Chapter Summaries

Ailin met his former student Ginjo Kugo after Ichigo Kurosaki defeated him, and Ginjo died without receiving an answer about whether he had been wrong to oppose Seireitei. Ailin left Ginjo’s funeral to Ichigo and departed for Soul Society with the other captains, while Ichigo realized their mission had involved more than restoring his spiritual pressure.

• Ichigo Kurosaki caught the gravely wounded Ginjo Kugo and lowered him to the ground, where Ailin greeted his former student.
• Ginjo Kugo asked Ailin whether he had been wrong to oppose Seireitei, but Ailin stayed silent and said Ginjo’s power had been too weak.
• Ginjo Kugo died, and Ailin closed his eyes before asking Ichigo Kurosaki to arrange his funeral in the Human World.
• Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado told Ichigo Kurosaki that Shukuro Tsukishima’s control no longer affected their actions, and Ichigo welcomed back Zangetsu and Old Man Zangetsu.
• Byakuya Kuchiki suggested Seireitei’s mission in the Human World had been more than restoring Ichigo Kurosaki’s spiritual pressure, and Ichigo realized the implication as Ailin and the others departed.

Ailin urged Ichigo Kurosaki to grow stronger before returning to Seireitei, then visited Gin Ichimaru’s persimmon cake shop and reminded him that Yhwach’s return was approaching. Gin was content with his life alongside M Matsumoto Rangiku, but his childhood guilt over failing to protect her remained unresolved.

• Ailin told Ichigo Kurosaki that protecting those he cared about would require greater strength and warned that another crisis could come.
• Ailin returned to Seireitei with his companions and bought persimmon cakes from Gin Ichimaru’s shop.
• The chapter explained that Gin had avoided imprisonment but lost his Shinigami status and Zanpakuto, and that he and M Matsumoto Rangiku had reunited.
• Ailin reminded Gin that Yhwach’s prophecy was less than half a year away and urged him to make up for his regrets in the coming battle.
• Gin watched Ailin leave and recognized that he still needed to overcome his guilt by protecting Rangiku when danger arose again.

Gin Ichimaru demonstrated his progress in mastering his Zanpakuto without a blade as Mayuri Kurotsuchi prepared to compensate for the Quincy’s mass annihilation of Hollows. In the Human World, Ichigo Kurosaki defeated the Quincy-aligned Arrancar Azazel, while a strange change began to affect Seireitei.

• Gin Ichimaru turned his spiritual pressure into ash to destroy persimmons and continued training to merge his Zanpakuto’s abilities into himself.
• Twelfth Division monitoring devices showed Hollows vanishing across the Human World, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi confirmed the Quincy had annihilated their souls.
• Mayuri ordered Nemu Kurotsuchi to use criminal Wandering Souls from Zaraki District and Kusajishi District to make up the resulting imbalance among the Three Worlds.
• Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryu Ishida, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado killed a group of Menos that had appeared in the Human World.
• Azazel attacked Ichigo with Quincy arrows, but Ichigo killed him with Getsuga Tensho before Uryu could question him.
• Ichigo noticed a cracked, star-filled disc in Azazel’s hand, and Seireitei appeared brighter than usual beneath the moonlight.

The Wandenreich launched a surprise attack on the Seireitei, and Driske Berche’s Quincy squad massacred Soul Reapers in the First Division. Driske stole Chōjirō Sasakibe’s Bankai and wounded him, then attacked as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto arrived to protect him.

• Driske Berche and four Quincy infiltrated the First Division and killed more than a hundred Soul Reapers.
• Chōjirō Sasakibe confronted Driske, who recognized him as the one who had ambushed Yhwach a thousand years earlier.
• Chōjirō released his Bankai, Yellow Emperor's Imperial Palace, but Driske used his Schrift to steal it.
• Driske pierced Chōjirō with a Holy Selection and pinned him inside the First Division captain's office.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto crushed the arrow and caught the wounded Chōjirō.
• Driske hurled a powerful Holy Selection at Yamamoto and Chōjirō.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto repelled Driscoll, and the Wandenreich’s sudden attack on the Seireitei ended after less than ten minutes, though it caused heavy casualties. At the Captains’ Meeting, Retsu Unohana reported that the Quincies could seal or steal Bankai, leaving the captains to confront the threat of fighting without their strongest Zanpakuto releases.

• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto blocked Driscoll’s attack with only superficial injuries, while Driscoll failed to kill Chōjirō Sasakibe or gain strength from The Overkill.
• Ailin sensed the invading Quincies across the Seireitei as the Fifth Division fought off ordinary Quincy soldiers, with Miyano Tomomaru and Miyano Matsuri displaying exceptional strength.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s spiritual pressure prompted the Quincies to withdraw, and the battle ended with many Shinigami casualties.
• At the Captains’ Meeting, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto questioned Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who explained that the Twelfth Division had been addressing the Quincies’ mass slaughter of Hollows and the resulting imbalance among the Three Worlds.
• Retsu Unohana reported that Chōjirō Sasakibe had stabilized and revealed that the Quincy who attacked him had sealed or stolen his Bankai, prompting a warning to avoid using Bankai against Quincies.
• Byakuya Kuchiki, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and Rukia recalled Ailin’s training for battles in which Bankai could not be used as the captains considered how much the loss of Bankai would weaken them.

After the Quincy revealed they could steal and wield Bankai, Yamamoto sent Ailin to reinforce Hueco Mundo, where Ichigo and his companions had gone to answer the Arrancar’s plea for help. Ailin arrived to find Quincy slaughtering Hollows and faced a group of Quincy who recognized him as a captain.

• Mayuri warned the captains to avoid Bankai until he determined whether the Quincy sealed or stole it, and Yamamoto described the power of Sasakibe’s stolen Bankai.
• Akon reported that Urahara had confirmed the Quincy could steal and use Bankai, and that Ichigo, Orihime, and Sado had entered Hueco Mundo after five powerful Quincy attacked it.
• Yamamoto ordered Ailin to reinforce Hueco Mundo while he stayed behind to defend the Seireitei, and Ailin accepted.
• Ailin traveled through a Garganta opened by Mayuri’s researchers and emerged in Hueco Mundo amid a battle between Quincy and Hollows.
• A Quincy’s Reishi Arrow shattered against Ailin, and the Quincy recognized him as a Soul Reaper captain and fled.

Ailin wiped out a group of Quincies, then sensed the Espada and the invading forces across Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra fought Sternritter, and the chapter ended as Ulquiorra began his Resurrección against Kiruge Opie.

• Ailin killed the fleeing Quincies with his Zanpakuto, but the Hollows he had saved fled when they recognized his Captain’s Haori and sensed his spiritual pressure.
• Ailin used Kidō #58: Grasping Cicada to sense Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Tier Harribel, Stark Kōyate, and other powerful presences across Hueco Mundo.
• Minina Mcanonn battered Grimmjow, who released Pantera and attacked her, but she remained unharmed and punched him into the ground.
• Kiruge Opie withstood Ulquiorra’s King’s Flash with Blut and urged him to surrender and join the Wandenreich.
• Ulquiorra drew his Zanpakuto and released Murciélago, sending dark green spiritual pressure skyward and cracking Hueco Mundo’s Sky Canopy.

Ailin surveyed the Quincy invasion of Hueco Mundo and rushed to save Tier Harribel, who was losing to Candice Catnipp. He rescued Harribel and faced Candice as the other battles continued across Hueco Mundo.

• Ulquiorra shattered Las Noches’ Sky Canopy while blasting Kiruge Opie away, but Kiruge recovered and transformed into his Vollständig form.
• Candice Catnipp overwhelmed Tier Harribel with lightning, killing the Hollows she protected and leaving Harribel badly injured.
• Giselle Gewelle’s Quincy forces confronted Coyote Starrk and Nirgge Yustruse, while Starrk kept Giselle at bay with his Infinite Cero.
• Ailin sensed the battles across Hueco Mundo and hurried toward Harribel, judging her to be in the greatest danger.
• Ailin arrived at Candice’s canyon and whisked Harribel away from the wooden cross where the Quincies had bound her.
• Candice recognized Ailin as the Captain of Squad Five, while Harribel thanked him and explained that her opponent had held back.

