Chapter Summaries

Liu Ziyun returned from the World of the Living and told Retsu Unohana he had defeated and trained with the Visored group. Unohana promoted him to Fifth Seat, and he planned to stay inconspicuous until Kaien Shiba and Isshin Shiba reached their future positions.

• Liu Ziyun gave Retsu Unohana gifts and said Kisuke Urahara had taken him to meet the Hollowfied Soul Reapers, whom he had defeated and trained with.
• Retsu Unohana recognized Liu Ziyun's strength and challenged his claim to have a good temper; Liu defended her from the label of villain.
• Retsu Unohana told Liu Ziyun that Fifth Seat Tazawa Kentarō was retiring after an injury and offered Liu the vacant position, which he accepted.
• Liu Ziyun explained that the promotion would help him stay hidden and said he would keep a low profile until Kaien Shiba became lieutenant and Isshin Shiba became captain.
• Retsu Unohana opened Liu Ziyun's gift box, thanked him, and told him she especially liked the hairpin.

Liu Ziyun became the Fourth Division's Fifth Seat, then Kaname Tōsen asked to transfer him to the Ninth Division as lieutenant. Suspecting the request was a probe, Retsu Unohana defended Liu's reasons for accepting his seat, and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto ordered Tōsen to ask Liu what he wanted.

• Retsu Unohana presided over Liu Ziyun's appointment as the Fourth Division's Fifth Seat.
• Kaname Tōsen requested Liu's transfer to the Ninth Division lieutenant position, and Sōsuke Aizen suggested letting Liu decide.
• Retsu Unohana told the captains that Liu had accepted the Fifth Seat to honor his promise to Tazawa Kentarō.
• Gin Ichimaru questioned Liu's motives, while Sōsuke Aizen defended his conduct.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto directed Kaname Tōsen to ask Liu Ziyun whether he wanted the position.

Kaname Tōsen tested Liu Ziyun by offering him the Ninth Division lieutenant position, but Liu refused and explained that he intended to keep his promises to Tazawa Kentarō and Retsu Unohana. Liu later detected a Black Cloak visitor in the Fourth Division Medical Room and identified the encounter as the first round of a larger test.

• Kaname Tōsen offered Liu Ziyun the Ninth Division lieutenant position, but Liu refused, citing his promises to Tazawa Kentarō and his oath to serve under Retsu Unohana.
• Liu told Retsu Unohana that Tōsen was only a stepping stone and that the real test would come from the person behind the scenes.
• Liu continued his predictable daily duties in the Fourth Division, keeping up the appearance of an ordinary medical squad member.
• Liu detected a Reiatsu-concealing figure in a Black Cloak at the Medical Room entrance and recognized that Kyouka Suigetsu made others overlook the visitor.
• The Black Cloak figure watched Liu for about three minutes before disappearing, and Liu silently counted the encounter as the first round ending in a draw.

Sōsuke Aizen questioned Liu Ziyun about joining the Fifth Division and about the Visored, probing his loyalty and motives. Liu refused the transfer and claimed he had no desire or ability to seek revenge, while revealing that saving Hirako and the others had cost him strength; Aizen appeared to confirm something about him.

• Sōsuke Aizen met Liu Ziyun on his way back to the dormitory and invited him to join the Fifth Division.
• Liu Ziyun declined, saying he wanted to remain in the Fourth Division and had focused on Kaidō rather than combat.
• Aizen asked Liu what he thought about Captain Hirako and the others being treated as Hollows, and Liu said he accepted the decisions of the Gotei 13 and Central 46.
• When Aizen pressed him about revenge, Liu said he lacked the strength and standing to pursue it and was not close enough to risk his life for them.
• Liu explained that he had exposed his strength to save Hirako and the others because they had been dragged into trouble through him, and that doing so had reduced his Reiatsu.
• Liu said his only goal had been to serve Captain Unohana, and Aizen's expression subtly changed as if Liu had confirmed his suspicions.

