Complete listed story — includes the ending
Bleach, Volume 61
541. THE BLADE AND ME 2 [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki confronts Zangetsu over Ōetsu Nimaiya 's claim that he is tied to Yhwach and not Ichigo's true Zanpakutō Spirit.
Internally, Ichigo Kurosaki recalls his first confrontation with Yhwach and ruminates that he tried not to think about why he felt drawn to that location, why he went straight to Yhwach without knowing anything about the situation, why he immediately believed Yhwach was the most important enemy, and why Yhwach's face almost reminded him of someone.
Standing before Zangetsu in his inner world and aghast at this revelation, Ichigo calls out to Zangetsu as it begins raining and asks him if this is true, prompting Zangetsu to state that it is just as he has heard and that he is not named Zangetsu. With the building they are standing on cracking and splitting in two, submerging them in deep water, Ichigo questions if he is really Yhwach and not Zangetsu, and when Zangetsu confirms that he is the source of Ichigo's Quincy powers and both is and is not Yhwach, a furious Ichigo demands to know if everything he has said up until now is a lie and if he is an enemy or an ally, only for Zangetsu to assert that he is not an enemy or an ally after a pause.
Zangetsu clarifies that there were no lies in his words other than the name he told Ichigo and reminds the latter that he always had help from the inner Hollow whenever he taught Ichigo about his Zanpakutō prior to pointing out how the one to save Ichigo whenever he was in mortal danger was always the Hollow rather than himself. When Zangetsu explains that he did not want Ichigo to become a Shinigami and so suppressed his burgeoning Zanpakutō Spirit to become the center of his abilities instead, Ichigo wonders why, prompting Zangetsu to state that he wanted to keep Ichigo far from danger and conflict because it would be inevitable as a Shinigami. After musing that this would lead to Ichigo suffering and eventually force him to kill Ichigo himself, Zangetsu generates a large, flaming Reishi broadsword in his right hand and reiterates his belief that he would have to kill Ichigo if he became a Shinigami, but recounts Ichigo choosing the path of the Shinigami, gaining strength from it, and persevering on it despite being hurt, which caused Zangetsu's heart to waver as he observed it and eventually made him lean to support Ichigo's decision rather than keep him away from the Shinigami.
With his body beginning to disintegrate, Zangetsu observes that he now feels the joy of stepping away from Ichigo. While Zangetsu concludes he is satisfied from watching Ichigo grow strong right by his side because there can be no greater joy than that, Ichigo rushes toward him and frantically begs Zangetsu to wait, only for Zangetsu to shed a single tear and disappear completely, leaving behind only the sword. Once Ichigo reaches the sword, Zangetsu informs him that he has been using a mere fragment of his power that could not be suppressed and that he can now fight with his full power by using his true Zanpakutō and the real Zangetsu, causing the sword to explode into light around Ichigo.
542. THE BLADE IS ME [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki comes to terms with his two Zanpakutō Spirits and gains his true Zanpakutō.
Internally, Ichigo Kurosaki admits that there were no lies in the words of either Zangetsu. Recalling how Zangetsu used a Quincy 's Shadow to help him, Blut to stop his bleeding, and power to help him win when he was weak, Ichigo leaps between the crumbling buildings in his inner world and asserts that both his Quincy powers and his inner Hollow are Zangetsu to him, which he hopes they can agree to.
Back in the real world, in Ōetsu Nimaiya 's forge in the Soul King Palace, Ichigo grabs the blade of the Asauchi while it is still in the furnace, and despite Hasuka Hashihara 's protests, Nimaiya affirms that he was just thinking this would be completed by Ichigo pouring his Soul into the blade. At Nimaiya's urging, Ichigo pulls the blade out of the furnace in an explosion that evaporates all the water in the bay.
With the bodyguards astonished by this, Nimaiya puts his glasses back on and asks Ichigo if he can handle those Zangetsus as Ichigo stands with two distinct blades in his hands, one long with a hollow section in the middle and the other short with a complete blade. While the bodyguards look on in awe at him wielding two blades and Nimaiya confirms that they are both real, Ichigo promises Zangetsu that he will not ask him for power anymore, Zangetsu that he will not push him away anymore, and both of them that they will not have to fight alongside him because he will fight on his own before declaring that they are him.
Meanwhile, in the cathedral of Silbern, the Sternritter and Soldat gather before a stage and salute with their Quincy Crosses as Yhwach walks onstage and announces that he has news to share with them.
543. Letters [ ]
Yhwach introduces Uryū Ishida as his successor, to the shock and confusion of the Sternritter.
Onstage in the cathedral of Silbern, Yhwach informs the Wandenreich that he has an announcement to make and bids Uryū Ishida to come onto the stage. With the Soldat wondering why he is here, Yhwach reveals that Uryū, the Last Quincy and survivor, is his successor. The entirety of the Wandenreich is shocked by this, with Sternritter "H" Bazz-B stomping his foot and demanding that Yhwach wait before Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth holds an arm out to stop him. In turn, Yhwach asserts that there is no need for objection or concern because the Wandenreich will learn of Uryū's power in the battles to come prior to departing with him.
Moments later, in a hallway, Bazz-B throws a bottle to the ground hard enough to shatter it and declares that he does not understand this at all before inviting those around him to explain what is happening, but Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine counters that none of them know either and Sternritter "K" BG9 muses that only Yhwach himself could explain this. Further frustrated by this, Bazz-B refuses to accept the situation, pushes away the attendant offering drinks to them, and leaps between the pillars on one side of the hallway to fall to the floor below, where he responds to Mask questioning where he is going by claiming that he intends to enter Yhwach's throne room and talk to him, though Mask is bewildered at Bazz-B believing Yhwach will tolerate this.
Suddenly, Bazz-B finds Haschwalth standing in his path, and when the latter wonders where Bazz-B is going, Bazz-B asserts that Haschwalth should be going somewhere too and brings up how he assumed the latter would be Yhwach's successor, something that nearly all of the Sternritter would have accepted without complaint, only for Haschwalth to respond to Bazz-B inquiring about his lack of protest by stating that Yhwach's word is everything, which leaves him no room to complain. Calling him cowardly for this and expressing disappointment in him, Bazz-B demands that Haschwalth give up his position to him. As Bazz-B reasons that Haschwalth must have no problem with Bazz-B taking his position if he is willing to let Uryū be Yhwach's successor, Haschwalth places a hand on his sword and orders Bazz-B to calm down, though a grinning Bazz-B insists that he is far calmer than Haschwalth.
However, before either of them can move, a Gift Ball forms between him and Bazz-B, shocking them both while Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar sarcastically praises Bazz-B's calm in not immediately charging in to attack. When Bazz-B questions what he is doing, Askin asserts that he was saving them because fighting is not good and they are being watched, prompting Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada to chuckle from an alcove above them. Walking over and dispersing the Gift Ball, Askin tells Haschwalth and Bazz-B to let this go because they cannot gain anything from fighting like this and asserts that it could be poisonous for someone like Haschwalth, whom he addresses as their next emperor.
Simultaneously, in his throne room, Yhwach sits before a kneeling Uryū, who drinks his blood from a cup emblazoned with the Wandenreich emblem, and reveals that this has completed the ritual before promising that Uryū's power will awaken soon and that he will have the Schrift of "A", just like Yhwach himself.
544. Walking With Watchers [ ]
The Sternritter react to Uryū Ishida 's appointment as Yhwach 's successor while Kisuke Urahara makes arrangements for Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado in Hueco Mundo.
In Yhwach 's throne room in Silbern, Uryū Ishida inquires about why he has been appointed as Yhwach's successor. Surprised by Uryū questioning this, Yhwach responds to Uryū pointing out how the manner in which Yhwach did this will only create friction among the Sternritter by admitting that he is relieved Uryū is not a fool who accepts things blindly, but asserts that it should be obvious if Uryū thinks about it for a moment. With Uryū remaining silent, Yhwach assumes he still cannot figure it out and asks Uryū why he is still alive, to Uryū's shock, before elaborating that every Gemischt Quincy perished under the Auswählen he conducted nine years ago except for Uryū, making him the only one to ever survive the consecration and leading Yhwach to call him the last survivor. Concluding that Uryū has some kind of power that exceeds his own and has been named his successor for this reason, Yhwach tells him to accept this because there is no need for doubt and invites Uryū to come with him, which Uryū accepts.
Shortly afterward, an exasperated Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine invites Marcel Halpmann, a Soldat, to her room since she needs relief. Shortly after agreeing to do so, a flustered and shirtless Marcel is cut in half by Bambietta. With Bambietta zipping up her top, Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp chastises her for making such a mess as she, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon, Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd, and Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle enter the room. Though Bambietta brushes this off since they make messes too, Liltotto counters that cookie crumbs and blood splatters are not the same thing, Meninas asserts that Bambietta could at least do it outside, Candice insists that this does not matter and that Bambietta needs to do something about her urge to kill attractive men every time she is angry, and Giselle assumes that Candice wants to be fraternizing with the men instead. With Candice confronting Giselle over this and accusing the latter of trying to pick a fight with her, the two of them are interrupted by Bambietta blowing a square-shaped hole through the wall nearby that punches through two walls behind it as well, and when a worried Candice responds to her telling them to keep it down because she has a lot on her mind by asking about what is bothering her, Bambietta states that she is worried about the future of the Wandenreich.
Simultaneously, in the tower behind Silbern, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth returns to his quarters, where his female attendant welcomes him back. Though Haschwalth instructs her to rest since it is late, the attendant brings up Yhwach's announcement and suggests that Haschwalth should provide his counsel on the matter to Yhwach. When Haschwalth inquires about her lack of approval for Uryū's appointment, the attendant questions if Haschwalth does approve, leading Haschwalth to inform her that this was Yhwach's wish and point out how naming his successor in this manner was guaranteed to breed unrest among the Sternritter, which means that Yhwach fully intended to cause this reaction because it will create great scrutiny that will be focused on Uryū. After elaborating that this will prevent Uryū from making the slightest move against Yhwach regardless of who he is, what power he possesses, or whatever he plans to do, Haschwalth concludes that Uryū's only path now is to dedicate himself to Yhwach's will, even if he has realized Yhwach's true intentions.
Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, a cloaked Orihime Inoue reaches the Negal Ruins and laments how long it took her to do so even if traveling is supposed to be part of their training. As she takes out and begins eating a potato-like food, Orihime recalls Yasutora Sado refusing to do the same since he found it disgusting and wonders if he made it here before turning to Pero, a small black winged creature flying next to her, and assumes he is tired, only for Pero to deny this. Remembering how Kisuke Urahara sent Pero with her so he could keep an eye on Orihime through a camera installed in Pero and catch up to her if anything happened, Orihime muses that Urahara did not come when she was being chased by a large Hollow despite saying this. Suddenly, Sado approaches Orihime from the stairs behind her and asserts that she took her time, and though Orihime is relieved to see him, she is left shocked upon seeing two figures behind Sado, who declares that everyone is here.
Simultaneously, Urahara expresses relief at Orihime reaching the Negal Ruins safely and looks at Quilge Opie 's Medallion, which crackles with black electricity within a device, while noting that his research will take some more time.
545. Blue Stripes [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki remains missed by his friends and family as 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai continue training with Ichibe'e Hyōsube and the Visored remaining in Karakura Town are tasked with cleanup by 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako.
In the Kurosaki Clinic in Karakura Town, Yuzu Kurosaki prepares lunch for her family and yells to Isshin Kurosaki and Karin Kurosaki that it is time to eat, prompting Isshin to promise that he will be right there once he gets rid of his current patient, who is aghast at being referred to this way, and Karin asserts that she will join them once she defeats the boss she is currently battling in a video game. After reminding Karin that she should not play any more today after this, which Karin grudgingly affirms, Yuzu looks up and wishes that Ichigo Kurosaki was back from training camp.
Simultaneously, in Ichibe'e Hyōsube 's temple in the Soul King Palace, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai stand across from each other with sweat beading on their faces and wooden swords pointed at each other until a large set of bells next to them rings, causing them to gasp in relief and drop their stances. Collapsing to the ground, Renji complains about how tough this is, and when Rukia wonders what is difficult about standing still, Renji counters that he is not suited to doing that or pointing a weapon at his friend. After Rukia frantically asserts that it does not suit her either, Renji takes this as evidence that she is exhausted too and points out how they are not used to the air in the temple either, with Rukia affirming that the Reishi density of the atmosphere here is unbelievable and admitting that while it does not feel completely overwhelming anymore, it still feels as though they are underwater, which leads her to question what this could be doing to their bodies.
Suddenly, Rukia receives a call on her Denreishinki and is excited by what she is told, prompting her to inform Renji that this was Tenjirō Kirinji, which leads Renji to wonder when they exchanged numbers, and that his captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, has recovered. At his hot springs, Kirinji notes that Byakuya has spent more time under his care than anyone else and asks him if the heat has gone to his head, only for Byakuya to muse that his lack of power prevents anything from going to his head and resolve to become strong enough to change that, to Kirinji's amusement. Back in the temple, Renji is excited to learn of Byakuya's recovery, only to realize that this means Byakuya will consume Kirio Hikifune 's food, hone his sword with Ōetsu Nimaiya, and then go to Senjumaru Shutara 's palace, which he is still traumatized from having his measurements taken in. Though Rukia is similarly regretful of her time stripped naked in there and warns him to not think about it, Renji begins remembering his encounter with Senjumaru.
In the past, Renji reacts with confusion to Senjumaru, who insists that he heard what she said and reiterates that he needs to remove his fundoshi as well. When Renji questions why she cannot take measurements for a shihakushō with his fundoshi on, a contemplative Senjumaru decides that she will just take the measurements after removing Renji's testicles, prompting Renji to frantically begin removing his fundoshi instead.
In the present, a sweating and panting Renji snaps back to reality, where Rukia expresses relief at him not reaching the part where he took it off and expresses remorse at Byakuya having to go through the same ordeal, which she considers far graver than Renji's situation, to his chagrin.
Throwing open the nearby doors, a laughing Ichibe'e comments on how chatty Rukia and Renji have become since they first got here, when they were too weak to even stand under the pressure of the area and were reduced to cowering on the floor, before inviting them to train with him in the back room, which they readily accept.
Simultaneously, in the Fifth Division barracks, Captain Shinji Hirako yells into a Denreishinki that he is begging with his head down rather than giving an order, only for Hiyori Sarugaki to assert that she can tell his head is not bowed even over the phone as she stands in the Visored warehouse in Karakura Town. With Shinji claiming Hiyori is the only one who can do this, making her the chosen one, and hanging up, Hachigen Ushōda walks up to Hiyori with a package addressed to her from both Shinji and 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, leading her to decide that the Visored will be fixing the distortions in the Human World after marveling at the speedy delivery and realizing that Soul Society actually does have a package delivery service. Though Lisa Yadōmaru and Love Aikawa are not enthused about being forced to join this, Hiyori insists that they must help her.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Tatsuki Arisawa walks down a set of stairs with Mizuiro Kojima and Keigo Asano, the latter of whom asks her about Ichigo's whereabouts. With Tatsuki questioning how she would know this, Keigo admits that he is out of options now and explains that Karin and Yuzu told him Ichigo was training with the soccer team even though the tournament ended last month. As Tatsuki grimaces at this, Mizuiro muses that Orihime, Sado, and Uryū Ishida are not around either, which means this must have something to do with Soul Society, prior to assuring Keigo and Tatsuki that they will be back some day. However, they are interrupted when Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku approaches them from behind, which prompts Tatsuki to remind a startled Keigo that Shunsui obviously has something to do with Ichigo. When Mizuiro identifies him as the captain of the Eighth Division from a conversation he overheard after the battle against Sousuke Aizen, Shunsui admits he is flattered to be remembered even though he would be more so if Mizuiro was a girl and responds to Mizuiro noting a captain would only come out here for a serious matter by revealing he has come to discuss them saying goodbye to Ichigo.
546. THE LAST 9DAYS [ ]
Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku informs Ichigo Kurosaki 's friends that he may not be able to return to the Human World while the Wandenreich 's second invasion of the Seireitei begins.
Unnerved by Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku 's assertion that he and his friends may have to say goodbye to Ichigo Kurosaki, Keigo Asano assumes he is joking and compliments his flowery kimono, but Shunsui apologetically states that he did not come here to joke around, leading a stunned Keigo to express disbelief at Shunsui making this statement so casually like it has nothing to do with him and accuse Shunsui of getting Ichigo mixed up in something again, which Shunsui readily confirms alongside Ichigo currently being in Soul Society to help the Gotei 13. In turn, Mizuiro Kojima assures Shunsui that this is fine because it is who Ichigo is and is the reason they are friends with him, and when he questions why this would mean saying goodbye to Ichigo, Shunsui details how Ichigo is currently in a special location within Soul Society. Though he is sure Ichigo will come back safely, Shunsui clarifies that he is worried about what kind of power he will return with and responds to Mizuiro wondering why this is a problem by revealing that Ichigo's power could become immense enough to adversely affect the Human World, in which case he would not be allowed to return there.
Aghast at this, Keigo grabs Shunsui by the collar and lambasts him for threatening to lock up Ichigo in Soul Society after bringing him there to help them under the pretense of it being better for the Human World, only for Shunsui to merely affirm that this is how it will be if it comes to pass. Before an angered Keigo can attack Shunsui further, Mizuiro points out that the scenario Shunsui is describing is only hypothetical right now and inquires about how likely it is, which leads Shunsui to admit that it is a 1 in 10,000 chance or less and that they are only considering it as one of many possible outcomes. Though Tatsuki Arisawa is confused about him coming all this way just to tell them about something so unlikely, Shunsui counters that it would not be fair to Ichigo to keep his friends uninformed of something like that prior to holding up and handing out three Soul Tickets, which he explains will let them enter Soul Society to see Ichigo should this occur, with some having already been sent to his family as well. Seeing Tatsuki's concerned expression, Shunsui assures her that this will not be happening today or tomorrow and is instead a far-off occurrence before promising to tell Ichigo to come back and spend some time here before the battle begins once he returns.
Simultaneously, in Hueco Mundo, Orihime Inoue sits against a pillar in the Negal Ruins and drinks from a flask of water as Sado asks her if she is tired enough to want to conclude their training for the day. However, Orihime notes that she was just thinking about how peaceful it is and responds to Sado reminding her that they are training for a battle by explaining that it just feels nice for Humans like them to spend time in Hueco Mundo training with the Arrancar and helping the Shinigami, which makes her wish that they could continue working together and respecting each other's worlds so the battle would never start.
Suddenly, in the Seireitei, the Schatten Bereich engulfs the buildings, encircling wall, and Shakonmaku, replacing the entire city with the Wandenreich's city while Yhwach, Uryū Ishida, and Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth stand atop Silbern. In the SRDI, 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon and Hiyosu struggle to understand what is happening due to their measuring equipment delivering impossible readings. As Akon realizes that the Seireitei is gone, Yhwach asks Uryū if he knows the Kaiser Gesang, which Uryū recites as the confined Quincy king regaining his heartbeat in 900 years, his mind after 90 years, and his strength after 9 years. However, Yhwach reveals that there is a fourth verse stating that the king will regain the world in 9 days and invites Uryū and Haschwalth to join him in the last nine days.
547. Peace from Shadows [ ]
The Sternritter launch their second assault on the Gotei 13, who have prepared to engage them.
In Ichibe'e Hyōsube 's temple in the Soul King Palace, a shirtless Ichigo Kurosaki grabs the two blades of his Shikai, Zangetsu, from the pedestal he had set them down on.
Meanwhile, in the Seireitei below, the Schatten Bereich engulfs the buildings within the Shakonmaku to replace them with those of the Wandenreich city. Standing in his former office while the other captains, lieutenants, and their subordinates express shock and bewilderment at this, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku looks out over the frozen city with his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, and admits that he was not expecting them to lose their territorial advantage when he set traps across the Seireitei in anticipation of another unannounced invasion. Watching this from miles away in the Sakahone district of the Rukongai, 13th Division 3rd Seats Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu call out to their captain, Jūshirō Ukitake, in panic as he sits shirtless within a strange temple.
Simultaneously, in the former Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Hiyosu frantically fiddles with one of the control terminals and informs the other technicians that nothing is showing up on the screen, and when he refuses to believe that the Seireitei is gone despite this, 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon inquires if Hiyosu is refusing to believe the instruments they developed themselves and asserts that he should know the numbers he is seeing are everything. Though Hiyosu tries to point to the instruments still being here as proof to the contrary, the surrounding equipment is suddenly removed by the Schatten Bereich as well, leaving a frightened Hiyosu to demand to know what is going on.
Atop Silbern, Yhwach declares that the Shinigami could never comprehend this and explains how the Quincy had to flee from the Human World to Soul Society a thousand years ago after they lost the war and were left with nowhere else to go, where they were able to use Reishi to form a hidden city in the shadows of the Seireitei where the Gotei 13 did not expect them to hide and call it the Wandenreich. Back in the former SRDI, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar calls the invasion successful and point out that, unlike the Human World, Soul Society is brimming with Reishi. With Askin revealing this let the Quincy build up their strength for a thousand years within the shadows, Jugram Haschwalth approaches Shunsui and Nanao to inform them that the Wandenreich simply appeared within the Shakonmaku once more rather than breaking through it, just as they did last time they invaded.
Though Nanao is shocked by this, Shunsui thanks Haschwalth and welcomes him to the Captain-Commander's office, musing that Yhwach has capable subordinates given how quickly Haschwalth arrived. Once Haschwalth introduces himself as the Sternritter Grandmaster, Shunsui introduces himself as the Captain-Commander and apologizes for only being recently appointed, something he assumes Haschwalth does not know. After a pause, Shunsui questions if Haschwalth came here because he indeed knew that, leading Haschwalth to confirm this, and when Shunsui calls him impatient for not wanting to enjoy the battle he has waited a thousand years for, Haschwalth asserts Yhwach loves peace and believes shorter battles are better, which is why he ordered the Wandenreich to annihilate the enemy instantly.
Meanwhile, in the former SRDI, Askin responds to the technicians demanding to know how he got here by reminding them that he has always been here and wondering if their department is intelligent in name only. Suddenly, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi confirms this. With a doorway appearing in the air behind Askin, Mayuri's face emerges from the light within as he notes that the Quincy operating from within the shadows meant that there were two worlds existing in the same space without ever interacting, which he finds to be absurd. Stepping out of the doorway with both himself and his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, clad in garments emitting bright light, Mayuri clarifies that he does not mind absurdity and responds to his subordinates' shock over his attire by explaining that the data he collected from the last invasion let him deduce that the Wandenreich were somehow making use of shadows. Declaring that he simply modified his laboratory to not emit any shadows as a result, Mayuri invites Askin to find out whether his department is intelligent in name only before he leaves, to Askin's irritation.
Simultaneously, in front of the former Tenth Division barracks, dozens of Shinigami rush toward Sternritter "H" Bazz-B and are ordered to not let him through before Bazz-B engulfs them in flame and calls them idiots for saying this when the invasion is already complete, which means the Shinigami are way past the point of preventing their enemy from getting in. However, Bazz-B is startled when his flames clear to reveal the Shinigami unharmed behind a wall of ice. Approaching Bazz-B with his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya admits that it is too late to stop the Wandenreich from getting through before pointing out that Bazz-B's flames did not get through.
548. The Thin Ice [ ]
2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda is confronted by BG9 as 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya battles Sternritter "H" Bazz-B.
At the former location of his family mansion, 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda looks up at the Wandenreich city around him while internally questioning what happened and where the mansion went. With nearby Shinigami attempting to rally at the former location of their barracks, a scared Marechiyo laments this happening while his captain, Suì-Fēng, is gone and wonders what he is supposed to do. Suddenly, a tearful and trembling Mareyo Ōmaeda pulls on his shihakushō and begs him to not leave because she is scared, even promising that he does not have to play with her anymore. In turn, Marechiyo kneels, insists he has to go, and assures Mareyo he is not doing so to scare her, but rather to protect her, the rest of his family, their neighbors, and all of Soul Society as a member of the Gotei 13. Suddenly, with Marechiyo telling Mareyo to not cry and promising to come back safely, Sternritter "K" BG9 slams into the ground near them, leading Marechiyo to recognize him as the one who stole Suì-Fēng's Bankai.
Meanwhile, bemused by the arrival of 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Bazz-B recognizes him as the ice captain who got his Bankai stolen by Sternritter "I" Cang Du, which prompts Hitsugaya to introduce himself. As he reciprocates this, Bazz-B declares that the two of them are a good match, which Hitsugaya agrees with, before their fire and ice clash in an explosion that engulfs several buildings, sending a shockwave rippling over the city and smashing through the ice protecting the Shinigami, who are ordered by Rangiku to fall back and protect other areas, which they acknowledge as one of them picks up a shard of the ice wall that was protecting them and realizes how thin it is, leaving him to wonder if Hitsugaya will be alright.
Continuing to blast the ice produced by Hitsugaya with his flames, Bazz-B points out how flimsy it is and suggests that Hitsugaya keep throwing it around so he can melt it and raise the humidity. Internally, Hitsugaya muses that he only needs to keep this up for a bit longer before Rangiku informs him that their subordinates have fallen back and offers to help him. When Hitsugaya thanks her since he still has trouble controlling it by himself, a startled Rangiku smiles at him and explains that she believes him losing his Bankai produced something nice when Hitsugaya notices this. With Hitsugaya aggravated by her calling him cute for relying on her like this, Rangiku releases her Shikai, Haineko, and spreads the ash out across the air in front of her while telling Hitsugaya to prepare for "Operation Mille-feuille", though Hitsugaya protests that he did not name it this as his ice spreads over the ash.
On the ground, Bazz-B assumes that this is just an ordinary ice wall and launches more fire at it just as Rangiku uses House, leaving the ice completely intact once the flames clear. When a confused Bazz-B demands to know what this is, Hitsugaya reveals that it is a multi-layered wall of vacuum-ice and details how Rangiku separates the ash of Haineko into multiple thin layers for him to cover in thin ice using his Shikai, Hyōrinmaru, before retracting it to leave a vacuum layer behind the ice that prevents the heat from piercing it. Seeing Bazz-B's bewilderment, Hitsugaya notes that Hyōrinmaru has the least difference in powers between its Shikai and Bankai of all the captain-level Zanpakutō and reveals that his Shikai simply lets him produce much less ice than his Bankai does, which is why he trained to fight with less ice, before musing that it was enough to stop flames of Bazz-B's level. Though an angered Bazz-B blasts them with a powerful fireball, Hitsugaya remains unharmed behind the ice, and after separating the ice walls in two to level his Zanpakutō at Bazz-B, whom he reminds that his flame cannot penetrate this vacuum-ice, Hitsugaya attacks him with Shinkū no Kōri no Yaiba, slamming a large hollow blade of ice into Bazz-B's right shoulder.
549. The StormBringer [ ]
2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng saves her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, and his sister, Mareyo Ōmaeda, from Sternritter "K" BG9.
With Sternritter "H" Bazz-B pinned against a nearby pillar by Shinkū no Kōri no Yaiba, the nearby Shinigami celebrate the idea that they can defeat the Wandenreich without Bankai as their smiling 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto walk through the crowd.
Simultaneously, 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda is slammed against a wall by Sternritter "K" BG9, who levels a tendril at him and demands to know where his captain is, noting that it is the third time he is asking and that he is hoping for an answer this time since he could not locate 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng 's Reiatsu anywhere inside or beyond the Seireitei using samples from their last battle. In response to BG9 interpreting him claiming to not know as a refusal to answer, Marechiyo calls BG9 an idiot for not understanding that he does not know where his captain is, particularly since he was not told where she would be going and would let it slip out even if he were ordered not to tell anyone because of his personality, and proclaims that there is no reason to hide her because she would not lose to someone like him anyway.
However, BG9 simply decides to ask him in another way and fires his tendril into a nearby building, which crumbles as he raises the tendril into the air. Though a coughing Marechiyo questions what this is supposed to do, he is stunned to see Mareyo Ōmaeda impaled on the end of the tendril while she weakly calls out to him. Having deduced that Mareyo is a member of Marechiyo's family from their Reiatsu similarities despite their differing appearances, BG9 informs Marechiyo that he has detected three other individuals with similarly matching Reiatsu within a 30-meter radius and promises that all of them will die the next time Marechiyo refuses to answer him. In response, a furious Marechiyo slams his Shikai, Gegetsuburi, into the side of BG9's helmet and demands that he let Mareyo go, only for an unfazed BG9 to state that he has two questions, ask if he can interpret this as a refusal to answer, and embed three tendrils into Marechiyo's left shoulder as he warns the latter that letting Mareyo go now will cause her to lose a large volume of bodily fluids and die, which he wonders if Marechiyo is fine with. After deflecting Marechiyo's following attack with Gegetsuburi by pushing it aside with three more tendrils, one of which he stabs into Marechiyo's right shoulder, BG9 assumes that Marechiyo has lost his speech from shock and offers him a 15-second reprieve in order to provide an answer, but Marechiyo merely proclaims that BG9 is dead and will be made to pay for this.
While he observes that the fifteen seconds are up, BG9 reveals his Reishi Minigun and opens fire on a cursing Marechiyo, only to find the barrel broken off seconds later as Suì-Fēng holds the broken part in one hand, drops the bullets he fired from the other, and muses that BG9 is much more advanced than she expected since Quincy are supposed to use bows and arrows. BG9 notes there was no reading on his sensors to indicate her presence, and when Suì-Fēng questions if he did not think the Onmitsukidō could conceal their Reiatsu, BG9 lists off her titles and notices the wind-like Kidō swirling behind her shoulders. With Suì-Fēng revealing that this is Shunkō and pointing out how BG9 should know this from the amount of data he has on her, BG9 describes it as the highest form of Hakuda that has practitioners bear Kidō on their backs and shoulders, but asserts that Suì-Fēng's should be unperfected. However, Suì-Fēng questions if he believed she would let it stay unperfected and reveals that she perfected it after her battle with Yoruichi Shihōin, with her training until today having been focused on improving it even further.
Suì-Fēng fully unleashes the wind-like Kidō around her body and explains that her Shunkō is wind-like, allowing her to wrap her body in a vortex of Reiatsu that she can maintain indefinitely. After thanking BG9 since she may not have been able to improve her Shunkō this much without losing her Bankai, Suì-Fēng moves down next to BG9, identifies this as Mukyū Shunkō, and unleashes a powerful blast from her fist that sends BG9 hurtling back.
Meanwhile, the Shinigami around Hitsugaya and Rangiku recognize Suì-Fēng's Reiatsu and declare that she won too, leading Rangiku to muse that things are looking up and suggest that she and Hitsugaya go help the other captains. Suddenly, before a hesitant Hitsugaya can reply, Bazz-B gets their attention and criticizes the idea of being left here while they are still learning about each other because he has not even begun to fight as he melts the ice encasing him with a single hand. Simultaneously, a shocked Suì-Fēng stops walking away from the dust cloud left by her attack as BG9's eye glows from within.
550. Blazing Bullets [ ]
Sternritter "H" Bazz-B and "K" BG9 thoroughly overpower their Shinigami opponents.
In the former Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar examines 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi between his fingers and gives up on fighting him. Askin bluntly states to a confused Mayuri that he will take too much time to defeat, and when Mayuri wonders what this means, Askin clarifies that killing Mayuri would require trying too many scenarios, something which he is bad at since he prefers getting fights over with as quickly as possible, and tells the latter to fight someone else. However, when he tries to leave and finds himself unhindered, a surprised Askin turns back to Mayuri and questions if the latter is not going to come out of here, prompting Mayuri to confirm this and tell Askin that he can go wherever he wants since he needs more time to analyze Askin's Reiatsu. Additionally, Mayuri surmises Askin is trying to goad Mayuri into entering his territory, leading Askin to call him scary and express relief at not giving away his abilities. Suddenly, the whole building shakes and Mayuri recognizes 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng 's Reiatsu as one of his technicians announces that she is overwhelming the enemy without her Bankai, which prompts Askin to muse this is just as Yhwach predicted and confirm to a shocked Mayuri that the battles still falling under predictions means the Gotei 13 is still in danger.
Simultaneously, with Sternritter "H" Bazz-B having melted the ice encasing him with a single hand and emerging unharmed from the resulting cascade of water, the observing Shinigami express disbelief at Shinkū no Kōri no Yaiba not ripping him to pieces, only for Bazz-B to point out that his cape was indeed shredded and lament the ruining of his best uniform before removing it with a wide grin.
During this, upon seeing a tendril hurtling toward her from the dust cloud left in the wake of her attack, Suì-Fēng grabs it and swings around to slam Sternritter "K" BG9 through multiple buildings. With Suì-Fēng expressing disbelief that he is still breathing, BG9 emerges without his cloak and states that he was never breathing to begin with, leading Suì-Fēng to muse that Mayuri would be intrigued by a mechanical doll like him, prior to dozens of missile pods emerging from his body. As Suì-Fēng expresses alarm at this, BG9 thanks her for providing him with useful data on her Mukyū Shunkō, but expresses disappointment at this being the extent of her power since it means he will have no need of the Bankai he stole from her before firing off all the missiles to engulf the surrounding area in explosions. While her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, calls out to her in concern, Suì-Fēng leaps out of one of the clouds of smoke with light burns. Though she proclaims that it will take more than this, Suì-Fēng is caught off-guard when BG9 impales her wrist with one of his tendrils, catches up to her in midair, and reminds her that he has received useful data on Mukyū Shunkō prior to engulfing her in a massive explosion.
Meanwhile, Bazz-B brings up Hitsugaya's earlier statement of being able to shield his flames and recounts how all of the Sternritter struck by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto 's blast of flame from his Shikai, Ryūjin Jakka, are still alive, including himself. After asking Hitsugaya why he thinks they are alive even though Yamamoto did not miss and hit all three of them directly, Bazz-B reveals that he offset Yamamoto's flames with his own, shocking Hitsugaya, and places his hand against the remainder of Shinkū no Kōri no Yaiba to instantly melt it in a large gush of water. With Bazz-B expressing disappointment at Hitsugaya not having his Bankai right now since he would have loved to prove that he could melt the ice of Hitsugaya's Bankai with just one finger, Hitsugaya slashes a wave of ice at him, but Bazz-B casually melts the ice with a wall of flames in front of himself and asserts that it will not reach him.
Hitsugaya orders his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, to regroup while he holds off Bazz-B with Ryōjin Hyōheki, and while Hitsugaya forms a wall of finely-woven ice in front of himself as Rangiku departs, Bazz-B admits that he has a lot of tricks up his sleeves, but declares that all he needs is a finger for anything Hitsugaya uses and fires Burner Finger 1 from his index finger at the wall, piercing through it and Hitsugaya's chest with a concentrated beam of fire.
Bleach, Volume 62
551. The Burnt Offerings [ ]
As 1st Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise demonstrates her new Kidō spell, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya is forced to flee from Sternritter "H" Bazz-B.
In the former Captain-Commander's office, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth is cut off from Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku and his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, by Hakudan Keppeki, which he creates a ripple in by tapping it with his sword, causing him to deduce that he cannot get through it and wonder if it is deflecting or instead absorbing his power. With Nanao explaining that this barrier temporarily protects against all Quincy powers, Haschwalth infers that she created this Kidō, which leads Nanao to assert that her talent with it is the only reason she is a lieutenant, though Shunsui denies this, and that creating something like this is easy prior to criticizing the Wandenreich for leaving traces of their Reiatsu all over the Seireitei during their first invasion because it made the development of such countermeasures almost inevitable. However, Haschwalth asks Nanao if the other captains are able to use Hakudan Keppeki as well, and when Nanao admits that they cannot, she and Shunsui notice the explosion produced by Sternritter "K" BG9 's attack on 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng as Haschwalth admonishes her for just perfecting the spell and not refining it to be used by others because it has prevented the captains from dying in battle instead of being subjected to a one-sided slaughter.
Down on the ground, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya runs from Sternritter "H" Bazz-B. When Bazz-B taunts him for fleeing despite being a captain, Hitsugaya erects a wall of ice between them, though Bazz-B reiterates that it will not reach him and immediately cuts through this with a flaming wave of his hand, only to find himself surrounded by a thick icy fog. Annoyed by this and admonishing Hitsugaya for his reliance on tricks, Bazz-B disperses the fog with Burning Stomp to see Hitsugaya standing a few meters away, and when Bazz-B chastises him for not coming up with a better plan while within the fog, Hitsugaya admits that there was no time to plan, but reveals that he set a trap as Bazz-B notices six sigils surrounding him on the ground and ice forming on his wrist prior to initiating Rokui Hyōketsujin, which encases Bazz-B in a thick pillar of ice.
Despite this, Bazz-B quickly melts the ice and responds to Hitsugaya's disbelief by claiming that he feels the same and questioning if Hitsugaya is trying to make him angry enough to use a second finger. With Hitsugaya erecting another wall of ice in front of himself, Bazz-B fires Burner Finger 2 at him, creating a tall vertical explosion as Hitsugaya is slashed across the chest by two diagonal streaks of flame that break the blade of his Zanpakutō. Suddenly, with Hitsugaya collapsing, Sternritter "I" Cang Du lands behind Bazz-B and asserts that he will be taking over the fight from here because of their agreement to leave the captains to the ones who stole their Bankai.
Simultaneously, in the former Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Mayuri observes that two Reiatsu have disappeared and is informed that they belonged to Hitsugaya and Suì-Fēng, leading him to note that he is indeed the only one who can fight without Bankai. Suddenly, Kisuke Urahara contacts Mayuri, affably greets him, and reveals that he has completed the method for regaining Bankai.
552. The Fundamental Virulence [ ]
While Sternritter "I" Cang Du prepares to finish off 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Kisuke Urahara divulges the details of his discovery regarding the Wandenreich 's ability to steal a Bankai.
With Sternritter "I" Cang Du having arrived to finish off a gravely wounded 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B asserts that Yhwach will punish him for stealing a kill. In response, Cang reminds Bazz-B that it was Yhwach's order for the captains to be killed by their own Bankai, which Bazz-B scoffs at, and pushes his cloak aside to reveal and drop 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, who has been slashed across the side of her neck, to Hitsugaya's alarm. Bringing up Rangiku being Hitsugaya's precious lieutenant, Cang declares this is why they will die together, introduces himself, and explains that it is his style to ensure those who live together die together as well before activating Hitsugaya's Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru. After noting this must be the first time Hitsugaya is seeing it from the other side, Cang calls Daiguren Hyōrinmaru beautiful prior to apologizing for how it will be the one thing of Hitsugaya's to survive his death.
Simultaneously, in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi asks Kisuke Urahara to repeat what he just said about finding a way to reclaim the stolen Bankai. With Urahara elaborating that he found a flaw in the method used by the Quincy to steal Bankai that will not only let them prevent any more from being stolen, but return the currently stolen Bankai to their owners as well, one of the technicians is vocally impressed as the other hushes him. However, though he praises the discovery and Urahara claims it was easy, Mayuri brushes this off to focus on Urahara installing a communication device in his clothes without permission. Calling this a serious crime as Urahara realizes that he is about to hang up and begs him not to do so, Mayuri presses the device in his headpiece to end the transmission, only for Urahara to emerge from a Senkaimon behind him and announce that he was joking.
