Complete listed story — includes the ending
Bleach, Volume 21
179. Confession in the Twilight [ ]
In the aftermath of Sousuke Aizen 's departure, the Fourth Division tends to the wounded while 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki reveals the source of his previous inaction to Rukia Kuchiki.
On Sōkyoku Hill, 4th Division 3rd Seat Yasochika Iemura directs his subordinates to tend to the wounded Shinigami present, with 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki being seen to by the second and third squads, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura being treated by the seventh, tenth, eleventh, and thirteenth squads, and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai being prepared for transport by the eighth and ninth squads after receiving sixth-stage treatment. With Iemura concluding that the severe injuries of all three combatants necessitates the creation of a chi-cleansing force field and transport to the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho for eighth-stage treatment, Rukia Kuchiki is held back by one of the Shinigami and expresses concern for Byakuya, who lies on the ground in a healing field as several of the Fourth Division members tend to his injuries.
While Komamura refuses treatment for his injuries and tells those attempting to tend to him to see to the other wounded despite their protests, an unconscious Renji is lifted on a stretcher, and when the Shinigami who had tried to tend to Komamura ask him what they should do, Iemura instructs them to help the Ryoka. Despite the shock of the two Shinigami, Iemura bluntly asserts that the Ryoka saved Soul Society and orders them to move, prompting them to run off in compliance. Iemura turns to watch Orihime Inoue as she heals Ichigo Kurosaki with Sōten Kisshun, where he marvels at the sophistication and speed of her healing technique before admitting that she might even be healing faster than he or 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu could. However, as Iemura observes that the sight of bloody flesh does not seem to faze Orihime and begins to ponder what might happen if they had someone of her caliber in the Fourth Division, 8th Seat Harunobu Ogidō claims that Iemura would use his position as 3rd Seat to take advantage of her, leading an annoyed Iemura to slash at Harunobu with his Zanpakutō while demanding that he do his job. After blocking Iemura's attack by clasping his hands around the blade, Harunobu calmly states that he did by contacting their captain, Retsu Unohana, before drawing Iemura's attention to the air, where Unohana arrives on the back of her Shikai, Minazuki.
Iemura asks Unohana how 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori are doing, and after explaining that they are stable and being treated by Isane, Unohana inquires who is left to tend to here, which prompts Iemura to note that only Ichigo and Byakuya are left. Briefly shocked upon seeing Orihime tending to Ichigo, Unohana decides that the Ryoka do not need their help, to Iemura's surprise, and kneels beside Byakuya while gently admonishing him for being reckless. Suddenly, Byakuya says something to Unohana, who expresses astonishment before informing Rukia that Byakuya is asking for her. After Rukia walks over to him, Byakuya asks her if she is there, which she confirms, and reveals that there is something which he wants to tell her. Upon being told by Byakuya that he lost his wife fifty years ago on a spring morning before the first plum tree blossomed, Rukia expresses sorrow and identifies Byakuya's wife as Hisana Kuchiki as she recalls Nobutsune Seike telling her that she was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan because she looked like Hisana.
However, Byakuya informs Rukia that he instructed everyone in the clan to lie to her and clarifies that Hisana was actually Rukia's older sister, shocking Rukia, before recounting how Hisana was sent to Inuzuri in the Rukongai alongside Rukia after she passed away in the Human World, where she found it hard to survive while caring for Rukia and eventually abandoned her. Recalling how Hisana never forgave herself for this, Byakuya recounts how Hisana searched for Rukia almost every day for the next five years after becoming his wife as he remembers the request she made in the spring of their fifth year together.
In the past, Hisana lies on a mat before a kneeling Byakuya and asks him to find Rukia, but not tell her that they are sisters and simply use his power to protect her because Hisana has no right to call Rukia sister after abandoning her, though she wants Byakuya to allow Rukia to call him brother. After apologizing for causing Byakuya trouble even now and being unable to repay the love he showed her, Hisana describes the five years she spent with Byakuya as being like a beautiful dream and passes away, leaving Byakuya holding her hand as he grieves.
In the present, Byakuya concludes that he found Rukia a year later and brought her into the Kuchiki Clan, but details how allowing someone from the Rukongai into the clan was against their laws and led to many in the clan resisting since they felt that it would sully the family's reputation. After noting that he had already broken the law when he took Hisana for his wife, Byakuya recalls how he swore at the graves of his parents to uphold the law and never break it again upon taking Rukia in. While the Ryoka listen to this somberly, Byakuya admits that he did not know what to do when Rukia was condemned because it left him caught between the oath he made to his parents and the promise he made to Hisana, and as he looks over at Ichigo, Byakuya thanks him and apologizes to Rukia as she holds his hand, leaving Rukia stunned.
That night, Isane bolts awake in her room after a strange dream, and though she is relieved that it was just a dream, Isane begins pacing around the room due to being afraid to go back to sleep. After considering going over to 13th Division 3rd Seat Kiyone Kotetsu 's room and worrying that the latter will tell her to get lost, Isane decides to head outside to cool off, where she finds Unohana with her hair back gazing at the night sky as she kneels with a small array of sake. Upon being asked by Unohana if she had another bad dream, Isane frantically attempts to deny this, only to blush with embarrassment as she simply welcomes Unohana back. Smiling, Unohana assures Isane that everything will be alright now and observes that it was quite a day as the latter kneels next to her before instructing Isane to get some rest once she has calmed down, which Isane acknowledges.
180. Something in The Aftermath [ ]
With a week having passed since Sousuke Aizen 's conspiracy came to light, individuals around the Seireitei begin moving forward with their lives.
A week after Sousuke Aizen 's betrayal and departure from Soul Society, at the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho, Goteitaishi and another member of the Eleventh Division are angered upon being told that they cannot leave yet. With the other Shinigami threatening to break the legs of the nurse talking to them if he does not stop, several other members of the Fourth Division watch the confrontation with apprehension from a nearby doorway before noticing someone approaching. As Goteitaishi begins to threaten the Shinigami further, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana places her hand on his shoulder and inquires if they are feeling better, causing them to sweat nervously at her presence, before menacingly requesting that they keep their voices down and remember that their lives are in the hands of the Fourth Division while under this roof, which prompts a visibly frightened Goteitaishi and his comrade to apologize. While her subordinates marvel at this, Unohana expresses delight at how nice it is outside and suggests that they open the windows.
Meanwhile, in a different part of the Seireitei, Uryū Ishida declares that it is finished and hands Yasutora Sado a shirt decorated with the Quincy cross as he explains that the Shinigami let him use their sewing room and that he has made clothes resembling the ones the Ryoka were wearing when they got here. Upon being asked what he thinks, a confused Sado observes that the pattern is different, leading Uryū to claim that he simply added his own touch before handing Orihime a variation of the shirt she was wearing prior, which has lace along one side and small rosettes at the bottom since Uryū did not have any dyes to work with. With Orihime admitting that it is cute, an encouraged Uryū reveals that he also made a sundress for Rukia Kuchiki to wear back to the Human World. While Sado notes that Uryū seems to be better at making women's clothing, Orihime decides to show the sundress to Rukia as Uryū praises Sado for looking manly like a Quincy after he puts on the shirt, though Sado remains embarrassed.
Elsewhere, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame sends the Shinigami he had been training with crashing through a nearby window as he demands to know who is next while wielding a wooden sword. With Ikkaku mocking the timid Shinigami watching this for not wanting to face him, Ichigo Kurosaki steps forward with his own wooden sword and proclaims that he will spar with Ikkaku, who expresses respect for Ichigo's courage before inquiring if he is sure about this since he has no intention of holding back despite Ichigo only just having finished convalescing. When Ichigo points out that Ikkaku did as well and that he was not convalescing because he was injured rather than sick, an annoyed Ikkaku claims that the word applies to either situation, but Ichigo denies this, which prompts Ikkaku to demand to know what the word for recovering from battle wounds is. After Ichigo admits that he does not know, Ikkaku berates him for not knowing Japanese, and as Ichigo counters by insulting his baldness, Ikkaku angrily declares that they will settle this with steel as Ichigo declares that Japanese is his best subject. Suddenly, while Ichigo and Ikkaku clash, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki kicks open the door, causing the Shinigami present to quickly turn and greet him.
With his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, on his shoulder, Kenpachi observes that Ichigo is looking well and inquires if his wounds have healed. However, as Ichigo confirms this, he finds his wooden sword cut in two near the hilt as a grinning Kenpachi proclaims that this means he can fight Ichigo without holding back. Hearing this, Ichigo leaps out of the broken window with his footwear in hand and runs off while refusing to fight a surprised Kenpachi ever again as the latter demands that he come back and begins chasing him. While watching this, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa notes that things are as rowdy as ever, which 7th Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba concurs with as being especially true since Ichigo showed up, though he states that it is better to be rowdy than boring. Upon being asked by Yumichika why he is here with them rather than with his captain, Sajin Komamura, Iba admits that Komamura wanted to be alone for a while.
On a grassy hill, Komamura stands before Kakyō's grave and wonders what she would have said to stop Kaname Tōsen. 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi is startled to find Komamura present when he arrives, and after exchanging nods, Hisagi joins Komamura at the grave and asks him if he believes Tōsen will ever come back, prompting Komamura to assert that he will undoubtedly do so and that they will open Tōsen's eyes together at that point in time.
In the Tenth Division barracks, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto recalls Gin Ichimaru stating that he would not have minded being her prisoner for a while longer and apologizing prior to leaving alongside Aizen. As she claims to hate Gin and calls him stupid, Rangiku yelps in shock when her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, appears behind her and requests context. With Rangiku noting that she almost popped out of her shihakushō in fright at this, Hitsugaya questions if this is her normal reaction to surprise and informs her that someone is here to see her. Upon seeing a nervous and apologetic 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira standing in the doorway, Rangiku smiles and inquires if he would like to eat some of the soba buns on the table next to her. Shortly afterward, an intoxicated Rangiku throws a jug of sake against the wall, where it shatters, and lambastes Gin as a pig with squinty eyes while an equally intoxicated Izuru agrees and expresses hope that Gin dies. Seeing this, an unnerved Hitsugaya leaves and tells Rangiku that he will be using the bathroom, leaving her to bid him farewell as Izuru claims that he will drink until he throws up. Hitsugaya makes his way to the room that 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori is hospitalized in, where he looks at her lying on a bed with a ventilator attached to her face and expresses sorrow over her present state.
Meanwhile, as she approaches Rukia's room, Orihime looks at the dress Uryū sewed for her and states that Rukia will love how cute it is, as it will lift her spirits after the moody period she has been going through recently. Wondering why Uryū would go to so much trouble, a stunned Orihime assumes that Uryū has romantic interest in Rukia and proclaims that she has had her first instance of woman's intuition at the age of 15. However, upon reaching Rukia's room and making her presence known, Orihime is confused by what she finds. In another area of the Seireitei, Ichigo complains about his aching legs and expresses disbelief at having actually beaten Kenpachi despite how intense the latter's Reiatsu is as he walks among some Shinigami through a street. With Ichigo realizing that he left his Shikai, Zangetsu, back there, Orihime frantically runs up to him, and as Ichigo wonders where she got her new shirt from, Orihime reveals that she cannot find Rukia anywhere in the Seireitei, alerting Ichigo.
181. AND THE RAIN LEFT OFF [ ]
After finally apologizing to the Shiba Clan, Rukia Kuchiki decides to remain in Soul Society, and Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends head back to the Human World.
In the Sixth Division barracks, as he lies on a bed near an open window, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki assumes that his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, is wondering why he is still alive, only for Renji to claim that he would have no one to compete with if Byakuya were dead. As Byakuya stares ahead silently, Renji begins to say something, but is interrupted when Ichigo Kurosaki sticks his head through the window and yells his name, startling Byakuya. Angrily telling Ichigo to shut up as he butts heads, Renji demands to know what Ichigo wants and reveals that he was about to say something heartfelt, leading Ichigo to apologize before inquiring if Renji knows where Rukia Kuchiki is. Confused by this, Renji inquires if something happened to Rukia, and as Ichigo nervously claims that he does not need to worry if he does not know anything, Orihime Inoue clambers up next to him and admonishes Ichigo for entering a building through the third-story window. After expressing shock at Orihime getting up here, Ichigo apologizes to Renji and Byakuya alongside her before returning to the ground and running off with Orihime, leaving Renji to wonder what that was about as Byakuya ponders Ichigo calling him by his first name.
Meanwhile, an intoxicated 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto leans out of a window and invites 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi to have a drink with her and 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira, and as Hisagi decides that this sounds good after Rangiku points out that he does not have anything better to do, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura politely declines when Rangiku invites him as well, prompting Rangiku to call him stiff and note that he is at least not wearing his helmet anymore while drinking sake. With Hisagi admitting that he is already getting used to seeing Komamura like this, Rangiku affirms this and states that she did not like the helmet very much because it felt like Komamura was hiding something from them. As Hisagi passes Rangiku and is shocked to see an intoxicated Izuru lying on the ground behind her, Rangiku sees Ichigo and Orihime passing by, leading her to invite them to drink with her as well, only for Ichigo to decline while Orihime asserts that they are underage. A disappointed Rangiku notes that she has tea as well, causing Hisagi to request that she give him some because Izuru is foaming at the mouth and only wearing a loincloth, and 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku requests to join as he approaches, only for Rangiku to decline because his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, will get mad at her if she lets Shunsui drink.
Outside the Seireitei, Orihime inquires if they should have asked Rangiku about Rukia, but Ichigo denies this since Renji not knowing where Rukia is means the others likely do not either before concluding that Rukia can only be in one place if Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka did not find her in the Seireitei. Outside the Shiba Clan household, Kūkaku Shiba forces Ganju Shiba to perform dozens of push-ups, and as Ganju claims that he cannot do any more, Kūkaku denies this and instructs him to give her a thousand more, though Ganju declares this impossible because he can only count to fifty and he cannot move no matter how much Kūkaku stomps on him. Telling Ganju to stop whining, Kūkaku reveals that she knows he barely helped out during the rescue of Rukia and promises that he will be a one-man army by the time she is done with him, prompting Ganju to warn her that there will not be a next time at this rate. Suddenly, Rukia approaches the two of them, shocking Kūkaku and Ganju with her presence, and looks down nervously as Kūkaku removes her foot from Ganju's back and demands to know what Rukia wants.
Though Ganju attempts to inform her that Rukia is the Shinigami whom Ichigo and the others fought to save, Kūkaku reveals that she knows this and that Rukia is the Shinigami who killed Kaien Shiba before reiterating her demand to know what Rukia wants. Bowing toward Kūkaku and Ganju, Rukia apologizes and explains that she has wanted to tell them something ever since that day, but calls herself a coward who could not face them and needed all that time to muster up the courage. However, Kūkaku interrupts her apology to claim that she can stop because it is alright, and as Rukia begins to protest, an irritated Kūkaku punches her in the back of the head and details how 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake told her how Rukia has been torturing herself this whole time despite Kaien's death not being her fault, which led her to decide a long time ago that she would forgive Rukia if the latter ever apologized. With Kūkaku concluding that it is alright, Rukia mentally asserts that she is not the one who has been suffering and thanks Kūkaku as she begins to apologize again, leading an annoyed Kūkaku to punch Rukia in the face and remind Rukia to stop apologizing.
Ichigo calls out to Rukia as she cleans her bloody nose and approaches with Orihime before suggesting that they go back if Rukia is done here, since Rukia will need to rest up for tomorrow when they open the Senkaimon back to the Human World. Acknowledging this, Rukia notes that there is something she needs to tell Ichigo and reveals that she has decided to stay in Soul Society. After staring in silence for a moment, Ichigo smiles and states that this is good if it is what Rukia wants. With Ichigo encouraging her to stay here if she really wants to do so, Rukia smiles and remembers why she wanted to save Ichigo so badly when she was brought back to Soul Society.
The next day, Ichigo and his friends stand before the central Senkaimon installation, where they are told that a Reishi Henkan-Ki has been installed just for them. As he draws Ichigo's attention, Ukitake hands him something, to Ichigo's surprise. Meanwhile, Rukia stands with the others and bids them farewell as Uryū Ishida tells her to take care. Upon realizing what she almost forgot, Orihime gives Rukia the sundress that Uryū sewed for her and quietly insists that she wear it, to a startled Rukia's confusion. Looking at Rukia, Ichigo promises to see her again, prompting Rukia to affirm this and thank Ichigo. While entering the Senkaimon alongside his friends as several members of the Gotei 13 watch from behind, Ichigo internally asserts that this is his line and thanks Rukia in turn because the rain has finally stopped due to her.
182. GET BACK FROM THE STORM [TRIGGER FOR A NEW CONCERTO] [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends return to their homes in the Human World with the help of Kisuke Urahara.
Running through the Dangai alongside his friends, Ichigo Kurosaki frantically questions why they had to come this way again when they used the central Senkaimon to enter and should thus have a safe route, prompting Yoruichi Shihōin, who has returned to her cat form, to explain that they would each need a Jigokuchō in order to take the safe route and only Shinigami are able to handle them. While Yoruichi tells him to stop complaining and look at the exit ahead, Ichigo emerges from the Dangai alongside the others, only to find himself in midair and scream in fright as they begin falling toward the ground. Suddenly, Ururu Tsumugiya fires a large cloth out of her Senren Bakusatsu Taihō that wraps itself around the group and forms a ball which hurtles through the air. As he leaps into the air with his Muteki Tekkon held high, Jinta Hanakari prepares to smack the group away with Jinta Home Run, startling them, but is interrupted when Tessai Tsukabishi appears behind him in midair and catches both Jinta and the group with Tessai Death Catch. With Ichigo claiming that he is going to throw up from all the spinning, Tessai brings the group to a flat, flying cloth being piloted by Kisuke Urahara, where Ururu lands and removes the cloth covering the group as Urahara greets them.
After Ichigo addresses him, Urahara assumes that Ichigo now knows who he is, which Ichigo confirms, and removes his hat before kneeling in front of Ichigo and apologizing, to the surprise of the latter and his friends. However, Ichigo assures Urahara that he is not mad because Urahara did not do anything wrong and provided crucial help despite his intentions, and as Urahara agrees to not apologize, Ichigo inquires if Urahara kept the truth from him because he believed Ichigo would quit if he knew. When Urahara cheerfully confirms this after putting his hat back on, an annoyed Ichigo elbows him in the face and sits back down while asserting that this is what makes him mad. With Urahara admitting that he did not see this coming as Ururu comforts him, Ichigo instructs him to apologize to Rukia Kuchiki as well even though she will likely tell him the same thing, prompting a smiling Urahara to agree to do so.
Uryū Ishida brings up 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake giving Ichigo something when they left, leading Ichigo to pull out the Substitute Shinigami Badge he was given. As Uryū questions what it is while crowding around Ichigo alongside Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado, Ichigo identifies it as a pass identifying him as a Substitute Shinigami and relays Ukitake's explanation that Soul Society acknowledges Substitute Shinigami with rules and gives them a pass when they have been of service, which will be useful in all kinds of situations. Seeing Uryū staring intently at the badge, Ichigo inquires if he is listening, prompting a startled Uryū to affirm this as he wonders if he is overthinking the meaning of those words. Upon examining the badge closely, Sado observes that it seems like a symbol banning Ichigo from being a deputy instead, to Ichigo's annoyance.
Suddenly, Orihime points out Uryū's house below, and after telling Urahara that he can be dropped off here, Uryū prepares to hop off. When Ichigo invites him to go on another adventure sometime, Uryū coldly claims that they will be enemies the next time they meet due to their opposite natures and dramatically exits the cloth, to Ichigo's irritation. Despite this, Orihime assures Ichigo that Uryū was bluffing and admits that she likes this about him, which Sado concurs with, shocking Ichigo with their forgiving personalities. After Orihime and Sado are dropped off at their homes, Ichigo returns to the Kurosaki Clinic, where Kon is having a lewd dream while inhabiting Ichigo's body. Upon hearing a loud banging noise, Kon bolts awake and complains about being pulled out of his dream, only to surprised when he sees an annoyed Ichigo crouched outside his window. Pulling open the window, Kon enthusiastically welcomes Ichigo home because it means he can get out of this body, and as Kon realizes that Rukia is not here, Ichigo reveals that she stayed behind, prompting a startled Kon to demand to know what the point of him going to Soul Society was if this is the case. However, Ichigo responds by pressing his badge against Kon's forehead and is astonished when it knocks Kon's Gikongan out of his body, which leads him to deduce that it has the same powers as Rukia's Gokon Tekkō.
After reentering his body, Ichigo lies on his bed and observes that he is finally home after such a long time despite how fast it passed. Suddenly, as Ichigo hears footsteps approach, Isshin Kurosaki flies into the room with a dropkick that knocks the door off its hinges and slams into Ichigo as he bids him good morning, only for an exasperated Ichigo to intercept his kick by trapping Isshin's feet between his arms and note that nothing has changed around here before attacking Isshin in turn while the latter praises his block, causing Yuzu Kurosaki to plead with them to stop because they are attracting attention from the neighbors outside and beg her sister, Karin Kurosaki, to do something instead of just watch.
183. eyes of the unknown [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends resume their school life as Ichigo deals with a Hollow alert on his own for the first time.
At 7:34 AM on September 1st, a damaged Kon stands before Ichigo Kurosaki, who is left speechless, and swipes at him angrily for his lack of reaction before demanding that Ichigo fix him rather than stare at him in pity. After performing minor repairs, Ichigo promises to bring Uryū Ishida back to his house after school to fix Kon properly because Ichigo is not secretly a seamstress as he places his bag in his pocket, only to be surprised when the charm that Isshin Kurosaki gave him prior to departing for Soul Society falls onto the floor. Ichigo attempts to return it to Isshin as promised, only for Isshin to casually toss it away and declare that he does not want it as Ichigo questions why he still had it. With Ichigo shocked by this, Isshin ties it to Ichigo's uniform and claims that he does not need it anymore, and as Ichigo realizes that he cannot undo the knot, Yuzu Kurosaki warns him that he is going to miss the bus, prompting Ichigo to hurry off while accusing Isshin of lying to him about the charm being a precious belonging given to Isshin by Masaki Kurosaki and vowing to bust Isshin's jaw when he gets home.
At school, Keigo Asano attempts to enthusiastically tackle Ichigo, who clotheslines him with an outstretched arm while offhandedly greeting him. While Keigo wonders where both he and Ichigo have been, Mizuiro Kojima greets Ichigo, who returns the greeting, and stands on Keigo's head while bidding him good morning, to Keigo's chagrin. Ichigo is greeted by Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū, the latter of whom merely states that Ichigo's hair looks stupid. As Ichigo glares at Uryū, Keigo asks him why Orihime, Sado, and Uryū are hanging out despite not having been friends prior to the summer, leading him to wonder what could have happened to form such an alliance before tearfully demanding to know what Ichigo is doing with them when he walks over and tells Keigo to relax. With Keigo claiming that this is a tragic end to a beautiful friendship, Chizuru Honshō gropes Orihime's breasts from behind as she greets her, prompting Tatsuki Arisawa to send Chizuru flying with a kick to the face, and as she clutches her bleeding nose, Chizuru observes that Tatsuki's comedic timing is as sharp as ever despite the summer they spent apart, only for Tatsuki to declare that there is nothing comedic about it and admonish Chizuru for always being lecherous no matter the season, though Chizuru takes pride in this, to Tatsuki's irritation.
Watching this, Keigo claims to wish that he could be as uninhibited as Chizuru is and asks Mizuiro if he feels the same way, which Mizuiro denies. When Ichigo greets her, Tatsuki brings up how he was missing in action all summer and was never around when she stopped by the Kurosaki Clinic even though he apparently got back from vacation early before questioning what he was doing, only to notice something near Ichigo's waist and inquire about it. With Ichigo assuming that she is referring to the charm tied to his shirt, Tatsuki bluntly asserts that she can tell it just a joke gift from his dad since no one else would give him something like that and clarifies that she is referring to the Substitute Shinigami Badge hanging out of Ichigo's pocket. As he claims that he bought it at a shop, Ichigo expresses astonishment upon realizing that Tatsuki can see it, to her confusion.
However, before Tatsuki can inquire further, Misato Ochi slams open the door to the classroom and greets her students as she tells them to sit down. After everyone gets seated, Misato asks if everyone is here and dismisses Reiichi Ōshima and Keisuke Sorimachi 's absences since they are hoodlums and will be fine, to her students' surprise, before announcing that they have a new student entering the class while Ichigo recalls 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake explaining that the badge is more powerful than it looks and would be dangerous in the hands of anyone other than a Shinigami, so it automatically creates a visual barrier to avoid being seen by humans. Suddenly, the badge begins loudly emitting a Hollow alarm, shocking Ichigo, who is asked by Mizuiro if he is okay. Claiming to have gotten a stomachache, Ichigo internally expresses relief that normal Humans cannot hear the badge either, and after confirming with Sado that a Hollow has been detected, Ichigo slips past Misato as she looks out into the hallway for the new student and runs off while telling her that he needs to use the bathroom.
Confused by this, Misato sees Orihime and Sado running after Ichigo as well and admonishes Orihime for running like this, only to relent when Orihime asserts that she is in pain before denying Keigo when he attempts to go as well. With Keigo bemoaning the favoritism that Misato shows to Ichigo and the others while Uryū remains seated, Tatsuki looks out the window, where she is shocked to see Ichigo running across the field in his Shinigami form. Shortly afterward, Ichigo blocks several projectiles from a Hollow with a pig-like mask and slashes through it vertically with his Shikai, Zangetsu, as he questions whether it is veal or pork. As the Hollow proclaims that it is pork while dissipating, Ichigo turns to Orihime and Sado as they approach and observes that they did not need to cut class since he was able to handle the Hollow by himself, leading Orihime to admit that she has always wanted to lie her way out of class while an unnerved Sado comments on her extreme honesty. When Ichigo wonders where Uryū is, which Sado takes as proof of his personality, Orihime informs Ichigo that Uryū has not been doing well since before they left Soul Society. Sado admits that he did not knows this upon being asked by Ichigo, and as Orihime explains that Uryū did not want them to know because he likes keeping things to himself, Ichigo points out that she should not have told them if this is true, which prompts Orihime to realize that he is right and begin worrying as Ichigo assures her that they will pretend to not know.
In the air above, Shinji Hirako stands upside-down with a bottle of water and observes Ichigo with a smile while identifying him.
184. HUSH [ ]
Shinji Hirako joins Ichigo Kurosaki 's class and confronts the latter as he continues to deal with his Hollow -slaying duties.
At the Kurosaki Clinic, Kon stands with his body repaired and a frilly bonnet added to his head, and when Uryū Ishida asserts that this is perfect, Kon angrily swipes his face and declares that it is perfectly lame before reminding Uryū that he did not ask for frills. When Uryū claims that he simply added his personal touch, Kon is further angered and points out how he is a lion rather than a Southern belle as Ichigo Kurosaki watches silently nearby and observes that Uryū added a Quincy cross to the back of Kon's head as well, though he decides to keep this to himself while Kon proclaims that his cuteness remains undiminished. After restoring Kon to his original appearance, Uryū prepares to leave, only for Ichigo to stop him. However, when Uryū questions what he wants to talk about, Ichigo remembers Orihime Inoue mentioning that Uryū does not want them to know and nervously drops the subject, causing a confused Uryū to call him weird as he leaves. Watching Uryū walk across the street, Ichigo internally notes that he cannot detect Uryū's Reiatsu, meaning that he has lost his Quincy powers.
At school the next day, Shinji Hirako introduces himself to Ichigo's class by writing his name backwards on the chalkboard and giving context for each kanji before bowing. When a confused Misato Ochi points out how it is backwards, Shinji asserts that doing things in reverse is his specialty, prompting Misato to ask him to tell them a little about himself. While Shinji continues to introduce himself, Ichigo recalls 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake telling him that Uryū fought 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, which leads him to deduce that Uryū lost his Quincy powers from expending too much of his Reiryoku and thus sacrificed his powers to help them save Rukia Kuchiki. With Orihime looking at Ichigo in concern, Misato has Shinji take a seat in the back of the class, leading Shinji to take the seat next to Ichigo and express hope that they can be friends now that they are neighbors. However, before Ichigo can finish greeting Shinji, his Substitute Shinigami Badge alerts him to the presence of another Hollow, and while Ichigo runs out of the classroom with the excuse of needing to use the bathroom again, to Misato's disbelief, Yasutora Sado assures a staring Shinji that he does not need to take this personally because it is just how Ichigo is, only for Shinji to dismiss this due to Ichigo being exactly how he imagined, to Sado's puzzlement.
That night, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo reads a magazine on his bed as Kon declares that he does not want to live like this anymore due to his desire to go out and meet well-endowed young women. With Ichigo telling him to shut up because Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki will hear him, Kon refuses and threatens to sue Ichigo for cruelty toward stuffed animals before wishing that he was still inside Ichigo's body, as this allowed him to act pervertedly with only Ichigo's reputation being ruined. While a mortified Ichigo demands to know if he really did this, Kon proclaims that it was not so painful when Rukia was here and begs her to come back. When his badge alerts him to the presence of a Hollow once more, Ichigo notes that he is beginning to get used to it and uses the badge to enter his Shinigami form before removing Kon's Gikongan from the plushie and dropping it into his body. After instructing Kon to take care of things and stay quiet until he gets back, Ichigo leaps through the open window, leaving Kon to cheekily acknowledge this as he grins pervertedly.
Shortly afterward, Ichigo slashes through the targeted Hollow with his Shikai, Zangetsu, and stands on a rooftop while it dissipates behind him. As Ichigo observes that this should do it, Zennosuke Kurumadani calls out to him from a nearby rooftop and demands to know who Ichigo is, as well as why he is dressed like a Shinigami. Upon having the question turned back on him by Ichigo, a sweating Zennosuke identifies himself as the Shinigami assigned to this district in place of Rukia after she was jailed for a crime. However, when Ichigo holds up his badge and identifies himself as a Substitute Shinigami in turn, a confused Zennosuke declares that he has never heard of such a thing, prompting an annoyed Ichigo to assert that his badge is useless.
Suddenly, Shinji appears in midair behind Ichigo with an unsheathed Zanpakutō and attacks, forcing a shocked Ichigo to block with Zangetsu. With Ichigo realizing that he is wielding a Zanpakutō and demanding to know who he is, Shinji simply holds a finger in front of his lips and advises Ichigo to not make so much noise because someone with his caliber of Reiatsu should not be so easily rattled. While Shinji claims that the noise Ichigo makes will echo around the world and cause others to feel his presence, Ichigo questions whom he is referring to, leading Shinji to wonder if he has to spell it out for Ichigo as The Menos Grande emerges from a Kūmon behind Uryū, who turns around in astonishment. Elsewhere, Kon hears a booming sound while standing in a street, and after confirming that it is not Ichigo coming after him, Kon runs off to enjoy what little time he has in Ichigo's body and wonders gleefully if he will be naughty. In the air above and behind Kon, Grand Fisher emerges from a Kūmon with a new, larger body as he mistakes Kon for Ichigo.
185. BE MY FAMILY OR NOT [ ]
Grand Fisher confronts Kon, believing him to be Ichigo Kurosaki, as Uryū Ishida fends off The Menos Grande.
Having been confronted by The Menos Grande while walking through a park in Karakura Town at night, a shocked Uryū Ishida evades a strike from The Menos Grande's prehensile tongue and questions if it is a Menos Grande upon seeing it finish emerging from a Kūmon.
Elsewhere, Kon is sent flying back when something slams into the ground in front of him, and as he wonders why everybody gives him grief, Kon is mortified when the dust clears to reveal Grand Fisher, whom he recognizes.
At the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara stands outside the front as Yoruichi Shihōin opens the door behind him while wearing a bathrobe and observes that she can sense something.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop in a different part of the city, Ichigo Kurosaki forces Shinji Hirako back into the air with his Shikai, Zangetsu, while Zennosuke Kurumadani cowers behind another building's ledge nearby and comments on their monstrous Reiatsu. As Shinji notes that it is here and points to this as proof of why Ichigo should have contained his Reiatsu, Ichigo demands to know who he is, leading Shinji to claim that Ichigo is a pain before instructing Ichigo to take a good look as he forms a pharaoh-like Hollow mask over part of his face and inquires if Ichigo recognizes it. With Ichigo realizing that it is a Hollow 's mask, Shinji confirms this and describes himself as a Shinigami who crossed into the realm of Hollows as Ichigo recalls being briefly taken over by his inner Hollow prior. Revealing that he is part of the Visored, Shinji concludes that he is just like Ichigo and invites the latter to join them because he does not belong with the others.
Back in the park, Uryū runs from The Menos Grande and deduces its identity from its Reiatsu, only to mentally assert that he is prepared for a Hollow attack despite losing his Quincy powers and can still fight with what little Reiryoku he has left as he pulls multiple Gintō from his shirt pocket and throws them at The Menos Grande. While the Gintō bounce off The Menos Grande, Uryū initiates Heizen, creating a rectangular beam of energy that severs The Menos Grande's left arm. Internally, Uryū details how he filled the Gintō with Reiryoku when he was in training and may be able to discourage The Menos Grande with them even if he cannot kill it. However, The Menos Grande merely regrows its arm with High-Speed Regeneration, to Uryū's shock, and attacks with it, causing Uryū to leap back while its fist crashes into the ground and begin stringing the Silber Draht attached to his arm between two nearby trees, only to find that the top half of The Menos Grande has disappeared.
With the top half of The Menos Grande reappearing in the air above him, Uryū realizes that it and the bottom half were two separate Hollows to begin with as the top half prepares to strike with its tongue once again. Suddenly, The Menos Grande's tongue is severed by a large Heilig Pfeil that rips through it near the mouth, shattering part of its mask in a shower of blood, and Ryūken Ishida approaches while admonishing Uryū for his clumsiness, startling the latter.
186. Tell Your Children The Truth [ ]
Ryūken Ishida demonstrates his own Quincy powers as Kon is saved from Grand Fisher by an unexpected ally.
Approaching Uryū Ishida in the park after grievously wounded The Menos Grande with a Heilig Pfeil, Ryūken Ishida admonishes him for his clumsiness as a stunned Uryū identifies him. With Ryūken questioning Uryū's rude manner of addressing his father and claiming that the latter has not changed, The Menos Grande begins roaring as it regenerates its tongue, only for Ryūken to bluntly tell it to shut up and shoot it with another Heilig Pfeil that destroys its body above the Hollow hole. Ryūken asserts that High-Speed Regeneration is not a big deal if one simply destroys the enemy before they can use it, and when a confused Uryū questions why he has Quincy powers despite despising the Quincy, which led Uryū to believe that he had given up his powers a long time ago, Ryūken criticizes this line of thinking and reminds Uryū of his specific words on the matter: he has no interest, and Uryū has no talent.
After noting that his powers are harder to get rid of than Uryū's were, Ryūken describes himself as the sole heir to the powers and skills of the late Sōken Ishida whether he is interested or not, making him the last Quincy, as he pulls out his five-pointed Quincy Cross, which Uryū recognizes as belonging to Sōken when he was alive. Suddenly, the lower half of The Menos Grande attacks Uryū from behind, only to be shot with another Heilig Pfeil from Ryūken that destroys part of its body and kills it, causing it to dissipate into the air, as Ryūken berates Uryū for going to Soul Society before he was strong enough and losing the feeble powers he once had. However, Ryūken reveals that he can restore Uryū's power if he chooses to do so, and as Uryū expresses shock at this, Ryūken promises that he is telling the truth before asserting that Uryū must agree to the single condition of never involving himself with the Shinigami again.
Elsewhere, Kon, having taken possession of Ichigo Kurosaki 's body, runs up the side of a building and leaps into the air from the roof as he flees in terror from Grand Fisher, who smashes through the roof behind him as Kon frantically requests that they not fight in the street. Questioning why Ichigo runs, Grand Fisher demands that he enter his Shinigami form and destroys part of another building's roof after Kon leaps off of it. Internally, Kon bemoans how this always happens to him and declares that Grand Fisher will never believe that he is not Ichigo before wondering why the latter's mask is halfway off his face, which is partially exposed, which leads Kon to question if he is really a Hollow. Suddenly, Grand Fisher catches up to Kon and states that time is up since he is tired of waiting for Ichigo to enter his Shinigami form as he leaps down to the street below and slams Kon into the ground. With Kon coughing as the dust settles, Grand Fisher decides that Ichigo refusing to transform is fine because he will simply crush the latter's bones to dust while he is in his Human form and moves to slam his other hand into Kon, who realizes that he cannot move his legs.
Suddenly, a barrier of energy forms around Kon, protecting him from Grand Fisher's strike, and Kon realizes that it is emanating from the charm that had been tied to Ichigo's shirt. As he approaches the two of them and reiterates his instructions to always keep the charm handy, Isshin Kurosaki, now wearing a Shinigami uniform with a Zanpakutō on his hip, offers to fight Grand Fisher in Ichigo's stead since the latter is busy right now.
187. THE CIGAR BLUES PART TWO [ ]
Isshin Kurosaki takes on Grand Fisher, who reveals himself to be an Arrancar.
When Grand Fisher demands to know who he is as the charm he gave to Ichigo Kurosaki protects Kon, Isshin Kurosaki, now in his Shinigami form, apologizes for not introducing himself and tells Grand Fisher his name.
Elsewhere, Ichigo Kurosaki and Shinji Hirako sense the intense Reiatsu of this confrontation, and as Ichigo wonders who they belong to and if one of them is that of a Hollow, Shinji is left aghast at him only just sensing the Hollow and observes that he does not recognize the Shinigami whom the other Reiatsu belongs to. Suddenly, Ichigo leaps away from Shinji, who demands to know where Ichigo is going because he is not done talking yet, and asserts that he does not care about what Shinji has to say despite the latter's protests. Refusing to join Shinji's group regardless of what he is, Ichigo declares that he is a Shinigami and not a Visored like Shinji before running off, leaving Shinji to comment on his attitude and pull a cell phone out of his pocket, which he uses to call Hiyori Sarugaki. After admitting that he failed, Shinji listens to Hiyori scream at him over the phone and states she does not have to yell as he assures her that it is only a matter of time, meaning that she needs to be patient.
Back on the street, Isshin confirms Grand Fisher's suspicion that he is Ichigo's father as he picks up the charm off the ground and tosses it to Kon, whom he notes it was made for anyway. Realizing that Isshin knows his name, Kon questions when he deduced that Kon was not Ichigo, prompting Isshin to reveal that he knew from the first time he saw Kon inside Ichigo's body at the graveyard and point out how he never once called Kon by Ichigo's name when he was inhabiting Ichigo's body. Suddenly, Grand Fisher slams his hand into the ground, rupturing it, and observes that Ichigo's father being a Shinigami means that Ichigo himself is a true blood, explaining why Grand Fisher lost to him, but asserts that he has no interest in Isshin himself since he came here tonight to kill Ichigo before demanding to know where Ichigo is due to a father likely knowing his son's whereabouts. However, Isshin merely claims that he does not know because Ichigo is not a kid anymore and he has always been relaxed with his children, though Kon interjects that he is strict with the girls, leading a flustered Isshin to claim that this is a different thing since Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki are special.
Turning back to Grand Fisher, Isshin declares that he came here to kill Grand Fisher and inquires if the latter is interested now. As he grins and laughs maniacally at this, Grand Fisher berates Isshin for thinking he is some ordinary Hollow who could be killed so easily and instructs Isshin to behold his true form as he transforms into a larger being with horns jutting from his body and less fur, shattering his mask in the process. When a stunned Kon wonders if he is a Menos Grande, Grand Fisher denies this and proclaims that he is an Arrancar, prompting Isshin to detail how this is a subsection of Hollows who take off their masks in order to gain Shinigami powers. After expressing mild surprise at Isshin knowing of them, Grand Fisher assumes that Isshin knows what the sword on his back is as he draws his Zanpakutō. With Kon astonished by the size of his Zanpakutō, Grand Fisher claims that the size of one's Zanpakutō reflects that of their Reiryoku and concludes that Isshin has no hope of slaying him with his normal-sized Zanpakutō. Despite this, Isshin grips the handle of his own Zanpakutō and cheerily suggests that they find out, leading Grand Fisher to assert that he is ignorant of the most basic Shinigami lore despite knowing a few things before attacking Isshin, who slashes at him in return.
In the aftermath, Isshin brings up Grand Fisher's mention of the basics and explains that captain-level Shinigami have to keep their Zanpakutō at a manageable size on purpose in order to avoid swinging around swords as big as buildings like the one Grand Fisher is holding. Instructing Grand Fisher to never judge an enemy's strength by the size of his Zanpakutō, Isshin criticizes Grand Fisher for speaking of Shinigami lore without even knowing that much as the latter is split apart vertically at the left shoulder behind him.
Bleach, Volume 22
188. CRUSH THE WORLD DOWN [ ]
Isshin Kurosaki discusses the appearance of the Visored and the empowered state of the Arrancar with Kisuke Urahara.
Having been cut in half vertically by Isshin Kurosaki 's Agitowari, a shocked Grand Fisher embeds his Zanpakutō in the ground and expresses disbelief at having lost before his body begins crumbling and dispersing into the air, leaving Kon to look on in astonishment while inhabiting Ichigo Kurosaki 's body and wonder how it is possible for Isshin to be strong enough to win in a single strike despite his goofy nature. Suddenly, Kisuke Urahara approaches them and inquires if this was revenge, prompting Isshin to greet him as Urahara notes that it has been a long time since they last met and observes that Isshin's skill having not degraded is good. When Isshin questions why he is being so unusually civil, Urahara claims that he would not want Isshin to blame him for Isshin's Reiatsu being reduced, only for Isshin to counter that he would not blame even if this were the case because it is Isshin's power. With Urahara inquiring about how it feels to be a Shinigami again after twenty years, Isshin flatly states that it is alright, and upon being asked by Urahara if he feels better, Isshin admits that he was never bitter at Grand Fisher since he was simply acting on Hollow instincts and that the only thing he has regretted over the past twenty years is his inability to save Masaki Kurosaki on the night of her death.
In response, a smiling Urahara asserts that Isshin has not changed at all and that Ichigo is just like him, to Isshin's chagrin, before wondering if Isshin has noticed recent developments, which leads Isshin to confirm that the Visored have made contact with Ichigo just as Urahara predicted. Isshin describes the Visored as a lawless gang of former Shinigami who tried to acquire Hollow powers through forbidden methods and who could potentially cause trouble due to their whereabouts and ideology remaining unknown, prompting him and Urahara to note that them contacting Ichigo means the Visored are preparing for something just like they are. After a moment's silence, Isshin assumes that the Visored has probably noticed the sudden change in Arrancar as well, with Urahara picking up on Grand Fisher having been a Visored, and Isshin explains that Grand Fisher's level of development was far beyond any Arrancar he had ever seen before due to him possessing notable power after the Arrancar have been stuck at the same level for decades, which leads him to conclude that Sousuke Aizen is behind their sudden progress.
