Yuzu succeeded in reaching out to Zenou and he saw that his father just used him. However, after he turned on his own father and erased his existence, he asked a bizarre request of Orihime.
"You want me to what?" Orihime asked.
"Kill me. I want you to strike me down and put an end to all the madness my father has created once and for all." Zenou said.
"What are you talking about?" Yuzu said.
"My father really did just use me and I didn't become what my mother wanted me to be." Zenou said. "Everything that has happened to myself, your friends, and so many people is done by my father. It was all in his foolish desire to take over the world, but he's left quite the impact. His legacy will continue to haunt the entire planet and I'm a part of it."
"I still don't see why you want Orihime to kill you." Ichigo said as he walked up behind him.
"Just look at me." Zenou said as he looked at his hands. "Even what I am right is my father's doing and I'm just to blame for all the horrible things he's done. I followed his orders without a second thought and because I'm his son, this world will see me as the very monster my father was."
"That doesn't mean you have to die." Yuzu said.
"You can start your life over again." Orihime said as she refused to let him give up his life like this. "Zenou, this isn't the answer. You can use your powers to do a lot of good for the world."
"I can't." Zenou said. "I'm unable to revert back into my original form. If I don't die, I'll remain like this forever. This form is just a reminder of what my father and I have done."
"Stop it, please." Yuzu said as she tried to block out all the talking. "What happened wasn't your fault. It was your father who is to blame. There's no reason for you to die."
"Please, try to understand." Zenou said. "I am to blame for some of the things my father has done. I could have tried to stop him, but I followed everything he ever told me without a single thought. I felt that I had to as his son, but that wasn't the case. I just didn't know better."
"I think you're being too hard on yourself." Orihime said.
"There's more to it than that." Zenou said. "My mother wanted me to be a kind, caring, and loving person. Someone that valued life, but I failed and became the opposite."
"Zenou…" Ichigo started, but he really didn't know what to say. He was beginning to understand. After all, he lost his mother and with how close they use to be, he would hate it if he didn't become the person she would want him to be.
"My father's legacy is still alive with me." Zenou said. "It will continue to follow me and I still feel like I'm in my father's shadow. The only way I'll truly be free from the destruction my father has caused and the guilt of failing my mother is for me to die."
"That isn't true!" Orihime cried.
"Orihime, you have to understand." Zenou said.
"No, I won't hear about this anymore." Orihime said. "Even if I would, I still couldn't. You have healing abilities. You could heal yourself in an instant."
"You don't need to worry about that." Zenou said. "I'll bring my powers to as minimal as possible and resist the power. I'll even aid in my own death. It would just feel right to die by the hands of a pure heart person such as yourself."
'He's saying he holds all the responsibility of what his father and himself has done.' Ichigo thought. 'I'm not sure what those two have done before, but it sounds like he wants to take responsibility for all of it. Still, it feels like it isn't fair since he never knew any better, but he still feels trapped by his father at the same time.' Even Ichigo was starting to feel sorry.
"All this talking isn't going to do any good." Zenou said. "If you don't strike me down, those from the Soul Society will hunt me down and they will. No matter how you look at it, my life will end."
"Stop it." Yuzu cried. "Please stop talking like that. Maybe if we talk to them, they'll spare you. My brother is good friends with some of those captains."
"We're talking about a spiritual military operation." Zenou said. "They wouldn't let me live or be free because of my powers, at least the way I am now. Perhaps in death, I can finally be free."
"No! Stop it!" Orihime said as she refused with all she can. She can't let Zenou go through with this because she just couldn't see how his death would solve anything.
"What about this are you not understanding?!" Zenou said as he was growing frustrated. "My entire life has been used. I have no reason to live anymore. Try to imagine how I must feel. I've become the dangerous power my father wanted me to be and I never truly had a will of my own. I'm a permanent reminder of what he has done. I have no hope left. I have no future if I stay here. If I am going to die, I want to die by the hands of someone like you."
"Just use your powers for good." Yuzu said through her tears.
"She's right." Orihime said as she was crying too. "You're in control of your own future now. There isn't anyone who can stop you."
"As I already said, the Soul Society will come after me. You can't change the mind of a military power like that." Zenou said. "Most of all, my father will continue to haunt me. There's no other choice to be made. Please kill me!" He demanded and felt something pierce right through his chest and the three of them saw it was a black blade. They all looked behind him and saw Ichigo stabbed Zenou with his bangs covering his eyes.
"Ichigo?!" Orihime cried.
"Why did you do that?" Yuzu said.
"He was right guys. It's the only he'll really be free." Ichigo said as he pulled out his sword. Orihime looked closer and saw Ichigo was crying as well with eyes sealed shut. 'Damn it. He's even got me crying.'
"You don't need to cry." Zenou said as he smiled. "I'm glad that he did it." With the mixture of all different kinds of spiritual energy colliding in Zenou, a substance that resembled black flames formed from the wound and his body began to disintegrate as the black flames consumed him.
"Ichigo!" Ichigo looked behind him and saw Rukia and all the others arriving.
"Looks like we're not needed here." Uryu said as they all saw Zenou's body being burnt away.
"This is where it ends." Zenou said and looked to Orihime and Yuzu. "Don't be sad. You two showed me what kindness and love really is. Orihime, Yuzu….thank you." Those were his last words before the black flames completely consumed him and there wasn't a trace of him remaining. Zenou is gone and the dangerous the Roiyariti are no more.
…
The Cemetery
Weeks have passed since the defeat of Zenou and the Roiyariti were no more. Thanks to Zenou, all traces of the destruction that they left behind have been removed in Karakura Town. Orihime hated of what became of Zenou, but she thought the least she could do was have a grave made for him and that's just what she did and where she is now.
"I've hope you found peace." Orihime said as she placed a bouquet of flowers in front of his grave. Zenou's grave was placed at a higher part of the cemetery. He might have been away from others, but held a great view of the city so that Zenou may see all that is out there.
"I hope he is at peace." Yuzu said as she visited with Orihime and Misha.
"I'm sure that he is." Misha said. "Zenou might have been manipulated by Riesin, but I think he was able to find closure with himself."
"You three doing okay?" Ichigo said as he walked over to them.
"Yeah. We're fine." Orihime said.
"Yuzu, Mom's grave really isn't that far. How about you go pay her a visit?" Ichigo said and Yuzu agreed. "Misha, could you go with her?"
"Sure thing." Misha said as the two of them left. Ichigo walked over to Orihime and grabbed her hand.
"How are you holding up?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm okay." Orihime said. "I just still wish there could have been another way."
"I doubt Zenou would want there to be." Ichigo said. "Maybe you should stop seeing this as a bad thing. I think his death is just like those flowers."
"What do you mean?" Orihime asked.
"When someone steps on a flower, it ends up getting crushed, but that doesn't mean it's the end." Ichigo said. "Their petals are carried away by the wind and they are free from the ground and free to go wherever they want."
"Just like the flowers of the Shun Shun Rikka fly around." Orihime said.
"Yeah." Ichigo said. "Your powers restore life and if life is like flowers, you can have them continue to bloom. That's what you and Yuzu did for Zenou. Zenou bloomed into a more powerful, gentle, and confident person and I know you can do so much more for so many others." He pulled her into a kiss to show how sincere he was about how Orihime can makes lives better.
"Thank you, Ichigo." Orihime said.
"Come on, let's go meet up with the others." Ichigo said as he held her hand and the two of them headed out. Orihime took one last look back at the grave and she noticed a wind carried a few petals away. Everyone is free to choose their own path of life just as flowers are free to bloom anywhere. All can be free and may flowers continue to bloom in life.
The End