Tale of the Lost Agent

The Tale of the Lost Agent was a major conflict detailing Ichigo Kurosaki seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, completely devoid of any spiritual power or awareness at all. Following his friend's attack, Ichigo decides to regain his lost Shinigami powers.

The conflict began with Ichigo seeking out a mysterious organization called Xcution, who agree to help him regain his powers. As he undergoes training, he encounters a Fullbringer and former Xcution member: Shūkurō Tsukishima.

The conflict concludes following Kūgo Ginjō’s surprising betrayal and the subsequent arrival of the Gotei 13, who restore Ichigo’s Shinigami powers. Shinigami and Fullbringers clash while a personal fight between Ichigo, Uryū, and Ginjō ensures. Ginjō is eventually defeated and Ichigo, despite the startling truths that he's learned, returns to being a Substitute Shinigami.

Prelude
While walking home from school, Ichigo, now seventeen, stops a thief and retrieves the stolen backpack. He returns the item back to its rightful owner: a man who possesses a Substitute Shinigami badge like Ichigo.

The next day after defeating a gang of thugs, Ichigo’s boss Ikumi Unagiya captures him and takes him back to her shop so that he can get back to work. A man, the same one whom Ichigo met just the other day, then arrives. Orihime meets with Uryū and she learns about what had happened to Ichigo. When she leaves, Uryū notes how Ichigo’s beginning to exert reiatsu. The unnamed man that Ichigo met says how he’s looking for people to handle a “troublesome task” for him and requests that they do a background check on Isshin Kurosaki. Ikumi says that she’ll consider it and asks that he leaves, to which he does but not before suggesting that Ichigo should visit Urahara Shop. Ichigo goes there and sees Karin exiting the shop, done with her shopping. The unnamed man returns and warns Ichigo to remain cautious of the people he knows. He introduces himself as Kūgo Ginjō and hands Ichigo a card.

Uryū decides to inspect any strange circumstances around town. He then notices a tall man walking on the rooftop and chases him, but ends up severely wounded. He is brought to the hospital by an ambulance where his father performs surgery on him. Ichigo is told what had happened and he rushes to Karakura Hospital, finding Orihime also there. Ichigo asks about what happened but does not receive an answer. While walking home, he calls a dial using a number on the card Ginjō gave him. A speaker answers and welcomes him to Xcution.

Ichigo manages to contact Ginjō. After they talk, he is given directions for when and where they should meet. The following day, he arrives at the designated meeting place early and sees Ginjō already there. Ichigo says his friend was attacked and that he wants Ginjō’s help, regardless of whether or not he should trust him. They enter the Xcution hideout nearby where three other members await. Ginjō tells Ichigo that their group aims to restore his Shinigami powers and explains about the existence of Fullbringers. His fellow Xcution member and Fullbringer Riruka Dokugamine enters the building with Sado. Ichigo is surprised and angered at Sado’s arrival, but Ginjō manages to calm down. Afterwards, he explains why Xcution wants to restore Ichigo’s powers and Sado, revealed to be a Fullbringer, explains his involvement in the matter. Ichigo decides to help Xcution and regain his powers.

Early Stages
He arrives the next day to begin his training. Riruka uses her Fullbring to miniaturize and place Ichigo in a doll house so that he can fight the doll inside. Ichigo does as he’s told but didn’t defeat Mr. Pork within the fifteen minute time-limit, causing the doll to undergo a drastic power change. Struggling further, Ichigo thinks back to a memory with Rukia and his Substitute Shinigami badge starts releasing black energy in the shape of a swastika. Using his badge, he finally manages to defeat Mr. Pork.

In the meantime, Orihime is confronted by Moe Shishigawara near Sado’s home, who requests that she dies. He attempts to attack her but cannot find the will to do so after looking at her. Moe’s superior Shūkurō Tsukishima eventually arrives and slashes Orihime using his Fullbring, Book of the End. Ichigo and Sado both find Orihime alone and somehow uninjured, and both Tsukishima and Moe have disappeared. An intoxicated Ginjō would later tell Ichigo that Tsukishima is a Fullbringer and the former Xcution leader. Afterwards, he informs Ikumi that he’ll be taking more time off from work and witnesses Isshin and Urahara talking in an alley. He considers following them but decides not to.Ichigo returns to the Xcution hideout for more training and is placed in a fish bowl with Jackie Tristan by Riruka. They prepare to fight.

