A soft, melancholic piano version of "Number One" plays over a still image: Ichigo’s silhouette standing in front of the moon, one hand reaching toward the sky, the other clutching his chest where his hollow mask begins to crack through.
Ichigo meets her eyes. “I made a promise. To protect. Not just you. Not just Karakura. Everyone. So stop asking me to stay behind.”
A quick, violent flash: Ichigo in the rain, a massive panther-like Arrancar slashing him down with one hand, laughing. “You’re not even worth killing yet, substitute Shinigami.” Bleach Episode 83
Inside, Kisuke Urahara, Jinta, and Ururu are cleaning up the aftermath of the Bount battle. Urahara’s fan covers his smile, but his eyes are sharp. “He’s been sitting there for three hours,” Jinta mutters. “Creepy.”
Urahara steps outside. “Still feeling it, Ichigo? The hollow inside you stirred during that last fight, didn’t it?” A soft, melancholic piano version of "Number One"
Aizen removes his glasses and polishes them. “No. But he will be. And when he is, I will break him myself. That is the nature of a king’s chess piece. You let the pawn advance… so the queen can strike.”
Ichigo catches it. The wrapper says "Special Gigai Training Supplement – For Emergency Use Only. Side effects include: temporary loss of sanity, screaming, and possible hollowfication." To protect
He smiles. The camera zooms in on his empty, cold eyes.