After hopping out and apologizing for startling the technicians, Urahara explains that he was calling from the Dangai and asks for Mayuri's help, and when Mayuri points out how the Wandenreich has crippled the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Urahara reminds him that they still have access to Mayuri's hidden laboratory and commends him for deducing the Wandenreich's usage of shadows. With Urahara once again requesting his help, Mayuri has Urahara and his technicians move into the lab, where 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon has them confirm the locations of all the captains and lieutenants while having their insects move out to infiltrate the Wandenreich 's systems and technology so it can be linked to this room. Though the systems initially fail to connect, Akon asserts that this is to be expected since they have never done this before and orders the technicians to keep trying until it works.
From within his robe, Urahara pulls out a small pile of black pills on a cloth and identifies them as Shin'eiyaku. After confirming to Mayuri that this is his invention, Urahara details how he decided to stay in Hueco Mundo when he heard of Bankai being stolen because he witnessed the clue to preventing that while he was there. Bringing up how an Arrancar 's Resurrección is nearly identical to Bankai because it consists of them releasing the true form of their power stored within their Zanpakutō, Urahara posits that Quincy should be able to steal them just as they can Bankai. However, Urahara points out how not a single Resurrección has been stolen by a Quincy even though the Wandenreich took enough of an interest in the Arrancar to forcibly conscript them as soldiers and concludes there can only be two reasons for this, which Mayuri infers are a complete inability to steal Resurrección or a disadvantage that would come from doing so, and with Urahara smiling at this, Mayuri notes Urahara's research ruled out an inability to steal Resurrección, which means there logically must be a disadvantage from doing so.
Suddenly, the technicians successfully locate the captains and lieutenants inside and outside the Seireitei. With Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra set up, Urahara begins speaking to the captains and lieutenants by introducing himself and claiming that they may not know who he is, though a grinning 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako counters that everyone knows who Urahara is. As Ikkaku and Yumichika, Hisagi, and 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda see a Shin'eiyaku on the ground near them, Urahara explains that he has sent these to them and that they will react to anyone who possesses Bankai that touches them with a hand, foot, or sword by evaporating from the touchpoint and permeating the inner part of the recipient's Soul. Seeing a Shin'eiyaku in front of him, Hitsugaya slowly reaches out and touches it with his finger, causing it to engulf his fingers in glowing energy while Cang expresses confusion.
Back in the laboratory, Mayuri admits that something about the Quincy had always bothered him because he did not believe their hostility against Hollows was based on resentment as the legends about them claim, since hostility stems from a difference in ideology and it is impossible to continue hating those who do not possess will or ideology, leading him to hypothesize that such a fundamental and intrinsic fear could only come from that which endangers one's life. Urahara concurs with this and elaborates that Quincy have no antibodies against Hollows, making the latter poison to them and causing Encroachment induced by Hollows to not only weaken their spiritual powers, but decay their Souls and eventually kill them, which means that they cannot even undergo Hollowfication like Shinigami can. After concluding that this is why they must hunt Hollows, Urahara muses that if the Shinigami absorb a small amount of Hollow power for a short period of time, their Bankai will also become poison to Quincy as a shocked Cang's left ice wing breaks off in a shower of blood.
553. Frozen Cross [ ]
10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng fight back against Sternritter "I" Cang Du and "K" BG9 as Kisuke Urahara 's invention takes effect.
While wondering why he just lost the left wing of 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, Sternritter "I" Cang Du sees Hitsugaya standing up with a left wing of ice forming on his back, and when Cang demands to know what he did since there are no irregularities with the Medallion, Hitsugaya admits that he does not know and theorizes that Hyōrinmaru wants to come home.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop, Sternritter "K" BG9 kneels over an incapacitated 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng behind a Reishi wall and extends tendrils from his chest toward her body, but her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, grabs her and moves her to a nearby rooftop with Shunpo before the tendrils can reach her. Expressing surprise at Marechiyo still being able to move, BG9 dissipates the wall and stands up. As BG9 states that he wished to extract more data from Suì-Fēng before she dies, Marechiyo drops a Shin'eiyaku into Suì-Fēng's palm, causing it to evaporate in a golden glow, and tells her that it should bring her Bankai back, though he admits that he did not understand Urahara's explanation.
However, when BG9 begins walking toward them and asks Marechiyo to speak up since the sensitivity of his sonic collector automatically drops after a close-range explosion, he stumbles and realizes with disbelief that his connection is weakening, prompting Suì-Fēng to inform him that her Hollowfied Bankai is weakening him. Though Marechiyo is startled by her having heard the announcement as well, Suì-Fēng counters that it was impossible for her to stay asleep with that annoying voice in her ear and activates her Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben. After ordering Marechiyo to brace himself, which he readily affirms, Suì-Fēng responds to BG9 questioning why her Bankai is with her by suggesting he analyze it himself and firing the missile at BG9, who is engulfed in a massive explosion that blasts through the clouds.
During this, Cang criticizes Hitsugaya for assuming the Sternritter did not train to control the Bankai they acquired and sends a powerful wave of ice toward the latter with a slash of his Reishi Claw, only for it to stop and divert its course upward before it can hit Hitsugaya's wing. When Hitsugaya tells a confused Cang that he should stop since Hyōrinmaru cannot attack himself, Cang comes down on his head with a powerful kick that is blocked by a sheet of ice, tells him to stop acting like Hyōrinmaru has a mind of its own, and delivers several more rapid kicks to Hitsugaya's wing prior to kicking him into the air and asserting that he does not believe in pantheism.
Suddenly, with Cang following him into the air, Hitsugaya refers the matter of Cang's belief to Hyōrinmaru, who confirms it, and notes that it has been a while since he heard Hyōrinmaru's voice before welcoming him back as an altered Hyōrinmaru appears behind him. With Cang realizing that his remaining wing has disappeared, Hitsugaya stands in the air with both wings and an icy extension on his sword prior to noticing a mask-like fragment of ice covering his left eye, which he attributes to the momentary Hollowfication of his Bankai that Urahara mentioned and decides to accept the presence of. Alarmed by this, Cang fires Shé Jìn Zhǎo at Hitsugaya, but the latter merely points his sword down at Cang and unleashes a wave of ice. In the aftermath, with Cang frozen inside the center of a massive cross of ice, Hitsugaya stands on a rooftop, details how this is the symbol of Hyōrinmaru, and apologizes for not making it a pentacle.
554. Desperate Lights [ ]
Uryū Ishida and Yhwach observe the ongoing conflict while 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako and 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura confront Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine.
Having watched the defeat of Sternritter "I" Cang Du from afar, an unimpressed Sternritter "H" Bazz-B disparages Cang for losing like this and departs. Back on the rooftop, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya notes that it is over and begins walking toward his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, whom he promises that he will be with her soon, only to collapse while his right wing shatters and a shadow approaches him. As Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine and "F" Äs Nödt watch the Bankai leave their Medallions, Uryū Ishida stands beside Yhwach in the latter's throne room and muses that Yhwach predicted the Shinigami would find a way to regain their stolen Bankai, which Yhwach confirms.
Simultaneously, Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine blows up a large portion of a tower behind her, gruesomely killing multiple Shinigami perched on its side, and admonishes her fellow Sternritter for panicking over the loss of a power they never owned to begin with, which she considers idiotic. Additionally, Bambietta points out how 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura is not even here despite being her mandated opponent, which she did not realize until she saw the stolen Bankai leave her Medallion earlier, and complains about not being informed of his absence earlier before turning to the Bambies for their thoughts on the matter, only to discover that Liltotto Lamperd, Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon, and Giselle Gewelle are not there either. Angered by this because it makes her look like she is talking to herself and because Liltotto was the one who suggested they act as a group today, Bambietta demands that her friends show themselves and unleashes a vast explosion from her body that levels the surrounding area.
With Bambietta promising to smoke out her friends as retribution for them embarrassing her, Komamura tells her to stop and crashes down in front of her. Upon seeing that Komamura is wearing full-body armor and a helmet, Bambietta observes that it did not take long for him to come back and questions why he is wearing a bucket, prompting Komamura to assert that it was a gift. Deciding that she will just take it off him later, Bambietta suggests that this is too early for the hero to show up and that Komamura should have waited until the Seireitei had been further destroyed, but Shinji appears behind her and decides they cannot be heroes because they are not patient enough to wait for this to happen.
Suddenly, as she wonders who he is, Bambietta begins to see the world around her warp and twist. When a grinning Shinji inquires if she is feeling sick, Bambietta wonders what is happening, prompting Shinji to reveal that this is the effect of his Shikai, Sakanade, reversing her sense of direction and making it impossible for her to fight effectively, and admit that he has also been practicing speaking backward so his opponents can still understand him while Bambietta rushes toward him in frustration. Reappearing behind Bambietta and telling her that it is useless, Shinji introduces himself, though Bambietta is unable to understand him due to hearing his words reversed, and disappears when the world warps around Bambietta once again, causing her to collapse. As he approaches her from behind, Shinji muses that he is not a fan of killing girls and apologizes.
Simultaneously, Yhwach explains that he knew the Shinigami would take measures to regain their Bankai after losing them and would eventually discover a method of reclamation, but tells his Sternritter to rejoice despite his prediction as a spike of energy forms on Bambietta's chest before her Quincy: Vollständig, Zofiel, is activated. With Komamura watching the light and Shinji questioning what this is, Bambietta reveals that it is Quincy: Vollständig and that she had been unable to use it until now because keeping Komamura's Bankai prevented her from doing so, making her grateful toward the Shinigami for letting her use it. As several other Sternritter, including Cang and Sternritter "I" BG9, have their Quincy: Vollständig activate as well in pillars of Reishi, Yhwach proclaims that the Shinigami will soon regret regaining their Bankai and that the hope-filled battles are now over because true despair begins here.
However, with 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi noting that things have gotten a bit complicated and questioning what to do now, Kisuke Urahara is contacted by Ichigo Kurosaki.
555. THE HERO [ ]
As Ichigo Kurosaki heads towards the Seireitei, the Bambies discuss the activation of their and Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine 's Quincy: Vollständigs.
In the Soul King Palace, Tenjirō Kirinji stands on the Vestibule Road with Senjumaru Shutara, where he announces that the Royal Guard are ready and tells Ichigo Kurosaki that he should be too, prompting Ichigo to step forward in a heavily-layered garment and confirm this. When Ichigo begins looking around in confusion, Kirinji questions what he is looking for, prompting Ichigo to inquire about the absence of the Tenchūren that the Royal Guard reached the Seireitei with. In response, Kirinji bluntly reveals that it is not here because Ichigo is going back on foot, and with Ichigo flabbergasted by this, Kirinji derides his response and has Senjumaru tap the platform, causing a large circular portion of it to retract and begin extending a circular flight of stairs down into the clouds below.
With Ichigo staring down in confusion, Kirinji explains that his trip down will be on foot since the Royal Guard cannot be sending the Tenchūren down all the time even though they would love to help him and asserts that it will simply take Ichigo a week if he uses Shunpo. Despite Kirinji eagerly expecting a panicked response from him over the prospect of the Wandenreich attacking in this time, Ichigo readily acknowledges this, to Kirinji's befuddlement, and reminds the latter that he said it was not too far before declaring that it will only take him about half a day if he hurries. Laughing heartily at this, Ichibe'e Hyōsube approaches them from behind, praises Ichigo's confidence, and assures him that he does not need to worry about reaching the Seireitei ahead of the Wandenreich since the second invasion began three hours ago.
After a brief pause of disbelief, Ichigo hurtles down the gap in the center of the stairs and reprimands Ichibe'e for not telling him earlier, prompting Ichibe'e to remind Ichigo that he was training three hours ago. Upon reaching the other Royal Guard, Kirio Hikifune throws him a pack of onigiri to eat if he gets hungry along the way, prompting Ichigo to catch them and promise to sneak off to eat them if he gets hungry in the middle of battle. Watching Ichigo hurtle downward, Hikifune observes that he has changed, which Kirinji affirms, and recalls how shaky his Reiatsu used to be, though Ichibe'e denies him getting stronger and rephrases it as him growing and getting stronger. When an annoyed Kirinji inquires about the difference, Ichibe'e concludes that Ichigo has become stronger in both body and spirit, making him a true Shinigami.
Shortly afterward, Ichigo calls Kisuke Urahara and informs him of the situation prior to surmising that it will take him a bit longer to reach the Seireitei, which Urahara acknowledges as he tells Ichigo to be careful. After a pause, Ichigo acknowledges that he will sound cocky, but requests that Urahara and the others hold out even if the battle gets bad because he will finish it when he gets there, prompting a smiling Urahara to promise that they will be waiting for him. Ending the call, Ichigo muses that Urahara did not say anything about how the battle was going, pulls fabric from his cap down over his eyes, and decides to hurry before accelerating downward.
Meanwhile, in the Seireitei, Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine stands with her Quincy: Vollständig, Zofiel, active before 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura and 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako, who wonders what this is prior to being struck by a powerful and concentrated explosion. Elsewhere, on a rooftop, Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp notices the wings of her own Quincy: Vollständig, Barbarriel, coming out due to resonance, prompting Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle to recall that Candice just learned to use the ability and declines to do the same herself since it tires her out, though an irritated Candice claims that she does not want to either. Looking over the city, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon observes that Bambietta seems to be using it, and as Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd affirms this since Bambietta was already enraged by their disappearance earlier, Giselle calls out Bambietta using the technique as scary because her stupidity might end the entire war very quickly.
556. The Wolfsbane [ ]
Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine demonstrates the great power of her Quincy: Vollständig against 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura, who is forced to protect 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako and his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, by unveiling the secret of his clan.
Having been struck by a powerful explosion from Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine, 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako is sent flying back into the surrounding rubble, where another Reishi projectile from Bambietta strikes and engulfs him in a second explosion, leaving his chest smoking with a large wound, as Bambietta calls him messing up her sense of direction lame and declares that she will simply destroy everything around herself with The Explode if she cannot determine up or down.
After flying into the air with her Quincy: Vollständig, Zofiel, and blanketing the ground below with explosions, Bambietta is startled when the smoke clears to reveal 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura standing over Shinji. With Bambietta mockingly smiling at this, 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori leaps into the air behind her while calling out to Shinji, and when Bambietta asks her whose lieutenant she is, Hinamori attempts to attack her with her Shikai, Tobiume, only for a manically grinning Bambietta to fire dozens of Reishi projectiles at her, forcing Komamura to grab Hinamori and pull her out of the air before she gets hit by the ensuing explosion.
Landing on a rooftop below, Komamura chastises Hinamori for being so reckless and warns her that the projectiles cannot be stopped by Tobiume or without armor. Suddenly, Bambietta flies right behind Komamura and deduces from this assumption that Komamura believes his helmet can protect him, prompting Komamura to draw his Zanpakutō and slash at her. After evading this and flying higher into the air, Bambietta fires a projectile at him as Komamura mentally notes that he instead believes his armor will be sufficient to turn the projectile aside since bombs have a momentary pause between impact and detonation, allowing his armor to negate the impact and his strong body to turn it aside instantly for deflection. However, just before the projectile strikes him, Komamura notices something about it and moves his head to the side at the last second as his left forearm blocks the blast.
Expressing slight disappointment and praising this, Bambietta details Komamura's response and attributes his action to animal instinct before confirming that her projectiles cannot be blocked. While revealing that the Reishi projectiles are not bombs themselves, but instead turn anything they touch into a bomb, Bambietta concludes that trying to deflect them at the last minute will not do anything and fires dozens more projectiles at Komamura, who has Hinamori get behind him just before the projectiles engulf the two of them in a massive explosion. However, with Bambietta inferring that only his armor is destroyed and hoping to see what lies beneath, she is confused when the smoke clears to reveal Komamura with a Human face and body.
In the past, Komamura stands before the defeated Wolfman Clan Elder while still in his wolfen form. When a stunned Komamura repeats that their clan's secret technique is called the Humanization Technique, the Elder affirms this and explains that the clan was sent to the Animal Realm for the sins they committed during their past lives, but were not resolved by this and so returned to Soul Society, before revealing that temporarily breaking the chain of sins that binds them allows them to return to the forms they had before they were condemned to being beasts, which lets them gain immense power in the form of the Humanization Technique. With Komamura wondering how it can be done, the Elder tells him to give up his heart. Told to tear out his heart and offer it to the Elder in return for the technique being bestowed upon him, Komamura simply looks at his hand, but when the Elder assumes he cannot do this and asserts that this is fine since Komamura has no obligation to throw his life away for the Shinigami, Komamura counters that he does because Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto took him in after he abandoned his clan to avoid having to hide any longer, leaving him with a vast debt to repay, and the Quincy killed Yamamoto, meaning that he must now do whatever it takes to avenge the latter, before ripping his heart out of his chest while the Elder watches.
In the present, with Bambietta staring at him in shock, Komamura grabs his sheathed Zanpakutō and activates Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe, which summons his Bankai and shatters the armor encasing it while flames begin burning in its eye sockets.
557. 命はとうに置いてきた [ ]
7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura overwhelms Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine with the raw power of his armorless Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe.
Bewildered by 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura appearing as a Human and summoning his armorless Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe, Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine narrowly dodges a powerful strike from Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō and flies back as she comments on the lack of wolfen traits even in Komamura's Bankai, questions if there is a wolf beneath its monstrous visage, and fires dozens more projectiles at it.
However, after Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō blocks the projectiles with its left hand, Bambietta is shocked to see the resulting hole in its palm rapidly closing up as its tissue is restored, leading Komamura to explain that Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō is an armored Bankai imbued with life and that Dangai Jōe strips it of its armor, leaving only its Reiatsu and power behind and preventing The Explode from properly harming it. With Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō slamming its hand down into her and a building below, Bambietta blows through its hand with another explosion and flies out of the smoke cloud with a singed uniform as she asserts that its Reiatsu being exposed means Komamura's weaknesses are as well, due to The Explode letting her turn whatever she fires her own Reiatsu at into bombs, and detonates several projectiles along the length of the left arm of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, only for Komamura to state that becoming a bomb and exploding is only frightening to something that is alive, such that there is no fear to be had when something is not alive.
With Bambietta confused by this, Komamura clarifies that the life of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō lies within its armor, meaning that Dangai Jōe strips it of its life as well. While ripping off her damaged cloak, Bambietta demands to know what Komamura is talking about since she knows how Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō works from possessing it up until a few moments ago and is aware that its status is linked to that of its possessor before firing a dozen more projectiles directly into the chest of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, resulting in a corresponding explosion on Komamura's own chest. Despite this, an initially confident Bambietta falters in her claim that Komamura is vulnerable even if Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō is not when she sees that his heart is missing from his chest, leaving a gaping hole on the left side.
Komamura details how his body is now an empty shell meant for nothing more than the defeat of Bambietta's people and reveals that the Humanization Technique offers his clan temporarily immortal bodies in return for their hearts, which means that he cannot die so long as he is in this form. Alarmed by this, a frightened Bambietta begins fleeing, with Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō leaping into the air after her and preparing to attack, and fires hundreds of projectiles behind herself as she expresses disbelief at Komamura throwing his life away since the point of battle is to avoid dying, which makes his choice apparently pointless. However, Komamura counters that he has staked his life instead of throwing it away since Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto did the same for this war and proclaims that he had left his life behind before he even entered this battle while having Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō slash its sword into Bambietta, creating a massive explosion.
558. 狼の心臓 [ ]
As Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine is defeated, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura pays the price for using the Humanization Technique.
Within his cave, the Wolfman Clan Elder praises 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura for proving that he is one of them and expresses pride in him as the cup containing the latter's heart begins to overflow with blood.
Meanwhile, having been attacked by Komamura's armorless Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe, a stunned Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine realizes that her projectiles are not detonating in time. With Bambietta deducing that the force of the attack from Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō is pushing the projectiles back into her body before they can explode and expressing disbelief at this, the resulting explosion immolates her and sends her crashing into the ground below as Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō lands nearby and looks at Silbern in the distance. Suddenly, as it begins approaching Silbern, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō falls to its knees alongside Komamura ands begin cracking while its head shatters. Komamura begs the Humanization Technique and his heart to last a little longer so he can reach Silbern and kill Yhwach before forcing himself to stand up as his canine teeth begin to lengthen into fangs.
Simultaneously, the Elder wonders if Komamura has noticed that his feelings are a desire for revenge and that he is throwing his life away for vengeance just as he once saw Kaname Tōsen do, but assures him that this is fine since revenge is their clan's true form and that he has finally come back to their clan. With his ears transforming into large wolfen ones, Komamura sees his left arm transform into a large, four-fingered paw. Initially unsure of what this is, Komamura has fur envelop his body and feels his face protruding outward while his feet transform into furred paws as well, leading him to realize that this is the price he must pay. Confirming this, the Elder notes that Komamura will soon lose his Human body forever and transform into a beast of revenge prior to encouraging him to let his anger reach its limit, curse his place in life, and wallow in his vengeance so that the Elder can sustain himself on it and live on. After thanking Komamura for becoming a beast that cannot speak for him, the pleased Elder leans down and consumes Komamura's still-beating heart.
Back in the city, Komamura lies on the ground, now a fully-transformed and ordinary-sized wolf, and muses that this is the price of selling his soul for revenge and sullying the name of the Gotei 13 rather than taking his words to Tōsen as a warning to himself. Suddenly, his lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba, appears nearby with Shunpo, hoists Komamura over his shoulders, begins walking toward Silbern, and asserts that he did nothing wrong before declaring that they will confront Yhwach and avenge Yamamoto.
Elsewhere, Bambietta lies among the rubble in a different location with smoke coiling off her body and expresses disbelief at losing to a Shinigami, as well as at being the first of the Bambies to lose, prior to denouncing the situation as unacceptable. However, she is interrupted when Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp, Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon, and Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle appear and stand over her, with Giselle promising to help her since they would be lonely without her despite Bambietta's frantic pleas for her to stop.
During this, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai fall toward the replaced Seireitei from the Soul King Palace, with Renji correcting Rukia on the Seireitei being replaced by the Wandenreich city before Rukia urges him to hurry since it will soon grow dark.
559. THE NIGHT RIGHT [ ]
As Yhwach passes judgement on Sternritter "K" BG9 and "I" Cang Du, Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine attacks 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa.
Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth stands across from Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku and his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, on the other side of the latter's Hakudan Keppeki, where he observes that the battle seems to be evening out, prompting Shunsui to call this analysis modest and affirms that he sees it the same way, only for Haschwalth to clarify that it would have been meaningless for him to come here if it were any other outcome because it is his job to tip the scales in their favor. Upon seeing Haschwalth draw his sword, an alarmed Shunsui moves in front of Nanao with his arm outstretched just before Hakudan Keppeki is destroyed in a large blast of force, prompting him to note that he had forgotten how the Quincy can absorb Reishi.
In turn, Haschwalth confirms that he has been gradually absorbing Reishi from his side of the barrier and admits that this took him longer than expected before praising the technique, which Nanao decides to take as a compliment for now prior to drawing a hexagon on the ground, causing Hakudan Keppeki to reform as a series of hexagonal plates in front of Haschwalth, and pointing out that she also had time to form a new barrier during this. With Haschwalth musing that this looks different than the original iteration of the barrier, Nanao inquires if he thinks it looks weak because it is not a single layer, and after deducing that its obvious fragility and weak Reishi bonds must be a trap, Haschwalth grasps his sword with both hands and decides to resort to rougher measures.
Suddenly, the Wandenreich emblem appears in the air behind Haschwalth, who acknowledges what he has been told and reveals that he is being called back to Silbern before beginning to depart, prompting Shunsui to question if he is really leaving after coming this far. Once Haschwalth asserts that Yhwach 's orders are absolute, Shunsui asks him when he will return, and with Haschwalth asserting that he will do so when the order is given, Shunsui promises to be waiting for him with some fine tea when this comes.
Elsewhere, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame observes that night has fallen, and when 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa questions if it has not already been nighttime for a while, Ikkaku clarifies that it was just cloudy before and that night has now fallen across the entire Soul Society, which he does not like since the shadows are now darker. Behind them, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi climbs over a pile of rubble and recognizes Ikkaku and Yumichika, who wonder what he is doing here. As he approaches them, Hisagi explains that the different terrain made him lose his way and that the Wandenreich have spread high-density Reishi across the Seireitei to prevent the Gotei 13 from tracking them. Suddenly, with Ikkaku bringing up how the Wandenreich have been appearing from the shadows and warning Yumichika and Hisagi that this means traveling at night would be exactly what they want the Shinigami to do, Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine falls down onto them.
Simultaneously, Sternritter "I" Cang Du and "K" BG9 kneel against two posts they are tied to within Silbern, where Yhwach announces that judgement of the defeated is about to commence and beckons Haschwalth to come forth. Though BG9 pleads with him to let them continue to fight since they were revived by Quincy: Vollständig after their defeats, Yhwach merely observes that they were fortunate to escape death before Haschwalth draws his broadsword and asserts that while Cang and BG9 should be grateful for their good fortune, battles should be fair and lives that were saved by good fortune will be removed with an equal amount of misfortune.
However, when Haschwalth slashes at Cang's neck over BG9's pleas, he is startled to find Cang's right shoulder and neck turned to iron and stopping his blade while Cang reminds Haschwalth that he is " The Iron ", meaning that it is not difficult for him to stop Haschwalth's blade, and invites Haschwalth to try to cut him prior to refusing to be killed by anyone other than Yhwach. In turn, Haschwalth merely describes this as Cang's second good fortune, to the latter's shock, and inquires if Cang can see the scales of balance tipping behind him before effortlessly slicing vertically through Cang's right side.
Back outside, Mask pins down Hisagi with his elbow and counts to three in order to declare victory. Turning to James, a triumphant Mask muses that although he has finished off every captain they could find, it is lackluster for them to not have a crowd witnessing his feats, which James agrees with. Suddenly, two lights burst through the clouds and descend into the city several miles away, where 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai land.
560. Rages at Ringside [ ]
Confronting Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine alongside 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma demonstrates the explosive power of his Bankai.
Having noticed 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai 's arrival in the replaced Seireitei, Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine admits that he does not know who they could be since they fell so far away and muses on the predicament of whether or not he should go after them before turning to James, who points out that the spectacle these two made would ensure Mask getting the spotlight if he defeats them. Alerted by this, Mask decides to go after them and encourages James to keep up before 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi 's Shikai, Kazeshini, wraps around his ankle. Despite Hisagi refusing to be defeated just because Mask reached a three-count, Mask yanks on the chain of Kazeshini to pull Hisagi toward him, delivers a brutal clothesline to Hisagi in midair, and affirms that he does believe he won from that prior to attempting to stomp on a prone Hisagi.
However, he is interrupted when 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma stops Mask's foot with his own and admonishes Hisagi for getting knocked out without displaying the results of his training before introducing himself to Mask when the latter asks him if he is associated with these Shinigami, leaving Mask elated to be facing a captain. Despite Mask explaining that he regrettably cannot fight Kensei because he is on his way to investigate the fallen objects, 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi approaches him from behind and decries this since Mask has two captains to face, making them an excellent choice if he wants to garner a reputation. With Mask intrigued by this, Kensei promises that they will not take too much of his time and activates his Bankai, Tekken Tachikaze, to gain a pair of gauntlets on his fists connected by a band behind his head.
In response, Mask rips off his cloak, promises to defeat Kensei in a ten count, and launches himself toward Kensei with Star Dropkick, only for Kensei to casually block his feet with his left gauntlet while being pushed back several meters and express disbelief at Hisagi being defeated by such a weak attack before switching his right gauntlet to a set of spikes and driving it into Mask's stomach. With the surrounding area being cratered and Mask collapsing in pain at this, leaving James concerned at a single hit doing this to him, Kensei picks him up by the collar and explains that his Shikai, Tachikaze, can detonate things in the trajectory of its blade, while Tekken Tachikaze compresses the force of those explosions into his fists. Burying his right gauntlet in Mask's midsection, which causes the latter to begin vibrating from the repeated tremors racking his body, Kensei declares that this explosive force will continue to assault Mask so long as the gauntlet remains in contact with his body and sends Mask flying hundreds of meters away into a building.
While Rose muses that Kensei will not be needing any help from him, a despondent James tells Mask that he cannot lose, and as a nonplussed Kensei notes that the enemy's weakness is making them look like the villains here, Hisagi pushes himself up from the ground nearby and warns Kensei that he needs to take out James first just before James begs Mask to come back, which causes Mask's eyes and mask to glow with golden light while he jumps down from the building, lands behind Kensei and Rose, and sends them flying with powerful punches prior to introducing himself and declaring that James's cheers are the source of his power.
Bleach, Volume 63
561. THE VILLAIN [ ]
9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma and 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi continue their battle against an empowered Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine.
Atop the tower he crashed into, an annoyed 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma sits up and cracks his neck before launching himself down toward Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine, who is still facing away from him while posing. Suddenly, Mask disappears from the ground below and reappears in front of Kensei with Hirenkyaku to knee him in the chest with Star Eagle Kick and smash his head with Star Headbutt. Angered by this, Kensei switches the right gauntlet of his Bankai, Tekken Tachikaze, to brass knuckles and delivers a powerful punch to Mask's blocking forearm, creating a barrage of force that engulfs them. However, once James cheers for him again, Mask grabs Kensei's fist, proclaims that this has no chance of working on him, and breaks Kensei's right arm with a downward chop before smacking him down to the ground, where Kensei screams in pain over the bone protruding from his elbow. Slamming down knee-first into Kensei, Mask sees the latter has lost consciousness and concludes that he will not need a ten-count just before James is ripped in half by 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi 's Shikai, Kinshara.
Though Mask curses him for harming an innocent fan, Rose counters that he does not care what Mask says since the latter cannot release his power without James and refuses to let this chance go to waste after Kensei went to such great lengths to create it before activating his Bankai, Kinshara Butōdan, creating a dozen large, humanoid figures, a large set of hands in the air behind him, and a conducting wand out of the length of Kinshara. After describing Kinshara Butōdan as a dance troupe of death whose admission cost is Mask's life, Rose has the figures encircle Mask and initiates Sea Drift, crushing a bewildered Mask in a surging flood of water. For his second attack, Rose unleashes Prometheus, causing the figures to blast Mask with fire generated from the petals on their faces while the latter expresses disbelief at a Zanpakutō being able to use both fire and water. With Mask realizing this must be an illusion, Rose confirms this and asserts that illusions captivate the heart.
Rose elaborates that his control of music causes the deceptive melody in Mask's ears to captivate his heart, which means that Mask will burn and breathe his last from hearing the melody, causing Mask to notice that the right shoulder of his shirt has been burned off. Despite this, before Rose can finish him off with Ein Heldenleben, Mask sticks his fingers in his ears, and though Rose states that covering his ears will not help, Mask withdraws his fingers to reveal they are covered in blood. Upon seeing this, a horrified Rose realizes that Mask ruptured his eardrums to deafen himself, which Mask grins at prior to blasting a star-shaped hole into Rose's torso with Star Flash and declaring that the villain shall die by the hero's beam of light. Laughing maniacally at this, Mask stops when he sees Rose's hand twitch and comments on his remarkable vitality before unleashing another Star Flash. However, the blast is deflected off 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai 's Shikai, Zabimaru, into a building as the latter appears in front of Rose in new clothes and introduces himself to a surprised Mask as a villain.
562. THE VILLAIN 2 [ ]
While 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki takes care of the wounded captains, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai engages Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine in their stead.
Landing next to 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai as he confronts Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki is told to carry 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma to safety while Renji handles Mask alone. After looking over a clueless Mask, Rukia agrees to do so since Mask is no match for what Renji has become and carries the captains away with a shawl, leaving Mask to question if Renji does not want to gang up on him with Rukia since Kensei and Rose teamed up against him in a cowardly manner and villains are free to use whatever dirty tactics they would like to against him.
Though Renji decides to fight in a cowardly manner because of this, Mask admits that he cannot hear what Renji said because of his ruptured eardrums and calls on James, whose top half leaps over and cheers on Mask to heal his eardrums, which quickly reform. When Mask proclaims that his hearing is better than ever and invites Renji to say something to test it out, an unnerved Renji simply calls him creepy, prompting Mask to claim that this insult is unforgivable and launch himself toward Renji with Star Rocket Headbutt, the force of which pushes them both several blocks away upon collision. However, as the dust clears and he tells Renji to die from this headbutt of justice, Mask is nonplussed to find Renji completely unharmed just before the latter slams his right elbow into Mask's back, smashing him into the ground with enough force to create a large crater and embed Mask's head in the stone.
Upon pulling his head out of the ground with considerable effort, Mask admits that Renji seems to have luck on his side due to dodging the Star Rocket Headbutt and landing a strike of his own, but warns Renji that he made a mistake in angering Mask because now the star crest has appeared on his fist as a sign that he is meant to defeat evil before attacking Renji with Star Satsujin Punch, which he claims is ten times stronger than his usual punch and has become an iron hammer of justice. Despite Mask declaring that Renji should die quietly while his brains are beaten out by the fist of justice, Renji emerges unharmed and holding Mask's fist back with his own hand from the dispersing energy around the punch as he wonders if Mask cannot kill a Shinigami with a murderous punch.
Momentarily bewildered by this, an infuriated Mask proclaims that it is unacceptable for a mere villain to catch a hero's fist and performs dozens of additional Star Satsujin Punches while telling Renji to die, toppling nearby buildings and creating a massive cloud of dust. Suddenly, from behind Mask, James tearfully apologizes prior to being cut into several large pieces, leaving Mask shocked and confused while Renji reveals that he took care of James while Mask was throwing his punches in order to prevent the latter from regenerating any further. Though Mask calls him a coward for this, a grinning Renji reminds Mask that villains are supposed to be cowardly and slashes his Shikai, Zabimaru, horizontally across Mask's abdomen.
563. SUPERSTAR NEVER DIE [ ]
Healed from his near-lethal injuries by James, Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine continues his fight against 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai by activating his Quincy: Vollständig.
With a large amount of blood spurting from the wound on his abdomen as 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai watches impassively, Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine suddenly forces his wound shut and emphatically asserts that a star cannot be killed by a villain before calling out to the bloody remains of James, from whom multiple clones of James emerge to cheer Mask on in a chorus of voices, causing Mask's wound to heal and his mask to change color and design while his enlarging muscles rip through most of his clothes, leaving him nearly naked. Mask declares that his Star Power-Up is complete and that Renji can die now, though Renji merely wonders why it changed his mask's appearance, before waggling his finger at Renji and recalling that he is the one Mask once defeated with his Star Dropkick during the Wandenreich 's first invasion of the Seireitei, with him claiming that he had forgotten until now because heroes do not remember every villain they vanquish.
As Renji realizes that this means Mask did not even know who he was fighting until now, Mask admits that he does not know how Renji became this strong, only to declare that Renji should be proud to witness his true power and winds his arm back, to Renji's alarm, before unleashing a Star Lariat, which creates a wave of air pressure in the shape of his arm that cuts through a nearby building and sends Renji hurtling back at high speeds. With Renji unable to overcome the pressure on his body, Mask brags that he can take down an enemy from a mile away with this technique and his full power available, which is why others call it his One-Mile Arts, and performs a rapid volley of punches that impact Renji with dozens of pressure waves that push him back even faster, preventing him from staying in place by grabbing onto a building due to the wall breaking off around his hand.
Proclaiming that Renji can no longer brace himself against a wall, Mask activates his Quincy: Vollständig, gaining a cape and a Heiligenschein behind his head, while promising that Renji will die and turn to dust at the hands of a divine superstar without ever touching the ground again. After tracing a large star in the sky with his flight pattern as the clones of James cheer him on below, Mask creates an energy star from it and unleashes Star Flash: Super Nova by slamming it into the ground below, creating a massive explosion that incinerates the stunned clones. However, as he watches this from above and bids Renji farewell, a laughing Mask expresses confusion upon seeing Renji emerging from the smoke with a thick blade protruding from a large snake skull around his right hand.
564. Red Bristled Kings [ ]
Having acquired the true form of his Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru, during his time training with Ichibe'e Hyōsube, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai overpowers and defeats Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine.
With his Star Flash: Super Nova obliterating the clones of James as they weakly call out to him, a laughing Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine assures James that their link will ensure he eventually comes back to life so long as Mask himself stays alive. However, upon seeing a large snake skull in the clearing smoke below, Mask assumes that 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai activated his Bankai just before dying, something he considers pitiful, but is bewildered when Renji's hand grabs the underside of the skull, which clamps down in the smoke and produces a long blade from between its fangs, leaving Mask to question if a Bankai is supposed to change its form like this.
In the past, at his temple in the Soul King Palace, Ichibe'e Hyōsube tells Renji that the name " Hihiō Zabimaru " is a lie, which leaves Renji aghast and confused at how this can be possible. Admitting that calling it a lie makes it sound bad and elaborating that it is only half of the true name, Ichibe'e tells Renji that his Zanpakutō only partially acknowledges him, and when Renji expresses disbelief at this happening after fighting alongside Zabimaru for so long, Ichibe'e clarifies that this is why he found it hard to tell Renji before cheerily announcing that he will just tell Renji the real name. Though Renji assumes that he is joking, Ichibe'e reveals that he named Zanpakutō, Shikai, Bankai, and every other phenomenon occurring in Soul Society because the Soul King assigned him the title of "Monk Who Calls the Real Name". After promising to reveal the true name of Renji's Bankai to him, Ichibe'e warns Renji that he will have to prove his strength to Zabimaru right now in order to wield it.
In the present, Renji activates his true Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru, which is comprised of the snake skull and its protruding blade on his right hand, a large ape-like left arm attached to his left shoulder, and a snake spine coiled around his waist, which Mask calls dangerous. Declaring that he cannot allow Renji to live any longer after withstanding his ultimate move and claiming that his soul is burning with the flames of true justice to defeat Renji, Mask flies down toward Renji, who uses Hihiō to reach out and grab Mask with the large left arm on his shoulder. Despite Mask claiming that this is nothing and attempting to break it apart, the hand easily breaks his left arm, causing Mask to scream in pain, and throws him into a nearby building, where Mask bursts out of the rubble and curses Renji.
With Mask vowing to abandon thoughts of justice and evil in order to murder Renji for breaking the left arm of a star, Renji simply activates Orochiō, giving his blade a serrated edge, and leaps up to impale a startled Mask on his sword before twisting it and unleashing Sōō Zabimaru, Zaga Teppō, which creates a giant snake head composed of burning Reishi that bites down on Mask, reducing him to an ashen husk. In the aftermath, as Mask's body crumbles and flies away in the wind, Renji observes that he completely burned himself out and concludes that this is what Mask ultimately wanted.
565. God Like You [ ]
With Yhwach absorbing the soul and power of James after the latter's death, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth tells Uryū Ishida about his origins.
Over a thousand years ago, an infant Yhwach lies unable to see, hear, speak, or even move, leaving him with no means of surviving, but remains unafraid. Though he cannot cry because he cannot use his throat, Yhwach would not even if he could because he knows he will survive even without any means of survival, as the people around him treasure him for the phenomenon they experience when touching him, which gradually causes ailing lungs to be healed, lonely hearts to be filled, timid souls to grow courageous, and lost legs to be slowly regained. Unbeknownst to the people around him, Yhwach's power is to automatically impart a portion of his Soul to whoever touched him, simultaneously healing what their own Soul could not and ingraining all knowledge, talents, and abilities they had gained in the imparted portion of Yhwach's Soul, which return to Yhwach when the recipient dies. Despite those who touch Yhwach dying anywhere from a few years to a few days after doing so, people continue to come to him while Yhwach's senses and body are slowly healed by the Soul pieces returning to him. Eventually, Yhwach gains the ability to hear and realizes that the people around him were referring to him by the name of the god they worship, Y.H.W.H., which he decides to make his own name as he grows to a teenager.
