Ichigo vs. Ginjō! To the Game's Space

 is the three hundred and fifty-fourth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki fights Kūgo Ginjō in the Game Space.

Summary
Using his newly developed Fullbring abilities, Ichigo Kurosaki uses his new blade to battle against Shūkurō Tsukishima. Ichigo attacks from above and, on the roof, Tsukishima casually raises his sword and blocks the incoming attack.

Determined not to give up, Ichigo releases a large amount of dark Reiatsu that emanates from his body and his blade. This takes Tsukishima by surprise and he is knocked back due to the increase in pressure. Tsukishima's hand and lower arm are singed as a result of the attack.

Tsukishima commends Ichigo's abilities, stating that they are now getting closer to the level of power he once possessed as a Substitute Shinigami. For a moment Ichigo is stunned and then the revelation angers him so he moves in to attack once more as Tsukishima smirks. Before Ichigo can attack, Yukio Hans Vorarlberna suddenly intervenes in the battle and uses his Fullbring, Invaders Must Die to prevent Ichigo from attacking Tsukishima any further. A massive swarm of dense, black pixels suddenly engulfs Ichigo from behind and absorbs him. What is left is a flat, digital rectangle with a gauge stating that Ichigo is being Saved.

Surprised for a moment, Tsukishima frowns and stares at the filling gauge in a thoughtful fashion. He then turns and looks up towards Yukio, deducing that the young Fullbringer does not want Ichigo to be in contact with him while his Fullbring abilities are still incomplete. Tsukishima elaborates on this by asserting that it is even more important that Ichigo is not in contact with him now since his powers are so close to completing and it is, as such, a critical time for him. Standing on a higher part of the building, Yukio merely stares down at his enemy, his expression unconcerned by the taunt.

Inside Invaders Must Die, Ichigo is surrounded by walls of green and black pixels that go on forever and do not end with nothing else near him. He looks about extremely confused, raising his voice as he asks what has happened and wanting to know where he is. When he still receives no answer, his anger intensifies, he calls out and demands to know what is going on, wanting to be let out. On the outside, the game box continues to save as Tsukishima and Yukio stare at each other silently, neither moving.

Suddenly, Tsukishima disappears and reappears behind Yukio and brings his blade down to attack. The sword almost cuts Yukio's right arm, its blade brushing Yukio's sleeve before Kūgo Ginjō intervenes and blocks the attack. Kūgo firmly informs Tsukishima that he won't allow him to harm his friend. Sensing the danger, Tsukishima leaps back from the pair however Yasutora Sado moves in to punch him from the left with his own Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante active. Tsukishima calmly avoids the attack and speedily appears behind Sado in order to attack with his blade but Sado manages to evade the attack as well.

Kūgo uses Bringer Light to tackle Tsukishima from behind so that he can help Sado. In turn, Tsukishima uses Bringer Light to deftly evade the attack and the two of them trade blows several times, using Bringer Light to avoid the others attacks. Sado tries to interfere and comes in to attack. Tsukishima prevents his attack by thrust his sword towards the teenager, missing him but cutting off several strands of hair in the process. Sado hesitates and stops attacking momentarily as Kūgo engages Tsukishima once again. Tsukishima manages to avoid Kūgo's blade before Sado tries to kick him and thus he retreats from the duo, into the air.

As their battle drags on, the gauge on the game box fills completely and the sign changes to Complete. Upon seeing this, Tsukishima lands on the roof once more, a safe distance from the other Fullbringers. Tsukishima laments that now the saving has completed, Ichigo will now not be able to come into contact with him. Tsukishima mocks Yukio's decision, asking if he should have been the one confined instead of Ichigo but Yukio retorts that he hadn't enough battery life to Save him. Yukio asserts that the reason he confined Ichigo was because of the attention their commotion has caused which he maintains is a problem for Tsukishima as well.