At home, Orihime talks to Sado through the phone and she explains her encounter with Tsukishima and Moe. She advises Sado to stay cautious of Tsukishima. Sado then returns to the Xcution hideout and asks Ginjō about Tsukishima’s abilities. Ichigo continues to fight Jackie who activates her Fullbring during the battle. They keep on fighting until Ichigo is suddenly enveloped by the black reiatsu emitting from his Substitute Shinigami badge, which causes Jackie to try and stop their training. Ginjō explains Tsukishima’s Fulbring to Sado and they start arguing about the nature of Book of the End. Suddenly, Tsukishima arrives at the hideout looking for Ichigo. He greets his former allies and notes how Jackie and Riruka, who'd left earlier, are both missing. He concludes that they're hiding in Riruka's fish bowl and slices it open despite Ginjō's warnings. The fish bowl opens and a torrent of black reiatsu is released. Ichigo emerges, the black reiatsu cloaking his entire body in the form of a Shinigami's Shihakushō.

Ginjō and Sado are shocked to see Ichigo in his new form, with Sado identifying it as his Fullbring’s true form. Ichigo questions who Tsukishima is and before the latter can fully introduce himself, Sado activates his own Fullbring to attack Tsukishima, but he only manages to create a hole in the wall. Sado heads for the rooftop and is approached by Ginjō. They talk briefly and Ichigo appears, hearing the conversation. He realizes what his friends have been doing for him. Tsukishima also arrives and he and Ichigo clash. Ichigo cannot land an attack on Tsukishima but begins to demonstrate a mastery of Fullbring, surprising the three Fullbringers near him. This isn’t enough and when the fight starts turning more into Tsukishima’s favor, Ginjō activates his own Fullbring Cross of Scafford and begins to fight in Ichigo’s place. Ginjō’s attacks fail to hit Tsukishima causing Yukio to intervene, as well. Yukio activates Invaders Must Die to seal Ichigo. Tsukishima turns to attacking the young boy, remarking that he doesn’t want him to communicate with Ichigo at all. The battle continues but Riruka gets in the way, pointing her Love Gun at Tsukishima, telling the former leader to leave. The Xcution members then leave, allowing Tsukishima to then Sado with Book of the End.

Load
At his request, Orihime later visits Uryū at the hospital. She heals his injuries and they talk about their recent attackers. Meanwhile, Ichigo is released from Yukio’s Fullbring and is told that Ginjō will his next opponent. That night, Orihime meets Sado while walking home, who tells her that her powers are needed.

Yukio uses his Fullbring to seal Ginjō and Ichigo in another dimension where they being their fight. In the midst of the fight, Yukio sends Orihime, who was brought to the hideout by Sado, into the dimension. Ginjō realizes that Orihime will be using her healing powers soon.

At the Urahara Shop, Urahara and Isshin surround a glowing cylinder-like object. A person wearing a Shihakushō is also present, and the three begin a certain process.

Orihime sees sees Ichigo injured and begins healing him. Sado soon enters the dimension to start his own training. While being healed, Ichigo learns about his friends' purposes for wanting to grow stronger and then resumes his battle with Ginjō. Riruka enters the dimension so she can eat doughnuts. There, she learns about Orihime's family. During the battle, Ichigo is blinded by Ginjō and is then pinned down. As Ginjō walks away, Ichigo suddenly starts seeing the Fullbringer’s reiatsu and manifests another form. Ginjō quickly attacks Ichigo and an explosion occurs, leaving him injured. However, he smiles and welcomes Ichigo into Xcution.

The next morning, after some stamina training, Ichigo is told what he needs to do in order to regain his powers. Sometime later, Ichigo, Orihime, and Sado exit the dimension. Thanks to Yukio's Fullbring, only an hour and a half has passed during the group's time there.

End of All Bonds
Ichigo returns home and finds that Tsukishima is there. His friends arrive and Tsukishima decides to get Orihime and Sado to come. Angered, Ichigo attacks him but his friends defend Tsukishima; unable to handle the situation, he flees. As he’s running away, an exhausted Ginjō appears and says that the other Fullbringers have also been manipulated.