Ailin rescued Tier Harribel, defeated Candice Catnipp and her Quincy squad, and captured Candice despite the Wandenreich’s attempt to reclaim her. He stored her in Unlimited Blade Works for Mayuri Kurotsuchi to question, then headed toward Las Noches as fighting continued there.

• Candice Catnipp recognized Ailin as one of the five Special Threats and attacked him, but he crushed her lightning and survived her strongest technique unharmed.
• Candice ordered her squad to retreat, but Ailin’s Zanpakuto barrage killed the other Quincies while Candice’s Still Blood Dress initially held against the attacks.
• Ailin pierced Candice’s Still Blood Dress, knocked her unconscious, and bound her with Haijō.
• When the Wandenreich’s shadows tried to pull Candice back, Ailin used Gate of Babylon to place her in Unlimited Blade Works and dispersed the shadows.
• After sensing that Tier Harribel had stabilized, Ailin flew toward Las Noches, where spiritual pressure clashes were still underway.

Ichigo Kurosaki absorbed Quincy abilities while attacking Kiruge Opie's Prison and eventually shattered it, freeing Ulquiorra. Ailin rescued Grimmjow from the Quincy assault, explained Yhwach's plan to destabilize the Three Worlds, and arrived at Las Noches as Ichigo broke the Prison.

• Ichigo Kurosaki repeatedly struck Kiruge Opie's Prison, while Quincy Zangetsu passed Still Blood Dress and Moving Blood Dress to him through their clashes.
• Ailin arrived as Grimmjow fought Minina Mcanonn, and Grimmjow's Panther King's Claw shattered against Ailin's chest.
• Ailin told Grimmjow that the Quincies had attacked the Three Worlds and that Yhwach intended to create a new world by plunging them into chaos.
• Grimmjow followed Ailin toward Las Noches and accepted that the crisis was beyond his ability to handle alone.
• Ailin and Grimmjow arrived at Las Noches just as Ichigo Kurosaki shattered the Prison and freed Ulquiorra.

Ichigo Kurosaki freed Ulquiorra from the blue Prison and learned that Ailin would not intervene in the war until Yhwach freed the Spirit King. Ichigo left for Seireitei to help stop the Quincy, while Ailin stayed in Hueco Mundo and the Wandenreich launched another attack on Seireitei.

• Ichigo Kurosaki shattered the blue Prison with one slash, accidentally severed Ulquiorra's arm, and watched him regenerate it.
• Ailin told Ichigo that the Quincy threatened the Three Worlds and explained that he would wait for Yhwach to free the Spirit King before intervening.
• Ichigo agreed to go to Seireitei and fight alongside the Gotei 13, while Ailin headed to Las Noches to remain in Hueco Mundo.
• Mayuri Kurotsuchi completed his analysis of the Schrift that had stolen Sasakibe's Bankai and sent Akon to relay the report to Shinigami trained in Bankai.
• A violent blast shook the Twelfth Division as the Quincy began another attack, and Akon used Tenteikūra to transmit Mayuri's report.

The Wandenreich launched a larger assault on the Seireitei, and the Soul Reapers learned that Sternritter defenses made their usual attacks ineffective while using Bankai risked its theft. Soifon began investigating a weakness in Bazz-B’s defense, while Byakuya saved Renji from As Nodt’s fear ability.

