Chapter Summaries

Seireitei’s captains met to address the Graveyard of the Fallen incident and the emergence of three Vasto Lordes in Hueco Mundo. The Captain-General ordered stronger defenses and expanded recruitment, while Kyoraku Shunsui warned that Hueco Mundo might unite and threaten Soul Society.

• Ronglin returned to Shino Academy in a chair carried by eight Kuchiki Family servants.
• Kyoraku Shunsui reported that surveillance found Ronglin’s background clean and unrelated to Hueco Mundo.
• Zhuo Yun and Kuchiki Haru accepted responsibility for the Graveyard of the Fallen incident, but the Captain-General excused them and praised the Kuchiki Family’s young talent.
• The Captain-General ordered the Graveyard of the Fallen’s guard doubled and called for more recruits from Shino Academy and the Rukon District.
• Kyoraku Shunsui warned that united Vasto Lordes could rally Hueco Mundo’s Hollows into an army and invade Soul Society.

The Captain-General approved an expeditionary force led by Zhuo Yun to monitor Hueco Mundo and ordered an investigation into Ronglin before offering him a place in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. At Shino Academy, Ronglin continued to excel while his classmates learned that passing the upcoming midterm and a second test could make them Shinigami.

• Kyoraku Shunsui proposed sending an expeditionary force into Hueco Mundo to eliminate Hollows and watch for Vasto Lordes, and the Captain-General approved the plan.
• Zhuo Yun volunteered to lead the force, and the Captain-General instructed her to avoid unnecessary conflict and report unusual movements.
• The Captain-General ordered the captains to check Ronglin's background and find an opportunity for him to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads if it was clean.
• Ronglin sneezed in class while noble students looked down on him, despite his reputation, top marks, and refusal of recruitment offers.
• The instructor announced that Ronglin had placed first again and explained that students who passed next month's midterm and a second test could receive Zanpakuto and become Shinigami.

Ronglin was mocked in class for wanting a Zanpakuto, but Shiba Zhu burst in and attacked the nobleman who insulted him. The chapter then recounted how her defeat and the dangers of the Fallen Forest changed the way she regarded Ronglin.

• Ronglin listened to a teacher discuss combining Zanpakuto, Kido, and Flash Step, and longed for a Zanpakuto of his own.
• A young nobleman mocked Ronglin for wanting a Zanpakuto after refusing the squads’ requests, while the other students laughed.
• A streak of light struck the nobleman, and Shiba Zhu rushed in and slapped him for insulting Ronglin.
• Shiba Zhu recalled how she and Kuchiki Byakuya had been defeated by Ronglin and later confronted Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde in the Fallen Forest.
• Shiba Zhu had come to admire Ronglin and attacked the nobleman when he mocked him.

Shiba Zhu beat a noble youth who had insulted Ronglin, while Kuchiki Byakuya restrained the youth’s allies with a high-level Kidō spell. Their argument over her actions threatened to turn into another fight, and Ronglin stepped between them.

• Shiba Zhu pinned down the noble youth and slapped him repeatedly for insulting Ronglin.
• Several of the youth’s companions prepared to attack Shiba Zhu, but Kuchiki Byakuya used Kidō #61: Six Rods of Light to bind them.
• Shiba Zhu accused Kuchiki Byakuya of meddling after he restrained her attackers.
• Kuchiki Byakuya criticized Shiba Zhu for lowering herself to the youth’s level, and she mocked his noble status.
• Ronglin stepped between Shiba Zhu and Kuchiki Byakuya and urged them not to fight in public.

Ronglin stopped Shiba Zhu and Kuchiki Byakuya from fighting by kicking them both out of the classroom, then freed the students trapped by Byakuya’s technique. When the teacher pointed out the two families’ servants waiting outside, Ronglin went out to face them.

• Shiba Zhu and Kuchiki Byakuya renewed their argument and reached for their Zanpakuto.
• Ronglin kicked Shiba Zhu through the classroom ceiling, then kicked Byakuya after her.
• Ronglin ordered the swollen youth to get up and shattered Byakuya’s Six Rods of Light Prison without harming the people trapped inside.
• The freed students thanked Ronglin, and he told the teacher to resume class.
• The teacher pointed out the Shiba and Kuchiki servants waiting outside, so Ronglin went to speak with them.

