Recaps

At the graduation ceremony, Kyōsuke Kuchiki received honors for completing the academy in one year and killing an Adjuchas, then faced a recruitment gathering attended by nearly every captain. Yoruichi tried to draw him into the Second Division, but he declined and Shinji Hirako also offered him a place in the Fifth Division.

• Genryūsai Shigekuni awarded Kyōsuke Kuchiki a medal, ribbon, and monetary reward, praising his achievement and reminding him of his responsibilities.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki entered the division recruitment area and found captains and lieutenants staffing the desks to recruit him.
• Yoruichi approached Kyōsuke Kuchiki from behind, teased him, and urged him to join the Second Division.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki stepped away from Yoruichi and said he was not interested in the Second Division.
• Shinji Hirako asked Kyōsuke Kuchiki whether he would consider joining the Fifth Division.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki weighed recruitment offers from the captains and the Kidō Corps before accepting Tessai Tsukabishi’s offer to become deputy Kidō chief. Meanwhile, Kenpachi Kiganjō dismissed Kyōsuke as a fraud and abused his lieutenant, leaving Kyōsuke poised to join the Kidō Corps with its future and authority in question.

• Tessai Tsukabishi offered Kyōsuke Kuchiki an immediate deputy Kidō chief position and promised to recommend him as grand Kidō chief in ten years.
• Tessai told Kyōsuke he would even hand over the captain’s position after a year if circumstances allowed, while Kyōsuke considered the Kidō Corps’ autonomy and noncombat duties.
• Kenpachi Kiganjō rejected his lieutenant’s suggestion to recruit Kyōsuke and beat the lieutenant for raising the matter.
• Yoruichi Shihōin withdrew from competing for Kyōsuke and hinted that other captains would need to offer him a lieutenant’s position.
• Kyōsuke accepted Tessai’s invitation, and Tessai welcomed him as a hopeful future for the Kidō Corps.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki joined the Kidō Corps as vice chief, impressing Tessai Tsukabishi by bypassing his advanced concealment barrier. Meanwhile, Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin grew more concerned that someone was secretly manipulating events in the Seireitei, and Yoruichi went to observe the gathered captains.

• Kyōsuke entered the Kidō Corps headquarters through Tessai Tsukabishi and Hachigen Ushōda's Eight Linked Twin Cliffs barrier without triggering it, then explained that he could conceal his Reiatsu.
• Tessai praised Kyōsuke's unusual ability, and Kyōsuke persuaded him to stop addressing him so formally.
• Yoruichi told Kisuke that Kyōsuke had joined the Kidō Corps as vice chief, with a promise of the chief's position, and Kisuke regretted that he had not joined the Research and Development Institute.
• Kisuke told Yoruichi that the mutated Hollows and tampering with his research materials suggested someone was working secretly in the Seireitei.
• Yoruichi went to Shin'ō Academy and watched the gathered captains, but she could not identify who was pulling the strings.

Kenpachi Kiganjō mocked Kyōsuke Kuchiki for joining the Kidō Corps, prompting Tessai Tsukabishi and Yoruichi Shihōin to defend him. Yoruichi exposed Kiganjō’s disputed rise to captain, leaving him enraged and threatening the onlookers.

• Kensei Muguruma expressed concern that Kyōsuke Kuchiki was wasting his talent in the Kidō Corps, while Retsu Unohana said he would shine wherever he went.
• Kenpachi Kiganjō arrived, ridiculed the Kidō Corps and Kyōsuke Kuchiki, and tried to pat Kyōsuke on the shoulder.
• Tessai Tsukabishi blocked Kiganjō with his staff-shaped Zanpakuto and demanded that he apologize, while Yoruichi Shihōin threatened him for insulting Kyōsuke.
• Yoruichi Shihōin called Kiganjō’s captaincy the result of luck and mocked his claim to the Kenpachi title.
• Kiganjō flew into a rage, threatened the watching students and captains, and challenged Yoruichi’s accusation about how he became captain.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki blocked Kenpachi Kiganjō’s attack with one hand, then stood firm against Kiganjō’s unleashed Reiatsu as the captains watched. The chapter ended with Kiganjō preparing to fight Kyōsuke inside a barrier.