• The Wandenreich attacked the Seireitei with a larger force, and Soul Reapers clashed with Quincy across the divisions.
• Soifon and Renji Abarai discovered that their Zanpakuto attacks could not pierce Bazz-B’s and As Nodt’s defenses.
• Akon warned captains and other Bankai users that the Quincy could steal and control Bankai, so they should not release it.
• Soifon used Shunkō to injure Bazz-B with a kick, then observed that his defense had weakened and began searching for its limits.
• As Nodt’s fear ability overwhelmed Renji Abarai, but Byakuya Kuchiki intervened and pulled him out of the terror.

Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki fought As Nodt, whose Blut protected him from their attacks while he remained trapped in Sōōmaru. As Nodt’s fear ability reached Renji and exposed his deepest dread: becoming so distant from Rukia that he could no longer even imagine reaching her.

• Renji Abarai saw that As Nodt had survived Byakuya Kuchiki’s Senbonzakura attack but remained bound by Sōōmaru.
• As Nodt said fear could not be dismissed by claiming not to be afraid, then fired blue icicles at Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki.
• Byakuya Kuchiki blocked the icicles with Senbonzakura and sensed that As Nodt’s attack was much weaker than his defense.
• As Nodt’s black Fear Reiatsu traveled through Sōōmaru and reached Renji Abarai, drawing out his memories of growing up with Rukia and striving to catch up to her.
• Renji Abarai’s deepest fear surfaced: that the gap between him and Rukia would grow so wide he would no longer dare to think of reaching her.

Byakuya Kuchiki exploited the limits of As Nodt’s Blut with an overwhelming number of Senbonzakura blades, while Sajin Komamura confronted Bambietta Basterbine and Shunsui Kyōraku finally counterattacked Robert Accutrone. The three battles remained unresolved as the chapter ended with Shunsui striking from Robert’s shadow.

• As Nodt’s attacks wounded Renji Abarai and forced Byakuya Kuchiki to fight him; Byakuya deduced that As Nodt could not use Blut’s strongest offense and defense at once.
• Byakuya Kuchiki released billions of Senbonzakura blades, putting As Nodt in danger despite the Bankai restriction.
• Bambietta Basterbine revealed that anything touched by her Reiatsu became a bomb, damaging Sajin Komamura’s Zanpakuto and forcing him to send Tetsuzaemon Iba and the surviving officers to seek help.
• Shunsui Kyōraku dodged Robert Accutrone’s gunfire, released Katen Kyōkotsu, and used Shadow Demon to emerge from Robert’s shadow and slash at him.

Shunsui Kyōraku gained the advantage over Robert Accutrone with Katen Kyōkotsu’s Shadow Demon game, while Toshiro Hitsugaya fought Bazz-B in the Tenth Division. Zaraki killed Gremmy Thoumeaux, but another Gremmy Thoumeaux attacked M Matsumoto Rangiku as she led Soul Reapers against the Quincy.

• Shunsui Kyōraku wounded Robert Accutrone with a shadow-based attack, explained the rules of Shadow Demon, and maneuvered to corner him in the next round.
• Toshiro Hitsugaya suppressed Bazz-B’s flames with Hyōrinmaru and blocked Burning Fingers 3 with an Ice Crystal Barrier.
• Zaraki crushed Gremmy Thoumeaux’s throat after the gorilla-form Sternritter proved unable to injure him.
• Gremmy Thoumeaux roamed the Seireitei, avoided the captains, and attacked Tenth Division Vice-Captain M Matsumoto Rangiku.
• M Matsumoto Rangiku drew her Zanpakuto and blocked Gremmy Thoumeaux’s metal-claw strike.

Rangiku fought Gremmy, but her Haineko could not pierce his steel-hard body. Gin arrived and wounded Gremmy with Shinsō, then explained that he had completed the ultimate stage of Zanpakuto training; Gremmy fled, fearing for his life.

• Rangiku used Haineko’s ash to attack Gremmy, but he revealed that his body was hardened by The Iron and had not been injured.
• Gin Ichimaru appeared as Gremmy prepared to strike Rangiku and pierced Gremmy with Shinsō, sending him crashing through several houses.
• Rangiku asked how Gin could use Shinsō despite having his Zanpakuto confiscated, and Gin explained that he had merged its power with himself after two years of training.
• Gremmy realized Gin’s attack had wounded him and fled, convinced he would die if he stayed.

