Recaps

Dante and Vergil tried to reach the human world after learning that Nero and Kyrie were expecting a child, but the rifts kept collapsing. Vergil opened a passage with the Yamato and entered the human world with Dante, while his slash also carried a young man from a parallel world into another rift.

• Dante and Vergil missed a collapsing rift as they searched for a way back to the human world.
• Dante told Vergil that Nero and Kyrie were expecting a child, and Vergil realized he was about to become a grandfather.
• Vergil decided to use the Yamato to open a passage despite the risk of renewed demon attacks, and Dante let him proceed.
• Vergil's slash opened a route to the human world and continued through other dimensions as the brothers raced toward Nero.
• In a parallel-world Demon City, a young man celebrating his Devil May Cry 5 Vergil Subject Three dance was struck by the slash and swept into a rift.

A young man who had recreated a game combo found himself in the Soul Society, where his Zanpakuto explained that he had died and his spirit body had been damaged. Unable to speak his old name and lacking a named, usable Zanpakuto, he set off to find people who could help him.

• The young man realized he had awakened in a grassy area wearing a white yukata and followed a voice that identified itself as his Zanpakuto.
• The Zanpakuto told him that he was in the Soul Society and that his physical body had been destroyed.
• The young man tried to say his name but found that his damaged spirit body would not let him pronounce it.
• The Zanpakuto explained that the young man needed someone powerful to give him a new name, and that it had no blade or name of its own.
• The young man and his Zanpakuto agreed to seek out people for information, and he started down the dirt road.

A young man with no memory of his combat abilities intervened when masked attackers ambushed Fon Shaoling’s carriage and discovered he could fight with extraordinary strength and skill. He defeated one attacker and challenged the others as Shaoling continued her mission to uncover the culprits behind a threat to Rukongai.

• The young man heard fighting ahead and felt compelled to investigate despite deciding it was safer to leave.
• Masked men attacked Fon Shaoling’s carriage, and the young man punched one attacker away before posing as her guard.
• The young man blocked a sword strike with his fist, then used swift, instinctive techniques to injure the swordsman.
• Fon Shaoling wondered how a newly arrived Whole could use Shunpo and Reishi, while resolving to eliminate those responsible for Yoruichi’s departure.
• A masked attacker charged with an overhead slash, but the young man blasted through his sword with a blue-white energy punch and struck him with a powerful kick, sending him crashing into a tree.

After defeating the masked bandits, the young man accepted Fon Shaoling’s offer to travel with her to Bamboo Creek Plain and stay with the Fon Clan. He revealed that he could not speak his old name and that he had arrived in Soul Society without a Soul Reaper escort, while Fon Shaoling began to suspect his unusual talent and he realized he was falling for her.

• Fon Shaoling signaled her guards to capture the fleeing masked bandits, then ordered them to interrogate the prisoners and examine the fallen leader.
• Fon Shaoling introduced herself to the young man and invited him to travel with her toward Bamboo Creek Plain.
• When the young man tried to say his old name, his body seized up, and he explained that his spirit body rejected it and that his Zanpakuto had told him he needed a new name.
• Fon Shaoling learned that the young man had arrived in Soul Society without meeting a Soul Reaper and offered to help him find a new name through the Fon Clan’s connections.
• The young man agreed to stay with the Fon Clan and privately admitted to his Zanpakuto spirit that he had fallen for Fon Shaoling.

Fon Shaoling investigated a new wave of disappearing souls and suspected that Soul Reapers with access to deployment information were helping the bandits. She connected the case to the past Hollowfication incident, while confirming that the young man she had brought to the estate had awakened a Zanpakutō spirit.

• Fon Shaoling learned that bandits from Zaraki District had killed her investigators after evading Soul Reaper patrols, and Marechiyo Ōmaeda suspected a lower noble house and officers with access to deployment information were involved.
• Fon Shaoling ordered an inquiry into Central 46 and requested a Reishi detection device and an Asauchi.
• Fon Shaoling recalled the earlier Hollowfication incident and Aizen's doubts about how quickly Central 46 had blamed Kisuke Urahara, then hoped that solving the new case might bring Yoruichi back.
• Fon Shaoling found the young man examining his altered reflection and reassured him about his new appearance.
• A hidden observer reported that the young man had eaten heavily, experienced spiritual-pressure surges, and awakened a Zanpakutō spirit; Fon Shaoling looked forward to giving him a name the next day.