In the present, Yhwach sits on his outdoor throne in Silbern and muses that James is dead before praising the latter's performance and having the latter's Soul return to him. Elsewhere in Silbern, Uryū Ishida approaches the entrance to Yhwach's throne room, only for Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth to inquire about what Uryū wants with Yhwach. Explaining that Yhwach is asleep because he can only fulfill his role as the Father of the Quincy by saving his strength in that state and that nothing is allowed to disturb him, Haschwalth responds to Uryū acknowledging this by reiterating his question about what Uryū wants, only for Uryū to counter that he does not need to explain the business he has with Yhwach to Haschwalth before observing that the latter also seems much different from his daytime appearance. In turn, Haschwalth notes that he and Yhwach are two halves of a balanced scale, with him assuming the Mask of the Ruler whenever Yhwach falls asleep, and states that they are connected prior to correcting himself because Yhwach is connected to all Quincy. With Uryū remaining silent at this, Haschwalth acknowledges that he has a right to know the details as Yhwach's successor.
Haschwalth explains that Yhwach possessed the power to share his Soul with those around him since he was a child, and while all Quincy can gather Reishi from their surroundings and turn it into their own power, Yhwach alone held the opposite power to share his Soul, and while he initially did so through touch, Yhwach eventually discovered a stronger method by engraving letters signifying abilities directly onto the recipient's Soul to give them a deeper and more powerful portion of his Soul. When Uryū expresses confusion at Yhwach managing to engrave a Soul, Haschwalth reveals that Uryū's own Soul has already been engraved and reminds him of the cup of Yhwach's blood that he drank, which completed the ritual by having him take a part of Yhwach into his own body. Slamming his hand into the door next to an alarmed Uryū's head, Haschwalth assumes that he is having regrets and notes that it is too late since Uryū lost his path of retreat from the Wandenreich the moment he joined them, despite likely only doing so to avenge Kanae Katagiri.
Additionally, Haschwalth informs Uryū that not only will everyone who has received a piece of Yhwach's Soul return their power to him upon death, but pieces of Yhwach's Soul were scattered across the Seireitei during the Wandenreich's first invasion, leaving Uryū speechless as Haschwalth asserts that this battle is for Yhwach due to all the Sternritter and the Shinigami who have come into contact with pieces of Yhwach's Soul offering their own Souls to him upon death. Summarizing this as Yhwach only becoming stronger and living longer no matter who dies during this battle, Haschwalth notes that fighting is Yhwach's means of living since he will revert to his senseless, immobile state if he ever stops absorbing Souls and concludes that he will never end the fighting because there is no way to escape it, meaning that both Haschwalth and Uryū live and die for Yhwach. With the dawn breaking, which Haschwalth notices, Yhwach awakens and thanks the Souls of the dead who have allowed him to see the world clearly again.
566. What is Your Fear? [ ]
While 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai is observed by Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki is confronted by Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt.
In the past, as they fall toward the Seireitei from the Soul King Palace, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki tells 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai that they should decide on what they are going to do once they land, and when Renji reminds her that they already settled on splitting up, defeating the enemy, and regrouping to storm Silbern, Rukia clarifies that this is not what she is referring to and sets aside Renji's poor understanding of the plan to bring up how they will be landing in the middle of enemy territory, which will leave them at a disadvantage even with their training if they let themselves be surrounded. After pointing out that Renji's fighting style will quickly attract attention and assuring a flustered Renji that she has already accepted this, Rukia warns Renji to conceal himself after each battle to avoid letting the enemy surprise him.
In the present, as dawn breaks, Renji wakes up inside a building and muses that it is time to find the next Sternritter now that he has hid long enough before looking around to make sure he is alone and departing. From behind the pillar that Renji was sleeping against, Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop expresses disbelief at Renji having actually been asleep the whole time and recounts how he came here to find out who killed Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine, with him assuming that Renji was setting a trap upon finding him asleep and cautiously observing him through the night, only to be let aghast at Renji sleeping in the middle of enemy territory. However, a grinning NaNaNa asserts that Renji's luck has run out because he has never observed someone for this long and declares that it is over for Renji, whom he calls "red monkey".
Elsewhere, Rukia moves through the air and mentally notes that she cannot sense the Reiatsu of any of the Gotei 13, which she takes as an indication of how badly the Shinigami are outnumbered, though she admits that this allowed her to find 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, who is now treating 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma. Suddenly, when she lands on a rooftop and considers meeting up with Renji to attack Silbern right now since she cannot sense any Quincy nearby either, Rukia experiences the sensation of a thin hand gripping her wrist, causing her to instinctively pull it back and realize someone is nearby. Asking Rukia if she is scared, Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt appears behind her and claims to be lonely before asking her where his Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is.
Once he and Rukia identify each other, Äs discards his cloak and questions her about 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki 's whereabouts, and when Rukia declines to answer this, Äs wonders if Byakuya would come here if he kills Rukia. Admitting that he might, Rukia dodges dozens of Reishi Thorns fired by a smiling Äs and sees them spread a dark liquid across the surfaces they hit behind her, causing her to realize that this is his fear-inducing ability. Upon seeing another Reishi Thorn hurtling toward her, Rukia intercepts them by creating a wall of ice with her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, but a chuckling Äs calls this useless because fear cannot be stopped by ice as the liquid spreads through the wall to splash onto Rukia's arm, which results in her freezing and dropping Sode no Shirayuki into the roof. Despite this, once Äs gloats to her that this is what fear feels like and confirms that it is what she is experiencing, an unaffected Rukia questions if his fear is fear having no affect.
567. Dance With Snowwhite [ ]
13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki reveals that the true power of her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, has rendered her immune to Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt 's The Fear.
With 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki apparently unaffected by The Fear, Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt leans to the side and coldly asserts that this is impossible. In turn, Rukia invites Äs to fire more Reishi Thorns at her and tells him to behold the true power of her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, and when Äs attacks with more Reishi Thorns, Rukia catches one with her left hand as Äs mocks her confidence since she was running from his Reishi Thorns only seconds ago. Despite this, Rukia freezes the Reishi Thorn in her hand solid from the point of contact, to Äs' disbelief, before letting the frozen chunks fall to the ground, acknowledging that she was running, and explaining that it takes some time for her to draw out the true power of Sode no Shirayuki, which is why she could not afford to be hit by one of his attacks until then.
Äs dismisses this because fear cannot be stopped by ice and elaborates that instead of entering through wounds, the fear-inducing liquid dissolves and seeps in from the slightest skin contact, such as Rukia's hand, without any way to stop it before explaining that every person has places of safety and places of fear, with them unable to concretely state why a given place makes them feel safe but always able to explain why they feel afraid of something for any reason, because the feeling of safety is tied to life and the feeling of fear is tied to death. Claiming that even those who cannot come up with a reason for living can explain why they do not want to die, Äs declares that all living things avoid death and consequently fear, which means that they live, strengthen themselves, and grow solely to evade fear, concluding that fear will always have an effect so long as Rukia is alive.
However, Rukia clarifies that she is saying she is not alive right now, and when Äs expresses confusion at this, Rukia reveals that rather than emitting frozen air from its blade, Sode no Shirayuki lowers her own body temperature to below freezing to freeze everything that it comes into contact with and extends her range with its blade. Though Äs calls this ridiculous because Rukia's body would be unable to function and she could not stay alive if its temperature were reduced below freezing, Rukia confirms that she is currently dead and has gained the ability to temporarily kill her body by controlling its Reishi, causing her molecular movement to cease and the fear seeping in from her palm to stop functioning altogether at the surface of her body.
With Äs shocked by this, Rukia moves past him with Shunpo, cuts deeply into and freezes his left shoulder, and announces that she is currently at -18 degrees Celsius, where blood freezes and will not flow out of any wound. Upon reaching -50 degrees, Rukia details how the ground shaking around them is from her freezing the water beneath the ground to cause an ice quake, and as Äs rushes toward her, Rukia reaches -273.15 degrees and internally muses that she can only function at absolute zero for four seconds before freezing Äs completely solid, leaving him to mentally wonder if this is what fear is.
568. Hear. Fear. Here 2 [ ]
Though seemingly defeated, Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt activates his Quincy: Vollständig, Tatarforas, and overwhelms 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki.
Standing several meters behind a frozen Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki begins slowly raising her body temperature and mentally notes that her tissue breaks down if she does not do this gradually, something that makes the power troublesome, before noticing a small cut on her thumb, which she takes as an indication that she spent slightly longer than four seconds at absolute zero. Suddenly, Rukia senses something and turns in shock to look back at Äs, who disparages the idea of this being fear because the only thing he fears is being rebuked by Yhwach, making this pain and fear nothing by comparison, while the ice encasing him shatters, ripping large chunks of flesh off his face. With his eye rolling back into his head to expose a Wandenreich emblem, Äs activates his Quincy: Vollständig, Tatarforas, creating a long stitch along the length of his body while he gains a barbed wire-like Heiligenschein and wings.
Upon landing behind Rukia, Äs stands still when she leaps forward and slashes at him several times, only for her blade to not reach his body each time, which he attributes to her becoming afraid and stilling her feet. Though Rukia calls this impossible because her body is still "dead", Äs points out that she is seeing him since her nerves are still active and reveals that Tatarforas instills fear through the optic nerves. Suddenly, Rukia finds herself standing inside a large dome of diamond-shaped plates, each of which forms a large eye that looks at her, and Äs declares that she will not be able to escape his gaze. When Rukia frantically closes her eyes, Äs decries this as useless because bad memories last much longer than good ones do and claims that a fear experienced once will resonate even stronger within the depths of Rukia's mind once she closes her eyes, akin to fears surfacing at night. Envisioning Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, and 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki with pure black eyes, Rukia screams in terror as Äs promises to burn her soul away with her past fears.
However, this is interrupted by the dome being vertically cut open behind Äs, releasing hundreds of blade petals and revealing Byakuya standing in the air.
569. The White Haze [ ]
Having intervened in 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki 's battle against Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki reinforces her resolve and leaves her to conclude the fight with her newly-achieved Bankai.
With the rest of the dome formed by his Quincy: Vollständig, Tatarforas, crumbling around them and 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki staring at her brother in astonishment, Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt welcomes 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki 's arrival because he has been looking for the latter and inquires about how the internal organs he gouged out are doing. When Byakuya descends to the ground below, Äs reminds Byakuya of how his stomach was scraped out, meaning that he must not have been able to eat and lost some weight, which prompts an alarmed Rukia to realize that this was all to lure out Byakuya.
Despite Rukia warning him to not look at Äs and the latter proclaiming that it is too late as pieces of the dome with their eyes manifested coalesce around him, Byakuya simply destroys the assembling pieces of the dome with large masses of blade petals forming thick thorns that impale them while questioning whom it is too late for, and when a startled Äs assumes he has surrounded the area with his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, and expresses a desire to have kept it, Byakuya indicates the bladeless hilt he is carrying and reminds Äs that this means he is using his Shikai, Senbonzakura. With Äs bewildered by this, Byakuya asserts he was able to rediscover the true essence of Senbonzakura due to Äs stealing his Bankai because he was able to examine his bond like a pointillist painting.
Once Byakuya thanks him for this, an enraged Äs refuses to kill him and pushes his organs out of his chest while the material comprising the eyes gathers around his body, creating a larger being as he promises to engulf Byakuya in a sea of pain and fear while keeping his mind intact so he begs for a peaceful death for all of eternity. Walking up to Rukia, Byakuya notes that he could sense her Reiatsu even as he was approaching the Seireitei and praises her strength, to Rukia's tearful awe, before asserting that fear is born from the insecurity in one's heart rather than in a vacuum and asking Rukia if she still has any fear, which she denies.
Having formed a much larger, misshapen, and grotesque version of his body with his skin hanging off its chin, Äs declares that it is time to end this, but Byakuya apologetically reveals that he is not the one putting an end to this and walks away, leaving Rukia to hold up Sode no Shirayuki in a battle stance. Though Äs claims that he has had enough of Byakuya's mockery, Byakuya points out to Rukia that he does not see any fear in her, which means the only fear here is what Äs feels, prompting Rukia to activate her Bankai, Hakka no Togame, in a pillar of ice that engulfs Äs in a vast cloud of freezing air.
570. Closer, Closer [ ]
While 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki helps 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki survive the deactivation of her Bankai after her slaying of Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt, 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu and 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi are confronted by another Sternritter, Guenael Lee.
In the past, Äs Nödt lies in a hospital bed while attached to a ventilator and thinks about how painful it is just to breathe and live, which makes life inconvenient because he is not dead yet. As Äs wonders if Heaven is a place where it is easy to breathe and Hell is a place even more agonizing than this, which he is scared to go to, Yhwach appears next to his bed and decides to grant Äs power for surviving.
In the present, having been frozen by 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki 's Bankai, Hakka no Togame, Äs realizes he is going to die, apologizes to Yhwach while begging for his forgiveness, and agonizes over the pain he is feeling before the top half of his larger body's head is destroyed, leaving the rest of the body to crumble and fall apart in large chunks. Standing in front of Äs' remains in an icy kimono with transparent adornments and light-colored hair, Rukia's hand begins to crack, only for 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki to grasp it with his own, causing his fingers to become encrusted with ice, and encourage her to undo it slowly. With Rukia exhaling cold air, Byakuya calls her Bankai magnificent, but warns her that it is perilous and could take her life with a single misstep. After advising Rukia to handle Hakka no Togame with caution and never be impatient with it, Byakuya concludes that nothing can be won by a sword swung in exchange for one's life and invites Rukia to come with him and protect Soul Society, which she accepts.
Meanwhile, 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu watches over the unconscious 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma inside a building before being approached by 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, who has returned with more bedding for her to use and comments on how high-quality the bedding used by the Quincy is. Though Isane apologizes for giving her such a dangerous assignment, Yachiru insists it is not a problem and explains that she has nothing else to do since her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, is taking a while to return and that she simply runs in to get what she needs whenever she spots bedding or medicine, leaving Isane beginning to express surprise at them not being discovered yet.
However, Isane's thought is finished out loud by Guenael Lee, causing her to begin looking around for him as he encourages her to do so before appearing on her back. Suddenly, with Guenael promising that Isane will not see him again, Yachiru punches him in the face, but Guenael vanishes from sight, leaving Yachiru confused since she thought she hit him and wondering what she was trying to hit. Hitting Yachiru in the face in turn, a laughing Guenael questions if Yachiru thought she hit him and claims this will never happen because his presence will completely disappear from their sight and minds.
Bleach, Volume 64
571. a Devilish Perspective [ ]
11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi and 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu are attacked by Guenael Lee.
In the Fourth Division 's temporary first-aid station, Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu rushes to the side of 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, who has just been struck in the face, and asks her if her nose is bleeding because she bumped into something, only for Yachiru to admit that she does not know. Behind them, Guenael Lee confirms that this is how it is supposed to be, and when Isane assumes that he is one of the Sternritter, Guenael affirms this and muses that he does not know how many times he will have to introduce himself before claiming to be Sternritter "V" with the power of Vanishing Point, which will prevent the two of them from seeing, feeling, or even remembering him. Suddenly, Yachiru punches him in the face, but is confused when he vanishes from in front of her fist since she thought that she hit him.
Internally, Guenael details how Vanishing Point has three versions, the first of which, Version 1, makes his body disappear while the second, Version 2, makes his existence disappear, with the two being used successively resulting in opponents seeing an illusion of hitting him when they attack his disappearing body. As he returns to Version 1, Guenael slices Yachiru's left shoulder and mentally asserts that this lets him attack the enemy while invisible. With Yachiru turning and punching the wall that he was standing in front of, Guenael remains unharmed and details how he can switch between Version 1 and Version 2 instantly, protecting him even when the enemy deduces his invisible position from the direction of his attack and strikes back because his existence is already gone. Continuing to slash Yachiru, Guenael expresses glee at playing such a one-sided game, only to be startled when Yachiru nearly hits him again, which leads him to observe that Yachiru is attacking him faster each time before switching to Version 3, which makes his existence disappear from the minds of others and causes them to forget him.
However, when Guenael returns to existence and greets her and Isane, Yachiru immediately throws a punch at his face, forcing Guenael to quickly hide with Version 1 and watch in disbelief while Yachiru muses on not hitting him. With his cheek scratched by Yachiru's punch, an aghast Guenael realizes that Yachiru attacked him impulsively with no idea of who he was and without making a judgement or reaction as an upset Isane lectures Yachiru for attacking someone without knowing if they are an enemy, which Guenael concurs is irrational. When Yachiru counters that he is probably an enemy, to Guenael's confusion, a bewildered Isane questions why Yachiru is punching people on a hunch, which Guenael praises her for. Despite this, while Guenael internally urges her to explain why she believed he was the enemy, Yachiru simply claims that she got a funny feeling when she saw him.
In disbelief at Yachiru operating on instinct like this and refusing to accept it as a reason, Guenael calms down and deduces that Yachiru's attacks have not been conscious, but instead instinctive, as he ruminates on her hair being strangely-colored for a little girl and her face having an animalistic nature to it, leading him to call her a wild animal and vow to hunt her down before she goes feral. During this, Yachiru retrieves her Zanpakutō from a chest and explains to Isane that the funny feeling is very important, and when Isane questions if it is akin to getting a chilling feeling, Yachiru clarifies that it is more like feeling cold, hot, or happy, with her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, having claimed that he cannot help but fight people that give him this feeling. With Yachiru concluding that Kenpachi will not be mad if she fights Guenael because he is not here right now, Guenael appears behind her with his Reishi Dagger drawn and internally berates Yachiru for getting carried away, as her ability to attack him instinctually does not matter if she cannot actually hit him.
Suddenly, when Guenael attempts to stab her in the back, Yachiru whirls around and slashes her Zanpakutō horizontally at him, prompting Guenael to use Version 2 and leap back while mentally chuckling over his apparent success, only to find the bridge of his nose cut through as he returns to existence. With Guenael clutching his bleeding nose and desperately asserting that there is no way Yachiru could have struck him when he is certain that he dodged her blade, Yachiru reveals that her Zanpakutō cuts her enemies even if they dodge because it has copycat blades that precede and follow each of her attacks, meaning that her enemies are more likely to get hit the more that they gauge her timing and have their own timing thrown off as a result. Bringing out the two beasts of Sanpo Kenjū, to Guenael's bewilderment, Yachiru delivers a powerful downward slash with them.
572. The Blaster [ ]
Guenael Lee is killed by Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux, his creator, who proceeds to attack 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi.
Having manifested the two beasts of her Shikai, Sanpo Kenjū, 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi initiates a dance, with the two of them mimicking her movements at each step, as a watching 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu is left stunned by Sanpo Kenjū not transforming into a living creature like Retsu Unohana 's Shikai, Minazuki, or creating a living creature out of a substance like 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's Shikai, Hyōrinmaru. As she realizes that it has not changed the sword's shape or performed a Manifestation of the Zanpakutō akin to what occurs during Bankai training, Isane admits that she did not know such a Shikai could exist before being interrupted by Guenael Lee, who steps out from behind the doorway beyond the edge of the slash in the ground with blood pooling on the floor from his face.
When Yachiru notes that she believed she had cut him in half, Guenael counters that she is idiotic for thinking she could kill him right after she explained her power to him and reveals that he used Vanishing Slider to focus all his Reiatsu into shifting slightly backward without actually making his existence disappear, which lets him evade attacks far faster than he could with a bodily reaction. Suddenly, Guenael finds a large chunk taken out of his left shoulder when he attempts to turn invisible and expresses disbelief at what is happening, which leads Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux to confirm that it is while sitting inside the barrier next to Isane. With Isane demanding to know how Gremmy got inside the barrier, Guenael questions if it is already over for him when he was doing well, and when Gremmy confirms that he did well for a product of Gremmy's imagination, to Isane's further confusion, Guenael insists that he can easily dispatch Yachiru and Isane with his powers, but Gremmy merely praises his ability to erase himself from sight, mind, and memory as being so potent that he has vanished from Gremmy's own mind as well.
In response, Guenael furiously attacks Gremmy, who apologetically informs the former that he can no longer imagine a future for him despite not even knowing who he is before obliterating Guenael, whose blood is showered across the room and barrier. A mortified Isane turns to Gremmy and urgently requests that he step away from the barrier, only for Gremmy to reveal that she does not need to worry about 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma within because he already killed them, leading a horrified Isane to rush over and inspect their bodies before realizing that they are truly dead. When Yachiru attacks him in turn, Gremmy casually ducks and observes that this was incredibly easy to dodge because he saw it coming and responds to Yachiru slashing down at him by grabbing and twisting her right arm, rapidly breaking the bones within and forcing Yachiru to drop her Zanpakutō.
As Yachiru looks down at her arm in confusion, Gremmy informs her that the bones in her arm are now made of cookies, which would of course break, and predicts that her next thought will be that the rest of her bones are as well. With Yachiru collapsing and realizing that her other arm has also crumpled, Gremmy asserts that imagination is the most powerful force in this world and reveals that everything he imagines becomes reality, leaving Yachiru terrified. Suddenly, the ceiling of the roof caves in while 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki expresses his confusion at finding a brat when he came looking for Yachiru due to her shaky Reiatsu.
573. I AM THE EDGE [ ]
11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki confronts Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux.
Seeing her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, standing on the destroyed roof above her and 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi murmurs his name, prompting Kenpachi to leap down into the room. When Isane nervously asks him about the fate of her captain, Retsu Unohana, Kenpachi bluntly states that she is dead and he killed her, which means Isane can kill him for doing so if she wants. After collapsing upon hearing this, a tearful Isane instead expresses relief at this because it means Kenpachi has succeeded her title, which he confirms.
Nearby, Gremmy infers Kenpachi's identity and praises his strength being just as imagined before raising up the room and building with dozens of pillars, causing Kensei and Rose to fall off their beds toward the ground below and forcing Isane to leap after and catch them. Once the pillars settle and coalesce into a massive stone fort, Gremmy announces that he has set the stage for Kenpachi since he wanted to welcome the latter and his legendary strength properly. When Kenpachi questions if this is some kind of spell, Gremmy denies it being that or an illusion because it is just reality and introduces himself as the real Sternritter "V" before asserting that it is lucky for Kenpachi to fight him since he believes himself to be the strongest Sternritter.
In response, Kenpachi rushes forward and brings his Zanpakutō down on Gremmy, only for the blade to stop at Gremmy's shoulder without piercing it. However, with Gremmy reminding Kenpachi that he can turn fantasy into reality and explaining that he has envisioned his body being stronger than steel, Kenpachi suddenly slashes Gremmy down the length of his body from his shoulder. Gremmy falls to one knee and blood pools from his wound as Kenpachi berates him for not mentioning his body's toughness earlier since Kenpachi would have simply attacked with enough force to cut through steel from the start. Upon noticing Gremmy's expression, Kenpachi infers that he did not believe he could be cut and declares that there is nothing Gremmy's imagination can produce which he cannot cut because he is the Kenpachi.
574. DEATH IN VISION [ ]
11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki battles Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux and begins finding limits to the latter's reality-warping powers.
On the ground below the fort created by Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux, several members of the Eleventh Division look on in disbelief and wonder what is happening, only for one of them to realize that the Reiatsu emanating from the top is that of their captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, prompting them to rejoice and proclaim that this war can be won now. Atop the fort, Kenpachi comments on how noisy they are being, though Gremmy assures him that it is fine because the Shinigami are free to imagine that Kenpachi's presence means they can win the war. However, Kenpachi sees that Gremmy's body is completely unharmed and infers that Gremmy can heal himself, though Gremmy clarifies that he instead imagined that his body had already fully recovered from the sword wound, to Kenpachi's surprise. Back on the ground, one of the Shinigami brings up Kenpachi having been on the fort before it rose up and wonders why none of the Shinigami noticed his Reiatsu until the fort was created.
Meanwhile, Gremmy assumes that this power sounds like a bad joke to Kenpachi because people like him cannot understand it until they lose, Gremmy beckons Kenpachi to attack him and promises to not even use a single finger to defeat him before vowing to win using only what is inside his head while lava surges around him, which he explains came from inside his head. Though he calls Gremmy's powers ridiculous, Kenpachi admits that he does not mind fighting against something beyond reason and slashes through the lava when it approaches him, sending it flying in thin streams that splash onto the ground around Yachiru. When Kenpachi orders Yachiru to take cover, Gremmy tells him to not be so hard on her since every bone in her body is currently made of cookies, and when Kenpachi expresses confusion at the term, Gremmy realizes that he should have used rakugan instead, which Kenpachi recognizes prior to berating Gremmy for not mentioning this earlier and leaping into the air to attack him.
Suddenly, Kenpachi finds himself floating within a cube of water suspended in the air above Gremmy, who comments on how absurd it is that the air Kenpachi jumped up into was already underwater. After opening a large crevice in the ground, Gremmy has the water cube and Kenpachi slam down into the crevice as well before sealing the latter shut and noting that while Kenpachi will not die from being crushed, everybody eventually dies if they cannot breathe, which means he will die a slow painful death while trapped by water and earth, something that only take an hour at most no matter what kind of monster he is. However, Kenpachi bursts out of the ground with Yachiru under his arm and slashes at Gremmy, who creates a thick metal bar in front of himself to block the blade. Observing that Yachiru's bones have returned to normal, Kenpachi theorizes that Gremmy was too focused on defeating him to maintain his alteration of Yachiru's body.
575. THE KILLERS HIGH [ ]
As Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar and "L" PePe Waccabrada observe the battle from afar, Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux discovers that he wishes to destroy 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.
With 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki 's Zanpakutō cutting through the metal bar created by Gremmy Thoumeaux and destroying a large chunk of the stone fort, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar watches the battle from afar with a pair of binoculars while sitting with a picnic basket, where he comments on how impressive it is for Kenpachi to be keeping up with Gremmy like this. When Askin wonders why Yhwach let Gremmy out anyway, Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada concurs with this from behind Askin and asserts that a monster like Gremmy should be locked up for the rest of his life, though Askin counters that PePe is a monster as well, which PePe does not deny. Getting up, Askin respond to PePe inquiring if he is going somewhere by confirming that he is getting away from here because he has no intention of staying and getting caught up in the catastrophe that Gremmy is about to cause. With PePe admitting that they are not safe even at this distance, Askin muses that while the world makes fun of people who cannot do anything more than imagine, seeing someone who can change the world with just his imagination makes him realize how peaceful it is that those people cannot do anything with theirs.
Back at the battle, Kenpachi lets his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, hop down from his arm and notes that 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu is still nearby. Once Kenpachi tells her to go down and get her arm fixed, Yachiru happily complies with this and leaps off the side of the fort to speed toward the ground below, leaving Gremmy to express surprise at Kenpachi noticing that his imagination for Yachiru had been interrupted. Affirming that there was no way Gremmy could keep it going, Kenpachi asks Gremmy if he intends to fight here, and when Gremmy expresses confusion at this, Kenpachi brings up him calling himself the strongest Quincy and proposes that he should want to crush the strongest opponent if this is true, to Gremmy's shock, prior to inviting him to start the battle and claiming that he cannot call it a fight if he is distracted by someone other than his opponent.
Kenpachi rushes toward Gremmy, who projects horizontal pillars of stone toward him in turn. While Kenpachi crashes into and smashes through the dozens of pillars emerging from the ground, Gremmy ruminates on his words and mentally admits that he never considered this because no one ever tried to challenge him due to how obviously superior his power was, preventing him from ever wanting to crush anyone since there was no need to prove his power by killing someone. Despite this and with Kenpachi bearing down on him after breaking through the last of the pillars, Gremmy grins with malicious glee and realizes that he indeed wants to obliterate Kenpachi prior to summoning dozens of assault rifles around himself and opening fire on Kenpachi. With several missiles joining the bombardment and engulfing the top of the fort in explosions, the last of them is cut in half and explodes, forcing Gremmy to shield himself with his arms, before it can reach Kenpachi, who stands with slight scuffs across his body and notes that Gremmy used his fingers after all. Calling Gremmy's joyful expression a good look, Kenpachi states that his Zanpakutō is finally going to have some fun.
576. THE KILLERS HIGH 2 [ ]
The battle between 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux continues to escalate.
Reflecting on 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki 's comment that his current expression looks good, Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux admits that he does not know what his expression is or if it looks good, but gleefully wonders why he feels so good right now as Kenpachi renews his assault. Though Gremmy creates a dome around himself comprised of triangular metal plates that sprout blades between them, Kenpachi cuts through and destroys it with ease. However, when Kenpachi embeds his blade deep within Gremmy's body with the same slash and berates the latter for this since he can easily cut through steel, he finds himself unable to pull his Zanpakutō out of Gremmy just before a gigantic stone hand with its fingers splayed out slams down onto him palm-first.
After Gremmy criticizes this since cutting him does not mean anything, Kenpachi slashes up through the stone hand and across a startled Gremmy's chest as he rises into the air, leaving Gremmy to realize that his momentary lapse of concentration will leave him late to heal and open to Kenpachi's next attack prior to Kenpachi coming down and slashing him diagonally again. Left heavily bleeding and in disbelief by this, Gremmy internally questions why he cannot stop Kenpachi's blade and considers the possibility of losing to him, which he repeatedly and vehemently denies being possible. Upon noticing Gremmy's state and feeling less resistance to his attacks, Kenpachi stops his assault and asks Gremmy if he just envisioned himself losing, which causes Gremmy to realize what is happening and heal his wounds before thanking a confused Kenpachi for helping him wipe away all thoughts of death and ensuring he can no longer die.
Though Kenpachi rejects the idea that he will regret this, Gremmy decides to create a clone of himself, to Kenpachi's surprise. With Gremmy promising to show Kenpachi his greatest power as a way of repaying him, Kenpachi inquires about whether this is an illusion, but Gremmy clarifies that he can create life itself with his imagination, and when Kenpachi attacks the original Gremmy, he blocks the slash with his arms without being harmed, gets up from the ground, and asserts that neither of him can be harmed or killed while the power of his imagination simply doubles as a massive meteor appears several miles above the city. In response to Kenpachi's puzzlement, Gremmy reveals that this will obliterate both him and the Seireitei, leaving only Gremmy himself alive. Despite this, Kenpachi simply notes that he has never cut a meteor before and comments to Nozarashi on how exciting this is.
577. 刃 [ ]
11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki releases his Shikai, Nozarashi, for the first time.
As the meteor summoned by Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux falls from the sky, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B looks up in panic and exclaims that this is not funny while demanding to know what Gremmy did. Around the replaced Seireitei, several Soldat and Shinigami look up in alarm alongside Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, who wonders what this is. Elsewhere, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar questions if this is possible and asserts that it is why Gremmy should have remained locked up, and as one of the sweating Shinigami tries to reassure the others that the Shakonmaku will obliterate anything that tries to pass through it from the outside, the meteor breaches the barrier without stopping, leading the Shinigami to realize that it has too much mass to be destroyed and prompting them to flee for their lives alongside the Soldat. Watching this from Silbern, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth orders the Soldat to protect Yhwach, who looks up solemnly from his throne room balcony.
On top of the fort, Gremmy brings up the hypothetical scenario of 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki killing him, which he specifically avoids imagining, and reveals that the meteor would not disappear even if this happened, meaning that the only outcome is himself being left alive after the meteor lands and kills everyone else, which he calls a hopeless situation. However, Kenpachi merely looks up at the meteor with unrestrained glee, counters that Gremmy is the one who cannot do anything about this, and launches himself into the air toward the meteor before releasing his Shikai, Nozarashi. Down on the ground, Yachiru watches this and recalls meeting Kenpachi for the first time as an infant, where Kenpachi saw that she was not afraid of his sword and realized that she had no name just like him. Up above, Kenpachi cuts completely through the center of the meteor, splitting it in half and causing the two halves to explode outward into thousands of small chunks that rain down across the Seireitei, forcing Gremmy to shield himself. In the air above Gremmy, Kenpachi stands with Nozarashi, a massive war cleaver with a bandaged hilt and a large red tassel at the corner of the blade, resting on his shoulder.
578. THE UNDEAD 5 [ ]
Realizing that 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki can cut through anything, Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux attempts to kill him through more indirect means.
As he watches chunks of the destroyed meteor crash into the replaced Seireitei, a shaken Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux expresses disbelief at 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki destroying it in one strike and calls him a monster, only for Kenpachi to remind Gremmy that there is simply nothing he cannot cut while standing in the air with his Shikai, Nozarashi. In turn, Gremmy merely smiles and admits that this is simple before creating several more clones of himself around Kenpachi. Though Kenpachi asserts that cloning himself will not even the odds, Gremmy and his clones proclaim that they will just have to kill Kenpachi with something without form before creating a pocket of outer space around him.
Surrounded by space, Kenpachi screams in agony while his blood boils and his bodily fluids evaporate from his eyes and mouth as one of Gremmy's clones details this, as well as his lungs collapsing if he tries to breathe, and concludes that his bodily tissues will soon collapse, leaving him to die a painful death if he remains conscious until that point. Suddenly, the Gremmy clone finds Nozarashi nearly cutting him in half at the waist and sees Kenpachi pulling himself out of the pocket of space by grabbing the edge with his hand as the latter observes that Gremmy forgot to harden his body. However, when Kenpachi cuts him in half, the Gremmy clone's upper body sprouts a large bomb on its chest. Gaining identical bombs on their own chests, the remaining clones grab onto Kenpachi and detonate in unison, creating a massive explosion above the fort while Gremmy lands on it and pants heavily.
Despite this, Kenpachi emerges from the cloud of smoke with only moderate burns and his haori destroyed, leading a stunned Gremmy to call him a true monster and proclaim that he will simply have to make himself more powerful than Kenpachi is. Leaping into the air toward Kenpachi, Gremmy begins increasing the muscle mass of his body and mentally insists that he wants to win for the first time in his life, which is why he will prove himself to Kenpachi. Before he can reach Kenpachi, though, Gremmy's muscular body begins fracturing and pulling itself apart from the strain, causing him to fall out of the air and away from Kenpachi, who deduces that Gremmy envisioned him as too strong to ever overcome and killed himself trying to surpass a standard he considered impossible to overcome, which he calls foolish.
579. THE UNDEAD 6 [ ]
With Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux being killed by his own imagination, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki discovers that his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, is missing.
In the aftermath of his body tearing itself apart while trying to surpass 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki 's power, Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux lies on a chunk of rubble and wonders if he was killed by his own imagination, only to deny this as Kenpachi lands on his pooling blood and assert that his imagination was correct because that he accurately envisioned Kenpachi's power, which made it too correct. Gremmy clarifies that he was killed because he failed to understand that only Kenpachi's body can withstand his power rather than by his own imagination and begins to declare that his power of imagination did not lose to Kenpachi, but realizes that this is an excuse and stops himself before admitting that he strongly wanted to win while a brain in a case bursts out of his body, which begins to disintegrate into Reishi, and lands nearby.
With Kenpachi bewildered by this, Gremmy reiterates his promise to kill Kenpachi without raising a single finger and reveals that even his own body is one of his creations, meaning that he kept his promise. After admitting that he is the one who died anyway, Gremmy observes that his imagination is at its limit and notes that it is going to be scary to envision the world where he can no longer imagine anything prior to completely disappearing, leaving only his brain and a somber Kenpachi looking on. Nearby, the stone fort that Gremmy created in the wake of his death, which Kenpachi's subordinates observe alongside the vibration of their Reiatsu stopping before celebrating Kenpachi's victory and rushing to join him now that he will not get mad at them for getting in the way.
As he looks down at Gremmy's inert brain, Kenpachi observes that both the stage Gremmy created and the puddle of blood he left behind are gone without a trace, leaving only his brain in the capsule, prior to coughing up blood and deducing that his internal organs were damaged during the fight. After lamenting how he can barely hear anything because of the explosion, Kenpachi walks through the rubble and calls out for his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, but is visibly nonplussed when he ends up stepping on her shihakushō and lieutenant's badge, which are now lying empty and unworn on the ground.
From behind him, Kenpachi's subordinates approach and rejoice at his victory, and when Kenpachi asks them if they have seen Yachiru, the Shinigami admit that they have not and suggest that she may have run off again, only for Kenpachi to demand that they find her even though they cannot sense her Reiatsu and despite Kenpachi himself not knowing where she could be. Suddenly, while the Shinigami run off in search of Yachiru behind a pensive Kenpachi, they are blasted by a large bolt of lightning from Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp, startling Kenpachi, as she celebrates taking out the Shinigami in one attack and arrives alongside Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon, and Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle.
580. THE LIGHT [ ]
Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp, "Z" Giselle Gewelle, "P" Meninas McAllon, and "G" Liltotto Lamperd overwhelm 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and his subordinates.
Having been fried by a powerful blast of lightning from Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp, several of 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki 's subordinates call out to him before collapsing, leaving their comrades to cradle their corpses and curse at Candice. With the Shinigami demanding that the four Sternritter come down and fight them even if they are women, Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle mocks Candice for barely killing any of them since many are getting back up, and as a flustered Candice prepares to blast them again, Kenpachi reappears in the air behind a startled Candice with Shunpo and slashes at her, forcing Candice to evade behind him and engulf Kenpachi in a surge of lightning between her hands. As Kenpachi begins to fall, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon punches him hard, sending him crashing into the ground with enough force to crater it, and a startled Candice admits that this was close while wondering how Kenpachi can still move after fighting Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux.
The remaining Shinigami begin to rally to protect Kenpachi, but Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd lands before them and asserts that them exploiting his condition is a reasonable action to take since they are fighting Kenpachi, a Special War Power. When the Shinigami attempt to attack her and demand that she leave, Liltotto promises that they will be rid of her soon enough and forms a large mouth that bites off the top halves of several Shinigami at once, continuing to eat more as she laments that she is still so hungry and does not find them tasty. When Kenpachi attempts to warn his subordinates to stop, an annoyed Candice blasts him with another massive bolt of lightning to get him to stop moving, and with more of the Shinigami running over to him, Meninas appears above them with a large building held in one hand and crushes them with it while claiming that they cannot go that way because it is pointless for them to rush to the aid of a captain who is about to die.
Simultaneously, Giselle is confronted by several more Shinigami and points out that they should be helping Kenpachi rather than attacking her. Though the Shinigami counter that she must be trying to kill them with her Schrift like the other Bambies, Giselle promises them that she does not have that kind of combat capability and that nothing good will come of killing her, but one of the Shinigami steps forward and slashes her diagonally across the chest, leaving a large gash in her left shoulder. However, as her blood splashes across the assembled Shinigami, an unfazed Giselle makes note of this and straightens up with her arm still hanging off her body while revealing that those touched by her blood will become corpses that only follow her commands. Giselle has the assembled Shinigami kill themselves with their Zanpakutō before the four Bambies assemble around an incapacitated Kenpachi, who internally realizes that he cannot move and wonders if this is it for him. Suddenly, while Giselle observes that Kenpachi is barely breathing, Liltotto questions who is going to finish him off, Meninas suggests that they play a variant of rock-paper-scissors with only rock and paper where rock wins, and an aggravated Candice points out that everyone will choose rock if that is how it works, the four of them are alarmed by an explosion occurring in the sky above them.