• Yoruichi Shihōin and Kiganjō prepared to fight, but Kyōsuke stopped Kiganjō’s Zanpakuto with one hand.
• Kyōsuke taunted Kiganjō, who grew enraged and released his Shikai, overwhelming several students with his Reiatsu.
• Kyōsuke used Shunpo to move Tessai Tsukabishi to safety and shielded him from Kiganjō’s Reiatsu.
• Shunsui Kyōraku and the other captains formed a barrier around Kiganjō, while Retsu Unohana led the students away.
• The captains chose to let Kyōsuke face Kiganjō alone, and Kyōsuke drew his Zanpakuto as Kiganjō’s blood-colored Reiatsu distorted the space inside the barrier.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki outclassed Kiganjō with precise basic swordsmanship while leaving his own Shikai unreleased. Humiliated and enraged, Kiganjō unleashed Bankai: Adamantine Exhaustion and prepared to attack with his transformed giant sword.

• Kiganjō released his Shikai and attacked Kyōsuke Kuchiki, who deflected his strikes and repeatedly wounded him with precise swordsmanship.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki circled Kiganjō with Shunpo and taunted him while the watching students and captains marveled at his skill.
• Kensei Muguruma pointed out that Kyōsuke Kuchiki still had not used Shikai, astonishing the Gotei 13 captains.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki questioned Kiganjō's claim to the Kenpachi title, driving Kiganjō into a furious rage.
• Kiganjō activated Bankai: Adamantine Exhaustion, enlarging his Zanpakuto and gaining greater strength, defense, and attack range.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki used his Shikai and an unfamiliar form of Shunpo to evade Kenpachi Kiganjō’s Bankai attacks, then revealed a new Kidō designed to seal Reiatsu. Kiganjō realized that his Reiatsu had stopped responding, leaving the fight’s outcome poised to be decided.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki released Dijiang and used Senka to slip behind Kiganjō and slash him without being detected.
• Kiganjō spun his greatsword in a furious attempt to hit Kyōsuke, but Kyōsuke declared that he had already dealt with him.
• Kyōsuke revealed the Meridian-Sealing and Spirit-Intercepting Technique, a talisman he had created to seal Reiatsu.
• Tessai Tsukabishi and the others were shocked by Kyōsuke’s new Kidō, while Kiganjō dismissed the golden characters after they landed on him.
• Kiganjō tried to release his Reiatsu and swing his Zanpakuto, then panicked when his Reiatsu would not respond.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki killed Kenpachi Kiganjō after sealing his reiatsu and overwhelming him with an unfamiliar Shunpo technique. The captains and students recognized Kyōsuke as a formidable Captain-level fighter, while Yoruichi Shihōin reflected on how early he must have developed his technique.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki used Senka to strike Kiganjō, whose reiatsu remained sealed and whose vital points were shattered.
• Kiganjō died insisting he was the strongest Kenpachi, and Kyōsuke sheathed Dijiang without blood on its blade.
• Yoruichi Shihōin, Retsu Unohana, and the Soul Reaper students reacted to Kyōsuke's victory over a Bankai-using captain.
• Shinji Hirako and Kisuke Urahara discussed Kyōsuke's strange Kidō and Shunpo with Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, who admitted they had no clear counter.
• Yoruichi Shihōin considered Kyōsuke's Shunpo and recalled that she had perfected her own Utsusemi only shortly before becoming Stealth Force Commander-in-Chief and Second Division Captain.

After killing Kiganjō, Kyōsuke Kuchiki was named the new Kenpachi and captain of the 11th Division, but he tried to refuse the post because he wanted to join the Kidō Corps. Tessai Tsukabishi and Genryūsai Shigekuni argued over whether Kyōsuke should join the Kidō Corps or take up the captaincy.

