The Older Brother's Wish, the Younger Sister's Wish

Shaken by Acidwire's assault, Ichigo wonders why Orihime's brother would hunt him, and Rukia suspects a mighty Hollow craving Ichigo's soul is driving lesser ones after him from the shadows. She warns that having failed to devour Ichigo, the Hollow will instead go for the person it loved most in life, and realizes Orihime is in immediate danger. At Orihime's apartment, the teddy bear Enraku tears open and Acidwire strikes, knocking Orihime's soul loose from her body and battering Tatsuki, who cannot see him. Ichigo arrives to drive the Hollow off, and Orihime, now a spirit with a visible Chain of Fate, recognizes her brother Sora within the beast.

Acidwire explains that he grew unbearably lonely as Orihime slowly stopped praying for him, and he blames her for his descent. He chokes her, promising to take her with him, until Ichigo severs his hand and lectures him on an older sibling's duty to protect. When Acidwire uses Vitriol Shot and his tail to overwhelm Ichigo and moves to bite him, Orihime throws herself in the way, taking the blow with her own body. She apologizes for once begging Sora never to leave her and reveals she only wanted to show him she was happy so he could rest.

Her words reach him. Sora battles the Hollow inside, his mask flickering and then shattering, and Rukia clarifies that a stronger Hollow forced him to attack a target Ichigo would hesitate to kill. As Rukia heals Orihime with Kaidō, the Chain of Fate keeping her alive, Sora chooses to purify himself before he reverts. Orihime bids him a gentle farewell, and he impales himself on Ichigo's blade, dissolving into light. The next day at school, Rukia's Kikanshinki has replaced Orihime and Tatsuki's memories, and Ichigo, unable to ignore someone hurt before him, agrees to help Rukia with her Shinigami duties.

Orihime's Hollowfied brother Sora, as Acidwire, is revealed to be the attacker, established as a fallen Soul who turns on the family he loved. Rukia explains how a powerful Hollow can devour and control a Soul, and that a Chain of Fate binds a displaced spirit to its living body. Orihime intercepts a killing blow to reach Sora, who fights off the Hollow and purifies himself with Ichigo's Zanpakutō. Rukia demonstrates the Kikanshinki memory-replacement device, and Ichigo formally commits to assisting Rukia as a Substitute Shinigami.

This canon installment of the Agent of the Shinigami arc adapts Chapter 4 from page 8 through Chapter 6. It aired in Japan on October 19, 2004, and in English on September 23, 2006, opening with *~Asterisk~ and closing with Life is Like a Boat. The adaptation expands and reorders many manga beats, notably tying the unseen Hollow explicitly to Grand Fisher, softening several bloodier moments, and changing Sora and Orihime's backstory so their parents abandoned them rather than Sora fleeing with her.