Unfading Grudge! The Shinigami whom Kenpachi Killed

 is the seventy-seventh episode of the Bleach anime.

Maki Ichinose remembers his past as he and Jin Kariya battle Ichigo Kurosaki.

Summary
In the damaged dining area of the Bount Mansion, Rukia Kuchiki stands in the middle of the room while Ririn regains consciousness behind her and sees Kurōdo and Noba lying injured and unresponsive on the other side of the room, causing her to run over in concern. With Rukia noting that Kurōdo and Noba likely took a lot of damage from being attacked by Maki Ichinose, Ririn questions what they should do and expresses fear of being all alone if Kurōdo and Noba died.

While Ririn tearfully urges Kurōdo and Noba to wake up and promises to not insult them anymore, Rukia mentally wonders if she can properly perform Kaidō in her current state. Suddenly, Rukia sees Kurōdo slightly move his hand and briefly open his eyes, which leads her to instruct Ririn to stop worrying about him and order Kurōdo to stop pretending to be unconscious, to Ririn's surprise, as Kurōdo looks up and cheerfully greets them.

As Noba gets up as well and zips his hood shut, an embarrassed Ririn angrily turns to Kurōdo, who frantically claims that he and Noba came back from the brink of death upon hearing Ririn's cries and pretends to be suffering from chronic clamps before being slapped across the face by Ririn, leaving Rukia to observe that Noba has to put up with a lot while he nods. Meanwhile, in the damaged main hall, Jin Kariya, Gō Koga, Yoshi, Mabashi, Ugaki, and Sawatari look down from around the room as Ichigo Kurosaki faces off against Ichinose. After Ichinose closes the distance between them and stops several feet away, Ichigo moves to him with Shunpo and attacks.

Blocking two slashes of Ichigo's Shikai, Zangetsu, Ichinose pushes it aside and thrusts his Zanpakutō at Ichigo, who narrowly blocks it with the broad side of Zangetsu before clashing with Ichinose and slashing at him horizontally. Ichinose leaps over Zangetsu and comes down on Ichigo, and once the latter moves back with Shunpo to evade this, Ichinose releases his Shikai, Nijigasumi, to create an array of sword beams that dazzle and confuse Ichigo, forcing him to move back once more in order to evade them. While following up with a downward slash into the ground that Ichigo dodges as well, Ichinose runs alongside him and declares that Ichigo cannot escape.

When Ichinose creates more sword beams in the arc of his subsequent swing, Ichigo leaps back against a wall and drops to the floor as the beams pierce the area where he was located, with Ichinose following and leaping off the wall to continue clashing with Ichigo while Kariya watches intently. After moving around several times to cross blades with Ichigo, Ichinose appears behind him with Nijigasumi held to the back of a stunned Ichigo's head and asserts that Ichigo will not be able to follow his sword no matter how hard he struggles, prompting Ichigo to turn around and slash upward at Ichinose while demanding that the latter not underestimate him.

Upon moving back with Shunpo and reappearing several feet away from Ichigo, Ichinose wonders if Ichigo is reacting based on instinct and reflexes since he should not be able to see the attacks of Nijigasumi, but Ichigo simply chuckles at this being the full power of Ichinose's Zanpakutō and exerts his Reiatsu in a surge around his body while yelling before lunging toward Ichinose and thrusting Zangetsu toward his head. With Ichinose evading this, Ichigo proclaims that he will just keep attacking and continues to slash at Ichinose, only for the latter to block his third strike with Nijigasumi and warn Ichigo that things will not go so smoothly this time.

Suddenly, Ichinose shimmers and disappears, leaving Zangetsu to pass through the space he was formerly occupying, and a confused Ichigo sees the environment distorting around him as Ichinose reappears, generates two illusory versions of himself on either side of his body, and rotates Nijigasumi in a sword beam-generating circle around himself before releasing it, blinding Ichigo with a bright light as dozens of slashes tear through his body. Behind Ichigo, Ichinose explains that the light of Nijigasumi shines through everything and prevents his foes from hiding in the shadows before Ichigo dispels the attack by jabbing Zangetsu into the ground and firing a Getsuga Tenshō.

The Getsuga Tenshō rips through the ground in two directions perpendicular to the rift left by Ichigo's prior Getsuga Tenshō, forcing Ichinose to move away with Shunpo. As the dust settles, Ichinose analyzes Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō as being highly dense Reiatsu shaped into a blade and details how he used this to escape by creating an explosion underneath his feet, only to observe that this seems to have greatly strained a panting Ichigo. However, when Ichinose exerts his Reiatsu and prepares to continue battling a defiant Ichigo, Kariya immediately tells him to wait and joins Ichinose on the floor as he calmly reveals that he wishes to fight Ichigo instead.