Sōsuke Aizen discussed Liu Ziyun’s answers with Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru, concluding that Liu had severed ties with Shinji Hirako’s group and likely posed no threat. Aizen dismissed Liu as a slightly bigger ant, though the conversation left questions about Liu’s hidden strength and stalled growth.

• Sōsuke Aizen left Liu Ziyun and met Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru at their hidden underground base.
• Sōsuke Aizen recounted Liu Ziyun’s statements that he followed Captain Unohana, had no bond left with Shinji Hirako’s group, and would not interfere with Aizen’s plans.
• Kaname Tōsen theorized that Shinji Hirako’s group had tried to recruit Liu away from the Fourth Division, provoking a conflict with Liu’s convictions.
• Gin Ichimaru recalled that Liu Ziyun had once revealed strength near a Lieutenant’s level and suggested that his stalled growth might explain his resentment toward Shinji Hirako’s group.
• Sōsuke Aizen agreed with their assessments and concluded that Liu Ziyun probably posed no threat, calling him a slightly bigger ant.

Liu Ziyun explained to Retsu Unohana that Sōsuke Aizen had investigated him, and warned her to use his cover story if questioned. After Aizen’s watchers lost interest, Liu Ziyun turned down the prospect of a mission outside the Fourth Division and joked about his future plans, leaving Unohana furious and ordering him out.

• Liu Ziyun kept to his duties and training in the Fourth Division until Sōsuke Aizen’s watchers gradually withdrew.
• Retsu Unohana summoned Liu Ziyun to discuss a mission that might require him to leave the Fourth Division, and he asked her not to send him.
• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Aizen had used Kyouka Suigetsu and the Black Cloak to approach him, then probed him about Hirako and the others.
• Liu Ziyun explained the cover story he had given Aizen and advised Retsu Unohana to use the same explanation if questioned.
• Liu Ziyun joked that he wanted to give the girls a home, and Retsu Unohana angrily ordered him out.

Liu Ziyun kept a low profile in the Fourth Division until Kaien Shiba joined the Thirteenth Division and Isane Kotetsu became the Fourth Division's Third Seat. He began courting Isane under the pretext of discussing Kaidō, while Unohana watched jealously and Liu Ziyun awaited the coming events that would change the future.

• Liu Ziyun fled Unohana's office after provoking her with his harem plans, and Unohana privately called him a shameless lecher.
• Liu Ziyun maintained his quiet routine for years until Aizen's people stopped monitoring him.
• Liu Ziyun learned that Kaien Shiba had joined the Thirteenth Division as lieutenant and wondered whether he should save Kaien and Shiba Miyako.
• Isane Kotetsu became the Fourth Division's Third Seat, and Liu Ziyun began approaching her with Kaidō questions, help, and gifts.
• Unohana watched Liu Ziyun court Isane and silently vowed to deal with him, while Liu Ziyun sensed her jealousy and continued his plan.
• Liu Ziyun reflected that the gears of fate were turning faster and waited for a child to be born, Aizen to be exposed, and events to settle.

Byakuya Kuchiki faced opposition from the Kuchiki Clan elders over his decision to marry Hisana, a woman from Rukongai, until Kuchiki Kōga defended him. After the elders relented, Kōga explained how Liu Ziyun’s advice had helped him avoid being manipulated, prompting Byakuya to ask why Liu kept such a low profile.

• News spread through Seireitei that Byakuya Kuchiki intended to marry Hisana, a woman from Rukongai.
• Kuchiki Clan elders protested the marriage, but Kuchiki Kōga stepped forward and supported Byakuya, saying he also came from Rukongai.
• Kōga argued that Byakuya deserved to marry someone he loved, and the elders eventually accepted Byakuya’s decision.
• Kuchiki Ginrei thanked Kōga for changing and regretted that the clan had asked him to hide his abilities on Liu Ziyun’s advice.
• Kōga said Liu Ziyun’s guidance had helped him cultivate patience and avoid a scheme that could have exploited his temper and harmed the Kuchiki Clan.
• Byakuya asked whether Liu Ziyun was the Fourth Division’s Fifth Seat and wondered why he had kept such a low profile.

