Wolf's Rain

**Wolf's Rain** is the twenty-eighth episode of the Bleached Wolf's Rain series.

With Darcia now a wolf, the group find themselves in for the fight of their lives, and when Ichigo and Kiba face him, it will decide the fate of Paradise.

## Summary

Standing on a cliff is Darcia, now a wolf, who mentions the world does not have "perfect happiness, joy, or life", and that it also doesn't contain "perfect sadness, misery, or death." The group during this time are surprised that he has managed to turn himself into a wolf. As such, he claims that Paradise is for wolves alone, and that the "unclean" humans are no more, which causes Blue to realize that he killed Quent. Making his way over for Cheza, it's then that Darcia claims that what he's set in motion requires her. However, Kiba warns him not to take another step closer, causing him to stop.

Ichigo tells Renji and Hige to protect Cheza and Blue, then draws his Zangetsu. Letting out a laugh, Darcia charges at them, causing Ichigo and Kiba to engage him. As they fight, Darcia throws off Ichigo in his human state, then injures Kiba in his wolf state, until he brings his attention to Cheza. Making a go for her, his attempt is stopped by Renji's Zabimaru, it's deflected as he's pushed back. Blue attacks, but Darcia brings her down. Trying to help, Hige maneuvers his way over, but he gets thrown off. When Darcia get on top of Blue, Kiba cries out for him to stop, but he bears his teeth into Blue, Hige helpless as she goes into shock. Managing, he bites his leg, causing him to look back at him. As Darcia goes for his throat, Kiba calling out to Hige, while where he is, Tsume hears Cheza's cry, and hurries his way up. At that time, Darcia has hold of Cheza, until he takes off to the top of the mountain. Following him, Ichigo and Kiba stop when they see Hige, Renji joining them as he tells them to hurry after Darcia, and that he'll take care of Blue. After a while, Kiba gives him a nod, then he, Ichigo, and Renji go and head up towards the mountain summit. Hige manages to make his way over to Blue, who asks if he's there, to which he assures her it is, and puts a hand on her face. She takes in his warmth, until Tsume finally reaches them to see Hige, who's content that he made it.

Going over to him, Tsume informs him not to talk, however, he wants him to take his life. While he's taken back by this, Hige wants him to do it with his fangs. However, Tsume doesn't know what to do, Hige asking him if he still thinks he's a traitor. As Tsume admits that doesn't matter anymore, Hige again asks him to take his life, and that he's in pain, but Tsume doesn't seem like he can. Only when Hige begs does Tsume grip his throat with his teeth, causing Hige to say that they should meet again, next time in Paradise. Tusme appears remorseful after hearing this, then finally bites down.

Reaching the top of the summit, Ichigo releases his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, as he, Kiba and Renji see Darcia with Cheza, who Kiba calls out to. After he throws her aside, he claims that he will be the one who opens Paradise.

When Kiba assures that he's not going to let that happen, Darcia questions him, going on about how although they're both opposites, they're both wolves, and believes it doesn't matter who opens Paradise, for it will be the same. This causes Ichigo to reply that the only thing he'll open is a "world of darkness". With that, Kiba and Darcia charge at each other. As they pass each other, Ichigo moves in to launch an attack. During this time, Cheza tries getting up, which Kiba sees, and get's nearly caught off guard by Darcia. When Renji attacks, he's able to avoid it to get on Kiba, who he's about to bite into, until Tsume stops him. Darcia asks why he keeps struggling, for it's pointless, and that Paradise can't be opened by the "likes of him". All Tsume does is admit he knows that, when they all notice that Cheza is making her way over towards the opening of the mountain. Calling out to her, Kiba runs for her, Darcia attempting to stop him, but is stalled by Ichigo, Tsume, and Renji. He rushes, again crying out to Cheza, who turns around to simply smile at him as he reaches out for him. It's then that she let's herself fall into the opening of the mountain. As they fight, Renji get severely injured, which Ichigo sees, shouting to him as he dashes to him. Meanwhile, Tsume manages to get on Darcia, who tries shaking him off, until he tears through him, gravely injuring him as well, and rushes off towards the mountain's opening. Ichigo gets to Renji, asking if he's alright. But he only apologizes to him, saying that Darcia got him, and that he can't fight anymore. Then he tells Ichigo to meet him again, next time in Paradise, then passes. He takes this in, until he hears Kiba call out to Tsume, so he goes over to him.

Although he says he's fine, he tells them they need to go after Darcia. It's when Kiba reaches out for his hand, Tsume slaps it away, demanding them to go. Doing so, Ichigo and Kiba start for the mountain's opening. Before losing consciousness, Tsume says they should meet, next time in Paradise. Almost to the opening, Ichigo and Kiba both hear a howl, and Tsume is shown dead. Neither say anything, and jump down into the deep depths.