Though Ichinose assures Kariya that he does not have to do this, Kariya merely places a hand on Ichinose's shoulder and expresses interest in Ichigo's Soul, which leads Ichinose to kneel and acknowledge this. Upon being called out by an impatient Ichigo, Kariya apologizes for keeping him waiting and invites Ichigo to live with them forever, but Ichigo declines to have his Soul devoured. Watching as Kariya approaches Ichigo, Ichinose internally recalls how Kariya charmed him with his strength and has not gotten any weaker since. In the past, while Kenpachi Zaraki fights 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Kiganjō, Ichinose stands outside with 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen.

With Ichinose expressing frustration at the match for the captaincy, Tōsen notes that this method of defeating the current captain in front of over two hundred division members in order to establish supremacy is one of the acceptable methods to succeed a position in the Gotei 13 and that they cannot stop Kenpachi since Kiganjō accepted his challenge. When Ichinose insists that he has been led to believe Soul Society needs a will like Kiganjō's, Tōsen agrees with this and brings up how Soul Society is meant to bring peace to Souls before questioning how a law like this could exist as he warns Ichinose that Kenpachi is especially dangerous with a sword of madness.

Suddenly, the conversation is interrupted by a loud strike and the shock of the crowd, leading Ichinose to rush past Tōsen and through the crowd of onlookers, where he is horrified to see Kenpachi standing over a dead Kiganjō with blood dripping off his Zanpakutō. While Kenpachi hoists Kiganjō's haori over his shoulder and departs, a screaming Ichinose runs out into Kenpachi's path and admonishes him for doing this to Kiganjō as he declares that he will not accept it and attempts to draw his Zanpakutō. Before Ichinose can do so, he is restrained by several of his comrades and internally reflects on this being the moment that the captain he respected was taken from him.

Ichinose expresses outrage at a battle between those who only seek strength being so meaningless and at how everyone present at the match stopped him from attacking Kenpachi there, which led to Kenpachi eventually becoming the official captain of the Eleventh Division. Some time later, Ichinose approaches Kenpachi from behind on a walkway and issues an official challenge to Kenpachi for a one-on-one match, but Kenpachi refuses to accept this since Ichinose is different from him and would be better off becoming a captain by taking the exam. However, though he does not intend to hold a grudge against Kenpachi, Ichinose declares that he cannot leave Kiganjō unavenged.

Annoyed by this being the reason behind this confrontation, Kenpachi claims Ichinose cannot cut him and offers to let him attack right now while promising to consider it if Ichinose can even scratch him. With Kenpachi encouraging him, Ichinose releases Nijigasumi and slashes at Kenpachi, only for the latter to slash Ichinose's wrist with his own Zanpakutō before he completes his attack, forcing Ichinose to drop his Zanpakutō and clutch his bleeding injury as he wonders why Kenpachi is like this. Kenpachi compares Ichinose to ivy that cannot live unless it is clinging to trees and instructs him to grow roots and stand on his own before leaving.

As he groans in pain and self-loathing, Ichinose admits that he did not care about anything and considered himself to have died at this moment. In the present, Ichinose continues to watch Kariya approach Ichigo while observing that this changed when he met Kariya. In the past, Ichinose wanders through a desert in the Human World wearing a hooded cloak and pants in exertion while recalling how he left Soul Society and came here in his travels, though he remains uncertain of why he did so since it is a great crime to come to the Human World without permission and observes that he can no longer go back to Soul Society as he questions whether he will wither away and die here.

Ichinose collapses and rolls over on his back to stare up at the sun while resigning himself to this fate because it will allow him to reunite with Kiganjō. Suddenly, Ichinose hears screams of terror emanating from a nearby town, where he sees smoke rising and assumes that a fire has broken out, only to see Souls with Chains of Fate fleeing from the town, to his confusion. When a large Hollow devours the Soul of an older man and begins chasing the Soul of a young boy, who trips and gives the Hollow an opportunity to attack him, Ichinose casts off the cloak and rushes in to protect the boy by intercepting the Hollow's strike with his Zanpakutō.