Fon Shaoling held a naming ceremony for the nameless young man, who chose the name Yexing Hu. The ceremony infused him with spiritual markings, but Reishi continued pouring into him long after the ritual should have ended.

• Fon Shaoling explained the noble naming ceremony and prepared name and surname choices for the young man.
• The young man chose Yexing Hu and entered the spiritual array as Fon Shaoling began the ceremony.
• Fon Shaoling invoked the Soul King and proclaimed Yexing Hu’s name, activating the array and causing him to rise into the air.
• The array’s markings entered Yexing Hu, but two hours later Reishi was still pouring into him from beyond the Fon residence, leaving Fon Shaoling baffled.

Fon Shaoling’s ritual to engrave the young man’s name drew on far more spiritual power than expected, prompting Ichibē Hyōsube to investigate and strengthen the flow. After the ritual ended, the young man introduced himself as Yexing Hu.

• Fon Shaoling wondered why the naming ritual had continued for two hours despite its precise preparations and abundant Reishi.
• Ichibē Hyōsube examined the ritual and found only “Ye” engraved in the bronze book, then sensed the young man’s sharp spiritual power and accelerated the engraving.
• At the Fon residence, Reishi surged into the young man before the force holding him aloft vanished, dropping him onto the floor.
• Fon Shaoling asked the young man his name, and he declared that his name from then on was Yexing Hu.

After Yexing Hu completed the naming ceremony, Fon Shaoling explained that his spiritual density and newly awakened Zanpakuto made life among ordinary souls dangerous and proposed he seek a place at the Shin'ō Academy through the Fon Clan. The chapter ended with Hu agreeing to undergo the clan head's assessment, as Shaoling immediately brought out a spiritual pressure crystal and analysts.

• Yexing Hu accepted the Fon Clan's formal thanks for helping them during the previous day's encounter.
• Fon Shaoling explained that Hu needed spirit food and would be unsafe living among ordinary souls because his Zanpakuto spirit had awakened without a blade.
• Fon Shaoling offered Hu a chance to qualify for the Shin'ō Academy through the Fon Clan's recommendation, subject to the clan head Soi Fon's stricter standards and a commitment to the Second Division.
• Hu agreed to take the assessment, and Fon Shaoling promptly arranged for him to measure his spiritual power with a crystal and a team of analysts.

Hu passed the initial assessment after channeling Reishi into the crystal, and the tests revealed unusually aggressive Reishi with strong affinities for Shunpo, Hakuda, and Hadō but poor compatibility with healing Kidō. Fon Shaoling assigned him four tests in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, movement, and Kidō to earn a Fon Clan recommendation.

• Hu channeled Reishi into the crystal and passed the initial test for Reishi intensity, spiritual pressure, and body strength.
• The researchers tested Hu's Reishi and were injured when it manifested as blade-like slashes, leading Fon Shaoling to suspect a powerful direct-attack Zanpakuto ability.
• Fon Shaoling reviewed the results and explained Hu's strengths in Shunpo, Hakuda, and Hadō, as well as his incompatibility with healing Kidō.
• Fon Shaoling assigned Hu four assessments: learn Zanjutsu and obtain his Zanpakuto's True Name within three days, last ten rounds against an instructor after ten days of Hakuda training, reach a 300-meter Shunpo within five days, and meet Kidō requirements during a month of study.
• Hu wondered whether the demanding assessments were meant to prepare him to become a Soul Reaper.

Fon Shaoling reflected on Yexing Hu’s assessment and became intrigued by his unusual Reishi and apparent compatibility with the Onmitsukidō. While exploring the Fon estate, Hu learned that the clan’s library served as a rest area for its subordinates and heard that Bamboo Creek Plain had prospered after the Fon Clan settled there.

• Fon Shaoling reviewed Hu’s assessment, deduced that his Reishi had inflicted an execution-like wound, and looked forward to revealing the truth about Soi Fon and Fon Shaoling.
• Hu wandered around the Fon estate, avoiding training areas and wondering why his Zanpakuto had fallen silent.
• Hu asked Shimizu about the library and offended him by remarking that the Fon Clan was more considerate than he had expected.
• Another attendant reprimanded Shimizu, apologized to Hu, and explained that the clan’s guests were memorized as part of their duties.
• Hu entered the library and wondered whether Bamboo Creek Plain had been less peaceful before the Fon Clan arrived.

Hu apologized to Shimizu at the Fon Clan library, and Shimizu told him how the Fon Clan had ended the exploitation of Bamboo Creek Plain’s souls. Shimizu hoped to become a Soul Reaper and serve under Captain Soi Fon.