Appearing from behind Tsukishima, Riruka Dokugamine points her a flamboyant gun into his back. Her enemy calmly turns towards her and inquires if she is using the Love Gun. Riruka confirms that she is and asserts that Tsukishima knows what the weapon is capable of doing since he was the one who had made the gun. She then asks Tsukishima to make himself scarce as she is not very good at these sort of confrontations. Yukio tells Tsukishima to leave unless he wants to stay and make a spectacle of himself. For a long pause, the group stands still and waits for Tsukishima's reaction.

Tsukishima slowly walks forward and agrees to leave, saying farewell to Riruka before using Bringer Light to vanish from the area. Everyone begins to relax after he departs as Kūgo puts away his sword, maintaining they must take Ichigo and Jackie Tristan out of the area with them. He is suddenly interrupted by a loud cry from Sado. The tall teenager falls to the ground, doubled over in agony and holding his shoulder as he shakes violently. The others are confused by his condition and repeatedly demand to know what is wrong with him but Sado's condition continues to worsen.

At hospital, Uryū Ishida sits up in his bed reading a book as his injuries continue to heal. He looks briefly out the window before the door to his room opens as Orihime Inoue arrives to visit him. Uryū apologizes for summoning her to the hospital with such short notice but Orihime brushes off his apology and tells him not mention it. She then asks him how he is feeling and if he is recovering alright. Uryū confirms that he is feeling a lot better which gives Orihime some relief before she inquires as to why Uryū asked her to come to see him in the first place. Uryū hesitates before revealing that he would like Orihime to heal the rest of his wounds as soon as possible.

Orihime agrees to do so but asks him why he has changed his mind all of a sudden. Her friend asserts that the situation has changed as Ichigo has somehow made contact with his attacker. Uryū insists that Ichigo's Reiatsu is different but it is most definitely his and it is certain that he can no longer waste time resting in bed. Uryū then predicts that Orihime has sensed the changes as well and Orihime confirms that she has done. She also sadly laments that Ichigo has not said anything about it to her so she has kept her distance as a result. Orihime then reveals that if the person Ichigo is with is the person who attacked Uryū then she thinks it may be the same person who had previously attacked her.

Yukio uses his game console to Load and thus release Ichigo from the virtual world within. Stunned, Ichigo sits up and demands to know where they are. Standing over him, Kūgo reveals that they are now at Xcution's alternative hideout while lamenting that it is far from comfortable. This angers Yukio who asserts that if he continues to degrade the hideout he won't be adding anymore amenities since it's his money and not Kūgo's money they use and yet all he does is complain. Yukio wonders if he should fix the previous hideout or just start from scratch, wondering which is the cheapest option of the two.

Tired of his whining, Kūgo tells Yukio to take the issue up with Sado and the young Fullbringer asserts that he will as soon as the teenager wakes up. With Yukio's words, Ichigo suddenly spots Sado, lying behind Yukio unconscious and moves to run to his side. However, Riruka gets in his way and demands to know why she has to be the one to look after him and Jackie when both of them are barely injured. She tells Ichigo not to get theatrical and faint on them like they did and insists that if she leaves them alone they should wake up on their own.

On the floor, Sado cringes and wakes up. He suddenly sits up to the general surprise of those present in the room. He begins to search his body for wounds and finds none which greatly confuses him. Ichigo asks him if he is alright and for a moment Sado just stares at him confused. When Ichigo says his name more firmly to get his attention, Sado becomes more focused and confirms that his injuries are nothing serious and that he is alright. However, his hands continue to search for the wound inflicted by Tsukishima during their confrontation and finds none.

Relieved, Ichigo asks Kūgo what happened to Tsukishima after their battle after Yukio confined him. Kūgo reveals that Tsukishima chose to retreat although he knows it won't be the last they see of him, so he turns away in a thoughtful mood. When Ichigo asks what is bothering him he reveals that with his power, Tsukishima could have easily injured Riruka, as he was within range of her or even Yukio, but he didn't. Thus it must mean that the person he was really only interested in was Ichigo. He wonders if this was his aim or if he had another true reason for attacking them like that in the open and then retreating so willingly.