Ichigo is brought to a secret hideout and Ginjō explains Tsukishima’s Fullbring. Yukio appears and asks that they return. They are taken to Tsukishima’s mansion, which is located near a forest. They go inside and are welcomed by Ichigo’s friends and Ikumi, who are all still affected by Book of the End. Ichigo runs upstairs but finds the other Fullbringers waiting for him.

Tsukishima appears, as does Ginjō who tells Ichigo to fight without hesitation. Ichigo agrees. He activates his Fullbring and clashes with Tsukishima; soon after, Orihime and Sado arrive to assist Tsukishima. The fight quickly outside the mansion. Ginjō fights his fellow Xcution members and Tsukishima's subordinate, Moe Shishigawara. He leaves, however, to take a slash from Tsukishima for Ichigo and falls down to the rooftop.

Uryū then appears and reveals to Ichigo that the person who attacked him earlier was not Tsukishima, but rather Ginjō. Suddenly, Ginjō attacks Ichigo and Tsukishima attacks Uryū. Ginjō reveals that he was never Ichigo's ally and steals his Fullbring. A despaired Ichigo shouts for them to return his powers and is suddenly stabbed with a sword. He sees Urahara and Isshin, and then Rukia behind him holding the sword. An explosion takes place and Ichigo emerges, holding Zangetsu.

Ending Stages
Ginjō and Tsukishima look at Ichigo with his Shinigami powers restored. Rukia kicks Ichigo for acting so weak. She scolds him and then explains how she was able to restore his powers, though Ginjō is skeptical. He is then told that he’s an idiot and looks above to see Renji, Byakuya, Kenpachi Zaraki, Ikkaku Madarame, and Hitsugaya above. Ichigo attacks Ginjō and quickly follows with a powerful Getsuga Tenshō, which clears both the sky and a good part of the mansion. A clash ensures but Ginjō disappears. Ichigo begins to feel the reiatsu of all the people who used their power to restore his. The Shinigami appear and explain why they’re here, which includes stopping the first Substitute Shinigami: Kūgo Ginjō.

Orihime and Sado rush outside and see what is happening. Tsukishima appears and decides to implant more memories into their past, causing the two to behave irrationally. Urahara and Isshin knock the two out, to prevent further harm. The other Fullbringers arrive and accuse Ginjō of not sharing Ichigo’s Fullbring, but he does shortly thereafter. Everyone starts to attack and relocate, and Yukio proceeds to open chatrooms. Shinigami and Fullbringers clash but in the end, the Gotei 13 is victorious.

Ichigo is placed into the same chatroom as Ginjō, as well as Uryū. Uryū then reveals his earlier suspicions about the Substitute Shinigami Badge, though Ichigo doesn’t care. The three people clash. After a while, Ginjō reveals that, once Tsukishima is dead, Book of the End will lose its effect and Ichigo will have no further reason to fight. He then mentions an enemy that Ichigo "should" be fighting. Ginjō then tells Ichigo the truth about the badge and how it was Ukitake who prepared everything, shocking him. But Ichigo then enters Bankai.

The Shinigami gather and a captured Yukio, who already freed everyone, says that he has no control of Ichigo’s chatroom because of Ginjō. Much to his shock, the chatroom is broken by the ongoing fight inside. Ichigo says that he still doesn’t care, making Ginjō respond with his own Bankai. The two continue fighting. Most of the Shinigami prepare to leave; as they’re original purpose for coming is now completed.

Aftermath
The clash continues until Ichigo finally manages to land a fatal blow on Ginjō, who drops to the ground and slowly dies. Tsukishima arrives and attempts to take Ichigo’s life. Riruka takes the hit and scolds him for his actions. Tsukishima crawls into the forest, screaming for Ginjō, and eventually he dies. Yukio is freed from Hitsugaya’s ice and encounters Jackie, who survived at the cost of her Fullbring. They talk briefly and he leaves, saying he’ll return in three years after expanding his business. Riruka is brought to the Urahara Shop and recovers there, though the next morning, she leaves without saying anything.

Later, Ichigo enters the Soul Society and is greeted by the captains of the Gotei 13, which includes new captains. He asks to bury Ginjō’s body in the Human World and that his actions are of no danger now, as everything’s back to normal, and also because Ginjō was just a Subsitute Shinigami.