• Retsu Unohana's squad confirmed that Kiganjō had died after Kyōsuke Kuchiki killed him.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni questioned Kyōsuke about deliberately killing a colleague, then declared that he had inherited the Kenpachi name and the 11th Division captaincy.
• Kyōsuke objected to becoming captain and said he had already chosen to join the Kidō Corps.
• Tessai Tsukabishi argued that Kyōsuke should remain with the Kidō Corps and called the killing self-defense.
• Genryūsai insisted that Kyōsuke rightfully held the Kenpachi title, while Tessai challenged the rule and argued that Kyōsuke's Kidō talent would be wasted in the 11th Division.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki chose the Kidō Corps over the Gotei 13 after Tessai Tsukabishi offered him the Deputy Kidō Chief position. Genryūsai Shigekuni agreed to let him go if he found someone to inherit the name of Kenpachi, and Yoruichi Shihōin suggested he leave on assignments to buy time.

• Tessai Tsukabishi offered Kyōsuke Kuchiki the post of Deputy Kidō Chief and said he could succeed him as Grand Kidō Chief.
• Sōsuke Aizen worried that Kyōsuke Kuchiki might become an unpredictable influence if he joined the Gotei 13.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki declined Genryūsai Shigekuni’s offer and chose to remain with the Kidō Corps.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni told Kyōsuke Kuchiki to find someone capable of inheriting the name of Kenpachi, and Kyōsuke agreed.
• Yoruichi Shihōin urged Kyōsuke Kuchiki to register with the Kidō Corps and take assignments outside the Seireitei while he searched.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki chose a candidate for Kenpachi in Rukongai and prepared to travel there with Yoruichi Shihōin. The chapter ended with Yoruichi arriving at his bedroom early the next morning, before he had eaten breakfast.

• Kyōsuke told Yoruichi Shihōin and Tessai Tsukabishi that he had a candidate for Kenpachi in Rukongai and would seek him out the next morning.
• Yoruichi decided to accompany Kyōsuke, and Tessai left to find a suitable Kidō Corps candidate in the Seireitei.
• Kyōsuke told Kuchiki Ginrei and Byakuya Kuchiki about his plans; Byakuya offered to send Sixth Division members, but Kyōsuke declined.
• Kyōsuke checked his Heaven Communicating Talisman Art proficiency and reflected on the potential of the Eight Extraordinary Skills.
• Yoruichi arrived at Kyōsuke's bedroom early the next morning and greeted him before he had eaten breakfast.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki and Yoruichi Shihōin reached Zaraki in East District 80, where they found evidence of a massacre and unusually powerful Reiatsu. As the terrified residents barred their doors, a badly wounded Soul Reaper approached them, asking whether they were reinforcements.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki and Yoruichi Shihōin left the Seireitei and headed for Zaraki in East District 80 to find a suitable candidate.
• They passed through increasingly desolate districts, where residents watched them warily but kept their distance from the Soul Reapers.
• In Zaraki, Kyōsuke Kuchiki and Yoruichi Shihōin found streets stained with blood and strewn with dozens of mutilated remains.
• Yoruichi Shihōin questioned where the area's Soul Reapers were and sensed immense Reiatsu lingering on the corpses.
• The residents slammed their doors and blocked their entrances, while Kyōsuke Kuchiki noticed someone approaching.
• A one-armed, bloodied Soul Reaper rushed up to Kyōsuke Kuchiki and Yoruichi Shihōin and asked if they were reinforcements.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki found Zaraki and faced his attack alongside Yoruichi. After Kyōsuke used Dijiang’s tenfold boost to block Zaraki’s sword, Zaraki turned his attention to him.

• A wounded Soul Reaper warned Yoruichi and Kyōsuke that Zaraki was a monster, then fled as Zaraki arrived.
• Kyōsuke identified Zaraki as the man he was seeking and urged Yoruichi to return to the Seireitei, but she refused.
• Zaraki noticed Yoruichi and charged, forcing her into a desperate attempt to block his sword.
• Kyōsuke activated Dijiang’s tenfold boost and blocked Zaraki’s strike just before it reached Yoruichi.
• Yoruichi retreated at full Shunpo speed, and Zaraki turned toward Kyōsuke.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki unleashed Dijiang’s tenfold Reiatsu boost and faced Kenpachi Zaraki in a brutal clash of raw power. Kyōsuke wounded Kenpachi with Dijiang’s Shikai, and Kenpachi answered by releasing an even more ferocious Reiatsu as the fight continued.