Bleach, Volume 65
581. THE HERO 2 [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki finally reaches the replaced Seireitei.
In the replaced Seireitei, 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda carries his unconscious captain, Suì-Fēng, and younger sister, Mareyo Ōmaeda, on his back as he faces a squadron of Soldat with his Zanpakutō and laments that he could easily take them on if Suì-Fēng were awake. Suddenly, 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako commends Marechiyo for coming all this way while carrying two people as his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, incinerates the Soldat with her Shikai, Tobiume. Claiming that he decided to help Marechiyo because he was touched by this, though Hinamori assures Marechiyo that he is lying and would have done so even if he were not, Shinji leaps down alongside Hinamori and has her begin tending to Suì-Fēng as he infers that Marechiyo intends to help 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki despite his injuries. When a startled Marechiyo points out that Shinji is heavily injured himself, Shinji acknowledges this and explains that Hinamori's Kaidō skill is not on par with that of the Fourth Division, but dismisses this and clarifies that rather than warning Marechiyo against going, he is insisting that they go help Kenpachi no matter how injured they are.
Shinji deduces that Marechiyo can also sense Kenpachi's Reiatsu and that the Sternritter plan to kill the latter while he is weakened because they believe doing so will instantly turn the tide of the war, which he admits is probably correct because the Reiatsu he can feel across the city indicates that there are very few combatants in the Gotei 13 left who can still fight, meaning that Kenpachi dying now will tilt the odds in the Wandenreich 's favor. However, with Shinji concluding that they have to stop the Sternritter from killing Kenpachi at any cost, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B thanks him for this level-headed analysis and stands on a rooftop above them while asserting that the Sternritter cannot let anyone aid Kenpachi. In response to Shinji questioning who he is and if he is here to stop them, a grinning Bazz-B reveals that he already has and uses Burner Finger 3 to melt the side of the building into lava that quickly envelops Shinji and Marechiyo, whom Bazz-B assures will die a much easier death than Kenpachi by being instantly reduced to skeletons.
Elsewhere, as 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki move through the air, Rukia sees lightning strike at Kenpachi's location once more and insists that they have to hurry, but Byakuya warns her to be patient since she still has not recovered from her previous battle. Suddenly, a protesting Rukia stops moving and looks up at the sky before asking Byakuya if he senses what she does just as he stops in surprise as well. With someone falling through the clouds above the Shakonmaku, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa look up as well while a delighted Rukia recognizes the Reiatsu she is feeling. As Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp, "G" Liltotto Lamperd, "P" Meninas McAllon, and "Z" Giselle Gewelle look up in shock at the figure breaking through the Shakonmaku, they see it crash into a tower miles away, leaving them confused and unimpressed until Ichigo Kurosaki appears behind them with Shunpo and admits that he came in too fast. While the Bambies whirl around in shock, Ichigo stands over a charred and immobile Kenpachi, whom he observes is way more injured than usual, and when Kenpachi questions why he is here, Ichigo admits that he never thought he would say this prior to announcing that he is here to save Kenpachi.
582. The Headless Star [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki takes on the remaining Bambies as Yhwach prepares to make his next move.
With Ichigo Kurosaki standing over him and announcing that he is here to help, a bemused 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki admits that he never thought the day would come when Ichigo would be saving him. Despite this, once Ichigo asks him if he can stand, Kenpachi warns him to be more concerned about himself just before a smirking Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp comes down on Ichigo with lightning emanating from her hand. In response, Ichigo grabs Candice by the arm and throws her into the side of a tower several hundred feet away, destroying it on impact. With the other Bambies coming at him in turn, Ichigo evades Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle and "P" Meninas McAllon, but finds his cape snagged by Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd 's enlarged mouth, forcing him to punch all three of them in the chests with enough force to send them crashing into other buildings in order to free himself when Giselle and Meninas approach him again.
Meninas, Liltotto, and Giselle free themselves from the rubble, where Liltotto responds to Meninas reprimanding herself for letting her guard down by identifying Ichigo and asserting that this was to be expected, leaving Meninas shocked and Giselle to eagerly note that Ichigo is the main Special War Power. Suddenly, an enraged Candice generates a massive blast of lightning from the remnants of the tower and tells them to shut up because this is irrelevant compared to Ichigo covering her in dirt, which is an insult to how early she wakes up in order to prepare her hair every day. Though Liltotto and Giselle are bemused by her focusing on this, Candice pops the Heilig Bogen out of her belt and, after pulling back a Heilig Pfeil that crackles with electricity, fires a Galvano Blast at Ichigo, who is engulfed in a cloud of smoke, and proclaims that its five gigajoules will turn him to ash.
Despite this, Liltotto states that one or two Heilig Pfeil will not be nearly enough to defeat Ichigo, who expresses relief that all four of them are alright because he was worried about doing too much damage when fighting girls as he stands in the clearing smoke in a secondary outfit with a red-scaled pad on his left shoulder and an X formed across his chest after his Ōken clothing is destroyed by the blast. Pointing out how she was right to a startled Candice, Liltotto summons her Heilig Bogen alongside Meninas and Giselle, and with the Bambies all firing Heilig Pfeil at him, Ichigo draws his Shikai, Zangetsu.
Meanwhile, Yhwach observes Ichigo's arrival from atop the tower behind Silbern and invites Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth and "A" Uryū Ishida to begin the ceremony. Noticing this from below, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar realizes it is beginning and wonders if he will be chosen.
583. The Headless Star 2 [ ]
Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp activates her Quincy: Vollständig, Barbarriel to take on Ichigo Kurosaki alone.
With Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp, "G" Liltotto Lamperd, "P" Meninas McAllon, and "Z" Giselle Gewelle all firing Heilig Pfeil at Ichigo Kurosaki, the surrounding buildings are ruptured and leveled by the resulting explosion of energy as Candice crashes into the side of a building and has Giselle, Meninas, and Liltotto slam into her in succession, causing her to lash out with lightning and accuse them of doing this on purpose as the other Bambies move down to the ground. Looking up at Ichigo, Giselle notes that he is strong and Liltotto points out how he parried every Heilig Pfeil they fired at him in a way that made her hungry, and when Meninas calls him annoying and Giselle states that she wishes he was dead, Liltotto admits that this is a rare occasion when she agrees with them.
In turn, Candice declares that there is nothing left to discuss if they all agree and activates her Quincy: Vollständig, Barbarriel, before suggesting that they execute Ichigo. However, Liltotto merely questions if she is serious, Giselle declines to activate hers because it is tiring, and Meninas claims that murder is not right even if Ichigo makes her mad, prompting Candice to demand to know how they will face Yhwach if they let Ichigo make a fool of them. With the others continuing to make fun of her despite this, Candice decides to do it by herself and asserts that Yhwach will grant her any wish if she kills the top Special War Power by herself, causing Meninas to envision a gilded and ornate bedroom, Liltotto to envision piles of food, and Giselle to envision darkness.
Rushing toward Ichigo, Candice removes two of her wings and attacks him with them, prompting Ichigo to block them with both blades of his Shikai, Zangetsu, and observe that it is a good thing he uses two swords as well. In turn, Candice tells him to shut up because she uses six and repels him with a blast of electricity before throwing one of her wings at him with Galvano Javelin, but Ichigo simply fires a small Getsuga Tenshō from his smaller sword that completely cancels out the blast, leaving him unharmed. Stunned by this, an angered Candice summons a torrent of electricity around herself and warns Ichigo to not get confident just because he deflected a minor attack of hers with one of his own. After telling Ichigo that he can feel good if he is still breathing after this, Candice channels the electricity around her arm as her eyes spark and unleashes it in a massive blast that she calls Electrocution. In response, Ichigo slashes his two swords through the air to counter with Getsuga Jūjishō, an even larger cross-shaped blast.
584. THE HEADLESS STAR 3 [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki finds himself confronted by a total of eight Sternritter just as Yhwach makes his move.
With Ichigo Kurosaki 's Getsuga Jūjishō blasting through her Electrocution and hurtles toward her, a surprised Sternritter "T" Candice Catnipp refuses to be hit by it and attempts to counter with more electricity, but Ichigo urges her to dodge instead just before the blast explodes upon contact with her. Watching this from the tower behind Silbern, Yhwach orders Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth to use the key, which he complies with by forming the Hagal rune on the roof of the tower with his broadsword as Yhwach looks at Sternritter "A" Uryū Ishida and thanks the one who has guided them to the light.
Meanwhile, in the clearing smoke, a screaming Candice curses and clutches the stump of her left arm, which was lost in the blast, before ordering Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle to heal her without using her own blood, which an initially ecstatic Giselle accepts while grumbling that she could not turn Candice into a zombie unless she was already dead since she is a Quincy. After Giselle manipulates flesh from one of the dead Shinigami into the air and reforms her arm with it, Candice praises her handiwork and responds to Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd criticizing her impatience by telling the latter to shut up before rushing toward Ichigo and vowing to kill him. However, all four Bambies are rapidly shot through the abdomen by separate Burner Fingers 1, causing them to curse and fall to the ground as Sternritter "H" Bazz-B stands atop a nearby building with his own Quincy: Vollständig active and asks them to all stay dead for a short time, as glory is meant to be stolen by those who show up late to the battle to claim it, which he looks to a stern Ichigo for affirmation on while an angered Candice crashes into a rooftop in the distance.
In turn, Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop appears in the air behind Bazz-B alongside Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada and "N" Robert Accutrone, where he observes that he should have shown up later if this is how it works prior to Robert suggesting that they all share the stolen glory equally instead since four have shown up at the same time. Despite this, Liltotto asserts there are still eight of them and rises up with her wound still bleeding alongside Candice, Meninas, and Giselle, where she tells an annoyed Bazz-B that they cannot be taken down with a single Burner Finger 1 each and that the one who kills Ichigo will receive all the glory, resulting in all eight Sternritter surrounding Ichigo, who eyes them all in turn. Suddenly, a blue beam of light pierces the sky behind Ichigo, who turns to see it emitting from the tower where Yhwach is standing and questions what it is, as Yhwach proclaims that his sons will go and be one with him.
585. The Headless Star 4 [ ]
Yhwach reveals his intention to invade the Soul King Palace.
With Ichigo Kurosaki alerted by the pillar of light coming from the tower behind Silbern, Yhwach addresses him as the one who will guide them to the light, knowing that his voice reaches Ichigo, and thanks him for making Yhwach's invasion of the Soul King Palace possible, to Ichigo's shock. Yhwach reveals that the robe Ichigo is wearing is Ōken clothing, woven from the bones and hair of Royal Guard members, in order to force him though the 72 barriers between the Seireitei and the Soul King Palace, as well as protect him from the friction caused by doing so where all other materials would be insufficient. Though he praises the magnificent resistance and protection of the clothing that makes it the best garment a Shinigami can wear, Yhwach announces that the sheer defensive power of it means that the 72 barriers it broken cannot be closed for the next 6,000 seconds, alarming Ichigo, who immediately begins rushing toward the tower.
Suddenly, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon shoves Ichigo head-first through several nearby buildings and criticizes him for the naivety of thinking he can reach Yhwach when surrounded by eight Sternritter. Leaping out of the last building, Ichigo evades a two-handed strike from Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, who is startled by his speed, but finds Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone 's Reishi Pistol pointed at his face as the latter comments on his durability, and when Ichigo pushes away his gun arm just before he fires and slashes at Robert, who evades, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B grabs Ichigo by the collar and prepares to fire Burner Finger 1 at point-blank range.
Before he can do so, however, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai 's Shikai, Zabimaru, hurtles between Ichigo and Bazz-B, separating them while Renji stands on a nearby rooftop and comments on how he saved an aghast Ichigo just in time. When an outraged Ichigo points out that Renji almost cut open his neck, Renji counters that Ichigo did not get hit and tells him to go while he holds off the Sternritter before bringing up Ichigo having a score to settle with Yhwach and asserting that this is his responsibility now. With Ichigo dashing off, Bazz-B and NaNaNa attempt to follow him, only to be cut off by 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki 's Shikai, Senbonzakura, as he, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, and 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi join Renji, who expresses annoyance at having to repeat himself and reiterates that the Sternritter are not getting through.
586. The Headless Star 5 [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki 's friends in the Gotei 13 clash with the Sternritter as he tries to stop Yhwach.
With 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, and 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki standing in their way, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B counts them up and expresses annoyance that there are not enough to split into one-on-one battles with the assembled Sternritter. After confirming with Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone that the group does not contain any Special War Powers, Bazz-B summons his Heilig Bogen and tells the Shinigami to move because they are useless, only for Ikkaku to crash down on top of him with his Shikai, Hōzukimaru.
When Bazz-B evades this and aims his Heilig Bogen at Ikkaku, Rukia encases his arm in ice with her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, and reiterates that the Sternritter are not getting through them while Ikkaku declares that they will only move when the Sternritter die, though Yumichika notes that this is ridiculous and wonders if Ikkaku knows what he is saying. As Bazz-B shatters the ice, Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd refuses to let Ichigo Kurosaki get away and suggests that they blow the Shinigami away with Quincy: Vollständig, prompting her, Bazz-B, Robert, Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, "P" Meninas McAllon, and "T" Candice Catnipp to activate theirs and rush toward the Shinigami alongside Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada.
Meanwhile, as Ichigo approaches the tower and screams Yhwach's name, leading Yhwach to muse that he is here, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth offers to intervene, but Sternritter "A" Uryū Ishida steps forward and fires a Heilig Pfeil down at Ichigo, who deflects it and is aghast to see him standing alongside Yhwach and Haschwalth on the tower. When Ichigo asks him what he is doing up there, Uryū tells him to leave before he wastes his life since he cannot stand up to Yhwach. Though Ichigo demands an answer, Uryū simply raises his Heilig Bogen and unleashes Licht Regen, causing dozens of Heilig Pfeil to hurtle down toward Ichigo. However, Orihime Inoue intercepts the Heilig Pfeil with Santen Kesshun as she and Yasutora Sado emerge from a Garganta nearby, alerting Uryū while she looks down at him with confusion. With Yhwach asking him if he has said all his farewells since it will be an eternal parting, Uryū confirms this before they and Haschwalth begin rising in the light beam. As Ichigo continues to call out to Uryū, he remains silent before disappearing alongside Yhwach and Haschwalth.
587. The Headless Star 6 [ ]
Having learned of Uryū Ishida 's apparent defection, Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado prepare to follow him and Yhwach to the Soul King Palace.
Though Ichigo Kurosaki demands that he explain what is happening or say something while Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado watch nervously, Sternritter "A" Uryū Ishida remains silent before he, Yhwach, and Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth disappear in the pillar of light as it ascends into the clouds, creating a large gap in them before a powerful blast rockets out from the tower and across the surrounding area. Shielded by Orihime's Santen Kesshun, Ichigo continues screaming Uryū's name. In the aftermath, as rain begins to fall across the replaced Seireitei, Orihime sits with Ichigo and Sado under her Santen Kesshun in the rubble, where she assumes that Uryū is the one who created the blast and calls him impressive prior to wondering if it was Yhwach who did so instead. However, with Ichigo remaining solemn, Sado hosts him into the air and throws him into the side of a building, prompting an angered Ichigo to question what that was for, only for Sado to ask him what he is doing.
Sado points out that while he and Orihime are just as shocked as Ichigo by this, it does no good for them to worry about it because Uryū must have had reasons to join the Wandenreich and it does not change what they have to do. Admitting that Sado is right, Ichigo muses that Uryū is too stubborn to be talked out of it anyway, which Sado agrees with while Orihime notes that Uryū would be mad if he heard this, and decides to chase him down so they can ask him why. With Ichigo promising to smack Uryū and bring him back regardless of whether or not his reason makes sense, to Sado and Orihime's amusement, Kisuke Urahara appears on a nearby chunk and observes that he arrived a bit too late before offering a ride to the Soul King Palace, which Ichigo accepts.
Meanwhile, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai stands with his Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru, holding up the large chunk of rubble that had flown toward 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and asks the latter if she is alright, which Rukia confirms while noting that the intense shockwave separated the combatants. When Renji wonders if she sensed what he did, Rukia affirms this and questions why Uryū is defecting. Suddenly, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B appears in the air above them and comments on them being former friends of Uryū and now being angered by his betrayal prior to informing them that the Sternritter also hate him and offering to team up with them to kill Uryū, which startles Rukia. In turn, Renji shatters the chunk of rubble and blasts it toward Bazz-B, surprising the latter, and calls him a "chicken head" while denying that they need help to smack Uryū even though they are upset at him, though Rukia is nonplussed that he was upset. However, Bazz-B remains caught on Renji's insult and angrily warns him that he should not demean his mohawk, only for Renji to sarcastically assure him that chickens are awesome for getting up early to lay eggs and that he respects Bazz-B for looking like one. Infuriated by this, Bazz-B points all four fingers on his right hand at Renji, vows to kill him, and explains that he thought Renji would be cool because of his stylish eyebrows prior to declaring that he was wrong, though Renji is flattered by the compliment as Rukia snidely congratulates him. Despite this, Bazz-B uses Burner Finger 4, enveloping his hand in a large flaming sword as the area is engulfed by fire.
Meanwhile, several pillars on the Vestibule Road of the Soul King Palace are shattered by the arrival of Yhwach, Haschwalth, and Uryū.
588. The Headless Star 7 [ ]
With Yhwach and his forces reaching the Soul King Palace, Tenjirō Kirinji confronts them while Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle finds herself confronted by 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa.
The pillar of light carrying Yhwach, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth, and "A" Uryū Ishida to the Soul King Palace blasts through the end of the Vestibule Road, alerting the Royal Guard as they sit in their palaces. Standing on the end of the platform, Yhwach comments on this being the Soul King Palace, and when Haschwalth claims to know how he feels, Yhwach questions what he means because he does not feel anything from looking at this decaying grave, prompting Haschwalth to apologize. At Yhwach's prompting, Haschwalth uses a Shadow to bring out several Soldat that rush toward the stairs, only for Tenjirō Kirinji to suddenly appear with Shunpo and repel them with a swing of his sealed Zanpakutō.
As Kirinji proclaims that they do not allow losers into the Soul King Palace, Yhwach identifies him as the First Officer of the Royal Guard and the Divine General of the East before demanding to know if Kirinji believes he can stop him, only for Kirinji to counter that he would not be here if he did not while summoning a tidal wave of White Bone Hell water that engulfs Yhwach, Haschwalth, and the Soldat, the latter of whom are rapidly boiled by it. Asking them how the temperature is, Kirinji explains that this bath squeezes out both blood and Reiatsu and promises that he would not cool it down even if it were too hot for them prior to leaping into the air, unsheathing his oar-shaped Zanpakutō, and releasing his Shikai, Kinpika.
Simultaneously, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame holds his Shikai, Hōzukimaru, to a sitting Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle 's throat as he and 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa stand before her. Giselle frantically warns Ikkaku against cutting her down since she is an unarmed girl, which would make such an act go against his code as a man, but Yumichika deduces that she is baiting them and advises Ikkaku to be careful since her emphasis on being cut means it is likely dangerous to be sprayed with her blood. Though Giselle nervously denies this and cautions them against cutting her, Yumichika confidently decides to expose more of her lies and accuses Giselle of actually being a man, which he calls obvious while holding his hand over his mouth and nose in disgust, leaving Giselle aghast prior to calling out a zombified Bambietta Basterbine. Blasting Ikkaku and Yumichika with explosive Reishi projectiles, Bambietta lands before Giselle, who wraps her arms around Bambietta's neck and encourages her to destroy the Shinigami.
589. The Shooting Star Project [The Old and New Trust] [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends are joined by Ganju Shiba as 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa contend with Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle and a zombified Bambietta Basterbine.
In 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi 's hidden laboratory, Kisuke Urahara types on one of the consoles as Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado sit inside a replica of Kūkaku Shiba 's Kakaku Taihō, where Ichigo questions when Urahara found time to build it beneath the 12th Division barracks, only for Urahara to reveal that Mayuri is the one who began building the base structure after foreseeing the potential outcome of the Wandenreich invading the Soul King Palace around the time that the Royal Guard visited the Seireitei, with Urahara himself only putting on the finishing touches after arriving during the second invasion. When Ichigo admits to being impressed by this since he thought Mayuri was just crazy, Urahara asserts that Mayuri is a genius second only to himself, but clarifies that this is not an exact replica because the Kakaku Taihō is uniquely built using Shiba Clan secrets, which means that their replica will disintegrate after a single shot, to Ichigo and Orihime's shock.
Assuring them that this just means they have to hit their target on the first try and cautioning Ichigo against moving inside the cannon, Urahara elaborates that their true problem is a lack of energy to fire the replica and responds to 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon informing him that his guest has completed her assignment and returned. Inside the cannon, Sado decides to bring something up and asks Ichigo what he thinks about Orihime's clothes, causing him to stare at her in silence for several seconds as Orihime blushes profusely. With an embarrassed Ichigo remarking that he does think Orihime is revealing a bit too much, a panicking Orihime assumes that Ichigo believes her to be an exhibitionist and frantically explains to Ichigo that she is wearing this because Urahara lied to her rather than because she is a pervert, prompting Sado to recall Urahara claiming that Ichigo would love it if she wore this outfit. As Urahara warns Orihime that her outfit is designed to spill her breasts out from the sides if she closes up the middle, to Orihime's further distress, Yoruichi Shihōin sticks her hand between Orihime's breasts and tells her not to cry before standing in front of them and slapping Ichigo, whom she viciously berates for thinking Orihime enjoys wearing this dress instead of being tricked into it by a pervert and criticizes for not simply saying that he finds her attractive in it, all while Orihime begs her to stop.
From behind them, a chuckling Urahara states that he was not expecting the dress to cause such a stir and expresses delight that it was worth the effort to design. At Urahara's prompting, Yoruichi reveals two rows of glass bottles containing a mysterious substance within her coat, which he is pleased by. After Ichigo wonders what these are, Urahara details how he sent Yoruichi to investigate the distortion that the Quincy were causing at the boundary between the Human World and Soul Society, which he believes was designed to cause confusion among the Gotei 13 and split up their ranks, before explaining that a large amount of energy is created whenever the distortion appears and disappears, one massive enough to connect the two worlds. With Ichigo realizing what this means, Urahara concludes that 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako directed Hiyori Sarugaki and the other Visored to collect the energy for a situation like this, as they knew someone would be building the launch pad, and announces they will be traveling to the Soul King Palace.
Meanwhile, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame runs away from a barrage of a zombified Bambietta Basterbine 's projectiles alongside 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa and questions how she can throw so many bombs at them, but Yumichika deduces they are not exactly bombs and seem to be turning anything they touch into an explosive, which means Ikkaku cannot deflect them with his Shikai, Hōzukimaru. In turn, Ikkaku assumes they just have to cut Bambietta down without touching the projectiles and leaps toward her, leading an amused Yumichika to launch rubble after him with Hadō #57. Daichi Ten'yō. The rubble intercepts some of Bambietta's projectiles and allows Ikkaku to evade others in midair by leaping off the rocks, culminating in him stabbing Hōzukimaru through Bambietta's neck and out the back of her head, which splashes some of her blood on his cheek. Though Bambietta presses her right hand against Ikkaku's head and begins to create another projectile with it, Yumichika swiftly reaches them and cuts off Bambietta's arm with his Zanpakutō, leaving it and the projectile it created to fall to the ground below, which detonates and sends the bleeding limb flying several feet away for Giselle to pick up.
However, Giselle calls the two of them stupid and informs them that nothing they do can kill Bambietta because she is already dead just before Bambietta creates an explosion right in front of her body, blasting Ikkaku and Yumichika back down to the ground. Skipping over to the injured Ikkaku and Yumichika, Giselle explains that it was not easy turning Bambietta into a zombie because she cannot turn Quincy into zombies unless they are already dead, which forced her to squeeze the life out of Bambietta herself first and made her very excited. With Yumichika calling her perverted for this, Giselle bites her finger to draw blood from it and clarifies that it is much easier to turn a Shinigami into a zombie because simple contact with her blood will do it. Suddenly, Giselle is interrupted by a bright light shining behind her and Mayuri praising her ability as extremely interesting while standing in his Anti-Shadow Clothing next to his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, prompting Giselle to question who he is since she can barely see him through the light.
590. Marching Out the ZOMBIES [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrives to battle Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle and her army of zombies.
When Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle states that she cannot see 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi because of how bright his clothing is and inquires about his identity, Mayuri calls her ignorant for not knowing that great people often appear to be shining, though Giselle counters that she was not asking why he was shining. On the ground behind Giselle, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame notes that the voice sounds like Mayuri if even if he cannot see the latter, which 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa affirms since Mayuri is the only one who would wear such an outfit. Suddenly, the zombified Bambietta Basterbine leaps down in front of Giselle, but when the latter inquires if she is here to protect her, a drooling Bambietta begins begging for something of Giselle's and claiming that she cannot go on without it, leading Giselle to slap her to the ground for being disgusting, berate her for being so insatiable, and promising to give her the treat when the battle is over, which results in Bambietta tearfully apologizing as Giselle grins depravedly.
From behind them, Mayuri praises this dynamic as something he respects, and when Giselle notices that he has turned down the brightness of his clothing, Mayuri asserts that he did this so even an ordinary person like Giselle can see him. With Giselle picking up on him calling her ordinary even though he had previously called her outstanding, Mayuri clarifies that everyone is ordinary next to him. In response to this, Giselle has Bambietta activate her Quincy: Vollständig, Zofiel and launch a volley of projectiles at Mayuri, only for his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, to pull him out of the resulting smoke cloud and into the air unscathed, to Bambietta's surprise. Upon observing that each of Bambietta's projectiles moves at roughly the same velocity, Mayuri has Nemu prepare the Reishi Kotei Sōchi within the briefcase she is carrying, and when Giselle and Bambietta follow them into the air, Mayuri tells Nemu to set the devices for a three-second delay and scatters them into the air, causing Bambietta's next volley of projectiles to be absorbed by the devices before they surround her and Giselle with delayed explosions.
With the smoke clearing to reveal an unharmed Giselle shielding herself with a burnt Bambietta and wondering why it took so long for the devices to detonate, Mayuri calls it simple and lands on a nearby building, where Mayuri explains that the Reishi Kotei Sōchi halts the activity of Reishi it comes into contact with for a preset amount of time, which means that the device simply paused the effect of the projectiles for three seconds rather than taking more time than usual to become bombs. Though Mayuri concludes that this very simple effect let him completely disable Bambietta's attack and has allowed him to take the two of them as test subjects, a grinning Giselle summons dozens of 11th Division Shinigami that she has turned into zombies and asks Mayuri which two of them are going to become his test subjects.
With a horrified Ikkaku and Yumichika recognizing the zombies, Giselle reminds Mayuri that he should know she has been creating zombies since she entered the Seireitei, only for Mayuri to muse that this poses a problem because they are former members of the Gotei 13 and he simply does not have the heart to fight them because he is so full of love and kindness, which means he will need someone with no attachments to do it. At Mayuri's beckoning, Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Luppi Antenor, Cirucci Sanderwicci, and Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio step forward with surgical scars and stitches running across their bodies.
591. Marching Out the ZOMBIES 2 [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi brings out his own zombified Arrancar to battle the zombified Shinigami.
While 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame stares in shock at a zombified Luppi Antenor, whom he once fought in the Human World, 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa is astonished to see a zombified Charlotte Chuhlhourne, whom he definitively killed in the Fake Karakura Town. In turn, Charlotte peers down at Yumichika, calls him ugly, and pretends to forget his name because of this, leading an aggravated Yumichika to stand up and promise to kill Charlotte again so he remembers despite Ikkaku cautioning him against being reckless. At the same time, a zombified Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio looks around for Ichigo Kurosaki, whom he was promised would be here, and a zombified Cirucci Sanderwicci demands to know where Uryū Ishida so she can make him pay for what he did to her, though Luppi remains uninterested.
With Luppi pointing out how they have time to accomplish these goals later now that they are alive again and Dordoni and Cirucci admonishing him for being so calm when Mayuri could change his mind and kill them at any time, Mayuri flips open a button and presses it, delivering powerful electric shocks to the three of them, as he questions who gave them permission to talk. While the three Arrancar shriek about this, Mayuri shocks them again and casually mentions that the button is sending a pain signal directly to their brain rather than actually electrocuting their bodies, though Dordoni points out that this is worse, before musing that it was still worth finding them in Szayelaporro Granz 's vault. After Mayuri shocks Charlotte for pointing out that he was not in this vault, Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle observes that Mayuri got his own zombies and ridicules him for thinking he can win with just four of them. However, Mayuri merely asks the four Arrancar if it is true that they cannot win this battle, which leads Dordoni to admonish Giselle for her nerve while Cirucci and Luppi assert that they could never lose to Shinigami before the three of them leap down to attack the Shinigami.
Though Ikkaku and Yumichika protest this since most of the zombified Shinigami are from the Eleventh Division, Mayuri counters that this is uncharacteristic to hear from their division and that pleading for the lives of their comrades is uncharacteristic to hear from the Gotei 13 since their only objective is to protect the Seireitei, which they should not relent on. Bringing up the tenets that Shinigami should die in the service of the Gotei 13 and be killed if they ever harm the Gotei 13, Mayuri reminds Ikkaku and Yumichika that these were the words of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, a man they respect. Simultaneously, Dordoni kicks a Shinigami away from himself and avoids the resulting blood splatter, but Luppi assures him that there is no need to do this since Ikkaku was splashed with Bambietta's blood without issue, and after Cirucci points out that they are already dead and cannot be altered much further beyond that while cutting a Shinigami in half with her Zanpakutō, Dordoni accepts that this makes sense.
Dordoni proclaims that this will let him fight without any reservations and continues kicking the zombified Shinigami, creating a large cloud of dust as Giselle comments on how much of a mess this has become and reattaches a zombified Bambietta Basterbine 's severed arm, which reconnects its tissue and flesh automatically. Suddenly, Charlotte appears behind Giselle, and when the latter expresses confusion at Charlotte coming to fight her instead of Mayuri, Charlotte claims that his instincts are telling him to fight Giselle because they are very much alike, repulsing Giselle as she questions how this is true. At Giselle's behest, Bambietta activates her Quincy: Vollständig, Zofiel, again and fires a volley of projectiles at Charlotte, who casually dodges all of them, grabs Bambietta by the head with one hand when she flies toward him, and throws her into a building near Mayuri while declaring that he does not need to draw his sword in order to deal with a baby like her. Though Mayuri states that it is too bad Charlotte could not hit him, Charlotte claims that his hand slipped, and upon seeing Bambietta flying out of the dust cloud and debris toward him, Charlotte deduces that she will not stop until she is reduced to dust because of her zombie nature. Placing his hands in front of his chest and forming a heart shape with his fingers, Charlotte fires a Cero, engulfing Bambietta in a powerful blast that propels her high into the sky.
As she watches this, Giselle concludes that Bambietta is no match for Charlotte and calls out 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who stands on the roof of another building in a Wandenreich uniform while the ground beneath his feet becomes encrusted in ice, to the shock of the present combatants.
Bleach, Volume 66
592. Marching Out The ZOMBIES 3 [ ]
The zombified 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya swiftly defeats 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Charlotte Chuhlhourne before 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi intervenes.
Having seen a zombified 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya appear on a nearby rooftop, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa express disbelief at this after having sensed the former's Reiatsu nearly vanish, and when Hitsugaya prepares to attack, Yumichika attempts to protect himself and Ikkaku with a Bakudō spell, only for Ikkaku to frantically warn him that this will not stop Hitsugaya and slam his Shikai, Hōzukimaru, into Yumichika, sending him flying back. With Hitsugaya's slash unleashing a massive wave of ice, Yumichika tumbles to a halt and thanks Ikkaku for his reckless action, only to be horrified upon seeing that Ikkaku's right leg has been frozen by the blast.
Though Ikkaku claims to be lucky to have only lost a leg since Hitsugaya is still a captain even as a zombie, Hitsugaya appears behind him and stabs his Zanpakutō into a cursing Ikkaku's right shoulder before slashing him across the back, forcing Yumichika to intercept Hitsugaya's next slash with his own Zanpakutō, promise to make Hitsugaya pay for hurting Ikkaku, and attempt to release his true Shikai, Ruri'iro Kujaku. Before Yumichika can do so, Hitsugaya knees him in the stomach with a shard of ice on his kneecap, headbutts Yumichika, and finally slashes him across the chest, leaving him to collapse as blood splatters across the ground. Nearby, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi comments on Hitsugaya's lack of diminished mobility despite his zombification, prompting Hitsugaya to attack him as well. However, Mayuri reappears unharmed behind Hitsugaya once he concludes his slash and theorizes that the latter was zombified while still alive because Bambietta Basterbine still has a mind of her own, which leads Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle to confirm that this keeps the cells of the zombies fresh while landing behind Mayuri.
Once Giselle concludes that this lets those zombies move faster and also removes their personality to make them easier to control, which she describes as fully positive for her, Mayuri questions what is fun about controlling individuals with no minds of their own, only for Giselle to counter that she does not know since she is not a sadist. Suddenly, Charlotte Chuhlhourne lands in front of Hitsugaya, whom he presumes will be his next opponent now that he has defeated Bambietta prior to expressing joy that an attractive young man like Hitsugaya will battle him and moving to attack the latter with his hand. Before Charlotte can react to Mayuri's urgent warning to retreat, Hitsugaya slashes through his chest and cuts off his left hand with a single attack, leaving Charlotte to collapse as a bloodied Hitsugaya attempts to finish him off.
Moving next to Charlotte, Mayuri erects a net-like Kidō barrier to block Hitsugaya's strike, punishes Charlotte for not realizing Hitsugaya is far more powerful than him by leaving him near-dead, and turns to Hitsugaya, whom he refuses to allow to kill his test subjects. Upon remembering that conversing with Hitsugaya is useless, Mayuri asserts that he would never harm someone without their consent. After attributing this to himself overflowing with kindness, Mayuri announces that he has several drugs to test on Hitsugaya and assures the latter that this is all for the sake of the Seireitei.
593. Marching Out The ZOMBIES 4 [ ]
As the zombified 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya begins to overwhelm 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, he finds himself caught in a strange loop.
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi announces that he has several drugs to test on a zombified 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and assures the latter that this is all for the sake of the Seireitei. Quickly evading a strike from Hitsugaya in response to this, Mayuri fires a swath of sticky web-like fluid from his sleeves that Hitsugaya leaps off the ground in order to dodge. When Hitsugaya comes down on him and begins performing rapid slashes with his Zanpakutō, Mayuri effortlessly blocks every attack and assumes that Hitsugaya is wondering how he can be so proficient in Zanjutsu when he rarely leaves his laboratory before informing Hitsugaya that he installed a sensor on his Zanpakutō recently that detects and intercepts any blade that comes within two feet of himself at an angle of 60 degrees or more, allowing it to automatically block all of Hitsugaya's strikes.
In turn, Hitsugaya attempts to drive his knee into Mayuri, but the latter catches this with a cushion in his left hand and infers that Hitsugaya thought to attack him with something other than his sword before pointing out the possibility that he was baiting Hitsugaya into this while the cushion flattens onto Hitsugaya's knee and explodes, leaving it visibly burnt and forcing Hitsugaya to cover it with ice. Despite this, when Mayuri slashes at him, Hitsugaya blocks it with his Zanpakutō and activates his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, to encase Mayuri's Zanpakutō in ice and perform a vertical slash up the middle of Mayuri's body before shoving his blade through Mayuri's chest, causing the latter to cough up blood.
However, as he begins to address Hitsugaya, Mayuri appears unharmed several feet away from him, with Hitsugaya no longer having Daiguren Hyōrinmaru activated, and announces that he has several drugs to test on Hitsugaya, whom he assures that this is all for the sake of the Seireitei. Leaping forward to attack Mayuri, Hitsugaya responds to the former assuming that he is wondering how Mayuri can be so proficient in Zanjutsu when he rarely leaves his laboratory by asserting that Mayuri already told him about this and demanding to know what is going on, though Mayuri merely expresses delight at discovering that Hitsugaya can still hold a conversation in this state. After activating Daiguren Hyōrinmaru once more, Hitsugaya swings his Zanpakutō to the side, engulfing Mayuri in a wave of icy air that completely freezes him solid. With his body shattering and thawing out, Mayuri commends Hitsugaya for his strength.
Suddenly, Mayuri appears unharmed several feet away from a startled Hitsugaya, who no longer has Daiguren Hyōrinmaru activated, and announces that he has several drugs to test on Hitsugaya while the latter questions what is happening. Realizing that Hitsugaya's brain is becoming aware, Mayuri greets Hitsugaya and inquires about how many times he has returned to this point before details how all of his drugs provide new and wondrous sensations to the users in order to bestow them with power, sensation, reaction, and courage beyond human comprehension, with Hitsugaya himself having been given the power to see the past. Mayuri elaborates that Hitsugaya's mind returns to a moment in the past every time he crosses a certain point in their battle, with that point being when he kills Mayuri, and clarifies that Hitsugaya's future continues forever if he does not kill Mayuri and ceases whenever he does kill Mayuri, presenting a predicament where Hitsugaya is unable to win the fight.
Despite this, Mayuri notes that the one shortcoming of the Postcognition Drug is that it affects the user's hippocampus, which controls the brain's short-term memory, and prevents them from remembering how many times they have returned to the past. With Mayuri revealing that the part of the brain which controls one's sense of balance becomes paralyzed for thirty seconds once the user returns to the past ten or more times, Hitsugaya drops his Zanpakutō and collapses as Mayuri presumes that Hitsugaya has no issue with this paralysis since he is so kind-hearted, only to note that it can be fatal if it occurs in the middle of battle. After lamenting that the Postcognition Drug cannot currently be introduced to the market even though side-effects are inevitable with new drugs, Mayuri asks Hitsugaya to ponder when the drug was administered to him and promises to receive his answer in the past before stabbing his Zanpakutō downward and drawing blood.
594. Rubb-Dolls [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi injects the zombified 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya with a new drug, only to be attacked by more zombified Shinigami.
Stabbing his Zanpakutō down into a zombified 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya 's neck, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi releases his Shikai, Ashisogi Jizō, to paralyze Hitsugaya's limbs before withdrawing a syringe from his sleeve and claiming it pains him greatly to administer this to someone who cannot fight back. As Hitsugaya begs him to stop, Mayuri notes Hitsugaya can at least resist with his words and pushes the syringe into Hitsugaya's neck, causing a darkness to begin spreading across his body while Hitsugaya screams in pain. In response, the zombified 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma, and 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto appear behind Mayuri. Mayuri simply states that another two captains and a lieutenant being turned into zombies as well is too pitiful to even be funny and asks his Arrancar to take care of them since they are interrupting his follow-up observation, prompting Luppi Antenor to attack Rangiku, Cirucci Sanderwicci to clash with Rose, and Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio to kick Kensei. With the attacks kicking up a huge cloud of dust, Mayuri continues impassively watching the darkness progress across a screaming Hitsugaya's body.
Meanwhile, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki stands among the rubble and over the unconscious bodies of Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, "T" Candice Catnipp, and "N" Robert Accutrone, prompting Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd to call them pathetic. Behind her, Sternritter "P" Meninas McAllon points out that it makes sense for them to be the only ones left considering their abilities, which Liltotto acknowledges as she questions if Byakuya is really the captain defeated by Sternritter "F" Äs Nödt and curses his toughness. Preparing to eat an apple, Liltotto demands to know where Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada has gone since the battle would be more even with his powers, and when Meninas insists that they can fight without him since she finds him disgusting, Liltotto counters that he is better than nothing.