After warning the Kuchiki family about Hisana’s fragile health, Liu Ziyun stayed hidden from the unseen mastermind. When Hisana’s condition steadily worsened, he arrived secretly with Retsu Unohana to treat her, asking the family to seal the area so his Reiatsu would not expose him.

• Kuchiki Ginrei and Kuchiki Kōga wondered whether Liu Ziyun had foreseen Byakuya Kuchiki’s marriage, then decided to wait for events to unfold.
• Byakuya Kuchiki married Hisana, and Retsu Unohana delivered an unsigned letter from Liu Ziyun warning that Hisana’s health might deteriorate and advising the family not to seek Rukia early.
• Kuchiki Ginrei, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Kuchiki Kōga read Liu Ziyun’s warning, and Byakuya began monitoring Hisana’s health.
• Hisana grew progressively weaker despite the Kuchiki family’s treatments, so Byakuya went to Retsu Unohana for help.
• Retsu Unohana and Liu Ziyun secretly visited the Kuchiki estate at night, where Liu Ziyun agreed to treat Hisana and asked the family to seal the area against his Reiatsu.

Liu Ziyun used his Zanpakuto, Life-Taker, to heal Hisana Kuchiki and awaken her Soul Reaper powers. Hisana recovered, and Liu Ziyun explained why she had remained frail and powerless, leaving Byakuya reassured but still burdened by guilt.

• Kuchiki Ginrei, Kuchiki Kōga, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Retsu Unohana formed a barrier around the room while Liu Ziyun prepared to treat Hisana Kuchiki.
• Liu Ziyun used Life-Taker to examine Hisana, then stabbed her in the chest and invoked Change Fate.
• Hisana’s body became healthy and strong as her dormant Soul Reaper powers awakened.
• Liu Ziyun told Byakuya that Hisana could train to grow stronger and explained that the Kuchiki Clan’s powerful Reiatsu had worsened her frailty before her powers awakened.
• Byakuya wondered whether he had caused Hisana’s suffering, but Liu Ziyun said she might have fared worse in Rukongai without him.

Liu Ziyun urged Hisana Kuchiki to wait before seeking Rukia and revealed how his knowledge of the future had changed Kuchiki Kōga’s fate. After leaving the Kuchiki estate with Retsu Unohana, he identified the future “Child of Destiny” as Cheat B and fled when Unohana reacted to his plans for a harem.

• Liu Ziyun asked Hisana Kuchiki to train and wait until Rukia entered Shin'ō Academy before bringing her into the Kuchiki Clan and later the Thirteenth Division.
• Liu Ziyun revealed that Rukia would guide the “Child of Destiny” and described the future in which Hisana died and Byakuya adopted Rukia.
• Liu Ziyun told Kuchiki Kōga that he had foreseen Kōga being framed, sealed away, and eventually killed, and the Kuchiki family thanked him for changing that fate.
• Liu Ziyun and Retsu Unohana left the Kuchiki estate and returned to the Fourth Division.
• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Cheat B was the “Child of Destiny” and joked about pursuing the girls Cheat B had let down.
• Retsu Unohana drew her Zanpakuto, and Liu Ziyun bolted out of the room.

Liu Ziyun kept a low profile while influencing events around the Fourth Division and watching the next generation’s fates unfold. As Rukia joined the Thirteenth Division as an ordinary member, he waited for a child’s birth, Aizen’s exposure, and the moment he could finally act.

• Kiyōnosuke Yamada left the Fourth Division to direct the Shin'ō Institute of Medicines, and Liu Ziyun warned him about Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
• Isane Kotetsu succeeded Yamada as the Fourth Division’s Lieutenant, and Liu Ziyun began pursuing her under the pretext of discussing Kaidō.
• Rukia and Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, and Momo Hinamori entered Shin'ō Academy, and the Kuchiki Clan later brought Rukia to Hisana Kuchiki.
• Rukia accepted Byakuya Kuchiki as her adopted older brother and became Rukia Kuchiki.
• Wangtu Chuan Yuxufei stepped down as captain of the Tenth Division, and Isshin Shiba succeeded him.
• Byakuya asked Jūshirō Ukitake to keep Rukia an ordinary member of the Thirteenth Division, while Liu Ziyun watched and waited for the future to unfold.