Urging the boy to run away, which he does, Ichinose struggles to hold back the Hollow's arm and admits that his body moved before he could think while the Hollow forces him back and mockingly inquires if this is the best he can do. Internally, Ichinose admits that he may not even stand a chance against such an opponent in his current condition as the Hollow gloats at being able to devour a Shinigami in addition to the Souls he has just eaten before striking at Ichinose, who deflects his blow with his Zanpakutō. After missing with his subsequent swing, Ichinose leaps into the air to avoid the Hollow's second strike and comes down to slash at his shoulder.

However, the Hollow intercepts this with a swipe of his arm that sends Ichinose flying back and disarms him. The laughing Hollow proceeds to injure Ichinose with another attach, causing the latter to wonder if he is going to die here and realize that he is afraid of death instead of relieved by it while he lands on his back. Though acknowledging how pitiful and lowly he is, Ichinose refuses to let go of his dying body and attempts to crawl away from the advancing Hollow, who jabs his left, bladed hand into the ground in front of Ichinose and declares that it is over as he brings his other bladed hand down onto a screaming Ichinose, only to be stopped when Kariya places a finger against his forehead.

With the incredulous Hollow demanding to know what a cloaked Kariya did, a cloaked Gō Koga helps Ichinose to his feet and asks him if he is alright, which Ichinose confirms as he looks at Kariya and expresses astonishment at him stopping the Hollow's movements with a single finger, something he has never seen before. Letting the Hollow collapse by removing his finger, Kariya turns to Ichinose and states that this is the latter's fight as he holds out Ichinose's Zanpakutō. An initially hesitant Ichinose takes back his Zanpakutō and grips it with both hands before vertically bisecting the screaming Hollow, purifying it, while Kariya inquires how he could lose to such a Hollow.

As the wind blows through the area, Ichinose asserts that he has failed and recalls Kenpachi's comparison of him to ivy that cannot survive without clinging onto trees, but Kariya assures him that there is no reason to be ashamed because everyone has weakness that they cannot rid themselves of no matter how long they live within the cycle of rebirth. With Kariya placing his hand on Ichinose's shoulder and inviting Ichinose to come with him, Ichinose notes that he was charmed in an instant and nods in affirmation. In the present, Kariya details how Ichigo's Soul will meld with his own, allowing glory to forever shine on the latter's head, and encourages Ichigo to entrust himself to Kariya.

Despite Kariya offering him wealth he has never known, Ichigo simply reiterates his refusal, which Kariya is disappointed by, before generating a Getsuga Tenshō with Zangetsu that swirls around him in a thin, cone-shaped spiral prior to being fired through the ground at Kariya, who is engulfed in a cloud of dust. However, a panting Ichigo suddenly discovers Kariya standing next to him and is backhanded strongly across the face by the latter when he attempts to attack, resulting in Ichigo flying across the hall and crashing through a support beam holding up the upper hallway. Cursing, Ichigo is shocked when Kariya appears before him and places his index finger on Ichigo's forehead.

While Kariya admits that Ichigo is not what he expected the latter to be, Ichigo realizes that he cannot move and has no strength left in his body before Kariya pulls back his finger and flicks it into Ichigo's face, sending the latter crashing through the wall behind him. With Kariya turning around and walking away, a still-kneeling Ichinose inquires if he is not going to finish off Ichigo, prompting Kariya to explain that Ichigo will not color his world as richly as Uryū Ishida will and give Ichinose permission to do as he likes with Ichigo. As Ichinose stands up, Ichigo pushes off the rubble covering him and uses Zangetsu to get to his feet before demanding that Kariya wait.

Though Ichigo does not understand what is going on, Ichinose decides that he should finish Ichigo off and begins to draw his Zanpakutō, only to be interrupted when a blast from Ururu Tsumugiya's Senren Bakusatsu Taihō slams into the ground outside, shaking the entire mansion and leaving Ichigo struggling to stay standing as Ichinose expresses confusion. Outside, as they stand several dozen meters away from the mansion, Jinta Hanakari praises Ururu's shot and directs her to fire another one ten degrees higher at the same angle, which Ururu complies with, resulting in the projectile hitting the roof of the mansion as a third hits the ground once more.

Inside the mansion, Yoshi leaps back to avoid a chunk of the rafters falling on the area where she was standing, and when Ugaki directs several Wächter of his Doll, Gesell, to turn toward Ichigo, Yoruichi Shihōin appears between them, shocking Ichigo, as Ugaki has the Wächter attack them. Yoruichi activates her Shunkō and generates a whirlwind of Kidō that destroys the Wächter and rips through the mansion, covering a startled Ugaki in rubble and forcing Ichinose to shield Kariya with his own body while a portion of the mansion explodes outward. Elsewhere, Kurōdo feels all of this and wonders what is going on as he lists several possibilities.