During this, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi lands near Byakuya and announces that he defeated one of the Sternritter. Looking around, Hisagi realizes that Byakuya has already defeated three others and ruminates on how this displays the difference between a captain and a lieutenant while approaching Byakuya with his Shikai, Kazeshini, only for Byakuya to strike away one of Hisagi's kusarigama with his Zanpakutō. Shaken by this, Hisagi questions Byakuya's intentions and moves to swing the other kusarigama at him, prompting Byakuya to casually block it with his Zanpakutō, return the question since he does not understand why Hisagi is attacking him, and theorize that Hisagi is under the enemy's control or an enemy in disguise. In response, Hisagi assures Byakuya that he is himself and not being controlled by the enemy, and as Liltotto realizes who is responsible, Hisagi proclaims that he is just following the will of his master, PePe, before attacking Byakuya again.
Nearby, PePe floats along the ground on his basket and describes how a single glance from him will split the one heart and body that everyone has in two so they can belong to him prior to announcing himself as Sternritter "L", The Love. Having formed a heart shape with his hands during this, PePe fires a heart-shaped projectile from them at Liltotto, who dodges so that the heart instead hits Meninas. Instantly becoming enamored with PePe and ignoring Liltotto's warning, Meninas enlarges the muscles in her right arm and punches Liltotto in the face, leaving PePe to halfheartedly tell them to not fight over him and claim that he never even considered killing them all so he could keep the glory to himself.
595. Rubb-Dolls 2 [ ]
6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki battles 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi and his controller, Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada.
With 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki repeatedly clashing with 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi, Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada asserts that all battles are sad because love is always present and assumes that Byakuya believes battles occur due to the differences in what people believe to be just, only to claim that they occur for love every time. PePe lists off love for one's wife, child, parents, friends, master, and god as potential motivation, additionally proclaiming that faith, believe, and attachment to material things are also love, before declaring that there are no battles where there is no love and that this is also what makes them beautiful. Suddenly, Byakuya slams the hilt of his Zanpakutō into Hisagi's abdomen, causing him to collapse, and assumes that PePe is done with his speech since Byakuya is also done.
Byakuya deduces that PePe's babbling about love simply means he can control people at will and points out that this does not mean anything if those being controlled are immobilized prior to concluding that cutting down the puppeteer will also sever the strings from the puppet while raising his Zanpakutō. Confirming this, PePe praises Byakuya and calls him scary before repeatedly claiming to be scared and unleashing a heart-shaped beam of energy from his hands that Byakuya rushes across the rubble to evade, tracing a pink trail behind him. After cutting through the beam with his Zanpakutō, Byakuya observes that The Love cannot control anything without a Soul due to the rubble simply being partially melted, only for PePe to question why he blocked it with his Zanpakutō if he knew this. Upon seeing his Zanpakutō moving toward his head, Byakuya is forced to let it cut into his free hand instead while PePe affirms that he knows of Zanpakutō having their own souls and reveals that this is why he did not steal a Bankai during the first invasion, as he can steal a Zanpakutō at any time.
With Byakuya throwing his Zanpakutō away so it embeds itself in a nearby broken wall, PePe wonders why he did this since it has only presented an opportunity for a Shinigami who loves him to use a weapon that loves him while Hisagi pulls the Zanpakutō out of the wall with his right hand and coughs up a small amount of blood. Claiming that the power of love lets one get up no matter how badly they are wounded and accomplish any purpose, which makes it important to overcoming challenges, PePe calls it magnificent as Hisagi begins rapidly assaulting Byakuya with both the latter's Zanpakutō and his own Shikai, Kazeshini. While moving back across the rooftops and fending off Hisagi's strikes with Hakuda, Byakuya internally muses that he can only do this for so long and ruminates on what to do, as using Kidō may kill Hisagi, prior to chastising himself for discarding his Zanpakutō instead of breaking its blade and lamenting that he would have merely cut his arm off if it was the only part of him being controlled. Suddenly, PePe appears behind Byakuya and hits the back of his right shoulder with Love Kiss, but Byakuya continues defending himself against Hisagi, to PePe's surprise.
After assuming that Byakuya has no love in his heart and refusing to forgive him for this because Byakuya's purpose is to die for him, PePe traces a heart through the air with his hands and activates his Quincy: Vollständig, Gudoero, destroying his glasses in the process and stripping him down to a large thong while granting him a pair of cherub wings emblazoned with large eyes and a flat Heiligenschein. As he asserts that he is now as innocent as a baby and that this must make Byakuya want to love him, PePe embeds three Love Ropes in Byakuya's right shoulder, and when Hisagi moves to attack Byakuya, PePe orders him to wait since he has decided to kill Byakuya with his own love before pulling a Heilig Bogen and Heilig Pfeil out of his throat. However, with PePe preparing to fire the Heilig Pfeil at Byakuya, he is kicked in the face by the zombified 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma and sent crashing into a building dozens of meters away while Byakuya turns to see Kensei and the zombified 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, now with black markings on their faces.
596. Rubb-Dolls 3 [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi reveals that he has taken control of Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle 's zombies.
With a zombified 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma standing before him, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki questions what happened to them just before 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi falls on Kensei from the air with a downward stab of Byakuya's Zanpakutō. However, Kensei punches him in the gut and slams him into the ground, knocking Hisagi out and causing him to release Byakuya's Zanpakutō, which Kensei picks up and approaches a cautious Byakuya with before offering it to him handle-first, to Byakuya's further surprise. Stepping up behind Byakuya, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi asserts that it is quite a coincidence to come across an enemy like this because it is the perfect time to test his Corpse Unit. Upon being interrogated by Byakuya about what he did to Kensei and Rose, Mayuri counters that he has actually saved them.
In the past, the zombified Kensei and Rose collapse and lie incapacitated on the ground before the Arrancar, where Mayuri asks them how it felt to travel to the past and reveals that he injected the Postcognition Drug into the bodily fluids of the Arrancar, causing Kensei and Rose to come into contact with it when the two of them were sprayed with their blood. In turn, Cirucci Sanderwicci looks in shock at Mayuri, who advises her against trying to inflict it on him since his body has a tolerance for all of the drugs he creates. With Kensei groaning in pain, Mayuri promises to ease his pain shortly and injects more of the drug from his sleeve into both Kensei and Rose, causing them to begin screaming as Mayuri turns his attention to Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle and infers that the amount of blood she needs to zombify someone is dependent on the victim's Reiatsu, with weak individuals needing only a single drop of blood to reach their brain while strong ones need the blood to multiply and travel throughout their body.
After concluding that this is why the captains and lieutenant she has taken control of have a reddish-brown hue to their skin, which Giselle does not deny, Mayuri reveals that his drug alters the composition of that blood by using the blood samples he has of every officer in the Gotei 13 to replace Giselle's blood with a blood-like substance of his own making. Though Giselle admits to not understanding what he is saying, Mayuri decides to skip to the conclusion and informs Giselle that this drug turns her zombies into his zombies, and as Kensei and Rose rise behind him, Mayuri thanks a mortified Giselle for listening and has Kensei stab her in the chest before telling her that she loses.
In the present, Byakuya asserts that Mayuri could have let Kensei and Rose die if he wanted to and demands to know why he is toying with their lives, prompting Mayuri to observe that they have a difference of opinion as usual and ask Byakuya if he does not believe it is the duty of the Gotei 13 to protect the Seireitei even in death, though Byakuya calls this a rationalization and Mayuri dismisses him. Suddenly, a chuckling Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada fires a heart-shaped mark at Kensei's left shoulder and claims that The Love is stronger than The Zombie since he has taken control of one of Giselle's zombies in the past, only for Kensei to punch him in the face. With PePe being propelled through more rubble by the force of this, Mayuri admonishes him for not listening, reminds PePe that Kensei and Rose are now his zombies instead of Giselle's, and proclaims that his zombies do not understand the concept of love, leaving PePe horrified as Kensei batters him with Sandbag Beat and flings him into another building. On the ground floor, PePe curses Mayuri and vows to make him pay, but is startled when a bloodied Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd appears behind him.
597. Winded by the Shadow [ ]
While Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd confronts Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada, Tenjirō Kirinji attempts to fend off Yhwach and his companions in the Soul King Palace.
Having been confronted by a bloodied Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd, Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada claims that he is glad to see she is okay, only to scramble back when Liltotto wordlessly activates her Quincy: Vollständig, Gagael, and approaches him. After reminding PePe that he tried to kill the other Sternritter by pitting them against each other, Liltotto asserts that he knows how to take responsibility for that and begins enlarging her mouth with The Glutton, leaving PePe to tearfully beg for forgiveness before Liltotto devours him.
Meanwhile, in the Soul King Palace far above, a sweating Tenjirō Kirinji stands before Yhwach with his unsheathed Zanpakutō and internally expresses bewilderment at his inability to hit the latter. When Yhwach suggests he stand aside if he has run out of ideas, an angered Kirinji slashes at him through the floor, but finds the resulting cut and a large portion of the Vestibule Road to be warped around Yhwach, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth, and Sternritter "A" Uryū Ishida as they proceed, leaving Kirinji baffled at how this is happening when Yhwach is not dodging his attacks or deceiving his eyes. Suddenly, as Yhwach reaches the base of the stairs, Senjumaru Shutara appears at the top of the stairs with a dozen Divine Soldiers flanking her, where she observes that it has been a long time since she has seen Yhwach and asserts that defeating Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto has gone to his head if he is entering the Soul King Palace uninvited.
With Yhwach silently climbing the stairs and passing her, an unimpressed Senjumaru tells him to become rust on the Soul King 's blade for his discourtesy as the Divine Soldiers all come down on him with their swords stabbing toward him, only to find themselves slashing away from Yhwach in a circular pattern around him. Seeing this, a startled Senjumaru wonders why their blades did not reach Yhwach when he did not attempt to dodge them just before Sternritter "W" Nianzol Weizol emerges from a Shadow at Yhwach's feet and calls Senjumaru and her Divine Soldiers discourteous because their attacks are squishy and bent, as they were nowhere close to Yhwach.
Simultaneously, a section of the ground in the replaced Seireitei opens and the artificial Kakaku Taihō emerges as loud music plays. In the chamber below, Ichigo Kurosaki yells at Kisuke Urahara to turn down the music, only for the latter to claim that he cannot hear this and claim that playing the music is important because it helps establish a mood for this, leading Ichigo to indignantly realize that Urahara actually can hear him. Counting down from 3, Urahara prepares to launch Ichigo, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Yoruichi Shihōin.
598. The Shooting Star Project [We Only Have to Beat You Mix] [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions head for the Soul King Palace as Senjumaru Shutara confronts Sternritter "W" Nianzol Weizol.
With Kisuke Urahara counting down the launch of the replica Tenchūren from the artificial Kakaku Taihō, Ganju Shiba rides into the cannon chamber on Bonnie and reprimands Ichigo Kurosaki 's group for forgetting about him. As the entrance to the cannon opens to reveal him, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Yoruichi Shihōin within, an annoyed Ichigo admits that he recognized the voice and questions if Ganju is here because he has nothing better to do, wants to grow as a person, or wishes to be popular with women, prompting Ganju to counter that he is not going out for drinks, joining a school club, or playing in a rock band. When Ganju wonders if Ichigo remembers who launched the Tenchūren, Ichigo points out that it was Kūkaku Shiba and not Ganju who did so, both of which Ganju readily confirms while Ichigo observes that he does not give up easily.
Ganju reveals that the Royal Guard handed something over to Kūkaku when she launched them and pulls out a roadmap to the Soul King Palace given to him by Kūkaku that he claims Ichigo and his friends require in order to reach it, leaving Ichigo briefly aghast and asking Urahara if this is true while the latter inquires if Ichigo believes he has not prepared for this. However, Ichigo merely questions if Ganju is sure about this because the upcoming battle will be more dangerous than any other. In response, Ganju proclaims that this is exactly why he is coming, and after a smiling Ichigo acknowledges his resolve, Ganju joins them inside the cannon while Urahara completes the launch sequence and fires the replica Tenchūren, whose engine ignites and launches it into the sky in a zig-zagging pattern, shocking Ichigo as he realizes that this is why it can only be used once.
Within the replica Tenchūren, Orihime notes that this brings back memories of when they saved 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki, where Yoruichi was still in her cat form and Uryū Ishida was part of their team, prompting Yoruichi to note that she can still turn into a cat if Orihime wants her to. When Orihime wonders if he will come back with them, Ichigo firmly declares that he will because they decided to smack Uryū and bring him back after they defeat Yhwach, though he quickly claims that this is obviously secondary while a pleased Orihime agrees.
Meanwhile, as Uryū stares up at the Soul King Palace on Vestibule Road, Sternritter "W" Nianzol Weizol stands between several Divine Soldiers, whose swords are bending away from him at an angle after their attempt to cut him down, and asserts that this is pointless before identifying his power as The Wind, which causes every enemy he finds to bend and warp to avoid his body, preventing Tenjirō Kirinji 's White Bone Hell water and Zanpakutō attacks from hitting him while he was concealed with Yhwach. With Kirinji realizing that this is why he could not harm Yhwach, Senjumaru coldly states that Nianzol said too much just before the area behind him is revealed to be composed of fabric sheets that more Divine Soldiers rush out of to attack him from. However, as Senjumaru notes that this would mean he cannot bend enemies whom he cannot detect, Nianzol admits that he is often criticized for not explaining enough while the swords of the Divine Soldiers abruptly bend away from his back before they can pierce him.
Nianzol clarifies that he finds enemies through instinct so that they always bend away from his body and holds out his index finger prior to moving it toward the Divine Soldiers, who begin warping around it and are eventually split in two by the force of The Wind pushing their bodies in opposite directions away from it, while he apologizes for the lack of clarity. In turn, Senjumaru assures him he does not need to worry about this since they all have their bad habits before before inquiring about when she said that the enemy which Nianzol could not detect was the Divine Soldiers. With Nianzol startled by this, Senjumaru asserts that enemies are harder to see they closer they are, like the clothes on one's skin, while holding a sewing needle and thread in her mechanical hand. Suddenly, Senjumaru reveals that she retailored Nianzol's robe with her own design while he was dealing with the Divine Soldiers as Nianzol sees the Royal Guard 's insignia on the bottom of his coat and finds himself unable to slip out of it as he claims she is lying. Noting that she does not lie and produced the finest garment for him while claiming that he should be grateful to even get to wear it as a foot soldier, Senjumaru concludes that he should not expect to remove it while alive just before dozens of spikes impale Nianzol and protrude from his body through the robe, killing him instantly.
599. Too Early to Win, Too Late to Know [ ]
Yhwach summons his elite Sternritter, the Schutzstaffel, to take on Senjumaru Shutara.
Senjumaru Shutara recalls that she was just talking about bad habits, and as the spikes impaling Sternritter "W" Nianzol Weizol from within his robe retreat, she admits that her bad habit is failing to remove her sewing needles from her garments. With Senjumaru apologizing for not explaining herself clearly, Nianzol's corpse falls to the ground and splatters blood across the Vestibule Road as Senjumaru is joined by more Divine Soldiers and observes that their blades can finally reach Yhwach. However, Yhwach merely questions if this is true and creates another Shadow that several Soldat emerge from. Claiming that they will be enough to handle the Divine Soldiers, Yhwach startles Senjumaru by bringing out Sternritter "X" Lille Barro, "M" Gerard Valkyrie, "C" Pernida Parnkgjas, and "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar from another Shadow while he declares that his Royal Guard will be Senjumaru's opponents.
With the three Schutzstaffel other than Pernida dropping their hoods, Askin realizes that he was the only Sternritter to be brought up from below and muses that he has to prove himself, prompting Gerard to boisterously confirm this and promise to cut down Askin himself if he proves to be useless. After discarding his cloak, Gerard draws his Spirit Weapon, Hoffnung, and rushes toward Senjumaru to slash down at her, shattering the sewing needle that she blocks with and drawing blood from her, while proclaiming that a woman's slender arms cannot block his sword. As the attack blows a hole in the Vestibule Road, Senjumaru leaps back and calls out the Second-Level Divine Soldier, who lands behind her with a loud boom as Gerard comments on its size.
Despite this, Pernida mutters something unintelligibly, and when Senjumaru wonders if it has something to say, Lille clarifies that Pernida stated the size of the Second-Level Divine Soldier does not matter while Pernida extends a thin arm from beneath its cloak and inhales just before the Second-Level Divine Soldier is brutally twisted and crushed into a ball, leaving Senjumaru to stare in shock at it. Assuming that Senjumaru is realizing the Soul King Palace might fall, Lille casts aside his cloak to reveal his Spirit Weapon, Diagramm. After claiming that the losing side is always late to realize and react, Lille concludes that the Soul King Palace fell the second Yhwach set foot in it and fires a bullet-shaped Heilig Pfeil that punches a hole through the top of Senjumaru's head.
600. SNIPE [ ]
The Royal Guard trap Yhwach 's group as Ōetsu Nimaiya prepares to take on the Schutzstaffel.
With blood pooling from the hole in Senjumaru Shutara 's head once her corpse collapses, Sternritter "M" Gerard Valkyrie loudly criticizes Sternritter "X" Lille Barro for killing her there because her body is in Yhwach 's path, prompting Lille to have Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas crumple her remains into a ball and roll it to the side of the platform. When Gerard observes that this was easy and question if the Royal Guard cannot do any better, Lille reminds Gerard that no enemy has ever proven a challenge to them and shoots down all five of the cities before them. Announcing that everything in their way has fallen, Lille kneels before Yhwach and invites him to proceed.
Suddenly, with Yhwach remaining stationary, the falling cities in the air behind Lille are revealed to be fabric that ripples and withdraws behind him, leaving Lille bewildered and demanding to know what is happening while the rest of their surroundings also pull away as fabric to reveal tree branches surrounding the platform and an unharmed Senjumaru, who reveals that this was a false Soul King Palace constructed to lure them in while the real one is being hidden by Ichibe'e Hyōsube, whose midair seal reveals itself alongside the real palace. Surprised by Senjumaru revealing this, Ichibe'e deduces that she has done so because the cage is ready, and when Lille levels his Spirit Weapon, Diagramm, and fires a Heilig Pfeil at him, the nearest tree branch rapidly grows and stretches to intercept his shot, to Lille's surprise.
After popping out from behind the branch, Kirio Hikifune confirms that it is ready and admits that she has not had to create a womb this big in a long time while the rest of the fabric withdraws to reveal a Cage of Life surrounding the platform. With Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar and Gerard unnerved and confused by this, Lille fires four more Heilig Pfeil at the branches, only for them to do minimal damage. Upon seeing the middle Heilig Pfeil intercepted by a smaller branch that grows from one of the main branches, Lille observes that the branches cannot be pierced even with consecutive shots to the same area and grow more branches instantaneously to block anything moving between their gaps, which Gerard considers a disgrace to The X-Axis, but Hikifune clarifies that they actually were pierced and explains that manipulating food equates to manipulating life, with her cooking to shape lives and her ingredients coming from her own body, before revealing that this tree bears fruit by feeding on her Reiatsu. Inferring that Lille's Heilig Pfeil are composed of highly concentrated Reishi, Hikifune claims that the Cage of Life could never pass up something so delicious and asserts that it grows faster than it can be pierced or damaged, meaning that their abilities can never escape it no matter how much they struggle.
As he lands before the Schutzstaffel with Sayafushi in a tank of gel, Ōetsu Nimaiya introduces himself as the number one Zanpakutō creator prior to drawing Sayafushi, declaring that there is no path for the Schutzstaffel to walk on, and inviting them to come at him all at once because the Royal Guard's fight begins here.
601. VERGE ON VERMILLION [ ]
Ōetsu Nimaiya cuts through the Schutzstaffel with a special sword, Sayafushi.
Having confronted the Schutzstaffel and drawn Sayafushi, Ōetsu Nimaiya dares them to attack him all at once because this is where the Royal Guard battle truly begins. However, Nimaiya notices the blade of Sayafushi rattling and laments that this is likely due to him not drawing it in a while just before Sternritter "M" Gerard Valkyrie leaps forward and slashes horizontally at him, creating a shockwave that damages the nearby branches. With Gerard impressed by him casually leaning back to evade this, Nimaiya claims that it is simple manners to dodge another man's hug, but when Gerard decides to continue his attack, Nimaiya asserts that it is his turn and moves past Gerard, who abruptly collapses.
As Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar expresses disbelief at what he is seeing, blood spurts high into the air from a stab wound in Gerard's torso, leading Nimaiya to remind the remaining Schutzstaffel that he is the number one member of the Royal Guard whose blade cuts down everyone in a single swing. When Sternritter "X" Lille Barro accuses him of using a strange trick, Nimaiya wonders what he is talking about, prompting Lille to assert that he can tell Nimaiya is using a trick just by looking at him because there is no way a blade that has been soaking in jelly and whose blade is wobbly can kill Gerard. Lille raises his Spirit Weapon, Diagramm, and fires a Heilig Pfeil, but is shocked to see the projectile split into two pieces that are deflected to either side of Nimaiya without injuring him. Upon being asked what he did, Nimaiya asserts that he did nothing aside from hold up Sayafushi at the right angle to intercept the Heilig Pfeil, slicing it in two, prior to effortlessly cutting through Lille's subsequent Heilig Pfeil and slashing him across the chest.
With Lille's hand and part of Diagramm severed by this, Nimaiya walks away from him while a large amount of blood spurts from Lille's chest and throws Sayafushi through Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas when the latter's hood starts wriggling before moving to Pernida's falling body with Shunpo, pulling Sayafushi out of it, and slashing a startled Askin across the chest. Despite this, Askin remains alive on the ground, which prompts Nimaiya to praise him for moving backward in time with the slash because he realized how sharp Sayafushi is, though Askin merely notes that Nimaiya saw through it before the latter cuts his throat open with another slash. Turning to Yhwach, Nimaiya and explains that he considers Sayafushi to be a failure because its edge is too sharp and its blade is too smooth, preventing it from ever chipping no matter how much he cuts with it, before claiming that it would put swordsmiths like himself out of work and revealing that he cannot create a sheath strong enough to hold it, which means that he could not send it down to the Seireitei as a complete sword.
However, as Nimaiya thanks Yhwach for storming the Soul King Palace so Sayafushi can be put to use, he is struck by a strange sensation and expresses shock as Askin asserts that their battle is not over yet because the wounds he received were not fatal enough. With Nimaiya wondering what is going on, Askin reveals that Yhwach selected him for the Schutzstaffel because he simply would not die, an ability he considers disgraceful, and describes how he always gets a fatal feeling when he thinks about this ability prior to licking the blood dripping from his face off the back of his hand.
Bleach, Volume 67
602. Bane Licking Good [ ]
Ōetsu Nimaiya takes down Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar and prepares to battle Yhwach.
It is asserted that a lethal dose refers to the fatal amount of a substance when consumed by an organism, with an exact amount being impossible to extract because the lethal dose of any substance depends on factors like the species consuming it, the stage of the subject's growth, the manner in which the substance is consumed, and the period of ingestion, resulting in a median lethal dose that kills half of all subjects being commonly used as a benchmark; the lethal dose for tetrodotoxin found in blowfish is 0.01 milligrams, aconotine found in wolfsbane is 0.1 milligrams, nicotine is 1-7 milligrams, caffeine is 200 milligrams, and 12,000 milligrams for vitamin C.
Within the Cage of Life on the Vestibule Road, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar informs Ōetsu Nimaiya that his Schrift is The Deathdealing and details how this allows him to accurately calculate the lethal dose of any substance and adjust it at will. When Nimaiya expresses confusion at this, Askin admits that he found it confusing as well, but assures Nimaiya that he does not need to understand it since he is about to die anyway before licking more blood off the back of his hand, causing Nimaiya to fall to his knees. Askin details how he is lowering the lethal dosage of Nimaiya's blood and licks more blood off his palm while noting that the blood that allows Nimaiya to move will now bring him closer to death the more it flows through his body, which Nimaiya cannot do anything about. With Askin concluding that this is a fatal feeling which he shares and gulping down more blood from his palm, Nimaiya fully collapses on the ground.
After getting to his feet, Askin approaches Nimaiya and observes that the latter is at his limit. Inferring that Nimaiya underestimated him and acknowledging that he looks and talks like an underling, Askin admits that he is okay with this even though it used to bother him because he has convinced himself it is one of his charms and draws his Heilig Bogen out of the bracelet on his left wrist prior to apologizing for sounding pessimistic since that is another of his fatal flaws. Suddenly, Nimaiya thanks Askin for the information and uses Sayafushi to cut open the side of his neck, causing a large amount of blood to spurt into the air and alarming Askin just before Nimaiya reappears next to him with Shunpo and slashes at him. With Askin narrowly evading this by rolling away and losing his cape in the process, Nimaiya infers that the lethal dosage of his blood being lowered means he will die from having a lot of blood in his body and concludes that he simply needs to lose enough blood to lower the quantity in his body underneath the lethal dose.
Shaking his head at Nimaiya's recklessness, Askin warns him that it is not that simple and estimates from his physique that Nimaiya weighs about 60 kilograms, with Nimaiya praising his deductive abilities and clarifying that he weighs 62 kilograms, before noting that the approximate volume of blood per kilogram is 65.7 milliliters. Askin elaborates that a body weighing 62 kilograms would have about 4 liters of blood in it, losing 2 liters of which would be enough to kill Nimaiya, and reveals that the lethal dosage for Nimaiya's blood is currently set to about 1.6 liters, meaning that Nimaiya's own blood will kill him unless he bleeds himself to death. Despite this, once Askin assumes that he is having a hard time determining whether he is standing or collapsing, Nimaiya merely wonders what he should do before calling on Tenjirō Kirinji, who envelops him in a massive wave of water from the Blood Pond Hell as Nimaiya informs Askin of the water's ability to wring out blood and Reiatsu.
Once Kirinji clarifies that only the White Bone Hell water does this, Nimaiya reveals that the Blood Pond Hell water replaces lost blood with new blood, astonishing Askin, prior to attacking the latter faster than he can perceive, coming to a halt several feet behind Askin, and inquiring if he looks cool after being reborn. Admitting that Nimaiya does look cool, Askin chastises himself for prematurely thinking he had won because he was ultimately the one underestimating his opponent and concludes that this was fatal before blood spurts from a stab wound in the center of his chest, causing him to collapse behind Nimaiya, who turns to Yhwach and announces that it is his turn as the latter's hands begin glowing with energy.
603. What The Hell [ ]
Yhwach revives his Schutzstaffel by stealing the powers and lifeforce of the other Sternritter through Auswählen.
With Yhwach extending his hands as they glow with energy, Ōetsu Nimaiya readies Sayafushi and internally debates on whether to close in on Yhwach or let him attack first, as the only data available on his powers comes from his battle with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto 1,000 years ago and Royd Lloyd copying him during the earlier invasion of the Seireitei. Unable to discern what Yhwach is planning to do, Nimaiya mentally admits that he likely cannot cut him in two in one swing and decides to instead take off one of Yhwach's arms with his first slash before the Cage of Life glows with a bright light.
Meanwhile, in a cave formed by the rubble in the replaced Seireitei below, Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle sucks on the flesh of a zombified Bambietta Basterbine to ingest the latter's blood, and when the latter pleads with Giselle to not take too much blood because she does not want to die yet, an enraged Giselle grabs Bambietta's face to slam her head into the ground and demands to know what she is talking about. While repeatedly bashing Bambietta's head into the rocks beneath her, Giselle reminds her that she is already dead and that the blood in her body is Giselle's, which she wants back, prior to cracking Bambietta's head open with her final slam, which kills her. Momentarily startled by this, Giselle cradles Bambietta's body and proclaims that she is cute when she is dead as Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd peers in from the entrance behind them with her Quincy: Vollständig, Gagael, active and confirms that Giselle is not dead, as she suspected.
Having activated her own Quincy: Vollständig, Azhalbiora, Giselle affirms this. Upon noticing the blood and scuff marks on Liltotto's face, Giselle questions what happened to it and if she lost her fight, prompting Liltotto to clarify that Sternritter "L" PePe Waccabrada did this. With Giselle calling this embarrassing and wondering what happened to PePe, Liltotto reveals that she ate him and that he tasted terrible prior to informing Giselle that the enemy defeated Candice Catnipp and she had to incapacitate Meninas McAllon because PePe took control of the latter. Suddenly, as Liltotto assures Giselle that Candice and Meninas should still be alive and that they can be recovered, Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone presses his Reishi Pistol against the side of her head.
When Liltotto questions what he is doing, Robert inquires if she knows about Yhwach going to the Soul King Palace, and when Liltotto repeats her question, Robert points out that he did not take them with him, leading Liltotto to claim that they will simply fight until he returns. However, a panicking Robert reveals that this means they are doomed because they have been deemed unnecessary for the coming battle, to Liltotto's shock, and notes that the younger generation of Sternritter have no idea how terrifying Yhwach can be before explaining that the Sternritter exist to serve Yhwach in any capacity he deems useful, and since they have been deemed unnecessary, they will become fuel for the next Auswählen. Immediately after saying this, Robert is struck by a thick beam of light from above, stripping the flesh from his bones, and two more follow nearby, prompting an aghast Liltotto to tackle Giselle and pull her back inside the cave of rubble just before one of the pillars strikes the ground where they were standing, only to be bewildered when the wings and halos of their respective Quincy: Vollständigs begin disintegrating from their Reishi being pulled into the pillar.
Realizing that the pillar is draining their powers even if they do not make direct contact with it as Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop and "H" Bazz-B are struck by other beams, a furious Liltotto demands to know what they even mean to Yhwach, who simply calls them comrades and asserts that comrades help each other so they can resurrect and move forward as Sternritter "M" Gerard Valkyrie and "X" Lille Barro are revived by feathery Quincy: Vollständigs partially activating in turn. With Sternritter " Askin Nakk Le Vaar regaining consciousness as well, Yhwach tells a stunned Nimaiya and the rest of the Royal Guard to prepare themselves.
604. REVITALIZE [ ]
As the Sternritter in the replaced Seireitei reel from Yhwach 's Auswählen, the Schutzstaffel in the Soul King Palace turn the tables on the Royal Guard.
Screaming in agony from being caught in the center of one of the beams produced by Yhwach 's Auswählen, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B responds to 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai wondering what is going on by asserting that this is what he wants to know and angrily inquiring if this is Yhwach's way of doing things. With 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki watching in concern, Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle frantically assures Bambietta Basterbine 's corpse that she will not die, leading Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd to refuse to die here as well alongside Bazz-B. During this, as 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki notices the light shooting up from the Seireitei toward the heavens, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku tells his lieutenants, Nanao Ise and Genshirō Okikiba, that he is leaving the barracks because the Soul King Palace is in danger.
Seconds later, on the Vestibule Road far above, Ōetsu Nimaiya finds two fist-sized holes punched in his left shoulder by Sternritter "X" Lille Barro and questions what this is, leading Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth to explain that Auswählen collects the lives and power from unnecessary Quincy to redistribute them to others in need, with those taken from dying and those given to receiving additional power and coming back to life. After Haschwalth concludes that it being a transfer of power prevented the Cage of Life from blocking it, Nimaiya assumes that his wounds are the result of the power increase granted by Auswählen because Lille's Heilig Pfeil were not able to reach him before now.
However, Lille counters that Nimaiya has two things wrong and clarifies that rather than being a power increase, this is a power he has always possessed and simply did not have time to use earlier, prior to asserting that Nimaiya's body was not pierced by a Heilig Pfeil and firing another shot directly at Nimaiya's chest with his Spirit Weapon, Diagramm. Though Tenjirō Kirinji and Kirio Hikifune intercept the shot with their Zanpakutō, they are shocked to find that a hole has been punched between their Zanpakutō and through Nimaiya's chest regardless as Lille reveals that this power cannot be blocked by anything. Explaining that his power is The X-Axis and that it allows his gun to uniformly pierce everything between its muzzle and his target regardless of durability, which is why he would like the remaining Royal Guard to line up so he can kill them all with one shot.
During this, Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas uses The Compulsory to break open a section of the Cage of Life, allowing Yhwach to move outside of it with Hirenkyaku and appear before a sitting Ichibe'e Hyōsube. When Yhwach addresses him by name and asserts that Ichibe'e will let them through, a grinning Ichibe'e gets up and observes that Yhwach says his name so lightly before warning Yhwach that he risks losing his voice from this.
605. Don't Call My Name [ ]
Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku heads off to Central 46 as Ichibe'e Hyōsube takes on Yhwach.
In the replaced Seireitei below, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku observes the rubble and wonders if the structures of the Seireitei will return intact even if they remove the Wandenreich before turning to 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, who assures him that they will just rebuild if this does not happen. Admitting that he knew Ukitake would say this, Shunsui hops down to his level and responds to Ukitake stating that the Kamikake was prepared in expectation of the enemy being allowed to invade the Soul King Palace by musing that it was successful. With Ukitake's shadow lengthening to form a humanoid silhouette framed by a large ring and with an oversized eye in the center of its chest, Shunsui assumes that Ukitake can push himself to some degree now, and while a smiling Ukitake chastises him for speaking like a doctor, Shunsui walks past him and promises to catch up later. When Ukitake inquires about where he is going, Shunsui casually notes that he is going to see Central 46.
Meanwhile, in the Soul King Palace above, Ichibe'e draws two lines several meters apart across the platform with his Zanpakutō brush and promises to defeat Yhwach within this space, only for Yhwach to observe that this seems a bit small since Ichibe'e will die three steps away from the boundary. After drawing a Seal on the other end of the walkway to bar entrance to the Greater Soul King Palace, Ichibe'e turns back and tells Yhwach to not to say his name so lightly before a gigantic hand created by Senri Tsūtenshō slams into a startled Yhwach from the front, sending him hurtling back through the air. Appearing next to Yhwach in the air with Shunpo, Ichibe'e explains that this technique sends anything it hits flying 1,000 ri away, and when Yhwach finds himself unable to speak as he tries to attack in turn, Ichibe'e reminds him that he was warned of the possibility of losing his voice from saying Ichibe'e's name.
Upon manifesting another Senri Tsūtenshō hand in the air, Ichibe'e orders Yhwach to fly back another 1,000 ri and reflect on what he has done before bringing the hand down on Yhwach, who is left falling toward the ground at high speed. However, Yhwach digs his fingers into his own throat with enough force to draw blood and infuses it with Reishi, allowing him to give himself a voice and manifest his Sankt Bogen in the air below to fire six massive Heilig Pfeil upward, one of which impales Yhwach himself and propels him back up to a surprised Ichibe'e's level as the latter narrowly evades the other projectiles. Having been lightly scratched by one of the Heilig Pfeil, Ichibe'e stands behind Yhwach and comments on the absurdity of him shooting himself to get back up. With Yhwach breaking the Heilig Pfeil in his abdomen without injury, Ichibe'e promises to kill him for not listening.
606. Divine Division [ ]
Ichibe'e Hyōsube continues his battle with Yhwach as the Visored arrive in Soul Society.
Ichibe'e Hyōsube calls Yhwach a rascal despite his age because of his refusal to avoid saying Ichibe'e's name and insistence on coming back after being slapped away as punishment. With Yhwach standing before him, Ichibe'e gravely promises to kill him for not listening before the two draw their respective Zanpakutō and Reishi Sword.
Meanwhile, as rain begins to fall across the replaced Seireitei below, Yūshirō Shihōin leaps across the rubble with a large bundle of items held above his head and urges Yoruichi Shihōin to wait for him. Elsewhere, Kisuke Urahara draws a line in the mud with his cane before being approached by Hiyori Sarugaki, who questions why he is doing this instead of making preparations inside with the others. In turn, Urahara asserts that he was preparing while waiting for Hiyori, Love Aikawa, Hachigen Ushōda, and Lisa Yadōmaru to get here. When Hiyori asks him where the "cat hag" went, Urahara informs her that Yoruichi has already departed for the Soul King Palace, and as a smirking Hiyori promises to tell Yoruichi that Urahara knew she was the one being referred to, Urahara attempts to have the Visored come inside.
However, Hiyori stops him and inquires about his reasoning for letting Ichigo Kurosaki and the others go on ahead instead of waiting for the Visored to arrive so they could all go together, prompting Urahara to state that the situation has changed. In turn, Hiyori denies this being relevant and demands to know what Urahara will do if the group dies from going ahead. With Hiyori warning Urahara against being willing to let Ichigo and Yoruichi die solely to delay the enemy, a shocked Yūshirō expresses disbelief at Yoruichi having already left from behind them and falls to his knees as he laments having brought so many things to help her when Yoruichi contacted him after not hearing from her for a long time. Apologizing to Yūshirō, Urahara explains that Yoruichi had to go ahead for the sake of the Seireitei and assures Yūshirō that the items he brought will still be of use to her before having Yūshirō follow him inside, leaving Hiyori to recall how much she hates him using this phrase to justify his actions.
Back in the Soul King Palace, Ichibe'e and Yhwach clash with great force as Yhwach notes that Ichibe'e's expression has changed quite a bit and admits that he did not think the latter's face could become so terrifying just from making up his mind to kill Yhwach. Separating from Ichibe'e, Yhwach thrusts his sword at the former's head, and after being propelled backward by blocking a strike of Ichibe'e's brush with his left arm, Yhwach declares that this seems to be the extent of Ichibe'e's change. However, Ichibe'e points out Yhwach using his arm to block the brush and reveals that it cuts names, not flesh. A surprised Yhwach's arms swiftly fall limp as Ichibe'e informs him that the name of his arm has been cut in half, leaving him with an "ar", and that his arms have consequently lost half of their strength and capability, which is why they feel so heavy.
With Yhwach struggling to raise his sword with both hands and lunging forward to slash at Ichibe'e, the latter casually dodges this and observes that Yhwach's attacks have become so gentle before slashing his brush down the length of Yhwach's body and smacking it into his chest to send Yhwach hurtling back, where he crashes into the edge of the platform and lands between the two lines Ichibe'e drew earlier. Noting that Yhwach is now just "Yhw", a manically grinning Ichibe'e inquires about how it feels for the leader of the Quincy whose power has been halved to be smashed to pieces by the leader of the Shinigami he despises. However, with long and thin tapestries of energy beginning to rise from a circle of energy on the floor around him, a smirking Yhwach simply inquires about whether he looks like he is feeling low.
607. THE MASTER [ ]
Ichibe'e Hyōsube continues to overpower Yhwach before releasing his Shikai, Ichimonji.
With long and thin tapestries of energy beginning to surround him, Yhwach asks Ichibe'e Hyōsube if it looks like he is feeling low and explains that nothing can feel better than the leader of the Royal Guard fearing his power enough to cut it in half, only to reveal that he can simply give this stolen power back to himself as he presses some of the tapestries into his chest to restore his strength, to Ichibe'e's surprise. After asserting that no one can take anything away from him, Yhwach tells Ichibe'e to understand this right now and declares that no one can take anything from him because everything in the world exists for him to take before sending the other tapestries hurtling toward Ichibe'e as sharp beams of energy.