Theorizing that Aizen made a deal with the prospective Arrancar to help them achieve their goal by using the Hōgyoku, Isshin muses that the Arrancar are still imperfect despite their heightened level of power, evidenced by their fuzzy Reiatsu, and that Grand Fisher was likely a prototype sent out to discover what level the current Arrancar can fight at. Isshin concludes that, though the Arrancar are manageable for now, the immeasurable power of the Hōgyoku means that Aizen will soon complete his work and try to crush the world with fully-developed Arrancar and an army of Menos Grande. When asked by Isshin if he has any ideas, Urahara promises to think of something since the current situation will be leading them, the Visored, and even Soul Society to mobilize for war. Simultaneously, in the Seireitei, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya are summoned, with the latter two grumbling about how annoying it is and vowing to be there soon respectively, and eventually gather in the First Division barracks before Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who stands beside his lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe, and thanks them for gathering on such short notice as he commences the captains meeting.
189. RESOLVE [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryū Ishida ponder the offers they have received to respectively control and regain their powers.
At Karakura High School, Ichigo Kurosaki sits in his classroom while his fellow students chat around him and ruminates on his confrontation with Shinji Hirako the previous night, where the latter called himself a Visored and invited Ichigo to join his group since he is just like them and does not belong with the Shinigami. Nearby, Uryū Ishida ponders Ryūken Ishida 's promise to restore his lost Quincy powers on the condition that he swear to never involve himself with the Shinigami again. Soon afterward, Orihime Inoue and Shinji walk into the classroom and cheerfully greet Ichigo, who is stunned by Shinji showing up as though nothing happened last night. When Orihime greets him by name, Shinji is overjoyed that she remembered his name and hugs Orihime, leading a shocked Keigo Asano to protest him acting as though he knows Orihime better than Keigo does despite the latter having been friends with her for years. With Mizuiro Kojima lamenting this rocky start to their relationship and Keigo claiming that Shinji should let go of Orihime because the latter clearly does not like it, Shinji points out that Orihime is not struggling to free herself from him and asserts that she obviously does not mind, which prompts Keigo to tearfully declare that his ego is preventing him from understanding how out of line he is.
Suddenly, a furious Chizuru Honshō agrees with Keigo and vows to handle it from here, leaving Keigo frightened, as she insists that Orihime is too kind to tell Shinji how she really feels and proclaims that anyone who would take advantage of her kindness does not deserve to live, though Keigo nervously brings up how this logic means that Chizuru should be the first to die. However, before Chizuru can begin her lethal assault on Shinji, Ichigo stands up, grabs a confused Shinji by the collar, and drags him to the hallway outside, leaving an unnerved Chizuru and Keigo to question when Ichigo became so protective while Orihime silently watches this and turns to Yasutora Sado, who meets her gazes and nods as Uryū looks away. Outside, Shinji is slammed into a railing by Ichigo and chastises the latter for getting so mad about this when Orihime is not even his girlfriend and is out of his league, only for Ichigo to demand that he apologize to Orihime or face much harsher consequences. An unfazed Shinji states that Ichigo is in no position to tell him what to do, and when Ichigo inquires about why he is here, Shinji reminds Ichigo that he is a student and must continue going to school.
With Ichigo claiming that Shinji has no reason to be here anymore since he only enrolled to convince Ichigo to join the Visored, an unimpressed Shinji realizes that Ichigo believes he has given up and asserts that he will not be stopping until Ichigo is begging to join them. Elaborating that Ichigo does not have a choice since a Visored cannot go back once their symptoms appear and stating that this means Ichigo is already on their side whether he likes it or not, Shinji brings up Ichigo considering Orihime, Sado, Uryū, and the Shinigami to be his friends and reveals that this is temporary because Ichigo continuing to be a Shinigami will lead to his inner Hollow swallowing him and driving Ichigo insane, which will result in his power destroying his friends, his future, and his very identity. After theorizing that Ichigo has already sensed his inner Hollow growing too big for him to handle, Shinji reiterates his invitation for Ichigo to join the Visored and promises to teach him how to save his sanity while Tatsuki Arisawa watches them from below with concern.
At the end of the school day, Keigo cheerfully asks Ichigo if he wants to hang out in the city on the way home, but Ichigo declines due to wanting to be alone right now, leaving Keigo to complain that Ichigo is acting weird to Mizuiro, who points out that he has always been weird as Uryū leaves the classroom. Elsewhere, Shinji walks down a street and expresses exhaustion at not being cut out for school and being assigned a test right after a vacation, which he considers sadistic. Suddenly, while Shinji questions why he has to be the one to go to school and recruit Ichigo, Hiyori Sarugaki kicks him in the rear end and sends Shinji flying face-first into a telephone pole. With Shinji turning around in fright upon recognizing her, Hiyori kicks off her sandal, grabs it, and smacks Shinji across the face with it while demanding to know what is taking him so long. As Shinji apologizes, Hiyori berates him for requesting more time since she told him to talk Ichigo into it, and when Shinji clarifies that it is not this easy due to Ichigo being stubborn, Hiyori instructs him to use force despite a bewildered Shinji reminding her that she told him to persuade Ichigo.
However, they are interrupted when Orihime appears behind Hiyori with Sado and makes her presence known. With Hiyori angrily headbutting Shinji for allowing himself to be followed, Orihime details how she knew Ichigo would not tell her what was really going on and solemnly asks Shinji who he and Hiyori are and what they want with Ichigo, but Hiyori simply smirks and questions if Orihime believes that they would just tell her. Meanwhile, at Karakura Hospital, Ryūken finds Uryū entering his office and inquires about what choice he has made. When Uryū declares that he wants his Quincy powers back, Ryūken presses him on this, prompting Uryū to vow that he will never get involved with the Shinigami again.
190. Conquistadores [ ]
Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado confront Shinji Hirako and Hiyori Sarugaki while Ichigo Kurosaki is left somber by Shinji's warning.
Hiyori Sarugaki bluntly introduces herself to Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado, who are left confused, and demands that they introduce themselves in turn. Upon learning Orihime and Sado's names, Hiyori comments on Orihime's name containing the kanji for "princess" and Sado's containing the kanji for "tiger", which she mockingly claims to be fancy compared to hers containing the kanji for "monkey" and Shinji Hirako 's containing the kanji for "common", though a disinterested Shinji points out that his is an adjective instead of a noun and criticizes Hiyori for shortening everything. After hitting Shinji in the face in response, causing his nose to bleed, Hiyori calls Orihime irritating for having glossy hair and large breasts, and when Shinji asserts that she is just jealous of Orihime, Hiyori hits him in the face again and denies having anything to tell Orihime and Sado before concluding that they are going to die here.
However, before Hiyori can draw her Zanpakutō, a startled Shinji grabs her and frantically runs away while apologizing to Orihime and Sado. Despite Orihime telling Shinji and Hiyori to wait, Sado reminds her that they cannot catch Shinji and Hiyori with their powers and would end up getting killed even if they did. Meanwhile, in the air above Karakura Town, Hiyori orders Shinji to let go of her so she can beat up Orihime and Sado, but Shinji counters that they cannot be killing random people while pursuing Ichigo Kurosaki. In response, an irritated Hiyori pokes two of her fingers into Shinji's rear end, leading a shocked Shinji to do the same to her with more force and reply to her outrage over this being done to a young lady by proclaiming that young ladies do not do this to others. After calming down, Hiyori somberly states that she hates Humans and Shinigami, which prompts an understanding Shinji to reiterate that they simply need to be patient for a little longer.
Simultaneously, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Isshin Kurosaki welcomes Ichigo home by hitting the side of his head with a flying elbow, only to be shocked when Ichigo does not dodge or respond to the blow and is instead sent crashing into the corner of the living room. When Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki come out to tend to Ichigo in confusion and concern, Isshin assumes that Ichigo is sick or scored poorly on a test and claims to not care about tests since good grades are for nerds. With Yuzu aghast at him calling himself a father while saying such things, Isshin asserts that a young man in high school should be focusing on things he cannot talk to his parents about like romance, and when Yuzu questions Ichigo not talking to him about romance, Isshin proclaims that he should not if he is doing it right, leaving Karin visibly unimpressed.
Suddenly, Ichigo gets to his feet and walks past Isshin up the stairs as he apologizes and notes that he will be staying in his room until dinner, which leads a flustered Isshin to call after him while Yuzu berates Isshin for not apologizing. As Ichigo slams the door to his room and sets his bag down, Kon pokes his head out of the dresser and admonishes Ichigo for scaring him like this. After welcoming Ichigo home and claiming to not have been waiting for him, Kon begins to ask him if Isshin was acting strangely, but remembers Kisuke Urahara politely warning him that everything he saw last night must remain secret and panics at having nearly slipped up, which he believes would have led Urahara to kill him. With Kon frantically assuring him that Isshin is totally and extremely normal, Ichigo lies face-down on his bed and claims that nothing is wrong when Kon expresses concern. Annoyed by this, Kon criticizes him for acting liked a sullen teenager and hops over to the window, which he opens to move onto the sill while declaring that he is going to go for walk if Ichigo wants to sulk prior to leaping into the air and lamenting how difficult it is to be Ichigo's roommate.
Back on his bed, Ichigo ruminates on how he has been hearing Hollow Ichigo calling him from within ever since his battle with 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, where his mask also vanished after coming back repeatedly no matter how many times he threw it away. Ichigo muses that Hollow Ichigo is getting closer and faster all the time and that he does not need Shinji's warning to know that he will be swallowed up if he does not stop Hollow Ichigo. With an agonized Ichigo wondering what he is supposed to do, Karin knocks on the door and enters the room, startling him, before asking about what is bothering him. Though Ichigo claims that it is nothing and that she does not need to worry about it, a distressed Karin reveals that she knows Ichigo is a Shinigami, to the latter's astonishment.
During this, at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute in the Seireitei, Hiyosu and Rin Tsubokura sit in front of their monitors alongside their fellow researchers, who complain about how boring it is to have another day where nothing is happening. While Hiyosu instructs him to stop eating and bring them some tea, a complying Rin sees data on his monitor and realizes that a positional axis has been located in eastern Karakura Town. Upon being approached by 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon about what is going on, Hiyosu informs him that they are here as a massive impact shakes the ground at a park in Karakura Town. While people nearby realize that something fell from the sky, the dust clears to reveal Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo, with Ulquiorra unzipping his top to reveal his Hollow hole in his neck.
191. Conquistadores 2 "Screaming Symphony" [ ]
Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo invade Karakura Town in search of a specific target.
In his bedroom in the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo Kurosaki is initially stunned at Karin Kurosaki declaring that he is a Shinigami, but smiles and attempts to claim that he does not know what she is talking about, only for Karin to tell him to not pretend like this and recount how she has been noticing things for a while now, with her not fully understanding until Don Kanonji 's show taping. Suddenly, the two of them experience a powerful Reiatsu crushing down on them, with Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Isshin Kurosaki experiencing the same sensation around Karakura Town. When Ichigo moves to leave, a concerned Karin grabs onto his shirt and questions where he is going, and after a moment's hesitation, Ichigo apologizes to Karin and grabs his Substitute Shinigami Badge, which causes him to exit his body in his Shinigami form and leap out the window, leaving a worried Karin behind to stare after him.
Meanwhile, as Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo stand in a crater created by their landing in a park in Karakura Town, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto is informed by a Riteitai in the First Division barracks in the Seireitei that the Twelfth Division has detected two Arrancar in Karakura Town and that the density and stability of their Reiatsu indicates that they are fully developed. In the crater, Yammy criticizes the Human World as boring from his experiences in it back when he was a Hollow and claims that the low Reishi density makes it hard to breathe, but Ulquiorra tells him to stop complaining since he is the one who wanted to come along despite Ulquiorra stating he could do this alone. Sarcastically apologizing to Ulquiorra, Yammy climbs out of the crater and finds several Humans looking around the area under the impression that a meteor struck the park. After promising to suck out their Souls if they do not stop staring at him, Yammy performs Gonzui, causing the Souls of hundreds of people in the surrounding area to be drained from their bodies and into Yammy's mouth.
Afterward, Yammy expresses disgust at the quality of the Souls, and when Ulquiorra points out that he should not have expected weak Souls to taste good, Yammy claims that the people were staring at him like he was a freak, only for Ulquiorra to reveal that they could not see him and Yammy and were simply looking at the crater. In response, Yammy bluntly asserts that they were annoying him and inquires about how many they have to kill, prompting Ulquiorra to note that they only need to kill one individual here. Though Yammy is incredulous that they only need to kill one person, Ulquiorra recounts how he was told that there are only three powerful enough to fight them in the entire Human World and that the rest are trash, making them easy to find. However, he is alerted by Tatsuki Arisawa, who survived Yammy's attack and is lying weakened on the ground nearby next to the bodies of her fellow martial arts students.
As she wonders if Miyahara and Kudo are dead and who Ulquiorra and Yammy are, Tatsuki finds herself confronted by Yammy, who grins and observes that her Soul must be stronger than he expected if it was not drained by his Gonzui. With a frightened Tatsuki realizing that her mind is fading, Yammy asks Ulquiorra if Tatsuki is the one, only for Ulquiorra to observe that her Soul is being crushed just by being close to him and that she is trash as well, which leads an unimpressed Yammy to conclude that she survived his Gonzui by luck and bid her farewell while preparing to kick her. Suddenly, before Yammy's kick can connect, Sado moves between him and a nearly unconscious Tatsuki to grab Yammy's foot with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, as Orihime moves to Tatsuki to shield the latter with her arm.
Mentally, Sado is shocked by the power of Yammy's kick and determines that he is too strong for Orihime to handle prior to instructing Orihime to leave with Tatsuki like they planned, which she agrees to. When Yammy asks him if Sado is the one, Ulquiorra asserts that he needs to develop his Pesquisa and concludes that Sado is trash as well, to Yammy's delight. Leaping forward, an unnerved Sado charges and fires an energy blast from Brazo Derecha de Gigante, but as she looks back in the aftermath, Orihime is horrified to see an unharmed Yammy dropping Sado, who has had Brazo Derecha de Gigante ripped off at the shoulder and severed at the elbow. After leaving Tatsuki lying against a tree, Orihime frantically runs over to Sado as Yammy asks Ulquiorra if Orihime is trash as well and Ichigo rushes toward the battlefield.
192. Conquistadores 3 [Hounded Priestess] [ ]
With Yasutora Sado grievously wounded and unconscious, Orihime Inoue faces off against Yammy Llargo alone.
In the past, as she runs with Yasutora Sado down a street in Karakura Town, Orihime sees a man nearby collapse and urges Sado to wait so they can help him, but Sado asserts that it is too late because he is already dead and brings Orihime's attention to the sky, where the Souls of hundreds of people in the area are being drained by Yammy Llargo 's Gonzui, leaving Orihime aghast. While they continue running, Sado requests that Orihime promise to take anyone who is still alive at the center of this event away from the area and responds to her protests by pointing out how only she can heal people and save the injured, which is why he is counting on her.
In the present, with Yammy looming over her and asking Ulquiorra Cifer if she is trash as well, Orihime mentally notes that Sado must have known Yammy and Ulquiorra were incredibly strong and that she would not stand a chance against them, which is why he fought alone to protect her and Tatsuki Arisawa. After pausing for a moment, Ulquiorra confirms that Orihime is trash, but when Yammy gleefully extends his index finger and jabs it toward her, Orihime activates Santen Kesshun between the two of them to intercept the blow, surprising Yammy as she stands up with a determined expression in the wake of the shield shattering from the impact. While Yammy wonders what she is, Orihime initiates Sōten Kisshun on Sado's mangled Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which prompts a shocked Yammy to comment on the technique healing Sado and the latter still being alive, though Ulquiorra internally denies this being a healing technique since it appears to be regression of space and time in a form he has never seen before, to his intrigue.
Mentally, Orihime initially declares that she has to buy time until Ichigo Kurosaki gets here, only to remember his troubled expression and realize that she cannot always expect him to come to her rescue or burden him with this right now. Admitting that she does not know what is troubling him at the moment, Orihime raises her outstretched palms and resolves to drive Ulquiorra and Yammy away herself since Ichigo has enough to worry about right now and this may be the only thing she can do for him. As she summons Tsubaki, Orihime vows to protect Tatsuki, Sado, Uryū Ishida, and Ichigo as she performs Koten Zanshun, sending Tsubaki hurtling forward with enough force to rupture the ground in his wake. Despite being startled by this, Yammy simply holds up his hand and blocks Tsubaki with his bare palm, dispersing the energy around him without injury and causing Tsubaki to crumble into dozens of pieces while Yammy grins and mockingly calls him a gnat.
With Orihime stunned by this, Yammy suggests that they tear off her limbs and take her to Sousuke Aizen due to her unusual powers, but Ulquiorra concludes that this is not necessary and that he can kill her. However, when Yammy moves to comply by reaching toward Orihime, he suddenly finds his hand stopped by the tip of Ichigo's Shikai, Zangetsu, pressing against it, causing him to demand to know who Ichigo is as the latter stands between him and Orihime. After apologizing to Orihime for taking so long, Ichigo responds to her lamenting her friends' injuries being the result of her weakness by assuring her that it is not her fault and promising that Ulquiorra and Yammy will be punished for this before activating his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu.
193. Conquistadores 4 [Ebony&Ivory] [ ]
Having arrived to save Orihime Inoue from Yammy Llargo, Ichigo Kurosaki easily overpowers the latter with his Bankai, but begins experiencing issues with his inner Hollow.
Ichigo Kurosaki activates his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, creating an overwhelming surge of Reiatsu that rockets skyward in a pillar before clearing to reveal him wearing his longcoat and wielding his black sword. Though awestruck by her first time seeing the awesome power of Tensa Zangetsu, Orihime Inoue mentally observes that Ichigo seems different from the time he used it on Sōkyoku Hill because his Reiatsu is fiercer, grittier, and thick and heavy to the point of being stifling, leading her to feel like it is not actually Ichigo. When told by Ichigo to stand back, an unnerved Orihime complies and presses her hands to her chest in concern.
Watching this, Yammy Llargo questions if Ichigo's use of Bankai makes him their target, and after noting that Yammy's tantrums seem to have lured him out, Ulquiorra Cifer confirms that Ichigo's orange hair and black Bankai means he is unmistakably their target, leaving Yammy delighted by their luck as he proclaims that Ichigo saved them the trouble of looking for him and throws a powerful punch. However, Ichigo simply holds up the sword of Tensa Zangetsu and blocks Yammy's fist with the flat side of the blade, causing the ground beneath his feet to be ruptured while he remains unharmed. With Yammy astonished by this, Ichigo inquires if he is the one who mangled Yasutora Sado 's arm and promises to start with his arm in return, and when Yammy instinctively draws his arm back, Ichigo moves to his right shoulder with Shunpo and severs Yammy's right arm at the bicep with a single slash, shocking both him and Ulquiorra.
As Yammy screams in pain and Ichigo lands on the ground to resume his assault, Ulquiorra internally chastises Yammy for not developing his Pesquisa and for charging in without testing Ichigo's power first prior to noting that Ichigo managed to slice through Yammy's Hierro and sever his arm with surprisingly hard Reiatsu despite having only achieved Bankai a short time ago, though he does not believe Ichigo is a threat to Sousuke Aizen. Having wounded an angered Yammy further, Ichigo admits that he is as tough as he looks if he can still stand while Ulquiorra offers to take over if Yammy is having trouble. In response, Yammy tells Ulquiorra to shut up and grabs the handle of his Zanpakutō, which Ulquiorra is bemused that he would resort to against Ichigo.
Upon hearing this, Ichigo is startled by Yammy's sword being a Zanpakutō and notices his and Ulquiorra's broken Hollow masks, holes in their bodies, and strange Reiatsu, leading him to question if they are like Shinji Hirako and himself. Suddenly, Hollow Ichigo washes over Ichigo's mind, causing him to double over and clutch his head while the sclera of his eyes begin to turn black and he repeatedly urges Hollow Ichigo to go away. Though initially startled by this, a grinning Yammy takes advantage of Ichigo's incapacitation and kicks him hard in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood, and when Orihime rushes over in concern despite Ichigo warning her to stay back, Yammy sends her flying with a backhand to the side of the head.
With Yammy resuming his assault by punching him, Ichigo realizes that he cannot move his body and deduces that Hollow Ichigo will sabotage him if he resists the latter. Overjoyed by Ichigo no longer moving, Yammy unleashes a flurry of blows and tells him to die, but Ulquiorra muses that something is off due to Ichigo's Reiatsu fluctuating so severely that its lowest point is trash and its highest point surpasses his own, which he cannot understand the meaning of. Before Yammy can deliver the killing blow, his fist is intercepted by a Chikasumi no Tate formed between himself and Ichigo, and as Yammy reels back in surprises, the shield shatters to reveal Kisuke Urahara, who stands next to Yoruichi Shihōin while wielding his Shikai, Benihime, and apologizing to Ichigo for being late, though Yammy simply wonders where all these insects are coming from.
194. Conquistadores 5 [La Basura] [ ]
Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin arrive to take on Yammy Llargo in Ichigo Kurosaki 's stead.
Annoyed by Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin having intervened in his fight against Ichigo Kurosaki, Yammy Llargo declares that they are asking to get killed by interfering and moves to strike them, only to find himself suddenly slammed headfirst into the ground by Yoruichi, leaving him completely bewildered. While an enraged Yammy pushes himself up with his remaining arm, Yoruichi tells Urahara that she will be tending to Orihime Inoue and takes the medicine from him as she walks away, only to respond to Yammy reaching for her by moving to the back of his hand with Shunpo and delivering a kick to his cheek powerful enough to draw blood from his nose and mouth before leaping into the air and punching a stunned Yammy in the back of the head hard enough to crater the ground and create an explosion of force that dwarfs the surrounding trees.
In the aftermath, Ulquiorra Cifer watches impassively while Yoruichi walks away from a motionless Yammy to a bloodied Orihime, whom she assures of Ichigo Kurosaki 's safety and has drink the medicine provided by Urahara. Suddenly, a furious Yammy gets to his feet behind Yoruichi and roars, and though the latter simply wonders if he ever gives up, Yammy proclaims that she is dead and begins charging a Cero in his mouth that he unleashes in a wide and powerful blast which surges through the surrounding area. With dust swirling around him, a chuckling Yammy assumes that Yoruichi and Orihime must be smeared across the ground now since there is no way they could have dodged his Cero at point-blank range, but he is astonished when the dust clears to reveal Urahara standing on the other side of a deep rift in the ground in front of a protected Yoruichi and Orihime with his Shikai, Benihime, leveled at Yammy.
When Yammy demands to know how he did this, Urahara explains that he simply neutralized the Cero with an attack of similar power since it would have been risky to outright deflect it and response to Yammy's disbelief by promising that he can do it again and firing Nake, Benihime. Before the vertical energy blast can reach a shocked Yammy, Ulquiorra moves in front of him and slashes through the blast with his bare hand, startling Urahara. Despite Yammy being grateful for this, Ulquiorra suddenly jabs his hand into the former's stomach with a powerful blow, drawing blood in the process, and criticizes a confused Yammy for losing control and not realizing that he cannot possibly defeat Urahara and Yoruichi at his current level. Upon seeing Ulquiorra opening a Garganta with Descorrer and declaring that they are leaving, Yoruichi accuses him of running away, but Ulquiorra tells her to watch what she says and counters that she knows very well what would happen if she tried to fight him while protecting Ichigo and Orihime. As he and Yammy enter the closing Garganta, Ulquiorra asserts that they have achieved their immediate objective and promises to tell Sousuke Aizen that the Shinigami he has been observing is trash and not even worth killing.
195. Death & Strawberry(Reprise) [ ]
In the aftermath of his and his friends' brutal loss against Yammy Llargo, a dejected Ichigo Kurosaki is surprised by the arrival of allies old and new.
At the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara returns with groceries and juice for Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya, whom he asks about the condition of Yoruichi Shihōin. Further inside the shop, Yoruichi sits in her undergarments with her left arm and leg bandaged and with several dirty dishes and bowls on the ground around her. As Yoruichi finishes consuming the contents of the last bowl with a loud belch and drinks tea from the cup on the ground, Urahara enters and observes that her arm seems to be back to normal, prompting Yoruichi to affirm that she should be able to use her arms and legs in her daily routine now. However, when Urahara inquires if she can fight as well, Yoruichi laments her mistake in not activating her Shunkō prior to attacking since the Hierro of the Arrancar is incredibly tough and warns Urahara that the latter are far stronger than they anticipated.
Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, a heavily bandaged Orihime Inoue responds to Chizuru Honshō 's shock over her appearance by claiming that she fell down some stairs, only for Chizuru to refuse to believe this due to Orihime looking like she was run over by a truck after not attending school for five days, which had greatly worried Chizuru. When a bandaged Ichigo approaches her from behind, Orihime cheerfully turns around and questions what he wants to talk about, but a solemn Ichigo denies it being anything important and walks away. Though Chizuru is uncertain of what is wrong with Ichigo, Orihime asserts that she has to go to the bathroom and leaves the classroom, leaving Chizuru bewildered.
As he sits on his desk, Ichigo recalls Orihime recovering at the Urahara Shop while assuring him that her injuries are her own fault and are not as bad as they look, which is why he does not need to look so sad. However, Ichigo ruminates that Yasutora Sado was mangled and Tatsuki Arisawa was almost killed because he was too weak, something he sees no reason to not feel guilty over. Suddenly, Ichigo senses something and looks toward the classroom door in confusion as 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame wonders which classroom he is in, leading 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto to flatly state that she does not know. When an incredulous 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai points out that she was supposed to write it down, Rangiku casually reveals that she did and lost it, to Ikkaku's irritation, though her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, tells him to relax and observes that they simply have to search for Ichigo's Reiatsu. Renji complains about how hard it is to control his Reiatsu while in a Gigai for the first time, and when Rangiku teasingly finishes his sentence by claiming that he is incompetent, Renji denies this and questions why she is so calm. Simultaneously, Ikkaku laments how uncomfortable his attire is and responds to 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa suggesting that he untuck his shirt like they did by demanding to know where he would put his wooden sword if he did so.
With Ikkaku asserting that they should have let him bring a real sword and being outraged by Yumichika informing him that it was the law of the Human World that decided this rather than them, an annoyed Renji tells him to shut up, only for Hitsugaya to reprimand them both for making a scene and telling Renji to open the door when they reach Ichigo's classroom. Inside the classroom, Ichigo sees Renji open the door to reveal that he, Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika are dressed in student uniforms and greet him, which prompts an astonished Ichigo to call out to each of them in turn and address Hitsugaya by his first name, to the latter's irritation. Upon being asked by a stunned Ichigo what they are doing here, Renji declares that they were sent here to help the Substitute Shinigami prepare for battle with the Arrancar, but is irritated when Ichigo does not recognize the term since it means that he does not know who he has been fighting. Suddenly, Ichigo is told that the Arrancar are the ones who defeated him the other day, and as Ichigo looks at the open window behind him in surprise, Rukia Kuchiki pulls herself up in a school uniform and greets him.
196. PUNCH DOWN THE STONE CIRCLE [ ]
Rukia Kuchiki forces Ichigo Kurosaki to confront and work through his newfound fear and anxiety.
Having seen Rukia Kuchiki enter their classroom through the window and greet Ichigo Kurosaki from the other side of the room, Tetsuo Momohara is left aghast by this and Shunsuke Kobayakawa questions who she is as Jun Miyamoto dismisses this in favor of staring at 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto and 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame. As Chizuru Honshō inquires if the newly-arrived Shinigami Strike Force are Ichigo's friends, Rukia leaps across the room and kicks Ichigo squarely in the face, sending him skidding back along the ground into 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai 's arms. With a bewildered Ichigo demanding to know what this is about and realizing that Renji is now restraining his arms, Rukia slaps him across the face on both cheeks and tells Ichigo to look at himself before donning her Gokon Tekkō and pulling his Shinigami form out of his body through the open window despite Ichigo's protests.
Behind them, Rangiku comments on this proceeding just as they had expected and Renji criticizes Ichigo's behavior. When Ikkaku mentions to 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa that Ichigo's expression indicated he needed a good thrashing, Rangiku claims that she found his expression adorable instead, and when an incredulous Yumichika questions this, Rangiku denies seeking his approval for her opinion, prompting Yumichika to inquire if she was seeking Ikkaku's instead while the latter requests that he be left out of this. As an annoyed 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya orders them to shut up, Jun, Chizuru, and the other students wonder what has happened to Ichigo, whose lifeless body remains slumped in Renji's arms with its eyes rolled back, and assume he is dead. After Renji hears one of the students commenting on his spiky red hair and glares at them, Ikkaku instructs him to ignore this since it is just mindless Human prattle, but hears two of the students comment on his bald head and slowly draws his wooden sword while menacingly daring those students to step forward, though Renji reminds him that it is just Human prattle. With Ikkaku promising to slice the students in two and Yumichika offering to help him, an aghast Hitsugaya wonders why he volunteered for this.
Meanwhile, Ichigo carries Rukia across the rooftops of Karakura Town on his back and inquires about where she is taking him, only for Rukia to demand that he shut up and keep running. While looking at her Denreishinki, Rukia draws Ichigo's attention to a large Hollow with blade-like fingers below them and kicks a startled Ichigo down to deal with it. Upon crashing into the ground below, Ichigo finds the Hollow slashing at him with the blades on its right hand and narrowly evades the strike by side-stepping it, but Rukia insists that he fight instead since such a low-level Hollow should be easy for him by now. Despite asserting that he does not need a lecture, Ichigo feels Hollow Ichigo taking notice of this within him and is distracted long enough for the Hollow to send him flying back with a slash across the chest.
When Rukia inquires about what is wrong, Ichigo tells her to shut up and begins dodging the Hollow's blade fingers as they embed themselves in the ground around him, with his bandages coming undone in the process, only for Rukia to reveal that she knows he has not been a proper Shinigami since his confrontation with the Arrancar and question what he is afraid of. Bringing up the idea of his fear stemming from Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue getting hurt, Rukia dismisses this and asks Ichigo if he is a coward and quitter who is afraid of defeat and being unable to protect his friends before theorizing that it is instead the Hollow inside him, to Ichigo's shock. Rukia tells Ichigo to get stronger if he is afraid to lose, do what he must to protect the ones he loves if that is what he wants, and grow strong enough to crush his inner Hollow if it is so terrible because he must stick out his chest and scream in defiance even if no one in the world believes in him, as this is the Ichigo she knows.
In response, Ichigo draws his Shikai, Zangetsu, and turns around to face the Hollow with confidence while claiming that he wishes Rukia would shut up, leaving her smiling while he purifies the Hollow with a single slash. Soon afterward, Rukia returns Ichigo to his body and drags him to find Orihime at Karakura High School. After cheerfully greeting Orihime and promising to discuss how long she will be able to stay later when a delighted Orihime asks about this, Rukia pulls an out-of-breath Ichigo over by his collar to Orihime, whom he addresses with hesitation prior to Rukia forcing him to bow and apologizing for being weak on his behalf to a startled Orihime. Catching his breath, Ichigo continues this by promising Orihime that he will get stronger so they cannot hurt her next time, which leads Orihime to mentally observe that Ichigo is back to his old self and verbally thank him before tearfully thanking and welcoming a smiling Rukia back.
197. The Approaching Danger [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki is informed of the nature of and the danger posed by Sousuke Aizen 's newly-created Arrancar.
At Karakura High School, Keigo Asano walks through the halls with Mizuiro Kojima and claims that mixing two parts ginger ale with one part Calpico makes a substance that tastes just like hair tonic, prompting an uninterested Mizuiro to address him by his last name and assume that Keigo drinks a lot of hair tonic if he knows this. With an offended Keigo deducing that Mizuiro is trying to pretend not to know him, Mizuiro hears loud noises coming from their classroom up ahead and wonders what is going on. In response, Keigo decides to investigate and pulls open the door to the classroom while demanding to know what the other students are doing by having fun without him, only to find 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame glaring down at him on the other side of the doorway.
Seeing Keigo staring in fear at the sight of him, Ikkaku questions what he is looking at and threatens to severely beat and injure a trembling Keigo before 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto shoves her palm into the back of Ikkaku's head and tells him to leave Keigo alone. When Ikkaku complains about how much this hurts, Rangiku promises to tell 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi about his actions if he does not calm down, leaving him sweating nervously and begging Rangiku to not tell on him. With Rangiku accepting this result and rudely telling the others that they are getting out of here, to the chagrin of her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Keigo gawks at her visible breasts and flings himself at her while commenting on how naughty her uniform is, only for Rangiku to nonchalantly repel and incapacitate him by slamming the back of her fist into Keigo's face. As Ikkaku wonders if he is going to be okay and Rangiku casually leads the Shinigami Strike Force away, Mizuiro steps on Keigo's side and praises him as a stellar foot rest, to Keigo's irritation.
Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Kon is overjoyed to see Rukia Kuchiki and leaps toward her, but Rukia simply stops him in midair with her foot and stomps him onto the floor of Ichigo Kurosaki 's bedroom as she greets him, though Kon revels in how only one person would stomp on him without hesitation after not seeing him for an entire summer and claims to be happy enough to cry. While an annoyed Ichigo tells her to stop gawking and come inside, Rukia comments on how long it has been since she has lived in his small bedroom, prompting Ichigo to claim that it is not small and to instruct Rukia to stop comparing it to 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki 's residence, which she apologizes for. As Rukia sits on the floor and ignores Ichigo's demands that she sit on the floor instead, a blushing Isshin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki listen through the closed door with cups held against their ears.
Upon being approached by an unimpressed Karin Kurosaki about what they are doing, Yuzu shushes her and reveals that Ichigo brought a girl home, and when Karin points out that Ichigo has been doing this since middle school with girls like Tatsuki Arisawa, Yuzu claims that this is different because Rukia is girly, only for Karin to remind her that Tatsuki has been attractive since eighth grade, shocking Isshin, and assert that Ichigo would have to bring someone at least as attractive as Orihime Inoue home in order to impress her. Hearing this commotion, Ichigo angrily slams open the door and tells his father and sister to get lost, causing them to flee down the stairs and confirm their suspicions with each other as Ichigo laments that he now knows how monkeys feel in the zoo. After closing the door once more and telling Rukia to shut up when she observes that his family has not changed, Ichigo requests that she explain what the Arrancar are and why they have come after him.
Suddenly, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa remove the ceiling light from the ceiling of Ichigo's bedroom and poke their heads down through the hole from the attic while Renji offers to explain instead, leaving Ichigo shocked and confused as to how they got into his room and what they did to his light. As Rangiku cheerfully claims that Ikkaku's head is like a lightbulb, to the latter's chagrin, Kon sees her breasts and flings himself toward her in arousal under the pretense of her uniform being a deadly weapon, but Rangiku simply punches him from the side without even looking and climbs onto Ichigo's bed while Ikkaku wonders if this is a sort of custom in the Human World, which leads Ichigo to deny this and clarify that it is simply how Kon acts.
After the Strike Force gets situated in Ichigo's bedroom, Renji explains that Arrancar are Hollows who have removed their masks in an effort to acquire Shinigami powers and that they are few in number, with fewer still having ever fully developed their powers until Sousuke Aizen gained the Hōgyoku, which led to fully developed Arrancar like Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo appearing. With Rukia illustrating this in a notebook, Renji asks Ichigo if he understands so far, and when Ichigo confirms this while adding that the visual presentation leaves something to be desired, Rukia throws the notebook at his head in irritation as Renji details how Soul Society was initially going to simply monitor the situation until Aizen made a move since the Gotei 13 had just lost three captains and needed time to rebuild its forces, but the fully developed Arrancar appeared earlier than they had expected and the latter's invasion of the Human World forced the Gotei 13 to take action by selecting the Strike Force.
When Ichigo inquires about who chose the Strike Force, Renji reveals that Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto did so as the acting Commander-in-Chief until the next Central 46 is formed and chose Rukia because she knows Ichigo the best, though Rukia claims that she was chosen for her abilities. Renji elaborates that he was chosen as one of Rukia's superiors and was instructed to assemble a team excluding captains, which led him to choose Ikkaku to accompany him, resulting in Yumichika demanding to come along, Rangiku hearing the commotion and not wanting to miss the fun, and her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, reluctantly coming along to keep an eye on them, which causes Ichigo to question how casual they all are about this. Sitting on Ichigo's windowsill, Hitsugaya asserts that Aizen definitely has his eyes on Ichigo as Rangiku addresses him as the bore who did not want to hide in the attic with the rest of them.
After responding to Renji pointing out that his choice to wait outside until someone opened the window was foolish since there are not many boys with silver hair around here by promising to remember this when they return to Soul Society with annoyance, Hitsugaya notes to Ichigo that effective Arrancar are not produced by removing the masks of random Hollows, but instead by doing so with Hollows of Menos Grande -level and above, which would allow them to wage war on Soul Society. Picking up on Hitsugaya's wording, a stunned Ichigo wonders if he is saying that there are Hollows more powerful than the Menos Grande, prompting Hitsugaya to clarify that there are actually three classes of Menos, the first of which are Gillians, considered the lowest class and foot soldiers of the Menos. With Hitsugaya explaining that the Gillians are numerous, identical, and the Menos Grandes usually depicted in textbooks, Ichigo learns that the Menos Grande he fought before coming to Soul Society was just a Gillian, leaving him astonished that it was just a foot soldier. However, Hitsugaya observes that the Gillians are slow despite their gigantic size and have the intelligence of wild animals, allowing captain-class Shinigami to easily defeat them, and that the next class is more problematic.
Hitsugaya details the existence of the Adjuchas, who are smaller in size and number than the Gillians but are highly intelligent and much more powerful to the point of giving orders to the Gillians, and the Vasto Lordes, the highest class of Menos who are Human -sized and extremely few in number, before revealing that the latter are even more powerful than captain-class Shinigami, mortifying Ichigo. Furthermore, Hitsugaya observes that they have no way of knowing how much more powerful a Vasto Lorde becomes as an Arrancar and the Gotei 13 missing three captains, along with Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen training the Menos right now, means that Aizen having ten or more Vasto Lorde under his command would mean Soul Society is doomed.
Simultaneously, in Las Noches, Ulquiorra and Yammy enter the throne room of Aizen, who responds to Ulquiorra's announcement of his return by inviting him to share what he has learned with his twenty comrades.
Bleach, Volume 23
198. The Icecold Discord [ ]
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez learns of Ichigo Kurosaki being spared by Ulquiorra Cifer as the Shinigami Strike Force makes arrangements to stay in Karakura Town.
With Ulquiorra Cifer having returned to Las Noches alongside Yammy Llargo following their expedition to Karakura Town, Sousuke Aizen sits on a high throne before them and requests that Ulquiorra share everything he experienced in the Human World, prompting Ulquiorra to comply by pulling out his left eye and crushing it in his palm like glass to initiate Solita Vista, which spreads the shards through the air and among Aizen and the other Arrancar present as they close their eyes and see what Ulquiorra saw, primarily the defeat of Ichigo Kurosaki. Following this, Aizen brings up Ulquiorra determining that Ichigo was not worth killing, and when Ulquiorra affirms this and reiterates his orders to kill anyone who might be a threat to the Arrancar, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez accuses him of being compassionate and claims that he would have killed Ichigo with the first strike had he gone to Karakura Town instead.
As Ulquiorra looks back to glare at him, Grimmjow criticizes Ulquiorra for not using his permission to kill while Shawlong Koufang concurs by noting that Ulquiorra should have killed Ichigo simply because the latter stood up to him regardless of his threat level. Turning to Yammy, Grimmjow observes that he has sustained significant injuries and that it seems more like they could not kill Ichigo rather than them choosing not to. Though an annoyed Yammy reminds him that it was Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin who proved too powerful for him to handle, Grimmjow simply counters that he would have easily killed them as well. Before Yammy can initiate a fight over this, Ulquiorra tells him to calm down and clarifies to Grimmjow that Ichigo is not a problem to them at the moment, to Grimmjow's confusion, before explaining that Aizen is concerned about Ichigo's growth rate rather than his current power level since Ichigo possesses tremendous potential.
Ulquiorra elaborates that Ichigo's powers are extremely unstable and that he might prove useful to the Arrancar if he does not simply destroy himself in the future, which is why Ulquiorra let him live, and when an incredulous Grimmjow questions what they will do if Ulquiorra is proven wrong and Ichigo stabilizes his powers in time to fight them, Ulquiorra bluntly concludes that he will deal with Ichigo in this scenario and asks a stunned Grimmjow if they still have a problem. In response, Aizen grants responsibility for Ichigo to Ulquiorra and instructs the latter to do as he likes, with Ulquiorra accepting this as Grimmjow fumes behind him.
Meanwhile, in Ichigo's room in the Kurosaki Clinic in Karakura Town, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai and 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto inspect Kon 's Gikongan after pulling it out of his plushie body and express amazement at it being able to animate a stuffed animal like this, with Renji having assumed it was a wind-up doll and Rangiku noting that the Shinigami Research and Development Institute makes interesting things. While Renji puts Kon's pill back inside the plushie, an exasperated Ichigo inquires about when they plan to leave, prompting Renji to assert that they are not leaving until the Arrancar have been defeated. However, Ichigo reveals that they will not be able to sleep at his house since there is not enough room for all of them, which leads to a shocked Rangiku wondering if even she cannot stay.
With a flabbergasted Ichigo confirming that she in particular cannot stay and questioning if the Strike Force intended to make themselves at home here, Rangiku begins unbuttoning her shirt to expose her breasts. Despite Ichigo reacting with astonishment to this and ordering Rangiku to button her shirt back up as he covers his eyes with his fingers and claims that he has an iron will, an unimpressed Rukia Kuchiki points out that he is still peeking through his fingers at Rangiku. Following this, while the sun begins to set, Rangiku decides to stay with Orihime Inoue, leading Kon to bleed from the nose at the mental image of Orihime and Rangiku naked together as Rangiku responds to Ichigo wondering if Orihime has been informed of this by cheerfully stating that Orihime will not turn her down when she asks. Nonchalantly chopping Kon down to the ground with her arm when he attempts to join them as a mascot, Rangiku walks off with her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, whom she invites to come with her while he stoically refuses.
11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa decide to leave as well, and when Ichigo asks him if they have somewhere in mind, Ikkaku denies this and explains that they will be finding beds on their own since they never intended for Ichigo to take care of them, leaving Ichigo to caution Ikkaku to hide his wooden sword when in public while Renji announces that he is going to the Urahara Shop. After musing on Urahara having been the one who got Ichigo ready to fight the Gotei 13 in just a few days, Renji declares that he has always wanted to meet him and that he has a few things to ask Urahara as he walks away. While Rukia warns Renji to be careful since Urahara is a strange man, Ichigo asks her where she will be staying, and when Rukia immediately attempts to run back into the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo frantically stops her and counters her assertion that he already knew where she was going to sleep by reminding Rukia that his family already saw her and that she needs to make up a story to tell them.
