifts her into the air. The girl declares that Yuzu is too noisy and does not have the spiritual prowess required to stop her before deciding to eat her anyway as an appetizer to devouring Karin.

Battle
However, as Grand Fisher draws Yuzu toward his mouth, Ichigo appears in his Shinigami form and cuts through the tentacle, to the shock of those present, before grabbing Yuzu out of midair as he lands and severs Grand Fisher's hand, freeing Karin. Recognizing the girl as the one he saw by the river six years ago, Ichigo demands to know what she is doing here and why she is with a Hollow. When the girl admits she does not remember the events of six years ago and notes Ichigo has seen her before, Ichigo confirms this and inquires if she is the slave of Grand Fisher or if he is controlling her, only for the girl to reveal neither is true as something begins to happen to her face, to Ichigo's shock.

While running through the forest with Ichigo's body on her back, which Kon complains is too heavy, Rukia comes across Karin and Yuzu lying unconscious against a rock and wonders what happened to them before having her attention drawn by Kon to a stunned Ichigo, who asks the girl what she is. Expressing amazement at Ichigo having actually seen her and lived, the girl states that he is lucky as half of her face sloughs off to reveal a sphere with a hole underneath, to Ichigo's shock. A tentacle-like limb emerges from the hole, causing the rest of the girl's skin to crumple up and fall away.

The limb attaches itself to another hole on top of Grand Fisher's head as he addresses Ichigo, whom he declares he must devour because Ichigo has seen him twice. As Ichigo wonders what this is and asks Grand Fisher if the girl is part of him, Rukia identifies Grand Fisher and explains how the lure on his head disguises itself as a person, which he uses to choose his victims by going after those who see it and absorbing their power. Rukia details how Grand Fisher has managed to outwit or defeat Shinigami for the past 54 years and declares that he is a true scumbag, prompting Grand Fisher to claim that she is hurting his feelings. With Grand Fisher chuckling over having met so many people that can see him and wondering if they will all fit in his stomach, Ichigo realizes that he tried to save Grand Fisher's decoy and that his mother was killed by Grand Fisher, prompting him to leap into the air above Grand Fisher before attacking him while screaming in anger.

However, Ichigo's Zanpakutō slams into the ground, prompting Ichigo to look up to see that Grand Fisher has evaded by jumping into the air as well. As Rukia criticizes Ichigo for making a reckless move, Grand Fisher quickly restores his severed arm and mocks Ichigo for his inexperience as he extends his arm toward Ichigo, who narrowly blocks it and is pushed back by the elongated limb before jumping off the arm onto a nearby cliff. Looking up, Ichigo is surprised to see Grand Fisher's fur extending out from him in all directions and is swiftly engulfed by it, prompting a concerned Rukia to begin chanting an incantation for a Kidō spell. Suddenly, Ichigo demands that Rukia stop and cuts himself out of the hair before asking her to take care of Karin and Yuzu while staying out of the fight. Rukia points out that Grand Fisher is too strong for Ichigo and has been beating the Shinigami for over fifty years, but Ichigo asserts that this fight is personal.

Shortly afterward, Grand Fisher destroys one of the nearby tombstones with his fur as it pursues Ichigo, who has his left hand ensnared by it. Yelling, Ichigo cuts through the fur with his Zanpakutō in his other hand, only to be caught off-guard when Grand Fisher appears behind him and declares he is too slow as he attacks with his fur, which grazes Ichigo's temple. Landing, Ichigo begins running parallel to Grand Fisher, who declares that Ichigo will never beat him by simply running away or wildly flailing his sword as he continues to attack Ichigo with his fur.