Yukio interrupts Kūgo and asserts that he is over-thinking the situation and Tsukishima's intentions. He maintains that Tsukishima is fully aware of his Invaders Must Die abilities and would never attack properly while he had the terminal to his powers, his game console, in his hand. He elaborates that this is even more true given the situation as he had Ichigo trapped and if he was truly interested in him then attacking Yukio would not be wise. Kūgo stares at Yukio for a moment before agreeing that perhaps his deduction of the situation was correct.

Giriko Kutsuzawa enters the room from outside and Kūgo asks how his mission went. Giriko reveals that everything has been taken care of including the police, firemen, neighbors and reporters. Kūgo compliments his good work on the matter. Yukio decides it is time he worked on an estimate for the repairs, moaning about it as he moves to leave the room. Kūgo tells him to wait however and the young Fullbringer looks at him expectantly. Kūgo tells Yukio to stay and help Ichigo with his training but Yukio is incensed by the idea and asserts that there is nothing that he can do for Ichigo.

Yukio further stresses that his console has run out of battery. Kūgo counters that there is something Yukio can do to help Ichigo, otherwise he wouldn't be asking him before insisting that he does it with the power cord plugged in. With a sudden outburst, Yukio exclaims that he is exhausted after everything that has just happened so he really doesn't want to help. Kūgo comments on how the truth has finally come out before elaborating on how Yukio can help Ichigo's training. He advises them all of his theory that Tsukishima must have traced Ichigo's Reiatsu when he was training and since Yukio's powers can completely shield the world from Ichigo's Reiatsu, they will be useful in his training.

Following Kūgo's attempt to coax him into agreeing, Yukio stares at him uncertainly for a while. When Kūgo softly asks Yukio if he can do what is needed from him, Yukio finally relents and agrees to help. Ichigo asks Kūgo if he means actual fighting when he says training and Kūgo confirms that combat training is exactly what he means as it is clearly how Ichigo grows best. Ichigo reminds Kūgo that he has already defeated Jackie, who is still unconscious on the sofa, and thus asks who will he be fighting next. Kūgo smirks before turning to Ichigo to state that he will be fighting Kūgo himself in the next round of training.

Outside it is nighttime as Orihime walks home from her trip to the hospital. While walking, she thinks about her conversation she had previously had with Uryū at the hospital. He decides that it is strange to think they had been attacked by the same person. Considering that the seriousness of their injuries differ greatly it would suggest they were attacked by people with very different capabilities. Orihime asks him if he noticed a sweet scent that reminded her of honey. She also recalls that her attacker had referred to his powers Fullbring and she mentions how the blade reminded her of a Zanpakutō.

Orihime asks Uryū if it was the same for him during his attack but the injured teenager reveals that he did not have time or the chance to ask questions whenever he was attacked. However, Uryū reveals that he had thought the sword he was attacked with was also a Zanpakutō and realizes that his hypothesis was incorrect now that Orihime has informed him that it was actually called a Fullbring. The scene returns to Orihime as she walks through the dark street reflecting on the words they exchanged between one another regarding the similarities and differences in their attacks and attackers.

Suddenly she meets Sado along the path and he accurately guesses that she was at the hospital visiting Uryū and asks how he is. She advises him that Uryū's injuries have been healed but she thinks he should stay in bed and rest a bit longer as she does not think his injuries were caused by ordinary Reiatsu. Sado thanks her for informing him of the situation as he had been meaning to ask her about his condition. He tells her to give him information on the way back. Orihime asks where they are going and he reveals that he is taking her to Ichigo as his training now requires her powers. The news shocks Orihime but she follows him anyway.