• Kyōsuke told Kenpachi he would reveal how he had grown stronger if Kenpachi won, then unleashed his Reiatsu and drove back Kenpachi’s aura.
• Yoruichi Shihōin sensed the danger from the two fighters’ Reiatsu and realized she could not safely take part in their battle.
• Kenpachi charged Kyōsuke, and the two repeatedly clashed their Reiatsu, destroying the surrounding area.
• Kyōsuke blocked Kenpachi’s sword and activated Dijiang’s Shikai, then grazed Kenpachi and inflicted a deep wound.
• Kenpachi laughed with delight and released a more powerful wave of Reiatsu, leaving Yoruichi and distant Soul Reapers struggling under its pressure.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki used Dijiang’s erasing ability to destroy part of Kenpachi Zaraki’s sword and blasted him into ruins with Byakurai, but Kenpachi rose, stronger and eager to continue fighting. As Kenpachi reached for fallen weapons to counter Dijiang, Kyōsuke moved to stop him, determined to force him to join the Seireitei.

• Kenpachi Zaraki’s slash missed when Dijiang erased part of his damaged sword, and Kyōsuke Kuchiki blasted him into ruins with Byakurai.
• Yoruichi Shihōin was astonished by Kyōsuke’s powerful Kidō, then sensed Kenpachi’s Reiatsu surge from the ruins.
• Kenpachi Zaraki rose with a grievous wound and revealed his excitement at facing Kyōsuke, who warned him not to fight too long in his condition.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki explained that Dijiang erased whatever its blade touched, and Yoruichi Shihōin learned the secret of his Zanpakuto.
• Kenpachi Zaraki lunged toward fallen weapons to defend against Dijiang, so Kyōsuke Kuchiki moved to stop him and make him join the Seireitei.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki continued their devastating battle, with Kenpachi breaking free of Kyōsuke’s Kidō and both captains witnessing the fight realizing how far beyond ordinary Soul Reapers the two were. The chapter left the fight unresolved, as Kenpachi’s body and weapon were badly damaged but he continued fighting.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki trapped Kenpachi Zaraki with Six Rods Prison of Light, but Kenpachi blasted through the spell and charged back at him.
• Kyōsuke cast Dankū to protect himself, while Yoruichi Shihōin realized Kenpachi had survived and escaped the restraint.
• Kensei Muguruma arrived with Ninth Division Soul Reapers and watched Kyōsuke and Kenpachi’s battle devastate the surrounding area.
• Kensei Muguruma recognized Kyōsuke’s extraordinary strength, while he and Yoruichi admitted they could do nothing but watch the two monsters fight.
• Kenpachi Zaraki kept fighting despite his battered body, and the ordinary weapon he had picked up shattered while his Asauchi grew shorter and less threatening.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki continued their battle as Zaraki’s Reiatsu and combat ability surged under the pressure. Kyōsuke stopped holding back, prompting Yoruichi Shihōin and Kensei Muguruma to evacuate everyone from the battlefield.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki struck Kenpachi Zaraki with a tenfold-boosted Sōren Sōkatsui, but Zaraki’s materialized Reiatsu shield protected him from the flames.
• Kenpachi Zaraki’s fighting spirit and strength increased, and his Zanpakuto recovered as he kept attacking Kyōsuke.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki used Dankū to block Zaraki’s strike, then Dijiang pierced and weakened Zaraki’s golden Reiatsu defense.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki decided to fight seriously, and the change in his aura made Yoruichi Shihōin and Kensei Muguruma sense the danger.
• Yoruichi Shihōin retreated, while Kensei Muguruma ordered his squad members to evacuate beyond sight of the battle.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki unleashed a tenfold surge of Reiatsu and used a series of Kidō spells to trap Kenpachi Zaraki before striking with Dijiang. He defeated Kenpachi by erasing most of his blade and piercing his left eye, then calmly declared victory.