After Ronglin’s fight with Kuchiki Byakuya and Shiba Zhu leaves Shino Academy damaged and his classmates frightened, the Kuchiki Family invites him to a Seireitei high-society gathering. Ronglin accepts after receiving gifts and decides to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads after his major examination so he can pursue his own plans.

• A Kuchiki servant tells Ronglin that the academy has emptied out and invites him to the gathering on behalf of the Kuchiki Family.
• Ronglin refuses at first, but the servant points out the wrecked classroom and warns that teachers and classmates may avoid him.
• The servant offers gifts from the Kuchiki and Shiba Families, and Ronglin agrees to attend the gathering.
• Students gossip about Ronglin’s strength and his refusals of offers from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and noble families as he walks through the academy.
• Ronglin resolves to obtain his Zanpakuto after the major examination and then join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to advance his plans.

Ronglin entered the Seireitei with Kuchiki and Shiba attendants to attend a major noble gathering, drawing attention with his appearance and reputation. The gathering grew lively as nobles and captains arrived, then a fierce-looking group of Shinigami stormed in, led by a cold and striking woman.

• Rumors about Ronglin’s supposed battle with the Kuchiki and Shiba Families spread through the academy, making students fear him.
• Kuchiki Byakuya and Shiba Zhu returned to invite Ronglin to train at the Graveyard of the Fallen, but he refused.
• The Kuchiki and Shiba Families’ servants escorted Ronglin into the Seireitei for the gathering.
• Kyoraku Shunsui and Jushiro Ukitake arrived at the gathering, where guests crowded around them.
• A group of fierce-looking Shinigami burst into the venue, led by a cold, beautiful woman.

Unohana Yachiru and several captains attended a noble banquet where everyone awaited Ronglin’s arrival. Ronglin entered with members of the Kuchiki Family and Shiba Family, but rumors about his origins and conduct quickly turned the crowd against him.

• Unohana Yachiru arrived at the banquet with armed members of the Eleventh Division, alarming the nobles before confirming she had come to attend.
• Kyoraku Shunsui and Jushiro Ukitake discussed Ronglin’s growing fame and the trouble he might face.
• Ronglin entered the hall escorted by more than twenty members of the Kuchiki Family and Shiba Family, drawing everyone’s attention.
• Several young nobles revealed that Ronglin came from Zaraki District in the Rukon District and accused him of being violent and disrespectful.
• Rumors that Ronglin had coveted the Shiba Family’s princess spread, and the nobles’ admiration gave way to suspicion and fear.

Ronglin ignored the nobles’ gossip and joined the Eleventh Division, where he spoke with Unohana Yachiru about their past fight and the young Zaraki Kenpachi. The conversation ended with Unohana admitting she had attacked Ronglin simply because she disliked the look of him.

• Ronglin noticed Kyoraku Shunsui and the Eleventh Division in the venue, then walked over to their tables to escape the nobles’ attention.
• Ronglin teased several Eleventh Division Shinigami who had insulted him before, while Unohana Yachiru shielded them from his pressure and rallied their spirits.
• Ronglin asked Unohana about her injuries and explained that he had taken the young Zaraki Kenpachi away after their fight.
• Unohana said she wanted to fight Zaraki again, and Ronglin bluntly told her she could not defeat him.
• Ronglin asked why Unohana had attacked him when they first met, and she said she had done it because she disliked his look.

Ronglin was publicly accused of disrespecting Unohana Yachiru after a Kasumiōji youth tried to curry favor with her, while the Kuchiki Family watched and planned to recruit him. Ronglin rejected the accusation and openly challenged the claim that Unohana wanted peace, setting off an uproar.