• Hu found Shimizu relaxing on the library balcony, apologized for underestimating the Fon Clan, and made peace with him.
• Hu asked about Bamboo Creek Plain’s troubled past, and Shimizu explained that water-controlling bandits had enslaved souls and bribed Soul Reapers to protect them.
• Shimizu recalled how Princess Shaoling and the Onmitsukidō killed the corrupt Soul Reapers and gave coerced workers a chance to reform.
• Shimizu said the Fon Clan dismantled the spring barriers, drove out the villains, and built settlements and facilities for the souls.
• Shimizu praised the Fon Clan and said he wanted to become a Soul Reaper and serve under Captain Soi Fon.

Hu met his Zanpakuto spirit in his Inner World and learned that his power could eventually let him perform Judgment Cut, though he needed an Asauchi and Shikai first. He awoke to find the Fon Clan guest courtyard wrecked and several Onmitsukidō injured, with Fon Shaoling organizing their treatment.

• Hu toured the Fon Clan attendants' rest area with Shimizu, then returned to his room and fell asleep.
• Hu found himself atop a gigantic tree in his Inner World and met the spirit of his Zanpakuto.
• The Zanpakuto spirit explained that Hu's Inner World had formed as his spirit body stabilized and that Hu had gained the spirit's power.
• Hu eagerly asked to learn Judgment Cut, but the spirit said Hu needed to learn his name, obtain an Asauchi, and achieve Shikai first.
• The spirit warned Hu to ask for an Asauchi after waking, then Hu awoke beneath the night sky in a ruined guest courtyard surrounded by injured Onmitsukidō as Fon Shaoling organized their care.

Hu’s Zanpakuto ability erupted while he slept, slicing apart the Fon Clan guest room and injuring two Onmitsukidō members before Soi Fon forced him awake. The destruction stopped, and Soi Fon disguised herself as Fon Shaoling and began organizing the cleanup.

• Two Onmitsukidō members monitoring Hu saw his Zanpakuto’s fluctuations surge and blue lines begin cutting through the room.
• As the blue lines sliced apart the guest room and its roof, one Onmitsukidō member kicked debris away from Hu and alerted Soi Fon.
• Soi Fon ordered the Onmitsukidō members to wake Hu, but slapping him only stopped the blue lines briefly while he continued sleeping and muttered about Judgment Cut.
• Hu’s sleeping Zanpakuto produced enormous spatial gashes that slashed two Onmitsukidō members, and Soi Fon rescued them before striking at the blue slashes.
• Soi Fon kicked Hu in the stomach, waking him and stopping the slashes, then changed into ordinary clothes and returned as Fon Shaoling to organize the cleanup.

Hu woke to find himself injured and the Fon Clan’s grounds damaged by his Zanpakuto’s leaked power. After receiving an Asauchi and learning to control its size, he returned to his inner world, where his Zanpakuto spirit challenged him to learn Judgment Cut.

• Hu woke with a swollen face and a painful abdomen, then asked Fon Shaoling what had happened.
• Fon Shaoling explained that Hu’s Zanpakuto power had leaked out and injured members of the Onmitsukidō, and Hu apologized for the damage.
• Fon Shaoling gave Hu an Asauchi and instructed him to channel his spiritual pressure into it.
• Hu’s Asauchi grew into an enormous sword, but he followed Fon Shaoling’s instructions and quickly shortened it to a manageable size.
• Hu went to rest and met his Zanpakuto spirit in his inner world, where the spirit challenged him to learn Judgment Cut.

Hu trained with his Zanpakuto spirit to master Beowulf, then began Zanjutsu training with Cilian. After Hu demonstrated Beowulf as a hand-to-hand technique, Cilian sent him to lunch and told him to return for Hakuda training.

• Hu fought his Zanpakuto spirit in his inner world as he worked to master Beowulf and learn his sword's true name.
• Cilian arrived to teach Hu Zanjutsu and questioned whether Hu's Zanpakuto training was helping him reach his goal.
• Cilian dragged Hu to the training hall and began testing his swordsmanship with live attacks.
• Hu released his sword and struck Cilian with a powerful Beowulf punch, surprising him.
• Cilian ended the morning session and told Hu to return before one for Hakuda training.

Hu spoke with Shimizu about his training under Cilian and arranged to explore Bamboo Creek Plain together after his assessment. He passed Tessai’s “Fist” assessment after a fierce spar, but was badly injured and carried to the Fon Clan’s Medical Station for treatment.