• Kensei Muguruma rescued the Ninth Division Soul Reapers as Kenpachi's Reiatsu overwhelmed those who had not retreated far enough.
• Kyōsuke unleashed a tenfold Reiatsu surge that shook the land and reached the Ninth Division squad.
• Kyōsuke used Gochūtekkan, Kuyō Shibari, and Dankū to restrict Kenpachi, then concealed himself with Senka and Six Treasury Immortal Thief to attack from behind.
• Kenpachi sensed Kyōsuke's approach and counterattacked with his battered Asauchi, which showed signs of responding to him.
• Kyōsuke clashed Dijiang against Kenpachi's blade, erased most of it, and stabbed Kenpachi in the left eye.
• Kyōsuke withdrew Dijiang, sheathed it, and told Kenpachi that he had won.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki defeated Kenpachi Zaraki but used up nearly all his Spiritual Power, then explained that Zaraki survived because he had spared him to inherit the Kenpachi title. Kyōsuke asked Yoruichi to help carry Zaraki back to Seireitei.

• Kenpachi Zaraki collapsed after Dijiang erased his left eye, and Kyōsuke Kuchiki relaxed as Yoruichi Shihōin arrived.
• Kyōsuke used Kaidō to heal Zaraki's recoverable wounds, while Kensei Muguruma arrived and learned that Zaraki was still alive.
• Kyōsuke told Kensei that Zaraki needed to survive and inherit the Kenpachi title, and explained to Yoruichi that the fight had pushed both combatants to their limits.
• Kyōsuke asked Yoruichi to help take Zaraki back to Seireitei because his Spiritual Power was depleted, and she reluctantly agreed.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki defeated Kenpachi Zaraki and brought the unconscious warrior and Yachiru Kusajishi back to the Seireitei for treatment. After Retsu Unohana recognized Zaraki and reacted with intense, complicated feelings, Kyōsuke rested in the Fourth Division and slept until noon.

• Yachiru Kusajishi appeared and asked where Yoruichi and Kyōsuke were taking Kenpachi Zaraki, then introduced herself as his companion.
• Kyōsuke told Yachiru he would take Zaraki to the Seireitei so he could recover and grow stronger, and agreed to bring her along.
• Kyōsuke, Yoruichi, and Yachiru returned to the Seireitei with the still-unconscious Zaraki and took him to the Fourth Division for treatment.
• Retsu Unohana recognized Zaraki, questioned Kyōsuke about defeating him, and called him a suitable candidate for the next Kenpachi.
• Yoruichi asked Retsu to treat Zaraki and look after Yachiru, then Kyōsuke requested that she tell the Captain-Commander he had found a Kenpachi candidate.
• Kyōsuke went to sleep in the Fourth Division and woke at high noon.

After waking from a daylong sleep, Kyōsuke Kuchiki persuaded Kenpachi Zaraki to pursue the 11th Division captaincy and then headed to the Kidō Corps headquarters. There, Grand Kidō Chief Tsukabishi greeted him, saying he had been about to look for him.