Back at the hideout, Jackie has begun to recover from her injuries, sitting up with a towel around her head. Yukio states that he will start Ichigo's training now. He presses several buttons on his game console and activates his powers which floods the room with dark pixels that transport Kūgo and Ichigo to a different, dark dimension. Ichigo glances around and comes to the conclusion that the area is similar to the place he had been trapped inside earlier. Kūgo explains that the alternate dimension is Yukio's Fullbring, Invaders Must Die where he can trap people in a separate dimension and use the game console to control the dimension on the screen.

As Ichigo looks around, Kūgo tells Ichigo not to worry as he has instructed Yukio not to interfere. He asks Ichigo if he has ever fantasized about being in a game and Ichigo reluctantly agrees. To this, Kūgo states that he had never actually wanted to be in a game, even though he had previously suggested that every child has wanted to be in a game at least once in their lives. Bemused, Ichigo demands to know why he made him admit it, so Kūgo reveals that it didn't really matter one way or another causing Ichigo to repeat his question in an angrier fashion. Kūgo states that he just wanted to give more meaning that this was how a game looks like inside.

Ichigo looks around again and admits that the dimension is a lot more barren than he would have thought a game to be. To this, Yukio, who is watching the conversation, presses several buttons to generate a two dimensional background of a feudal-era town with people cheering for them. Yukio asks if it is a lot more lively now and Ichigo comments on the lack of realism of the scenery. Kūgo interrupts them by telling Yukio not to create anything that he doesn't have to. The background soon disappears with Kūgo's impatient request.

Kūgo then changes the subject to whether or not Ichigo wants some rules for their combat training. Ichigo tentatively asks what he means but Kūgo waves aside his concerns by insisting it would be nothing too complicated, just a simple system. He looks up to Yukio and requests that he create a life gauge and asks that he make it an even six for them. Yukio does so, also creating a 60 second timer and Ichigo realizes that when the lives empty then it is Game Over. Kūgo confirms this and asks if he knows what that means. Ichigo admits he does and Yukio asserts that when its Game Over, he will put up a You Die sign, however, Ichigo mocks his attempt at humor.

As the counter continues to lower, Kūgo asks Ichigo if he is ready and the teenager confirms that he is. Kūgo removes his amulet and releases his Cross of Scaffold and Ichigo takes out his Substitute Shinigami Badge and activates his own fledgling Fullbring abilities, including his new dark blade. The timer continues to decline the two of them enter battle stances, preparing to battle. When the timer reaches zero, the two of them charge into battle.

Outside, under the moon, Riruka sits on the roof of the apartment complex that the hideout is situated in. She looks down and notices Orihime following Sado into the garden of the complex. She calls out for them to wait before using Bringer Light to get down to the ground to greet them. She demands to know who the girl is and Sado elaborates on Orihime's identity and Riruka understands the implication. As Orihime goes to walk in, Riruka gets into her face and stares into Orihime's face who awkwardly greets her. Sado introduces Riruka and Orihime greets her again. Riruka finally pulls away and tells Orihime that Sado has told her all about her healing abilities.

Riruka demands to know if she came to help with Ichigo's training. Sado tries to get Riruka to stop but Orihime answers Riruka and insists that she is here to help Ichigo. Riruka then asks if she really understands what that means since after she heals his injuries Ichigo is going to get injured again and again. Every time she heals Ichigo he will only suffer more and more. After a moments pause, Orihime closes her eyes and softly accuses Riruka of also being worried about Ichigo's well-being as much as her. Riruka recoils and asserts that she is not but Orihime walks on passed her and moves to go into the building before pausing.

Orihime informs Riruka that she got over the issues of seeing Ichigo get injured long ago. Orihime asserts that if Ichigo needs her help to do whatever he has decided to do, regardless of what it is, she will use her powers to help him. Riruka wonders what would happen if Ichigo were to suffer a terrible injury he cannot recover from. Orihime maintains hat she will never allow Ichigo to suffer an injury that he cannot recover from. As she says this, she thinks back on the injury given to Ichigo during his battle with Ulquiorra Cifer when he blew a hole in his chest. She insists that no matter what the injury, she will heal it completely.