Nearby, Yumichika smells a Hollow and suggests that he and Ikkaku take care of it, only for Ikkaku to brush this off due to Zennosuke Kurumadani being assigned to the area as Yumichika muses on the strange scent of the Hollow. Simultaneously, at her house, Tatsuki Arisawa sits on her bed and recalls seeing Ichigo's Shinigami form pulled out of his body by Rukia prior to admonishing herself for worrying about it. Meanwhile, as Orihime recounts the events of the past few days to her shrine of Sora Inoue, she remembers Rukia snapping Ichigo out of his depressive mood and sadly admits to being somewhat envious of her forceful personality, with Yasutora Sado lying on his back and looking out the open door of his apartment while Orihime's Sōten Kisshun heals his right arm.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Keigo Asano finishes detailing his encounter with Rangiku to Mizuiro Kojima by proclaiming that even a uniform can be a weapon on the right person by shattering his self-control, but Mizuiro bluntly promises to leave him here if he does not shut up, and as a startled Keigo questions what is wrong, Mizuiro assures the person he is speaking to on the phone that he was not referring to them and begins walking off. Suddenly, when Keigo begins chasing after Mizuiro, he notices a winged Hollow flying through the air above and stops in confusion before Mizuiro addresses him by his last name, which Keigo demands that he not do while informing Mizuiro of the monster he just saw in the sky, though Mizuiro continues to address him by his last name as they leave. However, in the sky above them, a Garganta opens to reveal a smirking Grimmjow.
199. Ugly [ ]
10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto comforts a distraught Orihime Inoue over her conflicting feelings about Rukia Kuchiki.
At the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia Kuchiki tearfully concludes her story next to an exasperated Ichigo Kurosaki by claiming that she has lost everything and does not even have money for food, prompting an openly weeping Isshin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki to immediately agree with each other that she can stay with them for as long as she wants. Though Ichigo criticizes Rukia for cheekily giving him a thumbs-up because it could lead to his family realizing that it is all an act, he changes his mind upon seeing Isshin and Yuzu telling the poster of Masaki Kurosaki on the wall that Isshin now has a third daughter. With Karin Kurosaki staring at Ichigo during this, a Garganta opens in the air above Karakura Town to reveal Shawlong Koufang and Nakeem Grindina.
Meanwhile, Orihime Inoue finds 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto asking to spend the night at her apartment and admits that it is fine with her despite not knowing why she was chosen, prompting a grateful Rangiku to hug Orihime and assert that she knew the latter would not turn her away as she invites Orihime to take a bath with her since her outfit has left her sweaty and feeling compressed despite Orihime protesting that Rangiku is hurting her. After bluntly telling her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, that he can join them if he has no other place to go and closing the front door to Orihime's apartment, leaving Hitsugaya sitting on the roof above and dismissing this, Rangiku gets in Orihime's bathtub and begins taking a bath as she assures Orihime, who is sitting outside the door, that the temperature is perfect and that the slightly small size of the tub is not a problem before inquiring about why Orihime is so somber. When a flustered Orihime claims to be fine, Rangiku threatens to do painful things to her if she does not talk, unnerving Orihime.
Orihime brings up how amazing Rukia is for snapping Ichigo out of his depressive state with just one kick despite how long he had been feeling that way and hunches up while calling herself a bad person due to thinking that she wanted Ichigo to be happy, only to find herself feeling jealous of Rukia after she cheered him up. With tears running down her cheeks, Orihime declares that she considers Rukia to be kind, strong, and beautiful and that she loves her for cheering up Ichigo, but does not know why she feels this way when she is alone at home and not when she is at school. However, as Orihime criticizes herself for sounding so self-absorbed, Rangiku opens the door to stand naked before a confused Orihime prior to hugging and ferociously tickling her sides, leaving Orihime laughing uncontrollably and hitting her head on the wall. Coming to a stop on top of Orihime, Rangiku calls her foolish for not realizing that she does not need to be jealous since Ichigo needs both her and Rukia right now as a kid who can barely stand on his own. As she elaborates that jealousy is not necessarily a bad thing and points out how Orihime is doing her best to deal with her feelings instead of taking the easier routes of running away from them or lashing out at someone, Rangiku concludes that Orihime doing this means that she is a good person, which leads Orihime to cry into a supportive Rangiku's chest.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez sits on the corner of a rooftop and looks up to see Shawlong, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Nakeem, and Di Roy Rinker standing in the air before him. After assuring Grimmjow that no one saw them, Shawlong observes that he sensed several different, powerful Reiatsu across Karakura Town despite Ulquiorra Cifer 's report, prompting an unimpressed Grimmjow to perform Pesquisa alongside his Fracción and deduce that reinforcements from Soul Society were called in, which he asserts would not have happened if Ulquiorra had simply killed Ichigo. Irritated by this perceived mercy on Ulquiorra's part, Grimmjow addresses his Fracción by name and orders them to kill anyone who has even a trace of Reiatsu without holding back.
200. Night of Sledgehammer [ ]
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his Fracción begin their attack on Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends.
At the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia Kuchiki is perplexed to find that Ichigo Kurosaki 's family has put her bed with those of Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki, which Ichigo dryly notes is the normal thing to do. When Rukia protests that she was going to sleep in Ichigo's closet and had brought furniture to brighten it up, Ichigo rejects this notion and takes offense at her calling his closet dirty. Simultaneously, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai sits against a telephone pole opposite the Urahara Shop, where Jinta Hanakari peers out at him from a slat at the bottom of the shutter covering the door and informs Kisuke Urahara that Renji is still there as Urahara expresses confusion at what Renji wants since he has no business with a lieutenant from Soul Society.
Elsewhere, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame sits on the roof of a building with 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa and brings up the onigiri they purchased earlier, which he observes the intricate and neat packaging of in their complex wrapping paper and how they are in all the local stores before revealing that a sales girl told him they are replaced dozens of times each day, something he considers impossible. With Ikkaku concluding that the sales girl could not possibly have the skill to pull this off and that something nefarious must be going on behind the scenes, Yumichika concurs and admits that he was just thinking the same thing. At Orihime Inoue 's apartment, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto finishes eating dinner with Orihime and praises the quality of the food, to Orihime's surprise. When Rangiku notes that the food was a lot better than it looked, Orihime tearfully thanks her due to no one ever eating what she prepares despite how much she cooks to the point that she was beginning to think something was wrong with her taste buds. With Orihime and Rangiku enjoying ice cream for dessert and relishing in how good it tastes, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya sits on the rooftop above them and realizes that he is hungry.
Meanwhile, in the air above Karakura Town, a grinning Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez stands with Shawlong Koufang, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Nakeem Grindina, and Di Roy Rinker, whom he orders to begin and not spare anyone now that they have located everyone before they leap down toward the city below, alerting the Shinigami stationed across the area. Upon sensing their Reiatsu, Ichigo realizes it is like that of Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo, which he alerts Rukia to. Seeing six marks on the screen of her Denreishinki, Rukia is aghast at how many Arrancar are here, and when Ichigo asks her if they are coming this way, Rukia observes that they seem to just be probing for Reiatsu at this point, but warns Ichigo that this means they are making a list to kill everyone with even a hint of Reiatsu. Mortified by this and grabbing his Substitute Shinigami Badge, Ichigo recalls that Uryū Ishida has none right now and inquires about Orihime and Yasutora Sado, prompting Rukia to assure him that Hitsugaya and Rangiku will be able to protect Orihime prior to informing Ichigo that one of the Arrancar is headed toward Sado.
Simultaneously, Ikkaku and Yumichika exit their Gigai and express excitement at the prospect of facing the Arrancar while preparing to move out as Hitsugaya swallows a King Gikongan and orders it to hide his Gigai, which it complies with. After Rangiku joins him on the rooftop and he draws his Zanpakutō, Hitsugaya questions where Orihime is, and once Rangiku assures him that her Gigai will keep Orihime safe, Hitsugaya warns her that the Arrancar are coming. Suddenly, Shawlong and Nakeem appear before Hitsugaya and Rangiku with Sonído, shocking Rangiku with their speed, and Shawlong greets them before attacking Hitsugaya, who manages to block Shawlong's slash from behind. After introducing themselves to each other, Hitsugaya and Shawlong separate, with Shawlong calling himself lucky for having found the 10th Division Captain and Hitsugaya countering that he has instead had fatally bad luck.
Elsewhere, Sado sits up on the floor while Shun'ō and Ayame fly away from his restored arm, which he inspects. Despite Shun'ō warning him that he is not fully healed, Sado assures him and Ayame that he is okay and that they can return to Orihime's apartment in order to heal her. When Sado runs outside with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, manifested, Di Roy expresses disappointment at him not being a Shinigami and attempts to stab his left hand into a surprised Sado's chest, only for Ichigo to arrive in his Shinigami form and grab Di Roy's left hand before he can complete his attack while criticizing him for evaluating his attack before he has won the fight, which a chuckling Di Roy accepts. However, Di Roy decides instead to kill Ichigo and his friends, then tell the other Arrancar that none of them were any good as Yylfordt confront Renji and Edrad confronts Ikkaku and Yumichika.
201. Wind & Snowbound [ ]
Rukia Kuchiki reveals that she has regained her Shinigami powers and faces off against Di Roy Rinker.
With Di Roy Rinker freeing himself from Ichigo Kurosaki 's grasp, a stunned Yasutora Sado stands behind the latter and mentally observes that Di Roy would have killed him with his strike had Ichigo not shown up when he did, due to the stopped attack still puncturing Sado's skin. When told by Ichigo to stand back, Sado protests that his arm was healed by Shun'ō and Ayame, but Ichigo insists that Sado let him handle this, leading Sado to recall Yammy Llargo mangling his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and agree to Ichigo's request before running off and ignoring Rukia Kuchiki when she encounters him in the street and inquires about his wellbeing, which leaves her confused. As he continues to run, Sado wonders if Ichigo does not trust Sado to watch his back anymore and if they will ever be able to fight as a team again.
Back outside the house Sado was resting in, a grinning Di Roy questions how he should kill Ichigo, who rips the bandage off his head and notices Rukia approaching him from behind. After confirming her identity, Rukia asks Ichigo what he told Sado, and when a sweating Ichigo states that he just told Sado to stay back and let him handle this, Rukia requests that he step back as well, to Ichigo's astonishment. However, Ichigo is left further shocked upon seeing Rukia holding a Chappy Gikongan dispenser as Rukia asserts that she should handle this since Ichigo is too tense and pops the Gikongan into her mouth, causing a release of energy that swirls around her. Warning Ichigo that he could get himself killed fighting like this, Rukia stands in front of her Chappy-controlled Gigai in her proper Shinigami form with her Zanpakutō at her hip.
When Ichigo expresses surprise at Rukia having gotten her powers back, Rukia explains that she could not get her powers back before due to being in Kisuke Urahara 's Gigai and that she regained her Reiryoku with ease once she discarded that Gigai and lived in the Reishi -rich Soul Society. Suddenly, Chappy leaps toward a startled Ichigo and repeats Rukia's instructions for him to step back, leaving Ichigo irritated and perplexed by who she is supposed to be. Rukia informs him that this is Chappy, the Gikongan most popular with female Shinigami whom she was trying to purchase before when she ended up with Kon instead. With Ichigo expressing disbelief at Chappy potentially inhabiting his own body instead and relief that Kon does instead, which Chappy takes issue with as Ichigo discovers her surprising strength, Di Roy leaps forward and strikes at Rukia, who blocks with her Zanpakutō and is pushed down the block by the force of his strike while Ichigo calls out to her in concern.
Upon being pushed into the air by Di Roy swinging his arm upward, Rukia lands on the side of a telephone post and pushes herself off it to slash at Di Roy, who blocks her blade with the side of his hand and introduces himself. However, when Rukia attempts to do the same, Di Roy cuts her off and notes that he does not waste time learning the names of those he kills. In response, Rukia tells Di Roy to at least remember the name of her sword and releases her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, which turns the blade of her Zanpakutō pure white and causes a long, flat tassel to become attached to the bottom of the handle. With Di Roy shocked to see a white Zanpakutō, Rukia initiates Some no mai, Tsukishiro, creating a freezing circle on the ground encompassing both herself and Di Roy, who sees ice beginning to encompass his lower body from the feet up and frantically jabs his hand into the ice covering his foot. Leaping high into the air with a bleeding foot, Di Roy proclaims that the sky is his domain and mocks Rukia for having a sword that only freezes the ground as he lifts the bandages covering his right eye and prepares to fire a Cero. However, Di Roy swiftly finds himself frozen in a tall pillar of ice originating from the circle while Rukia clarifies that the domain of of Sode no Shirayuki is everything within its circle instead of the ground and walks away as the pillar shatters into tiny pieces.
202. Mala Suerte! [ ]
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez confronts Ichigo Kurosaki as 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame faces off against Edrad Liones.
In Rukia Kuchiki 's Gigai, Chappy restrains Ichigo Kurosaki by holding his arm behind his back while pinning him to the ground and promises to force him to remain still if he does not do so on his own. Despite Ichigo protesting that he cannot remain still when she is hurting him like this, Chappy responds to him threatening to beat her up if she does not stop by asserting that she will kill him before he can kill her, visibly unnerving Ichigo by exceeding her orders to simply hold him down, and wrenches his arm further behind his back as Rukia approaches them and questions what they are doing. Upon seeing Rukia, a startled Ichigo frantically asks her if she is okay and if she defeated Di Roy Rinker, prompting Rukia to point out that she obviously did since she is still here while Ichigo notices her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki.
Chappy informs Ichigo that Sode no Shirayuki is currently regarded as the most beautiful Zanpakutō in all of Soul Society due to its blade, guard, and hilt all being completely white, though Ichigo admonishes her for ruining the mood when she finishes her sentence by making a hopping noise, and explains that Rukia has the potential to be a seated officer, but the increased danger that seated officers face compared to regular Shinigami led a certain person who did not want her to be exposed to peril to pull some strings and have her removed from seated officer candidacy, which Chappy reveals was 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, to Ichigo's surprise. When Chappy concludes this by making a hopping noise once more, an unimpressed Ichigo determines that exposition is not her forte and requests that Chappy get off of him, only for Chappy to wrench his arm once again while an exasperated Rukia tells them to stop this. Suddenly, Ichigo and Rukia experience a powerful Reiatsu as Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez stands in the air above them and comments on Di Roy's death meaning that he will simply have to kill them both himself before introducing himself to an intimidated Ichigo.
Around Karakura Town, Shawlong Koufang notices Di Roy's death, Yylfordt Granz criticizes him for dying after begging to accompany them and muses that not even Sousuke Aizen could save him from his incompetence, and a grinning Edrad Liones asserts that whoever fought Di Roy was lucky due to the latter never being strong enough to become an Arrancar and warns 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa that they are not so lucky because he is not Di Roy prior to performing Palma Plancha, which creates a large explosion of force that dwarfs the surrounding buildings. Several blocks away, Keigo Asano nervously wonders what that noise was at this time of night and attributes to hoodlums whom he does not want to encounter tonight while lamenting Mizuho Asano forcing him to get a drink for her when it is so dark out.
Recalling how he has been seeing strange things lately and how it has creeped him out despite not believing in ghosts, Keigo remembers seeing the Hollow earlier and notices Zennosuke Kurumadani running toward him. After identifying Zennosuke as the guy who is always fighting monsters and a potential source of company for him, Keigo cheerfully greets Zennosuke and questions if he is filming again, but Zennosuke ignores him and continues running down the street, leaving Keigo to observe that he now feels worse than he did before and that he still has not seen Zennosuke's television show yet, which he theorizes could be on cable.
However, Keigo is interrupted when a powerful explosion occurs at the intersection in front of him, and as he scrambles back in shock, Keigo sees Ikkaku standing in the clearing dust with blood streaming down from a wound on his forehead. When a frightened Keigo recognizes Ikkaku as one of the people who came to Karakura High School today and demands to know what he is doing running around in the middle of the night while bleeding and carrying a sword, a surprised Ikkaku recognizes him in turn before Edrad hits him in the face with another Palma Plancha that sends Ikkaku crashing into the ground next to Keigo. A laughing Edrad inquires if this is the best that the Shinigami can offer, leading Keigo to pick up on his mention of shinigami and wonder what he is talking about prior to Ikkaku getting his attention and suggesting they make a deal, to Keigo's surprise and reluctance.
After detailing how he and Yumichika need a place to stay tonight and how Edrad is going to kill Keigo, though the latter points out that Edrad might just want to kill him instead, Ikkaku promises to save Keigo from Edrad if Keigo lets them stay at his house for a while. With a stunned Keigo expressing confusion at this, an angered Ikkaku orders Keigo to give him an answer, prompting Keigo to agree as a pleased Ikkaku stands up and faces Edrad, whom he asks about the identity of. Initially responding with his Arrancar number, Edrad pauses and dismisses this since there is no point in introducing himself to a dead man, only for an unimpressed Ikkaku to comment on his poor etiquette and explain that he always tells those he trains to introduce themselves to their victims because someone who is about to be killed at least has the right to know the name of their killer. Introducing himself as the 3rd Seat of Kenpachi Zaraki 's division, Ikkaku instructs Edrad to take note of his name since it is the last one that the latter will ever hear.
203. Mala Suerte!2 "El Monstruo" [ ]
Edrad Liones continues his battle with 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and decides to utilize his Resurrección.
A wounded 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame battles Edrad Liones through the streets of Karakura Town using his Zanpakutō and questions why Edrad is not using his own Zanpakutō, which he assumes could just be for show. When Edrad explains that the Arrancar have skin like heavy armor due to their Hierro and claims that he can defeat Ikkaku with his bare hands, Ikkaku suddenly slashes at Edrad's arm while reinforcing his Zanpakutō with its scabbard in his other hand, forcing Edrad to partially draw his own Zanpakutō from its sheath to defend himself, which prompts Ikkaku to observe that he realized his vulnerability and chose to keep his arm. After pushing Ikkaku back, Edrad criticizes himself as disgraceful for having to draw his Zanpakutō against a mere Shinigami, and as Ikkaku promises to make Edrad release its power next, a bewildered Keigo Asano watches the fight from nearby and wonders who the two of them are.
In response, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa recontextualizes Ikkaku's position of 3rd Seat as making him the second most powerful man in the most feared division of the Gotei 13. Though Keigo recognizes him from Karakura High School and is confused as to why he is not helping Ikkaku, Yumichika draws Keigo's attention to Ikkaku's overjoyed expression and explains that he is having fun fighting a formidable enemy for the first time in a long time before asserting that he does not want any help and would reject any offered to him. Keigo admits that he does not understand this and inquires if Yumichika is sure that Ikkaku will win, only for Yumichika to casually state that he is not and note that Ikkaku will die happy if he loses, to Keigo's disbelief.
Meanwhile, Edrad uses Palma Plancha and his own Zanpakutō to match Ikkaku's strikes with both his Zanpakutō and its scabbard while internally observing that Ikkaku is genuinely skilled despite his rough fighting style and overconfident demeanor, though he calls Ikkaku's fighting style direct and predictable due to attacking from the left with his Zanpakutō and blocking from the right with its scabbard, and after forcing Ikkaku back with a Palma Plancha strike, Edrad presumes that he can always predict Ikkaku's next move this way and that it will be easy to find an opening as he slams his left hand into the ground where Ikkaku is standing, forcing the latter to leap high into the air. However, when Edrad sees Ikkaku moving to swing his left arm and presumes the latter is attacking with his Zanpakutō, he is astonished to find himself blocking Ikkaku's scabbard, which Ikkaku had moved to his left hand, before Ikkaku slashes at his face with his Zanpakutō in his right hand.
In the aftermath, blood sprays into the air while Ikkaku and Edrad separate from each other, with Edrad having been slashed across his face and Ikkaku expressing disappointment at not having cut the former's head off like he intended to. Internally, Edrad ruminates on Ikkaku making him think his fighting style was predictable just to catch Edrad off-guard and switching his Zanpakutō to his other hand just as Edrad made his move, which he is left aghast at the huge risk of due to Ikkaku being just as liable to deal a critical injury as be killed in the process and realizes is Ikkaku fighting for sport instead of to win. Furthermore, Edrad mentally admonishes Ikkaku for exposing himself just to lure Edrad in, which he considers only superficially clever, and for treating this like a game with his own life being disposable while Ikkaku pulls two teeth out of his mouth and deduces that Edrad's Palma Plancha consists of him filling his hand with Reiatsu to strike opponents with. Impressed by Edrad knocking out two of his teeth with this, Ikkaku tosses the teeth away and decides to have 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon make him some new ones prior to vowing to keep hitting Edrad and figuring out his moves until the latter is forced to release his Zanpakutō.
In response, an amused Edrad admits that he underestimated Ikkaku and that it would be better to fight with his Zanpakutō released against someone like him. Though Ikkaku assumes that this is Edrad acknowledging his skill, Edrad denies this and points out that Ikkaku fights for sport instead of to win while promising to show him what it is like to be completely outmatched so he never makes the mistake of fighting an Arrancar for fun again before entering his Resurrección, Volcánica, which visibly unnerves Ikkaku. Calling Ikkaku's reaction impolite, Edrad notes that this is how Arrancar release their Zanpakutō as he stands before Ikkaku with gigantic arms terminating in tall shoulder spikes arching over his head, which is encased in white armor. After bringing up Ikkaku's philosophy of introducing himself to those he is about to kill, Edrad fully introduces himself to a stunned Ikkaku.
204. Mala Suerte!3 "Monstruo Sangriento" [ ]
Faced with the overwhelming power of Edrad Liones 's Resurrección, Volcánica, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame is left with no choice but to use his true level of power as well.
As Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki stare nervously at him, a smiling Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez lands on the street several meters away from them while Rukia recognizes his Reiatsu as being that of an Arrancar, only to mentally express fright at how incredibly strong it is. When Grimmjow inquires about which one of them is stronger, a startled Rukia warns Ichigo to retreat before Grimmjow stabs his right hand into her abdomen and observes that it is not her, which he expected. With a disgusted Rukia being thrown to the ground by Grimmjow, a shocked Ichigo rushes toward Grimmjow, who grins sadistically over his shoulder at Ichigo.
Elsewhere, Edrad Liones explains to an astonished 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame that an Arrancar's Zanpakutō is sealed with the core of their power inside their body, differentiating them from the Zanpakutō wielded by Shinigami, and concludes that releasing their Zanpakutō also releases their true power and appearance, meaning that this is his true form and his Resurrección, Volcánica, is his true power before generating flames in his fist and firing a powerful blast at Ikkaku, who is sent flying back several blocks through Karakura Town. Upon witnessing this alongside a terrified Keigo Asano, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa contacts the Shinigami Research and Development Institute and requests a large spatial freeze around Ikkaku due to the enemy's destructive power increasing beyond what they expected. After noting that a number of Humans could get caught up in the fight and that their safety is the top priority while building repairs can be paid for by the Eleventh Division as usual, Yumichika explains that the other Arrancar likely being more powerful than expected as well means that identical spatial freezes should be placed around the opponents of 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, Rukia, and Ichigo in addition so they do not take any chances, and once this is acknowledged, Yumichika asks that a division funeral be prepared for Ikkaku as well.
Meanwhile, Edrad punches an injured Ikkaku into the ground and sends him crashing through the side of a building into the air with a swipe of his hand as he laughs uproariously at how much stronger he is in his Resurrección. Suddenly, with Edrad pointing out that he cannot counter this much Reiatsu, Ikkaku stops himself in midair with Hohō, to Edrad's surprise, and releases his Shikai, Hōzukimaru, to continue fighting with a smirk while Edrad follows him into the air and attacks with a flaming punch that breaks through Hōzukimaru and sets Ikkaku on fire, leaving him to fall and crash into the street below. Descending to the ground below, Edrad advises Ikkaku to give up since knowing when to quit can be a virtue for a warrior and warns Ikkaku to not get blown to pieces due to how well he fought, but Ikkaku simply grins at him, prompting a disappointed Edrad to slam his fist down onto Ikkaku in a huge pillar of flame. However, Edrad is shocked when the smoke clears to reveal a bloodied Ikkaku standing up and bracing himself against Edrad's fist with his back as he laments how unequal their power is and observes that the others hopefully will not notice because of how busy they are. After complaining about how he did not want to use this, Ikkaku instructs Edrad to watch closely and not tell anyone about this prior to activating his Bankai.
205. Mala Suerte!4 [Tempestad de la Lucha] [ ]
11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame demonstrates the incredible offensive power of his Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru.
As a large, wide tornado crackling with Reiatsu forms in Karakura Town, Keigo Asano is left bewildered by it while 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa notes with a smile that 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame has decided to use his Bankai. Within the tornado, a stunned Edrad Liones picks up on Ikkaku's mention of Bankai, prompting Ikkaku to confirm this as the tornado clears to reveal him standing with his Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, two massive blades linked to a third floating behind his back with a handle, before he assumes a combat stance with them. Though Edrad calls this impressive, Ikkaku counters that his Reiatsu is not high enough to impress Edrad yet and instructs him to be impressed when he dies, prompting the two of them to leap high into the air to resume their battle.
When Edrad throws another flaming punch, Ikkaku slashes his guandao upward and slashes cleanly through Edrad's outstretched fist, leaving the latter shocked that Ikkaku managed to cut him prior to looking up to see Ikkaku dropping down on him with the monk's spade pointed downward while grinning ferociously. Though Edrad manages to block the spade with his forearm, he grunts in pain and disbelief at the spade cutting into his arm and emits a jet of fire from the opening on his left shoulder to push Ikkaku back with a burst of flame. With Ikkaku skidding back through the air, Edrad mentally deduces that rather than enhancing Ikkaku's Kidō, speed, or even defensive ability, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru is simply a huge amount of energy with tremendous destructive power, though he observes that such an offense-focused weapon is vulnerable to damage upon seeing that the spade is missing a chunk of its blade.
While Ikkaku begins spinning Ryūmon Hōzukimaru around by the handle on the central blade, whose dragon crest begins to fill, Edrad internally asserts that he can still win and that he will crush Ikkaku before the latter can cut off his arm as he fires jets of flame from his shoulders and declares that he cannot lose in a contest of raw power. However, Edrad is startled to sense that the Reiatsu of Ryūmon Hōzukimaru is increasing, and as he comments on Edrad finally noticing this, Ikkaku explains that Hōzukimaru is lazy to the point of usually being asleep when he performs Bankai, such that the only way to wake its full power is to exchange blows with an enemy, with its dragon crest slowly turning red as it starts to wake and indicating that Ryūmon Hōzukimaru is at maximum power when it is completely filled. After the dragon crest turns completely red, Ikkaku inquires if Edrad is ready, which a smiling Edrad confirms, and the two clash for the final time in an explosion of Reiatsu and fire.
Bleach, Volume 24
206. Mala Suerte!5 [LUCKY] [ ]
11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame 's battle concludes as he recalls his history with his captain, Kenpachi Zaraki.
In the air above Karakura Town, the broken guandao blade of 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame 's Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, falls out of a cloud of smoke and embeds itself in the ground below, leaving Ikkaku holding the shattered handle and cursing as he coughs up blood and falls to the ground below as well. Behind Ikkaku, Edrad Liones notes that he is glad to have learned Ikkaku's name due to his right arm and a large chunk of his torso having been destroyed by Ikkaku's final attack prior to his eyes rolling back in his head while he falls to the ground below in turn. With Edrad's body creating a huge explosion of force on impact several blocks away from him, Ikkaku lies on the ground and clutches the broken handle of the guandao, causing him to remember a similar situation many years prior.
In the past, an injured Ikkaku grasps his broken sword and struggles to get up in the outskirts of the Rukongai as he tells a young Kenpachi Zaraki to wait. When the latter expresses surprise at him still being alive, Ikkaku demands that Kenpachi kill him since he won, but Kenpachi counters that he did not come here to put down injured dogs and that it is not his job to end Ikkaku's suffering. In response to Ikkaku continuing to insist that he deliver the finishing blow, Kenpachi grabs Ikkaku by the collar and berates Ikkaku for begging for death when he loves fighting so much before instructing Ikkaku to never admit defeat until he is dead and to consider himself very lucky if he is still alive after losing a battle, since he would be thinking of ways to stay alive right now if he was smart. After concluding that Ikkaku should dedicate himself to killing the one who left him alive and with a young Yumichika Ayasegawa watching from a nearby rock, Kenpachi admits that he was not holding back when he fought Ikkaku and that his luck saved him as he lets go of Ikkaku and bids him farewell. When a stunned Ikkaku asks for his name, Kenpachi looks back and confidently declares it.
Later, after the Ryoka Invasion, Ikkaku turns down 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai 's request and tells him to find someone else, prompting a startled Renji to explain that it has to be Ikkaku because none of the other lieutenants can perform Bankai and he would not ask them even if they could, making Ikkaku the only choice to fill the void that Sousuke Aizen left by becoming the next captain. However, Ikkaku simply reminds Renji that he has no intention of telling anyone other than him and Yumichika that he can perform Bankai, something he established when he trained Renji in Zanjutsu, due to such a revelation ultimately resulting in more people like Renji begging him to become a captain, which he does not want since it would prevent him from fighting under Kenpachi. With Ikkaku revealing that his dream is to fight and die under Kenpachi like Renji's dream is to surpass Byakuya Kuchiki and ordering him to never ask this again, Renji bows and confirms that he understands.
In the present, Ikkaku drags himself along the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind him, and is met by Yumichika, who smiles and asserts that he knew Ikkaku would still be alive as Ikkaku affirms this and observes that he was luckier than Yumichika could imagine today. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, a bloodied Renji pants as he wields his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, and faces off against a smirking Yylfordt Granz, whose Zanpakutō is dripping with Renji's blood. Simultaneously, an exhausted 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya bleeds from a wound on his forehead and faces down an impassive Shawlong Koufang with his own Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru.
207. Mode:Genocide [ ]
10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai struggle against their Arrancar opponents as Ururu Tsumugiya intervenes in the latter's battle.
With Orihime Inoue watching in concern alongside the Gikon inhabiting 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto 's Gigai, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya pants in exertion as he faces Shawlong Koufang with his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, activated. Looking down, Hitsugaya sees Nakeem Grindina standing over an incapacitated Rangiku and mentally curses as Shawlong expresses disappointment at this being all a captain's Bankai can do and calls Hitsugaya pathetic.
Meanwhile, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai yells as he sends his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, hurtling toward Yylfordt Granz, who blocks it with his Zanpakutō and is pushed back through the air, only to casually push Hihiō Zabimaru away from himself with a swipe of his sword and grin before moving to Renji with Sonído and slashing him diagonally across the chest. After leaping back to avoid Renji's subsequent attempt to grab him, Yylfordt laughs maniacally and mocks Renji's Bankai while proclaiming that the Gotei 13 has lost its credibility if a loser like him can become a lieutenant.
On the rooftop of the Urahara Shop below, Jinta Hanakari expresses irritation at the Shinigami losing and is startled when he sees Ururu Tsumugiya standing behind him in her pajamas. However, as he reminds Ururu that he told her to stay in bed, Jinta notices her blank stare and realizes with shock that the strange Reiatsu of the Arrancar has caused her to enter Slaughter Mode prior to Ururu leaping high into the air. Above them, Yylfordt declares that he is going to end this fight, only to be caught off-guard when Ururu appears behind and delivers a powerful kick to the side of Yylfordt's face that sends him flying, to Renji's astonishment.
Despite a bleeding Yylfordt demanding to know who she is, Ururu grabs him by the throat and begins choking Yylfordt while asserting that he is a danger to them and must be eradicated. With Ururu proceeding to deliver several strong blows to Yylfordt and Renji wondering who she is, an angered Yylfordt slashes at her with his Zanpakutō, forcing Ururu to evade by letting go of his throat and jumping back, and proclaims that she is dead before activating his Resurrección, Del Toro, creating a huge amount of steam that engulfs himself and Ururu. Suddenly, Ururu finds herself impaled on a large horn while the steam clears to reveal Yylfordt having taken the shape of an armored, top-heavy bull and informing Renji that this is an Arrancar's Zanpakutō release.
208. The Scissors [ ]
Yylfordt Granz displays the power of his Resurrección, Del Toro, as 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya continues to battle Shawlong Koufang.
Informing 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai that his bull-like Resurrección, Del Toro, is an Arrancar 's Zanpakutō release, Yylfordt Granz throws an impaled Ururu Tsumugiya off of his left horn, only for a furious Jinta Hanakari to catch her in midair and slam his Muteki Tekkon into Yylfordt's head. However, Yylfordt remains unharmed and attempts to spear Jinta with his left horn as well, but Renji manages to intercept the horn with one of the segments of his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, and orders Jinta to run, which the latter complies with, before Yylfordt questions if Renji believes this stopped him and shoves his horn through the segment of Hihiō Zabimaru into Renji's chest. After throwing an impaled Renji off his horn, Yylfordt laughs maniacally and decides to introduce himself as Arrancar #15. since the battle is now over.
Elsewhere, Shawlong Koufang notices Yylfordt having activated his Resurrección and muses that he must have gotten bored or been wounded by an unexpected attack, though he considers the latter to be extremely unlikely. Suddenly, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya comes down on Shawlong from above with a downward stab of the blade of his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, leading Shawlong to block it with his Zanpakutō while ice explodes around them. Though Shawlong easily pushes Hitsugaya away and comments on how amusing this was, Hitsugaya reveals that he is not done yet as the tail of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru slams into a surprised Shawlong from behind. However, Hitsugaya is left annoyed when the water vapor clears to reveal an uninjured Shawlong having blocked the strike with his Zanpakutō and only gotten it and his right arm covered in ice, which he breaks off by opening his hand.
After noting that Hitsugaya whipping his tail seems like an act of desperation, which he considers unfortunate, Shawlong brings up how the ice flower floating behind Hitsugaya is coming apart, and when Hitsugaya questions why this matters, Shawlong theorizes that the flower represents the energy left in Daiguren Hyōrinmaru since Hitsugaya's young age means it is likely not fully developed yet and the enormous amount of Reiryoku required to maintain a Bankai makes it difficult to sustain in a long fight even for a captain and especially when it is imperfect. With the right petal of the ice flower shattering, Shawlong concludes that the flower will continue to disintegrate like this and cause Daiguren Hyōrinmaru to disappear when all the petals are gone. Shawlong notes that Hitsugaya is down to three petals from twelve and that he could easily wait for Daiguren Hyōrinmaru in order to win, only to decide against this due to Hitsugaya deserving respect as a captain and instead choose to strike with everything he has while Hitsugaya still has some energy left. Upon positioning his Zanpakutō between his hands, Shawlong activates his Resurrección, Tijereta, creating a cocoon of Reiatsu that unfolds to reveal him having gained long, sharp blade-like claws and an armored carapace ending in a pointed tail. Inspecting his claws, Shawlong slashes a stunned Hitsugaya faster than the latter can react and introduces himself as Arrancar #11. prior to asserting that it was nice to meet him as 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto clutches her communicator on the rooftop below next to an unaware Nakeem Grindina.
209. Lift the Limit [ ]
Shawlong Koufang explains the ranking system of the Arrancar as Ichigo Kurosaki begins his fight with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
In the air above Karakura Town, Shawlong Koufang slashes through the right wing of 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, with the claws of his Resurrección, Tijereta, which he cleans the blood off of as Hitsugaya begins regenerating his right wing with moisture from the atmosphere. Upon seeing this, Shawlong admits to being impressed by Hitsugaya proving himself a captain through standing his ground despite being hopelessly outclassed, only for an unfazed Hitsugaya to bring up Shawlong identifying himself as Arrancar #11. and questioning if this means he is the eleventh-strongest Arrancar. However, Shawlong denies this and clarifies that his number indicates his birth order rather than his strength, but reveals that this only applies to numbers above ten.
With Hitsugaya startled by this, Shawlong explains that while Hollows reborn as Arrancar through the Hōgyoku are numbered according to the order of their birth, the strongest Arrancar are numbered one through ten in order of their Reiryoku, comprising the ten Espada whose numbers are inscribed somewhere on their bodies and who hold authority over the rest of the Arrancar. Musing that the strength of an Espada makes his own pale in comparison, Shawlong warns Hitsugaya that a member of the group of Arrancar who came to Karakura Town tonight is Espada #6. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Elsewhere, Grimmjow blocks the blade of Ichigo Kurosaki 's Shikai, Zangetsu, with his bare hand and sends Ichigo flying into the air with a flick of his wrist. Unimpressed by this, Grimmjow reminds Ichigo that he did not come here to butcher defenseless lambs and that he is currently holding back prior to instructing Ichigo to activate his Bankai so he does not end up full of holes like Rukia Kuchiki currently is. In response, an angered Ichigo activates his Bankai, pleasing Grimmjow.
Back in the air, Hitsugaya is injured by Shawlong once more and mentally pleads with his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, to hurry up since he cannot keep this up much longer. Suddenly, Rangiku's communicator informs her that Gentei Kaijo has been authorized, and when a startled Nakeem Grindina attempts to stomp on her, Rangiku easily holds his foot back with her wrist and thanks the member of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute who told her this as she informs Hitsugaya and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai of the authorization. Elated by this news, Hitsugaya, Renji, and Rangiku reveal their division insignias on their chests and perform Gentei Kaijo, resulting in large columns of Reiatsu surging out of their bodies into the sky.
210. Turn the True Power On [ ]
10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto are drastically empowered by Gentei Kaijo and defeat their opponents.
With Shawlong Koufang and Yylfordt Granz questioning what Gentei Kaijo is, the two of them are struck by their respective opponents' Reiatsu, resulting in a stunned Shawlong having his right forearm blown off and frozen at the sharp stump while Yylfordt sees that the tip of his left horn has been cleanly burned off. Emerging from the swirling Reiatsu, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto explain to the Arrancar that Gentei Kaijo is the result of Gotei 13 captains and lieutenants being required to wear a Gentei Reiin somewhere on their bodies when they enter the Human World in order to avoid inadvertently harming or altering Humans with their power, causing their powers to be reduced by up to 80%.
After concluding that their strength is consequently quintupled through Gentei Kaijo, Renji sends his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, hurtling toward Yylfordt, who attempts to stop it with his hands, but is overwhelmed by its Reiatsu and sent flying back following Hihiō Zabimaru severing his left arm at the shoulder. Meanwhile, Rangiku blocks a punch from Nakeem Grindina with her forearm and criticizes him as being too slow. When Rangiku requests that he come at her using the speed he confronted her with and wonders what this move is called, Nakeem moves behind her with Sonído as she attempts to slash at him and identifies the technique prior to throwing another punch at her, only for Rangiku to reappear behind a startled Nakeem with Shunpo, which she identifies to him in turn while slashing vertically through the right side of his torso.
Rangiku releases her Shikai, Haineko, and Hitsugaya prepares to use Ryūsenka while Renji initiates Hikotsu Taihō, which prompts a frightened Shawlong to order Yylfordt and Nakeem to retreat for now. However, as the three of them attempt to flee, Hitsugaya asserts that they are not going anywhere and leaps after Shawlong to pierce his throat, creating a massive cross of ice in midair that shatters in his wake, prior to Rangiku slashing through Nakeem on both sides of his torso and Renji incinerating Yylfordt with a powerful beam of energy.
211. Stroke of Sanity [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki struggles in his battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
As Nakeem Grindina 's corpse falls to the ground in a shower of blood, a scorched Yylfordt Granz falls out of the sky, and the frozen body of Shawlong Koufang shatters into dozens of pieces, the penultimate ice petal of 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, disintegrates behind him, resulting in a large amount of blood spurting from Hitsugaya's multiple injuries and causing him to collapse. Running over to Hitsugaya in concern, his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, begs Orihime Inoue to come up to the rooftop and heal him. Meanwhile, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai falls to his knees in the street below where he was fighting and deactivates his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, while cursing how close that battle was and admitting that he is not sure he could have won if Yylfordt had fought seriously from the beginning and not hesitated at the news of the Gentei Kaijo before realizing that they are in trouble if all the Arrancar are this strong.
Elsewhere, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez casually leaps to the side to avoid a downward stab from Ichigo Kurosaki 's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, and responds to Ichigo slashing at him by grabbing his sword by the blade and throwing Ichigo into the air. Sent hurtling down the street and crashing through the road by this, Ichigo springs off the ground high into the air and finds Grimmjow throwing a punch at his face, but manages to move behind him and slashes upward. However, a ferociously grinning Grimmjow easily blocks the blade of Tensa Zangetsu with his forearm and kicks Ichigo in the side of the head, stunning him long enough for Grimmjow to deliver multiple blows and finish with a downward stomp that slams Ichigo back into the ground below. Unimpressed by Tensa Zangetsu for only granting Ichigo average speed, Grimmjow questions if this is all he has got, only to be shocked when the dust below clears to reveal Ichigo charging and firing a black Getsuga Tenshō that slams into Grimmjow as he holds his arms defensively in front of his face, creating a powerful explosion.
In the aftermath, Grimmjow stands in midair with a huge gash running diagonally from his left shoulder to his right leg, with his left wrist and forearm having been damaged as well, and expresses intrigue at Ichigo having used such a potent move that was not in Ulquiorra Cifer 's report. Though he cockily inquires if Grimmjow is still disappointed, Ichigo clutches his left eye as the sclera begins to turn black and urges his inner Hollow to leave him be since the fight is almost over. From behind a nearby wall, Tatsuki Arisawa watches with concern as Kaname Tōsen appears in a Garganta behind her.
212. You Don't Hear My Name Anymore [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki 's battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez is interrupted by Kaname Tōsen.
Emerging from a Garganta in the air above Karakura Town, Kaname Tōsen senses Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez fighting nearby and moves out to find him. Meanwhile, a wounded Grimmjow laughs maniacally at Ichigo Kurosaki having demonstrated his power with a black Getsuga Tenshō and declares that the latter is finally worth killing now. Internally, Ichigo expresses frustration at how even the full force of the Getsuga Tenshō only left shallow cuts on Grimmjow's body and ruminates on how the technique being his inner Hollow 's means that he can only use it two or three more times while still remaining in control of his body, only to snap out of this when Grimmjow warns Ichigo that it would be unwise to continue standing there since he is about to begin his own attack.