With Kurōdo concluding that they should calm down and escape without making a fuss, Rukia joins them and questions what is going on before being directed by Ririn to a nearby door which she can sense Uryū's Reiatsu behind, to Rukia's surprise. Opening the door, Rukia is approached by Uryū and asks him if he is alright, which he confirms while Kurōdo expresses relief at this since he was trying to compose a eulogy for Uryū if something had happened to him. Pulled away by Ririn and walking through the hallway outside, Uryū hears Noba comment that he can detect a Bount on the other side of a nearby door and moves forward with determination, to the puzzlement of Rukia and Kurōdo.

Inside the cell behind the door, a weakened Yoshino Sōma lies on the floor as Uryū enters the room and runs to her side, where she looks at him with surprise before being helped to her feet with Uryū supporting her shoulder and arm while demanding that his friends help as well. Though Ririn reminds him that Yoshino is a Bount and Kurōdo points out how she was the first one to attack them, Uryū insists that she is different, and when Rukia asks him why he is doing this, Uryū promises to explain later, which Rukia acknowledges as she helps support Yoshino and orders Noba to teleport them away, leading him to pull the shield off his back and create a large wormhole that envelops them.

Outside, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Kon see the mansion burning down from afar. While Kon wonders what is going on, Orihime expresses concern for Ichigo and attempts to run off, but Sado stops her. Though Orihime asserts that they need to move quickly, Sado directs her attention to the area behind them, where Yoruichi appears with Shunpo while carrying an incapacitated Ichigo and lays him down on the ground before assuring a concerned Orihime that he is not seriously injured, to her relief. Suddenly, Rukia's group appears nearby while supporting Yoshino, leading Kon to tearfully leap toward Rukia in an attempt to reach her breasts.

With Rukia angrily stomping on Kon and grinding his face into the ground, Kurōdo expresses relief at everyone being safe and the coincidence of them all arriving here, which leads Noba to reveal that it was not a coincidence because he searched for Reiatsu when creating an exit for them. Seeing Sado helping Ichigo to his feet, Yoruichi informs the others that they cannot stay here and must leave as soon as possible, which they acknowledge. As night falls, Kariya stands with the other Bount and Ichinose outside the burning mansion while Ugaki observes that Ichigo's group took Yoshino and Uryū with them, causing Koga to apologize for letting his guard down.

Despite Ichinose's concern over how this will impact their plan, Kariya instructs him to let Ichigo's group get away and assures a surprised Ichinose that both Yoshino and Uryū will come back to him, leaving Ichinose shocked.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
As the lieutenants of the various divisions and Captain Byakuya Kuchiki sit together in a meeting, Nanao Ise asks Byakuya why he is attending a lieutenant's meeting, prompting him to state he is doing so because Renji Abarai|his lieutenant]] is in the Human World at the moment. Yachiru Kusajishi pops up and praises Byakuya for his enthusiasm about his work before asking him if he would like to come eat with her after the meeting, only for Byakuya to pull a Chinese dumpling out of his shihakushō and stuff it in her mouth. While Yachiru happily chews the dumpling, Byakuya asks the intimidated lieutenants what the next topic is with an intense expression as Nanao notes he is skilled.

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Maki Ichinose & Jin Kariya (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Zanpakutō Techniques:
 * Invisibility
 * Blinding Light
 * Blade of Light
 * Blade of Light

Hohō Techniques:

Kidō Techniques:

Other Techniques:
 * Teleportation

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Dolls summoned:

Other Weapons:

Anime Notes
Errors= Trivia=
 * In the English dub of this episode, Kaname Tōsen mistakenly states that Kenpachi Zaraki is seeking the captaincy of the Thirteenth Division instead of that he is seeking a captaincy within the Gotei 13.
 * During Ichigo Kurosaki's fight with Maki Ichinose, when Ichinose releases his Shikai and attacks Ichigo while he is blinded, the animation is replace with a still, sketch-like image of Ichigo being slashed multiple times while Ichinose stands behind him that is zoomed out from Ichinose's face to show the full scene before the animation resumes with Ichigo dispelling the light with a Getsuga Tenshō. This may have been a stylistic choice on the part of the animators, but given that it had never been used for Ichinose's attacks before or since and the audio continues as normal instead of fading out or suddenly silencing for effect, this may have actually been a storyboard sketch that was used in lieu of an ordinary animation sequence due to time or budget constraints. This also occurred in episode 95 during another battle scene.