Nozomi's Zanpakuto breaks in the midst of trying to protect Genryusai from Kageroza's attack. As Ichigo and Kon try to save Nozomi from being taken away, Kageroza reveals to everyone that he and Nozomi were created by the same reishi of another shinigami. Inaba defeats everyone while Nozomi and Kon run away. Nozomi sadly binds Kon to a rock with kido and runs away without him. Ichigo is seen still conscious and struggling to catch up with Nozomi. Nozomi is found by Inaba, who falls due to a loose rock on a slope. Ichigo finally catches up and defeats Inaba with a Getsuga Tenshou, only to discover that it was a clone of Inaba created by his zanpakuto' special ability. Inaba knocks Ichigo out in one swipe and knocks Nozomi out and proceeds to leave the world of the living with her. Kon, still binded to a rock tries to follow them but is too late. He is seen crying Nozomi's name while Ichigo's shihakusho turns white.
From creator Tite Kubo, comes the story of a world where passing lurks impalpable to an everyday human's eyes. Ichigo Kurosaki helps run a local clinic with his family but Ichigo has the unusual ability to see poltergeists but rather than react with surprise he merely sees it as an annoyance. Ichigo helps those when he cares but can't bring himself to care enough... until one fateful day. A small, mysterious woman appears on duty inside his room, a Soul Reaper known as Rukia. Soon enough Ichigo and Rukia get formal in the oddest of ways and in such an untimely matter the losses begin. The Kurosaki family is soon attacked. This leads Ichigo on his first step to accepting the roles and responsibility's a Soul Reaper must uphold.