Suddenly, as Grimmjow begins to draw his Zanpakutō, Tōsen appears behind him and places his hand on Grimmjow's shoulder, shocking both him and Ichigo, while ordering Grimmjow to sheathe his sword. With Ichigo recognizing Tōsen as one of the captains who defected alongside Sousuke Aizen, Grimmjow demands to know why Tōsen is here, only for Tōsen to counter that Grimmjow knows he invaded the Human World without permission and mobilized five Arrancar without permission, which are serious offenses that Aizen is not pleased by. With Tōsen concluding that they will leave so Grimmjow's punishment can be decided in Hueco Mundo, an annoyed Grimmjow complies with this, but Ichigo frantically questions where they are going. In response, while Tōsen opens another Garganta, Grimmjow tells Ichigo that they are returning to Hueco Mundo, and when an incredulous Ichigo refuses to let him simply leave after attacking him and his friends because they are not finished yet, Grimmjow asserts with irritation that Tōsen just saved his life and points out how the black Getsuga Tenshō obviously takes a toll on Ichigo to the point that he would be lucky if he could perform it three more times before claiming that not even a hundred of them could defeat him while he is in his released state, stunning Ichigo. After warning Ichigo to not forget his name and to pray that he never hears it again, Grimmjow introduces himself again and promises that Ichigo will die the next time he hears it as the Garganta closes around him and Tōsen.
Following this, a wounded 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai approaches a motionless Ichigo from behind and assumes that he won since the Arrancar returned to Hueco Mundo, only for Ichigo to bluntly state that he lost. When Renji observes that he won if he is alive, Ichigo reminds him that he would feel the same way if he were Ichigo and insists that he did not protect anyone and could not defeat their enemies while 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto carries Rukia Kuchiki through Karakura Town, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa helps 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame walk down the street, and Orihime Inoue heals 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya with Sōten Kisshun. With Ichigo concluding that this means he lost to Grimmjow, the latter returns to Las Noches with a grin.
213. Trifle [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki recover in the aftermath of the attack as Kaname Tōsen returns Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez to Las Noches for punishment.
At her apartment in Karakura Town, Mizuho Asano wonders where Keigo Asano is due to how long it has taken him to come back and vows to punish him when he returns. When Keigo opens the front door and meekly announces that he is home, Mizuho angrily demands to know where he has been and how much time it takes to buy a drink from a vending machine, only to stop in shock upon seeing Keigo standing with a bloodied 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and an uninjured 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, who have returned to their Gigai. With Mizuho visibly shocked by this, Keigo explains that he found Ikkaku and Yumichika lying in the street when he went to get her drink, which is why he did not get it, and that they are going to stay with her and Keigo for a while, which they do not have a choice in.
However, Mizuho simply congratulates Keigo on having done a good deed and readily welcomes Ikkaku and Yumichika into her home, leaving Keigo flabbergasted and questioning why they are not asking their parents first. With Mizuho gushingly greeting Ikkaku and pointing out how he brought them here when he calls her out on this, Keigo tearfully reveals that he was hoping she would politely decline so they would not have to let Ikkaku and Yumichika stay, and when Mizuho bluntly states that she does not mind, an incredulous Keigo demands to know why she does not mind since they are complete strangers and could be dangerous. Mizuho claims that she wants to be the kind of sister who would welcome a couple of strangers her brother brought home without questioning it, but Keigo dismisses this as irrelevant, which leads Mizuho to cheekily admit that she is attracted to men with shaved heads as well. As Keigo expresses shock at this being her reason and informs her that Ikkaku is bald rather than shaven, an angered Ikkaku cuts off some of Keigo's hair with a slash of his wooden sword, which he levels the tip of against Keigo's head while reminding him that he is not bald, causing Keigo to timidly apologize and beg for his life.
Meanwhile, in the Urahara Shop, Tessai Tsukabishi heals Ururu Tsumugiya with Kaidō as Ururu weakly calls out to Kisuke Urahara, who kneels beside her and assures her that it is alright while holding her hand, with Jinta Hanakari sitting outside the room in shock. On the rooftop of her apartment, Orihime Inoue heals Rukia Kuchiki with Sōten Kisshun as Ichigo Kurosaki, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and a heavily bandaged 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya watch, where Orihime sees Ichigo's sorrowful expression and looks down solemnly.
Simultaneously, Kaname Tōsen and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez return to Sousuke Aizen 's throne room in Las Noches, where Aizen welcomes Grimmjow back. With Grimmjow remaining unresponsive, Tōsen wonders if he is going to apologize and is angered when Grimmjow refuses to do so. Despite this, Aizen assures Tōsen that he is not angry and is interpreting Grimmjow's actions as an overzealous display of loyalty, which Grimmjow confirms when asked about it by Aizen. In response, Tōsen furiously grabs Grimmjow's collar, to the latter's confusion, and requests that Aizen allow him to execute Grimmjow, which Aizen is exasperated by. Grimmjow asserts that this is personal and that Tōsen simply does not like him, something he considers unbecoming for a commander, and Tōsen counters that he believes anyone who disrupts the peace should be. When Grimmjow mocks him for hiding behind his cause, Tōsen affirms that the cause is most important and states that Grimmjow's raid lacked purpose.
Explaining that killing without purpose is simply murder and that killing with purpose is justice, Tōsen draws his Zanpakutō and severs a stunned Grimmjow's left arm at the shoulder, leaving Grimmjow screaming in pain while Tōsen incinerates the severed arm with Hadō #54. Haien. Though an enraged Grimmjow promises to make Tōsen pay for this and moves his remaining hand to his chest, Aizen warns Grimmjow that he will be forced to reprimand the latter should he attack Tōsen, prompting Grimmjow to reluctantly leave in contempt. Soon afterward, Aizen enters another chamber, where Gin Ichimaru teases him for manipulating his subordinates again since he knew what Tōsen would do after what he said, which Aizen coyly does not confirm. When Gin brings up how they lost five Arrancar, Aizen dismisses this as irrelevant because they were only Gillians and will not affect their plan in the slightest, since assembling enough Vasto Lordes and completing the Espada will make them unstoppable.
214. Immanent God Blues [ ]
Faced with the consequences of their insufficient power, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends resolve to train and prepare themselves for the next conflict with the Arrancar.
In the Karakura Hospital Study Chamber, a fatigued Uryū Ishida leans against one of the windows and mentally notes that the vibrating Reiatsu has stopped emanating from outside before dodging a powerful Heilig Pfeil from Ryūken Ishida when it slams into the ground where he was standing. When Ryūken questions if he is worried about the Shinigami, Uryū claims to not know what he is talking about and asserts that he is only concerned about whether or not this game Ryūken is playing can really restore his Quincy powers. Upon being asked by Ryūken if he does not trust his father, Uryū bluntly states that it is hard to and points out that it is extremely unclear how dodging Ryūken's Heilig Pfeil in a room made of hardened silver and glass is going to make him a Quincy again. However, Ryūken simply moves to a startled Uryū with Hirenkyaku and promises that it will work if Uryū survives before firing another Heilig Pfeil.
The next morning, Yuzu Kurosaki goes to Ichigo Kurosaki 's bedroom to wake him up, only to discover that he is not in his bed or anywhere else in the room, though she does almost find a terrified Kon under the sheets before informing Isshin Kurosaki that Ichigo is not in the house, which leads him to question if Rukia Kuchiki is. In response, Rukia comes out and inquires if something is wrong, prompting Isshin to note that she is alright and a concerned Yuzu to ask her if she knows where Ichigo is since he is missing.
In the past, after Orihime Inoue finishes healing Rukia the previous night, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai is shocked by her swift recovery, which causes Rukia to observe how incredibly fast it was and thank Orihime while Chappy tearfully hugs her. When told by Rukia that she is getting stronger all the time, Orihime begins to deny this, but Ichigo interrupts by asking Orihime if she finished healing Rukia. Upon seeing the solemn look on Ichigo's face, Rukia wonders if he feels responsible for her injuries and demands that he stop sulking since her injuries were her own fault and she does not need him to protect her. With Ichigo accepting this, Rukia suggests he talk to Kisuke Urahara about his inner Hollow because he might know something about it after training Ichigo, only for Ichigo to explain that Urahara already knows about it and would have said something before they went to Soul Society if he knew how to fix it, which means that he probably does not know how to suppress it either, before concluding that he is grateful for Urahara training him and does not want to bother him with any more problems.
In the present, Rukia runs through Karakura Town and questions where Ichigo is as Ichigo returns to the park where he confronted Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo. Upon remembering his confrontation with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Ichigo's left sclera begins to turn black while he realizes that it cannot go on like this. Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, Misato Ochi expresses shock at Ichigo being outright absent instead of skipping class in addition to Uryū, Yasutora Sado, and Rukia sharing the same status, though she begins class regardless. On the rooftop of the school, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya writes up his report on his Denreishinki prior to his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, pushing the back of his head between her breasts and covering his eyes as she challenges him to guess who she is. In response, an annoyed Hitsugaya demands to know what she is doing by name, which leads her to praise his deductive skills in surprise and wonder why he is not in class despite wearing the school uniform. Upon learning that Hitsugaya is writing his report, Rangiku assumes that he mentioned how easy Gentei Kaijo made their battles, but is mortified to learn that the Arrancar they fought were just Gillians and that them needing Gentei Kaijo to defeat foot soldiers means that they cannot take the Arrancar lightly.
Simultaneously, at the Urahara Shop, Jinta Hanakari raises a healed Ururu Tsumugiya 's fist into the air and cheers her on, but is annoyed when she does not join him in being happy since he is doing this for her. While Ururu points out that she should be resting since she only just recovered, Jinta continues forcing her to celebrate, which prompts Urahara to warn them to not play roughly. Suddenly, Sado appears before Urahara, and when the latter cheerfully inquires about what he can do for him, Sado kneels on the ground and requests that Urahara train him, to Urahara's surprise. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Ichigo enters a warehouse in an empty area, where Shinji Hirako admits that he is surprised Ichigo found the Visored so easily and observes that Ichigo has finally decided to join them as he stands with Hiyori Sarugaki, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro Kuna, Lisa Yadōmaru, and Hachigen Ushōda on multiple broken floors before him.
Bleach, Volume 25
215. Tug Your God Out [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki attempts to force the Visored to help him control his inner Hollow without joining them.
With Ichigo Kurosaki having entered the warehouse hideout of the Visored, Shinji Hirako stands before him alongside his comrades and admits that he is surprised at Ichigo being able to find this place since he is so bad at detecting Reiatsu, though Shinji clarifies that the Visored knew he would be coming and thus focused their Reiatsu on him so he could find it. However, when Shinji presumes that Ichigo being here means that he is ready to join them, Ichigo bluntly denies this, to Shinji's astonishment, and asserts that he would have to be crazy to join the Visored before claiming that he is here to use them instead. With Shinji questioning what he just said, Ichigo explains that he will never join the Visored and that they are going to tell him how to control the Hollow inside him, and when Shinji counters that they do not intend to tell him anything, Ichigo proclaims that he will get it out of them by force, to Shinji's bemusement, prior to using his Substitute Shinigami Badge to leap out of his body in his Shinigami form.
Seeing Ichigo hurtling toward him and drawing his Shikai, Zangetsu, Shinji flip his Zanpakutō off the ground and into the air with his foot to grab it in midair while noting that Ichigo is going to be a handful and unsheathing his Zanpakutō with a vicious glare. Ichigo begins clashing fiercely and repeatedly with Shinji across the warehouse, but Shinji manages to repel him with a single slash of his Zanpakutō, sending Ichigo crashing into a pile of boxes with enough force to shatter them and causing him to curse as he emerges with blood on his face. Nearby, Hiyori Sarugaki, Love Aikawa, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro Kuna, Lisa Yadōmaru, and Hachigen Ushōda watch the two of them continue to battle with passive interest, and as Rose observes that Ichigo is not bad if he is holding his own against Shinji, Lisa scathingly points out that Shinji is not even trying, though Hachigen muses that Ichigo does not seem to be trying hard either. When Love asserts that Ichigo is obviously scared, Mashiro wonders what he is scared of, prompting Kensei to clarify that he is afraid of his inner Hollow and express frustration at the idea of actually letting him join their ranks.
Despite this, Hiyori merely sighs and begins walking forward, leaving Mashiro to ask her where she is going while Hiyori tells Hachigen to set up five more barriers, which he agrees to. With Ichigo and Shinji staring each other down in midair and Shinji preparing to tell Ichigo something, Hiyori hits him in the face with Super Harisen Slipper, sending him crashing through the existing barrier and flying outside. Upon seeing this, Hiyori reminds Hachigen that she told him to put up five more barriers, though a startled Hachigen points out that she did not give him any time to do so, and turns to Ichigo, whom she informs that the decision to join the Visored is not up to him, since they will be deciding whether or not he can join after seeing what he can do while exerting her Reiatsu, to Ichigo's intimidation. Hiyori elaborates that the Visored will readily teach him how to control his inner Hollow if he has got what it takes, but that he will be out of luck and likely killed by his inner Hollow consuming him if he is not, and turns away while ordering Ichigo to Hollowfy so she can see what he has got, only for Ichigo to refuse to do so. In response, Hiyori reiterates that he has no choice and dons her own Hollow mask, taking the form of a skull with a large horn and a diamond pattern across its brow, as she promises to drag a shocked Ichigo's inner Hollow out of him by force if he is too cowardly to do so himself.
216. The Suppression of Darkness [ ]
Hiyori Sarugaki takes on Ichigo Kurosaki herself to force him to Hollowfy and demonstrate his power.
With Hiyori Sarugaki having summoned her Hollow mask and Ichigo Kurosaki startled by this, Love Aikawa, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, and Mashiro Kuna frantically protest her going this far, but Hiyori questions what Ichigo is afraid of since the name of the Visored stems from them having Hollow masks and gives her every reason to Hollowfy. Warning Ichigo that she is is not as nice as Shinji Hirako is, Hiyori promises that he will die if he does not Hollowfy as well and rushes forward to attack him before Ichigo can react, resulting in a powerful explosion of force.
Outside of the layered barrier being maintained by Hachigen Ushōda, the other Visored watch apprehensively or with disinterest as Hiyori continues to assault Ichigo, and after a strained Hachigen responds to her questioning if he is okay by revealing that he is not, Mashiro looks up to see a bloodied and injured Ichigo panting in midair with his shihakushō left ragged and the sclera of his left eye beginning to turn black. As she pulls up her Hollow mask, Hiyori wonders if Ichigo still does not get it and tells him to not be afraid, though Ichigo denies that he is, before suggesting that he perform Bankai. When Ichigo tells her to shut up in turn, Hiyori theorizes that he fears being unable to contain his inner Hollow if he performs Bankai against someone as strong as she is, but with Ichigo continuing to refuse to do so, Hiyori draws her Zanpakutō and pulls her Hollow mask down again while berating Ichigo as a miserable coward whom she cannot even stand to look at.
After Hiyori declares that she will cut him down and end this if he still will not Hollowfy or perform Bankai, she attacks in a surge of Reiatsu, leaving Ichigo to block her slash with his Shikai, Zangetsu, which begins to crack under the strain, as he tries to deduce how Hiyori stays in control with her mask on and how she makes her Hollow obey her. With Hiyori slashing away from their clash, taking out a chunk of Zangetsu and drawing more blood from him, Ichigo mentally asserts that he should be able to figure out how Hiyori is doing this since she is right in front of him and he can see everything. However, though Ichigo concludes that he will not Hollowfy or perform Bankai and risk opening up his Soul to his inner Hollow, Hiyori slashes him down the chest while he is distracted and comes back for another attack, causing Ichigo's consciousness to fade out and allowing Hollow Ichigo to take control of his body by manifesting part of his mask on Ichigo's face and screaming in rage, to the astonishment of Hiyori and the other Visored.
Grabbing Hiyori by the throat and shattering part of her mask, Hollow Ichigo hurtles across the warehouse and slams her into one of the exposed pillars as he begins to choke her, leaving a terrified Hiyori to gasp for air while her Hollowfication begins to fade. Suddenly, Shinji, Love, Rose, Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro, Lisa, and Hachigen free Hiyori and pin Hollow Ichigo against the ground below with their Zanpakutō in one swift movement, leaving him immobilized. After shattering Hollow Ichigo's half-formed mask and freeing Ichigo from his control, Shinji asserts that this is enough and asks Hiyori if she is satisfied, though a tearful Hiyori merely flinches in response, before informing Ichigo that he should know now that he cannot control his inner Hollow with his body or mind and that the Visored will hammer the control method into him because he passed.
217. Hole In My Heart [ ]
Annoyed by the preliminary testing for his Hollowfication training, Ichigo Kurosaki convinces the Visored to begin his real training early.
In the Kurosaki Clinic, Yuzu Kurosaki tearfully proclaims that Ichigo Kurosaki is never coming home, prompting Karin Kurosaki to assure her that Ichigo will return in a few days. However, Yuzu demands to know if Karin is not worried about him and assumes that Ichigo must have been kidnapped, to Karin's irritation, as Isshin Kurosaki walks in and wonders why she is crying. When Isshin attaches several clothespins to his beard and claims to be a bearded daruma in an attempt to cheer Yuzu up, Karin unceremoniously yanks several of them off his chin while claiming that he always looks like this, leaving Isshin to collapse in pain as Yuzu sees Rukia Kuchiki walk in and frantically asks her if she found Ichigo, only for Rukia to sadly confirm that she did not, to Yuzu's distress. Later that night, Rukia stands on the roof of the house and looks over Karakura Town while noting that there is no trace of Ichigo's Reiatsu anywhere and wondering where he is. Inside the house, Kon lays with a tearful Yuzu in her bed and calls Ichigo a terrible brother for making his little sister cry.
The next day, at the Visored warehouse, an unimpressed and sweating Ichigo simulates running on the Super Trainer, an exercise machine with handles attached to the platforms he is standing on, as the Visored lay around, with Shinji Hirako wondering what they will be having for lunch and telling Hiyori Sarugaki to make something for them, Hiyori refusing since she is not his mother, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi asking Love Aikawa if he has listened to the new Prince of Darkness CD yet, Love laughing in tears over how hilarious he finds the contents of the latest issue of Shonen Jump to be and ignoring Rose pointing out that Love never lets him read it, Kensei Muguruma wrapping his hand in athletic tape and telling Lisa Yadōmaru to keep her eyes on Ichigo since she is on duty today, and Lisa claiming that she is despite reading an erotic magazine, prompting her to pretend to be counting Ichigo's repetitions when Kensei points this out.
In frustration, Ichigo kicks the Super Trainer at Hiyori, who pulls Shinji into its path to block it with his face, and demands to know what he is doing. Despite Hiyori threatening to beat him up for this, Ichigo counters that he should do this to her since the Visored promised to teach him how to control his inner Hollow, but have instead left him running like a hamster on a makeshift exercise machine all day. Nearby, Mashiro Kuna and Hachigen Ushōda enter through one of the shutters with bags of groceries as Ichigo declares that the Visored are crazy and he is just as bad for agreeing to do this, though Hiyori simply confirms that he is a bald and crazy idiot who should stop complaining since the Visored are going out of their way to train him. While Ichigo refuses to be insulted by someone with a protruding tooth and denies this being training, Hiyori clarifies that his face is the bald part and claims that her unique teeth happen to be charming assets while Mashiro offers lunch to an appreciative Love.
When Mashiro wonders why Ichigo and Hiyori are fighting, with Hiyori having escalated the argument to kicking Ichigo in the face, Love explains that he got tired of Hiyori's Super Trainer, and when Mashiro expresses shock at it taking him this long, Love asserts that it is Hiyori's fault for not explaining it properly, which Mashiro concurs with. After Hiyori throws the Super Trainer at Ichigo's head and orders him to keep going until he drops, Shinji stops an aggravated Ichigo from attacking her and explains that the Super Trainer is meant to prepare Ichigo for his upcoming training, though Hiyori is irritated by him referring to it derogatorily. Shinji details how Ichigo will get more out of his real training the longer he can last on the Super Trainer and states that the Visored will teach him how to control his inner Hollow, but only if he can use the Super Trainer for three consecutive days.
However, Ichigo counters that he could use the Super Trainer for a week and reveals that he has already figured out how it is designed to drain Reiryoku, with the Visored having intended to measure his maximum Reiryoku output by seeing how many days he can keep running until he collapses, before proclaiming that he could go for at least five consecutive days with the Reiryoku he currently has and does not want to waste that time, which is why he wants the Visored to just tell him how to control his inner Hollow since he does not have time to play around with them. In response, an unfazed Shinji yells at Ichigo to shut up, startling both him and the other Visored, and questions how he can claim that he does not have time when he does not even know how long it will take for the Hōgyoku to awaken, leaving Ichigo astonished by him knowing of the Hōgyoku. With Shinji concluding that he should stop whining since he does not understand the Hōgyoku or Hollowfication, Ichigo inquires about how he knows about the Hōgyoku, which leads Shinji to reveal that he has known about the Hōgyoku, the Arrancar, and even Sousuke Aizen for years.
Leaping down to the floor where Ichigo is standing, Shinji holds his right hand splayed open up to Ichigo's face and promises to tell him all about it some other time before musing that even though the Visored wanted to get his Soul accustomed to their ways, Ichigo having attained Shikai and Bankai after becoming a Shinigami in a very short period of time means that he might be correct in wanting them to get right to teaching him how to Hollowfy. With a bewildered Ichigo wondering how he knows this as well, Shinji uses Tanma Otoshi to render Ichigo unconscious and closes his unfocused eyes as Love hoists Ichigo over his shoulder. After telling Hachigen to set up a two-layered fault barrier, which he proceeds to do by erecting Hachigyō Sōgai around the warehouse, Shinji enters the Study Chamber underneath the warehouse alongside the other Visored while warning Ichigo that he is going to completely Hollowfy soon and must consume his inner Hollow instead of letting it consume him, since he will die if he does not.
Simultaneously, within his inner world, Ichigo confronts Hollow Ichigo, who sarcastically calls him a king and notes that it has been a while since they last met.
218. Dark Side of Universe 3 [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki faces off against his inner Hollow while the Visored prepare to fight the latter, now possessing Ichigo's body once more.
Having entered the Study Chamber underneath their warehouse hideout, the Visored congregate among the rocky spires and lay down Ichigo Kurosaki 's unconscious body alongside his Shikai, Zangetsu. After ordering Hachigen Ushōda to erect a barrier here as well and admonishing him for pouting despite his age, Shinji Hirako instructs him to bind Ichigo's body in addition, prompting Hachigen to drop five thick pillars onto Ichigo with Bakudō #75. Gochūtekkan.
Meanwhile, within his inner world, Ichigo faces Hollow Ichigo, who questions why he looks so melancholy as Ichigo looks around the area and inquires about where Zangetsu is. When Hollow Ichigo merely smirks in response, an angered Ichigo grasps the handle of Zangetsu, which leads Hollow Ichigo to ask him if Zangetsu is the sword in Ichigo's hand or the one in his own while drawing a color-inverted Zangetsu from his back. After bringing up Ichigo wanting to know where Zangetsu is, Hollow Ichigo leaps into the air and proclaims that he is Zangetsu before coming down on Ichigo with a slash that the latter blocks with Zangetsu.
Back in the real world, this clash produces a surge of Reiatsu emanating from Ichigo that alarms the Visored sitting around the barrier containing him. With Shinji warning the others that it is coming, Mashiro Kuna suggests that they hide Zangetsu, but Love Aikawa asserts that it would only make matters worse and Lisa Yadōmaru steels herself as Hollow Ichigo takes control of Ichigo's body by forming half of his mask over the latter's face and casually destroying the five pillars keeping him down, which allows him to stand up with a feral grin. While Lisa has Hachigen open a small portion of the barrier so she can enter first since she is on duty today, Shinji asks her to not kill Ichigo, but she simply claims that this will only happen if he does not kill her first, and as Hollow Ichigo grabs Zangetsu and rushes toward her, Lisa introduces herself and discards her Zanpakutō 's sheathe to begin their battle.
Simultaneously, in Ichigo's inner world, he blocks another attack from Hollow Ichigo by bracing his left forearm against the back of Zangetsu and demands to know what Hollow Ichigo did with Zangetsu, only for the latter to reiterate that he is Zangetsu and send Ichigo crashing into the building below by slashing his Zangetsu downward. After landing on the building as well, Hollow Ichigo informs Ichigo that he and Zangetsu have always been one since they are both Ichigo's power, though he was simply a part of Zangetsu before, and explains that their changing relationship altered the appearance of the body they shared, comparing it to flesh covering bones during life and bones becoming exposed during death. Hollow Ichigo details how his powers increasing caused him to become the dominant one and Zangetsu to become a part of him instead, which made it easier for him to dominate Ichigo's Soul every time the latter tried to draw on Zangetsu's powers.
In turn, Ichigo concludes that Zangetsu will become the center of his spiritual powers again if he defeats Hollow Ichigo here. Though Hollow Ichigo claims that this is impossible, Ichigo holds Zangetsu out in front of him and suggests that Hollow Ichigo look at this before he makes this claim. However, Hollow Ichigo simply holds out his own Zangetsu in the same stance and declares once more that it is impossible prior to performing Bankai alongside a stunned Ichigo.
219. Black & White 3 [ ]
Both having activated the same Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, Ichigo Kurosaki and Hollow Ichigo continue their battle.
In his inner world, Ichigo Kurosaki and Hollow Ichigo perform Bankai in unison, causing Ichigo's real-world body to stop in its tracks during the fight against Lisa Yadōmaru as its Reiatsu begins surging, to her surprise. Upon seeing a white substance pouring out of a newly-formed hole in Ichigo's chest, Shinji Hirako observes that it is beginning.
Back in the inner world, the surging Reiatsu accompanying Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo's Bankai releases tears though and obliterates the portions of the skyscraper they were standing on the side of, breaking it into three large chunks that fall away while Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo stand in their opposite-colored Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, before springing forward to cross blades. After Ichigo questions when he learned Bankai, Hollow Ichigo declares that he did so at the same time that Ichigo did and separates from him in a burst of oppositely-colored energy, only for Ichigo to move back to him with Shunpo and continue his assault as Hollow Ichigo blocks and wonders why Ichigo is angry instead of having fun with this. Telling Hollow Ichigo to shut up, Ichigo repels him with another slash, sending Hollow Ichigo smashing through two more skyscrapers, and fires a black Getsuga Tenshō at Hollow Ichigo. However, Hollow Ichigo simply dispels the Getsuga Tenshō by swiping his left hand through it, to Ichigo's astonishment, and moves up to clash with Ichigo once more prior to firing his own bright red Getsuga Tenshō, which engulfs Ichigo and obliterates the skyscraper behind him.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Lisa performs Panty-Flash Tornado against Hollow Ichigo, who has activated Tensa Zangetsu there as well, as Kensei Muguruma notices that Lisa has been fighting for ten minutes and has Hachigen Ushōda open up the barrier once more so he can intercept Hollow Ichigo with a powerful elbow to the chest before he can continue attacking Lisa, whom Kensei tells that her time is up. With Lisa leaving and Hollow Ichigo springing up from the ground he was was sent crashing into to rush forward, Kensei spins his Shikai, Tachikaze, around by the ring on its hilt and introduces himself as the one who will kill Hollow Ichigo. Outside the barrier, Shinji Hirako urges Ichigo to stop messing around and hurry before they are forced to kill him.
At the same time, in Ichigo's inner world, Hollow Ichigo stands apart from him with blood dripping from the tip of his blade as Ichigo pants with a large wound covering his chest. Reiterating that Ichigo is not good enough, Hollow Ichigo points out how he was the first to use Getsuga Tenshō after they obtained Bankai, meaning that Ichigo is a stupid child trying to imitate the master, and moves to Ichigo before grabbing his sword by the blade, causing it to begin turning white from the point of contact with his hand. While Hollow Ichigo concludes that he should give up because he is not good enough at Bankai, a stunned Ichigo sees his sword crumble and disappear.
220. King & His Horse [ ]
While his real body continues to Hollowfy at a rapid pace, Ichigo Kurosaki finds himself disarmed by Hollow Ichigo.
Outside the barrier in the underground Study Chamber, an injured Lisa Yadōmaru pants heavily and asks Shinji Hirako how long she has to rest. After Shinji states that the eight of them fighting for ten minutes each gives her eighty minutes, Hiyori Sarugaki reminds him that Lisa cannot fight while she is resting and Hachigen Ushōda wonders why he is being counted when he is maintaining the barrier, leaving Shinji irritated as Lisa internally admits that Hollow Ichigo was much stronger than she expected and warns Kensei Muguruma to be very careful.
Within the barrier, Kensei stabs his Shikai, Tachikaze, into Hollow Ichigo's left shoulder and rips it out in a spray of blood, only to be alarmed when the wound is instantly covered with white material through High-Speed Regeneration, prompting him to use Bakudantsuki to blow Hollow Ichigo's left arm completely off his torso at the shoulder. Suddenly, a large mouth with a studded tongue emerges during the High-Speed Regeneration that begins on the stump of Hollow Ichigo's left arm and surges toward Kensei in the form of a large worm, forcing him to use Bakudantsuki once more to destroy it as Hollow Ichigo stands with a new, white left arm with shoulder spikes and talons on its fingers. With Kensei noting that he Hollowfies pretty fast, Lisa recalls how the internal battle fought to become able to Hollowfy at will usually lasts no more than an hour and concludes that the six of them getting ten minute-long turns means that this will be over the next time she enters the barrier.
Meanwhile, within his inner world, Ichigo Kurosaki is stunned to see the sword of his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, turning white and crumbling to pieces while Hollow Ichigo breaks the tip of the sword in his hand and reiterates that he is Zangetsu. After Ichigo simply glares at him, an unimpressed Hollow Ichigo moves to him, grabs Ichigo by the face, and throws him through multiple skyscrapers as he wonders why Ichigo is standing there without a weapon. While Ichigo regains his footing within the falling rubble, Hollow Ichigo begins spinning his own sword around his finger by the chain attached to its hilt and asks Ichigo what the difference between a king and the horse he rides is. Ichigo is bewildered by this, but Hollow Ichigo assures him that it is an important truth rather than a riddle or guessing game and elaborates that he is questioning what two beings identical in shape, ability, and strength use to decide which of them will be the king to lead the charge into battle and which will lend its strength to the other like a horse, thus determining the order of domination.
When Ichigo does not respond, Hollow Ichigo claims that instinct is what allows one being to dominate another and become king, as it fuels an insatiable hunger for battle and power and the will to mercilessly crush, tear apart, and cut up enemies in the form of a ravenous bloodlust. Concluding that it manifests as the will to rip off skin, gouge flesh, crush bone, and mangle sinew, Hollow Ichigo asserts that one must want to kill somewhere deep in their primordial unconscious and accuses a shocked Ichigo of lacking this indomitable drive, since he tries to fight with his head and defeat enemies with reason. After wondering how Ichigo can fight with a sheathed sword, Hollow Ichigo proclaims that this is why Ichigo will never defeat him and throws his sword, which embeds itself in Ichigo's chest and pierces through his back to impale him.
As he states that he refuses to lose to Ichigo, Hollow Ichigo explains that, while he cannot speak for Zangetsu, he will never play horse to a king that is weaker than he is and be slain alongside him, which means that he will crush Ichigo and become the king himself if the latter is weaker than he is while moving to Ichigo and grabbing the hilt of the sword in Ichigo's abdomen with his right hand. However, a dazed Ichigo ruminates on Hollow Ichigo's mention of instinct and associates it with swords, seeking battle, and refusing to give control to Hollow Ichigo, the former of which prompts him to grab Hollow Ichigo's sword by the blade while the latter is pulling it out, causing it to begin turning black from the point of contact with his hand. Upon seeing the right sleeve of his coat turning black when the blackness coating the sword reaches it, a startled Hollow Ichigo frantically lets go and leaps back, where he sees Ichigo staring at him with focused eyes once more.
221. Let Eat The World's End [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki gains the resolve to tap into his killing instinct and concludes his battle with Hollow Ichigo.
Having seen the right sleeve of his coat beginning to turn black from his hand's point of contact with his white sword after Ichigo Kurosaki began blackening it with his own hand, Hollow Ichigo leaps back before it can alter the rest of his body and stares at Ichigo, who thinks about the concept of instinct and remembers 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.
Suddenly, Ichigo wakes up unharmed, wielding his Shikai, Zangetsu, and lying on a platform surrounded by floating versions of the buildings from the Senzaikyū pavilion, causing him to wonder where he is prior to a manifestation of Kenpachi embedding his Zanpakutō into the ground next to Ichigo's head. Once Ichigo bolts up in fright, Kenpachi comments on him finally being awake, and when Ichigo addresses him as Kenpachi and questions what this place is, Kenpachi slashes at his head, which a startled Ichigo narrowly evades, and inquires about who Kenpachi is since he is just here to kill Ichigo before bringing his Zanpakutō down in a powerful slash. Managing to block this with Zangetsu, a bewildered Ichigo leaps back, leaving Kenpachi to slam his Zanpakutō into the ground, and asserts that this does not make sense because his battle with Kenpachi is over, only for Kenpachi to counter that nothing is over since a battle with swords is not a fistfight and does not end until one of the combatants is dead. When Ichigo declares that he has no reason to fight Kenpachi, the latter questions if Ichigo really needs a reason to fight.
With Ichigo stunned by this, Kenpachi tells him that he seeks battle and elaborates that all who seek power also seek battle, though he does not know whether they seek battle to gain power or power to aid in battle. Proclaiming that they were born with the desire to fight, Kenpachi states that he and Ichigo were born to seek battle forever because it is the only way to gain power, and with Kenpachi concluding that the only way for him to conquer is for him to take his sword and slay his enemy with no other path available to him, Ichigo's consciousness returns to his inner world as he pulls the sword of Hollow Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu out of his abdomen and glares at a shocked Hollow Ichigo with focused eyes once more. After twirling the sword around in his hand to grasp it by the handle instead of the blade, Ichigo leaps forward and impales Hollow Ichigo with it.
After a brief pause, blackness begins surging out of the stab wound on Hollow Ichigo's back and spreading across his coat, leading the latter to curse and admit that Ichigo had some instinct to kill after all. With his body beginning to disintegrate from the legs up, Hollow Ichigo decides to accept Ichigo as his king for now, but warns him to never forget that either of them can become the king or the horse and that he will throw Ichigo off and crush the latter's skull the moment he senses the slightest weakness in Ichigo. Hollow Ichigo smiles at a silent Ichigo and advises him to not get killed until the next time they meet if Ichigo really wants to control his powers prior to the remainder of his body swelling up and exploding in an enormous surge of energy.
Back in the real world, Ichigo's Hollowfied body cracks open at the left shoulder and erupts in a powerful explosion of Reiatsu, stunning the watching Visored.
222. NO SHAKING THRONE [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki succeeds in conquering his inner Hollow and regains control of his body.
Narrowly evading a horizontal slash from Hollow Ichigo by leaning backward and moving back with a handspring, Love Aikawa is shocked to see blood spurt from a wound on his shoulder and looks at Hollow Ichigo, who has gained completely white skin with markings, elongated hair and fur covering his wrists and ankles, taloned feet with an additional back toe on each ankle, a near-complete Hollow mask covering all but his right eye, and a long, thick tail protruding from his lower back, which leads Love to observe that he looks completely Hollowfied. Outside the barrier boxing them in, Lisa Yadōmaru muses that Ichigo Kurosaki had been Hollowfied for sixty minutes when Love went in and that it is almost her turn before turning to Kensei Muguruma and inquiring about how long the longest internal battle of any of the Visored was, which Kensei reveals was sixty-nine minutes and two seconds with Hiyori Sarugaki prior to clarifying that Ichigo's battle has lasted sixty-eight minutes and forty-four seconds.
Back inside the barrier, Hollow Ichigo points two fingers on his left hand at Love, who is startled alongside Lisa, and begins charging a Cero, causing Lisa to call out to Love in concern as the latter prepares to summon his own Hollow mask. Though Mashiro Kuna is astonished at him being willing to Hollowfy as well, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi reminds her that even Love would have to Hollowfy to repel such a powerful attack. Suddenly, Hollow Ichigo's left shoulder begins cracking, with his right shoulder quickly following suit, and a startled Hiyori has Hachigen Ushōda move to get Love out of the barrier as Hollow Ichigo screams at his entire body cracking and explodes in a powerful surge of Reiatsu that fills the entire barrier.
In the aftermath, the Visored gather around the barrier while the dust clears to reveal the husk of the Hollow form falling off of Ichigo, who stands with a smaller version of the Hollow mask covering his face. With the remnants of the Hollow form crumbling on the ground, Shinji Hirako has Hachigen dispel the barrier and approaches Ichigo apprehensively, only for the latter to collapse, causing his mask to slide off his face and fall face-up on the ground. Despite Mashiro Kuna 's uncertainty about him being alright, when Shinji asks Ichigo how he is feeling, a smiling Ichigo looks up and asserts that he is not bad, to Shinji's amusement, as he recalls Hollow Ichigo's warning about taking over his body if he shows the slightest weakness and apologizes because he does not intend to let Hollow Ichigo do this.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Orihime Inoue walks down the street and notes that Ichigo was not at Karakura High School again today before taking a moment to search for his Reiatsu, which she is able to sense and uses to confirm that he is alright. Assuming that Ichigo is in the middle of secret training and that she should not go looking for him, Orihime recalls that Rukia Kuchiki is worried about him as well and wonders if Ichigo left without telling her anything. Upon remembering Ichigo's distraught face after the battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Orihime realizes she is gloomy due to being lonely since Uryū Ishida and Yasutora Sado were not at school today either. As she decides to get Tatsuki Arisawa and go out to eat something interesting this weekend, Orihime recalls Tatsuki acting strangely as well and pauses somberly for a moment prior to resolving to head over to Tatsuki's house tomorrow and find out what has been going on with her.
However, Orihime is interrupted when Shinmura calls out to her, prompting Orihime to greet her, and inquires about the trustworthiness of the people staying with her, to Orihime's confusion. Upon learning that they carried something odd into her apartment earlier, Orihime runs inside the living room to find 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, standing before a gigantic monitor filled with static that is attached to the walls and floor by fleshy, tendril-like growths. Initially considering this to be awesome, Orihime quickly changes her mind and demands to know what it is, which leads an exasperated Hitsugaya to note that her timing could not be worse and identify himself to the monitor, which a technician in Soul Society switches to a feed of Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. As Orihime stares in surprise at this, Yamamoto commends Hitsugaya for his swift work in setting up this link and reveals that they have discovered Sousuke Aizen 's true objective.
223. The Scarlet Creation [ ]
Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto reveals Sousuke Aizen 's true goal to Orihime Inoue.
Having been told alongside 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, by Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto that the Gotei 13 has discovered Sousuke Aizen 's true objective, Orihime Inoue nervously observes that this sounds pretty serious and attempts to leave, but Yamamoto requests that she stay and listen because this concerns Humans as well, prompting Orihime to stop and agree to do so.
Yamamoto notes how it has been one month since Aizen escaped and explains that the Fifth Division captain's room, the Central Underground Assembly Hall, the Seijōtōkyorin, and the Daireishokairō are still being examined, with the latter three generally being off-limits to the point that few captains have any idea of what is within them. When Hitsugaya questions what is going on and what Yamamoto wants to tell them, Yamamoto recounts how 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake made an unusual discovery while investigating the Daireishokairō the other day, where he found that not only had certain documents relating to the Hōgyoku been accessed, but a body of literature completely unrelated to the Hōgyoku was accessed two days prior to Aizen's departure. Upon inquiring about what this body of literature referred to, Hitsugaya is astonished to learn that it was about the Ōken, and when Orihime questions what this is, Rangiku explains how Soul Society has its own royal family that lets Central 46 oversee the realm and never interfere with the Gotei 13, to the point of none of the Shinigami having ever seen them.
Affirming this, Yamamoto states that the monarch is called the Soul King, a symbolic yet revered figure in Soul Society, and that the Soul King Palace exists in a different dimension from the rest of Soul Society while being guarded by the Royal Guard, with the Ōken opening the gate to that dimension. With Orihime realizing what this means, Yamamoto theorizes that he indeed wishes to murder the Soul King, but dismisses this as not being the immediate threat, prompting Hitsugaya to inquire about whether the body of literature that Aizen accessed pertains to the location of the Ōken. However, Yamamoto denies this since that secret has been passed down orally by the Captain-Commanders of the Gotei 13 for generations and cannot be found in any book prior to clarifying that Aizen accessed the literature documenting the creation of the Ōken and now knows how it was made. Despite Rangiku assuming that he could have already made his own Ōken, Yamamoto explains that it is not so simple and that the immediate problem is the raw materials and conditions that Aizen needs: 100,000 Souls and a Jūreichi that is two ri in diameter are needed in order to create an Ōken. While Orihime picks up on the sheer number of Souls required for this, Yamamoto observes that they are not the only concern because a Jūreichi is an unusual phenomenon in the Human World, due to its location changing over time and its nature as a spiritually-charged area that Souls are drawn to, before concluding that the Jūreichi which Aizen is targeting is Karakura Town.
With Orihime stunned by this, Yamamoto admits that 100,000 Souls and a Jūreichi are too abstract as terms and bluntly asserts that Aizen creating the Ōken as indicated in the literature will carve Karakura Town and its residents out of this world and from existence, leaving Orihime mortified. However, when a trembling Orihime wonders if there is anything they can do to stop Aizen, Yamamoto promises her that they will find a way because that is why the Gotei 13 exists. As Orihime stares in amazement at this and Rangiku smiles at her, Yamamoto elaborates that they also have some time to prepare due to the Hōgyoku remaining in a dormant state for approximately four months after being removed from a Soul before it can completely awaken, which means that Aizen cannot assemble his army until then and that this is when he will make his move. After declaring that the battle will come in the winter, Yamamoto orders Hitsugaya and Rangiku to sharpen their skills and prepare themselves for battle until then before turning his attention to Orihime, whom he requests the help of alongside her other Human friends since the area that Aizen will be focusing on is too large for the Gotei 13 to handle by themselves. Once Yamamoto finishes by asking her to inform Ichigo Kurosaki of the situation, Orihime firmly agrees to do so.
Following this, Rangiku leaves to inform 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and the others of the situation, but when Hitsugaya attempts to join her, Yamamoto requests that he stay and listen since someone has been waiting to speak to him and moves out of the way to reveal the figure behind him, whom Hitsugaya is startled by the appearance of. Meanwhile, in the Study Chamber underneath the Urahara Shop, a bloodied Yasutora Sado is sent crashing into a rock formation by 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, who stands with his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, active and questions if Sado has had enough, only for Sado to deny this and resume attacking with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, as Renji asserts that he knew this would be the case and Kisuke Urahara watches intently nearby. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Orihime runs down the street and focuses on Rukia Kuchiki, Uryū Ishida, Sado, and Ichigo.
Bleach, Volume 26
224. Imitated Gaiety [ ]
10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya speaks to 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori for the first time since Sousuke Aizen 's betrayal while Yasutora Sado undergoes training.
