The Invading Army Part 2, 3-7

Are you ready?

Yeah.

I'm attaching a communication device. In the event of an emergency, I want you to follow my directions.

You also need to carry this. I've calibrated it very carefully to respond to the location of your Reishi.

When you find it, push the button at the bottom.

All right. Sounds easy enough.

Hey! Where do you think you're going in your condition?!

Into the Cleaner to retrieve my Reishi.

Huh? Are you crazy?! What are you thinking?!

It's the only way to go and rescue Nozomi.

............

See ya.

You've gotta be crazy.

Huh?

This whole thing is my fault and you know it. And if it is my fault, then why is it that you have to go?

Kon...

I'm a powerless being. I can't do anything! I can't even protect anyone!

I have to rely on you to fight my battles for me! I have to rely on everyone else to protect me!

This whole situation is my fault! *Sob*

Kon, none of this is your fault. Trust me.

Now, stop crying and just wait here. I'll be back, I promise.

*Sniffle* Take this.

What is it?

I don't see any point in me keeping it.

Good luck charm, eh? Thanks.

Ichigo, are you ready? For the moment, you'll be able to move fairly freely inside the Precipice World.

That being said, we don't know exactly when the Cleaner will make an appearance so please be patient until it does.

I hear ya.

Thank you for waiting, Ichigo. It's coming.

Hraaaahhhh!

Gh-ahhhh!!!

The Cleaner's movements suddenly changed without warning. Ichigo, abandon the plan! Get yourself out of there!

(Get out of here? How am I supposed to do that? No way! I'm finishing this!)

Ichigo! Come on, answer me! Ichigo!

Quit fooling around, you idiot! You promised me you'd come back! If you lied to me, I'll never forgive you, ever! Ichigo!!!

Will you keep it down? I can hear everything you're saying!

Okay! Now to find a way out!

Wh-What the hell?!

Why is there...another me in here?

I don't know what's going on!

*Pant* *Pant*

Yeah, I gotta admit, for a minute there, you had me worried.

Ichigo, what happened to you while you were in there?

Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know for sure. It all happened pretty quickly.

I can't figure out how, but there was another me inside the Cleaner. I thought I rescued him, but...

You're saying you rescued another you?

Did you get bumped on the head?

What are you trying to say?

Ah, yes. I think I understand what happened.

I believe what you saw was the you who was previously swallowed by the Cleaner.

Basically, the time axis inside the Cleaner itself is isolated from all other worlds.

That means anything swallowed by the Cleaner cannot exist within any other time axis.

So you're saying he met his self from the past inside the Cleaner?

Yes. Apparently, the Ichigo from the present was able to get in there and save the Ichigo from the past.

All of this seems very complicated to me.

That also explains the Combat Pass. The Reigai was able to obtain Ichigo's Combat Pass before we even arrived in the Soul Society.

I was wondering how they pulled that off, but this seems to be the answer.

You're right. Everything was done using the same trick.

Please, stop! Enough already. You lost me. Anyway, I presume we can now move on to the next step, right?

Let's go visit Kageroza.

Both time and space are rightly aligned. So let us begin.

Yes, sir. Right away. But I must warn you, in your current condition, there might be excessive post-fusion stress on the Reigai.

Silence! Silence! Silence!

He's waiting patiently. Nozomi and I must hurry. We must become what we were meant to be as quickly as possible!