• Ronglin learned that Unohana Yachiru would not draw her blade against someone she disliked unless they were worthy, while one of her subordinates boasted of killing people on her behalf.
• A Kasumiōji youth approached Ronglin and accused him of behaving disrespectfully toward Unohana Yachiru.
• The youth praised Unohana and the nobles while denouncing Ronglin, and the crowd joined in condemning him.
• Kuchiki Byakuya worried that the nobles would drive Ronglin away, but Kuchiki Haru explained that their hostility could make the Kuchiki Family seem more sincere by comparison.
• Shiba Zhu watched Ronglin as the nobles criticized him.
• Ronglin mocked the claim that he had disturbed Unohana's peace, saying she had come to draw attention to herself, and the hall erupted.

Ronglin confronted the Kasumiōji Family after exposing its attempt to exploit the Eleventh Division, while Unohana Yachiru withdrew her squad from the dispute. The Kasumiōji guards attacked Ronglin after he refused to kneel, leaving the fight about to begin.

• Ronglin accused the Kasumiōji youth of using the Eleventh Division to test and provoke him.
• Unohana Yachiru declared that the Eleventh Division would only watch, and her men formed a circle around her.
• An elderly Kasumiōji man rebuked Ronglin and threatened him, then summoned guards to surround him.
• The old man demanded that Ronglin kneel and apologize, but Ronglin laughed and challenged the Kasumiōji to attack.
• Kyoraku Shunsui realized the situation had gone too far as four guards drew their blades and charged the unarmed Ronglin.

Ronglin effortlessly defeated the Kasumi Oji Family guards and charged the youth who had bullied others, using him as a shield against the family’s reinforcements. The old man ordered an attack despite the youth’s danger, and Ronglin flung the youth behind him before preparing his next move.

• Ronglin struck down three Kasumi Oji guards with his bare hands and blasted the fourth away with Hadō #63: Raikōhō.
• Ronglin taunted the Kasumi Oji Family elder, then charged the youth while guards rushed in from outside the crowd.
• The youth cast Binding Spell 1: Se, but Ronglin shattered it, grabbed him by the throat, and used him to block the attackers’ blades.
• The old man ordered his men to hack everyone to pieces despite the youth being in Ronglin’s grasp.
• Ronglin condemned the old man’s ruthlessness, tossed the youth behind him, and began forming seals as a magatama-shaped glimmer flashed in his eyes.

Ronglin unleashed a flaming python and then prepared a massive Rasengan against the nobles’ forces at the Kasumiōji venue. As Kyoraku Shunsui and Jushiro Ukitake considered intervening, Ronglin compressed the Rasengan’s Spiritual Pressure in his fist.

• Ronglin summoned a gigantic flaming python that crushed and scattered the guards, while he pinned others with Kidō #62: Hyapporankan before the python struck them.
• The old man of the Kasumiōji Family ordered nearly two hundred guards, bodyguards, and retainers to attack Ronglin.
• Ronglin created dozens of Shadow Clones and began enlarging a Great Ball Rasengan, frightening the people around him.
• Kyoraku Shunsui reached for his Zanpakuto but found he had left it behind, and Jushiro Ukitake questioned whether Ronglin had invented the technique.
• Unohana Yachiru rose with her people, but Ronglin acted before the captains could intervene, bursting his Shadow Clones and compressing the Rasengan’s Spiritual Pressure in his fist.

Ronglin defeated hundreds of nobles with a powerful Great Ball Rasengan, then faced their pleas for help as Kyoraku Shunsui, Jushiro Ukitake, and Unohana Yachiru refused to intervene. The nobles were left at Ronglin’s mercy, and Unohana’s blunt refusal stunned the crowd.

• Ronglin’s Great Ball Rasengan blasted the venue, injuring the nobles who had charged him and leaving a huge crater.
• Ronglin walked out of the crater unharmed while dragging the terrified Kasumiōji youth toward the fallen nobles.
• The Kasumiōji elder and other nobles begged Kyoraku Shunsui to arrest Ronglin, but Kyoraku blamed them for attacking first and refused to intervene.
• The Kasumiōji elder asked Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake for help, but Kyoraku repeated the elder’s earlier excuse that they should not interfere in noble disputes.
• The elder turned to Unohana Yachiru for help, but Unohana claimed she was too exhausted to be disturbed, stunning the crowd.

Ronglin forced a young noble to reveal a conspiracy by several major families to isolate him from the Kuchiki and Shiba families. Kuchiki Haru and Shiba Kaien took control of the confrontation, leaving the nobles cowed and Ronglin free to watch.