Upon seeing 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori appearing from behind Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto on the monitor connecting to Soul Society set up in Orihime Inoue 's apartment, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya expresses shock while his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, solemnly exits the apartment and walks away. Back inside the apartment, Hitsugaya observes that Hinamori is awake and questions if she is sure that she should be walking around, and though Hinamori assures him that she is fine now, Hitsugaya internally notes that her tired eyes indicate that she is not fine. After a moment's pause, Hinamori apologize for having ever doubted Hitsugaya and for having drawn her Zanpakutō against him, not knowing what she was thinking when she did this, but Hitsugaya cuts off her self-criticism by asserting that he has already forgotten about the matter because it is behind them and that Hinamori should focus on going back to sleep so she can get rid of the bags underneath her eyes.
With Hinamori tearfully thanking him for this, Hitsugaya elaborates that she already looks like a child and that children need twice as much sleep as adults do since they will stop growing otherwise, to her astonishment. When Hitsugaya claims that she will need ten years of sleep to catch up to someone like Rangiku, a flustered Hinamori counters that Rangiku is abnormal and that Hitsugaya is in no position to give somebody else advice about growing. However, a smiling Hitsugaya reminds her that he is a captain now and no longer just her childhood friend, which she acknowledges as she calms down. Hesitating for several seconds, Hinamori asks Hitsugaya if he is going to fight Sousuke Aizen, and when Hitsugaya confirms this, Hinamori inquires about the possibility of killing him and begs Hitsugaya to not do so, to the latter's shock. While a sweating Hinamori claims that Aizen must have had a reason for the terrible things he did and could have been forced to do so by Gin Ichimaru or someone else, Yamamoto holds his hand over her face and performs Inemuri, causing Hinamori's eyes to go blank as she loses consciousness, with 1st Division Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe catching her body when she collapses. Yamamoto turns to Hitsugaya and apologizes for granting Hinamori's request to speak with him because it may have been too soon, only for Hitsugaya to tell him that it is alright and bid Yamamoto farewell despite the latter's concern prior to turning off the video feed. As he clenches his fist, Hitsugaya ruminates on what Aizen has done to Hinamori.
Meanwhile, in the Study Chamber underneath the Urahara Shop, Yasutora Sado fires an energy blast with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, at 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, who leaps into the air while wielding his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, and mocks him as seemingly getting weak, prompting Sado to claim that he is not while Kisuke Urahara watches them.
In the past, Renji is startled by Urahara's request for him to train Sado and wonders why he was chosen, which leads Urahara to admit that he does not think Sado will leave even if asked, and when Renji points out that Urahara should be the one to train Sado if he wants to be trained, Urahara states that whoever trains Sado needs to have Bankai. With Renji asserting that this further solidifies why he should train Sado since he can perform Bankai, Urahara claims that he could not possibly perform Bankai since he is simply a lowly-but-handsome merchant, but an exasperated Renji declares that everyone knows he is the former captain of the Twelfth Division and the creator of the Hōgyoku. However, after casually concluding that he forgot, which leaves Tessai Tsukabishi to restrain Renji while the latter demands to be let go so he can mangle Urahara due to having never met someone so frustrating before in his entire life, Urahara clarifies that it must be Renji since his Bankai is not suited for training or strengthening people.
As Renji stares in surprise at this, Urahara recalls the former wanting to ask him something, which he has managed to avoid up until now, and proposes that Renji do odd jobs for him for the next three months in exchange for Urahara answering any question he asks. Despite Renji asserting that training someone is not an odd job, Urahara claims that it is since training is a nuisance and one could get killed doing it before inquiring about whether Renji would rather give up on the question he wished to ask, which results in Renji reluctantly agreeing to his terms while Tessai realizes that Urahara tricked him into doing odd jobs in addition to the training and Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya call him stupid for this.
In the present, Urahara continues to watch Renji spar with Sado and notes that the former is certainly throwing himself into it despite how resistant he was to the idea. Turning to Sado, Urahara internally asserts that his powers clearly have the potential to increase through repeated battles against a Bankai, but is left troubled by the fact that Brazo Derecha de Gigante is something different and distinct from the powers of Shinigami and Quincy. Simultaneously, at the Study Chamber underneath the Visored warehouse, Ichigo Kurosaki manages to don his Hollow mask for a brief second, only for it to immediately shatter while Hiyori Sarugaki kicks him in the face for failing to stay Hollowfied. Though Ichigo protests that he would be in great danger if he remained Hollowfied, Hiyori counters that this is the point of his training and that he should just refrain from doing it at all if he is not going to do it right, prompting Love Aikawa and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi to observe that they are getting along swimmingly.
Outside the Visored warehouse, Orihime Inoue nervously approaches and realizes that this must be where Ichigo is located.
225. Slip Into My Barrier [ ]
Orihime Inoue enters the Visored Study Chamber to warn Ichigo Kurosaki about Sousuke Aizen 's intentions.
Upon seeing a cat, two birds, and several ants conspicuously moving as though they are near an invisible wall surrounding the Visored warehouse, Orihime Inoue realizes that this is the result of the Hachigyō Sōgai barrier erected around the warehouse that is blocking the building out of the minds of others, who cannot even think of approaching it. However, upon pressing her hand against the barrier, which ripples around it, Orihime notes that it is similar to the Santen Kesshun of her Shun Shun Rikka despite its power, and as her fingers breach the barrier, a determined Orihime concludes that she can enter it.
Meanwhile, in the Study Chamber below the warehouse, an annoyed Ichigo Kurosaki responds to being told to do it one more time by summoning and donning his Hollow mask through making a ripping motion with his hand across his face prior to raising his left arm in order to block a kick from Hiyori Sarugaki, who has her own Hollow mask resting on the side of her head. In response to Ichigo expressing pain at this, Hiyori reminds him once again that he is slower immediately after Hollowfying and asserts that he would have been dead had her blow landed as she performs Gatling Mad-Stomping, which sends a defending Ichigo smashing through several rocks across the Study Chamber.
Upon seeing this, Hachigen Ushōda observes that Ichigo's retention time is not increasing very quickly, only for Shinji Hirako to state that it is not easy to do so, and when Ichigo's Hollow mask shatters, Kensei Muguruma announces that it lasted for four seconds, leaving Shinji nonplussed. When Mashiro Kuna wonders why Ichigo is doing this, Kensei clarifies that he is doing it to increase the amount of time that he can remain Hollowfied and asserts that Mashiro did it too, and when Mashiro denies this, Shinji informs an irritated Kensei that Mashiro has been able to Hollowfy for over fifteen hours from the very start and is the only Visored who has not done this part of the training, prompting a surprised Kensei to conclude that he must have forgotten, only to become angered once more when Mashiro mocks him over this and calls him a grouch.
Suddenly, Hachigen looks up in astonishment and warns a quizzical Shinji that someone just slipped through the Hachigyō Sōgai, which shocks the other Visored. With Love Aikawa asking him if it is a Shinigami, Hachigen elaborates that the Hachigyō Sōgai is an original technique which he developed after becoming a Visored and which cannot be broken by a Shinigami's Kidō, leading Kensei to demand to know if it is another Visored. Admitting that he does not know, Hachigen muses that this individual slipped through the barrier rather than breaking through it, something not even a Visored can do, and an unnerved Kensei questions who or what they could be as the Visored look up at the steps leading up to the warehouse to see Orihime nervously descending them.
With the Visored stunned at the intruder being a Human, Orihime timidly asks them where the bathroom is and immediately clarifies that she was joking, though Kensei still expresses irritation at this as Lisa Yadōmaru berates him for taking it so seriously and Love asserts that he would not be making jokes in this situation. However, they are interrupted when Orihime's attention is drawn to Ichigo slamming into the ground nearby to Hiyori's derision, causing them to recognize each other with surprise. Some time later, after Orihime relays Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto 's warning about Sousuke Aizen 's true intentions, a battered Ichigo ponders this in silence, and when Ichigo wonders why she is staring at him over this, Orihime notes that he does not seem very surprised by what she told him. In response, Ichigo explains that he is simply having a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of Karakura Town being destroyed to create an Ōken, but assures Orihime that he is going to stop Aizen because he can feel how much stronger he is getting.
As she watches Ichigo thank her for the warning and return to his training with a belligerent Hiyori, Orihime realizes that he cannot really process what she told him because he is so busy training and getting stronger, which allows him to know exactly what he needs to do without fear regardless of what Aizen is planning. Though still cautious about Ichigo's empowerment being strange rather than nice or scary like it was before, Orihime concludes that she needs to get stronger too and exits the warehouse to run out into Karakura Town while someone watches her from behind.
226. Right of My Heart [ ]
Uryū Ishida concludes his training with Ryūken Ishida to have his Quincy powers restored.
In the Visored Study Chamber, Kensei Muguruma wonders who Orihime Inoue was as Lisa Yadōmaru notes that she ran away after speaking to Ichigo Kurosaki and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi observes that they seemed to be friends. When Shinji Hirako identifies Orihime by name, Kensei demands to know if he knows her, and when Shinji melodramatically claims that Orihime was his first love, an infuriated Kensei asserts that this is an obvious lie while Lisa reminds him that he says this about every attractive girl, including her, and Rose mentally wonders if she is saying that Orihime is attractive. Behind Shinji, Hiyori Sarugaki is aghast at the idea of Shinji saying this to every attractive girl since he did not say it to her, which Shinji confirms, prior to being sent flying when Ichigo attacks and warns her to not get distracted.
During this, Love Aikawa assures Hachigen that his barriers are undoubtedly flawless, which Hachigen affirms, but questions how Orihime detected the warehouse and got inside the barrier when this is the case, leading an uncertain Hachigen to theorize that she possesses the same type of barrier ability as he does since he examined her Reiatsu at close range, which is what allowed her to detect the warehouse and slip through the Hachigyō Sōgai, though he admits that it is incredible for a Human to possess such powers. Simultaneously, outside the warehouse, Yoruichi Shihōin lands before Orihime and reveals that Kisuke Urahara sent her to find Orihime because he wants the latter brought to his Study Chamber right away.
Meanwhile, at the Karakura Hospital Study Chamber, a panting and ragged Uryū Ishida stands amid dozens of holes in the walls and floor around him before leaping to the side in order to avoid another barrage of attacks. Upon slipping off the edge of the platform he was standing on and falling toward another platform far below, Uryū frantically uses Wolke to cushion his fall. From nearby, Ryūken Ishida approaches with his Heilig Bogen in hand and observes that Uryū was cautious to keep some Gintō stored on his person. When Uryū wonders if he is being called a coward, Ryūken confirms this and attacks with Klavier, forcing Uryū to evade the Heilig Pfeil with Hirenkyaku while they create several more explosions of force upon impact with the surrounding area.
Ryūken admonishes Uryū for being so slow to dodge and assumes he is reaching his limit due to how much Uryū has slowed down, and as he continues to evade the dozens of Heilig Pfeil fired by Ryūken, Uryū mentally admits that he can barely move his arms and legs at this point, only to realize that Ryūken's Reiatsu is weakening too. As he ruminates on Ryūken's promise that his Quincy powers would come back if Uryū kept dodging his Heilig Pfeil, Uryū internally asserts that there is no sign of it working and wonders if Ryūken was lying to him, since he will certainly die if they keep going like this. After concluding that he has reached his limit and must end this exercise, with his chance coming as Ryūken pauses his onslaught, Uryū lands before him and brings out his last Gintō, shocking Ryūken, before using Gritz to encase Ryūken in a large, oval-shaped, stone-like barrier.
However, Uryū's triumph is cut short when Gritz dissipates to reveal an unfazed Ryūken wielding a much larger Heilig Bogen with an intricate Heilig Pfeil notched in its string. Apologizing to Uryū and declaring that it is over, Ryūken fires the Heilig Pfeil and hits Uryū near the center of his chest, leaving Uryū to curse Ryūken having gotten him while collapsing. With Uryū's glasses flying off and landing on the floor, Ryūken walks over and details how striking a Quincy with a Heilig Pfeil 19 millimeters to the right of their heart's sinoatrial node after pushing their mind and body to their limits is the only way to regain the powers lost from using Quincy: Letzt Stil, with Uryū having gained a Quincy Zeichen on his chest centered over the area where the Heilig Pfeil pierced his body. While kneeling next to Uryū, Ryūken wonders why he did not use Heizen instead of Gritz since it would have let him at least inflict an injury even if he could not win, and though he asserts that Uryū's stupid choice makes him sick, Ryūken decides to let him live this time.
227. The Swordless Soldier [ ]
Kisuke Urahara tells Orihime Inoue that she will not be part of the upcoming battle due to her weakened state.
At an apartment complex in Karakura Town, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa laughs uproariously at 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, who has been forced to wear a gaudy shirt with hearts and a cute bear on the front. After an annoyed Ikkaku headbutts Yumichika and tells him to shut up, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto appears between them and cackles at Ikkaku's appearance as well, to his and Yumichika's shock. When Ikkaku demands to know how she got in, Rangiku points out how the front door was unlocked, which she considers a sign of poor security, and questions what the Human World has done to Ikkaku's fashion sense, leading him to clarify that he got this from the landlady of the complex and respond to Rangiku's disbelief over wearing whatever is given to him by refusing to complain about the clothes he is given when he and Yumichika have free room and board here.
With a surprised Rangiku noting that she complains constantly about her food and clothing, Ikkaku asks Yumichika about who Rangiku is staying with, which prompts Yumichika to reveal that it is Orihime Inoue, whom even he is beginning to feel sorry for despite her being a Human. When Keigo Asano opens the front door and tentatively asks Ikkaku and Yumichika how things are going, he sees Rangiku's breasts and lunges toward her in rapturous glee over them coming before him once more. However, upon being nonchalantly struck in the face by Rangiku's leg, Keigo intercepts her strike by holding his arms in front of his face and slides several feet back otherwise unharmed, to her alarm, prior to proclaiming that he has been underestimated and will never fall for the same technique twice, only for Rangiku to kick him directly in the face with the tip of her foot, knocking him unconscious as Ikkaku chastises Rangiku for being so brutal when Keigo just wanted to jump her. Suddenly, Mizuho Asano enthusiastically opens the door and inquires about Ikkaku's behavior, but briefly mistakes the apartment for someone else's upon seeing Rangiku and angrily demands to know what she is doing here while Ikkaku suggests that a bemused Rangiku do what she came here to do and go since it is going to get messy.
Meanwhile, at the Study Chamber underneath the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara welcomes Orihime, who has been brought here by Yoruichi Shihōin, and notes that they have not seen each other in quite some time. After observing that it is nice to have a young woman stop by the office since he has been watching two sweaty men fight each other for multiple days now, Urahara sets down a small table next to the sparring between Yasutora Sado and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, which startles Orihime. When Renji seemingly incapacitates Sado with a powerful blow and announces that he is done for the day, Urahara prevents Orihime from rushing to Sado's side and instructs Tessai Tsukabishi and Ururu Tsumugiya to heal him, but Sado insists that he can keep going and gets to his feet while re-manifesting his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which leads a grinning Renji to jokingly chastise him for pushing himself too hard.
Once Orihime turns to him and inquires about what he wishes to discuss, Urahara brings up Rangiku stopping by earlier to relay Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto 's warning about Sousuke Aizen seeking to create an Ōken, which he assumes Ikkaku has been informed of as well by now, and admits that it caught all of them by surprise as he ruminates on how they and Soul Society must prepare to fight a battle this winter that will shed more blood than ever before and require them to be stronger than ever before. However, when Orihime affirms this and declares that she wants to get stronger too, Urahara acknowledges this before telling Orihime that she will not be fighting with them this time, leaving her, Sado, and Renji stunned while Urahara brings up Tsubaki being destroyed by Yammy Llargo the other day. Upon being asked if he has been repaired, Orihime admits that he was so badly broken that she does not even know how to fix him, which prompts Urahara to elaborate that Tsubaki is her only offensive weapon and that it is out of the question for her to even consider participating in the battle without him.
In response, Sado interjects and asserts that they cannot leave Orihime behind when she is a friend of theirs who fought hard in Soul Society and wishes to get stronger, only for Urahara to call this an emotional argument and ask Sado if he wants Orihime to get killed. Denying this, Sado claims that her ability to protect and heal people is more valuable than fighting, but Urahara counters that the defensive capabilities of Santen Kesshun are too limited to be useful in the upcoming battle and that the Fourth Division can take care of their casualties with Captain Retsu Unohana and Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu on the front lines. With Urahara concluding that Orihime's powers will not be needed and that a warrior who cannot fight will only hold them back despite Sado's continued protests, Orihime assures Sado that it is okay and thanks both him and Urahara prior to bidding them farewell and running off. Before Sado can follow her, Renji grabs him by the shoulder and states that Urahara is right since the Fourth Division has had combat training in addition to their Kaidō specialization and Orihime's abilities do not change the fact that she is a Human whose personality precludes her from being a warrior, meaning that this may be a good time for her to drop out.
Simultaneously, in Las Noches, Aizen reviews Ulquiorra Cifer 's memory of Orihime healing Sado with Sōten Kisshun during the encounter with him and Yammy prior to noting that she has a very interesting ability.
228. Don't Look Back [ ]
Orihime Inoue regains her resolve to fight in the upcoming battle with assistance from Rukia Kuchiki and Hachigen Ushōda.
Rushing up the ladder from the Study Chamber beneath the Urahara Shop and to the shop's sliding front door, Orihime Inoue is stunned to find Rukia Kuchiki standing on the other side, and as a surprised Rukia questions what is wrong, Orihime hunches over and begins crying in front of her, to Rukia's further distress.
Later that night, Rukia sits on the rooftop of a building with Orihime and is informed of Kisuke Urahara 's decision on Orihime not joining the upcoming battle, prompting an outraged Rukia to call Urahara a jerk and express sympathy for Orihime. When the latter claims that she feels better after talking to Rukia and that Urahara is correct in saying she is not strong enough for this, Rukia angrily grabs Orihime by the collar and denies this on the grounds of Orihime having done her share of fighting up until now and even traveling to Soul Society to fight, which is why she should be mad at being dismissed like this. However, Orihime insists that she is not mad or lying and clarifies that she is just sad because she wants to fight with the rest of them while also not wanting to be a burden to anyone else, which means that she would rather be sad than hinder Ichigo Kurosaki or anyone else.
In response, a sympathetic Rukia assures Orihime that those who lack spirit are the ones who cause problems on the battlefield rather than those who lack power and that not one of Ichigo's group was a hindrance in the battle in Soul Society since she would be dead right now had Orihime, Ichigo, Yasutora Sado, or Uryū Ishida not been there. With Rukia concluding that there has to be something Orihime can do to make herself fit for this battle and proposing that they find it together, Hiyori Sarugaki suddenly crashes down next to a startled Rukia and Orihime, the latter of whom she grabs by the collar and informs that she is going to see Hachigen Ushōda by request prior to leaping into the air with a confused and screaming Orihime, which leaves Rukia to wonder who she was.
Shortly afterward, Orihime is dumped in the Study Chamber beneath the Visored warehouse in front of Hachigen, who introduces himself and sits ponderously before a nervous Orihime, who inquires about what he wanted to talk about before having her head twisted to the left by Hachigen, to her distress. Hachigen confirms from looking at Orihime's hairpins that they are the source of her power and almost like Zanpakutō, only to bring up one of them being damaged, which has bothered him ever since she first showed up in the Study Chamber. When Orihime explains that it was broken and that she cannot fix it, Hachigen cheerfully offers to fix it for her, causing Orihime to cheer in excitement as an unnerved Kensei Muguruma tells Hachigen that he can stop holding her head now.
Nearby, Mashiro Kuna throws a tantrum over Hachigen fixing Orihime's weapon and demands that the latter be forced to leave, and as an irritated Kensei admonishes her for this, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi notes that Hachigen probably feels happy because the Visored rarely meet people with abilities similar to their own, which likely feels like discovering a long-lost relative. While Ichigo continues to train with Hiyori nearby, Hachigen lays Orihime's broken hairpin within a cubical barrier and recounts her explanation of not being allowed to fight since it was broken into too many pieces for her to fix, though Orihime notes that this is not correct and is just close enough due to having explained it five times already. However, Hachigen muses that Orihime possessing powers very much like his own means that she should be able to restore these broken pieces with ease as Tsubaki suddenly pops back into existence and berates an amazed Orihime for her expression.
Watching an overjoyed Orihime cuddle an outraged Tsubaki to her face and thank him for enabling this, Hachigen observes that she should be able to join the front line with Tsubaki restored, but advises her against doing so since their abilities being similar means that she is not suited for combat, especially against the Arrancar. When Orihime responds to being asked if she still wants to fight by confidently declaring that she does, an understanding Hachigen assures her that she will and creates a tiny, cubical barrier between his fingers as he notes that she does not fully understand her abilities yet and must find a solution that will allow her to fight prior to reminding Orihime that what matters is how she wants to be rather than how she should be, which Orihime thanks him for.
Afterward, Orihime emerges from the Hachigyō Sōgai surrounding the warehouse above, and upon seeing Rukia standing nearby, a startled Orihime begins to explain what is inside the barrier, only for Rukia to deny wanting to know since she came here upon detecting a trace of Ichigo's Reiatsu and knows he must not have told her about it for a good reason, since him being safe is enough for her. With Rukia inviting her to leave, Orihime mentally asserts that she will not have to turn to Ichigo this time like she has before out of weakness because she will be able to fight without looking at his back next time they meet prior to verbally agreeing to go with Rukia.
229. The Howling Tempest [ ]
After a month of training, Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies continue to struggle as Sousuke Aizen gives Ulquiorra Cifer orders to carry out.
In Las Noches, Ulquiorra Cifer walks down a hallway and enters a side room to find Yammy Llargo, who is having his right arm reattached by Roka Paramia. When Yammy asks him what he wants as Roka removes the bandages covering his stitches, which she begins pulling out, Ulquiorra observes that he has healed and that it was worth bringing his severed arm back, though Yammy complains about the length of the healing process making him think that his arm was going to rot and wishes that his body could regenerate like Ulquiorra's eyeballs do. In response, Ulquiorra berates him for whining since his arm has been put back on and not completely destroyed like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez 's, which would have caused him to be demoted from the Espada like the latter was. With Yammy conceding to this with his tattoo of the number 10 adorning his left shoulder, Roka informs him that the treatment is complete, and as Yammy stands up and begins curling his fingers to test their responsiveness, Roka inquires about whether there is any loss of mobility or sensitivity compared to before his arm was severed, prompting Yammy to slam his fist down onto her head, crushing it and killing her instantly. While Roka's corpse spurts blood from her neck and collapses, Yammy muses that his arm is not at full strength yet since such a blow would have split her in two if it were, leading an unimpressed Ulquiorra to tell him that they are going since Sousuke Aizen wants to see them.
On October 29th, in the Visored Study Chamber, Love Aikawa sits with Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and ruminates on the deep meaning of the line "You are already dead", as it indicates that the people being informed of this by the speaker have not yet realized that they have been killed, though an exasperated Rose wonders if this is meant to sound like the rhetoric of Egon Schiele and requests that Love stop reading his comics before he does since the latter keeps spoiling them for him. Meanwhile, having sent Ichigo Kurosaki crashing into another rock formation, Hiyori Sarugaki tells him to get up and questions if Ichigo knows how many times he could have been killed during their skirmish prior to sarcastically assuming that Ichigo believes Shinigami are supposed to get killed a lot, to Ichigo's annoyance.
Suddenly, Kensei Muguruma announces that it is time for lunch and that whoever is last in line will be cleaning the dishes. Soon afterward, Ichigo grudgingly cleans the dishes as Shinji Hirako inquires about how his training is progressing, prompting Hiyori to disparage Ichigo for only being able to keep his mask summoned for a little over ten seconds. When Lisa Yadōmaru suggests that he might not have what it takes and that he should just give up, Ichigo demands that she shut up since she is not even involved in the training, but Lisa counters that she is since she lent him an erotic magazine the other day, which leads a flustered Ichigo to deny having borrowed anything from her and accuse Lisa of telling lies that sound somewhat plausible. Nearby, Love assures Ichigo that it is fine since he borrows the same magazine every couple of days and Lisa asserts that she looks at it twice a day, and when Ichigo declares that he is not a pervert like they are, Lisa proclaims that she is simply really curious instead of a pervert, though Kensei observes that most perverts are curious. Watching this, Shinji ruminates on Ichigo only being at ten seconds after a month, which indicates that it will take time for him, and concludes that the Hōgyoku awakening at the end of December means they have just two more months, which they will have to hurry during.
Back in Las Noches, Ulquiorra and Yammy walk down a long hall and reach a large door, where Ulquiorra announces his arrival. As the doors open automatically, Aizen welcomes them both and promises that this will not take much longer as he stands before a mummified individual with Coyote Starrk, Tier Harribel, Nnoitra Gilga, Luppi Antenor, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and Aaroniero Arruruerie observing. With Aizen dropping the Hōgyoku into a glass container in front of the individual, Ulquiorra asks him about its awakening status, which leads Aizen to confirm that it is only half-awake and will completely awaken exactly when Soul Society expects it to.
However, Aizen reveals that there is a secret which only those who have actually touched the Hōgyoku know, something he does not expect even Kisuke Urahara to know since the latter sealed it away so quickly after developing it and never removed the seal, and elaborates that a dormant Hōgyoku with its seal removed can briefly unleash its full power when it is joined with someone who possesses the Reiryoku of an average captain while using his power and the Hōgyoku to shatter the bindings on the individual in front of him, completing their transformation into an Arrancar. Upon being asked for his name by Aizen, the individual identifies himself as Wonderweiss Margela. In turn, a smiling Aizen asks Ulquiorra if the latter remembers the order he was given a month ago, which Ulquiorra confirms, and instructs him to carry it out with whomever he likes joining him on the mission. After Ulquiorra affirms this, Aizen turns to a one-armed Grimmjow and wonders if he would like to go as well.
Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, an aggravated 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa screams in frustration and repeatedly whacks his Zanpakutō against a nearby rock while telling it to break. When 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto throws a sandal at his head and questions what is wrong, Yumichika explains that Fuji Kujaku is angering him by being snobby, bossy, and narcissistic, to the point that Yumichika does not believe he can ever externalize his spirit and would not bother even if asked. In turn, Rangiku asserts that Fuji Kujaku is just like Yumichika and claims that Haineko is the total opposite of her as a stupid, needy, and moody slob, but Yumichika counters that this is just like Rangiku, whom he considers to be incredibly vain. When the two of them begin fighting each other over this, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya threatens to send them back to Soul Society if they do not shut up and concentrate prior to lamenting their inability to communicate with their Zanpakutō Spirit more quietly while performing Jinzen with his own Zanpakutō next to 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, who opens his eyes to notice that the clouds are moving quickly in the sky above them. Though Ikkaku denies having said anything when Hitsugaya notices his reaction, a Garganta begins opening in the air above.
230. Dead White Invasion [ ]
Yammy Llargo, Luppi Antenor, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and Wonderweiss Margela invade Karakura Town.
At the training grounds behind the Thirteenth Division barracks in the Seireitei, Captain Jūshirō Ukitake sits on a small cliff and drinks from a cup of tea as 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi walks up behind him and wonders what he is doing. In response, Ukitake states that he was taking a break to enjoy the show and points to the ground below the cliff, where Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue are fiercely training with each other. When Hisagi recognizes Rukia, Ukitake identifies Orihime and explains that they have been training for the coming war for the past month, and when Hisagi observes that they seem to be having too much fun, Ukitake affirms this and notes that Rukia has never been good at making friends since she rarely opens up, which left him surprised when she showed up to him in desperation and requested that he open up the training grounds behind the barracks.
With Rukia grinning as she continues to spar with Orihime, Ukitake asserts that he is happy for her since she has found a friend, though Hisagi wonders if this is logical when her friend is a Human. Despite Hisagi requesting forgiveness when Ukitake asks him to not say this, Ukitake concludes that their friendship is a fine thing even though they live in different worlds and points out how Orihime and her friends are unusual enough to potentially become Shinigami themselves when they come to Soul Society, which Hisagi smiles at. Upon being questioned by Ukitake about why he came here and if he wants something, Hisagi hands Ukitake this month's copy of the Seireitei Communication with the mail-order catalogue inside, prompting a surprised Ukitake to inquire about what Hisagi is doing with the publication.
Hisagi laments the chaos that has ensued in the Gotei 13 with 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto in the Human World, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki constantly sleeping and Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi being unaccounted for, and 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi never leaving the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, leading him to admit that he never thought a captain's duties were so difficult due to Kaname Tōsen never asking his subordinates to do anything. After Hisagi leaves and apologizes for being too busy to continue watching Rukia and Orihime train, Ukitake muses that four months is not much time to mend the heart or build strength, which makes him wish that this fleeting peace could last a little longer.
Simultaneously, in Karakura Town, a Garganta rips open in the sky, alerting Hitsugaya, Rangiku, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, to reveal Yammy Llargo, Luppi Antenor, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and Wonderweiss Margela standing within. On the ground below, Yumichika is stunned by the Arrancar showing up earlier than expected, though Hitsugaya observes that there is no time to figure out why they have done so, as Yammy notes that they picked a good spot because there are combatants with strong Reiatsu below them. In turn, Luppi notes that these are Shinigami and likely the reinforcements from Soul Society that the sixth Espada told them about, but snidely corrects himself and addresses Grimmjow as the former sixth Espada after turning to him. However, Grimmjow simply asserts that the man he wants to kill is not down there and leaps away from the Garganta, startling Yammy, who is told by Luppi to let Grimmjow go since the latter is worthless now that he has had his tattoo burned off and is no longer an Espada.
When Yammy realizes that the one he wants to kill is not down there either, Luppi inquires about whether he is referring to the one who cut off his arm, the one who beat him up, or the one who deflected his Cero, prompting a grinning Yammy to declare that he is referring to all of them prior to telling Wonderweiss that it is time to go and berating him for just standing there and drooling, only for Wonderweiss to not respond and continue staring into space, to Yammy's disappointment. Suddenly, Hitsugaya attacks Yammy in a flurry of ice, forcing Yammy to partially draw his Zanpakutō in order to defend himself against the slash, and introduces himself, which leads Yammy to comment on the coincidence since he is Arrancar #10. Upon being identified as an Espada by Hitsugaya, Yammy observes that he must have fought someone who likes to talk if he knows about them. Nearby, Luppi confronts Ikkaku and Yumichika, and when the latter inquires if he is an Espada too, Luppi confirms this and reveals a tattoo of the number 6 on his right hip as Rangiku sees Wonderweiss watching two birds and wonders if she can really justify harming him.
During this, in the Visored Study Chamber, Love Aikawa and Kensei Muguruma restrain Ichigo Kurosaki as the latter attempts to leave and respond to the Arrancar arriving. When Kensei asserts that he is not ready yet and Love suggests that he let his allies from Soul Society handle this since that is what they came here to do, Ichigo counters that he has been training for this too and needs to take the opportunity while he can. Suddenly, Shinji Hirako pulls Kensei off of Ichigo by the strap of his shirt and orders him and Love to let Ichigo go, allowing Ichigo to run up the stairs and move into the sky while Kensei continues to protest this decision. Before Ichigo can get too far, Grimmjow appears in the air before him and declares that he has been looking for Ichigo, who asserts that he has been waiting for Grimmjow in order to show the latter how much stronger he has become while drawing his Shikai, Zangetsu, and holding his hand over his face.
231. The Mascaron Drive [ ]
Orihime Inoue prepares to return to Karakura Town as Ichigo Kurosaki begins his second battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
In the Shinigami Research and Development Institute in Soul Society, Rin Tsubokura frantically alerts his fellow technicians to Arrancar Reiatsu being detected in Karakura Town, and after confirming that Gentei Kaijo has been authorized, Hiyosu demands to know what color the Reiatsu on the monitor is, prompting Rin to reveal that it is vermillion and indicates the presence of Espada prior to relaying the arrival of four Arrancar believed to be Espada in northern Karakura Town and their current engagement with 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's Strike Force to Shinigami across the Seireitei through Jigokuchō.
Upon learning of this, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake calls out to Rukia Kuchiki, who affirms that she just received the same report, and orders her to go to the Senkaimon in front of the division barracks while the Kidō Corps work on opening it. When Orihime Inoue offers to go with her, Rukia reminds her that she does not have a Jigokuchō and will end up in the Dangai if she tries to pass through the Senkaimon, but Ukitake appears behind Orihime with Shunpo and reveals that he just ordered the outer wall stabilized so Orihime can safely pass through the Dangai and return to the Human World shortly. With Ukitake acknowledging that Orihime is in a hurry and telling her to remain calm regardless, which Orihime agrees to, Rukia promises to be waiting for her on the other side and runs up the cliffside toward the Senkaimon while wondering what is happening since the Espada are showing up long before the Hōgyoku was supposed to awaken.
Simultaneously, in Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki activates his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, in a burst of black Reiatsu. When Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez scoffs at this since Tensa Zangetsu could not stop him during their last battle, Ichigo reminds him that Tensa Zangetsu gave Grimmjow the scar across his chest, to Grimmjow's irritation, and inquires about what happened to his left arm. In response, Grimmjow claims that he threw it away because he only needs one arm to kill Ichigo, who concludes from this that he does not need to hold back. With a smirking Grimmjow promising that he will die extremely fast if he does, Ichigo mentally notes that he has exactly eleven seconds to finish Grimmjow while Hollowfied and pulls his hand down in front of his face to summon his Hollow mask in an explosion of black Reiatsu. When a shocked Grimmjow demands to know what this is, Ichigo asserts that he does not have time to explain and rapidly moves to Grimmjow with Shunpo before attacking him with Reiatsu trailing off his blade in a powerful slash that Grimmjow barely draws his Zanpakutō in time to block. As Grimmjow struggles to hold him back, Ichigo unleashes a point-blank Getsuga Tenshō that envelops Grimmjow in a surging, crackling, and enormous blast of Reiatsu.
Elsewhere, Yammy Llargo shatters the ice encasing him and mockingly calls it refreshingly cool while Hitsugaya internally realizes that he will have to use his Bankai against Yammy even with the Gentei Kaijo leaving his power unrestricted. Nearby, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa is sent flying by a blow from Luppi Antenor, who reiterates that Yumichika cannot beat him alone. Bleeding from a wound on his left temple, Yumichika simply tells Luppi to shut up, prompting the latter to ask 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame if he will talk to Yumichika or let the latter die out of exasperation, only for Ikkaku to note that two against one is not his style. Annoyed by this, Luppi asks Yammy to let him have Hitsugaya so he can take Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hitsugaya, and 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto on all at once with his Resurrección, since he considers them too weak to fight individually.
Meanwhile, at the Urahara Shop, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai insists that Yasutora Sado stay in the Study Chamber and recover from using up too much of his energy while Renji responds to the Arrancar in his stead. However, Kisuke Urahara points out that Renji is just as exhausted, meaning that they both need to stay here and recover, and declares that he will be going out instead as he wields his Shikai, Benihime.
232. The Mascaron Drive 2 [ ]
Luppi Antenor activates his Resurrección, Trepadora, as Ichigo Kurosaki soundly overpowers Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez with the power of his Hollow mask.
Upon seeing Luppi Antenor drawing his Zanpakutō, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya recalls Shawlong Koufang doing the same to activate his Resurrección, Tijereta, and refuses to let Luppi do the same as he rushes toward the latter and activates his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru. However, a smirking Luppi manages to activate his Resurrección, Trepadora, releasing a huge cloud of steam that envelops Hitsugaya. Suddenly, a thick tentacle hurtles out of the steam and slams into Hitsugaya, who barely blocks it with his left ice wing and is sent skidding back through the air.
Though Hitsugaya comes to a halt and questions if this is the extent of Luppi's Resurrección attack, Luppi simply praises him for being able to stop the attack against expectations and admits that the captains are decent, only to inquire about what Hitsugaya would do if this attack were eight times stronger while the steam clears to reveal seven more identical tentacles attached alongside the first one to a large protrusion on his back. With Hitsugaya stunned by this, Luppi attacks him with Jaula Tentáculo, slamming all eight tentacles into Hitsugaya simultaneously from different angles in an explosion of force. As 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto frantically calls out to a cursing Hitsugaya, who falls out of the air, Luppi reminds the Shinigami that he told them to fight him four-on-one, only to snidely correct himself and describe this as four-on-eight.
Elsewhere, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez emerges from the point-blank Getsuga Tenshō fired by a masked Ichigo Kurosaki alive, but bleeding profusely across his body, as he realizes this was not just Shinigami power and demands to know how Ichigo accomplished this in just a month. However, Ichigo merely fires another Getsuga Tenshō at Grimmjow, who struggles to block it with his Zanpakutō, and moves behind the latter before reiterating that he does not have time to explain and firing a third Getsuga Tenshō at Grimmjow's back, trapping him between the two blasts. Falling out of the sky with further injuries as Ichigo follows him, Grimmjow angrily fires a Cero from his palm, forcing Ichigo to block it with his sword, and reappears behind Ichigo with Sonído to attack him when Ichigo succeeds in dispersing the blast. Suddenly, with Ichigo blocking this strike with a blade lock and asserting that it is over, his mask shatters and falls off his face, prompting a startled Grimmjow to grin manically and affirm this as he sends Ichigo flying with a slash.
233. El Violador [ ]
Kisuke Urahara joins the fight against Luppi Antenor as Orihime Inoue finds herself confronted by Ulquiorra Cifer.
Cursing his Hollow mask shattering at the worst possible time, Ichigo Kurosaki falls through the air, having been slashed across the chest by a grinning Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who moves down to him with Sonído and slashes with his Zanpakutō, forcing Ichigo to block with the sword of his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, while Grimmjow observes that he seems to have used up all of his power since he began panting the second his mask came off. Though he admits that he has been injured pretty badly, Grimmjow concludes that it is over and mocks Ichigo for being unable to beat him even with Ichigo's new power.
Elsewhere, Luppi Antenor uses La Hélice to rapidly spin the tentacles on his back and strike 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa multiple times with them, leaving the Shinigami bleeding. Unimpressed by this, Luppi questions if they are really officers of the Gotei 13 and continues attack them in boredom as Yammy Llargo sits nearby and grumbles about Luppi keeping him from having anything to do by taking on the Shinigami. Claiming that it would be tiresome to go look for other combatants, Yammy yawns and calls out to Wonderweiss Margela in curiosity about what the latter is doing, only to see him catching a dragonfly and holding it up to his mouth to eat, to Yammy's confusion.
During this, Luppi succeeds in binding Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika with his tentacles and compliments Rangiku for having such a curvaceous body, but threatens to puncture it with many holes as he uses Hierro Virgen to sprout dozens of spikes from the tip of the tentacle restraining Rangiku, who grimaces upon seeing it hurtle toward her. Suddenly, the tentacle is severed by Kamisori, Benihime, freeing Rangiku and shocking Luppi, and Kisuke Urahara expresses relief at arriving just in time. When an annoyed Luppi questions who he is, Urahara apologizes for not introducing himself and explains that he runs a candy store called the Urahara Shop as he claims that it is delightful to make Luppi's acquaintance and prepares to attack. However, Urahara is interrupted when Wonderweiss gleefully attacks him from behind, forcing Urahara to repel him with Nake, Benihime. While Urahara comments on him being somewhat strange, a smiling Wonderweiss raises his left hand and attacks a startled Urahara once more, drawing blood in the process.
Simultaneously, at the Central Senkaimon in the Seireitei, Orihime Inoue is informed of the outer wall of the Dangai being stabilized and allowing her to pass through, prompting her to run inside while profusely thanking the Kidō Corps. Shortly afterward, two unseated Shinigami join her as escorts and explain that it is customary for two Shinigami with their Jigokuchō removed to accompany guests through the Dangai, with Orihime no longer being considered a Ryoka and thus granted this custom. With one of the Shinigami apologizing for the nuisance, Orihime thanks him and mentally promises her friends that she will be able to help out now that she has gotten a little stronger. Suddenly, Ulquiorra Cifer expresses disdain at only two guards accompanying Orihime and asserts that the Shinigami are more incompetent than he thought they were if they do not realize that the Dangai is the most dangerous part of Orihime's journey before emerging from a Garganta behind her.
Bleach, Volume 27
234. Not Negotiation [ ]
Ulquiorra Cifer reveals that he has orders to take Orihime Inoue as 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya initiates his counterattack against Luppi Antenor.
In the Dangai, Ulquiorra Cifer stands before Orihime Inoue and her two Shinigami escorts, whose numbers he criticizes as negligently low prior to admitting that the Kōryū being disabled is convenient for him because he does not like being rushed when he is talking to someone. With an intimidated Orihime recognizing Ulquiorra from her prior encounter with him and Yammy Llargo, the Shinigami on her right draws his Zanpakutō and realizes that Ulquiorra is an Arrancar, and as Ulquiorra withdraws his left hand from his pocket, Orihime frantically agrees to talk with him, only for Ulquiorra to fire a Bala from his hand that destroys the Shinigami's left arm and a large chunk of his torso, to Orihime's shock.
While Ulquiorra confirms that he wants to talk to her, Orihime immediately sets up her Sōten Kisshun around the fallen Shinigami and urgently tells the other Shinigami to run away now. However, Ulquiorra punches a hole in the second Shinigami's body with another Bala that destroys most of his arms as well, forcing Orihime to expand the radius of her Sōten Kisshun by having Ayame fly over to him to cover and begin healing both Shinigami. Upon seeing this, Ulquiorra praises Orihime's ability to heal such catastrophic wounds and asserts that her powers are truly impressive, but when Orihime turns to glare at him, Ulquiorra demands that she come with him. When Orihime stares at him in disbelief, Ulquiorra promises her that he will kill her friends if she says anything other than "yes" and opens miniature Garganta to show Ichigo Kurosaki, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto. Ulquiorra warns Orihime that she is not permitted any questions or discussions because she has no rights here and can only save her friends from the guillotine they have placed their heads in with immediate compliance because this is an order rather than a negotiation, leaving Orihime mortified as he concludes that he has orders to bring her back unharmed due to Sousuke Aizen wanting her powers and reiterates his demand for her to come with him.
Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, Kisuke Urahara skids back through the air with a smoking wound on his shoulder away from Wonderweiss Margela, who holds his hand out after firing a Bala from it, and admits that he has never seen this technique before inquiring about what it is called. Suddenly, Urahara is blasted from behind by a Bala from Yammy, who laughs maniacally and explains that a Bala is a projectile of hardened Reiatsu that trades the power of a Cero for twenty times its speed. With Yammy firing several more Bala down at a fallen Urahara, who is engulfed by the dust cloud kicked up on impact, and reveling in the latter's inability to dodge them, Luppi Antenor sighs at Yammy having likely already killed Urahara even though he wanted to do so himself and turns his attention back to Rangiku, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, who are still wrapped up in tentacles of his Resurrección, Trepadora, and whom he questions the logic of Urahara showing up to save the day and getting himself killed so quickly to, only to admit that there is nowhere for them to run while outnumbered eight to three anyway.