• Retsu Unohana told Kyōsuke Kuchiki he had slept for a whole day and night and that several people, including Kenpachi Zaraki, had come to see him.
• Kenpachi Zaraki demanded another fight, but Kyōsuke Kuchiki urged him to inherit the name Kenpachi and become captain of the 11th Division instead.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki explained that the position would bring Zaraki strong challengers and dangerous battles, and promised he could challenge Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
• Zaraki and Yachiru Kusajishi left to find the Captain-Commander, then returned and Zaraki asked when he could fight Kyōsuke again.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki hurriedly escaped to the Kidō Corps headquarters, where Tessai Tsukabishi welcomed him and said he had been about to look for him.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki unlocked Feng Hou Qimen and began mastering its ability to control everything within its formation. While he trained, Kenpachi Zaraki became the 11th Division captain, fought Captain-Commander Yamamoto, and publicly confirmed that Kyōsuke had defeated him, raising Kyōsuke’s standing across the Seireitei.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki completed his Kidō Corps handover, met Hachigen Ushōda, and returned to the Kuchiki estate after recovering from his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki.
• Kyōsuke assessed his growth and combat experience, then settled into the Kidō Corps while training his Heaven Communicating Talisman Art and taking Hollow-purification missions.
• Kyōsuke perfected the Heaven Communicating Talisman Art, unlocked Feng Hou Qimen, and began practicing its control over space and everything inside its formation.
• Kenpachi Zaraki succeeded Kiganjō as the 11th Kenpachi and challenged Captain-Commander Yamamoto, who forced him to face Ryūjin Jakka’s Shikai.
• Kenpachi Zaraki admitted that Kyōsuke had defeated him, silencing boastful 11th Division members and earning the Kidō Corps greater respect.

Ten years after Kyōsuke Kuchiki rose to prominence, he learned from Gin Ichimaru that Aizen planned to target Shinji Hirako and his group, but chose not to interfere because he wanted Kisuke Urahara to reveal the Hōgyoku. Days later, Kensei Muguruma and his Ninth Division team investigated disappearances in Rukongai, where Kaname Tōsen sensed something approaching.

• Kyōsuke Kuchiki spent ten years building his strength, mastered Feng Hou Qimen, and developed Grand Luo Insight enough to see through Kyōka Suigetsu.
• Gin Ichimaru told Kyōsuke Kuchiki that Aizen was preparing to make his move against Shinji Hirako and his group.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki told Gin Ichimaru not to stop Aizen, hoping the Hollowfication Incident would lead Kisuke Urahara to reveal the Hōgyoku.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki reflected on the two incomplete Hōgyoku and his plan to obtain the perfected one.
• Kensei Muguruma led Mashiro Kuna and other Ninth Division members to investigate disappearances in Rukongai, and Kaname Tōsen warned that something was approaching.

Kensei Muguruma investigated the disappearances in Rukongai after rescuing Shūhei Hisagi from a Hollow and finding the advance team's uniforms abandoned. That night, Tōdō was found beside slain squad members, and Kensei became unable to move.

• Kensei Muguruma killed the Menos Grande that had attacked Rukongai and learned the rescued child was Shūhei Hisagi.
• Mashiro Kuna found Soul Reaper uniforms abandoned in the bushes, and Kensei realized the entire advance team had disappeared.
• Kensei ordered Okishima to contact Central, sent Tōdō to contact the Twelfth Division, and arranged for the squad to camp overnight.
• Tōdō returned with word that Lieutenant Hiyori would investigate, while Kensei rested and Mashiro Kuna slept in the tent.
• Kensei found Tōdō standing over two dead Ninth Division members, then watched an invisible blade kill Tōdō.
• Kensei tried to retreat and call Mashiro Kuna, but discovered he could no longer move.

Kensei Muguruma and Mashiro Kuna’s Reiatsu signatures vanished, prompting Genryūsai to assemble the captains and send a team to investigate. Kyōsuke Kuchiki recognized Aizen’s attack from the story he knew and planned to wait for Urahara to intervene before taking the Hōgyoku himself.

• Kensei Muguruma was run through by a Zanpakuto and reacted with shock at his attacker.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki was summoned to the First Division Barracks after the Ninth Division reported that Kensei Muguruma and Mashiro Kuna had vanished.
• Kisuke Urahara learned that Hiyori had gone to investigate the Rukongai and hurried to the emergency meeting, where Genryūsai stopped him from joining the search.
• Genryūsai sent Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Shinji Hirako, Love Aikawa, and Tessai Tsukabishi to the scene, while assigning other captains to guard the Seireitei or prepare for casualties.
• Kyōsuke Kuchiki chose not to volunteer, planning to let Urahara reach the scene before Aizen and take the Hōgyoku.