While Grand Fisher mocks him for trying to protect his friends with such mediocre skills, Ichigo continues to block his attacks while mentally noting that Grand Fisher is much faster than his appearance would suggest and that he cannot close the gap or properly evade his attacks before almost resigning himself to defeat, only to pull back from this upon remembering the suffering that he, Yuzu, and Karin have endured due to Grand Fisher killing their mother. Ichigo reaffirms his vow to protect his family and swears that he will kill Grand Fisher as he rushes in. However, Grand Fisher rushes to meet Ichigo and warns him to never recklessly throw himself at a foe as he moves to attack. Ichigo raises his Zanpakutō to block, but Grand Fisher merely grabs it and declares that Ichigo has no discipline as talons emerge from the tips of his fingers before impaling Ichigo.

As he pulls his talons out of Ichigo, who collapses, Grand Fisher criticizes him for sending away his allies and throwing himself at the Hollow in a fit of blind rage, which resulted in him playing right into Grand Fisher's hands, and declares that Ichigo will die without even having wounded him. Slashing at Grand Fisher, who evades, Ichigo proclaims that he will kill Grand Fisher even if he has his arms severed and his legs blown off, but Grand Fisher reforms the girl around his Lure and details how Ichigo's youth and impetuousness makes him quick to anger and dulls his sword before reforming his Lure to look like Masaki as he declares that Ichigo is far too inexperienced to challenge him while Ichigo watches in shock. Noting Ichigo is surprised by his recreation of Masaki, Grand Fisher admits he really does not remember what happened six years ago and states that he was able to recreate Ichigo's mother anyway before mocking the upset expression on his face. Grand Fisher explains how he attacked Ichigo with his left hand so the talons on it could search Ichigo's memory for the one person he cannot bear to hurt.

Noting that this is something even the most cold-hearted Shinigami has and is how he has beaten every Shinigami sent to purify him, Grand Fisher declares that this person is Ichigo's mother as the fake Masaki asks Ichigo if this is not the case, further stunning him. As Ichigo continues to stare at the fake Masaki, Grand Fisher asks if the sight of his mother has paralyzed him, only for Ichigo to declare that he will not allow Grand Fisher to defile her memory like this as he prepares to attack. However, the fake Masaki moves in front of Ichigo and begs him to not cut her, causing Ichigo to hesitate long enough for Grand Fisher to impale him through the fake Masaki.

Reminding Ichigo that his anger dulls his blade, Grand Fisher proclaims that Ichigo was the youngest, most reckless, and weakest Shinigami that he ever faced. Suddenly, a stunned Grand Fisher finds Ichigo's Zanpakutō lodged in his shoulder as Ichigo, having grabbed onto the limb impaling him, admits that Grand Fisher may be right about anger before declaring that a dull blade is all he needs to kill scum like Grand Fisher. After declaring that Grand Fisher was the oldest slimiest, and most annoying that Hollow he ever faced, Ichigo slashes through Grand Fisher's side. With his blood splashing on the nearby trees, a badly wounded Grand Fisher screams in agony over his arm nearly being cut off by Ichigo's attack while Ichigo props himself up on his Zanpakutō. Ichigo's scabbard falls to the ground after its damaged clasp finally breaks while Grand Fisher lies on the ground and breathes heavily, seemingly unable to move.

Rukia calls out to Ichigo as she arrives, prompting Ichigo to ask her what took so long for her to arrive since he already beat Grand Fisher. When a smiling Rukia reminds him that he told her to stay out of it, Ichigo asks her if she thought he was serious. Suddenly, Grand Fisher's remaining tentacles shoot out of his mask at Ichigo, who narrowly dodges them while getting cut on his cheek, and attaches to his Lure before shifting his body into it. As Ichigo and Rukia look on in shock, Grand Fisher brings up Ichigo's earlier question of whether his Lure was a part of him or an appendage before revealing that it is actually a separate body as he faces them with Masaki's face and his limbs on the same body. Detailing how he can slip into another body if one gets hurt, Grand Fisher declares that he is now in one that Ichigo cannot cut.