Gin Ichimaru killed Gremmy Thoumeaux, while Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto confronted Yhwach and released his Bankai. Yhwach then visited the sealed Aizen Sosuke to recruit him and learn about Ailin, seeking a way to escape the futures in which Ailin killed him.

• Gin Ichimaru used the poison already inside Gremmy Thoumeaux to kill him as he fled.
• Yhwach attacked Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto in the First Division, and Yamamoto released Remnant Flame Blade.
• Yamamoto’s Bankai’s heat spread across the Seireitei, boosting Soul Reaper morale as Quincies rallied to Yhwach.
• Aizen Sosuke deduced that Yhwach’s visions repeatedly showed Ailin killing him, and Yhwach did not deny it.
• Yhwach revealed that he wanted to recruit Aizen and planned to turn Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki, and Urahara Kisuke into Quincies to absorb their powers.

Yhwach asked Aizen Sosuke to help him fight Ailin, but Aizen doubted he could do better against Ailin than before. In the Seireitei battle, Ichigo and Rukia faced Mask de Masculine while Toshiro fought Bazz-B after Yamamoto’s reiatsu disrupted his ice powers.

• Yhwach offered to release Aizen Sosuke and grant him power if he joined the fight against Ailin, but Aizen said his previous battle with Ailin had taught him little and he expected no better result now.
• Ichigo repeatedly killed Mask de Masculine, but James’s cheers revived him and kept Ichigo tied down.
• Rukia killed Bereniel Gabriel by freezing her ears to block his ability, then left Shuhei Hisagi in charge of the Ninth Division.
• Rukia took over Ichigo’s fight and froze both Mask de Masculine and James, freeing Ichigo to support the other divisions.
• Toshiro Hitsugaya realized Yamamoto’s reiatsu had deprived him of the moisture Hyōrinmaru needed, then defended himself from Bazz-B with Kido and launched a binding spell.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto lost his Bankai to Yhwach, who unleashed Remnant Flame Blade against the Seireitei. Sajin Komamura used his Bankai to defeat Lille Barro, leaving the other captains wondering whether they could safely use theirs.

• Bazz-B and Toshiro Hitsugaya clashed in the Tenth Division as Byakuya Kuchiki fought As Nodt in the Sixth Division.
• Mayuri Kurotsuchi learned that Yamamoto had used Bankai and sent Nemu Kurotsuchi to find Rukia, whom he believed could save the Seireitei.
• Yhwach stole Yamamoto's Bankai, but Yamamoto drove him back with two-handed swordsmanship before Yhwach activated Remnant Flame Blade.
• The Shinigami across the Seireitei realized Yhwach had stolen and unleashed Flowing Blade-like Fire, while Lille Barro taunted Sajin Komamura into using Bankai.
• Sajin Komamura struck Lille Barro with Black Rope Heavenly Condemnation Myriad King's hand, crushed her in its grasp, and urged her to surrender.

Lille Barro stole Sajin Komamura’s Bankai and turned it against him, forcing Tetsuzaemon Iba to intervene. Meanwhile, Yhwach used the stolen Flowing Blade-like Fire to overwhelm Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto as Ichigo Kurosaki raced toward the First Division.

• Lille Barro recovered with Ran-Sō Gōi, stole Sajin Komamura’s Bankai, and summoned Black Rope Heavenly Condemnation Myriad King under her control.
• Tetsuzaemon Iba rescued the wounded Sajin Komamura from Lille Barro’s attack, then approached her and began releasing his Bankai.
• Yhwach used Zanka no Tachi: East—Kyokujitsu-jin to force Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to evade as the First Division was devastated.
• The Captains sensed Ichigo Kurosaki heading toward the First Division and hoped he could oppose Yhwach.
• Ichigo Kurosaki flew toward the First Division after killing several Sternritter and sensing that Yhwach had stolen Yamamoto’s Bankai.