Liu Ziyun enlisted Retsu Unohana to help save Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako from the fate Aizen had arranged for them. He gave her talismans to protect them and laid out his plan, while Unohana agreed to assist in exchange for future compensation.

• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako were destined to die because of Aizen's experimental Hollow, Metastacia.
• Liu Ziyun proposed saving them and later sending them to the World of the Living to train with Kisuke Urahara.
• Liu Ziyun gave Retsu Unohana two talismans that could preserve their souls and consciousness when they died.
• Liu Ziyun explained Metastacia's abilities and weaknesses, Shiba Miyako's possession, Kaien Shiba's sacrifice, and Rukia Kuchiki's role in the tragedy.
• Retsu Unohana agreed to deliver the talismans to Captain Ukitake and help Liu Ziyun, but warned him that she expected compensation.
• After Retsu Unohana left, Liu Ziyun privately imagined repaying her by making her pregnant.

Retsu Unohana warned Jūshirō Ukitake, Kaien Shiba, and Shiba Miyako about the future Hollow attack that would kill Miyako and Kaien, then gave the couple talismans and advised them to fake their deaths. The chapter left them with a chance to survive the coming incident, though the mastermind might still target them afterward.

• Retsu Unohana summoned Jūshirō Ukitake, Kaien Shiba, and Shiba Miyako for a top-secret warning about the Hollow Metastacia.
• Retsu Unohana described how Metastacia would possess Miyako, lead Kaien and Ukitake into a fight, and ultimately cause Kaien’s death.
• Retsu Unohana revealed that Metastacia was a test subject of the mastermind behind Kisuke Urahara’s Hollowfication Experiment, but said exposing the mastermind could endanger the Three Worlds.
• Retsu Unohana gave Kaien and Miyako golden talismans that could bring them back if they died in battle.
• Retsu Unohana advised Kaien and Miyako to fake their deaths and escape because the mastermind might experiment on them if they survived.

Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s talismans bonded to their souls, preparing to revive them after death, while Jūshirō Ukitake learned that their mysterious benefactor knew about the Soul King’s Right Arm sealed inside him. Ukitake sent Kaien and Miyako into hiding and planned to root out corrupt squad members and train replacements to manage the squad.

• The golden talismans flew into Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako, leaving a phoenix-and-dragon pattern that sank into their souls.
• Retsu Unohana confirmed that the talismans had chosen Kaien and Miyako and advised them to let the power settle into their souls.
• Unohana told Jūshirō Ukitake that the hidden benefactor knew about his illness and might try to treat the Soul King’s Right Arm sealed inside him.
• Ukitake ordered Kaien to replace squad members with people who had records of wrongdoing and warned him not to tell anyone, including Kūkaku.
• Kaien and Miyako left the Captain’s Office, and Ukitake resolved to train two people to handle squad affairs while they were away.

Kaien Shiba prepared Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu to succeed him while continuing to mentor Rukia Kuchiki. When Shiba Miyako’s squad disappeared in Rukongai, Kaien fought the Hollow possessing his wife, but the battle ended with Rukia striking him as he attacked her; Kaien died after entrusting her with his heart and will.

• Kaien Shiba asked Jūshirō Ukitake to prepare for the division’s future, then chose Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu as candidates to train as lieutenants.
• Kaien Shiba trained Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu and mentored Rukia Kuchiki in Zanjutsu, Kidō, and field missions.
• After Shiba Miyako’s squad vanished in Rukongai, Kaien Shiba rushed to find her, while Retsu Unohana gave Liu Ziyun’s talisman to stabilize the squad’s souls.
• Kaien Shiba found Shiba Miyako possessed by a Hollow and fought her as Jūshirō Ukitake and Rukia Kuchiki arrived.
• The Hollow possessed Kaien Shiba, and Jūshirō Ukitake fought him until his illness left him vulnerable and the Hollow lunged at Rukia Kuchiki.
• Rukia Kuchiki’s blade pierced Kaien Shiba, freeing him briefly; Kaien thanked her, entrusted her with his heart and will, and died in her arms.