In response, an unamused Rangiku points out how much Luppi talks and asserts that braggarts like him make her sick, prompting an irritated Luppi to remind Rangiku that her life is in his hands due to his tentacle being wrapped around her and vow to perforate her if she makes him mad. However, when Luppi attempts to bring his remaining four tentacles up, he is astonished to discover that they have been frozen to the ground below as Hitsugaya rises up with his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, activated and criticizes Luppi for being careless enough to drop his guard and ignore his opponent. When Luppi expresses disbelief at him still being alive, Hitsugaya details how Daiguren Hyōrinmaru being the ultimate ice weapon means that it will always reform so long as water is nearby no matter how many times it is shattered, prompting Luppi to frantically attempt to attack him. However, Hitsugaya informs him that there is no point in doing so since Luppi's negligence gave him more than enough time to prepare and reveals that Luppi's weapon having eight arms is outclassed by his own having all the water in the atmosphere while dozens of large ice pillars appear in the surrounding air to encircle him and Luppi. After encasing a shocked Luppi in the rapidly converging ice pillars with Sennen Hyōrō, Hitsugaya observes that eight arms was not quite enough for him.
235. The Frozen Clutch [ ]
Kisuke Urahara turns the tables on Yammy Llargo as Ichigo Kurosaki receives assistance in his battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Seeing 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya encase Luppi Antenor in ice pillars using Sennen Hyōrō, Yammy Llargo is astonished by the latter's defeat and angrily chastises him for underestimating the Shinigami instead of immediately finishing them off. Suddenly, Kisuke Urahara appears behind Yammy and finishes the latter's claim that Sousuke Aizen will punish them if they lose here, prompting a startled Yammy to turn around and swing his fist toward Urahara, who evades with Shunpo and finishes Yammy's questioning of how he can be alive by wondering what Yammy thinks. In response, an irritated Yammy demands that Urahara stop finishing his sentences and fires a Bala at Urahara, who is engulfed in a cloud of smoke upon impact.
However, as a triumphant Yammy asks him how it feels to be shattered to pieces, Urahara appears behind Yammy and holds the blade of his Shikai, Benihime, to Yammy's cheek before asserting that he has seen the technique enough times to prevent Yammy from hitting him with it again and firing a point-blank Nake, Benihime at Yammy, who is left bloodied. Urahara brings up Yammy's assumption that all of his Balas hit Urahara and his disbelief at Urahara still being alive prior to pulling out a small sphere, which he claims is the secret, and placing it against his lips to blow air into it, causing it to inflate into a Portable Gigai that looks exactly like him. When an astonished Yammy questions what this is since he has never heard of it before, Urahara affirms this since he has never shown it to anyone before and observes that he is probably the only one who could successfully use it as a decoy in combat in addition to making it since it is difficult to switch places with while squeezing the air out of the mouth of the Portable Gigai between his hands.
With Urahara wondering if Yammy could tell when he made the switch, an angered Yammy attempts to fire another Bala at him, but Urahara reiterates that Yammy cannot hit him with this anymore and counters the blast by placing Benihime against Yammy's fist and performing Tsuppane, Benihime, leaving Yammy to stare at him in shock as Urahara details how he analyzed both the Reishi composition of the Bala and the movement of Yammy's muscles when he fires one, allowing him to dodge or counteract it at will despite the difficulty of doing so, and invites Yammy to finish this battle, which Yammy furiously agrees to.
Meanwhile, Ichigo Kurosaki is slashed across the chest by a heavily wounded Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and crashes into the ground with enough force to crater it, where he comes to a stop after rolling across the concrete and sees Grimmjow approaching him. When Ichigo attempts to summon his Hollow mask, the accumulated matter around his face suddenly disperses, causing a grinning Grimmjow to kick him hard in the chest and send Ichigo hurtling down the street past several houses. Initially assuming that Ichigo's mask cannot materialize again once it is broken, Grimmjow realizes that this cannot be the case since Ichigo attempted to restore it and theorizes that Ichigo has sustained too much damage, expended too much Reiryoku, or reached a limit for the number of times he can use it.
After pinning Ichigo's sword arm to the ground by stabbing his own Zanpakutō through its wrist, Grimmjow concludes that Ichigo's mask is gone now no matter what the reason is and prepares to fire a Cero from his palm, which he assures Ichigo will blow his head off painlessly at this range. Suddenly, Grimmjow's hand and his lower legs are encased in ice, dispersing the charging Cero, and he turns to see Rukia Kuchiki standing with her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, right before she performs Tsugi no mai, Hakuren, engulfing Grimmjow in a wave of icy air. In the aftermath, Rukia kneels before Ichigo next to Grimmjow, who has been encased in a large and jagged block of ice, and begins attempting to pull Grimmjow's Zanpakutō out of Ichigo's wrist, where she rebuffs Ichigo's question about when she got here by asserting that she needs to concentrate since the Zanpakutō is stuck tight in the ground.
With Rukia sarcastically pointing out how useful the power that Ichigo used must have been given his current state and Ichigo telling her to shut up, Grimmjow abruptly breaks out of the ice and grabs Rukia by the head while inquiring about whether she believed that she could defeat him by simply freezing the top layer of his skin before charging another Cero against her head, to Ichigo's terror.
236. The Sun Already Gone Down [ ]
Shinji Hirako takes over the battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez before it is interrupted.
Seeing Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez gripping Rukia Kuchiki by the head while charging up a Cero in the same palm, Ichigo Kurosaki struggles to free himself from Grimmjow's Zanpakutō, which is pinning his arm to the ground, before Grimmjow's arm is suddenly hit with enough force to push it off of Rukia's head, causing the Cero to fire and explode several meters away instead. With Grimmjow staring in bewilderment at this, Shinji Hirako stands on a nearby rooftop and complains about having to get involved in a Shinigami battle, though he notes that he cannot exactly ignore it when they are making a ruckus so close to him.
When Grimmjow questions what Shinji is and whether he is with Ichigo and Rukia, Shinji wonders why he would be, and when Grimmjow inquires about what he is, Shinji responds by raising the question of why it matters to Grimmjow, who concedes that he does not really care because he does not need to know who Shinji is in order to kill him and pulls his Zanpakutō out of Ichigo's wrist, which spurts a large amount of blood, before leaping toward Shinji and furiously attacking him, which destroys part of the roof Shinji was standing on. In response, Shinji reappears in the air behind Grimmjow and criticizes him for not having any control since his dodged attacks always destroy something and make Shinji think twice about dodging them to begin with, but Grimmjow merely scoffs at Shinji's belief that he is dodging the attacks and moves in to attack him once more.
However, Shinji calls him a hothead and dons his Hollow mask, shocking Grimmjow, prior to leaping forward and clashing with Grimmjow, who infers from his mask that he is associated with Ichigo, only for Shinji to reiterate that it does not matter who he is. Sent flying back by an explosive burst of force from the clash, Grimmjow is astonished to see Shinji charging a Cero in front of his sword hand as the latter apologizes for not holding back since Grimmjow seems strong and fires the Cero at him, engulfing Grimmjow in a powerful explosion. In the aftermath, a further wounded Grimmjow crashes into the ground below and pants heavily while Shinji lands and praises him for mitigating the damage from the Cero by countering it with his own at the last second.
Suddenly, an enraged Grimmjow attempts to activate his Resurrección, but is stopped after he utters its release command by Ulquiorra Cifer, who grabs his sword hand and informs a stunned Grimmjow that they are returning because their mission has been accomplished before a Negación beam engulfs them from the sky above, which Ichigo recognizes. Simultaneously, Yammy Llargo is engulfed by another Negación beam and observes with annoyance that they are done here as a startled Kisuke Urahara turns to see two more beams engulfing Wonderweiss Margela and Luppi Antenor, who is freed from 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's Sennen Hyōrō and sarcastically apologizes for the latter being unable to kill him before promising to twist Hitsugaya's head off and crush it next time they meet.
Back at Ichigo's location, Ulquiorra notices traces of Reiatsu from Ichigo's Hollow mask and realizes that he has acquired a new power, but dismisses it as utterly insignificant and informs Ichigo that there is nothing he can do since the sun has set and the day belongs to the Arrancar while the Garganta he and Grimmjow were pulled into closes behind him, leaving Orihime Inoue to stand solemnly in the Dangai before her Sōten Kisshun.
237. goodbye, halcyon days. [ ]
Orihime Inoue makes use of the permission she was given to say goodbye to one person.
In her apartment in Karakura Town, Orihime Inoue finishes writing a set of instructions covering laundry, garbage, and food for 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto so they do not make a mess and looks at the bracelet on her left wrist as she recalls Ulquiorra Cifer 's explanation of how wearing it envelops her in a special spiritual membrane so only Arrancar can see her, which will also allow her to pass through solid objects and which she can never take off, as well as the permission he granted her to say goodbye to just one person before she leaves without violating their agreement by making that person aware of her presence, which she has until midnight to take care of along with her other preparations. Standing up from her dinner table, Orihime leaves behind the instructions with the phrase "good bye, halcyon days" written in the bottom-right corner of the other page.
Meanwhile, in the Study Chamber of the Urahara Shop, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame struggles to keep Tessai Tsukabishi away since he is not hurt badly enough to require the latter's form of treatment, only for Ururu Tsumugiya to put him in a headlock from behind and begin choking him so he will stop struggling and resume resting despite 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa 's pleas for her to let him go. Nearby, an unimpressed 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya wonders if they ever shut up and notices Kisuke Urahara standing silently on top of a rock formation nearby, which Hitsugaya observes he has been doing in deep thought ever since the Arrancar left after mentally admitting that Urahara is still a mystery to him regardless of what he has been told. Ruminating on how the Shinigami Strike Force got off easy considering the number of Espada who came to Karakura Town and how the Gotei 13 made a grave miscalculation due to the Arrancar being fully operational and ready to battle, Hitsugaya concludes that they have to prepare for battle immediately and hope it is not too late already. When Hitsugaya asks her if she was able to contact Soul Society, his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, reveals with concern that she has not been able to and holds up her Denreishinki, which is emitting static.
Simultaneously, in the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia Kuchiki experiences the same interference with her Denreishinki when she attempts to call Orihime in Soul Society while sitting in Ichigo Kurosaki 's room and wonders if there is some sort of spirit wave interference prior to looking over at a heavily bandaged Ichigo, who is sleeping on his bed. In the past, Hachigen Ushōda holds an unconscious Ichigo and explains that his power is closer to a regression of space than outright healing, which requires him to actively identify the subject he is regressing in order to activate it, and that the Reiatsu of both Ichigo and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez are currently mingling in Ichigo's wounds, meaning that he will need to stay far away from the Visored with their Hollow -like Reiatsu in order to make a full recovery, before telling Rukia that taking Ichigo home and putting him to bed is the best treatment he can recommend right now, which Rukia thanks him for.
In the present, Rukia questions who the Visored were, what kind of power Ichigo is about to gain, and why the Arrancar suddenly stopped their attack and withdrew because she does not understand any of it, only to determine after a moment's pause that she should go outside and cool off since she is getting confused. However, Rukia is interrupted when Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki begin arguing over whether or not to come into Ichigo's room outside his bedroom door, and when Rukia opens the door to meet them, Yuzu meekly asks if she can eat dinner in Ichigo's room, which a smiling Rukia assures her that Ichigo would certainly like.
Later that night, with Karin and Yuzu having finished their dinner and fallen asleep next to Ichigo's bed, Orihime passes through the curtains while intangible and sheepishly apologizes to a still-sleeping Ichigo. As she begins to detail how she would like to say goodbye to lots of people like Tatsuki Arisawa, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, and Rukia, Orihime is startled when she hears a noise and peers over Ichigo's bed to see Karin and Yuzu sleeping on the other side, which leads her to infer that they ate dinner in here tonight. Suddenly, while deducing that they did this because they missed Ichigo, a blushing Orihime realizes that she is in Ichigo's room for the first time and that it smells like him. After taking hold of Ichigo's hand in her own, Orihime leans down and attempts to kiss Ichigo, but stops at the last second and begins crying as she admits that she cannot do it. With her tears falling on Ichigo's face, Orihime wipes her eyes and wonders what she is doing before clenching her mouth.
Orihime tells Ichigo that there were so many things she wanted to do, like becoming a teacher or an astronaut, opening a pastry shop, going to a donut shop and asking for one of each type, or going to an ice cream parlor and asking for one of each flavor, which makes her wish that there were five of her so she could be born in five different towns, eat five different meals, have five different jobs, and fall in love with Ichigo five different times. After thanking Ichigo, Orihime bids him farewell.
238. Eagle Without Wings [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and the Gotei 13 learn of Orihime Inoue 's disappearance.
The day after the third battle against the Arrancar in Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki falls out of his bed in the Kurosaki Clinic during a dream and criticizes himself for being so cliché as he rubs his head, only to be bewildered upon discovering that his right wrist has been healed of the stab wound inflicted by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez 's Zanpakutō. With Ichigo concentrating and recognizing Orihime Inoue 's Reiatsu on his wrist, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya appears on his windowsill and confirms that this is most likely the case as he tells Ichigo to come with him because they have a situation to address.
Shortly afterward, Ichigo is brought to Orihime's apartment in his Shinigami form, where he discovers Rukia Kuchiki, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa assembled inside the living room. While Ichigo and Rukia express concern at each other being here, Hitsugaya asks Rangiku if the spirit wave interference is gone, and once she affirms this, Hitsugaya has her open a video link on the large screen in the room to the screen set up in Soul Society, but is startled when 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake appears on the screen instead of Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. When Hitsugaya questions why he is here, Ukitake states that there is some news which he felt that he should tell Ichigo and the Shinigami Strike Force himself before revealing that he was the last person who saw Orihime when she entered the Central Senkaimon to return to the Human World, shocking Ichigo and the other Shinigami.
As Ukitake deduces from their reactions that Orihime never arrived in the Human World, Ichigo demands to know what is going on and what happened to Orihime, which prompts Ukitake to explain that her fate is uncertain because the two guards assigned to escort her returned through the Central Senkaimon alive, where they claimed that Orihime was abducted by an Arrancar and possibly killed, to Ichigo's mortification. With Rukia protesting him presenting this idea, Ukitake apologizes for having to say it and clarifies that they only know of the Arrancar appearing and Orihime disappearing with him. However, Ichigo vehemently denies this being possible and holds up his right arm for a surprised Ukitake to see while informing him that his wrist was injured too badly for anyone in Karakura Town to heal during yesterday's battle, only for it to be completely healed with traces of Orihime's Reiatsu on it by the time that he woke up this morning, which means that she cannot be dead.
Suddenly, Yamamoto concurs with this and calls it highly regrettable as he approaches the screen from behind Ukitake. When Ichigo picks up on him calling this regrettable, Yamamoto elaborates that Ichigo's evidence of Orihime being alive implies that she has betrayed them because she would not have been allowed to visit Ichigo had she been abducted, meaning that Orihime must have joined the Arrancar of her own free will. Upon seeing Ichigo angrily protesting this, Renji grabs him by the shoulder and tells him to stop now so he does not make things worse prior to addressing Yamamoto directly and offering to go to Hueco Mundo as the leader of the Strike Force so he can capture the traitorous Orihime, to Ichigo's amazement.
In response, Yamamoto firmly asserts that Renji will not do so since the Shinigami Strike Force will be returning to defend Soul Society now that they know the Arrancar are battle-ready, and when Rukia realizes that he wants them to abandon Orihime, Yamamoto confirms this and concludes that she is only one girl while they have the fate of worlds to consider, leading a conflicted Rukia to refuse to obey this order. However, Yamamoto reveals that he suspected as much and took necessary precautions while a Senkaimon opens in the room to reveal 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, the latter of whom tells the Shinigami Strike Force to come with them per Yamamoto's orders as Byakuya informs them that he and Kenpachi have been instructed to use force if necessary, which means that they should not resist.
With the other Shinigami intimidated by this, Ichigo accepts Yamamoto's decision and requests that the latter simply tell him how to enter Hueco Mundo without having Soul Society directly assist him so he can save Orihime by himself, due to her being his friend. Despite this, Yamamoto refuses to let Ichigo do this, to the latter's astonishment, and details how the Gotei 13 requiring Ichigo's assistance in the coming battle means that they cannot permit him to do as he wishes or throw his life away before ordering Ichigo to stand by and await further orders, leaving Ichigo clenching his fist in frustration while Rukia is ushered into the Senkaimon by Renji and solemnly apologizes to Ichigo prior to the Senkaimon closing and leaving Ichigo alone in the room.
239. WINGED EAGLES [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki prepares to travel to Hueco Mundo and rescue Orihime Inoue.
In the Study Chamber beneath the Visored warehouse, Mashiro Kuna approaches Shinji Hirako with a strange package that she found outside, and when Shinji wonders what it is, Mashiro admits that she does not know before responding to Shinji's criticism of her picking up random packages by questioning why she should not when it was right outside the warehouse. Upon opening the package, Shinji discovers clean bandages inside and wonders why Ichigo Kurosaki would do this, only to call him a fool upon finding a note thanking the Visored inside.
Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, an irritated Misato Ochi sarcastically thanks Ichigo for deciding to visit his class and whacks his head with her binder as she claims to have thought Ichigo had lost interest in advancing to the next grade and deduces that he was not actually in the hospital because of an accident. When Ichigo meekly observes that she got new glasses, Misato thanks him for noticing, only to angrily proclaim that she got them three week ago and whack Ichigo again, causing him to grunt in pain while Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima look at each other. In the hallway shortly afterward, Keigo enthusiastically greets Ichigo and attempts to leap in front of him while he walks down the hall, but Mizuiro stomps his head down to the ground and cheerfully asks Ichigo where he was for the last month since him not answering his phone left them somewhat worried, which prompts a smiling Ichigo to apologize and state that he was busy.
Unnerved by this response, Mizuiro reveals that he got tickets for the screening of Bad Shield 2, and after learning from Mizuiro that this is scheduled for December 5th, Ichigo promises to try to return by then and thanks a disturbed Mizuiro before walking away, only to suddenly be confronted by a sweating and distressed Tatsuki Arisawa, who tells him that she cannot find Orihime anywhere in the entire town and that her presence simply disappeared yesterday. When Tatsuki accuses him of knowing where Orihime is, Ichigo dismissively claims that he does not and that Tatsuki should probably take another look around since Orihime is unlikely to actually be missing, leading Tatsuki to angrily grab him by the collar, which alerts the other students in the hall, and deny this because she can constantly feel Orihime's presence and gauge her location from it, even when it gets weak as though she is behind a wall for a period of time, before asserting that Ichigo must know something about it disappearing completely yesterday.
With Ichigo reiterating that he does not know anything and questioning what is wrong with her, Tatsuki wonders if he believes that she is an idiot and reveals that she has seen him fighting Hollows in his Shinigami form. However, when Tatsuki suggests that it is time for him to tell her what is going on, an initially uncertain Ichigo coldly declares that it is none of her business. In response, an outraged Tatsuki punches Ichigo's head through the window behind him, causing glass to rain down into the courtyard below while a shocked Keigo restrains her and Mizuiro asks a fallen and bloodied Ichigo if he is alright. Demanding to know what she is to Ichigo since she thought they were friends, Tatsuki points out how Ichigo is keeping things from her now even though she has helped him out many times when he was in trouble and sullenly calls him a jerk. As Mizuiro attempts to approach him over this, Ichigo asks him and Keigo to take care of Tatsuki for him and to stay far away from him prior to leaving.
That night, Kisuke Urahara smokes a pipe outside the Urahara Shop and welcomes Ichigo, who arrives in his Shinigami form. When Ichigo questions how Urahara knew he would come here, Urahara deduces that Ichigo wants to know how to get to Hueco Mundo and informs him that the method is ready. After the two of them drop down into the Study Chamber below, Urahara explains that he barred Orihime from front-line combat because he was afraid that Aizen might target her due to her powers, but it did not work because he was mistakenly too concerned with her feelings and too passive about protecting her, which is why he is prepared to help in any way he can. Upon being told by Ichigo that this will mean going against Soul Society, a smiling Urahara notes that it will not be the first time he has done so.
Suddenly, Uryū Ishida observes that Ichigo looks hopeless while sitting on a tall rock formation behind him, and when a startled Ichigo asks him why he is here, Yasutora Sado approaches him and asserts that they are going to Hueco Mundo as well since Urahara told them everything. With Ichigo refusing to let this happen since they are not strong enough even though he appreciates the gesture, Sado manifests his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which has significantly changed shape, and throws a powerful punch imbued with energy that Ichigo is forced to block with his Shikai, Zangetsu, resulting in a powerful explosion that destroys several large rocks around them. In the aftermath, Sado questions if this was not strong enough for Ichigo and requests that he believe in them rather than try to do it all himself because they want to help. Once Uryū hops down from the rock formation he was sitting on, Urahara suggests that they get started since the three of them seem to be ready.
240. regeneration. [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida head to Hueco Mundo as Sousuke Aizen asks Orihime Inoue to demonstrate her powers.
In the Study Chamber beneath the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara performs the incantation and ceremony for Keikaigi, causing a large, oval-shaped Garganta to manifest between two posts embedded in separate rock formations in front of Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida. After Urahara explains that this is the opening used by the Arrancar to enter the Human World and that the three of them will need to create their own path out of the chaos of Reishi that lies beyond since there is no solid ground, where they will arrive at Hueco Mundo by heading toward the darkness, Ichigo requests that Urahara tell his family something so they do not worry about him, which Urahara agrees to do, before promising to apologize to his friends once he returns when Urahara brings them up, which Urahara smiles at.
Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū leap into the Garganta, which closes behind them, leaving Urahara to note that they can come out now that Ichigo is gone. From behind a nearby rock, Tatsuki Arisawa, Keigo Asano, and Mizuiro Kojima meekly emerge, and when Keigo wonders how long he has known they were there, Urahara reveals that he knew before they even arrived and left the front door of his shop open when he found out they were following Ichigo. Ruminating on Ichigo's naivety in believing that a few harsh words can sever his friendship with them, Urahara concludes that he now has his own work to do.
Meanwhile, in his throne room in Las Noches, Sousuke Aizen welcomes Orihime Inoue to the palace as she stands below him with Ulquiorra Cifer, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Luppi Antenor, Yammy Llargo, and Wonderweiss Margela. Once Orihime confirms her name to him, Aizen exerts his Reiatsu and casually requests that Orihime display her powers to him. As Orihime weakly agrees and wonders why it feels like all the strength is being sucked out of her, Aizen elaborates that some here are not completely convinced of the value of her powers and indicates a bandaged and partially frozen Luppi, who questions how Orihime could possibly be worth the battle they fought as a diversion for her. In turn, Aizen apologizes since he did not believe Luppi would be so severely injured, to the latter's irritation, and suggests that Orihime demonstrate her powers by healing Grimmjow's left arm, startling both her and Grimmjow.
Scoffing at the ridiculousness of this idea, Luppi claims that it is impossible for Orihime to restore Grimmjow's arm due to Kaname Tōsen 's destruction of it and Orihime not being a god, only for Orihime to quietly begin using Sōten Kisshun on the stump of Grimmjow's left arm. Though Luppi warns Orihime against trying to save her life with this charade and promises to kill her if this does not work because there is no reason to keep her alive if her powers are too weak, he is stunned alongside Grimmjow to see the latter's left arm fully restored without any trace of injury. When Luppi demands to know how she did this since it goes way beyond healing, Aizen brings up Ulquiorra's theory that it is a form of temporal or spatial regression, which Luppi believes impossible for a Human to be able to perform, but denies it being either of these things and asserts that it is instead a rejection of phenomena.
Aizen details how Orihime's powers limit, reject, and deny all phenomena that have affected her subject, allowing her to make it as though the damage sustained never occurred and making her power far more potent than temporal or spatial regression, which means that her power trespasses on God's territory and violates divine law, leaving Luppi mortified. After testing out his restored wrist, Grimmjow asks Orihime to heal one more thing and turns around so she can use Sōten Kisshun on his destroyed Espada tattoo, which is in turn fully restored as well. When Luppi sees this and questions what he is doing, a grinning Grimmjow shoves his left arm through Luppi's chest, to the latter's shock, and sarcastically bids him farewell prior to firing a Cero from his other hand at point-blank range, destroying the upper half of Luppi's body and leaving his bleeding lower half to collapse. With Grimmjow cackling at his power and rank being restored, Orihime looks on fearfully as the other Espada look away.
241. Silverflame. [ ]
Uryū Ishida explains how he circumvented the deal he made with Ryūken Ishida as he, Ichigo Kurosaki, and Yasutora Sado enter Hueco Mundo.
In the Garganta, Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida run through the void by creating Reishi pathways underneath their feet, with Ichigo and Sado's being rough and patchy. When part of the pathway suddenly gives way under Sado's foot, causing him to almost fall off, he confirms that he is fine to Ichigo as Uryū rides past them on a stable board of Reishi and criticizes them for being unable to create proper footing. In response, Ichigo reminds Uryū that he is terrible at this sort of technique and calls the board that Uryū is riding on unfair, only for Uryū to counter that it is simply an elementary variation of Hirenkyaku. However, Uryū is alerted when Sado reveals that Kisuke Urahara informed him of the deal that Uryū made with Ryūken Ishida to stay away from Shinigami in return for having his Quincy powers restored and being trained, and as Sado questions why he is here if this is the case and a startled Ichigo demands to know if this is true, Uryū solemnly confirms that it is.
In the past, a sweating Ryūken steps outside of the Study Chamber inside Karakura Hospital and lights a cigarette as an exhausted Uryū lies draped over the side of one of the levels within and pants heavily. Suddenly, Urahara opens a circular doorway inside one of the nearby pillars and apologizes for being late even though it is only late afternoon prior to noticing that Ryūken is not there, which he considers lucky for himself. When Uryū wonders what he is doing here, Urahara informs him of Orihime Inoue being abducted by the Arrancar at Sousuke Aizen 's behest and details how Ichigo will undoubtedly try to rescue her himself, which will lead him to come to Urahara to find out how to enter Hueco Mundo. However, Uryū asks Urahara to go away, to the latter's surprise, and explains that he cannot go to Hueco Mundo with Ichigo because he cannot get involved with Shinigami right now. Though he attempts to declare that he will go by himself if Orihime needs saving, Uryū realizes something and brings up Urahara mentioning that Ichigo is going alone, prompting Urahara to reveal that he will be doing so because Soul Society has withdrawn from the matter, which results in a surprised Uryū changing his mind and requesting that Urahara let him out of the Study Chamber.
In the present, Ichigo admits that he does not understand since he is still a Shinigami despite Soul Society not being involved, but Uryū clarifies that he is a Substitute Shinigami who is currently defying Soul Society, meaning that he is neither a Shinigami nor their ally and thus has nothing to keep Uryū from helping him. With Ichigo pointing out how Uryū is being extremely technical here and Uryū claiming that he sees it as a loophole, which leads Ichigo to demand to know what the difference is and respond to Uryū wondering whose side he is on by angrily reminding him that they are supposed to be enemies, a smiling Sado mentally notes that this is typical of Uryū.
Back in the Study Chamber, Ryūken opens the door to find a note left by Uryū on one of the platforms and scoffs dismissively prior to Isshin Kurosaki observing that Uryū escaped while standing behind Ryūken in his Shinigami form. When asked by Ryūken how he got in here, Isshin is startled by Ryūken addressing him by his last name and questions what has gotten into him, only for Ryūken to reiterate his question before noticing Isshin's appearance and realizing that he has regained his powers, with Isshin confirming this and reveling in how cool he looks, though Ryūken asserts that he just looks gaudy. Isshin asks Ryūken if he is not going to read the note that Uryū left, and when Ryūken states that he knows what it says, Isshin deduces that he let Uryū leave, which leads Ryūken to take another drag off his cigarette and claim that he is not concerned with what Uryū does with his regained Quincy powers or whether he lives or dies now that he has helped the latter get them back. After Isshin sits down and observes that Ryūken is far from a great father, Ryūken counters that he is still a better one than Isshin, who somberly concedes that this is true.
Meanwhile, in Las Noches, Orihime sits in her room and ruminates on how she was told to stay here and not cause any trouble, but notes that there is nothing for her to do and that she is hungry. Upon recalling Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez laughing maniacally after regaining his arm through her Sōten Kisshun and killing Luppi Antenor, Orihime questions if she made the right choice in coming here and whether cooperating with the Arrancar will just make things worse, only to conclude that she just has to make the Arrancar believe that she is useful for now until everyone is ready for battle. Suddenly, Orihime experiences a powerful Reiatsu alongside Ulquiorra Cifer, Yammy Llargo, and Aizen, who observes that they are here while Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū break out of the Garganta and into Hueco Mundo.
Upon landing on the floor of the building they emerged in, Ichigo is surprised by Hueco Mundo being solid instead of slimy, though Uryū cautions him to lower his voice since their entrance cannot have gone unnoticed. With Ichigo continuing to wonder if this is really Hueco Mundo, Uryū reiterates that they need to be careful and suggests they find a place to hide, but is interrupted when Demoura Zodd slams his hand into the ceiling behind them while emerging from a nearby hallway and demanding to know who they are.
242. TWO MEN ARE BURNING [ ]
Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida begin battling Demoura Zodd and Aisslinger Wernarr.
In the building that they entered Hueco Mundo in, Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida run away from a wailing and pursuing Demoura Zodd, with Uryū pulling a protesting Ichigo Kurosaki and asserting that they could cause the corridor they are in to collapse if they fight here. Though Ichigo does not believe it would collapse and questions why it would matter if it did, Uryū points out how there are no windows on the walls, and when a nonplussed Ichigo wonders why this matters, Uryū angrily concludes that they must be underground if there are no windows and urgently notes that they need a much bigger and more open area to fight in prior to Sado pointing out an exit ahead of them, which ends up leading to a large chamber held up by thick pillars.
As Ichigo questions if this is big enough for him, Uryū notices a set of stairs and attempts to run over to them in order to see if they lead outside, only for Aisslinger Wernarr to appear before him with Sonído and demand to know where Uryū thinks he is going. With Uryū mentally observing that there being more than one Arrancar in a place like this is logical, Demoura emerges from the passageway behind Ichigo and Sado, leading Uryū to conclude that they are trapped, which Ichigo blames him for. Upon looking at Demoura and Aisslinger, Ichigo notes that they look more like Hollows than the Arrancar who appeared in the Human World, but when he tells Sado and Uryū to stand back while he handles this, Sado elbows him hard in the side of the head, sending Ichigo crashing into a nearby wall. Upon being confronted by an incredulous and bleeding Ichigo over this, Sado counters that he is the one who should stand back while he and Uryū take care of this, which Uryū concurs with.
Uryū responds to Ichigo's shock at this by explaining how Kisuke Urahara told them about the Arrancar hierarchy and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez 's group being a mixture of Gillians and Adjuchas, with Menos Grandes generally taking humanoid forms when turned into Arrancar while only Vasto Lorde remain humanoid throughout. When Uryū concludes that many Gillians and Adjuchas consequently never take Human form even after becoming Arrancar and that they look more like Hollows when they have lower intelligence, he is forced to evade a punch from Demoura that shatters the ground where he was standing while Aisslinger fires several projectiles at Sado when the latter attempts to run to Uryū's aid and takes offense at this description since he is not stupid, unlike Demoura, who denies this as well.
Upon emerging from the dust kicked up by Demoura's punch and attempting to summon his Heilig Bogen, Uryū is shocked to see Demoura notice him and slam his hand into the ground to shower Uryū with debris and prevent him from moving around. With Sado manifesting his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and firing an energy blast at him with it, Aisslinger easily evades the blast with Sonído and clarifies that he and Demoura simply abandoned their humanoid forms in exchange for immense power prior to firing more blasts from his tendril-like fingers at Sado, who blocks them with Brazo Derecha de Gigante as Aisslinger concludes that Humans like Sado and Uryū should not take them lightly.
When Ichigo expresses concern for them, Uryū tells him to shut up and watch, but is forced to dodge another strike from Demoura and mentally observes that the latter is actually wrapping Reishi around his hands when attacking instead of performing ordinary palm strikes, which Uryū admits is a more troublesome attack than it seems due to its disruption of the surrounding Reishi making it impossible for him to construct a Reishi Heisō. However, while wishing that he could put some distance between himself and Demoura, Uryū has an idea and gets Sado's attention prior to making a rotating motion with his hand.
Nearby, Aisslinger internally mocks Sado for being too slow to keep up with his Sonído, only to express confusion upon noticing Uryū standing still, and when Demoura continues rampaging toward Uryū, Aisslinger warns him to wait before Sado suddenly punches Demoura hard in his left cheek with Brazo Derecha de Gigante, shattering part of his mask and sending him flying back behind a stunned Aisslinger. Standing in front of Sado, Uryū observes that the matchup matters and admits that fighting the same opponent so much recently made him overlook the obvious solution of switching opponents if both he and Sado are having trouble fighting two against two as he forms his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, and declares that it is their turn.
Bleach, Volume 28
243. The Knuckle & The Arrow [ ]
Uryū Ishida and Yasutora Sado display their new level of power to defeat Aisslinger Wernarr and Demoura Zodd.
With Uryū Ishida summoning his new Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, Ichigo Kurosaki is left shocked by its appearance and questions if it is really a bow, prompting Uryū to counter that he would not use any other type of weapon and rotate the bow to aim it at a stunned Aisslinger Wernarr before drawing back a Heilig Pfeil, naming Ginrei Kojaku, and firing the Heilig Pfeil in a powerful burst of energy.
Nearby, a wounded Demoura Zodd rears back and falls against a wall, cratering it upon impact, to pant heavily as Yasutora Sado muses that he should not have destroyed Demoura's mask since he looked better with it on. Angered by this, Demoura throws a punch at Sado, who effortlessly catches it with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and responds to Demoura struggling to overpower him by wondering if this is all the latter has got prior to grabbing hold with his other hand and flipping Demoura over to slam him into the ground with Grua Tirar.
Back in front of Uryū, a bleeding Aisslinger emerges from the cloud of dust kicked up by the impact of the Heilig Pfeil and curses Uryū as he begins to run away with Sonído, only for Uryū to easily catch up to him with Hirenkyaku and commend Sonído for being fairly fast upon seeing it for the first time. When Aisslinger is left aghast at a Human keeping up with Sonído, Uryū clarifies that he is a Quincy rather than an ordinary Human and explains that Hirenkyaku is another high-speed movement technique which he considers superior to both Shunpo and Sonído. However, Aisslinger declares that he has never heard of Quincy, leaving Uryū disappointed by his ignorance, before asserting that Uryū being able to keep up with his Sonído means nothing unless the latter can counter his Uña Tirotear while firing hundreds of small energy bullets at Uryū with his tendril fingers.
In turn, Uryū begins firing hundreds of Heilig Pfeil from Ginrei Kojaku at the approaching bullets, creating a cloud of colliding energy projectiles between the two of them. Seeing this, Aisslinger mocks this solution of shooting down all his bullets as something a child would think of and boasts that he can fire 108 bullets at once, but Uryū reveals that Ginrei Kojaku can fire 1,200 Heilig Pfeil at once, leaving Aisslinger in disbelief while a surge of Heilig Pfeil overcomes his bullets to converge on all sides and slam into Aisslinger simultaneously.
Meanwhile, a winded Demoura falls to his hands and knees in exhaustion, and as Sado approaches him, Demoura refuses to lose to a weakling like him and extends his tongue toward Sado with Lengua Tronco, only for the latter to stop it with Brazo Derecha de Gigante, causing it to bunch up on the floor in front of him, and point out to a shocked Demoura that this seeming to be a last-resort attack indicates that he is done fighting. With the red outer portions of the shoulder protrusion of Brazo Derecha de Gigante flaring open to expel a large amount of energy, Sado decides to take his turn and apologetically admits that he will have to finish off someone who has lost the will to fight even if he does not enjoy it because he cannot afford to be nice this time before punching Demoura hard in the stomach with El Directo.
244. Born From The Fear [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida discover Las Noches as the Espada are alerted to the presence of intruders.
Having defeated Demoura Zodd with El Directo, Sado walks away from the former's collapsing body and notes that it is done while dispelling his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante. Nearby, a heavily damaged Aisslinger Wernarr curses Uryū Ishida and attempts to raise one of his remaining tendril fingers to attack, only for Uryū to immediately destroy it with a Heilig Pfeil from his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, and correct Aisslinger calling him a Human once again before telling Aisslinger to warn Sousuke Aizen that he should fear the Quincy who has come to Hueco Mundo instead of the Shinigami.
Suddenly, the chamber they were fighting in begins rumbling, causing Sado to realize that it is going to collapse, and when an angered Ichigo Kurosaki reminds them that Uryū is the one who claimed they should be careful since the structure is underground, Aisslinger clarifies that the room is designed to self-destruct because he and Demoura are the guardians of the building who are tasked with eliminating anyone who tries to enter Las Noches by this route, meaning that they and the room crumble away if they lose. After Aisslinger concludes that this is the kind of enemy Ichigo and his friends are up against and that there is no victory where they are going with the battle only just beginning here, Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū hurry up the nearby set of stairs, with Uryū taking one last look at Aisslinger before leaving. Behind them, Aisslinger muses on Uryū's bold declaration that Aizen should fear him instead of the Shinigami and asserts that Aizen fears no one, which is why the Hollows flock to him since his path of fearlessness shimmers like moonlight to beings born from fear, before being buried by the falling rocks.
Shortly afterward, the passage leading down to the chamber from the surface of Hueco Mundo is filled with sand when the structure fully collapses, resulting in Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū bursting out of it seconds later and coughing up sand while Ichigo expresses relief at them making it out at all. With Uryū commenting on this being the world of the Hollows, Ichigo is surprised by the barren, desert-like area surrounding them and comments on how it is not very cheery with the near-completely white features. When Sado notices that all the trees seem to be dried up, Uryū breaks off a branch to inspect and deduces that they are instead made from a quartz-like substance. Suddenly, an alarmed Sado draws Ichigo and Uryū's attention to the horizon, where the massive palace of Las Noches looms in the distance.
Upon seeing it, a startled Uryū wonders if this is a palace or a fortress, deducing that it must be the location that Aisslinger was talking about, and Sado points out how the trees look like sticks next to it while admitting that its sheer size is messing up his sense of scale. Uryū observes that it is a good thing they got to see it from a distance so they could get a sense of the whole area, and as Ichigo questions how it helps them, Sado notes that it might be useful later and that this is better than not seeing it at all prior to assuming that Orihime Inoue is being held somewhere in there, which Uryū concurs with due to there not seeming to be anywhere else that the Arrancar could hide her in. With Ichigo suggesting that they start running since standing around just invites further attack, he, Sado, and Uryū begin approaching Las Noches while two figures watch them from atop a nearby ledge.
Meanwhile, within Las Noches, the Espada approach their meeting table and discuss the appearance of intruders, with Zommari Rureaux revealing that the twenty-second underground passage has self-destructed, Baraggan Louisenbairn expressing surprise at how far away the intruders entered the realm from, Szayelaporro Granz musing that it would have been fun if they had broken right into the throne room, Nnoitra Gilga cackling gleefully at the event, and Coyote Starrk telling Nnoitra to shut up so he can sleep as Tier Harribel, Aaroniero Arruruerie, Yammy Llargo, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and Ulquiorra Cifer sit down silently alongside them. Walking into the room from the main entrance, Aizen approaches the table with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen, where he greets the Espada and announces that they have been invaded prior to offering them tea.
245. THE WAY WITHOUT ENEMIES [ ]
Sousuke Aizen orders the Espada to prepare to confront Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, and Yasutora Sado.
Once all of the Espada at the table have been served tea, Sousuke Aizen has Kaname Tōsen pull a lever to display an image of Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida running across Hueco Mundo to himself and the Espada. When Aizen names each of them in turn, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez is left alarmed by Ichigo's presence as Aaroniero Arruruerie muses on this being the enemy, Baraggan Louisenbairn expresses disappointment at the enemy raid being comprised of children, Szayelaporro Granz calls them boring, and Yammy Llargo looks away dismissively. In response, Aizen cautions the Espada to not underestimate them because Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū were among the Ryoka who invaded Soul Society and defied the Gotei 13.
When Zommari Rureaux questions who is missing from their group since there were four Ryoka who invaded Soul Society, Ulquiorra Cifer clarifies that it is Orihime Inoue, prompting Nnoitra Gilga to mockingly approve of them coming to rescue their friend, only to assert that they look weak. With Tier Harribel reminding him that he was just warned to not underestimate the group, an annoyed Nnoitra counters that he did not mean it like this and wonders if Harribel is afraid of them. Suddenly, Grimmjow stands up from his seat next to Aizen and begins walking away, and when Tōsen asks him where he is going, Grimmjow states that he is going to kill them since it is best to exterminate vermin as soon as possible. Though Tōsen points out that Aizen has not given him his orders yet, Grimmjow declares that he is going to kill the intruders for Aizen.
However, Aizen addresses Grimmjow directly and requests that he sit back down since Aizen is not done speaking even though his enthusiasm is appreciated. Upon seeing Grimmjow looking at him disdainfully, Aizen tells him to speak up and exerts his Reiatsu, forcing a startled Grimmjow to his knees with its intensity, before standing up and observing that they understand each other now. Turning back to the rest of the Espada, Aizen assures them that there is no need for excessive alarm even if they should not underestimate the enemy and instructs them to return to their palaces and conduct their usual business without being overconfident or reckless as he promises that no one can defeat the Espada as long as they are with him.
Outside, in the sands of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo falls on his back in exhaustion while Sado and Uryū rest alongside him. When Ichigo complains about how they do not seem to be getting any closer to Las Noches despite how much they have run and wonders if the palace is just a mirage, Uryū begins to explain that they could not be seeing a mirage here since those are created by heat, only for Ichigo to loudly decline to hear his explanation. Noticing a small, lizard-like Hollow that quickly burrows underground when it sees him looking at it, Ichigo muses that this world seems to have some wildlife in it even though he believed it was devoid of life, only to question what they sustain themselves on since Hollows feed on Human Souls. In response, Uryū theorizes that Hueco Mundo's atmosphere being so dense with Reishi means that the small Hollows can sustain themselves just by breathing, leaving Ichigo shocked by his knowing the Reishi density of the atmosphere while a pleased Uryū details how Quincy using ambient Reishi when they fight leads to their strength being proportionate to the Reishi density of the area.
With Uryū noting that he realized this during the fight earlier and concludes that he should be able to fight even better than he does in the Human World or Soul Society once he gets the hang of it, Ichigo dismissively observes that he gains nothing from this even though Uryū and the Hollows are improved by it, prompting a startled Uryū to assert that it should be the same for Shinigami since the Reishi in Soul Society allowed Rukia Kuchiki to regain her spiritual powers, though Ichigo claims that Rukia may simply be a unique case. As a perturbed Sado examines his left arm, Uryū warns Ichigo that the high concentration of Reishi here is an advantage for the Arrancar as well and muses that the Arrancar are sure to see him, Ichigo, and Sado as both enemies and food no matter how close Aizen is to turning Hollows into Arrancar, with any Hollows they meet likely being several times stronger than they appear to be. Despite Uryū concluding that they have much to be wary of, Ichigo simply declares that he talks too much and waves off Uryū's indignation at this while telling Sado to keep going with him.
Suddenly, Ichigo is interrupted by Bawabawa bursting out of the sand nearby and chasing after Nel Tu alongside Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne, who laugh as Nel cries in fear. With Uryū assuming Nel is Human and wondering how that could be possible here, Ichigo proclaims that they will figure it out later and must help her now.
246. The Great Desert Bros. [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida meet Nel Tu and her Arrancar family.
With Nel Tu running from Pesche Guatiche, Dondochakka Birstanne, and Bawabawa, Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly appears and slams his sheathed Shikai, Zangetsu, into Dondochakka's face, sending the latter flying back, as Yasutora Sado leaps into the air with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, forming and is joined by Uryū Ishida wielding his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, resulting in them crashing into a shocked Pesche and Bawabawa from above. As Ichigo stands over Dondochakka, Sado holds Bawabawa aloft, and Uryū aims a Heilig Pfeil at Pesche, who complains about the tip poking into and burning his forehead, Nel pulls down her hood and begs Ichigo and his friends to stop picking on them, leading a stunned Ichigo to notice the mask covering her head and wonder if she is a Hollow.
Shortly afterward, Nel, Dondochakka, Pesche, and Bawabawa bow and apologize for the misunderstanding, with Nel explaining that they were playing endless tag because there is not much to do for fun in Hueco Mundo. When Ichigo points out how there were tears in her eyes even though she claims that she was playing, Nel confirms this and notes that her masochistic nature means that it not fun for her unless she is chased so much that she cries, leading Ichigo to angrily punch the back of Dondochokka's head and demand to know what they have been teaching Nel. At Uryū's questioning, Nel introduces herself as an Arrancar, to Ichigo's surprise, and Pesche and Dondochakka identify themselves as her older brothers prior to declaring that Bawabawa is their pet, leading Ichigo to question if Arrancar can have families and pets. In turn, Nel calls him rude for assuming otherwise as Pesche and Dondochakka explain that they decided to be Nel's older brothers after encountering her one day and being enamored by her cuteness, only for Ichigo to bluntly state that this does not make them a family. However, when Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka are left aghast by the implications of this, an unnerved Ichigo concedes that they are a family after all.
Some time later, Bawabawa slithers across the desert with Ichigo, Sado, Uryū, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka on his back, where Ichigo inquires about the latter three really being Arrancar. Sitting on Ichigo's lap, Nel reminds him of the cracked mask on her head, but when Ichigo clarifies that they are very different compared to the Arrancar he and his friends faced in the Human World, Nel reveals that those were Números and hops off of Ichigo's lap while detailing how these are high-ranking Arrancar assigned a double-digit number who serve under the direct command of the Espada, making them expert fighters unlike Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka. As she points out how Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū look even less like Arrancar than they do due to lacking masks and Ichigo wearing a black robe, which makes him look more like a Shinigami, Nel has a realization and begins trembling as she asks them about what they actually are, prompting Ichigo to identify himself as a Substitute Shinigami, Uryū to introduce himself as a Quincy, and Sado to note that he is just a Human.
Terrified by this alongside Pesche and Dondochakka, Nel frantically calls them bad guys for being Shinigami, which leads Ichigo to question how she did not know what they were, and declares that Arrancar do not want to go to Las Noches prior to assuming that Ichigo is going to kill them, which Ichigo denies. Suddenly, Runuganga rises up in front of Bawabawa and promises to rip them all to pieces as the guardian of the white sand. With those present startled by this, Runuganga rebukes Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka for helping the intruders he had just learned about and vows to turn them all into sand, but as Nel attempts to claim that this is not what it looks like, Ichigo tells her to move aside and fires a Getsuga Tenshō at Runuganga, who is sliced vertically in half from the chest up. Though Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka accuse him of being a cheater for performing a surprise attack like this, Ichigo reminds them that he just save them and wonders where the surprise element was since he attacked Runuganga from the front.
However, Runuganga simply rejoins his split halves and proclaims that Ichigo attacking without warning or remorse is an even more heinous crime. When Ichigo demands to know how Runuganga did this, Nel casually informs him that Runuganga is made of sand, prompting Ichigo to warn her that Runuganga is targeting her group as well and that they cannot just stand around. With Runuganga punching the ground near Bawabawa, who narrowly evades him, Ichigo turns to Uryū and Sado for a plan, only for Uryū to observe that his Heilig Pfeil will not work on sand and Sado to offer to punch Runuganga if Ichigo wants. Ichigo concludes that they have to run away for now and form a plan later, and while Nel urges Bawabawa to turn around, Runuganga's mouth splits open to reach his chest and he refuses to let them escape prior to forming a massive antlion pit underneath Bawabawa and the group. Turned to by Ichigo for a weakness of Runuganga's, Nel is coerced when Ichigo points out how she is about to die and reveals that it is water, but Ichigo is left questioning where they will get that in a desert. Suddenly, Ichigo sees ice floating past his face and hears Tsugi no mai, Hakuren being performed, resulting in Runuganga being frozen solid and shattering into dozens of pieces upon falling over while Ichigo and his friends turn around to see Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai standing atop a nearby dune with desert cloaks over their shihakushō.
247. United On The Desert [ ]
Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai join Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends on the journey to save Orihime Inoue.
In the Seireitei, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, and 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake are informed by Riteitai of Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai having disappeared from the barracks without any trace of their Reiatsu in the area. With the Onmitsukidō second squad patrol unit expanding its search to all of Soul Society, Yamamoto simply calls them foolish.
Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, Rukia and Renji stand atop a sand dune before Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. As Ichigo expresses shock at their arrival, Rukia and Renji leap off the dune to the sand near Bawabawa, whom Ichigo drops off of as Nel Tu panics at the sight of more Shinigami, which Uryū Ishida tells her to stop worrying about. A smiling Ichigo runs over to Rukia and Renji while beginning to ask them why they are here, only to be interrupted when Rukia punches him upside the chin and tags in Renji, who punches a bewildered Ichigo in the side of the face, sending him crashing onto his back as Yasutora Sado and Uryū express concern for him. When Rukia demands to know why Ichigo left for Hueco Mundo instead of waiting for her and Renji to come back, Ichigo admits that he was not sure if they were going to come back, but Rukia counters that they would have come no matter what it took and that this was their intention from the beginning before questioning if she and Renji are not Ichigo's friends whom he can trust.
Surprised by this, Ichigo assures Rukia that they are and that she is right, leading a smiling Rukia to tell Ichigo to never make her ask that again and to get up so they can save Orihime Inoue, which Ichigo smiles at. Soon afterward, with the group riding on the back of Bawabawa, Ichigo inquires about the cloaks Rukia and Renji are wearing and if they were on sale, prompting a slightly embarrassed Rukia to reveal that they were told to bring the cloaks due to the sandstorms in Hueco Mundo by Byakuya, leaving Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū completely shocked by the idea of Byakuya sending them to Hueco Mundo. Renji clarifies that Kisuke Urahara is the one who opened the Garganta for them prior to Rukia recounting Byakuya informing them that his orders were to bring them back and not to stop them from going again, which allowed them to do as they liked after coming back to Soul Society.
Though Ichigo is bemused by Byakuya mellowing out like this, Rukia adds that he wanted Ichigo to run around Hueco Mundo for a while and let the Arrancar deal with his nuisance, leaving Ichigo aggravated while Rukia turns her attention to Nel, Pesche Guatiche, and Dondochakka Birstanne, whom she wonders about the identities of. In response, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka introduce themselves and attempt to call their group by three different names simultaneously, to Ichigo's confusion, which causes them to argue among themselves about which name they should be using as a nonplussed Ichigo tells Rukia that this is what Hollows are like. When Bawabawa begins crying at this, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka realize that they have left him out and attempt to name their group once more, but do so in three different ways yet again, to Ichigo's exasperation.
Simultaneously, in her room in Las Noches, Orihime stands before the window, having donned a white outfit given to her by the Arrancar to wear. From the doorway behind Orihime, Ulquiorra Cifer notes that she looks quite good in the outfit, and when a startled Orihime questions how long he has been there, an annoyed Ulquiorra states that he has only been here for a moment and tells her to stop overreacting. Stepping forward, Ulquiorra informs Orihime of her friends entering Hueco Mundo, leaving her astonished. Outside Las Noches, Bawabawa reaches the wall, allowing Ichigo and his friends to drop down to the sand, where Nel congratulates Bawabawa on doing so well while Rukia approaches the wall and wonders how they can get through it. When Rukia deduces that it is not made of Sekkiseki, Ichigo asserts that they can just break through it and draws his Shikai, Zangetsu, as he invites Renji to join him, to Renji's chagrin. With Ulquiorra revealing that Orihime's friends have come to rescue her, Renji releases his Shikai, Zabimaru, and attacks the wall alongside Ichigo in a powerful explosion of force.
248. 再び生きて この場所へ [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends reach a crossroads within Las Noches and choose to split up.
In her room in Las Noches, having just been informed by Ulquiorra Cifer of her friends entering Hueco Mundo to rescue her, Orihime Inoue is left shocked as Ulquiorra reminds her that this should mean nothing to her because she is now an Arrancar in body and spirit, which is what the outfit she is now wearing signifies. Affirming this, Orihime is coerced by Ulquiorra into declaring that her body and spirit are for Sousuke Aizen and his desires.
Meanwhile, outside Las Noches, Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai successfully break down part of the outer wall with simultaneous attacks from their respective Shikai, Zangetsu and Zabimaru, prompting Renji to confirm to Ichigo that they got through because he feels a breeze now. When an aghast Nel Tu protests this since the actual gate to Las Noches is only a three-day walk from here, Ichigo points out that they cannot walk in through the front door since they are not just visiting a friend here and Renji asserts that they do not have three days. Thanking Nel for bringing them here, Ichigo cautions her that staying with them any longer will make the other Arrancar think she has betrayed them and bids her farewell prior to running into the hole in the wall with his friends, only for Nel to begin frantically running after him despite Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne 's protests.
Nel tells Ichigo that they became traitors the moment Runuganga found them and that Aizen may have known even before that, meaning that either the latter will never forgive them or the Espada will not, such that they will be killed if Ichigo does not bring them along. With Nel threatening to cry if he does not take them and insulting several aspects of his person, an irritated Ichigo tells her to stop crying and contests her insults while his nonplussed friends watch. Shortly afterward, Ichigo runs through the makeshift passage with his friends and complains about the thickness of the wall making the tunnel so long and the darkness of the area preventing him from seeing anything, which prompts a smirking Renji to confidently declare that he will take care of this. Though Ichigo questions what he could do, Renji explains that Kidō can do some amazing things with a little creativity and uses Hadō #31. Shakkahō with the intention of creating a large light source, only to end up creating a tiny sphere of red light in his palm. With Uryū Ishida commenting on how Renji made an incredibly small and weak light source after acting like he was about to show off, Rukia berating him for attempting an Eishōhaki he has not mastered yet, and Ichigo claiming that Renji's red hair will light their way like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Renji angrily tells them all to shut up.
Some time later, the group exits the passageway into a room that is initially dark, only for five torches above five separate exits to suddenly light up, revealing the room to be a crossroads. After observing that it really is time to say goodbye to Nel, a sweating Ichigo warns her that she could not handle the Reiatsu beyond this point, to her concern. When Uryū assumes that they will try each path as a group, Rukia asserts that they should each take a different path, and when Ichigo contests the idea of dividing their forces because there is no guarantee that the Espada will come after them individually, Renji stands between them and explains to Ichigo that it is insulting to a warrior for someone to worry about their welfare. With Ichigo stunned by this, Rukia deduces that Ichigo wants them to stay together because he is worried about her and reminds him that he does not need to worry about her since she did not come here to be protected by him.
Once Ichigo accepts this and agrees that they should all take separate paths, Renji announces that they will perform a charm before they leave and details to a confused Ichigo how this is an old tradition which the Gotei 13 used to perform before major battles and which he feels is worth reviving now even though it is not a common practice anymore. Having everyone hold out their hands and chastising them for making him feel more embarrassed than he already was, Renji proclaims that their blades will not shatter and their hearts will not weaken as they approach the crucial battleground before concluding that their iron hearts will remain together though their paths diverge and that they will come back here alive even if the land itself should break asunder, prompting Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Uryū, and Renji to split up into each of the five exits.
249. Back to the Innocence [ ]
Ulquiorra Cifer reveals the mental trap Sousuke Aizen placed Orihime Inoue in as the latter recalls Aizen showing her the Hōgyoku.
With Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai having each run down separate hallways from the crossroads they found themselves in, Nel Tu, Pesche Guatiche, and Dondochakka Birstanne are left standing in the chamber behind them. As Pesche wonders what they should do next and Dondochakka observes that they are already in trouble no matter what, Nel runs toward the hallway that Ichigo entered, and when Pesche questions where she is going, Nel reveals that she is following Ichigo because she had a lot of fun coming here and wants to have more fun by staying with him before entering the hallway and leaving Pesche and Dondochakka to decide to follow her as well after a moment's hesitation, only to realize that they do not know which one she entered.
Meanwhile, in the hallway leading to Orihime Inoue 's room, Ulquiorra Cifer steps out and recalls Orihime only hesitating for an instant prior to asserting that her heart and spirit are dedicated to Sousuke Aizen without questioning the request, which he considers brave. Suddenly, a grinning Nnoitra Gilga leans against the wall behind Ulquiorra and inquires about how their pet is doing. After Nnoitra brings up Aizen putting him in charge of Orihime and suggests that Ulquiorra could have some fun with her, a disgusted Ulquiorra begins walking away, but Nnoitra moves in front of Ulquiorra with Sonído and slams his hand into the wall as he claims that he was not trying to anger Ulquiorra and simply wanted to know if things are going well. However, Ulquiorra wonders if he is curious or frightened, to Nnoitra's confusion, and moves past the latter while noting that Orihime was under Aizen's power long before she entered Las Noches.
When Nnoitra assumes Aizen used Kyōka Suigetsu, Ulquiorra asserts that there was no need for this and reveals that they put Orihime in a multi-layered mental cage upon ordering her to come to Las Noches by telling her that her friends would die if she resisted in any way, giving her a twelve-hour grace period, and permitting her to say a silent and invisible goodbye to just one of her friends. Though Nnoitra scoffs at the idea of this mentally entrapping Orihime, Ulquiorra elaborates that giving Orihime a reprieve when she was in a state of terror and letting her bid farewell to a friend led her to falsely believe that they were sympathetic to her, which weakened her will, with the grace period actually being a deception to confuse her faculties because allowing her to choose who to say goodbye to created the illusion that she was acting of her own free will instead of being abducted and letting her return to the rendezvous point on her own deeply ingrained the illusion in her mind, destroying her will to escape.
With Nnoitra musing on this, Ulquiorra observes that a trace of Orihime's presence was left on the friend she said goodbye to and responds to Nnoitra presuming that this was a mistake by revealing that this trace proved she had freedom of movement and thought until her departure, which caused her actions to appear to be a voluntary betrayal of her friends. Admitting that he does not know if this was a complete success, Ulquiorra concludes that Soul Society has definitely abandoned Orihime by now. Nnoitra expresses admiration of Aizen's genius at undergoing such painstaking planning, but Ulquiorra counters that this was simply a game to Aizen and that it would not have mattered if the plan did not work prior to asserting that Orihime does not have the will to attempt an escape or even resent the Arrancar. Simultaneously, on the couch in her room, Orihime sits and recalls her prior meeting with Aizen.
In the past, Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia bring Orihime before Aizen, who thanks her for coming since there is something he wants to show her. When Aizen tells them to leave, Loly and Menoly protest that they cannot leave him alone with Orihime, but frantically kneel and apologize upon seeing Aizen staring at them balefully and storm out past Ulquiorra in indignation. Once the door closes, Aizen raises a tall cylinder from the ground and has it open in segments to reveal the Hōgyoku within, leaving Orihime unnerved by the sensation of being close to it. Confirming to her that it is the Hōgyoku, Aizen explains that it is somewhat weak right now due to its slumber being disrupted multiple times, but assures her that it is making steady progress and will awaken soon and muses that neither the transformation of Hollows into proper Arrancar or the creation of the Ōken would be possible without it. Aizen asserts that he is showing Orihime this in order to prove that he trusts her, due to her power of rejecting and destroying phenomena being tremendously powerful, and requests that she use her power to help him, leaving Orihime sweating in fear.
In the present, Orihime dismisses the idea of Aizen showing her the Hōgyoku because he trusts her, only to note that she now knows where it is and what her powers are as she recalls Aizen describing it as a rejection of events and the complete destruction of phenomena. Thanking Ichigo for coming to save her, Orihime concludes that she has figured out what she has to do her and that it is something only she can do before resolving to use her powers to destroy the Hōgyoku. With Aizen smirking while sitting in a chair, Ichigo runs down a corridor as someone steps out behind him.
250. Five Ways To Three Figures [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki is confronted by Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, one of the Privaron Espada.
In a long corridor filled with arches, a running Ichigo Kurosaki hears footsteps approaching him from behind and turns to see Nel Tu tearfully running after him, to his shock. With Nel not listening to him urging her to turn back, Ichigo prepares to forcibly send her back, only for Nel to initiate Chōkasoku and slam into his midsection, knocking a stunned Ichigo on his back and causing him to cough up blood as Nel claims that she missed him so much. Grudgingly accepting this, Ichigo questions where the others are, and when Nel explains that she left Bawabawa outside because he needs to constantly eat sand to live, Ichigo clarifies that he is referring to Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne, though he cannot remember the latter's name and mixes him up with Don Kanonji, whom Nel does not recognize. Upon attempting to point out Pesche and Dondochakka behind her, Nel realizes that they are not there and begins crying as she assumes that they got lost, with an unimpressed Ichigo observing that she seems to be the one who is lost.
Suddenly, Ichigo is alerted and looks up at the ceiling, and when Nel questions what is wrong, Ichigo tells her to be quiet and demands that whoever is hiding in the arches above show himself. In response, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio breaks the top of one of the arches by leaping off of it and begins running along the others, prompting Ichigo to proclaim that the former cannot get away from him. However, Dordoni's attempt to deny running away is cut short when his foot slips off one of the arches upon landing, causing him to crash into the ground in front of Ichigo and Nel in an undignified manner. When Ichigo asks him if he is okay, Dordoni dramatically points at him from within the resulting dust cloud, startling Ichigo and Nel, and begins chanting in a rhythm to announce his arrival, but is reduced to coughing by the dust and leaves Ichigo and Nel completely unimpressed when he finally exits the cloud to reveal himself.
After a moment of silence, an aghast Dordoni berates Ichigo's bored expression as him feigning composure after witnessing this grand entrance, though Ichigo bluntly states that he is actually composed, and points out how Nel is not even looking at him due to her eyes being rolled up, only to conclude that this simply shows Ichigo has no appreciation for the finer things and does not matter because the latter is about to be demolished anyway. With Dordoni declaring that Arrancar #103. will crush him, Ichigo notes how high the number is and confirms with Nel that Arrancar usually have a two-digit number while the latter admits that she has never heard of one with three digits. Looking at Dordoni with pity, to the latter's indignation, Ichigo unsheathes his Shikai, Zangetsu, and informs Dordoni that he seems weak, leading the latter to furiously promise to show Ichigo weak and warn him to not cry about it later.
Elsewhere, in a hidden room, Gin Ichimaru finds Kaname Tōsen surveilling the actions of Ichigo and his friends through controlled cameras, which he claims is not very nice, only for Tōsen to counter that Gin has come here to do the same. Assuring Tōsen that he was only kidding, Gin is stopped from entering the room by Wonderweiss Margela, who grabs his leg in annoyance. At Gin's behest, Tōsen has Wonderweiss let go of Gin and replies to the latter noting that Wonderweiss has taken a liking to Tōsen by explaining that the pure are drawn to each other even though he has yet to discover what Wonderweiss's purity is directed toward. With Gin observing that this explains why Wonderweiss does not like him, Tōsen asserts that any sane person would be wary of Gin and directs the latter's attention to Ichigo's group splitting up. While Tōsen agrees that they are foolish for dividing their forces like this, Gin notes with interest that they are currently passing through the lair of the Tres Cifras.
As Ichigo is suddenly slashed across his left shoulder by a passing Dordoni, whom he stares at in bewilderment while Nel calls out to him in concern, Tōsen realizes that Wonderweiss probably does not know about the Tres Cifras since he is new to Las Noches and decides to explain them to him. With Ichigo firing a Getsuga Tenshō at Dordoni, Tōsen details how three-digit numbers are a sign of demotion for former Espada and how those who have been demoted in this way are called Privaron Espada just before Dordoni splits the Getsuga Tenshō in two with Barón Puntapiés Alto, remaining undamaged by the blast in the process, and smugly tells Ichigo to not judge people by their appearances.
251. Baron's Lecture 1st Period [ ]
Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio swiftly overwhelms Ichigo Kurosaki, who refuses to use his Bankai.
With Ichigo Kurosaki staring at him in disbelief, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio reiterates that Arrancar with three-digit numbers are former Espada as Uryū Ishida is confronted by Cirucci Sanderwicci and Yasutora Sado stands before Gantenbainne Mosqueda. Dordoni immediately attacks Ichigo with a downward kick, forcing the latter to block with his Shikai, Zangetsu, while the ground ruptures beneath his feet, and springs backward off the blade prior to asking Ichigo what is wrong and leaping into the air, where he swings his foot up to tear through several more arches before slamming into Ichigo with enough force to send him crashing through the nearby wall into an adjoining room. Catching up to a stunned Ichigo in midair while the latter notices an exit at the end of the room beneath them, Dordoni asserts that Ichigo should not have to look to know where he is going to land and kicks him into one of the pillars lining the room with enough force to crater it.
Upon landing, Dordoni lambasts Ichigo's slow reflexes, porous defense, and pathetic spatial awareness as he questions why he is bothering to fight the latter. Suggesting that Ichigo use his Bankai, Dordoni bluntly states that he cannot win without it, but Ichigo refuses and confirms with a quizzical Dordoni that Privaron Espada are not really Espada prior to declaring that he cannot be wasting his Bankai on someone who is not even an Espada when he has to defeat every Espada in Hueco Mundo and rushing down toward Dordoni. However, while blocking Ichigo's subsequent slash of Zangetsu with his leg without injury, Dordoni expresses understanding of Ichigo's reasoning, only to grab Zangetsu by the blade and warn Ichigo to not underestimate him prior to activating his Resurrección, Giralda, with his still-sheathed Zanpakutō, creating a whirlwind that forces Ichigo back.
With Ichigo alarmed that Dordoni can do this without even drawing his Zanpakutō, Dordoni tells him to raise his sword just before Ichigo is attacked by a large, piercing strike, leaving him shocked while the wind clears to reveal Dordoni having gained horn-like protrusions on his shoulders and coiling armor on his legs with spouts near his ankles that are creating two large Cyclones, each creating an additional bird-like wind being with a large and pointed beak. After asking Giralda if it is ready, Dordoni aims a kick in the direction of Ichigo, who is flying through the air, causing one of the bird protrusions to slam him into the ground from above in response. As a bloodied Ichigo pants within the crater created by this attack, Nel Tu watches through the hole in the wall and tearfully worries that Ichigo is going to die as the left eye of her mask glows with a strange light.
Bleach, Volume 29
252. REBUT TO THE BARON'S LECTURE [ ]
Nel Tu joins Ichigo Kurosaki 's battle against Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio.
As he runs through a corridor in Las Noches, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai notices someone's Reiatsu and assumes that it belongs to Ichigo Kurosaki, only to be shocked when he instead discovers it to be Dondochakka Birstanne tearfully running and wailing behind him. When Renji demands to know what he is doing here and calls him crazy for coming down the corridor as well, Dondochakka declares that he is looking for Nel Tu, only for Renji to question why Dondochakka is following him if this is the case and assume that he is lost. In turn, Dondochakka asks Renji where Nel is, prompting him to affirm in incredulous annoyance that Dondochakka really is lost and chose to follow Renji at random since there is no way he could know this, and asserts that he has to find her since she went running after Ichigo.
However, when Renji counters that Nel is safer with Ichigo than she would be with anyone else and tells him to stop crying, Dondochakka begins to explain that he has to find and stop Nel soon before she does something, but stops upon realizing that Renji is still running away from him, which Renji attributes to reflex from Dondochakka chasing him and Dondochakka's face triggering an instinctive fear in people. With Dondochakka telling him to stop running so he can hear the full story, Renji angrily orders him to stop first and go search for Nel instead.
Meanwhile, Ichigo is sent flying by a strike from one of the bird protrusions emerging from the Cyclones created by a maniacally laughing Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio 's Resurrección, Giralda. With the bird protrusion slamming Ichigo into the ground and flinging him into the air, Dordoni directs it to jab at Ichigo several times with his kicks, which Ichigo blocks with his Shikai, Zangetsu, and encourages Ichigo to use his Bankai unless he wants to die because conserving his strength against Dordoni is incredibly foolhardy. Pinning Ichigo in midair with El Uno Picotear, Dordoni instructs him once again to perform Bankai so he can fight at his best, only for Ichigo to instead fire a point-blank Getsuga Tenshō at the head of the bird protrusion restraining him, obliterating it as Dordoni watches in amusement.
Suddenly, Ichigo reappears behind Dordoni with Shunpo and slashes downward with Zangetsu, forcing Dordoni to block the strike with his right wrist, before attempting to fire another point-blank Getsuga Tenshō. In response, an irritated Dordoni swipes his right hand to the side, sending Ichigo flying back with the resulting force, and chastises the latter for underestimating him prior to proclaiming that naughty boys must be punished while readying his hands in front of him to fire a Cero from between his fingers. Before Ichigo can defend himself from the beam, Nel appears in front of him facing the Cero with her arms, leaving both Ichigo and Dordoni shocked at her blocking it, and begins drawing the entire Cero into her mouth as though eating it, which stuns Dordoni in complete disbelief, before finally firing it back at Dordoni from her mouth with a burp.
With Dordoni engulfed in the massive blast, a panting Nel defiantly tells him to not hurt Ichigo, only to be sent flying back when Dordoni blasts her with a Bala from within the resulting dust cloud, causing Ichigo to call out to her in concern. Dordoni notes that being able to redirect his Cero is no easy task, though he does not know who Nel is, and refuses to permit it while sending his other bird protrusion hurtling toward Nel with the intent of obliterating her. However, the bird protrusion is cut completely in two as Ichigo grabs Nel, now wielding his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, and slashes Dordoni's left shoulder in one swift movement. As Dordoni's left shoulder horn falls to the ground, Ichigo declares that this is the Bankai which Dordoni wanted to see, pleasing the latter.
253. Don't Call Me Niño [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki accepts Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio 's request to see his Hollow mask and finishes their battle.
Looking up at Ichigo Kurosaki, a tearful Nel Tu coughs in pain, prompting Ichigo to apologize for letting her get hurt over his ego and explain that he had intended to reserve his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, for the Espada since he did not believe that he could afford to use it on weaker Arrancar, only to call himself a fool as he stands up with Nel in his arms and Tensa Zangetsu activated. Upon hearing this, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio questions if Ichigo is sure about this and asserts that restraint in battle is required of those who seek great power, which he commends Ichigo for. When Ichigo counters that it is not worth letting a friend get hurt over, Dordoni deduces that he seeks power in order to protect his friends rather than for his own sake, which he considers to be saintly in its kindness.
However, Dordoni begins reforming one of the bird protrusions of his Resurrección, Giralda, and brings up Ichigo possessing other abilities before revealing that he knows about the latter's ability to use Hollowfication, to Ichigo's shock, and detailing how the Arrancar have monitored and analyzed all of Ichigo's fights in the Human World to learn that he possesses a technique which grants him explosive strength through the power of a Hollow. Demanding that Ichigo show this to him, Dordoni sends the bird protrusion charging toward Ichigo, who casually blocks it with his sword, causing the protrusion's mask to begin cracking from the force, and split it in half with an upward Getsuga Tenshō. Impressed by Ichigo's enormous Reiatsu, Dordoni reiterates his desire to see Ichigo's best and forces him to spin around to block another bird protrusion prior to leaping through the smoke and attempting to attack Nel directly in order to compel Ichigo to this end.
Ichigo barely manages to repel Dordoni in time, leaving Nel with a graze on her cheek from Dordoni's hand, and curses Dordoni, who observes that there is no reason for Ichigo to be angry since his purpose is to protect his friends and Dordoni's is to defeat Ichigo at his best, which simply means that he must go after Nel to accomplish this goal. When Ichigo questions if he has any shame, Dordoni proclaims that he would suffer great shame if he were unable to fight Ichigo at the latter's best as he initiates Ave Mellizos to generate several bird protrusions from his Cyclones. With Dordoni concluding that all other shame pales in comparison to this, Ichigo accepts this and sets down Nel, whom he tells to stand back and promises to not let even a trace of Dordoni's Reiatsu get past him. Turning to face Dordoni, Ichigo agrees to use his Hollowfication, but clarifies that he can only show it to Dordoni for a second, which Dordoni is content with.
As Ichigo dons his Hollow mask, further strengthening his Reiatsu, an astonished Dordoni laughs in joy and describes Ichigo's Reiatsu as marvelous prior to declaring that he is deeply honored to be able to fight someone so powerful and offering a toast to an exhibition of spectacular destructive force. Suddenly, Dordoni finds himself slashed vertically down his left side from afar by Ichigo, and as he stares in bewilderment at the blood gushing from his wound, Ichigo dispels his Hollow mask and reminds Dordoni that it would only last for a second, leaving Dordoni to grin and comment on the humiliation he has suffered while falling to his knees and collapsing.
254. Deja Chocolate Aquí [ ]
Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio reveals his motivation in fighting Ichigo Kurosaki and lets him continue his journey.
While unconscious, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio recalls knowing for some time that the appearance of the Hōgyoku would make the Espada expendable and believed that he could accept this as a servant of Sousuke Aizen, only to wake up to Nel Tu dripping saliva onto his face with Nel Shower, causing him to scream in confusion and alarm. With Dordoni backing up and demanding to know what she is doing, Nel cheerfully states that she is drooling on him, which he is left aghast by, and Ichigo Kurosaki tells him to calm down while misspelling his name, to Dordoni's chagrin. Ichigo explains that Nel's saliva has mild healing properties, and when Nel reaches into her mouth to trigger a cascade of fluid from her mouth by yanking her uvula, a disgusted Dordoni insists that this is vomit instead of drool and chastises Nel for casually doing this as a young lady, only for her to cover him in more of it despite his protests.
Following this, Dordoni lies on the floor and admits that he is almost relieved despite being completely defeated. As he details how his body was filled with power and his mind was coursing with the will to win, which made him sure that he could absorb any attack and strike back, Dordoni notes that he could not have foreseen this even though his preparation was complete and calls Ichigo strong, only for the latter to deny this. In turn, Dordoni reveals that he wanted to be a real Espada again and muses that, even though he knows Aizen only sees the Espada as weapons despite their loyalty to him, the view from the summit he reached within the group was one he could never forget and wanted to reclaim by defeating Ichigo at the latter's best, which he believed would please Aizen enough for him to rejoin the Espada.
After concluding that this is why he kept urging Ichigo to don his Hollow mask, Dordoni suddenly leaps onto his feet while unsheathing his Zanpakutō and declares that his desire remains unchanged. Seeing Ichigo's surprise at this, Dordoni asserts that he must expect a counterattack when healing an enemy's wounds, and despite Ichigo warning him against this due to his injuries, Dordoni declares that being wounded is a state of the spirit since physical injuries mean nothing when one's will to fight is strong before rushing forward with his Zanpakutō outstretched and calling Ichigo soft and sweet like chocolate. In response, Ichigo slashes through Dordoni's Zanpakutō, injuring him again in the process, and reappears behind him at the hallway leading out of the chamber with Nel in his arms before running off, leaving a chuckling Dordoni to observe that Rudbornn Chelute made it in time just as the latter appears before him with the Exequias.
With Dordoni welcoming them, Rudbornn states that they have orders to eliminate the injured intruder and declines to tell a curious Dordoni who gave this order, leading Dordoni to wonder if they wish to pass him. Though Rudbornn observes that Dordoni's Zanpakutō being broken and his Resurrección being inaccessible would make it hopeless for him to attempt to resist them in his condition, Dordoni merely grins and demands to know if this is so as he assumes a combat stance to meet the charging Exequias. In his mind, Dordoni thanks Ichigo for accepting Dordoni's request to Hollowfy despite knowing he could have won with just his Bankai and the act depleting his strength, which Dordoni has decided to repay him for with this. However, Dordoni mentally warns Ichigo that those he faces ahead will not be so kind and that he must kill them without hesitation because any wavering will cost him his life and healing those enemies will only give them an opportunity to kill Ichigo, whom Dordoni concludes must put all thoughts of mercy from his mind and leave his kindness behind in order to become powerful and ruthless like a demon because there is no other path to victory besides turning his heart to stone.
Simultaneously, an injured Yasutora Sado falls to his knees in exhaustion against Gantenbainne Mosqueda while a bloodied Uryū Ishida stares down Cirucci Sanderwicci and curses.
255. DON'T BREATHE IN THE BUSH [ ]
Sousuke Aizen learns of Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio as Uryū Ishida continues his battle against Cirucci Sanderwicci.
In Sousuke Aizen 's outdoor throne room, an Arrancar attendant informs him that Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio was defeated by an intruder moments ago, only for Aizen to casually note that Ichigo Kurosaki seems to have found it more difficult than Aizen expected him to as he gets up from his chair to stand next to Gin Ichimaru. With the attendant confused by this, Aizen clarifies that he believed Ichigo would defeat Dordoni quickly and dismisses this as irrelevant before exerting his Reiatsu and inquiring about who sent the Exequias after Ichigo because the information is being withheld, causing the attendant to begin quaking under the intense pressure.
As Aizen questions what is wrong, Szayelaporro Granz steps into the room and reveals that he gave the order, which Aizen acknowledges. Immediately kneeling, Szayelaporro emphatically apologizes and explains that he did not want to miss the opportunity to eliminate Ichigo while the latter was vulnerable and wounded before declaring that he is prepared to accept his punishment because he made the decision without authorization. However, Aizen assures Szayelaporro that it is alright while returning to his throne and states that he does not mind this so long as the latter had a good reason, which Szayelaporro thanks him for. Before Szayelaporro can leave, Aizen comments that he would have preferred a more complete report and brings up Szayelaporro extracting a record of Ichigo's Reiatsu from Dordoni under the assumption that it will help him in his research. In response, an unnerved Szayelaporro confirms that it will, which Aizen is pleased by.
After Szayelaporro leaves and Aizen stands up once more, Gin observes that Aizen seems to be enjoying this even though he has lost one of his subordinates, and when Aizen wonders if this is how it looks, Gin elaborates that he believes Aizen thinks the intruders defeating everyone in their way and getting closer by the minute is as fun as it gets, which Aizen admits is close to the truth. When asked by Aizen if this is strange, Gin denies this and admits that he feels the same way.
Meanwhile, Uryū Ishida frantically evades as the bladed disc of Cirucci Sanderwicci 's Zanpakutō crashes down onto the ground where he was standing from the pillar she is standing atop, prompting a maniacally laughing Cirucci to proclaim that it is useless to hide from her and that there is no way Uryū can escape her, only to be interrupted when a Heilig Pfeil hurtles toward her from a pillar behind her. Yanking the blade disc back up, Cirucci blocks the Heilig Pfeil with it, causing the latter to disperse, and requests that Uryū not attack her while she is speaking with an annoyed expression. Holding the other end of the line holding the blade disc between her fingers, Cirucci begins rapidly spinning it through the air to her right and questions if all Human men are this rude prior to letting go of the line and sending the disc crashing down into the base of the pillar that Uryū was hiding behind, forcing him to dodge once more.
With Uryū calling her a hypocrite for insulting his choice in clothing, an unimpressed Cirucci yanks on her handle of her Zanpakutō, causing the blade disc to suddenly leap toward Uryū from the ground it was embedded in. When Uryū blocks the disc with his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, he struggles to protect himself while Cirucci points out that he is not wielding a shield and consequently cannot get too cocky before the disc rips through Ginrei Kojaku and slashes Uryū's shoulder, sending him flying back toward a nearby doorway. As Uryū gets to his feet and curses, someone stares at him from the doorway behind Uryū.
256. Infinite Slick [ ]
Pesche Guatiche joins Uryū Ishida 's battle against Cirucci Sanderwicci and demonstrates his capabilities.
A babbling Dondochakka Birstanne runs along a corridor in Las Noches while carrying 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai over his had prior to slamming the latter head-first into the ground. When Dondochakka wonders what he is doing, Renji angrily kicks him in the head while still upside-down and reminds Dondochakka that the latter brought him here after getting excited from detecting Nel Tu 's Reiatsu, only for Dondochakka to reiterate his excitement and state that he cannot help it, to Renji's disbelief. As Renji continues kicking Dondochakka for piledriving him and in an attempt to get him to keep going, Dondochakka suddenly realizes that Pesche Guatiche is not with him and begins tearfully asking Renji where he is, prompting Renji to hold him back and point out how Pesche was not even present when Dondochakka first showed up here. Interpreting this as Renji referring to when they first met, Dondochakka assumes that Pesche has been an illusion all along, to Renji's further chagrin.
Simultaneously, as a wounded Uryū Ishida faces off against Cirucci Sanderwicci, a frightened Pesche watches from behind a doorway leading into the chamber and chastises himself for following the weakest-looking member of the group, having ranked Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends from strongest to weakest as Yasutora Sado, Renji, Ichigo, Rukia Kuchiki, and Uryū. Pondering whether or not to help Uryū since Cirucci is so strong, which leaves him uncertain of whether or not he can do anything even though he cannot simply stand by and watch, Pesche notices how short Cirucci's skirt is and realizes that he can almost see her underwear. Atop her pillar, Cirucci mockingly asks Uryū if he has been hurt and assumes that he is too injured to respond prior to noticing Pesche attempting to sneak into the room. Annoyed by this, Cirucci yanks her Zanpakutō 's blade disc upward and over Uryū to smash into Pesche's location, forcing him to evade by leaping to the side while she demands to know who he is.
After Pesche somersaults for several meters and comes to a halt while resting on his head and neck, Uryū addresses him by his full name, which leads Pesche to presume that Uryū has romantic feelings for him if he can remember this after only hearing it once, to Uryū's consternation. Sending them both flying with another attack, an irritated Cirucci wonders if Pesche is some sort of termite, and when an outraged Pesche proclaims that he is actually a stag beetle, an exasperated Uryū asks him if it even matters. In turn, Pesche asserts that stag beetles are cool due to their shiny black carapaces, but Uryū points out how Pesche is dressed entirely in white, though Pesche turns this back on him and observes that Uryū is also dressed entirely in white. When a flustered Uryū claims that there is nothing wrong with white clothing and that he takes pride in his, an unnerved Pesche notes that this makes Uryū sound like a commercial for laundry detergent, to the latter's chagrin.
Suddenly, Cirucci interrupts this by sending the two of them flying with another strike from her bladed disk, which she pulls back up to grind in place on the handle of her Zanpakutō, and determines that Pesche is with Uryū, who frantically denies this due to Pesche being a Hollow and tells the latter to shut up when he protests this due to thinking they were friends. Amused by this, Cirucci begins chasing Uryū and Pesche with her blade disc as Uryū clarifies that he said this in an attempt to prevent Cirucci from attacking Pesche, who is touched by his kindness. With Uryū demanding to know why he is even here when Ichigo told him to go home earlier, Pesche details how he is searching for Nel due to her running off after Ichigo and questions where she is, who Ichigo is, and how he will find her prior to inquiring if Uryū is Ichigo, to the latter's complete vexation. Uryū reminds Pesche that the latter just addressed him by name a second ago and that Ichigo is the spiky-haired Shinigami, only for Pesche to bring up how both he and Renji match this description, leaving Uryū flabbergasted by the workings of Pesche's brain.
Upon seeing the blade disc grinding through the wall next to him, Uryū realizes that Cirucci has caught up to them and narrowly dodges her subsequent attack while readying his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, but Pesche elbows him out of the way and tell Uryū to leave this to him. Though Uryū points out how much stronger Cirucci is, a trembling Pesche assures Uryū that he has a secret weapon in the form of a liquid he can spit out that makes anything it touches highly slippery, and as an aghast Uryū wonders how this could possibly be helpful, Pesche fires Infinite Slick at the blade disc, which is coated in the substance and bounces harmlessly off Pesche upon slamming into him, to Cirucci's surprise. Turning his gaze upward, Pesche fires more Infinite Slick at the top of the pillar Cirucci is standing on, which prompts her to leap into the air and mock Pesche for believing he could hit her with it.
However, Cirucci sees the Infinite Slick coating the top of every pillar around her and can only stare in shock as her foot slips off the top of another pillar upon landing on it, causing her to instead crash face-down onto the ground below while screaming. Upon seeing this, a triumphant Pesche criticizes Cirucci for underestimating him since he can release the Infinite Slick forever, which Uryū expresses pity toward her for, and announces the name of his technique, which Uryū is annoyed at due to it sounding somewhat cool. With Uryū urging Pesche to run away before Cirucci regains consciousness since he simply got a lucky shot on her, an enraged Cirucci activates her Resurrección, Golondrina, which clads her in a large pair of wings, a long tail, and lengthened arms and hands with a large mane of hair while cutting through the pillars surrounding her as she proclaims that she is going to crush the two of them rather than continue playing around now that they have made a fool out of her and introduces herself as Arrancar #105.
257. The Slashing Opera [ ]
Faced with the power of Cirucci Sanderwicci 's Resurrección, Golondrina, Uryū Ishida is forced to debut a new Quincy weapon.
Having activated her Resurrección, Golondrina, and cut through many of the surrounding pillars in the process, Cirucci Sanderwicci faces Uryū Ishida and Pesche Guatiche as she wonders who to slice up first. While Uryū and Pesche begin running, Cirucci uses one of her wings to attack them with Ala Cortadola, which chops through several more pillars as they evade, leading Cirucci to mockingly praise Uryū for being so good at running away. Leaping off a severed pillar, Uryū turns around in midair and forms his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, to fire several Heilig Pfeil down at Cirucci.
Upon seeing her deflect them with the blade feathers of one of her wings, Uryū deduces that the feathers are vibrating at high speeds due to the noise they are making and asks Pesche to use his Infinite Slick again, only for Pesche to not recognize the name and have to be reminded by an irritated Uryū that it is the strange fluid he spit out earlier. With Pesche taking offense to it being described this way, an exasperated Uryū demands that he use it again, but when a confident Pesche turns his head and attempts to do so, nothing comes out of his protuberance, leading him to note with embarrassment that he seems to have run out.
An aghast Uryū points out that its name indicates that Pesche has an endless supply of it, prompting Pesche to attempt to clarify this as a slight exaggeration since it seems like it is nearly infinite, though Uryū insists that it is a lie and Pesche eventually concedes to this. Continuing to run with Uryū, Pesche admits that he thought the technique sounded cooler that way and that he wanted to fit in with the vibe of the moment, only for Uryū to deny there being a vibe in the middle of a battle and call Pesche frustrating just before the latter slips on a patch of Infinite Slick on the ground, to Uryū's chagrin.
Suddenly, one of Cirucci's wings slams down onto Uryū and Pesche from behind, and as Cirucci revels in this, Uryū asks her if she hit her target as he reappears on an intact pillar behind her with Pesche clinging to him. After correcting Cirucci's assumption that this was Shunpo by asserting that his is called Hirenkyaku, Uryū warns Pesche that this may hurt and throws him off the pillar before firing a Heilig Pfeil after him that pins Pesche upside-down to the ground by his loincloth. Musing on Uryū's correction, Cirucci questions what is so special about Hirenkyaku and fires the blade feathers off her right wing toward him with Ala Cortadola Dispersion. Upon seeing the blades hurtling toward him, Uryū fires a Heilig Pfeil at one of them and disappears with Hirenkyaku after seeing it deflected without inflicting any damage, leaving the blade feathers to cut through the pillar he was standing on and embed themselves in the far wall.
While mentally noting that the blade feathers continue to vibrate even after being fired, Uryū senses Cirucci attacking him and evades with Hirenkyaku just before her other wing passes through the air where he was located, destroying a large chunk of the ground in the process. Annoyed at having missed again, Cirucci calls the embedded blade feathers back to her wing with her hand, causing them to slot back into place on it as Uryū observes how fast they reload and how they are preventing him from attacking at any range due to their vibrational properties. With Uryū concluding that he has no other choice, Cirucci gleefully fires the blade feathers from her right wing at him once more, but Uryū calmly pulls a Seele Schneider out of a pouch on his hip, activates it, and effortlessly cuts through all the blades, leaving their halves to harmlessly fly past him. As a stunned Cirucci stares at him and wonders what this is, Uryū admits that he did not want to use this yet and stands with the Seele Schneider held like a sword as he invites her to continue their battle.
258. Seeleschneider [ ]
Uryū Ishida turns the tables on Cirucci Sanderwicci with the potent combat capabilities of his Seele Schneider.
With pieces of the blade feathers from Cirucci Sanderwicci 's Resurrección, Golondrina, falling around him, Uryū Ishida admits that he is glad he came prepared and had Kisuke Urahara help him retrieve the Seele Schneider from Karakura Hospital 's secret storage area as he identifies it and reveals that it is the only Quincy weapon which has a blade. As Cirucci stares at Uryū in shock, an outraged Pesche Guatiche calls him a thief for borrowing the Seele Schneider without permission, and when an annoyed Uryū points out that he never said it was done without permission, Pesche indicates that this proves he is a thief, leading an exasperated Uryū to question whose side he is on anyway and tell him to shut up.
While Pesche addresses Uryū as Ichigo Kurosaki and asserts that this is no way to talk to someone who just saved his life, to Uryū's further consternation, Cirucci picks up on Uryū's mention of being a Quincy and responds to him claiming to be honored that she knows of them by mockingly describing them as only mattering due to being a race wiped out by the Shinigami. Acknowledging this, Uryū reappears behind Cirucci and slashes at her, forcing Cirucci to counter by striking at him with her left wing and its blade feathers. Though Cirucci questions why Uryū would involve himself with Shinigami if this is the case, Uryū declines to answer and suggests that Cirucci instead focus on her blade feathers, which Cirucci is shocked to see have all had their tips cut off as well.
Uryū lands and explains that the sudden rise in his Reiatsu was due to the Seele Schneider being designed to counter high-speed vibrations with even faster vibrations, functioning like a chainsaw with the Reishi comprising its surface vibrating at 3,000,000 cycles per second. With Uryū concluding that he is very sensitive to Reiatsu as a Quincy and knows that the Reishi vibration rate of the surface of her blade feathers is between 1,100,000 and 1,300,000 cycles per second, making the Seele Schneider more than twice as fast, Cirucci deduces that her blade feathers will not work against him now and detaches them from her wings alongside her elongated arms, leaving only her mane, tail, and bare wings. When Uryū comments on her being able to alter her released state like articles of clothing and wonders if this is true for all Arrancar, Cirucci clarifies that she has actually discarded those parts of Golondrina for good.
Explaining how the Resurrección of an Arrancar lets them regain their original fighting abilities from their time as a Hollow, Cirucci notes that they can only return to a fully humanoid form when those abilities are restored to the form of a sealed Zanpakutō and altering their form without reverting first causes serious damage akin to burning an arm off. After revealing that Golondrina hampers her by consuming much of her Reiryoku with her wings and blade feathers, a sweating Cirucci asserts that it is better to discard them and free up that energy to be used elsewhere if she cannot win with them as the tip of her tail splits apart to generate a large fan-shaped energy blade above it for Ala Cortadola Hachador, which she describes as focusing all of her power into one attack.
When an unnerved Uryū inquires if this war is really so important that she would risk everything to win it, Cirucci counters that they would not have gone to war in the first place if it was not important to them because Arrancar are soldiers and the Espada are their leaders, meaning that they exist to kill the enemy and win while defeat is always unacceptable, prior to lunging forward and attacking Uryū with Ala Cortadola Hachador. Upon seeing Uryū's Seele Schneider beginning to cut through the energy fan, Cirucci retreats and points out that there is no need to make herself vulnerable to an opponent wielding a sword as she reforms the energy fan into a large sword with Ala Cortadola Gradiator and concludes that a battle between two swords of equal power is won by the one with the longer reach.
However, Uryū picks up on her mention of equal power and states that she is a bit confused before clarifying that Seele Schneider is not meant for cutting through vibrating Reishi, but instead to weaken the bonds between Reishi and make it easier to steal. With a startled Cirucci looking up to see Ala Cortadola Gradiator being broken down from a section near the tip of its blade, Uryū informs Cirucci that a Quincy gathers the Reishi around himself to use as a weapon and that the Seele Schneider is the most powerful embodiment of that, meaning that most of her Reishi is his now. While an enraged Cirucci tells him to shut up and leaps forward, Uryū realizes that she was wrong about one other thing and reveals that the Seele Schneider is not a sword as he nocks it in his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, and declares that a Quincy only uses a bow and arrows. Apologetically telling Cirucci that she loses, Uryū confirms that victory was indeed a matter of reach and fires the Seele Schneider, piercing Cirucci through the chest.
259. Flicker Flames [ ]
With Cirucci Sanderwicci defeated, Yasutora Sado finds himself overwhelmed by Gantenbainne Mosqueda.
With the deactivated Seele Schneider falling to the ground alongside Cirucci Sanderwicci, Uryū Ishida picks it up and looks down at Cirucci forlornly prior to dissipating the Heilig Pfeil holding Pesche Guatiche in place and telling the latter to leave with him. When Pesche points out that Cirucci is still alive, Uryū asserts that the victor gets to choose whether his foe lives or dies and that he will be playing by his own rules and not those of the Arrancar, even if letting Cirucci live is an insult to her. Uryū elaborates that he pierced Cirucci's Saketsu, the source of her spiritual powers, and that her anatomy being similar to those of Shinigami means that she will not be able to harm him even if she regains consciousness and pursues him. Content with this answer, Pesche agrees to go and addresses Uryū as Ichigo Kurosaki once more, to the latter's annoyance.
Shortly afterward, Cirucci's Resurrección, Golondrina, falls apart, leaving only her humanoid body lying on the ground as she curses Uryū for doing this to her. Suddenly, Rudbornn Chelute surrounds her with his Exequias and informs Cirucci that they have come for her as he unsheathes his Zanpakutō and requests that she not struggle, which Cirucci smiles grimly at before cursing one last time.
Meanwhile, Yasutora Sado is sent crashing through a wall and is embedded in another wall on the far side of the room as Gantenbainne Mosqueda walks through the hole and observes that he is no match for Arrancar #107. Having already manifested his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Sado channels energy into it and leaps toward Gantenbainne, only for the latter to move to him in midair with Sonído, grab him by the head, and declare that a Human who cannot even perform high-speed movement has no chance of catching him prior to throwing Sado into the ground and wondering how many times he must tell the latter this. In turn, a sweating Sado gets to his feet and channels energy into Brazo Derecha de Gigante again.
When Sado throws a punch aimed at his head, Gantenbainne easily evades it and initiates Uno Dos Cientos with his Zanpakutō gauntlets by first punching Sado hard in the stomach, then unleashing a barrage of punches across his body that leaves him coughing up blood before delivering a powerful downward punch that shakes the entire room and embeds Sado face-down in the ground. In the aftermath, Gantenbainne tells Sado to get up and reveals that he knows the latter is still hiding his true strength. Performing the sign of the cross on himself, Gantenbainne chastises Sado for concealing his abilities like this and suggests that they have an honest fight, but when Sado remains unresponsive, Gantenbainne states that his heart is broken and channels energy between the two prongs of his left gauntlet.
However, upon being attacked by Gantenbainne, Sado senses something about his right arm change and gets up just in time to block the attack as he apologizes to Gantenbainne and details how he was not trying to hide it, but has instead felt something strange ever since he came to Hueco Mundo and was initially confused by it to the point where he had to struggle to control it. After concluding that he finally has and can now fight Gantenbainne with everything he has got, Sado emerges from the dust cloud with the final form of Brazo Derecha de Gigante, a large shield emerging from his forearm that he identifies as his real right arm.
260. RIGHTARM OF THE GIANT2 [ ]
Having awakened the true form of his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Sado demonstrate his increased level of power by overwhelming Gantenbainne Mosqueda.
Stepping forward with the true form of his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Yasutora Sado tells a stunned Gantenbainne Mosqueda that he did not realize until now, perhaps intentionally, that he felt his power stirring upon coming to Hueco Mundo in a manner that it did not when he visited Soul Society, with it growing stronger as he got closer to this place until it finally calmed down when Gantenbainne hit him for the first time. Sado theorizes that this stirring was excitement and that his power was longing to come home, with Gantenbainne's attack being akin to a rough welcome from a countryman that caused his power to remember what it was.
As he continues approaching Gantenbainne, Sado admits that he has wondered about the nature of his power ever since he acquired it because it is not like that of a Shinigami or Quincy, and after noting that he has finally figured it out, Sado reveals that it is more akin to the power of a Hollow and names Brazo Derecha de Gigante as his right arm's true form and true power before firing a stronger El Directo blast at Gantenbainne, who is sent crashing through the far wall and out into a hallway as blood pours down his face. Upon skidding to a halt, Gantenbainne sees Sado stepping out of the hole in the wall and moves to kick him with Sonído, but Sado effortlessly intercepts his kick with Brazo Derecha de Gigante and asks Gantenbainne if he slowed down.
With Sado sending Gantenbainne flying with a swipe of his arm, the latter lands on a nearby wall and is caught off-guard by Sado leaping toward him in the time it takes for him to look at his foot and back, resulting in Sado throwing a punch with explosive force that destroys the upper part of the column Gantenbainne was located near. While leaping out of the resulting dust cloud, Gantenbainne frantically questions where Sado got this power from and how his response time to Sonído has increased so much, only to be startled when Sado appears behind him in midair and charges another El Directo on Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which Gantenbainne realizes he cannot block just before Sado fires a massive blast of energy that engulfs him.
In the aftermath, Sado approaches the area where Gantenbainne landed as the latter admits that Sado was not kidding about using his true power, only to remind Sado that he has a true form too and emerge from the dust cloud with his Resurrección, Dragra, activated. After pulling down his visor, Gantenbainne holds out his fists together in front of him, asks God for forgiveness, and fires a massive blast of energy at a shocked Sado, leveling the surrounding area in the process. However, in the clearing dust, Gantenbainne raises his visor in astonishment when Sado apologizes to him for forgetting to mention something earlier. Clarifying that Brazo Derecha de Gigante is the true form of his right arm where Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa 's soul dwells, as Oscar taught him to use his power to protect people and consequently concentrated his defensive power into his right arm, Sado reveals that he was able to unlock his offensive power through his training and displays his left arm, which has manifested the other half of his Fullbring, Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, as white armor with a spike protrusion on his shoulder that represents his offensive power.
Bleach, Volume 30
261. LEFTARM OF THE DEVIL [ ]
Yasutora Sado concludes his battle with Gantenbainne Mosqueda, but finds himself suddenly confronted by Nnoitra Gilga.
With Yasutora Sado having manifested the other half of his true Fullbring, Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, on his left arm, an initially stunned Gantenbainne Mosqueda laughs nervously at this and claims that the name sounds sinister as he charges up two energy spheres in front of his hands, combines them, and fires Rugir del Dragón at Sado. However, Sado simply grabs the projectile with his left hand, stopping it in midair as its energy erratically careens around him during its dispersal, and begins calmly approaching a sweating Gantenbainne, who roars and runs forward while throwing an energy-infused uppercut. In response, Sado effortlessly blocks the blow with his right arm's manifested Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and holds out Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, which begins crackling with energy at its fingertips as Sado clenches his fingers into a fist and performs La Muerte, delivering a powerful blow to Gantenbainne that completely shatters his Resurrección, Dragra, and imprints a large and fearsome skull onto the wall behind him.
The force of Sado's blow destroys the wall and sends a near-unconscious Gantenbainne flying onto the sands outside, where Sado, having sealed both halves of his Fullbring, kneels at the former's side and observes that he only discovered his power because Gantenbainne's attack was so ferocious. Thanking Gantenbainne for helping make him stronger than ever before, Sado promises to not kill him and wishes Gantenbainne well while standing up to depart, only to see a sunny blue sky above him and wonder if he is not within the walls of the dome after all. Sado ruminates that he cannot see the ceiling of the dome and that the sunlight does not make sense considering that Hueco Mundo is a land of perpetual darkness with an unmoving moon, but is alerted when an alarmed Gantenbainne tells him to run and turns around to see Nnoitra Gilga standing between them with his massive Zanpakutō slung over his shoulder.
Despite Gantenbainne frantically urging him to run away, Sado manifests Brazo Derecha de Gigante once again and observes that Nnoitra is not attacking him despite being visibly strong. Not wanting to find out what Nnoitra can do by waiting, Sado manifests Brazo Izquierda del Diablo as well and resolves to finish this in one blow before slamming his energy-imbued left fist hard into Nnoitra's chest. However, a grinning Nnoitra remains completely unharmed and questions if this is all a shocked Sado has got before attacking him in turn.
262. Unblendable [ ]
With Nnoitra Gilga easily defeating and seemingly killing Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue and her friends are shocked by his loss as Rukia Kuchiki has an unexpected encounter.
Having been slashed across the chest by Nnoitra Gilga 's Zanpakutō, which severs a large chunk of his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, in the process, a stunned Yasutora Sado collapses in a shower of blood as a disappointed Nnoitra observes that he knew Sado would be weak. Around Las Noches, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and Uryū Ishida are startled upon sensing the plummet in Sado's Reiatsu, with Rukia hoping that was not Sado and Pesche Guatiche asking Uryū what is wrong. As Nel Tu wonders what is happening while under his arm, Ichigo resumes running down the hall they are in and refuses to accept Sado being killed, though he realizes that all he can do right now is believe that they will all come back alive.
Simultaneously, Orihime Inoue stares up at the moon from within her room prior to Ulquiorra Cifer announcing that he is entering. With Orihime solemnly turning to face him, Ulquiorra deduces that she has sensed it and criticizes Nnoitra for getting impatient instead of waiting in his palace as ordered. When Orihime insists that Sado is not dead, Ulquiorra has an Arrancar attendant wheel in a cart with food on it and tells Orihime to eat it, only for her to claim that she is not hungry. In turn, Ulquiorra asserts that it is Orihime's duty to maintain her health until Sousuke Aizen calls upon her and threatens to shove the food down her throat or strap her down and feed her intravenously if she does not comply. Though Orihime reiterates that Sado is not dead, Ulquiorra dismisses this as irrelevant and questions if Orihime wants him to assure her that Sado is still alive, which he considers nonsense since he is not here to comfort her.
After a moment's pause, Ulquiorra admits that he does not understand why it matters if Sado is dead since all of Orihime's friends will die soon and one of them simply happened to die before the others did, prompting Orihime to look at him in shock. Ignoring Orihime's request for him to stop, Ulquiorra states that she should have known this was coming and calls her friends idiots whom she should be disgusted with for rushing into Hueco Mundo to be slaughtered so easily, which leads Orihime to sprint over to him and slap Ulquiorra hard in the face. Staring silently at a panting Orihime for several seconds, Ulquiorra departs and promises to be back in an hour, where he will tie down and force-feed Orihime if she has not eaten by then. Once Ulquiorra leaves, Orihime huddles against the wall and begins sobbing into her hands.
Elsewhere, Rukia runs up a set of stairs in an attempt to reach Sado before his Reiatsu completely fades, only to stop in astonishment upon exiting the corridor to find herself underneath a blue sky on a bridge leading to a large building outside. With Rukia wondering how this is possible, Aaroniero Arruruerie appears behind her and offers to explain, and as Rukia whirls around, Aaroniero moves past her with Sonído to the front door of the building at the other end of the bridge, where he encourages Rukia to come inside with him. Once Rukia rushes after him and enters the dimly-lit room, Aaroniero expresses relief at finally being able to relax and apologetically explains that he has never been fond of sunlight, which cannot penetrate this room, before identifying himself as Espada #9. and taking off his mask to reveal that he is actually Kaien Shiba, to Rukia's utter shock.
263. Unexpected [ ]
While Yasutora Sado 's confrontation with Nnoitra Gilga concludes, Rukia Kuchiki reunites with Kaien Shiba, who has been masquerading as Espada #9.
With Rukia Kuchiki stunned to see Kaien Shiba standing before her as Espada #9. Aaroniero Arruruerie, Nnoitra Gilga sits on a bent tree in the sands of Las Noches as he uses Indice Radar, where he is greeted by his Fracción, Tesra Lindocruz. Approaching Nnoitra from behind, Tesra notices a wounded Yasutora Sado lying face-down in the sand nearby and observes that Nnoitra has not finished him off yet, prompting Nnoitra to confirm this and question who would be impressed by him killing a thousand pests like Sado since there is no profit in squashing bugs.
Suddenly, Nnoitra senses Aaroniero confronting Rukia and gets up to seek out the source of an enormous Reiatsu he has just detected so he can crush it, but is interrupted when Sado gets up behind him with his left arm's Fullbring, Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, activated and refuses to let Nnoitra do so. Though Nnoitra grins and prepares to battle as Sado rushes toward him to attack, Tesra moves between them at the last second and blocks Sado's punch with Plato Colmillo as he disparages Sado for daring to attack Nnoitra in his condition, leaving the latter to curse as he collapses once more. While Tesra sheathes his Zanpakutō and asks Nnoitra if they should go now, Nnoitra holds the edge of his own Zanpakutō diagonally across Tesra's upper body and questions why Tesra believed Nnoitra needed his help, prompting Tesra to explain that all of Sado's remaining power was in that blow. However, Nnoitra denies the possibility of it having ever reached or injured him regardless and warns Tesra to never forget that no one can break Nnoitra's body because he is the Espada 's best.
Back in Aaroniero's palace, Rukia frantically asks Kaien if this is really him and begins to tell herself that it cannot possibly be true since she killed Kaien years ago, but a smiling Kaien notes that it has been a long time and tells Rukia that she looks well. Jumping down from the pillar he was standing on, Kaien complains about how hard his clothes making moving around and becomes annoyed as he tells Rukia to stop staring at him since she should be happy to see everyone's favorite lieutenant alive and well. With Kaien requesting that she say something so he is not left standing here like a buffoon, a tearful Rukia realizes it really is him and recognizes the warmth he exudes like she has just put her hand into sunlight without realizing it.
Pleased at Rukia finally believing him, Kaien pulls out two sitting pads and tosses Rukia one so he can sit down with her and explain the situation. Shortly afterward, Kaien details how his body that had begun decaying soon after Rukia killed him disintegrated in the Shiba Clan residence, which transported him to Hueco Mundo because Metastacia had been designed by Sousuke Aizen to reconstitute there whenever it was killed, and that merging with Kaien caused it to take his form upon reconstituting as expected by Aizen, only for Kaien's mind to end up controlling the body instead because his iron will had not been factored in. Startled by this, Rukia demands to know why Kaien is joking around on such a serious topic, and when Kaien claims that he thought Rukia looked sad and wanted to lighten the mood, Rukia clarifies that this is her serious face, which he accepts as he concludes that he took a position as an Espada and waited for a chance at Aizen following this.
Bringing up how it was sunny outside, Kaien reveals that Aizen created a blue sky inside the dome of Las Noches and can see everything the light touches, to Rukia's shock, prior to noting that he is glad Rukia is the one who found him since she is the only one who can execute his plan. When Kaien asks her to come with him because they cannot talk here, Rukia immediately runs over to follow him, only to suddenly find Kaien's Zanpakutō pointed directly at her face and approaching her right eye. With a shocked Rukia barely managing to evade this at the last second and leaping away with a large cut on her cheek, Kaien turns to look at her and casually observes that she has improved.
264. Don't Say That Name Again [ ]
Kaien Shiba reveals his true nature to Rukia Kuchiki as 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai is confronted by Szayelaporro Granz.
As Gin Ichimaru interacts with a screen in his control room in Las Noches, Ulquiorra Cifer asks him if any of the intruders have reached an Espada 's palace yet, prompting Gin to comment on how unusual Ulquiorra starting a conversation with him is since he believed the latter hated him. When Ulquiorra denies this, Gin requests that the former be kinder to him since he has been feeling depressed ever since Luppi Antenor died, with the latter being someone he liked talking to. Upon noticing the screen that Gin was interacting with, Ulquiorra inquires if he has been manipulating the corridors, but Gin claims that he is not that cruel and simply likes happy endings.
Meanwhile, in Aaroniero Arruruerie 's palace, blood drips from a stunned Rukia Kuchiki 's wounded cheek while Kaien Shiba notes that she looks confused and holds out his Zanpakutō that he wounded her with as he admits to being impressed over Rukia surviving an attack that would have killed her when he last knew her, which he describes as a subordinate's progress being a superior officer's joy. With Rukia nervously wondering if this is all true, Kaien affirms that it is and refutes the idea that he is an impostor because he looks like himself and hopes that Rukia has not forgotten how she killed him. Recounting how he is the former lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division who merged with a Hollow and came to Hueco Mundo, Kaien describes Rukia as the woman who took his life, and as Rukia remembers impaling a possessed Kaien with her Zanpakutō, Kaien assumes that she now understands why he is trying to kill her, asserts that the time has come for him to repay the favor, and asks Rukia if she is ready to pay with her life for killing him.
Rukia confirms this, but clarifies that she cannot do so right now and describes how the guilt from her killing Kaien has not gone away no matter how many years pass before promising that Kaien can kill her if doing so will bring him peace. However, Rukia informs Kaien that she has come to Hueco Mundo to save her friend Orihime Inoue and will not let him kill her until the latter is safe, no matter how bad she feels about Kaien's death. After a moment's pause, Kaien throws up his hands and apologizes for such a bad joke, leaving Rukia speechless while he elaborates that he kidding and does not actually want to kill Rukia even if he wants her to pay for what she has done. Walking over to a kneeling Rukia, Kaien gently places his hand on her head and reveals that there is something she can do for him if she truly wishes to atone for what she did. With Rukia picking up on him wanting her to do something, Kaien cheerfully asks her to bring him the heads of all her friends.
As Rukia stares down in numb disbelief, Kaien states that it would be easy and points out how Rukia knowing all their strengths and weaknesses means that she would simply have to take them by surprise, which would let him forgive Rukia for killing him. When Rukia remains silent, Kaien wonders what is wrong, and in response to Rukia flatly observing that he is not joking, Kaien confirms this, leading Rukia to assert that asking her to kill her friends could never be a joke and grab Kaien's hand prior to angrily rebuking him for shaming Kaien's memory, to Kaien's surprise. Pushing Kaien's hand away and repelling him, Rukia emphatically declares that he is not Kaien because the real Kaien, as a man of honor whom everyone in the Thirteenth Division loved and respected, would never ask her to betray her friends. Before Kaien can claim to be himself again, a furious Rukia demands that he never say his name again and releases her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, which leads a grinning Kaien to hold out his own Zanpakutō as well.
Simultaneously, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai is startled to sense Rukia's Reiatsu rising, and when Dondochakka Birstanne asks him what is wrong, Renji assures him that it is nothing. In turn, Dondochakka steps forward and tells Renji to stop worrying him since he is already worried as it is, only to step onto a floor panel that causes a square section of the floor beneath him to fall away. With a surprised Dondochakka falling into the shaft below, Renji steps forward in concern and causes a second section of the floor to fall away from under him, leading to Renji falling into a second shaft as well. Moments later, Renji lands in a large chamber further down and wonders where he is as Szayelaporro Granz laughs over an intercom and admits that he did not expect anyone to fall for the simplest of the many traps he set along the way. Emerging from a nearby doorway, Szayelaporro tells Renji to remember his sole introduction as best he can and pulls out the microphone embedded in his ear while identifying himself as Espada #8.
265. Bang The Bore [ ]
6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai finds himself outmaneuvered by Szayelaporro Granz as Rukia Kuchiki struggles to battle Kaien Shiba effectively.
With Szayelaporro Granz having introduced himself as Espada #8., 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai realizes that he is one of the ten commanders of the Arrancar before hearing the wail of Dondochakka Birstanne, which alarms and confuses him since the latter fell into the trap before he did. Upon realizing Dondochakka's voice is emanating from the passage he came out of, Renji quickly moves out of the way and expresses relief at Dondochakka not falling on top of him, but a second hole opens up in the wall behind Renji just before Dondochakka flies out of it and lands on top of Renji. Complaining about how much that hurt and how scary it was in the shaft he was sliding down, Dondochakka sees an unamused Szayelaporro standing before him and immediately recognizes him as Hueco Mundo 's top scientist and spiritual weapons expert.
As Dondochakka continues outlining Szayelaporro's position and history, an aggravated Renji berates him for expositing so blatantly and demands that Dondochakka get off of him, and when Dondochakka wonders why Renji is underneath him, Renji angrily kicks him in the eye to force him back and threatens to do so again while noting how hard Dondochakka's face is. Asking Renji if he is done with his comedy routine, Szayelaporro sees the former glaring at him and assures Renji that he is not much of a fighter despite being an Espada before affirming Dondochakka's description of him as a scientist. However, Renji cuts off Szayelaporro's explanation and draws his Zanpakutō while asserting that he came here to crush the Espada rather than talk, though he does not mind if Szayelaporro keeps talking while being cut down where he stands, before activating his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, which immediately bursts apart into hundreds of small pieces.
With Renji staring in shock at this and questioning what just happened, Szayelaporro resumes his explanation and informs Renji that he cannot perform Bankai in this room, which Renji repeats in disbelief. Mocking Renji for needing to say it again in order to memorize it, Szayelaporro elaborates that the shape, nature, Reiatsu, Reishi composition, and ultimate form of Hihiō Zabimaru are all familiar enough to him that he was able to make some adjustments to the area in order to seal it. When Renji counters that only someone who was struck by Hihiō Zabimaru could know these things, Szayelaporro attributes this to his older brother and, upon realizing Renji does not remember his name, informs the latter that Yylfordt Granz is his older brother, to Renji's astonishment.
Once Szayelaporro comments on him remembering such a fool, Renji deduces that he is not here to avenge Yylfordt, which Szayelaporro confirms prior to detailing how he had implanted Rokureichu all over Yylfordt's body prior to his battle that he collected data on Hihiō Zabimaru from while examining his corpse afterward and describes his brother as just a box for his data collection that he is too mature to get mad over the breaking of. Renji coldly states that Szayelaporro is the fool if this is the case, but Szayelaporro simply notes that Renji's comments continue to confirm his judgement of Renji being mind-bogglingly stupid and promises Renji that he can neither win nor escape prior to drawing his own Zanpakutō and admitting that this is an exciting moment for him due to being the first time he has met someone who can actually perform Bankai, prompting him to request that an unnerved Renji not struggle too much so that his corpse is left as intact as possible.
Meanwhile, in Aaroniero Arruruerie 's palace, Kaien Shiba springs off a platform with his hand just before a wave of ice surges over the area where he had been located, which leads him to land on the ground below and mockingly inquire if this is all Rukia has got. As a panting and bloodied Rukia stands on the platform above him with several more wounds sustained, Kaien brings up Rukia's Some no mai, Tsukishiro and Tsugi no mai, Hakuren techniques to remind Rukia that he knows them very well because he is the person she invented and practiced them with. Kaien wonders if Rukia really believes that they will work against him, and when Rukia simply levels her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, in response, Kaien assumes that she has either forgotten who he is or has nothing better to muster and twirls his Zanpakutō around to release his own Shikai, Nejibana, transforming it into a long trident that releases a wave of water while he warns Rukia that the battle is over now.
266. Hide Away From The Sun [ ]
Overwhelmed by Kaien Shiba 's Shikai, Nejibana, Rukia Kuchiki realizes that he is hiding something and uses Kidō to reveal the truth.
Having released his Shikai, Nejibana, Kaien Shiba levels it at a stunned Rukia Kuchiki and tells her to raise her sword before lunging forward to attack, which forces Rukia to frantically block the tip of the trident inches from her head with her own Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki. Upon seeing Rukia attempting to reposition herself, Kaien rapidly twirls Nejibana in his hand and strikes it into the ground underneath Rukia to rip it out upward, and with Rukia sent flying into the air on a chunk of rock by this, Kaien twirls Nejibana once more along the ground to bring it crashing down onto her. When she blocks this as well with one hand on the blade of Sode no Shirayuki, Rukia sees a torrent of water massing above Nejibana and moves backward just before Kaien brings it crashing down onto the ground in front of him, destroying a large portion of the floor in the process.
As she lands behind Kaien, Rukia mentally observes that the unorthodox style, high-held weapon, style of spinning, dance-like technique, and method of trapping the enemy between the trident and massive waves of water are all Kaien's moves, which her eyes and body know even if her heart does not want to believe it. However, Rukia continues to clash with Kaien and internally asserts that while Kaien's body is here, the Kaien she is fighting is not the kind lieutenant who taught her how to fight and helped her find her place in the world that she remembers. Suddenly, Kaien disarms Rukia of Sode no Shirayuki with a flick of Nejibana and tells her that it is over, but Rukia holds out her hand in front of a startled Kaien's face and fires Hadō #33. Sōkatsui, which Kaien dodges by moving his upper body to the side at the last second, leaving the spell to blast through the wall behind him.
Though Kaien praises Rukia's skill and strength in using Eishōhaki, he stops in surprise upon seeing the hole left in the wall behind him and quickly moves several meters away to a high platform with Shunpo, which prompts Rukia to wonder why he is fleeing. Recalling Kaien asking her to come inside when they first met here and how that did not make sense, Rukia acknowledges that he is not the real Kaien and that his words are all lies, but questions why he only removed his mask after going indoors and decides her theory is worth confirming prior to restraining Kaien's arm with Bakudō #4. Hainawa.
Initially assuming that Rukia is trying to buy herself time to escape, Kaien sees Rukia reciting an incantation for two different spells and realizes that she is performing a Nijū Eishō just before Rukia restrains his entire upper body with Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō, to his chagrin, and unleashes Hadō #73. Sōren Sōkatsui, a massive blast of energy that destroys a large chunk of the wall directly behind Kaien to let in the sunlight, causing Kaien to scream as his flesh falls off to reveal a large glass capsule containing fluid and two spherical Hollow heads floating inside. With Rukia staring in bewilderment and wondering what this is, Aaroniero Arruruerie expresses annoyance at his disguise coming off and introduces himself once more.
267. Legions of the Reglets [ ]
Despite exposing Aaroniero Arruruerie 's true form, Rukia Kuchiki is unable to overcome the power of his Resurrección, Glotonería.
Having had his true head exposed by sunlight, Aaroniero Arruruerie responds to a stunned Rukia Kuchiki wondering what he is by expressing irritation at having to repeat his introduction and warning Rukia to not say anything about his appearance, since he has heard it all before. Aaroniero turns his attention to the Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō restraining him, which he shatters, and comments on it being 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki 's specialty, to Rukia's shock, before admitting that there is nothing in his memory of Rukia being able to use such advanced Kidō techniques and calling her foolish because she might have wounded him had she aimed her Hadō #73. Sōren Sōkatsui at him. However, Rukia counters that this was of secondary importance compared to her need to learn Aaroniero's true identity and her suspicion that sunlight would neutralize his ability to mask himself, and as she pulls her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, out of the ground it had embedded itself in, Rukia assumes a battle stance and concludes that she can now cut down Aaroniero without hesitation.
In response, Aaroniero muses on Rukia believing she can defeat him and reappears behind her with Sonído while clarifying that while he cannot use his powers in the sunlight, he can use them without constraint in the shadows, which he demonstrates by reforming Kaien Shiba 's head around his capsule. With Rukia left speechless by this, Aaroniero complains about the surveillance method employed by Sousuke Aizen involving the construction of a sun in a dark world like Hueco Mundo when there are beings like himself who can only use their powers in darkness. After asking Rukia if she believes he has the power to transform, which she nervously affirms, Aaroniero criticizes her for not knowing better, to her confusion, and informs her that he is the only Gillian among the Espada.
When Rukia bluntly wonders why this matters, Aaroniero elaborates that Gillians do not possess the abilities necessary to be Espada and, after noting that he is Espada #9. despite this, informs Rukia that he was able to join their ranks because he is the only Arrancar with unlimited evolutionary potential, which allowed him to gain Metastacia 's Spirit Body Fusion ability by consuming the latter's rotting body when it returned to Hueco Mundo. With Rukia picking up on his mention of consuming Metastacia, Aaroniero pulls the glove off his left hand to reveal his Zanpakutō, a circular mouth with several fleshy tendrils taking the place of his left hand, and reveals that it lets him absorb the Reiatsu and powers of dead Hollows by consuming them, which is what let him take Kaien's appearance by consuming Metastacia after the latter possessed Kaien. As Rukia realizes what this means, Aaroniero confirms that the recognition she felt was not an illusion because he is using Kaien's real spiritual body containing all of his thoughts and experiences exactly as they happened, meaning that Aaroniero only had to act upon those memories.
Seeing Rukia rendered speechless by this, Aaroniero declares that it is over and decides to show her an Espada's release as a parting gift before activating his Resurrección, Glotonería, creating a massive, blob-like mass beneath his main body with dozens of tentacles and a massive face akin to a blobfish. As Rukia stares in shock at this, Aaroniero calls the terror on her face beautiful and proclaims that it will be multiplied by the physical manifestation of all the Hollows he has ever consumed while warning Rukia that the release of an Espada's power is far above that of a normal Arrancar because Glotonería can employ the powers of all his victims simultaneously.
With Aaroniero proclaiming that he has consumed 33,650 Hollows, which makes fighting against him akin to battling over 30,000 Hollows at once, Rukia leaps forward to attack him as she mentally apologizes to Kaien for causing his body to fall into the hands of the Hollows by killing him that night to save her own life, even though she had kept telling herself she had saved Kaien by recovering his body, which has ended up not being true. Struck hard by one of Aaroniero's tentacles, Rukia admits that she no longer has the strength to swing her sword or strike down Kaien's body and bids him farewell just before a thrust of Kaien's Shikai, Nejibana, snaps the blade of Sode no Shirayuki in two and impales Rukia, who is held aloft by a maniacally laughing Aaroniero while she remembers Kaien.
268. 君 死にたもうこと勿れ [ ]
Upon recalling an important conversation she had with Thirteenth Division Lieutenant Kaien Shiba long ago, Rukia Kuchiki gains the resolve to defeat Aaroniero Arruruerie.
Impaled by Aaroniero Arruruerie 's Shikai, Nejibana, Rukia Kuchiki slips into unconsciousness.
In the past, Rukia is woken up by a slap to the back of her head from 13th Division Lieutenant Kaien Shiba, who responds to her demanding to know why he did this by asserting that she did not respond when he called her name and shook her by the shoulders, and when Rukia protests that he could have injured her neck, Kaien wonders if she was sleepwalking before informing her that they are almost there. With Rukia looking around and realizing that she remembers the forested area they are in, Kaien threatens to leave her there, prompting Rukia to frantically run after him into the clearing ahead. Rukia recognizes the trees, her apprehensive and excited feeling, and the sensation akin to leaping as part of the time she spent training with Kaien at Mount Koifushi on the northern edge of Western Rukongai 's third district.
Soon afterward, a sweating Rukia stands across from Kaien, who instructs her to go again and begins sparring with her, causing the nearby birds to take flight. With Rukia briefly distracted by this, Kaien sweeps aside her second strike and disarms her, easily catching her Zanpakutō with his free hand afterward. Ruminating on how she can remember everything about this even though she was absorbed in training, Rukia's stomach growls, causing her to blush in embarrassment as a smug Kaien comments on how unsubtle her desire to eat lunch is. Rukia asserts that she could not help it and notes that she was consumed by one insecurity at this time, which was her lack of skill in Zanjutsu, and as she ponders how her Kidō was only considered average in the Gotei 13 even though she scored well at the Shin'ō Academy, which has left her questioning if she really belongs here and where her heart is, Kaien declares that she is here to fight and protect.
Upon being asked by Rukia what she is meant to protect, Kaien says that she will do so with all kinds of things all over the place, and when a confused Rukia requests that he be more specific, Kaien gets to his feet and inquires if Rukia knows the philosophy of their captain, Jūshirō Ukitake. With Rukia denying this, Kaien explains that Ukitake believes there are battles to protect lives and battles to protect honor, but clarifies that he believes this means everything they have to protect comes down to the heart. Though Rukia calls this sappy, an annoyed Kaien asks Rukia where she believes the heart is, and once a flustered Rukia motions to her upper chest as the likely location, Kaien approaches her with a smile and holds up his fist between them as he theorizes that the heart lies here because it is born between people who grow close to each other and care about things, rather than lying within their bodies.
With Kaien concluding that someone who was alone in the world could not have a heart because of this, Rukia recalls that Kaien believed one's heart longing to be here meant it was here and it being here was reason enough for one to be here. Shortly afterward, Kaien sits with Rukia again and instructs her that, whenever she fights in the future, she must make sure to never fight alone prior to detailing how a Soul dying causes their bodies to disintegrate and become the Reishi that shapes Soul Society, which means that the heart is instead left with their friends. As Kaien concludes that leaving her heart with her friends is why Rukia must never die alone, Rukia remembers him asserting that he could leave his heart with her when he died in her arms.
In the present, Rukia regains consciousness and grips the handle of Nejibana, leading a surprised Aaroniero to note that he is not sure if Rukia's survival is impressive or pitiful since she will never be able to kill him no matter how long she clings to life. While ice begins to encrust Nejibana outward from her left hand, Rukia states that she has remembered it as she lifts her broken Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, to Aaroniero's face with her trembling right hand, and though Aaroniero mocks her for pretending to fight with a broken sword instead of dropping it, Rukia performs San no mai, Shirafune, forming an icy blade outward from Sode no Shirayuki that pierces through a stunned Aaroniero's head and the capsule inside. Rukia elaborates that she remembered where Kaien's heart is and tells Aaroniero that he only has his spiritual body, while his heart remains with her, before bidding him farewell and shattering the capsule by slashing downward.
269. The End is Near [ ]
Aaroniero Arruruerie 's death is sensed around Las Noches by the other Espada, who react in different ways to the first of their number falling.
With Rukia Kuchiki slashing through Aaroniero Arruruerie 's glass capsule with her reformed Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, its contents spill out as his Resurrección, Glotonería, collapses in on itself in a large wave of fluid and Rukia falls to the ground alongside Aaroniero's body, with one of his heads screaming in agony over its inability to breath and demanding to know why Sousuke Aizen has not saved it while the other simply curses and cracks in two from being impaled by Sode no Shirayuki. Nearby, a struggling Rukia attempts to crawl away with pieces of Aaroniero's Shikai, Nejibana, still lodged in her abdomen and remembers Kaien Shiba 's instructions for her to not die alone as she remembers all of her friends and family. Upon thinking of Orihime Inoue, Rukia mentally assures her that she knows the loneliness of captivity, the joy of being rescued by a friend, and the horror of seeing a comrade fall, which leads her to promise to come for Orihime just before collapsing.
Around Las Noches, the other Espada and their Fracción learn of Aaroniero's death through his Cognition Synchronization. While Emilou Apacci asks Tier Harribel what she wants to do, Baraggan Louisenbairn calls Aaroniero a stupid punk for getting himself killed like this as Zommari Rureaux meditates in his palace. Meanwhile, Coyote Starrk is woken up by Lilynette Gingerbuck jamming a finger into his mouth, causing him to bolt upright and violently gag while Lilynette cheerfully greets him. When Starrk attempts to fall back asleep, Lilynette hits him until he stays awake and informs him that Aaroniero has been killed, only for Starrk to question what she wants him to do about it.
Simultaneously, Szayelaporro Granz is told by Lumina and Verona that Aaroniero is dead, which leads him to admit that he was too preoccupied to notice the report he received and take a moment to process the information before telling a battered 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai that both of them are dead. With Renji expressing confusion at this, Szayelaporro elaborates that one of his friends and an Espada killed each other, which he sarcastically claps for and praises as an accomplishment, and responds to Renji wondering how he knows that they are both dead by asserting that they are and revealing that the woman's name was Rukia, prompting an angered Renji to swing his Shikai, Zabimaru, at Szayelaporro. Though Szayelaporro easily blocks this with his Hierro -protected wrist and comments on how predictable Renji's reaction was since he has already been told that Shikai is not enough to harm an Espada, Renji rips Zabimaru back toward himself in an explosion of force, grazing an alarmed Szayelaporro's temple in the process, and demands that Szayelaporro get out of his way.
Elsewhere, Ichigo Kurosaki stops in shock with Nel Tu under his arm upon sensing the drop in Rukia's Reiatsu, which leads Ulquiorra Cifer to admit that he underestimated Ichigo's senses due to believing the latter was just a boy with a lot of Reiryoku while appearing on the steps behind Ichigo and noting that it has been a while since they last met.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history · Exact listed stories combined in catalog order. Sources retain their stated license; formatting and headings adjusted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, BE MY FAMILY OR NOT. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, CONQUISTADORES. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, MALA SUERTE!. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, IMMANENT GOD BLUES. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, NO SHAKING THRONE. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, THE MASCARON DRIVE. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, Goodbye, halcyon days.. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, BARON'S LECTURE FULL-COURSE. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, THE SLASHING OPERA. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, THERE IS NO HEART WITHOUT YOU. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. · Content license