In turn, Ichibe'e merely clasps his hands together around the ends of the beams when they reach him, crushing them in his grasp, and shakes his head while asserting that Yhwach does not know how generous he has been. Claiming to have reduced Yhwach's power by half for his sake, to Yhwach's confusion, Ichibe'e proclaims that Yhwach would have his reputation tarnished among the Quincy if he lost while at full strength and launches himself down toward Yhwach, where he admits that reputation does not matter when one is dead prior to unleashing Bakudō #62. Hyapporankan, prompting Yhwach to extend Blut from his hand and form a spherical barrier around himself with Blut Vene Anhaben that intercepts and destroys the beams before they can touch him. With Ichibe'e's interest piqued by this, Yhwach explains that the technique extends Blut Vene outside of the body to increase the range of its protection.
In response, Ichibe'e performs Ura Hadō: Sannodō — Teppūsatsu, manifesting a large dragon's head around himself that blows a powerful wind at Yhwach, shattering the Blut Vene Anhaben barrier and allowing Ichibe'e to grab Yhwach by the throat. Though Yhwach observes that Ichibe'e has touched him and Blut veins begin encroaching on the latter's body up to his face as Yhwach elaborates that Blut Vene Anhaben corrodes everything that comes into contact with it, which means that he is going to take the left half of Ichibe'e's body, Ichibe'e decries this being possible and simply flexes the muscles in his face and left arm, shattering the Blut and causing Yhwach's facial veins to bulge before exploding in a shower of blood. Leaping back from Yhwach, Ichibe'e expresses disbelief at him trying to trespass in a Royal Guard's body and decides that it is time for Yhwach to be punished for his insolence prior to releasing his Shikai, Ichimonji, which paints a black streak through the air in the wake of his brush as its head transforms into a blade.
608. 黒より黒し [ ]
Ichibe'e Hyōsube reveals the ability of his Shikai before Yhwach attempts to steal its power.
As living beings in the Seireitei below begin to have black leech from their bodies, Ichibe'e Hyōsube releases his Shikai, Ichimonji, prompting Yhwach to look over the blade and note that he does not sense any Reiatsu from it even though it is quite large. However, Yhwach's eyes widen in alarm upon seeing the blade briefly transform back into a brush, leaving him confused, and Ichibe'e questions if Yhwach cannot understand what he is seeing. After summoning his Reishi Sword, Yhwach clashes with Ichibe'e three times, each splashing more ink onto his blade, and separates from him before wondering what Ichimonji is supposed to do since it has only splashed ink around without cutting anything.
Yhwach inquires if the ink can cut names in half like the brush can, which he mocks since Ichibe'e knows Yhwach can restore names and capabilities cut in half with his own sword. However, upon concluding that Ichibe'e cannot defeat him with Ichimonji and vowing to win with his Spirit Weapon, Yhwach finds himself unable to actually say the name of his sword and is left speechless, leading a grinning Ichibe'e to invite him to say the sword's name prior to revealing that Yhwach knows it no longer has a name. Informing Yhwach that Ichimonji removes the names of anything it coats with its ink, Ichibe'e elaborates that this also strips the afflicted things of their power, which means that both Yhwach's sword and his Quincy Cross are now useless, before wondering if Yhwach really believed he could win with those.
In turn, Yhwach decides to simply steal Ichibe'e's power by using his own power instead of something with no name and initiates Sankt Altar, which forms a large Quincy Zeichen above Ichibe'e. However, as the energy accumulating around Yhwach's hand begins to draw the black color from Ichibe'e's beard and eyebrows into itself, Ichibe'e simply shrugs it off with a shockwave and returns to his normal coloration prior to explaining to a stunned Yhwach that while the latter did steal his power, it does not belong to him. After revealing that the power of Ichimonji encompasses all of the color black in the world and beings of all species, living and dead, contribute their black to his power, Ichibe'e slashes Ichimonji at Yhwach and covers most of his body with a massive splash of ink.
609. "A" [ ]
Ichibe'e Hyōsube seemingly defeats Yhwach with his Shin'uchi, Shirafude Ichimonji, only for the latter to come back with the power of The Almighty.
Creating a massive splash of ink that extends off either side of the walkway and almost completely coats Yhwach, Ichibe'e Hyōsube addresses the man formerly known as Yhwach. After musing that losing his name must be agonizing for Yhwach, Ichibe'e decides to give him a new name and activates his Shin'uchi, Shirafude Ichimonji, which turns the blade of his brush back into bristles that emit a white energy, forming a large circle around Ichibe'e himself. Ichibe'e observes that the modern term for this would be Bankai, though he does not use it because Ichimonji became the first evolved Zanpakutō long before the term Bankai existed, and informs Yhwach that Shirafude Ichimonji can be used to write a new name on anything that has had its name removed by the ink of Ichimonji. As he uses Shirafude Ichimonji to write "Black Ant" on Yhwach's body, Ichibe'e addresses him as such and inquires about how it feels to possess the power of a black ant, which he describes as a frail and fleeting life.
When Yhwach admits that he never could have imagined this, Ichibe'e assumes that he is referring to the gap between their powers and asserts that Yhwach's fate ends here. Demanding that Yhwach atone for all the Shinigami he has killed by being crushed to death, Ichibe'e uses Senri Tsūtenshō to stomp Yhwach through the platform with a massive leg, bids him farewell, and crushes him between two massive palms while Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth looks over in shock. However, while continuing to hurtle through the air, Yhwach clarifies that he never could have imagined being able to see this much with his eyes closed just before his eyes suddenly gain an additional pupil, pushing both to the corners of each socket. With the fabrics containing the Schutzstaffel glowing with bright blue energy, the platform behind Ichibe'e is pierced by a thick beam of Reishi, and as he turns around in confusion, Ichibe'e spits up blood upon finding himself being stabbed in the chest by a Reishi sword held by Yhwach, still covered in ink.
Grabbing the blade with both hands, Ichibe'e demands to know why Yhwach isn't dead yet and is shocked to see the characters that he wrote on the latter's chest starting to flake off alongside the ink covering his body. Within the Cage of Life, Haschwalth reveals that Yhwach now has access to his true power and can see everything that is about to happen, with the power he witnesses being unable to kill, before concluding that the name of the power befitting Yhwach is The Almighty as Yhwach finishes his sentence.
610. Mausoleum of Skulls [ ]
Yhwach defeats Ichibe'e Hyōsube after regaining his power from The Almighty awakening.
Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth asserts that Yhwach has been fighting with his eyes closed this whole time, and after dismissing the possibility of him doing so because he took his enemies lightly, Haschwalth recites the Kaiser Gesang and clarifies to Uryū Ishida that Yhwach opening his eyes before the nine years it took to regain his strength elapsed would have risked his power going out of control. With Haschwalth observing that Yhwach has now opened his eyes and the nine years of regaining his strength have ended, he concludes that their thousand yeas of prayer about to be answered, to Uryū's shock.
Meanwhile, an ink-free Yhwach stands before Ichibe'e Hyōsube and presumes he wants to know why Yhwach is not dead, why his powers are not working, and why he is going to die before explaining that his eyes opening means he can now see everything into the distant future, know everything that will happen, and render himself immune to death and harm from all powers that he sees, which is what The Almighty does. In turn, though, Ichibe'e simply refutes the idea of him losing and ridicules Yhwach's arrogance following the removal of his "Black Ant" name. After inquiring about how Yhwach intends to win with all the black covering his body, Ichibe'e reminds the former that all the black in the world still belongs to him and performs a lengthy ceremony to initiate Futen Taisatsuryō, which creates a massive mausoleum around Ichibe'e with darkness taken from a hundred nights 100 years in the future.
Describing how the skulls and graves here are dedicated to Yhwach and will turn his flesh, blood, and bones black to completely eradicate them, Ichibe'e concludes that Yhwach's Soul will not even enter the cycle of rebirth and will be obliterated, only to be shocked when Yhwach mirrors his sentence about falling into a pitch-black hell. As he reminds Ichibe'e that there is no room for comprehension or countermeasures against his power because all that he sees and knows his powerless against him, Yhwach gains a third pupil in the center of each eye, prompting Ichibe'e to ready to attack him with his Shikai, Ichimonji. Yhwach asks Ichibe'e if the latter still believes him to be nameless and proclaims that he is Yhwach, the one who will rob Ichibe'e of everything, before raising his hand and blasting Ichibe'e with enough force to destroy his torso.
611. 霊王死す [ ]
Yhwach heads off to kill the Soul King as Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends arrive at the Soul King Palace.
With Ichibe'e Hyōsube 's remains scattered across the floor, Yhwach walks over to the Seal placed by Ichibe'e, whom he notes died three steps short just as predicted, and destroys it by simply placing his hand on the barrier, opening the path to the stairs approaching the Greater Soul King Palace. Noting the defeat of the Royal Guard, who lie dead within the Cage of Life, Yhwach proclaims that it is now the Soul King 's turn to fall.
Some time later, the replica Tenchūren crashes into the Vestibule Road, where Ganju Shiba tumbles out and hits his head once the front opens as Orihime Inoue apologizes for not being able to cushion him with Santen Kesshun, though he assures her that it is fine. Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends disembark as a confused Yasutora Sado wonders if the silence means that the battle is over, only for the group to gasp in horror upon seeing Ichibe'e's severed head lying on the floor. As Orihime rushes over to Ichibe'e, Ichigo identifies him to the others as a member of the Royal Guard who trained him and 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki. Suddenly, Ichigo hears Ichibe'e's disembodied voice telling him to call Ichibe'e's name, and after expressing confusion to his friends, Ichigo says Ichibe'e's full name aloud, causing Ichibe'e's eyes to open as a black mass forms underneath his head, raising it aloft and eventually dissipating to reveal his restored body while a startled Orihime falls back.
After thanking a terrified Ichigo, Ichibe'e explains that all power resides in names and having Ichigo call his name let him take a tiny portion of Ichigo's power to restore his body with, to Ichigo's bewilderment. Laughing uproariously at this since their combined powers make it quite possible, Ichibe'e calms himself and requests that Ichigo stop Yhwach due to the Royal Guard being defeated and his own power taking too long to be fully restored. While asserting that there is no one else strong enough to do it, Ichibe'e assures Ichigo that he can stop Yhwach without killing him and emphasizes that the Soul King is the key to the world, meaning that his death will cause the Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo to collapse. Though apologetic over forcing this task upon him, Ichibe'e beseeches Ichigo to protect the Soul King, leading Ichigo and his friends to run toward the Greater Soul King Palace.
However, within the Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach shoves his Reishi Sword through the Soul King's chest and bids him farewell before identifying the latter as his father, the one who has seen the future.
Bleach, Volume 68
612. DIRTY [ ]
The remaining Shinigami in the Seireitei prepare to break into the Soul King Palace.
Within the Soul King 's chambers in the Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach finishes slaughtering the attendants present and approaches the Soul King, whom he calls an imperfect god for being unable to escape even a moment like this. After promising to bring an end to the Soul King's endless humiliation, Yhwach ponders the possibility that the Soul King foresaw this day, plunges his Reishi Sword into the Soul King's chest, and bids the latter farewell as his father who has seen the future.
Meanwhile, in the replaced Seireitei below, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai leap between damaged buildings prior to landing outside of Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory, where they are surprised to find 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako, who comments on them only just arriving. When Renji inquires about how he is feeling due to the bandages covering his body, Shinji begins to explain that it is not as bad as it appears, but 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda interjects to announce that Shinji is fine while carrying his sister, Mareyo Ōmaeda, and with an unimpressed Renji noting that he is here too, Marechiyo recounts how Shinji used the Sakasama no Sekai ability of his Shikai, Sakanade, on Sternritter "H" Bazz-B at the last minute so the latter's Burner Finger 3 veered away from them, which has left him deeply grateful to Shinji and willing to protect the latter from any criticism. In turn, Renji recalls how Marechiyo called Shinji an outsider and made fun of him behind his back the most when the latter first rejoined the Gotei 13 prior to wondering why Marechiyo brought Mareyo to a place like this, only for Marechiyo to claim that she just fell asleep and berate Renji for being loud enough to risk waking her up.
Suddenly, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng slams her fist into Marechiyo's side and tells him that he is the one who needs to shut up, leaving Marechiyo to collapse while Suì-Fēng clarifies that the wounds sustained by herself and Mareyo have only just finished healing due to the hard work of 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori, who greets Rukia and Renji. With Suì-Fēng telling him to ease up on Marechiyo because the latter could not have left his sister in a warzone, a stunned Renji complies and muses that Suì-Fēng has become quite a bit less strict, prompting Rukia to claim that she has always been kind. As Suì-Fēng prepares to enter the laboratory, Renji wonders if everyone is here, prompting Shinji to remind him of the message they received urging all captains and lieutenants to convene here even if it means disengaging from a fight, which he considers dire enough to make everyone come as fast as they can.
Once Suì-Fēng presses a panel next to the door, it opens to reveal Urahara, Yūshirō Shihōin, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, and 1st Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise standing inside, where Yūshirō promptly introduces himself and thanks them for all they have done for Yoruichi Shihōin. Overcome with emotion at how much Yūshirō has grown since she last saw him, a tearful Suì-Fēng gives him some money to spend while Urahara chastises him for leaving his post. Upon being asked by Shinji about the location of those not present, Urahara details that the Seventh Division asked to be allowed to move independently due to Captain Sajin Komamura 's injuries and refused to be sent a medical team, 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma will be meeting up with the Twelfth Division and will eventually reach the laboratory since Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi will suffer as well if Soul Society disappears, the severely injured 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and less injured 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi are receiving medical care alongside 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku has business with Central 46, and 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto cannot be reached.
With Shinji calling this a mess and inquiring about what he intends to do once they are all gathered here, Urahara reveals that they are going to storm the Soul King Palace, to the shock of those present, and responds to Shinji questioning if this is even possible by noting that the Tenshi Heisō brought by Yūshirō, the pedestal built by Mayuri, and the immense collective Reiryoku of the captains and lieutenants should make it so.
Simultaneously, as Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends are transported to the Greater Soul King Palace on Orihime Inoue 's Santen Kesshun, Ichibe'e Hyōsube apologizes to them and reveals that they cannot defeat Yhwach.
613. The Ordinary Peace [ ]
The Shinigami in the Seireitei prepare to transport themselves to the Soul King Palace as Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends confront Yhwach.
Sitting alone on the Vestibule Road, Ichibe'e Hyōsube apologizes to Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends because they cannot defeat Yhwach, only to assure them that this is fine since it is what peace is all about and infer that Yhwach believes the same.
Meanwhile, down in Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory within the replaced Seireitei, 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako informs Urahara that the Fourth Division seems to be done treating the wounded just before 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake opens the door from the treatment room and reveals that they have finished performing tertiary care, which he believes 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu and 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada should be commended for. When a startled Shinji questions why he was involved in healing the injured when he needed healing himself, Ukitake explains that he is well enough to help treat injuries and is quite familiar with Kaidō due to his recurring illness, which his 3rd Seats, Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu, praise him for while noting that he should not admit that last part. With Ukitake concluding that everyone except 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki has recovered enough to be active again and thanking them once more, Isane and Hanatarō downplay their involvement since they were simply following Ukitake's detailed instructions.
Suddenly, as Ukitake expresses relief at 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi being healed as well, Kenpachi emerges from the treatment room and expresses annoyance at being described as unable to be active prior to asking Urahara about the whereabouts of his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. Upon being informed by Urahara that his division is still looking for her and being instructed to wait here, Kenpachi turns around and attempts to open the door to leave, but a protesting Urahara blocks his path with a Bakudō spell and apologetically refuses to let Kenpachi leave yet. However, before an angered Kenpachi can confront Urahara over this, 1st Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise steps in front of him and responds to Kenpachi ordering her to move by pointing out that the other Shinigami can search for Yachiru much faster than Kenpachi can, in addition to Kenpachi's power being crucial for Urahara to build his gate. With Nanao sternly concluding that he should focus on the task at hand and asking him if she is wrong, Kenpachi remains silent for several seconds before admitting she is probably right and turning back, leaving a sweating Nanao to sigh in relief. At Urahara's behest, the gathered captains and lieutenants stand inside the circular platform in the center of the laboratory and are handed orbs to charge with their Reiatsu, with Urahara opening the ceiling and admitting that they are going to get a little wet from the rain falling outside.
Back in the Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach stands before the impaled Soul King and turns to find himself confronted by Ichigo and his friends. Realizing that Ichibe'e sent them here, Yhwach calls Ichigo an insect doomed to be crushed by the cogs of fate and promises to lay him to rest personally.
614. KILL THE KING [ ]
Kisuke Urahara further explains his method of entering the Soul King Palace as Yhwach tricks Ichigo Kurosaki into attacking the Soul King.
With the ceiling of Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory in the replaced Seireitei opening, 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako is alarmed when Hiyori Sarugaki approaches them from behind with her fellow Visored and a large teapot. When Shinji demands to know why she is here, an irate Hiyori reminds him that they are here because he forced them to run his errands. Having been called "bald" once again by Hiyori, Shinji points out that he is not bald at all, and when Hiyori claims that she will just ignore the loud one with the bowl cut, Shinji attempts to trick 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng into believing that Hiyori is referring to her, only for Suì-Fēng to coldly assert that she does not have a bowl cut and will kill Shinji.
As Hiyori proceeds to pour the liquid-like contents of the teapot into the basin that the captains and lieutenants are standing in, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki observes that it does not feel wet. In turn, Urahara details how this substance was formed by the distortions between the Human World, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Dangai, making it the source of the energy that they will need to enter the Soul King Palace, with Yoruichi Shihōin having collected a small sample earlier before the Visored refined the rest. After Hiyori announces that she is done, Urahara instructs her and the other Visored to put on their shihakushō in the autopsy room, and when Hiyori begins to protest this, Love Aikawa throws her over his shoulder and walks away with Lisa Yadōmaru and Hachigen Ushōda while reminding an indignant Hiyori that Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi are putting their lives on the line, with Hiyori falling silent once Love asserts they cannot walk away like it is not their problem.
Behind them, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki questions if they are going to fly into the sky once the orbs are fully charged, leading Urahara to clarify that he is instead going to make a gate, which begins forming in front of them as a large, crackling string of energy. When Urahara reveals that this method will only work as long as the hole created by Ichigo Kurosaki remains and admits that there might not be a way for anyone to return, Suì-Fēng expresses frustration at him only telling them now, but while Urahara apologizes and asks her to not be upset, Suì-Fēng clarifies that she is angered by Urahara's disrespect in assuming that the Gotei 13 would cower if he told them the truth earlier. As Suì-Fēng lectures Urahara for not knowing better despite being a former member of the Gotei 13, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake reminds him that they all feel the same way about fighting for the Gotei 13 and Kenpachi asserts that he only cares about being able to crush the Wandenreich rather than respect, the honor of the Gotei 13, or whether or not he can return. After Kenpachi tells him to get them to the Soul King Palace and stop wasting time, Urahara smiles and admits that he is right while Hiyori, Hachigen, Love, and Lisa solemnly put on their shihakushō.
Meanwhile, having confronted Yhwach alongside his friends, Ichigo Kurosaki declares that they have come to stop him, but Yhwach claims to have been expecting Ichigo and asserts that he foresaw Ichigo coming to stop him from killing the Soul King, to Ichigo's confusion. An unnerved Orihime Inoue points out Yhwach's triple-pupiled eyes, prompting Ichigo to inquire about what they signify and leading Yhwach to explain that they are the eyes of a true Quincy that can see everything. Recounting how Ichigo met Ichibe'e Hyōsube, resurrected him, and ended up being convinced to come here by him, Yhwach concludes that he foresaw all of this and knew Ichigo would be too late while stepping aside to revealed the Soul King, impaled with his own Reishi Sword, to Ichigo's shock.
Despite Yhwach stating that the Soul King is dead and there is nothing he can do, Ichigo swiftly moves past Yhwach and to the crystal with Shunpo to grab onto the Reishi Sword, which he begins attempting to pull out while his friends call out to him. Noticing this, Yhwach encourages him to pull out the Reishi Sword, which he should be capable of doing, and as a yelling Ichigo slowly manages to pull the Reishi Sword out of the Soul King's chest and crystal, Yhwach concludes that he can now destroy Soul Society with his own hands. Suddenly, Blut veins run up Ichigo's right arm and the side of his face from the Reishi Sword, forcing him to hold it back in a swinging position. Yhwach asserts that he foresaw this as well and informs Ichigo that the Quincy blood within him can never forgive the Soul King before proclaiming that Ichigo must slay the Soul King because of the Quincy blood coursing through him while a screaming Ichigo is forced to slash the Reishi Sword at the crystal and cut the Soul King diagonally in half. With an aghast Ichigo falling to his knees, Yhwach asserts that he foresaw this as well because the Quincy blood within Ichigo will never forgive the Soul King's existence and invites Ichigo to watch the end of Soul Society with him.
615. All is Lost [ ]
The Shinigami and Humans react to the Soul King 's death as 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake prepares to take action.
In the Kurosaki Clinic in Karakura Town, a frightened Yuzu Kurosaki clutches onto Karin Kurosaki, who is playing a video game, and calls out the tremors shaking their house as an earthquake while inadvertently knocking over Karin's juice with her foot. When a nonchalant Karin comments on this, Yuzu apologizes and claims that she believed Karin was in danger, and while Karin forgives her since the juice did not get on her game console, Yuzu offers to clean up the spill, only for Karin to ask her to instead put away the cup as she wipes up the juice herself. With Yuzu tearfully apologizing again, Karin assures her that it is alright, but is left troubled by the earthquake continuing to shake the town because of how long it has lasted.
Meanwhile, in the Greater Soul King Palace, Ichigo Kurosaki collapses in shock before the bifurcated Soul King while his friends look on in disbelief. After Yhwach reminds him that it is too late because he had already foreseen Ichigo killing the Soul King, a trembling Ichigo demands to know why he did this and why Yhwach's Reishi Sword will not leave his hand, leading Yhwach to explain that his Schrift is The Almighty, letting him see all futures and give and take all powers, including his own Reiatsu that dwells within his Reishi Sword. Once Yhwach concludes that his Reiatsu called out to Ichigo's blood when it flowed into him and proclaims that Ichigo must kill the Soul King if Quincy blood flows within him because he cannot forgive the latter, an enraged Ichigo breaks the Blut veins covering his hand, draws both swords of his Shikai, Zangetsu, and rushes toward Yhwach, who easily blocks Ichigo's attacks and questions if Ichigo still has a reason to fight him when Soul Society is about to disappear.
Down in Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory within the replaced Seireitei, the Shinigami see the opened roof beginning to crumble and express shock, and when 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame wonders if they are being attacked, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng refutes this because there are no Quincy Reiatsu signatures in the area just before Urahara deduces that this is the result of the Soul King dying, leaving those present aghast while 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako questions what the Royal Guard and Ichigo are doing. Inferring that the Royal Guard were wiped out and Ichigo did not make it in time, which he does not want to believe but sees no alternative to, Urahara warns the others that Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World will all cease to exist.
Back in the Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach points out how the Soul King was created to stabilize Soul Society because of the great number of Souls that pass through it, with his absence meaning that Soul Society, the Dangai, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World will all cease to exist. Suddenly, Yoruichi Shihōin surrounds him with layers of Tenshi Heisō: Hissaki Kumoi, mocks Yhwach for talking so much, and warns him not to touch the strings unless he wants to be torn apart prior to instructing Orihime Inoue to heal the Soul King. In turn, Orihime attempts to restore the Soul King with Sōten Kisshun, but the barrier almost immediately shatters, to her shock, as Yhwach calls them foolish for believing a mere Human could revive the Soul King. With Yhwach proclaiming that the Soul King cannot be revived no matter what powers they use, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai laments the idea of existence disappearing and demands to know if there is really nothing they can do as 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake is engulfed by a shadow.
616. ミミハギ様 [ ]
13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake reveals his intention to replace the Soul King as Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku visits Sousuke Aizen.
With Yhwach proclaiming that the Soul King cannot be revived no matter what powers Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends use, several Hollows are alarmed by the tremors rocking Hueco Mundo, Keigo Asano comments on the strangeness of none of the news stations reporting on the earthquake in Karakura Town despite how long it has been going on, which Mizuiro Kojima attributes to its low intensity, and the Soldat in the replaced Seireitei realize that Yhwach intends to crush them alongside Soul Society, to their despair. As a weakened Sternritter "H" Bazz-B overhears this, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai laments the idea of Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo all disappearing without the Gotei 13 able to do anything.
Suddenly, while a dark aura manifests behind him, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake announces to the other Shinigami present in Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory that he will be taking the dead Soul King's place. Surprised by this, Urahara questions if it is even possible, but Ukitake merely asserts that he will explain later as he discards his captain's haori and strides forward to the center of the platform in the middle of the laboratory before removing the upper half of his shihakushō as well. Seeing the shadowy aura taking the shape of a large vertical eye on his back, a stunned 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki wonders what this is, Ukitake draws his Zanpakutō and holds it in a combat stance prior to reciting a chant to Mimihagi, whom he asks to unleash the power stored within his organs, while the shadowy aura behind him expands and lengthens to resemble a large arm with an eye on its palm, to the shock of Urahara and 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng.
In the past, Ukitake's parents beg Mimihagi to save a young Mimihagi's life at a dilapidated shrine in the Rukongai. In the present, Ukitake explains that he was stricken with a serious case of tuberculosis when he was three, which turned his hair white, and admits that he was supposed to die because of it before inquiring if anyone has heard of Mimihagi. Once Urahara notes that he has heard of it as a god worshipped in the outer Rukongai, Ukitake clarifies that it is an indigenous, heteromorphic, cyclopean god worshipped in the Sakahone district and is said to offer divine protection to those who offer everything aside from their eye, with this god also said to be the enshrined right arm of the Soul King that fell from the heavens long ago.
As Urahara stares in shock at this, Ukitake details how his superstitious parents took him to the shrine after the doctor gave up on him and began a prayer to offer his lungs to Mimihagi, allowing him to live and become healthy enough to join the Gotei 13 as a Shinigami. Suddenly, Ukitake coughs up blood, but when Rukia expresses concern for him, Ukitake orders her to stand by and explains that Kamikake expands the stilling power of Mimihagi from his lungs to all the organs in his body, letting it claim them and turning himself into the right arm of the Soul King. With a tattoo of Mimihagi manifesting across Ukitake's torso, a stunned Rukia asks him if he performed Kamikake in anticipation of this moment, prompting Ukitake to confirm this and detail how he has thought about this day since his life was first saved before declaring that nothing would make him happier than to sacrifice the life he once lost for the sake of the Gotei 13. With the shadowy Mimihagi stretching into the sky, Ukitake roars in agony.
During this, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku stands in Muken and muses that he can feel the tremors even down here because the end is nearing for Soul Society. After noting that he can still be heard right now, Shunsui asserts that innocent people like himself cannot go any further into the darkness than this and demands that the sound of his voice be heard and answered by Sousuke Aizen.
617. Return of the God [ ]
13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake stabilizes the Soul King as Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku inadvertently frees Sousuke Aizen.
Darkness bursts from a screaming 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake 's eyes and mouth, coating his body and allowing the aura of Mimihagi to extend into the sky. While the long hand reaches upward, the tremors rocking the replaced Seireitei slowly cease, to Kisuke Urahara 's surprise, and Yhwach is astonished alongside Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends to see the shadowy Mimihagi encasing the two halves of the Soul King in the Greater Soul King Palace, where the hand opens an eye on its palm. Questioning what it is, Yhwach deduces that Mimihagi is part of the Soul King because he cannot see it with The Almighty, and as he wonders if Mimihagi's time in Soul Society led it to become protective of the Shinigami, Yhwach demands an answer from it.
Down in Urahara's laboratory in the replaced Seireitei, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 3rd Seats Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu are mortified by the sight of Ukitake's twitching body as Urahara looks up through the holy in the ceiling, only for 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng to bluntly ask him how long Ukitake will last in this state. Expressing doubt that this would be enough to make Ukitake a replacement for the Soul King, Suì-Fēng theorizes that this stability will only last so long as Ukitake is alive, to the astonishment of everyone else, and asserts that it is true when her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda protests, but Urahara admits that he does not know the answer because this is the first time he has seen or even heard of Kamikake, preventing him from knowing how long Ukitake has, before declaring that they must find a way to save the world while Ukitake is standing in for the Soul King, which those present concur with.
Meanwhile, down in Muken, as he stands before a row of keyholes in the ground, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku observes Sousuke Aizen 's lack of response and wonders if he is against communicating with Reiatsu or if Muken is making it impossible for him to do so. Withdrawing a long and thin box from his kimono, Shunsui takes off the lid to reveal a set of twenty keys and reveals that these will unlock different parts of Aizen's restraints, though he has only been permitted to use three of them, before deciding to start with the seal on Aizen's mouth.
Up in the laboratory, Urahara is shocked to see the gate beginning to break down, and when 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa question why this is happening, 1st Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise reveals that they need 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, who possessed far more built-up Reiatsu than any other captain due to sustaining his body with it for centuries. Suddenly, Lisa Yadōmaru interrupts Nanao's despair by placing her hand on Nanao's orb and reminding her that it is not over yet while Hiyori Sarugaki, Hachigen Ushōda, and Love Aikawa approach the platform wearing the shihakushō they were instructed to put on. With Hiyori demanding that they receive orbs as well, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi appears on the opened roof with his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and chastises Urahara for doing as he pleases in someone else's laboratory before bringing out the Reiatsu Amplifier, which he asserts should have been used from the start if they needed to combine their Reiatsu into a gate When an unnerved Urahara wonders why Mayuri never mentioned having this, Mayuri declares he never believed it would come to this and turns on the Reiatsu Amplifier, causing it to glow golden and enhance the power of everyone's Reiatsu to restore the gate, to the relief of those present.
Back in Muken, Shunsui unlocks the seal on Aizen's mouth and asserts that he should be able to talk with his mouth instead of Reiatsu now, and though he ruminates on how it would be tough for most people to talk after two years of their mouth being shut, Shunsui states that it should not be a problem for Aizen. Suddenly, Aizen confirms this and walks toward an astounded Shunsui. With Shunsui alarmed at Aizen doing this with only his mouth unsealed, Aizen stands before him in the remnants of his restraints and inquires if he is going to use his remaining two keys.
618. The Dark Arm [ ]
Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku begins transporting Sousuke Aizen to the Seireitei as Ichigo Kurosaki takes on Yhwach.
With Sousuke Aizen standing before Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku and inquiring if he is going to use his remaining two keys for Aizen's seals, Shunsui quickly inserts two more keys into the locks on Aizen's left eye and ankle prior to asking how it feels for Aizen to be able to use those now. In turn, Aizen comments on how Shunsui has not changed much, with Shunsui uncertain about whether or not to take this as a compliment prior to asking Aizen if he wants to get out of here. When Aizen notes he did not ask to be let out, Shunsui counters that a man who wanted to stay would not tell him to use the other two keys. However, Aizen points out that a man who does not want him to leave would not come with a key embedded in his own body, leading Shunsui to admit that Aizen saw right through him and get to his feet before pulling aside his kimono to reveal a surgical scar on his chest and revealing that embedding the key to Muken in his heart was the condition for being allowed to come here and partially unlock Aizen's restraints.
In turn, Aizen deduces that this will leave the gate to Muken sealed forever if Shunsui dies and that Central 46 thought he would go so far as to kill Shunsui for the key, which he considers typical of them. Attributing this to the Central 46 simply wanting to protect the wellbeing of Soul Society, Shunsui encourages Aizen to leave it at that and takes a step to the left to reveal a row of attendants and a transportable chair with a crossed back behind him, which he invites Aizen to sit on so they can carry him up to the surface of the replaced Seireitei. Though Shunsui assumes that Aizen misses breathing the fresh air of Soul Society, Aizen simply stares at him and remains silent. Suddenly, one of the attendants behind Shunsui begs his pardon and rushes forward with a length of fabric in his hands as he asserts that he must bind Aizen before he is seated.
Before Shunsui can react, the attendant's fingertips are erased upon getting too close to Aizen, leaving him screaming in pain and confusion while his blood sprays profusely from his ten finger stumps. In response, Aizen calls him foolish for not realizing the restraints merely condense his Reiatsu around his body instead of eliminating it, which causes organic matter that gets close to him to be vaporized. After turning back to Shunsui, Aizen questions if the former really believes he will fight for the sake of Soul Society, but Shunsui merely claims that he believes they have similar interests. Calling Shunsui amusing, Aizen looks down and wonders if Shunsui wants him to breathe the air of a Soul Society about to be crushed by Yhwach.
Meanwhile, in the Greater Soul King Palace above, Yhwach clashes with Mimihagi and admits that he never thought the latter would stand in his way. Believing that the Soul King's will does not reside within Mimihagi, Yhwach prepares to blast away both the Soul King and Mimihagi, but Ichigo Kurosaki intercepts him by grabbing his right arm with his left hand before Yhwach can complete his attack, creating a shockwave and dispelling the energy that Yhwach gathered. With Yhwach telling Ichigo to get out of his way, Yoruichi Shihōin runs past them, places the Chizeimon, Tesshimon, and Kozanmon sheets around Mimihagi and the Soul King, and thanks Ichigo before setting up the Sankotsu no Jufu between the sheets and revealing that she intends to solidify Mimihagi as the new Soul King with this because it has stabilized Soul Society and is the Soul King's right arm.
During this, Yhwach questions why Ichigo is trying to stop him when Ichigo is the one who killed the Soul King and has Quincy blood that should not tolerate the Soul King's existence, which is why he should have no reason to stand in Yhwach's way. In turn, Ichigo asserts that he came here to stop Yhwach and protect the Three Worlds, and when Yhwach calls him arrogant for believing that no one else can do this, Ichigo counters that the existence of someone else aside from him who could do so would not be an excuse for him to not do so himself. After firing a powerful Getsuga Tenshō with his larger sword that blasts Yhwach out of the Greater Soul King Palace, Ichigo concludes that Yhwach's blood running in him will not make him do what Yhwach wants, only for Yhwach to claim that whether or not Ichigo will do what he wants is a decision made by his eyes.
619. The Betrayer [ ]
Uryū Ishida intervenes in Ichigo Kurosaki 's battle against Yhwach.
Above the damaged Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach claims that he has never one thought of forcing Ichigo Kurosaki to do as he wishes and elaborates that he did not have to because Ichigo's will is connected to his own. When Ichigo questions what he is saying, Yhwach asserts that Ichigo has always been fighting for him and details how the battles Ichigo fought after awakening his Shinigami powers elevated those powers so he could defeat Sousuke Aizen before concluding that Ichigo regaining the power he lost from defeating Aizen was done so he could kill the Soul King in front of Yhwach's eyes. Though Yoruichi Shihōin asserts that this is nonsense and warns Ichigo to not listen to him, Yhwach denies this and declares that he has always seen Ichigo fighting for him, with everything he has done being for Yhwach's gain no matter what he thinks, because they have the same blood flowing within them.
In response, Ichigo tells Yhwach to shut up and fires another Getsuga Tenshō at him, and when Yhwach intercepts this with his hand, Ichigo attacks Yhwach through the smoke left by the resulting explosion with the larger sword of his Shikai, Zangetsu, forcing Yhwach to block it with his left wrist. However, when Ichigo dismisses their shared blood and reminds Yhwach that he is here to stop the latter from destroying the Three Worlds, Yhwach questions why Ichigo only intends to "stop" his sworn enemy and claims that his inability to vow to kill the man who killed his mother is a sign of his weakness. Left aghast at this, an angered Ichigo rears back to attack Yhwach again, only for a Heilig Pfeil to hurtle in from outside the chamber and embed itself in Yoruichi's back, shocking everyone other than Yhwach as they turn to see Uryū Ishida standing outside the chamber with his Heilig Bogen formed and pointed at them.
Suddenly, due to her lack of concentration, the barriers of Sankotsu no Jufu begins to crack and explodes before a panicking Yoruichi can fix it, exposing the Soul King and Mimihagi within. With a cursing Yoruichi pulling the Heilig Pfeil out of her back, Ichigo demands to know what Uryū is doing, but is startled when Yhwach bypasses him to approach Mimihagi and attempts to stop him, leading Yhwach to blast Ichigo several meters away with a shockwave from his hand prior to reaching the Soul King's crystal. Despite this, Yhwach's attempt to reach for Mimihagi is interrupted when Yoruichi hits him with several Destructive Spheres. As the residue trails off of an unmoving Yhwach, Yoruichi explains that the second set of spheres will destroy whatever the first set hits and pulls them out on a rope. In response, Yhwach calls upon Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas, who appears behind Yoruichi with its eyes glowing and forcibly twists and mutilates her left arm so she can no longer throw the Destructive Spheres.
After Yhwach blasts a stunned Yoruichi off the side of the Greater Soul King Palace with another shockwave, leaving her to fall into the sky below while Orihime Inoue, Ichigo moves behind Yhwach with Shunpo and prepares to attack him once more, Uryū fires another Heilig Pfeil at him from the side, forcing Ichigo to cut through it instead. With Ichigo shocked to be staring down Uryū, Yhwach commends the latter and brutally rips the shadowy Mimihagi off of the Soul King, which creates a huge diagonal fissure in the side of the Greater Soul King Palace. Standing on a level apart from his friends, Uryū tells Ichigo to not interfere with Yhwach, only for Ichigo to demand once more to know what Uryū thinks he is doing.
620. Where Do You Stand [ ]
The rest of the Schutzstaffel arrive as Yhwach prepares to take everything belonging to the Soul King.
With the Greater Soul King Palace beginning to list to the side, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Ganju Shiba struggle to maintain their balance as Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas falls over the edge. As his friends watch in disbelief, Uryū Ishida moves between Yhwach and Ichigo Kurosaki, pulls back another Heilig Pfeil in his Heilig Bogen, and warns them that he will shoot if any of them move. A grimacing Ichigo steps forward, prompting Uryū to fire the Heilig Pfeil, and after slashing through it with the larger sword of his Shikai, Zangetsu, a frustrated Ichigo inquires if Uryū knows why he and his friends are here. In turn, Uryū states that he heard they came here to stop Yhwach and simply asserts that he does not intend to let this happen. Though Ichigo declares Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo will cease to exist if they do not stop Yhwach, Uryū merely asks if Ichigo thinks he has come here without knowing that, leaving Ichigo stunned at the notion that he has known the whole time and questioning why Uryū is standing on that side when he knows what is going to happen and why his friends are here.
After Uryū claims he is siding with Yhwach because he is a Quincy, Sternritter "M" Gerard Valkyrie flies up with Pernida under his arm as Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar and "X" Lille Barro join him in converging around Orihime, Sado, and Ganju while the wings of their Quincy: Vollständigs disappear. When Gerard notes that he expected a massive army to be trying to stop Yhwach, Uryū tells them that he does not need any help and fires several Heilig Pfeil into the floor underneath Ichigo and his friends, shattering it and causing him to begin falling. With Ichigo calling out to him, Uryū states that he just needs to make them fall, but as Ichigo and the others continue to fall from the Greater Soul King Palace, Lille aims his Spirit Weapon, Diagramm, down at Ichigo. However, before he can shoot, Uryū fires a Heilig Pfeil after Ichigo and infers that while Lille knows they cannot survive such a fall and have no way back up here if they do, killing them before they fall negates such a premise altogether, which he believes is correct for Yhwach.