In the training dimension, two of Ichigo's lives have been depleted as he continues to battle Kūgo. Being pushed back, Ichigo reflects that Kūgo wields his very large sword as if it weighs nothing. Ichigo blocks an attack but Kūgo appears behind him and slashes his abdomen, depleting another life. They continue to clash with Ichigo using Bringer Light to appear behind Kūgo however the Xcution leader manages to predict his movement, forcing him on the defensive. Kūgo commends Ichigo's improvement in wielding Fullbring, however he slashes through Ichigo's blade before stating that he still has a long way to go. He slashes down through Ichigo's left collarbone.

Orihime enters the apartment of the hideout where Giriko is pouring tea for Yukio. The young Fullbringer looks at her as she walks in. He alerts Kūgo that there has been a visitor and that he is permitting her entry into the gaming dimension. The black pixels appear and reveal the visitor to be Orihime. Kūgo turns around and mockingly refers to Orihime as the healing item that is usually present in games. Orihime greets Kūgo nervously but Kūgo tells her to skip the greetings as she has just arrive in time for a job. Ichigo is doubled over on the ground and Kūgo order her to heal his injuries much to Orihime's shock. Outside, Yukio watches on while Riruka states that she thinks this situation is stupid.

Elsewhere, at the Urahara Shop, within one of the rooms, there is a large cylinder shield of Reiatsu. Isshin Kurosaki asks if that is the last of something they need. Kisuke Urahara sits near the spear and asks him if he is absolutely sure about taking this course of action but Isshin berates him to get off his back and tells him to stop checking if he is sure about his decision. Urahara reminds him that a father can accidentally ruin his child's future by making decisions for him so it is wise to make sure. Isshin reminds him to stop asking him again and again he is definitely sure.

Urahara lowers his head and sighs heavily, conceding to Isshin's point. He states that it is time they continue on with the next phase of their plans which is the final step. Another figures arrives in the room wearing a Shihakusho uniform of the Shinigami. Urahara tells the new arrival that by placing their Reiatsu into the cylinder shield, the process and their goal should be completed. He requests that the Shinigami, who is wearing the armband of a Lieutenant complete their goal. The Shinigami agrees and is soon revealed to be Rukia Kuchiki, now clearly promoted to the rank of Lieutenant within the Gotei 13.

Xcution Dictionary
Realizing he is trapped in a fantasy adventure game, Ichigo asks where he is. Telling him he is inside an extra stage, Yukio asks if it is fun. As Ichigo, inadvertently walking into an in-game lake, injures himself, Yukio tells him he entered a poisonous swamp. As Ichigo, saying he should have told him sooner, walks back, Orihime, coming towards him, says she is sorry, stating she is now at level 40, and if Ichigo wants to join her, he will need to go to the in-game castle, get the secret treasure, defeat the monster in the hills, and reach level 35 first. When Yukio tells Ichigo he cannot use the healing item (Orihime) until he has reached a higher level, Ichigo states it is a hassle.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Shūkurō Tsukishima
 * 2) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 3) Yukio Hans Vorarlberna
 * 4) Kūgo Ginjō
 * 5) Yasutora Sado
 * 6) Riruka Dokugamine
 * 7) Uryū Ishida
 * 8) Orihime Inoue
 * 9) Jackie Tristan
 * 10) Giriko Kutsuzawa
 * 11) Ulquiorra Cifer (flashback)
 * 12) Isshin Kurosaki
 * 13) Kisuke Urahara
 * 14) Rukia Kuchiki

Fights

 * Fullbring Training, Round 3

Powers and Techniques Used
Techniques used:

Resurrección used:
 * (flashback)

Fullbring used:
 * Ichigo Kurosaki's unnamed Fullbring
 * Ichigo Kurosaki's unnamed Fullbring
 * Ichigo Kurosaki's unnamed Fullbring
 * Ichigo Kurosaki's unnamed Fullbring
 * Ichigo Kurosaki's unnamed Fullbring

Other powers:
 * (flashback)

Equipment used: