Ichigo Kurosaki was a little boy when his mother passed away. One rainy day, Ichigo, whose ability to see the undead is a blessing and a curse, tried to stop a young girl from drowning in a nearby river. His mother, Masaki, ran after them, frantically trying to rescue her only son. Then everything went black, and Ichigo awoke only to discover his mother dead and the little girl gone. It's the anniversary of Masaki's death, and the entire Kurosaki...

Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki was born with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow - a malevolent lost soul - Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace. The scheduled execution of former Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki is just hours away. The Soul Society is in chaos, with Soul Reapers drawing swords against one another. Who, or what, could...

Immediately after checking into the Kurosaki Clinic with a mysterious scar on his back, the muscle-bound Chad goes AWOL. Accompanying Chad is a talking parakeet imbued with the soul of a young boy named Yuichi. It doesn't take newbie Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki long to surmise that a Hollow must be involved. Ichigo is about to sidcover that not every soul is bound for the Soul Society, especially if it's tainted with innocent blood.

"While the Soul Reapers are entrenched in bloody one-on-one battles with the Espadas, their sworn enemy Aizen is preparing to make the next move in his elaborate plan. The battlefields of Hueco Mundo will soon give way to another battlefield where the price of losing will prove to be infinitely higher" -- from publisher's web site.

"Find out what happened in the Soul Society one hundred years ago. Kisuke Urahara is the new captain of twelfth company--now if only he could get along with his assistant captain. And Soul Reaper captain Shinji Hirako suspects something sinister is going on with his second in command, Aizen." --p.[4] of cover.

Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurasaka never asked for the ability to see ghosts. The noose is tightening around Ichigo. His inner Hollow can't wait to consume him, the sinister transfer student has him trapped for a mysterious job, and now powerful new enemies have landed in his hometown to destroy him.

Ichigo's recent battles with the Arrancars have proven that if he wants to protect his friends he must get stronger, and the only way to do that is to control his inner Hollow. Ichigo turns to the Vizoreds, ex-Soul Reapers who have been Hollowfied, to teach him. But before his training begins, Ichigo must do battle against his Hollow self--winner takes his soul.

Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu are determined to rescue Orihime from Aizen's vile machinations. The would-be heroes must first pass Tre Cifras--the land of the disgraced Arrancars, who see destroying Ichigo and his friends as a way to redeem their honor.