Approaching Uryū from behind Lille, Gerard laughs heartily and accepts Uryū as one of the Schutzstaffel, which Uryū smiles at. Meanwhile, in the Soul King 's chamber, upon seeing the shadowy Mimihagi in his hand rearing up toward him, Yhwach criticizes it for wanting to consume him, the child of the Soul King, prior to shredding it. After declaring that the Soul King did not account for the difference in their power when foreseeing the future and asserts that Mimihagi is far inferior to what he is now, Yhwach absorbs Mimihagi and its power into himself, causing the tremors to resume in the replaced Seireitei below, to the concern of the Shinigami in Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory. Yhwach stands with an eye-pattern tattoo covering the left side of his face and decides to take everything from the Soul King, and as his Schutzstaffel look on, Yhwach proclaims that he will put a lid on the Seireitei so that nothing gets in his way until he has finished consuming the Soul King prior to unleashing a beam of darkness from his finger, which bursts out of the underside of the Greater Soul King Palace.
621. THE DARK CURTAIN [ ]
Yhwach unleashes the Torrent of the Soul King 's Power as Sousuke Aizen is brought to the surface of the Seireitei.
In Kisuke Urahara 's laboratory, the darkness emanating from 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake 's mouth explodes out of him, leaving his body to collapse as his 3rd Seats, Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu, rush to his side in concern. With those present seeing the shadowy Mimihagi rising into the sky and assuming that it is disappearing, Urahara realizes that it is instead being absorbed. Suddenly, a beam of darkness from above strikes the Shakonmaku over the replaced Seireitei and begins spreading over it, to the confusion of the Shinigami watching from below.
Simultaneously, in the Greater Soul King Palace above, Yhwach stumbles and falls to one knee, and when Sternritter "X" Lille Barro approaches him to inquire if he is alright, he is bewildered to see small, one-eyed creatures being generated from the darkness of Yhwach's cape. Though the Schutzstaffel are alarmed when the creatures begin flooding over them, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth explains that this is the Torrent of the Soul King 's Power which has been released from the Shinigami seal placed upon it and is now flooding through Yhwach's body. Assuring the Schutzstaffel that the creatures will not harm them, Haschwalth reveals that their enemy is the Shinigami as the torrent surges out of the Greater Soul King Palace to fall toward the replaced Seireitei below.
Meanwhile, in Urahara's laboratory, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi wonders why it is suddenly as dark as nighttime, prompting 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng to assert that the Quincy did it and point out a hole in the Shakonmaku, which she theorizes was opened by part of the Seireiheki wall crumbling and asserts is now a prime target for the Wandenreich after Mimihagi used it to reach the Soul King Palace. Leaping up to the roof, Suì-Fēng responds to her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, wondering where she is going by declaring that she is going to destroy the canopy over the Shakonmaku and activates her Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben. However Suì-Fēng is interrupted when the Torrent of the Soul King's Power falls through the hole and engulfs her, leaving Suì-Fēng struggling to free herself from the creatures until Marechiyo destroys several of the ones on her body with his Shikai, Gegetsuburi.
With Suì-Fēng smacking her fist into a concerned Marechiyo's face and telling him that he is too slow, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Hisagi leap onto the roof as well, where Hisagi proclaims that they need to stop the creatures from entering the laboratory and releases his Shikai, Kazeshini, while Ikkaku and Yumichika agree and release their respective Shikai, Hōzukimaru and Fuji Kujaku, though they only succeed in briefly repelling one of the waves. In turn, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki emerges from the laboratory with his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, and 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki to release his Shikai, Senbonzakura, unleashing a massive horde of blade petals that slam into the next wave of eyeball creatures and cuts through it1
However, the wave ultimately overwhelms Senbonzakura and resumes its course toward the Shinigami, leaving Ikkaku to lament that the endless nature of the enemy means they will never get around to destroying the canopy. Suddenly, before the wave can reach the laboratory, the creatures are crushed into paste on the ground. With Rukia looking up in shock, the creatures recede around Sousuke Aizen, who sits on his chair and criticizes the Shinigami for fighting with their Zanpakutō instead of their Reiatsu.
622. The Agony [ ]
Sousuke Aizen destroys the rest of the Torrent of the Soul King 's Power as the Shinigami react to his release.
With 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai shocked to see him as he crushes the Torrent of the Soul King 's Power with his Reiatsu, Sousuke Aizen sits on his chair in his restraints and notes that it has been a while since he saw Rukia, though he does not recall speaking to her since he left the Gotei 13, before congratulating her on her promotion to lieutenant and claims to be glad that she was rewarded for her distinguished service against him. When Rukia demands to know why he is here, Aizen reveals that his sentence was lifted just before Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku interrupts Rukia's disbelief by stepping in to claim responsibility, to the shock of those present.
Shunsui observes that everyone must be wondering why and explains that he decided that they need Aizen's help, prompting Renji to protest this, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi to question if Shunsui is really okay with this, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame to refuse to go along with Aizen's assistance, and 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa to affirm that it is unacceptable considering what he has done. However, once 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng calls this disgraceful, Shunsui lowers the brim of his hat and inquires if this is about defending their own honor, to the surprise of the Shinigami, before informing them that honor will not help the Gotei 13 protect the world and concluding that using evil to defeat evil is not an evil act itself. With the Shinigami silenced by this, Aizen muses that the matter seems to be settled and suggests that Shunsui undo the restraints on his hands so he can get out of the chair, but Shunsui bluntly refuses, leading an annoyed Aizen to question if Shunsui intends for him to get rid of the remaining creatures while sitting down.
As Shunsui states that he believes Aizen can accomplish this, Aizen counters that he is being given too much credit since he does not have that kind of power right now, but while another horde of the eyeball creatures descends upon them from above, Shunsui clarifies that he does not believe Aizen will sit by and watch them gnaw on his body prior to the horde smashing into Aizen's condensed Reiatsu and being blown apart by it. Walking away as Aizen lambasts his attitude, an initially flippant Shunsui is suddenly startled and orders everyone to run back to the laboratory just before Aizen initiates a massive Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi. Down in the laboratory after everyone retreats, Byakuya warns Shunsui that his freeing of Aizen is a grave insult to the rest of the Gotei 13, only for Shunsui to acknowledge this and request that they beat him up over it only after they all save the Seireitei.
Above them, Kurohitsugi concludes, leaving a wide area around the laboratory flattened and lifeless, where an astounded Urahara observes that the spell causing this much damage without an incantation means Aizen may be even more powerful than he was during his battle against Ichigo Kurosaki as Renji realizes that this means he may have grown stronger within Muken and calls him a monster. Nearby, Aizen comments on his chair being intact despite being struck by Kurohitsugi and muses that it is made from the same material as his cross in Muken, which amuses him and leaves Renji aghast at him aiming Kurohitsugi at himself. When Suì-Fēng levels her Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben, and asserts that they have to destroy the canopy of darkness over the Shakonmaku, Aizen assures her that this will not be necessary and details how the gravity from Kurohitsugi created a fissure in the canopy which will make it collapse when struck by his Reiatsu. With Aizen's intensifying Reiatsu disrupting the gate in the laboratory, Rukia tells him to stop because he is going to scatter the Reiatsu they have collected for the gate, but Aizen declares that this will not be necessary either because he will simply take advantage of the hole in the barriers and shoot down the Soul King Palace if they need to reach it.
Bleach, Volume 69
623. Against The Judgement [ ]
Sousuke Aizen is prevented from bringing down the Soul King Palace before the surviving Sternritter confront the Gotei 13.
Having promised to shoot down the Soul King Palace so the Gotei 13 can enter it, Sousuke Aizen begins exerting his Reiatsu in a powerful beam that pierces the Shakonmaku and disperses the darkness covering it while 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai expresses disbelief at Aizen's goal and 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi wonders if this is even possible for Aizen to do. With Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku holding 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki back from approaching Aizen, the latter's Reiatsu suddenly disappears just as it begins to intensify, leaving Aizen startled while Shunsui reminds him of his restraints only keeping his Reiatsu close to his body rather than eliminating it, informs him that the technology restraining his Reiatsu is immensely strong, and warns him against underestimating the peak of Soul Society 's development.
As Shunsui turns to him for confirmation, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi approaches them from behind Shunsui and affirms that he never intended to eliminate Reiatsu due to it being produced by a Shinigami for as long as their heart beats, which makes all the prisoners of Muken those who cannot be killed by any executioner in Soul Society. Elaborating that the Shinigami Research and Development Institute 's efforts were instead spent on restraining Reiatsu alongside the body, which he controls the extent of, Mayuri holds up a small medallion with markings and mocks Aizen for believing that his power could surpass Mayuri's technology before admitting that while he does not know if Aizen can shoot down the Soul King Palace, it would be embarrassing for him to do so while wearing Mayuri's restraints. Suddenly, as Aizen suggests that Mayuri set the restraints to maximum in order to see whether they or his own power are stronger, he is struck by The Underbelly, to his surprise.
Atop the corner of a nearby building, Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop stands with a U-shaped symbol of energy dissipating on his hand and brags about having thoroughly observed Aizen's Reiatsu, which is full of holes potentially due to his restraints, prior to explaining how he can measure the distribution and poke those holes to completely strip through Aizen's defenses. After concluding that it will be especially easy because Aizen cannot move, NaNaNa swipes his hand through the air, which causes spikes of energy to hit the holes in Aizen's Reiatsu and strip him of it, rendering him paralyzed and leaving him limp in his chair. NaNaNa expresses disbelief that Aizen is still conscious, and while Sternritter "H" Bazz-B, "G" Liltotto Lamperd, and "Z" Giselle Gewelle join him on the rooftop, NaNaNa observes that Aizen still will not be able to move for a while and asserts that he needs to sit back because the Sternritter cannot have him shooting down the Soul King Palace.
Complaining about the poor timing for enemies to show up, Shunsui learns from his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, that the Reiatsu comprising Kisuke Urahara 's gate has been completely scattered and will need to be started over on from the beginning, and after lamenting how poorly this is going, Shunsui instructs Urahara to start building the gate to the Soul King Palace while they handle this situation, which Urahara complies with, while dozens of zombified Shinigami surround the living ones on all sides. With Mayuri admitting surprise at seeing Giselle alive, which she responds to by sticking her tongue out at him, and musing that it takes one zombie to control another zombie, Shunsui calls out to the Sternritter and agrees with them on not wanting the Soul King Palace shot down prior to suggesting that they could join forces, but NaNaNa clarifies that they can only not have the Soul King Palace shot down while Yhwach is still there.
As a disappointed Shunsui prepares to fight instead, NaNaNa arrogantly questions if Shunsui believes that he can take them all on and announces that he has already observed the Reiatsu of all the Shinigami present, which will allow him to disable them with his Morphine Pattern. However, before NaNaNa can complete his sentence, Bazz-B shoots him through the chest with a Burner Finger 1 from behind, to the shock of those watching, and leaves an aghast NaNaNa to collapse. When Shunsui voices his confusion, Bazz-B asserts that they are going to help the Shinigami and details how the Wandenreich existing in the shadows of the Seireitei means that they cannot let the Soul King Palace crash into it. In response to Mayuri questioning the idea of them being trustworthy or helping without a price, Bazz-B denies this and clarifies that they do want something in return before asking that they be taken to the Soul King Palace as well so they can kill Yhwach for abandoning them in exchange for helping build the gate.
624. THE FANG [ ]
The Shinigami and Sternritter prepare to travel to the Soul King Palace as Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends receive help from an unexpected ally.
In the replaced Seireitei, Sousuke Aizen opens his eyes, prompting Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku to express amazement at him already being able to move again. Musing that it is an exaggeration to say he can move, Aizen observes that now is the perfect time for Shunsui to kill him, only for Shunsui to bluntly state he would have done so long ago if it were that easy and lament Aizen only being paralyzed for five minutes after being hit by The Underbelly with his Reiatsu restrained. Though Shunsui claims to feel sorry for Sternritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, Aizen reminds him there is no need to when this is the first time he has ever been paralyzed. With Shunsui instructing him to wait there while the gate is created if he is not up for moving yet, Aizen notices the Shinigami and Quincy working to create the gateway with their combined Reiatsu and ponders them joining forces not to protect Soul Society together, but instead to catch up to and destroy Yhwach, prior to asserting that Ichigo Kurosaki is truly insufferable for being the one to both defeat him and enter the Soul King Palace before him.
Meanwhile, with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez waiting in a Garganta, Yoruichi Shihōin raises her leg and knees an unconscious Ichigo in the back, forcing him to wake up and splutter in confusion while his friends watch in disbelief. When Ichigo asks if everyone else is alright and realizes that he was the only one who lost consciousness, Orihime Inoue begins to tell him what happened, only for Ichigo to begin recalling on his own.
In the past, after Sternritter "A" Uryū Ishida fires a Heilig Pfeil at him while he falls from the Greater Soul King Palace, Ichigo catches it with his free hand and breaks it out of anger toward Uryū before Orihime catches herself and her friends with Santen Kesshun. With Ichigo and Ganju Shiba accidentally bumping their heads together upon landing and wincing in pain, Yoruichi throws an arrow on a rope into the Santen Kesshun, attaches it to a pillar on one of the Royal Guard cities, and promises to pull them up while clutching the bleeding stump of her missing left arm. Suddenly, Kon emerges from Ichigo's robes in his muscular form and begins raving about he thought he was going to die from being stuck in Ichigo's robes with no chance to come out, pushing Ichigo back and making his head collide with Orihime's with enough force to make him lose consciousness in the process.
In the present, Ichigo is outraged to learn that it was Kon's fault, though Orihime claims that half of it was her fault, and looks around for him in irritation since he never does anything useful until he finds Kon hiding behind some rubble instead of in his robe, where Ichigo begins tormenting him while he threatens to beat Ichigo up in his muscular form and screams about his eyes being his vulnerable points. Behind them, Yoruichi finishes the restoration of her arm with Orihime's Sōten Kisshun and invites them to mount a counterattack as soon as possible, since there is no telling when the world will collapse with how much time has passed. In turn, Ichigo points out that they first have to figure out how to get back up to the Greater Soul King Palace and floats the idea of him making footholds while Orihime and Sado use Santen Kesshun, though they cannot risk being observed from outside it. However, Yoruichi dismisses this and orders that the Garganta in front of her be opened, revealing Grimmjow to a shocked Ichigo.
625. LIVING JAGUAR [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki reunites with several previous allies as Yhwach fully absorbs the Soul King.
After maliciously greeting Ichigo Kurosaki and noting that it has been a while since they last met, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez leaps out of the Garganta to land in front of Ichigo, Grimmjow comments on how long it has been since they last met and observes that the wound he left Ichigo with in their last battle has healed, prompting Ichigo to admit that Grimmjow looks good as well, before inquiring if Ichigo believed he was dead and drawing his Zanpakutō to slash at the ground next to him, which creates a shockwave. With Ichigo readying the larger sword of his Shikai, Zangetsu, Grimmjow claims that he would never die before being able to kill Ichigo and declares that he has waited for this moment to settle the score with him, but is interrupted when Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck 's breasts smack into his head from behind while she hurtles toward Ichigo in her adult form and cheerfully calls out to him.
Startled by this, Ichigo is knocked down and pushed several meters back by Nelliel, who asserts that she has been waiting so long for him and explains that Urahara made a bracelet which allows her to switch between her child and adult forms. As Nelliel notes that she can now be of help to Ichigo and will probably never go back to her child self so long as she wears the bracelet, Yasutora Sado notices a stunned Orihime Inoue blushing intensely and infers that she is wondering why Urahara keeps making unnecessary things. Though Sado assures her that Urahara is simply doing the best he can, Orihime frantically tells Sado to not be silly because she would never think anything like that. Meanwhile, Grimmjow demands that Nelliel get out of his way, only for Nelliel to counter that this is her line since Grimmjow has no business coming here to start a fight with Ichigo. Despite this, when Nelliel reminds him that she was the Tres Espada and consequently has no reason to take orders from a Sexta Espada, Grimmjow points out that those numbers do not mean anything with Sousuke Aizen gone and suggests that they find out which one of them is superior right now.
Before Ichigo can intervene, Riruka Dokugamine addresses the group through a speaker system and wonders if she is surrounded by idiots because this is not what they came here to do. The Garganta draws back further to reveal a box-shaped elevator and a door on it swings open to reveal Riruka, who orders them to get inside before they are spotted. Having recognized both Riruka's voice and the form of the elevator, Ichigo is astonished to see her and Yukio Hans Vorarlberna, who leans out of the doorway and announces that he is here, as well as that the elevator was made with his Fullbring, Digital Radial Invaders. Though happy to see them alive, Ichigo is left confused as to why Riruka and Yukio are here, leading Yukio to tell him to get onboard so they can explain everything.
Once everyone has boarded the elevator, its status changes from "Open" to "Locked" while Yoruichi asks Ichigo about what parts of the situation he needs explained to him. In response, a flabbergasted Ichigo proclaims that she needs to explain every single thing and admonishes Yoruichi for sounding like she is only willing to explain one thing when he should have been advised of this much earlier, only for Yoruichi to lazily brush this off as him being too busy. Though Ichigo points out that she had chances to explain this when they were on their way to the Soul King Palace, Yoruichi decides to put this aside for now and tells Ichigo that they are moving on to a diagram that displays the Dangai connecting the Human World and Soul Society. Once Ichigo affirms that he already knows about this, Yoruichi reveals that the Dangai is surrounded by pockets of space filled with lost Souls that are known as Valleys of Screams, with the Garganta filling the space between these pockets and making the Reiatsu of those within it consistently unstable.
Musing that no one can stand in the Garganta without constantly releasing Reiatsu to create a foothold, Yoruichi clarifies that the Valleys of Screams are an exception because they can exist as a stable Reishi space due to their different Reishi structure, which Urahara decided to use to their advantage by recruiting Riruka and Yukio. As Yukio muses that this is not exactly how it works, Yoruichi describes his Digital Radial Invaders as letting him create and reshape his own dimension at will using electricity and Riruka's Fullbring, Dollhouse, as letting her move a target in and out of her favorite objects. With Riruka expressing frustration at being found so easily, Yoruichi details how they used Dollhouse to put a small Valley of Screams in a box prior to modifying it into an elevator with using Digital Radial Invaders, which was only just completed and allows them to move between the two stakes she put down in the Soul King Palace. Proclaiming that the benefits of moving without Reiatsu in enemy territory are huge, Yoruichi concludes that it will allow them to mount a surprise attack and take down the Wandenreich in one shot, which Ichigo nods at.
Meanwhile, in a lounge within the Greater Soul King Palace, Sternritter "X" Lille Barro, "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar, and "M" Gerard Valkyrie sit on couches around the room as Lille wonders if they should be doing something. When a nervous Askin points out that they would be consumed by Yhwach if they were up there with him while eating grapes, Gerard notices Sternritter "A" Uryū Ishida standing in the corner with a concerned expression and assures him that Yhwach will return stronger than before after taking over the Soul King, which Uryū acknowledges just before Yhwach finishes consuming the Soul King and stands before the empty halves of his crystal in a changing form.
626. THE HOLY NEWBORN [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki 's group begins moving toward the Soul King Palace as Yhwach decides to create a new world for the Quincy.
As the elevator they are in begins to run upward along the vertical tracks in the Dangai, Yoruichi Shihōin tells those present that they will ascend to the Greater Soul King Palace and mount an attack, as she planted a stake identical to the one below next to the Soul King when she was trying to stabilize him and Mimihagi with Sankotsu no Jufu that should let them appear right in front of the Wandenreich if they have not moved it. With Ichigo Kurosaki acknowledging this, Yasutora Sado asks Yoruichi about Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas 's powers since they could not tell what it did from afar, only for Yoruichi to admit that she does not know either since her arm was twisted by it before she knew what was happening and caution Sado to stay away from it while she deals with Pernida from afar.
After Orihime laments not asking Ichibe'e Hyōsube about the abilities of the Schutzstaffel when they had the chance, an annoyed Riruka Dokugamine demands that she stop feeling depressed over the past because she is bringing down everyone else's mood as well, and when Orihime thanks her for this, Riruka is agitated further and orders Orihime to not thank her as she slaps her hoodie's wings into Orihime's eyes, to the latter's distress. During this, Ichigo turns to Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who is sitting on a high shelf, and inquires about why he is on their side, prompting Grimmjow to reject the notion of being aligned with him and point out that Hueco Mundo will be gone if Yhwach wins. Once Grimmjow concludes that he will not have anywhere to kill Ichigo if this happens, Ichigo smiles and admits that this is true.
Meanwhile, at the Greater Soul King Palace, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth informs the Schutzstaffel that Yhwach has completely consumed the Soul King, who is now gone, and declares that they will proceed into a new world. On the upper level of the building, Haschwalth and the Schutzstaffel find Yhwach spreading liquid darkness across the Soul King's chamber, which unnerves Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar. Yhwach addresses the Schutzstaffel and turns to face them, revealing the upper half of his face is covered in the same darkness with several misshapen eyes of various sizes open on it. Alarmed by this alongside the other Schutzstaffel, Askin takes a step back in fear and bumps into an impassive Haschwalth, and when Haschwalth tells him to calm down, Askin mentally wonders what is wrong with Haschwalth for him to not feel anything at the sight of Yhwach looking like a monster.
In turn, Yhwach wonders if he is scaring them and promises they do not need to be afraid since they will get used to his appearance in time. With Yhwach musing that this is what it feels like to be overflowing with power, the stone making up the Greater Soul King Palace is fractured and broken into chunks that begin rising into the air, forcing the Schutzstaffel to either run for stable ground or cling onto a chunk of rubble. Holding onto the edge of a floor piece that Haschwalth is standing on, Askin desperately points out that they are dead if they fall from this height and demands to know how Haschwalth can be so calm, but Haschwalth merely kneels, praises Yhwach's power as magnificent, and asserts the world without the Soul King cannot exist without him before requesting that Yhwach lead them. In response, Yhwach addresses Haschwalth as his first son and proclaims he can watch the path that Yhwach will take, which starts with remaking their nation, as the buildings in the replaced Seireitei begin to float into the sky.
627. The Creation [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki and his group arrive in the Soul King Palace to discover that Yhwach has reshaped it.
Within the elevator moving through the Dangai, Yoruichi Shihōin announces that they are almost at their destination, but as Ichigo Kurosaki confirms that they are ready, Yukio Hans Vorarlberna informs them that he has no intention of leaving the elevator and encourages them to do whatever they want without him, to the shock of Ichigo and his friends. An angered Ganju Shiba stomps over to Yukio, whom Orihime Inoue notes Ganju introduced himself to earlier while Yukio ignored him because of them claiming to not know each other, and berates the latter for planning to stay here while everyone else is about to risk their lives, leading Yukio to remind Ganju that he was dragged into this against his will and is not obligated to risk his life. In turn, Ganju asserts that risking one's life out of obligation is not risking it at all and points out that this Garganta will disappear if they lose while Yukio stays behind. However, Yukio merely wonders if Ganju plans to lose, which prompts Ichigo to step in and tell Ganju that he has lost.
After instructing Yukio to stay here, which Yukio muses is what he just said, Ichigo asserts that Riruka Dokugamine should do the same, to her aghast frustration, and explains that their abilities will not keep them alive in this battle. When Riruka begins to protest, Ichigo reveals that he has been to a Valley of Screams before this one. Noting that Riruka really loves cute things and that her Dollhouse only works on things she finds cute, Ichigo states that a Valley of Screams is anything but cute and concludes that Riruka went very much out of her way to make it work for them, which he thanks her for. With a blushing Riruka furiously denying this, Ichigo asks her to do one more thing by staying here with Yukio and being ready to extract Ichigo and his friends at any time, leading Riruka to look away and grudgingly accept this. In the aftermath, Ganju observes that Ichigo has really matured, and when Ichigo wonders how, Ganju realizes that he has always been like this.
Meanwhile, in the replaced Seireitei below, the Shinigami are shocked by the buildings being ripped out of the ground and pulled into the sky. When 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng questions why this is happening and what the Quincy intend to do, a frustrated 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako points out how they can only barely build one gate by comparison and demands to know if the Wandenreich have any limits to what they can do.
Up in the Garganta, the elevator reaches the top of the track and Ichigo opens the door to proceed at Yoruichi's behest while Kisuke Urahara informs the Shinigami below that he is opening the gate. However, Ichigo and his friends are stunned to find the reassembled Wandenreich city outside the elevator surrounded by darkness, and as Sado identifies the buildings as those of the Quincy instead of the Royal Guard, an unnerved Yoruichi wonders if they did not arrive where she drove in the stake, only to accidentally knock the same stake back with her heel when she takes a step back. Looking down at this in shock, Yoruichi looks up behind it and directs Ichigo's attention to the ruins of the Greater Soul King Palace behind their group, where she concludes that Yhwach has rebuilt the Soul King Palace to his liking.
628. New World Orders [ ]
The Gotei 13 forces arrive in the Royal Realm as Yhwach proclaims his intention to make his new palace the cornerstone of the world.
In the newly-formed city reshaped from the Soul King Palace, the Shinigami and Visored stand flabbergasted by the scenery, with 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako questioning how they have ended up in a Quincy city instead of the Soul King Palace and turning to Kisuke Urahara for an explanation on how they missed their target. In response, Urahara muses that their coordinates place them right above the Seireitei and asserts that they should have arrived at the Soul King Palace, prompting Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku to deduce that the Wandenreich city was lifted from the Seireitei and rebuilt over the Soul King Palace before responding to Shinji calling this impossible due to the incredibly short timeframe by stating that this merely indicates how incredibly powerful their enemy has become. With those present intimidated by this, Shunsui approaches the edge of the platform they are on and points out how it is circular, meaning this likely used to be one of the cities operated by the Royal Guard, but when Shunsui notes they cannot see the Greater Soul King Palace floating above the cities, Urahara infers the Soul King Palace fell to Yhwach and his forces, allowing it to be reshaped into a massive Quincy Zeichen comprised of the cities and a central platform.
At Ichigo Kurosaki 's location, Orihime Inoue questions if such a thing is even possible, which leads Yoruichi Shihōin to realize that they avoided being caught up in this because they were in the Garganta, which they should consider extremely lucky. Suddenly, Yūshirō Shihōin detects her Reiatsu, leading Yoruichi to sense him in turn and explain his status as her brother and the current head of the Shihōin Clan following her departure to Ichigo, who is shocked to learn she has a brother and did not tell him. While Yoruichi questions why she should have told him earlier since he is not her fiancé, Ichigo, Orihime, Yasutora Sado, and Ganju Shiba envision Yūshirō as an intimidating and musclebound warrior, but when a confused Yoruichi wonders what about her makes them think of this and asserts that Yūshirō looks a lot like her, they instead envision a cat with a sword, to Yoruichi's further chagrin.
During this, Yūshirō attempts to leap to Yoruichi with Shunpo, but fails to find a foothold and begins falling, forcing 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai to catch him. When Renji demands to know what he was thinking, Yūshirō apologizes and reveals that he was unable to create a foothold out of Reishi, and as Renji pulls Yūshirō up, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki observes that it will not be easy to do so here and reminds Renji that the Reishi density of the Soul King Palace is very high, which should normally make it easy to create a foothold, prior to theorizing that the only reason they cannot do so is the enemy having taken control of all the Reishi in the area. With Renji astonished by this, Byakuya asserts that it would make sense for them to create a battlefield advantageous to themselves.
Once Byakuya concludes that this is something Yhwach would do for Quincy who rely on Reishi for their weapons, especially since he is powerful enough to kill the Soul King, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng points out that she has not felt the Soul King's Reiatsu since they got here and wonders if he has been killed.
Despite this, Shunsui observes that he can sense the Reiatsu of Ichigo's group a great distance away, leaving him relieved that their advance party survived, and states that they simply need to defeat the enemy and install a new Soul King if the Soul King truly has been killed, which is what he believes Ukitake would say if he could speak. After announcing that they will move forward on the path to the main platform since they cannot presently meet up with Ichigo's group, Shunsui encourages them to advance as the Gotei 13 for the sake of the courts they guard, which the Shinigami and Visored confirm. Suddenly, the structure begins shaking, and those present watch in bewilderment as a massive and wide tower bearing Silbern at its peak rises up from the central platform. With Shunsui quickly identifying this as the enemy's stronghold, Urahara assumes they are being invited to attack it while Shunsui comments on the sheer nerve of this.
Within Silbern, Yhwach sits on a throne shaped like a Hagal rune before the Schutzstaffel, who kneel as Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth addresses Yhwach from the front and informs him of Ichigo and the Gotei 13 arriving simultaneously in the reshaped Soul King Palace. In turn, Yhwach declares that this castle has become the foundation for a new world, the one and only true world, and that it will one day be known as Wahrwelt.
629. Gate of the Sun [ ]
Ichigo Kurosaki 's group encounters Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar as the rebel Sternritter reach Silbern.
With Yhwach having declared that his new castle will be named Wahrwelt, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth vows that the Schutzstaffel will kill all of the invaders in order to realize the future reflected in Yhwach's eyes and secure Wahrwelt for his plans.
Meanwhile, in the city below, Kisuke Urahara comments on how large the castle is, which prompts Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku to muse that castles are meant to display someone's strength against their enemies. After observing that the Wandenreich is clearly beckoning them and it would be rude to keep them waiting, Shunsui turns to the assembled captains, lieutenants, and Visored, whom he orders to head out with him as they begin running toward the castle. However, after a few moments, Urahara realizes that he cannot see 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi among their group, which Shunsui is puzzled by.
On the city of Vier Ast, the gate opens once more and Mayuri passes through it alongside his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, as he gleefully comments on how easy it is to get away from everyone by reopening the gate after repositioning the coordinates. Mayuri notes that the others must be panicking now that they have realized he is not with them and proclaims that he will be able to test the results of his research as much as he wants without being bothered by them, but is shocked when 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki walks through the gate behind him and concurs with this. When Mayuri demands to know why he is here, Kenpachi explains that the others left while he was using the bathroom and admits that it is good for Mayuri to have reopened the gate when he did.
With Kenpachi looking to him for agreement, 4th Division 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada weakly affirms this and laments going to the bathroom when he did between 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa. Declaring that this works out because he does not have to worry about cutting down any allies, which will let him go all-out, Kenpachi sneeringly asserts that Mayuri will not die easily even if Kenpachi cuts him. In turn, Mayuri counters that it is the perfect time to exterminate some pests now that the others are not around, and with the two of them glaring at each other, Hanatarō continues to lament his timing as Yumichika tells him to not cry. Ikkaku promises to leave him behind if he lags here, and Nemu informs Hanatarō that she does not feel anything when he inquires about how she feels about this.
Elsewhere, as she and her friends run through the streets with Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez flanking them on the adjoining rooftops, Ichigo Kurosaki admits that he did not expect them to be unable to create Reishi footholds and responds to Yasutora Sado noting that they thought he was going to die when he leapt into the open air, requiring Sado to pull him back up, by asserting that they would have also tried to meet up with 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai if they felt their Reiatsu. In response, Yoruichi reveals that her brother, Yūshirō Shihōin, seems to have done the same thing, which makes him and Ichigo equally smart, and when an unnerved Ichigo states that he cannot tell if this is a compliment or not, Yoruichi counters that nothing in it makes it complimentary.
Though he affirms that it would have been nice to meet up with Rukia and Renji, Sado asserts that it is better not to split themselves up now that they cannot flank the enemy and no longer have the element of surprise, which Yoruichi concurs with. Suddenly, a scoffing Grimmjow points out that they will become less mobile if they gather more people and that this will hamper their survivability while flipping over obstructions on the roof. With Grimmjow deciding to go on ahead because he is wasting his time here, Ichigo notices that one of the enemy is ahead as Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar stands on a rooftop at the end of the street and complains about having to deal with Ichigo's group, only to be caught off-guard when Grimmjow leaps into the air and crashes down with enough force to destroy the building, leaving Ichigo to curse Grimmjow for making the first move
Meanwhile, on the central platform, Sternritter "H" Bazz-B, "G" Liltotto Lamperd, and "Z" Giselle Gewelle stand on rooftops overlooking Silbern, where Bazz-B muses that the Gate of the Sun they used to get there is still functional. With Liltotto noting that they managed to get close despite the changed landscape, Bazz-B swears revenge on Yhwach and Haschwalth.
630. The Twinned Twilight [ ]
Sternritter "H" Bazz-B confronts Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth.
In one of the streets of Wahrwelt, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez stands atop the rubble of the building he just destroyed and casually states that one enemy, Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar, is down. When Ichigo Kurosaki runs over and questions why he is charging in alone, an irate Grimmjow begins to counter that he does not take orders from Ichigo, only to be interrupted when an unharmed Askin rises out of the rubble behind him and begins frantically running away, leaving Ichigo nonplussed at Grimmjow letting the enemy escape and Grimmjow ordering him to shut up prior to chasing after Askin.
In response to Grimmjow telling him to stop, Askin claims he will do so only if Grimmjow promises to not kill him, and when Grimmjow explains that Askin will simply end up dead if he is weaker without any killing intent involved, Askin asserts that he knew Grimmjow would say this. With Askin steadfastly refusing to stop running now, Grimmjow wonders why he is running if he is here to fight, prompting Askin to clarify that he is here to kill the invaders rather than fight and would rather do so sneakily than head-on. Rounding a corner with Grimmjow still in pursuit, Askin inquires about who he is since he was not with Ichigo's group earlier. In turn, Grimmjow identifies himself as Ichigo's enemy and reacts to Askin offering to team up with him to kill Ichigo together by criticizing him for never shutting up and deciding to just hunt Askin down before transforming his hands into those of his Resurrección, Pantera, which boosts his speed enough to let him begin to close in on a worried Askin.
Simultaneously, in an outdoor corridor, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth is informed of the Schutzstaffel splitting up in five directions by a mustached soldier, only to infer that this group now includes Uryū Ishida. When the soldier informs him that it was on Yhwach 's order, Haschwalth inquires about where Uryū is headed, and upon learning that he is approaching Zwei Ast, Haschwalth orders the soldier to go after him and report anything outside the scope of Uryū's orders to Haschwalth since he cannot leave the castle. Internally, Haschwalth criticizes himself for being careless enough to let Uryū act alone because the lack of Sternritter means there is no one to watch him and acceptance into the Schutzstaffel makes it easy for him to be trusted with a solo mission. Suddenly, Haschwalth ordering the soldier to get going is interrupted when Sternritter "H" Bazz-B fires a Burner Finger 1 through the soldier's eye from the back of his head and wonders if Uryū really bothers Haschwalth that much.
When Haschwalth questions what he is doing, a grinning Bazz-B counters that he should be asking about how Bazz-B is alive and rushes forward to grab Haschwalth by the collar before his index finger begins glowing with flames, only for Haschwalth to grab Bazz-B's wrist and throw himself into the air above and behind Bazz-B, leaving the latter holding his cloak. With a surprised Bazz-B getting tangled up in the cloak, Haschwalth partially draws his broadsword to slam the handle into Bazz-B's face through the cloak, but Bazz-B grabs the handle to keep Haschwalth in place and burns a hole through the cloak to see Haschwalth. Caught off-guard by this, Haschwalth narrowly evades Bazz-B's subsequent Burner Finger 1 and moves back, where he realizes that Bazz-B's injuries came from Yhwach's Auswählen rather than the Shinigami and that Bazz-B was not chosen.
In turn, Bazz-B angrily informs Haschwalth that everyone left in the replaced Seireitei was struck by Auswählen and wiped out, and when Haschwalth claims to be sorry about this, Bazz-B refuses to believe him because he knew this would happen, though Haschwalth questions why he is even asking because Bazz-B would not believe him if he said that he did not know about it in advance. Despite this, Bazz-B asserts that he would because he and Haschwalth have known each other for years and addresses Haschwalth as "Jugo". When Haschwalth somberly says his name in response, Bazz-B requests to be called "Bazz" like he used to and initiates Burner Finger 2, which leads Haschwalth to partially unsheathe his broadsword and muse that he is wasting his time. With the moon appearing through a nearby window, Bazz-B points out that it is almost nighttime and reminds Haschwalth of how he and Yhwach swap powers when the latter falls asleep prior to proclaiming that he is going to kill Haschwalth and The Almighty while calling Haschwalth a traitor and recalling the memory of his home being burned to the ground.
631. friend [ ]
Sternritter "H" Bazz-B and "B" Jugram Haschwalth recall their past together.
Sternritter "H" Bazz-B runs toward Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth and slashes his blazing fingers at the latter, only for Haschwalth to leap to the side to avoid them and evade another flaming slash from Bazz-B at the column he landed on by running up the wall and across the ceiling to the other side of the hall, where a grinning Bazz-B prepares to shoot at him with his Reishi Crossbow.
Over a thousand years ago, a young Haschwalth draws back a wooden arrow in a wooden bow and fires it at a rabbit, which scurries away after the arrow embeds itself in the ground nearby. However, as Haschwalth sighs, a Heilig Pfeil hurtles through the air and pierces the rabbit, which twitches and dies, before a young Bazz-B calls out to Haschwalth from the branch of a nearby tree and criticizes his poor shooting. When Haschwalth questions who he is, Bazz-B declares that the great Bazz does not need to identify himself first and demands that Haschwalth do so instead, leading Haschwalth to introduce himself. Moments later, Bazz-B walks with Haschwalth and claims that he is quite cunning to trick Bazz-B into saying his own name first, though Haschwalth points out that Bazz-B said it without any prompting from him. With Bazz-B following him through the forest while carrying the rabbit he shot, Haschwalth wonders why the former is following him, which prompts Bazz-B to assert that he is watching out for Haschwalth because he is too pathetic to catch anything himself.
Seeing Haschwalth's unamused stare, Bazz-B tells him to talk back since he is making him feel like the bad guy here, but Haschwalth merely concedes that Bazz-B is right because he cannot even make a Heilig Bogen. Startled by this, Bazz-B assures Haschwalth that this is not true and clarifies that he can make his Heilig Bogen because he is a genius, meaning that Haschwalth is not as pathetic as he believes. As Haschwalth reminds him that Bazz-B is the one who called him pathetic, Bazz-B points out that no one else their age can make a Heilig Bogen like he can, lets his Reishi Crossbow disperse, and assumes that none of Haschwalth's friends can make one either. In response, Haschwalth admits that he does not have any friends to confirm this with and requests that Bazz-B not call him "Jugo" because he does not like the name, and when a confused Bazz-B wonders what his parents call him, Haschwalth explains that he lives with his uncle because his parents are gone, leading Bazz-B to inquire about what his uncle calls him.
However, an irritated Haschwalth grips his arms, which are covered in bruises, and refuses to tell Bazz-B this before demanding to be left alone because he needs to bring a rabbit home today. In turn, Bazz-B throws the rabbit he shot at Haschwalth's head, leaving the latter clutching it in bewilderment, and permits the latter to take it because he is hunting to prove that he is a genius rather than to eat. After removing a button emblazoned with "B" from his cape, Bazz-B flicks it over to Haschwalth, who watches it land on the ground, and declares that the latter is his underling who does not need to worry about what the adults say from now on. Bazz-B leaps up to a tree branch, promises to teach Haschwalth everything he needs to know, and proclaims that they will become the strongest Quincy ever prior to jumping from tree to tree toward his family manor. Watching this, Haschwalth is alerted when his drunken uncle, Oikal Haschwalth, approaches from behind and claims he is in trouble for going so deep into the forest, which has left Oikal searching for him for hours. With Haschwalth staring ahead mutely, Oikal asserts that the former cannot do anything without him and calls Haschwalth his "sweet Jugo".