• Hu found Shimizu on duty, discussed Cilian’s sword training, and learned that the renowned instructor had served the Fon Clan for four hundred years.
• Hu encouraged Shimizu not to rush his progress, and they agreed to visit Bamboo Creek Plain when Hu had passed his assessment.
• Tessai challenged Hu to spar after doubting Cilian’s claim that Hu had already mastered Hakuda and passed the “Fist” assessment.
• Tessai recognized Hu’s exceptional Hakuda talent and declared that he had passed, while Hu lay injured on the Dōjō floor.
• Tessai carried Hu to the Fon Clan’s Medical Station for treatment.

After Hu passed the 'fist' test but suffered four broken limbs, he recovered and began Zanjutsu meditation with Cilian, repeatedly clashing with his Zanpakutō spirit. The spirit pulled him into his Inner World again after he went to bed, promising to continue their confrontation through the night.

• Fon Shaoling visited Hu in the medical room, brought him dinner, and introduced Sakiro, who would train him in 'step' the next day.
• Fon Shaoling questioned Tessai about breaking Hu's limbs, and Tessai explained that Hu's powerful Reishi attacks had forced him to defend himself.
• Cilian gave Hu notes on Zanjutsu meditation and instructed him to circulate Reishi while focusing his mind.
• Hu entered his Inner World, where his Zanpakutō spirit spoke cryptically about the pursuit of power and then attacked him when he failed to understand.
• Cilian told Hu to keep facing his Zanpakutō spirit, and Hu was repeatedly thrown out of his Inner World during two hours of meditation.
• After Hu went to bed, his Zanpakutō spirit dragged him back into the Inner World and challenged him to keep talking through the night.

Hu continued his training, learning Shunpo under Sakiro after Cilian reported that his swordsmanship had improved but he still had not learned his Zanpakuto’s True Name. Fon Shaoling then ordered Cilian to take Hu to a Hollow disturbance at Sizhuzhai for practical experience and prevent a Gillian from forming.

• Hu teased Shimizu about his clothes, and Shimizu explained that he planned to visit a woman from his temporary family and try to start a real family with her.
• Sakiro taught Hu about Shunpo, identified his poor gait and control as problems, and spent three hours correcting his posture.
• Hu’s next Shunpo carried him nearly eighty meters, though he nearly crashed into a wall, and Sakiro scheduled further training for the following day.
• Cilian, Tessai, and Sakiro reported Hu’s training progress to Fon Shaoling, who ordered the attendants and Onmitsukidō stationed there to help correct Hu’s gait.
• An urgent report warned that Hollows at Sizhuzhai might devour one another and create a Gillian, so Fon Shaoling sent Cilian to take Hu to the battlefield and stop one from forming.

Hu’s Zanpakutō spirit refused to reveal its name, insisting Hu lacked the resolve to wield its power. Cilian took Hu on field training to Sizhuzhai, where the Onmitsukidō squad set out to correct his Shunpo and make him hunt a Hollow.

• Hu asked the Zanpakutō spirit why it still withheld its name, and the spirit said Hu lacked the resolve to fight even at the cost of his life.
• The Zanpakutō spirit challenged Hu to find a reason to fight and expelled him from the Inner World.
• Cilian woke Hu and took him to the Fon Residence gate, where six Onmitsukidō members awaited a mission to stop Hollows in Sizhuzhai from producing a Gillian.
• Cilian told Hu to kill at least one Hollow and said the squad would correct his Shunpo on the way.
• Hu used Shunpo to follow the group, but Cilian and the Onmitsukidō members repeatedly kicked him for his poor technique.

Cilian and the Onmitsukidō investigated a Hollow outbreak in Sizhuzhai, where Hu discovered that some Hollows had been residents of the district. The chapter ended with Hu recognizing his first friend, Shimizu, among the Hollows.

• Cilian sent the Onmitsukidō into Sizhuzhai to fight the Hollows emerging from a persistent Garganta and ordered Hu to take one down himself.
• Hu followed an Onmitsukidō officer through the district, but the weak Hollows were killed before he could fight them.
• Hu noticed that some Hollows left clothes behind, including garments that appeared to belong to former residents of Sizhuzhai.
• The officer realized that the clothes should not have remained and decided to report the discovery to Mr. Cilian.
• Hu saw a Hollow wearing a dark blue kimono and golden bee-crest ornament and recognized him as Shimizu.