Ichigo is enraged by Grand Fisher further exploiting Masaki's likeness, but Rukia warns him to stop moving and aggravating his wounds. Declaring that beasts with acute vision are slaves to their eyes, Grand Fisher points out how Ichigo cannot cut him down because he looks like his mother before leaping away as he proclaims that Ichigo is also too badly injured to catch him. As Ichigo demands that Grand Fisher come back here and attempts to pursue him, Rukia restrains him and asserts that the battle is over, but Ichigo declares that he can still fight, only to suddenly collapse in Rukia's arms, to her surprise. Setting Ichigo on the ground as Kon arrives, Rukia states that a Shinigami's life force is equivalent to their Reiryoku and assures Kon that Ichigo's powers are greater than she thought if these wounds have not killed him before thanking Ichigo for not dying.

Aftermath
Upon returning to his body, Ichigo screams in pain, prompting Rukia to berate him for not remembering that the wounds he sustains as a Soul stay with him when he returns to his Human body. When Ichigo points out how she has always healed them before he returned to his body, Rukia apologizes and states that she could not heal Ichigo's minor wounds because she used up most of her power repairing the hole in his chest. Realizing this, Ichigo thanks Rukia, who explains how any pain he does not feel in battle will be felt more acutely when he returns to his body and tosses him some bandages to patch up his face with. As he bandages his remaining wounds, Ichigo notes that he lost, but Rukia disputes this because they took no casualties even though Grand Fisher got away. However, Ichigo states that Grand Fisher is not dead and gets to his feet before walking away. Shortly afterward, Ichigo stands in front of his mother's grave.

As Ichigo apologizes for not being able to avenge Masaki's death, Isshin suddenly walks up with two umbrellas in hand and states that he was wondering where Ichigo went. When Isshin offers him an umbrella, Ichigo asserts that it does not matter if he has one because he has already been drenched by the rain, only for Isshin to repeatedly poke him in the head with it, causing Ichigo to grab the umbrella and smack his father with it. As Ichigo opens his umbrella, Isshin notes that Masaki has been gone for ten years, and when Ichigo corrects this to six years, Isshin merely states he was close, prompting Ichigo to angrily point out how four years is the difference between grade and high school.

When Isshin begins smoking a cigarette, a surprised Ichigo asks him when he started smoking, prompting Isshin to detail how Masaki told him when Karin and Yuzu were born that she thought he looked cool when he smoked during the time they first started dating. Admitting this was the only time Masaki ever told him that he looked cool, Isshin notes this is why he decided to have a smoke on this day every year in front of her. When Ichigo continues to somberly look at Masaki's grave, Isshin slaps him on the back and tells him to cheer up. However, Ichigo asks Isshin how he can not hold Masaki's death against him and points out how he failed to protect and save his mother before tearfully demanding to know why everybody does not blame and hate him as he wishes they would.

Hearing this, Isshin merely asks Ichigo why he should blame him and states that Masaki would be mad at him if he did before assuring Ichigo that it is not his fault that she died. Asserting that he is proud of Masaki for giving her life to save her child, Isshin reminds Ichigo that he is the child she saved, and as his son calms down, Isshin knees him in the back while declaring that he is lucky. Isshin tells Ichigo to live a long life, go bald, die after he does, and die laughing if possible because he will not be able to face Masaki otherwise. As Isshin leaves, Ichigo calls out to Rukia, who is hiding behind a nearby tree, and asks if her Shinigami powers are returning before asking her to let him be a Shinigami for a little longer regardless because he wants to become incredibly strong and kill Grand Fisher, as he will not be able to face Masaki if he does not.

Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, Aisslinger Wernarr repairs and reconstructs Grand Fisher's body, causing the latter to scream in pain as Aisslinger berates him for playing with Ichigo too much and running away from his fight without using all his powers. Watching from above, Di Roy Rinker reminds Grand Fisher that they are supposed to go right for a Shinigami's head when fighting them, which Grand Fisher apologizes for. As Di Roy states that he does not like to clean up Grand Fisher's messes, Aisslinger notes that they managed to get Grand Fisher's mask off and asserts that this situation will not be repeated, which Grand Fisher confirms. Standing in a new, more humanoid body, Grand Fisher promises to never toy with a Shinigami again and swears revenge on Ichigo.