In the present, Bazz-B stands in front of a large, smoking hole in the wall left by his Heilig Pfeil. After commenting on Haschwalth referring to the castle as Wahrwelt instead of Silbern and questioning when the name changed, Bazz-B infers that Haschwalth is going to decline to answer him like he always does, and when Haschwalth suggests they take this outside because the castle will be damaged if they continue fighting here, an annoyed Bazz-B uses Burner Finger 3 to turn the floor in front of him into lava that surge toward Haschwalth, who braces himself with his broadsword.
In the past, six months after meeting Haschwalth, Bazz-B watches as Yhwach burns down the small castle that his clan lived in and ruminates on Yhwach's status as a monster controlling the northern territories with strange powers. Asserting that he does not care about Yhwach purportedly being 200 years old and the Father of the Quincy, Bazz-B meets up with Haschwalth and tells him that they are going to go kill Yhwach. When Haschwalth wonders why he is part of this, Bazz-B tells him that he can continue staying with his uncle and doing nothing if he wants to even though his forest was burned down, but Haschwalth solemnly claims that Oikal died in the fire, which Bazz-B accepts. Bazz-B and Haschwalth begin living in the woods, selling the valuables from the castle to survive and hunting their own food while frantically training themselves to kill Yhwach and reaching an unspoken agreement to get close to Yhwach in order to kill him.
Meanwhile, in the winter five years later, Seydlitz is taken aback by Yhwach's intention of forming a new combat unit and points out that there is nowhere left to conquer within the Lichtreich, which would make something like this unnecessary. However, Yhwach reveals that their target is Soul Society rather than an area in the Human World, to Seydlitz's shock, and asserts that the unit needed to conquer it will be called the Sternritter.
632. friend 2 [ ]
A young Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth meet Yhwach for the first time.
During the passing five years, Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth continually hone their skills without rest while hiding in the forest, where a grinning Bazz-B reaffirms his status as a genius before musing that Haschwalth was still unable to collect Reishi or form a Heilig Bogen even after five years. Watching Haschwalth train with his broadsword, Bazz-B recalls a story about a Quincy like Haschwalth being born once every several decades and recounts these Quincy being disparaged as failures with none having been born in centuries, to the point where it had become a folk tale. Bazz-B admits that he had begun to feel partnering with Haschwalth would not be of any benefit in his plan to kill Yhwach, only to find himself unable to leave Haschwalth behind when he finds the latter training even harder and more constantly than he did with his broadsword, which he does not know if Haschwalth knew.
Eventually, Bazz-B and Haschwalth run down the hill to a nearby village, where Huburt Alexander Kleich, Algora Lallau, and others arrive on horseback with banners of the Lichtreich. With the villagers recognizing the Lichtreich emblem, Huburt declares that they have come with an announcement from Yhwach, leaving the villagers uneasy due to them being his military police, and reveals that Yhwach is forming a new combat unit called the Sternritter as Algora drives his banner into the ground. Proclaiming that the Sternritter will be an honorable order formed to invade Soul Society, Huburt concludes that those with noble ambitions to fight for the Quincy will be assembled while Haschwalth turns to Bazz-B and muses on this being much bigger news than they expected, only to be alarmed when a grinning Bazz-B decides to go.
Running over to Huburt, Bazz-B responds to the former wondering who he is by introducing himself and Haschwalth as applicants for the Sternritter, and with the villagers cursing their foolishness and recognizing Bazz-B as the son of the former lord of the region, Haschwalth grabs Bazz-B's arm and begins to warn him against this, but is interrupted when Huburt turns on his horse and begins to depart. When an annoyed Bazz-B reminds him that they want to enlist, Huburt clarifies that the test for joining the Sternritter will be held at a later date and the villagers will be notified of it, meaning that Bazz-B should hone his skills until then. Despite this, Huburt asserts that he does not expect a nobody like Bazz-B to be accepted and begins to gallop away, leaving a relieved Haschwalth to suggest that he and Bazz-B go home for the day.
In response, a grinning Bazz-B fires a Heilig Pfeil directly in front of Huburt's horse, causing it to rear back in fright, and suggests that he and Huburt fight if he needs to show the latter what he can do so he can take Huburt's position if he wins. Stepping down off his horse and partially unsheathing his Reishi Saber, a smirking Huburt claims that he will not understand his incompetence until he is killed, only for Bazz-B to counter that his comrades will have to tell Yhwach that he was killed by a monkey and rush toward a running Huburt despite Haschwalth's protests. Suddenly, Bazz-B experiences a tremendous pressure and is forced down onto the ground, where he sees Yhwach approaching on his horse and realizes that his Reiatsu is holding them all down. Nearby, Huburt kneels and apologizes to Yhwach for letting Bazz-B goad him like this, only for Yhwach to dismiss this since he has come to collect the person who will become his lieutenant and most valued subordinate. Elated to hear this, Bazz-B mentally declares that he is the one Yhwach is looking for and forces himself up while promising to kill Yhwach once the latter picks him. However, Yhwach instead approaches a stunned Haschwalth, identifies him by name, and reveals that the latter is his other half.
Bleach, Volume 70
633. FRIEND 3 [ ]
Yhwach reveals a young Jugram Haschwalth 's true power to him and Bazz-B.
With Yhwach revealing that he knows Jugram Haschwalth 's name and identifying the latter as his other half, Haschwalth expresses confusion at what this means, but Yhwach asserts that he does not need to understand and will be joining the Lichtreich as his advisor, to the bewilderment of his elite guard. Internally, Haschwalth ruminates on this being the position that he and Bazz-B always wanted to achieve and have been training so hard for all this time. Despite this, when he turns to Bazz-B for advice on how to proceed, Haschwalth is astonished to find the former glaring at him while Bazz-B mentally wonders how this could have happened when he has talent where Haschwalth does not, meaning that he should have been the one chosen if both of them could not get the position. As Bazz-B continues angrily staring at him and questioning why he was the one chosen, an upset Haschwalth internally pleads with Bazz-B to not look at him like this and asks why Bazz-B is mad at him.
Meanwhile, Yhwach tells Huburt Alexander Kleich to return to his castle and bring his carriage so Haschwalth can be brought back to the castle. Suddenly, Haschwalth speaks up and tells Yhwach that there has been a mistake, and though Huburt lectures him for daring to suggest that Yhwach made a mistake in choosing him, Haschwalth informs them that he hardly has any talent as a Quincy, to the point of being unable to form a Heilig Bogen and Heilig Pfeil, and suggests that Bazz-B is much better fit to be Yhwach's advisor, leaving a stunned Bazz-B to grit his teeth in frustration. Though Huburt grows angrier at Haschwalth for this and begins to approach him, Yhwach gets off his horse to stand before an alerted Haschwalth, where he notes that it is just as his eyes foresaw.
With Haschwalth backing up slightly as he approaches, Yhwach muses that Haschwalth is still unaware of his own power and clarifies he is unable to form a Heilig Bogen because he is a Quincy with the power to share power like Yhwach himself, one who has not been born in the last 200 years, which causes Bazz-B to remember how Haschwalth reminded him of the folk tale he heard. Yhwach elaborates that Haschwalth cannot absorb Reishi from his surroundings like other Quincy and instead unconsciously gives power to others, and after recalling how he took the power he shared out to gain his own power, Yhwach observes Haschwalth cannot do this. Turning to Bazz-B, Yhwach infers that the former felt his power growing every day that he spent with Haschwalth, but mocks him for believing that it was his own talent which caused this and declares that he should thank Haschwalth for turning someone without talent like himself into a genius as Haschwalth stares calmly at Bazz-B. Once Yhwach places his hand atop Haschwalth's head and concludes that he needs the latter at his side, which leaves Haschwalth touched, a screaming Bazz-B flares with Reiatsu and tells Yhwach to die before firing a Heilig Pfeil at him, only for Haschwalth to stoically catch it at the last second, to Bazz-B's shock.
In the present, Haschwalth catches the Heilig Pfeil that Bazz-B fires through his flames in an identical manner, leaving Bazz-B stunned, prior to slashing him horizontally across the stomach.
634. friend 4 [ ]
Sternritter "H" Bazz-B concludes his battle with Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth.
Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth 's horizontal slash across Sternritter "H" Bazz-B 's stomach cuts through the wall behind the latter, sending Bazz-B crashing back onto the ground outside alongside the rubble. When Haschwalth approaches him and states that them fighting does not benefit Yhwach, a bleeding Bazz-B counters that he does not want it to because he came here to kill Yhwach and initiates Burner Finger 4 to create a large flaming sword around his right hand, leading Haschwalth to reiterate that he needs to stop. With a grinning Bazz-B getting to his feet and preparing to attack, a frustrated Haschwalth calls him by his full name of Bazzard Black just before Bazz-B runs forward and slashes horizontally, cutting through a thick pillar behind Haschwalth while he leaps away at the last second. Seeing Haschwalth landing on a lower level at the end of a set of stairs, Bazz-B questions why he is running away from a fight again and if Haschwalth is that scared of losing to him.
In the past, an adult Haschwalth sheathes his broadsword after Bazz-B fires a Heilig Pfeil at the ground near his feet and tells the confused latter that this is enough. Haschwalth reminds Bazz-B that infighting among the Sternritter is an offense punishable by death and asserts that he has no intention of fighting the latter no matter how much he is taunted prior to walking away, leaving Bazz-B staring in disbelief. As he leans against a nearby column, Huburt Alexander Kleich notes that it is bad luck to have a newcomer challenge Haschwalth and suggests that Bazz-B does not respect his title of Sternritter Grandmaster, but Haschwalth merely observes that he will have to follow the example of Huburt as the Lieutenant Grandmaster if this is the case, causing Huburt to narrow his eyes in annoyance. Upon recognizing Bazz-B as the one who challenged him years ago, Huburt decides to beat some manners into him, and when Haschwalth reminds him of infighting among the Sternritter being an offense punishable by death and wonders if he is really willing to die over someone like Bazz-B, Huburt asserts that Yhwach will not find out if no one is watching, only for Haschwalth to coldly inform Huburt that he is watching, to the latter's irritation. Watching this, Bazz-B ruminates on how it had been three years since Haschwalth joined Yhwach and how it took the same amount of time for him to join the Sternritter, during which Haschwalth had become their Grandmaster.
In the present, musing that Haschwalth might have been the Grandmaster from the start and he would have no way of knowing since he was not there, Bazz-B leaps toward Haschwalth and recalls how the latter continued to ignore his challenges, no matter when and how many times Bazz-B taunted him, prior to cursing him and insisting that he still has not lost to Haschwalth. Despite this, with Bazz-B coming down on him, Haschwalth slashes his broadsword through the air and cuts off Bazz-B's arm near the shoulder, sending the flaming blade flying through the air at high speeds until it cuts through another thick pillar at the top. Watching this in shock, Bazz-B quickly channels fire into the arrow-shaped pads on all five fingers on his left hand and points his palm at Haschwalth before unleashing Burning Full Fingers, a whirling, five-pronged cone of flame that expands outward from his palm and surges across the ground in front of him.
However, from within the flames, an unharmed Haschwalth rushes forward and slashes Bazz-B down his chest, instantly ceasing the flames emanating from Bazz-B's fingers, and a massive amount of blood spurts from Bazz-B's chest as he stumbles in shock. After spitting up blood in turn, Bazz-B turns around and slowly walks over to a stoic Haschwalth, where he grabs onto the latter's lapel just as the heat fades from his fingers and admits that the latter has won. Though he observes that things never work out the way he expected them to, a smiling Bazz-B concludes that he thought he would feel much worse when he finally lost to Haschwalth. In the aftermath, Haschwalth walks up the stairs, and Bazz-B is left bleeding out on the ground as he remembers inviting Haschwalth to become his underling. Recalling how he promised to teach Haschwalth everything he needs to know regardless of what the adults think and asserted that they will become the strongest Quincy ever, Bazz-B closes his eyes and dies.
635. Hooded Enigma [ ]
While Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd and "Z" Giselle Gewelle are defeated by Yhwach, the various groups invading Wahrwelt are attacked by the Schutzstaffel.
In an open-air throne room overlooking Wahrwelt, Sternritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd criticizes Sternritter "H" Bazz-B for going down after she let him fight Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth alone, only to admit that she and Sternritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle are no better for being unable to kill Yhwach as she stands with blood gushing from a wound on her stomach and Giselle lies in a pool of her own blood. With Liltotto collapsing, Yhwach returns to his throne, expresses relief at finally having some peace, and decides to sleep for a while, which transfers The Almighty to Haschwalth while he comments on how cruel it is to be able to see the future.
In one of the cities below, Sternritter "M" Gerard Valkyrie skids to a halt just before the edge of the platform and deduces that there is no one else around, including enemies, before loudly berating his fellow Schutzstaffel for tricking him into going to the only area without invaders.
Elsewhere, with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez having disappeared from their view, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends are left panting in exhaustion in a pavilion. As Ichigo laments having completely lost sight of Grimmjow and Sternritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar, as he did not expect the former to try and fiight alone, Ganju Shiba admits that he did not expect them to run that fast prior to Ichigo telling his friends to split up so they can look for Grimmjow. From a nearby rooftop, Askin peers over the edge to watch this and sighs in relief at having escaped Ichigo's group and Grimmjow. However, as he pours café au lait out of a thermos for a short break, Askin realizes Grimmjow is standing behind him and quickly flees again. Grimmjow asserts that Askin is not getting away again, but after begging Grimmjow to overlook it this once, to the former's aggravation, Askin decides to give him a gift and throws back a Gift Ball, which Grimmjow cuts through with his re-transformed hands and refuses to fall for. Suddenly, with the pieces of the Gift Ball exploding in his face, Grimmjow's eyes widen in shock and he finds himself unable to move while tripping over the ground and rapidly spinning in the air before collapsing, where Askin reveals that he gave Grimmjow a ball laced with poison and mocks him for not being taught to avoid accepting gifts from strangers as a child.
During this, Sternritter "X" Lille Barro adjusts a dial on his Spirit Weapon, Diagramm, and looks through the scope at the various Shinigami captains and lieutenants running down the street. Observing that the group is slowly breaking up due to each individual's stamina, ability to adapt to the Reishi-dense environment of the Soul King Palace, and preexisting injuries, Lille focuses on 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi and fires a Heilig Pfeil through Hisagi's upper arms and chest, knocking him down and leaving a large hole running through his torso from the side. After musing that all living things die when they stray from the pack, Lille concludes that he simply needs to wait for the Shinigami to keep straying one by one.
Simultaneously, on Vier Ast, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi come to a halt upon seeing Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas standing before them, and when Kenpachi wonders what it is, Mayuri questions if he is actually asking this or just talking to himself because there cannot be anyone in the Gotei 13 stupid enough to ask someone about something that neither of them has ever seen before. While Mayuri continues to insult his intelligence, Kenpachi decides to kill Pernida and rushes forward, leaving Mayuri to bluntly ask his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, if there is anything she wishes to say and Nemu to deny this. However, just as Kenpachi begins to slash at Pernida, a shocked Mayuri warns him to wait, prompting a startled Kenpachi to stop his attack and leap backward. When Mayuri addresses him after he lands, Kenpachi claims that he is fine and simply lost an arm, which has been heavily twisted and mangled, in exchange for cracking open Pernida's head, which bleeds heavily into the air. Despite this, Pernida remains upright and contorts its body further underneath the hood before several tendrils appear around itself. With a bewildered Kenpachi questioning what this is, a grinning Mayuri simply asks him if he is asking a question or talking to himself again.
636. Sensitive Monster [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi incapacitates 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and deduces the nature of The Compulsory.
As Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas 's body continues to ripple underneath its hood, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki observes that its head is growing bigger, and when 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi admits that these changes seem unsuitable for combat and calls it creepy, Kenpachi counters that he is not fit to call anything else creepy. From far behind them, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame watches the confrontation in an alleyway with 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa and 12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi, where he muses that they missed their opportunity to join the battle. When an aghast Yumichika points out that they were never going to do this because Kenpachi would get upset, Nemu concurs with this and responds to Ikkaku noting that it is rare for her to voice her opinion by explaining that she is always under orders to stand by until Mayuri calls for her, though she does not think that Mayuri will ever feel threatened enough to require her assistance. In turn, a smirking Ikkaku asserts that the same holds true for them and Kenpachi.
Suddenly, Kenpachi's mangled arm begins rotating and twisting even further, spraying blood in all directions, before beginning to move his Zanpakutō in the direction of his head, forcing Kenpachi to grab his right arm by the fist and rip it off at the shoulder. After retrieving his Zanpakutō from the relaxed grip of his severed arm, Kenpachi watches as it is drawn toward Pernida and contorts further until it is ripped apart in a shower of blood in front of Pernida. With Ikkaku and Yumichika astonished by this, Mayuri approaches Kenpachi and praises his decision to rip off his arm immediately because his body would have been reduced to meatballs otherwise. After wondering if Mayuri is praising him or looking for a fight, which Mayuri declines to answer, Kenpachi questions how Pernida's power works, leading an exasperated Mayuri to point out that he is asking a question with no answer again and state that the best option right now is to stay away from Pernida, to Kenpachi's surprise.
While Nemu bandages his stump at Mayuri's behest, Kenpachi curses and wonders how he is supposed to cut Pernida without getting close to it, but when Mayuri asserts that cutting is not the only way to fight and promises to find a way to deal with Pernida without going near it, Kenpachi claims that he was talking to himself. Running forward despite Mayuri's protests, Kenpachi declares that he does not need to know how Pernida's power works if he can just cut it in half before its power reaches him and slams his Zanpakutō down onto Pernida, whose head folds around the blade. With Mayuri drawing his own Zanpakutō, a grinning Kenpachi finds his entire body beginning to twist and fold in on itself, resulting in his legs breaking and blood gushing out from several parts of his body.
As Ikkaku and Yumichika call out to him in concern, a groaning Kenpachi is stabbed through the chest from behind by Mayuri's Shikai, Ashisogi Jizō, which paralyzes his limbs. Kenpachi drops his Zanpakutō and looks back incredulously at Mayuri, whom he curses, as the latter confirms his hypothesis of the rest of Kenpachi's body breaking when his limbs are paralyzed. When Mayuri initiates Ashisogi Jizō, Kyōdo Yon by sticking his thumb into the left eye on his Shikai, causing it to begin screaming, Nemu warns Ikkaku and Yumichika to cover their ears because hearing this for four seconds will paralyze them. Four seconds later, Kenpachi's entire body is paralyzed and Mayuri seals his Zanpakutō while expressing relief at the anesthesia working, as he can still make use of Kenpachi's physical strength later.
After approaching Pernida and stopping several feet away, Mayuri observes that the success of the anesthesia explains the nature of Pernida's power and reveals that The Compulsory consists of Pernida slipping its nerves into its enemies' bodies to control their movements. Recalling how Quincy can turn Reishi into physical power by pouring it into their veins, Mayuri asserts that it is reasonable to assume some can go further and control parts of their bodies with Reishi before concluding that there is no need to fear Pernida's power now that he understands it. In response, Pernida rips up the ground with several thick nerves. However, when the nerves hurtle toward him, Mayuri simply takes out a vial of acid and splashes it across them, causing Pernida to screech in pain and hunch over as the nerves retract. While Mayuri calls Pernida's power intriguing and promises to take his time enjoying it since he has countless drugs for the nervous system, Pernida continues to writhe in agony and begins to tear its coat apart.
637. BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND [ ]
Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas reveals its true identity as the left arm of the Soul King.
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi walks over to 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and asserts that he paralyzed the latter for his own good, which is why he does not deserve to be looked at like this. With Kenpachi moving his eye to glare at him, Mayuri calls him a monster for still being able to move even this and decides to improve the paralyzing capabilities of his Shikai, Ashisogi Jizō, before proclaiming that he has nothing but gratitude for Kenpachi because the latter helped him identify both the enemy's power and an area of Ashisogi Jizō that needs improvement. Nearby, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame curses Mayuri for intentionally letting Kenpachi charge in to test The Compulsory, and after musing that Kenpachi was in the way of Mayuri getting to fight an intriguing enemy alone, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa tells 12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi that her captain has not changed at all, but Nemu merely states that she hopes this is true, to Yumichika's confusion.
Returning to Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas, Mayuri clarifies that they have obtained valuable information about its abilities by sacrificing a Gotei 13 captain. With Pernida not responding to him asking it if it knows what this means, Mayuri elaborates that this touching sacrifice brings tears to his eyes because noble victories are always achieved through noble sacrifices, to Ikkaku's frustration, before concluding that Pernida should honor this sacrifice by offering itself to Mayuri as a test subject. However, Pernida begins screeching as the two dots of light underneath its hood rapidly move around, leading Mayuri to assume that it does not understand the beauty of this, prior to expand its body far enough to rip through its cloak, revealing itself to be a giant left hand with a dual-pupiled eye on its palm. Initially surprised by this, Mayuri admits that this is not what he was expecting and identifies Pernida as the left arm of the Soul King just before Pernida grows a full arm from the bottom of its body and extends nerves from the end of it to anchor itself into the ground and raise its body upright to tower over the Shinigami.
As a shocked Ikkaku and Yumichika wonder if this means the Soul King was a giant, Mayuri states that he does not know since he has not met the Soul King and clarifies that Pernida's Reiatsu is almost identical to what he collected from 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake after the latter performed Kamikake. After recounting how Ukitake formed a contract with Mimihagi, the right arm of the Soul King, Mayuri points out that it is not surprising for the left arm of the Soul King to also be detached and roaming around freely, though Yumichika disputes this, and that Pernida's form of a large hand with a single eye matches the legend that Kisuke Urahara recounted.
When a roaring Pernida extends several nerves into the ground, forcing Ikkaku and Yumichika to flee, Mayuri simply extends a Kikaisan above himself to intercept them, which causes it to scream in pain, and wonders why the left arm of the Soul King is choosing to work for Yhwach. Extending another Kikaisan to intercept more nerves, Mayuri admits that this question pales in comparison to the joy he feels right now, and when Pernida inquires about this while firing more nerves, Mayuri continues protecting himself with multiple Kikaisans and praises the development of Pernida being able to speak as he wonders what organs are being used to produce its voice. Far behind Mayuri, Ikkaku tells him to run and questions how he can be so happy under these circumstances, only for Mayuri to explain that he has found a subject to observe which he has never met before and who is exceeding every expectation, which completely thrills him. Pernida rears up and begins rapidly firing nerves around itself in all directions, tearing up the ground and forcing Mayuri to move back while encouraging it to show him more and addressing it as the left arm of the Soul King, only for Pernida to slowly assert that its name is Pernida.
638. 悪意沸沸滑稽ノ極ミ [ ]
The fight between 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas continues.
At 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi 's prompting for it to speak louder, Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas asserts that its name is Pernida Parnkgjas, but an unimpressed Mayuri claims that this is too long and that discovering Pernida gives him the right to name it, though he admits that he could make a special exception this time since Pernida is the one making the request on the condition that he decides how the name is spelled, leading an unimpressed Ikkaku and Yumichika to comment on how he is always talking nonsense. Unable to fully understand what Mayuri is saying, Pernida assumes that it is an insult and that it extends to all Quincy, and when Mayuri inquires about what will happen if he was insulting it, Pernida declares this is unforgivable and fires more nerves into the ground, where they spread across the stone and raise a gigantic stone hand in front of Mayuri, who is shocked that it can extend its nerves into inorganic matter and claims to love it just before leaping into the air to avoid the hand as it slams down.
Releasing Jabarakaina with his left hand, Mayuri uses it to grab onto a distant tower and pull himself toward it. With Pernida extending its nerves into the ground and up the side of the tower that Mayuri is reeling himself onto, Mayuri sees them covering the wall in front of him and kicks back from it just before they form another stone hand that rips out of the wall and begins following Mayuri through the air. In turn, Pernida quickly forms another stone hand from a nearby tower and slams both hands into Mayuri from opposite sides, creating a large explosion and seemingly crushing Mayuri. Ikkaku and Yumichika assume with alarm that Mayuri blew himself up, only for Mayuri to emerge unharmed from the cloud of debris without his glowing clothing and reveal that his Explosive Reactive Armor detonated. Refusing to explain how this works and telling Ikkaku and Yumichika to look it up themselves, Mayuri hurtles toward the ground, which is covered in Pernida's nerves, and responds to Yumichika's panicked warning by smirking and pressing a button on his shoes, which creates a disc of blue Reishi underneath each and allows Mayuri to stand on the air above the ground.
With Pernida startled by this, Mayuri infers that this looks familiar to it and reveals that he is using Hirenkyaku, which he describes as the aerial Hohō used by Quincy and admits might have a different original name since this is what Uryū Ishida and Sōken Ishida called it. Mayuri concludes that Pernida's nerves are harmless even if spread through the ground so long as he does not step on them and launches a Jinmen Himo, which groans and laments its situation as it wraps itself around Pernida's pinky finger. Once Mayuri presses a trigger to take a sample as planned, the Jinmen Himo detonates, severing Pernida's pinky in a shower of blood as it screams in pain. With the large pinky flopping on the ground before him, Mayuri douses it in a preservative and explains that he will prepare a storage tank once the battle is over, with the preservative meant to keep the finger fresh until then.
Suddenly, an eye opens on the first joint of the pinky and unleashes several nerves, catching Mayuri off-guard as they begin infiltrating his right arm. Upon seeing his pinky bend backward until it breaks, Mayuri rapidly operates on his right arm with his left arm until it is covered in stitches to reconfigure its arrangements of nerves, muscles, and blood vessels, which he explains to Pernida prior to proclaiming that he will not be controlled so easily.
639. BABY,HOLD YOUR HAND 2 [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi reveals his modified Bankai and overwhelms Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas.
With 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi calling his reconfiguring of his right arm with his left sloppy and embarrassing because he is out of practice from not performing surgery with one arm for a long time, Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas wonders if he is referring to himself for panicking. Though a grinning Mayuri denies this, Pernida asks him if he wants to panic more before the severed pinky rapidly grows into a full hand and runs on its fingers toward Mayuri, who launches another Jinmen Himo at it in order to repel it with the explosion and looks at the hand writhing on the ground, now bearing an eye on its palm as well.
Realizing that the severed finger has become a copy of Pernida, Mayuri muses that taking it back with him in pieces is no longer an option just before Pernida rips off its middle finger and repeats its inquiry about Mayuri panicking more while the severed finger begins growing additional fingers. While Pernida complains about blood from the stump dripping into its eye, Mayuri recalls reading a book when he was young that stated the Soul King 's right hand controls stillness while the left controls advancement and admits that knowledge gained from books is merely knowledge which he does not believe until he has proven it himself, but expresses delight at being able to experience both in succession like this.
With Pernida and its two clones rearing up before him, Mayuri activates his Bankai, causing 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa to assume that he is going to flood the area with poison using Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō and rush toward his captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, in concern alongside 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame. However, Mayuri decries the idea of doing something so wasteful as a large mass emerges from the tip of his Zanpakutō and takes the shape of a massive baby supported by several layers of organs, which Mayuri addresses as Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai and claims is due because of all the data he has acquired during this fight.
Stopping alongside Yumichika while running away with Kenpachi on his back, Ikkaku looks back and demands to know what this is, leading Mayuri to identify it as a Modified Bankai which he created. Mayuri explains that Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai has the ability to give birth to a new Ashisogi Jizō based on data that he sends it during combat, and as Pernida's eye widens in confusion at this, Mayuri promises it will understand soon prior to the large infant roaring in pain and splitting its stomach open to produce a large, black-eyed Ashisogi Jizō that falls on the ground and immediately begins screeching in agony while Mayuri details how its nerves are on the outside of its body, causing it immense pain just from touching the air or ground, which he dismisses as an irrelevant aspect of its existence.
When Pernida fires three nerves at the Ashisogi Jizō, they splay across its face as Mayuri reveals that its nerves are separated into 70,000 layers, which means that The Compulsory can only peel back one outer layer at a time. With the areas of its face touched by Pernida's nerves peeling back a single layer of skin, the Ashisogi Jizō roars and charges toward Pernida and its clones, whom it devours whole one at a time. Assuring Pernida that it is okay to resist if it can fire its nerves 70,000 times before being consumed, Mayuri has the Ashisogi Jizō finish devouring it while Nemu watches solemnly from the side.
640. BABY,HOLD YOUR HAND 3 (Mad Lullaby no.7) [ ]
Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas turns the tables on 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, prompting his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, to intervene of her own accord.
In the past, an infant Nemu Kurotsuchi wonders if 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi remembers what he called her when she first woke up, as she really liked this name.
In the present, after cackling maniacally at the sight of his modified Ashisogi Jizō devouring Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas and its clones, Mayuri stops abruptly and inquires about how the stomach of the Ashisogi Jizō is doing since it swallowed Pernida and its clones whole, which will make digestion take some time, though he muses that birthing the Ashisogi Jizō without teeth was the right move because it would not have survived if Pernida was able to continue duplicating itself. Suddenly, dozens of areas of the Ashisogi Jizō rapidly bulge outward and deflate as firing sounds are heard from within, and the Ashisogi Jizō screams in agony before vomiting up its insides and exploding, leaving chunks of its organs lying on the ground before a startled Mayuri.
From within the stomach, a massive Heilig Pfeil punches through the meat and hurtles toward Mayuri, who narrowly evades it before it destroys a tower behind him. As it laughs gleefully, Pernida stands with an equally large Heilig Bogen formed between its fingers and admits it is mimicking Mayuri's laughter prior to reminding him that it is a Quincy who can kill enemies with a bow and arrow, only for a smiling Mayuri to claim that he did not forget this. With Mayuri declaring that he simply did not expect the left arm of the Soul King to shamelessly proclaim itself to be a Quincy, Pernida questions how this is shameless and regrows its missing fingers while its voice deepens and it asserts that it has always been a Quincy. While its voice returns to normal, Pernida tells a perturbed Mayuri that it is tired of his endless badmouthing of Quincy, leading Mayuri to internally pick up on its voice changing momentarily and note that its vocabulary has been steadily improving since the start of the battle, though he is uncertain if it is regaining its memory as the Soul King or somehow evolving.
Straightening up, Pernida creates five Heilig Bogens on the tips of its fingers and begins rapidly firing Heilig Pfeil at Mayuri, who begins dodging between them and is alarmed to see that each has a nerve attached to the end. When the nerves from one of the Heilig Pfeil begin extending through his left arm as he moves back, Mayuri immediately detonates it at the shoulder before the rest of his body can be infiltrated, but the Heilig Pfeil bends before it can touch the ground behind him and turns in midair to hurtle back toward him, prompting Mayuri to realize that Pernida's nerves in the ground can redirect the Heilig Pfeil. However, before Mayuri can be struck by the Heilig Pfeil that he does not believe he can evade, his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, leaps into the air, grabs the Heilig Pfeil with her right arm, and cuts off her arm with her left hand before her body can be infiltrated, leaving her and her severed limb to fall to the ground below while Pernida's nerves encroach beneath.
After briefly landing on the ground, Mayuri lunges toward Nemu and pulls her away from the nerves prior to dropping her on a building and berating her for intervening without being ordered to, as she was risking being reduced to a lump of meat by the nerves on the ground. In response to Nemu asserting that she judged he was in need of a shield during this battle, Mayuri counters that he does not recall ever teaching her to assist him at her own discretion, and when Nemu confirms this, Mayuri inquires if she is saying that she learned on her own without him teaching her, though Nemu admits that she does not know. Turning away, Mayuri addresses Nemu as Nanagō Nemuri, to her surprise, and recounts how she has been through many battles and learned too many things since Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends first showed up before asking her if she understands the toll it will take on him to develop the next her to this level. With Nemu affirming that she does not, a yelling Mayuri demands that she not act on her own judgement if she does not understand this because she does not have the freedom to die by her own judgement and will die only when he tells her to die, which Nemu accepts.
641. BABY,HOLD YOUR HAND 4 [When I am sleeping] [ ]
12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi discovers how Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas is evolving.
12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi hands her captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a Hojiku-Zai, which she reveals is what she intervened in the battle to give him, and Mayuri uses it to regenerate his missing left arm while inferring that Nemu noticed he failed to bring it with him from the start of the Wahrwelt incursion. Confirming this, Nemu takes the Hojiku-Zai back from Mayuri and uses it to regenerate her missing right arm as she explains how Mayuri did not go through the medicine cabinet as he always does ahead of a battle when this conflict began, which Mayuri calls a creepy attention to detail while staring at Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas alongside Nemu, who apologizes. After a pause, Mayuri jumps off the roof and presses a button on his Hirenkyaku Shoes to initiate a more powerful jet burst from them so he can begin evading hundreds of Heilig Pfeil fired by Pernida and its clones, who surround him with individual Heilig Bogens formed on their fingertips.
After flying around for several seconds and narrowly dodging the Heilig Pfeil, Mayuri contacts Nemu, who is running down the side of the building they were standing on, and details how he is releasing a highly concentrated anesthetic across the area because he measured the nerve density of the Heilig Pfeil during his last encounter with Pernida and is certain that this concentration is high enough to neutralize them. Admitting that Pernida and its clones will have an unknown reaction to the anesthetic and it is high enough to slightly affect him as well, Mayuri dismisses this as unavoidable while Nemu leaps off another building. Mayuri informs Nemu that her job is to inject his Nerve-Freezing Agent directly into one of the nullified Heilig Pfeil, and as he rushes along the ground to avoid a burst of Heilig Pfeil from one of Pernida's clones, Mayuri notes that this does not weaken nerves by obstructing transmission like an anesthetic does, but instead freezes those transmissions and forcibly stops all organs connected to the nerves in the state they were in when the Nerve-Freezing Agent reached them, meaning that open eyelids cannot close, contracted hearts will not expand, and open mouths cannot close, which he ecstatically shouts about.
After reprimanding Nemu for telling him that he is being too loud, Mayuri recalls confirming that Pernida has blood even though he cannot tell what organs are in its body and announces that the Nerve-Freezing Agent will kill it by coagulating the blood in its body. With Nemu running across the ground that Pernida's nerves are embedded in, Mayuri assures her that his anesthetic has neutralized them, making the ground safe to step on, and orders her to inject the Nerve-Freezing Agent into a Heilig Pfeil before Pernida retracts its nerves from it, which Nemu does, causing Pernida and one of its clones to be frozen. However, though Pernida and the one clone turn dark purple and Mayuri proclaims that it is over, the remaining clone severs its thumb before the coagulation can spread beyond it, to Mayuri's astonishment, and demands to know if he thinks he can kill it with this while addressing him by his last name.
In turn, Mayuri notices that it is speaking like 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and deduces that it evolves by absorbing data from everything its nerves touch, leaving him nervous since Nemu's reaction speed will not be sufficient if its nerves have evolved to Kenpachi's level and leading him to tell Nemu to get back. Suddenly, Pernida sheds the dark purple layer of skin and shreds the remnants of its coats as it overcomes the Nerve-Freezing Agent, which a shocked Mayuri identifies as the layered skin ability of the modified Ashisogi Jizō he created earlier. With Pernida arching over Mayuri, Nemu glares at it from the ground and expresses concern for Mayuri.
642. BABY,HOLD YOUR HAND 5 [Eyes Are Open] [ ]
12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi expends part of her Soul in order to defeat Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas.
In the past, 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon is confused by a young Nemu Kurotsuchi informing him that Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi will not address her by her name, and when Nemu states that he has been calling her Nemu instead, Akon points out that this is her name, only for Nemu to remind him that it is Nanagō Nemuri.
In the present, Niko Kuna is startled in the returned Shinigami Research and Development Institute in the Seireitei below when she inadvertently raises three vials containing small clumps of flesh, which she claims did not happen because of anything she did. Walking over to them, Akon reminds Kuna that they are supposed to get the SRDI running again before the captains returns, but is surprised by what he sees and identifies the vials as early relics from the Artificial Soul Project: Nemuri, which he has not seen in a long time. With Kuna making the connection between Nemuri and Nemu, Akon identifies the vials as the first three iterations. Kuna is shocked to learn that the flesh clumps are essentially corpses as Akon explains how the beginning of the project only produced failures and reveals that the fourth iteration finally resulted in a brain, which Bungarō infers led to the technology that fixed his bandaged head. Affirming this, Akon elaborates that the fifth iteration reached the fetus stage and let Mayuri modify his Zanpakutō, resulting in his promotion to captain, which Kuna admits makes sense, while the sixth lived to be two years old until it died from its cell division ceasing, as that is the natural lifespan for artificial Souls' cells. While Akon reveals that Mayuri was overjoyed when Nemu survived past the two-year mark, Nemu crouches prior to launching herself toward Mayuri with enough force to shatter the ground.
In the past, Akon walks through a hallway with a young Nemu and questions why she is asking him about Mayuri's reason for calling her Nemu instead of Mayuri himself, leading Nemu to state that she does not think Mayuri will give her an answer even if she asks, to which Akon retorts that she should know he will not know either if she knows this about Mayuri. When Akon deduces that it is most likely embarrassment on Mayuri's part, Nemu asserts that he is unlikely to feel this emotion. Expressing bemusement at this, Akon recounts Mayuri's words about creating an artificial Shinigami from nothing being the dream of all Shinigami and deciding to call the project Nemuri since it is ridiculous to dream while awake, which he attributes to Mayuri's sense of sarcasm, and admits that he will be speaking speculatively here before theorizing that this is Mayuri's personal dream rather than that of all Shinigami, with Nemu eating, sleeping, breathing, learning something, and growing every day being what Mayuri has dreamed about. Once Akon concludes that Mayuri was probably embarrassed she would notice this, Nemu admits she had not noticed. As they continue walking, Akon states that even he could tell Nemu would one day figure this out due to her rate of growth, and when Nemu inquires if Mayuri would have continued to call her Nanagō if she had not noticed this, a smiling Akon denies this informs Nemu that there is no way she would not evolve because she is Mayuri's greatest creation.
In the present, Nemu grabs Mayuri and smashes through Pernida, leaving a massive hole in the center of its palm while a bewildered Mayuri demands to know where she got this power. In response, Nemu reveals that this is the power Mayuri gave her by bestowing Nemu with the body of a Shinigami. Nemu details how she has enhanced its power to 0.8% below the threshold where it would break down and responds to Mayuri's shock by assuring him that she can last for another 400 seconds, but Mayuri angrily declares that this is not what he is mad about because he did not give Nemu the order to do this. When Nemu clarifies that it is her mission to protect him, Mayuri counters that her mission is to continue to grow, only for Nemu to assert that she can show her growth by protecting him.
After Nemu places him on a rooftop and departs, Mayuri wonders where she learned to talk back like this and admits that he never thought he could leave a battle to her. With a disheveled Mayuri calling this humiliating, Nemu hurtles toward Pernida's remaining clone and gathers energy around her right palm as she internally notes that she is shaving off 6% of her Soul to fire it at the clone in the form of Gikon Jūrinjū, which takes the form of an energy blast that warps the clone's flesh around itself.
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, THE LAST 9DAYS (volume). Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, HEART OF WOLF (volume). Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, HEAR,FEAR,HERE. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, DEATH IN VISION. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, MARCHING OUT THE ZOMBIES (volume). Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, SORRY I AM STRONG. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, BLACK (volume). Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, THE ORDINARY PEACE. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, AGAINST THE JUDGEMENT. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. Adapted from Bleach Wiki contributors, FRIEND. Chapter synopses combined; illustrations, author notes, publisher blurbs and reference markers omitted. · Content license