Hu faced Shimizu, who had been transformed into a Hollow, and fought to break his mask rather than kill him. After reaching a new level of speed and power, Hu shattered the mask and revealed Shimizu’s human face.

• Hu recognized Shimizu as the Hollow and insisted on handling the assessment himself while the Onmitsukidō member went to fetch Instructor Cilian.
• Hu studied Shimizu’s attacks and used Beowulf’s fighting style to crack his mask and drive him into a ruined house.
• Shimizu trapped Hu with Reishi tentacles and gathered a powerful blast, saying he needed to eat to protect someone.
• Hu remembered the Zanpakutō spirit’s words, released himself, and struck Shimizu with seven rapid attacks.
• Hu concentrated his energy into a final blow that shattered Shimizu’s mask and revealed his human face.

Hu awakened his Zanpakuto’s Shikai and used its power to separate Shimizu from the Hollow consuming him. The chapter left Shimizu’s fate uncertain as Hu prepared to save his friend and protect Keiko.

• Shimizu told Hu and Cilian that Hollows had appeared among the evacuees, and he had become one while defending his fiancée, Keiko.
• Cilian prepared to kill Shimizu at his request, while Hu’s Zanpakuto spirit challenged him to stop standing by helplessly.
• Hu blocked Cilian’s strike and erupted in Reiatsu as Shimizu’s Hollow transformation resumed.
• Hu called the name Jiku'a and awakened his Shikai, creating wing-shaped rifts in space.
• Hu slashed Shimizu with blue light, separating his human shadow from the Hollow’s white shadow.

Hu separated Shimizu from the Hollow, then fought the creature after it transformed into a Gillian-class Menos Grande. He used Jiku'a’s power to defeat it, leaving the Onmitsukidō stunned by his ability to erase the Gillian.

• Hu used Jiku'a to separate Shimizu from the Hollow and told him his nightmare was ending.
• Hu attacked the Hollow, but it blocked his follow-up and transformed into a Gillian-class Menos Grande after firing a Cero.
• Cilian explained that Hu’s control over his Shikai was unstable and told the Onmitsukidō to handle the Gillian, but Hu insisted on fighting it himself.
• Hu charged through the Gillian’s Cero by splitting its energy, then disrupted its balance and movements with Beowulf’s power and precise slashes.
• Hu used Judgment Cut End to destroy the Gillian’s body and disperse it into Reishi.
• Hu sheathed Jiku'a as the Onmitsukidō members watched in stunned silence, comparing his extraordinary ability to Soi Fon’s.

Hu defeated the Gillian with a powerful Shikai technique, but the move left him unable to move. Cilian rebuked him for using up his strength when other Hollows still needed to be saved, and the group prepared to withdraw with Hu chastened.

• Hu used “Judgment Cut: Absolute” to defeat the Gillian, impressing the Onmitsukidō gathered at the clearing.
• Cilian kicked Hu to test whether he could stand, and Hu’s exhausted body cramped until he could barely breathe or move.
• Cilian pointed out that Hu’s technique could defeat a Gillian but left his body unable to continue fighting.
• Cilian showed Hu the restrained Hollows and asked how many people he could still save without strength or his Zanpakuto.
• Cilian ordered the Onmitsukidō to clean up and stopped Shimizu from approaching Hu.
• Hu apologized to Cilian for getting carried away, and Cilian told him to get treated after they returned.

After blaming himself for failing to save everyone at Sizhuzhai, Yexing Hu heard Cilian explain that he had passed the Shikai assessment and must learn to use his power wisely rather than abandon his duty. Reassured by Shimizu’s determination to keep training, Hu accepted his role as a Soul Reaper and headed to Fon Shaoling’s study.

• Yexing Hu woke in the medical room, saw Shimizu still gravely weakened, and spent the night questioning whether he deserved to be a Soul Reaper.
• Cilian told Yexing Hu that releasing Jiku'a’s Shikai meant he had passed the assessment, and explained that his mistake at Sizhuzhai was misjudging how to use his strength.
• Cilian urged Yexing Hu to remember his error and keep moving forward, describing Soul Reapers as people who must shoulder the consequences of their power.
• Yexing Hu visited Shimizu, who thanked him for saving his life and resolved to keep training until he could enter Shin'ō Academy.
• Yexing Hu remembered the twenty-seven clothed Hollows and walked toward Fon Shaoling’s study, determined to continue as a Soul Reaper.