After Rukia Kuchiki killed Kaien Shiba, Retsu Unohana used a talisman to create two beads containing Kaien and Shiba Miyako’s Reiatsu, which she said could help bring them back to life. Rukia carried Kaien’s body to return it to Shiba Kūkaku, while Byakuya Kuchiki kept his distance from Rukia to protect her role in a future plan.

• Jūshirō Ukitake brought Kaien Shiba’s body back to the Thirteenth Division barracks with Rukia Kuchiki following in a daze.
• Retsu Unohana placed a talisman on Kaien’s forehead, and it transformed into two beads containing Kaien and Shiba Miyako’s Reiatsu.
• Retsu Unohana told Jūshirō Ukitake to have Rukia return Kaien’s body to Shiba Kūkaku and keep the resurrection plan secret.
• Jūshirō Ukitake urged Rukia to carry on, and she took Kaien’s body toward Rukongai.
• Byakuya Kuchiki told Jūshirō Ukitake that the Kuchiki Clan would endure, then recalled Liu Ziyun’s instructions to keep Hisana Kuchiki away from Rukia for now.

Liu Ziyun brought Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s souls to Kisuke Urahara’s secret base in the World of the Living and used his Bankai to restore them to life. They awoke in stable condition, while Liu Ziyun was left exhausted by the effort.

• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana he could not revive Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako in Soul Society and asked her to cover for his trip to Kisuke Urahara’s shop.
• Liu Ziyun traveled to Karakura Town, where Kisuke Urahara took him to the secret base and raised a barrier to conceal his Bankai’s Reiatsu.
• Liu Ziyun released his Bankai and used Change Fate on the beads holding Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s souls.
• Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako re-formed as living people, and Kisuke Urahara confirmed their vital signs and souls were stable.
• Liu Ziyun released his Bankai, exhausted by using Change Fate twice in succession.

Liu Ziyun explained how he used his Bankai to rebuild Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s spiritual bodies and revive their original souls, leaving himself severely weakened. He told them to stay with Kisuke Urahara and revealed that Aizen had orchestrated the Hollowfication Experiment.

• Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako awoke, and Liu Ziyun told Kisuke Urahara to welcome them as guests who would live with him.
• Kisuke examined Liu Ziyun and asked about the ability that had left him nearly exhausted.
• Liu Ziyun explained that he had sealed the couple’s souls and some of their power in life pearls, then used Bankai and surrounding Reishi to rebuild their spiritual bodies.
• Liu Ziyun told Kisuke that his method could only restore people whose original souls remained, and that he might be weakened for years.
• Liu Ziyun told Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako they could stay with Kisuke, then said Aizen had been behind the Hollow they encountered and the Hollowfication Experiment.
• Kaien Shiba reacted in disbelief to the revelation that Captain Aizen was responsible.

Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako thanked Liu Ziyun for saving them and agreed to stay with Kisuke Urahara in the World of the Living. After Liu fell asleep, Kisuke examined the couple and learned how Retsu Unohana had foretold their deaths and given them talismans that brought them back to life.

• Kaien Shiba thanked Liu Ziyun for rescuing him and Shiba Miyako, and Liu warned that Isshin Shiba would join them in the World of the Living in a few years.
• Kisuke Urahara led Liu Ziyun, Kaien Shiba, and Shiba Miyako to rooms; Liu fell asleep, and his Zanpakuto, Life-Taker, gave Kisuke a vial of Liu's genetic material.
• Kaien Shiba told Kisuke that Retsu Unohana had predicted his and Shiba Miyako's deaths, including Metastacia possessing Miyako and Rukia Kuchiki killing Kaien.
• Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako let Kisuke collect their blood and Reiatsu samples, then settled into their room and hoped to reunite with their friends in Soul Society.
• Kisuke Urahara reflected on Liu Ziyun's trust and mysterious nature before leaving the corridor.