In the depths of the mountain, they find Darcia in his human state, who explains that the moon shines highest there than any other place. That the ice reflects the moon's light, and that is how the true Paradise can be opened. Ichigo wants to know why he would discard what he is by becoming a wolf, to which Darcia states that any Paradise he attempted to open as a Noble would be nothing compared to the real thing. He also goes on that when he saw Jaguara's Paradise with his wolf's eye, he knew it wasn't real. That Hamona isn't there, and he believes that she no longer exists.

He then goes on that he was able to revive the wolf within him using a stone, which he spits out to the side, showing a black sphere jewel, which afterwards breaks into pieces. With that, he reveals that in the world there are wolves, and those born from them. That not all humans were born from wolves, for they started off as wolves, but lost their way, and embraced humanity. Because of that, they can never go back. Kiba asks if he actually remembers. However, Darcia mentions that it's occurred to him that everything Kiba went through was preparing the path to guide him there. Though he doesn't believe this, Darcia questions him about how his clan died out, leaving him the only survivor. How he never had a pack, and was a "uniquely" created wolf. While Kiba doesn't buy it, Darcia claims that he was all that was needed to open Paradise, and that the others he was traveling with weren't needed. At first, Ichigo is going to say something, until Kiba admits that he used to be alone, always on his own. But then he realized that he wouldn't have gotten anywhere if he stayed that way, and that kind of Paradise would be meaningless to him. Darcia tells him he's lost everything close to him, but Kiba assures him that he hadn't lost anything: his friends, or his pride as a wolf.

Working together, Ichigo and Kiba take on Darcia, who alternates between his human and wolf states to fight them simultaneously. During the battle, Cheza starts slightly changing. As Kiba gets seriously injured, Darcia sees Ichigo's surprise attack, causing them to pass, and for him to get struck, when Kiba manages to join in. After a while, they're both on the ground, allowing Darcia to start making his way to Cheza, until Ichigo musters the strength to release his Getsuga Tensho, which seems to hit him. It doesn't stop Darcia however, who takes Cheza, and throws her aside. He starts laughing hysterically, Kiba begging him to stop, but he doesn't listen to him. That is, until Darcia spews out what appears to be green blood, surprising Ichigo and Kiba. Cheza explains that he's been poisoned, for he is not protected by the flowers.

Feeling weakened, Darcia sees a large patch of water from the ice that he begins making his way towards, saying that it's the entrance to Paradise, laughing. Once he takes a step in the water, he is suddenly surged with energy, causing him to shout out in surprise, Ichigo and Kiba watching. Eventually though, Darcia is no more, his wolf's eye all that remains as it drops in the water, freezing. This makes Ichigo believe that he was rejected by Paradise. Falling to the ground, Kiba hears Cheza calling to him, wanting to know where she is. She holds her hands out for him as he musters the effort to make his way over to her. By taking hold of him, she says that the ice is spreading fast, and that soon, she will take her true form. Holding her, Kiba asks what he can do, believing he has no one left to protect. She doesn't believe that, for since he protected her, the lunar flowers will bloom once more.

So when the world ends, and Paradise opens, they will meet again. When they do, Cheza wants him to find her, and is going to tell him what she wants when Paradise finally opens, only she dissipates, leaving Kiba with only with the white cloak she'd worn. After he calls for her, he can only take in what happened, a while passing as he holds the cloak close to him, until finally he shouts out in frustration, while Ichigo can only watch.

Weakingly, Kiba takes the lunar flower in his wolf state, what remains of Cheza, out in the snow. Ichigo follows him. A while passes, until Kiba loses his strength, and finally falls into the snow, lying there. The only thing Ichigo can do is look at him, not doing anything as Kiba starts losing consciousness, until Ichigo collapses next to him, having no more strength. In that moment, buds appear, and then start to bloom into lunar flowers all around.

The snow begins to melt away as all around him, the world starts changing. All Ichigo can do is take all this in, until finally, a beautiful new world is laid out before him, causing him to realize that it's Paradise. He marvels at it's sheer beauty, until he starts losing consciousness, and fall into the water. Looking up, Ichigo takes one last breath, and finally passes. While Paradise flourishes, it's then shown Darcia's wolf's eye, which starts tainting the lunar flowers.

In a modern world, Ichigo is seen walking down the streets of town. Coming out of a grocery store is Hige, who has his attention on the rain. A boy looking at kittens turns out to be Toboe. Driving on a motorcycle, Tsume passes by. In an alley, Kiba sees a lunar flower that he makes his way towards, until he breaks into a run. As such, Ichigo looks out, letting out a small smile.

## Appearances In Order

* Darcia The Third
* Ichigo Kurosaki
* Kiba
* Cheza
* Hige
* Blue
* Renji Abarai
* Tsume
* Lady Jaguara (Mentioned)
* Lady Hamona (Mentioned)
* Toboe

## Notes & trivia

* The name of the episode is off the anime the series is based off of, *Wolf's Rain*.
* Paradise is finally shown for the first time.
* At the end of the episode, Ichigo, Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe are all human, with no recollection of their past memories.
* This is the only episode to feature the most main character deaths.