• Ronglin threatened the nobles and pressured the young man into naming the families behind the attempt to squeeze him out.
• The young man said the families wanted to prevent Ronglin from joining the Kuchiki or Shiba families and planned to drive a wedge between him and the Four Great Noble Clans.
• Kuchiki Haru arrived with retainers, followed by members of the Shiba Family, and strangled the young man with Spiritual Pressure.
• Kuchiki Haru and Shiba Kaien exchanged smiles as Ronglin realized they were using the incident to warn the nobles.
• Kuchiki Haru told the nobles to get up, and they hurried to thank him.

Ronglin watched Kuchiki Haru and Shiba Kaien rebuke the nobles who had attacked him, but the nobles continued to accuse him and challenge Kuchiki Haru. Kuchiki Haru killed one noble with Kurohitsugi, leaving the rest to face his power.

• Ronglin grew furious when the nobles knelt and falsely accused him of attacking them, and he called them utterly shameless.
• Kuchiki Haru mocked the nobles for their behavior, while Shiba Kaien and Shiba Zhu joined in rebuking them.
• A noble called Ronglin an intruder and threatened Kuchiki Haru with punishment from Central 46.
• Kuchiki Haru defended Ronglin as an honored guest of the Kuchiki Family and challenged the nobles’ claim to judge who was noble or lowly.
• When another noble demanded that Kuchiki Haru stop shielding Ronglin, Kuchiki Haru killed him with Kidō #90: Kurohitsugi.

Kuchiki Haru protected Ronglin by declaring him an elite member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and Kyoraku Shunsui backed up the claim by announcing that Ronglin had been exceptionally accepted. The nobles realized they had angered both the Four Great Noble Clans and a rising Shinigami, while Ronglin questioned why he was being recruited before graduating from Shino Academy.

• Kuchiki Haru declared that the nobles who had slandered Ronglin had committed a capital offense, then claimed Ronglin was an elite member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
• Kyoraku Shunsui supported Kuchiki Haru’s claim, saying Ronglin had been secretly assessed and unanimously accepted into the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
• The nobles realized Ronglin had not known about the supposed assessments and understood that Kuchiki Haru and Kyoraku Shunsui were protecting him.
• Ronglin asked when he had been assessed, and Kyoraku Shunsui improvised an explanation praising his abilities and claiming the Captain-General had approved his exceptional recruitment.
• Shiba Zhu urged Ronglin to accept, but Ronglin asked why the Thirteen Court Guard Squads wanted him before he had graduated from Shino Academy or obtained a Zanpakuto.
• The nobles recognized that Ronglin had the Captain-General’s favor and grew fearful after realizing how badly they had offended Kuchiki Haru and the gathered captains.

The captains pressed Ronglin to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, revealing plans for a major campaign against Hollows. Ronglin learned he was expected to enter the Seireitei the next day and deploy to the World of the Living the day after, despite not agreeing to become a Shinigami.

• Jushiro Ukitake urged Ronglin to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, citing the shortage of talent and the threat of the Vasto Lorde.
• Ronglin refused, saying he had not finished his studies or obtained a Zanpakuto, while Kyoraku Shunsui said the Equipment Department would prepare an Asauchi for him.
• Kuchiki Byakuya and Shiba Zhu pointed out that Ronglin was isolated at Shino Academy and told him about their own assignments in the squads.
• Ronglin suspected the squads were facing an urgent crisis, and Unohana Yachiru revealed plans to send an expeditionary force into Hueco Mundo and other Shinigami into the World of the Living.
• Unohana Yachiru told Ronglin he would enter the Seireitei the next day and depart for the World of the Living the day after, shocking him with the sudden assignment.

Ronglin accepted Unohana Yachiru’s invitation to join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads as a prospective Vice-Captain, then escaped the crowds celebrating him at Shino Academy. After arriving at Seireitei’s administrative hall, he faced the Captains and Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, whose murderous presence prompted Ronglin to release his Spiritual Pressure.

• Unohana Yachiru explained that Ronglin’s defeat of a Vasto Lorde had already earned him a path to the Vice-Captain position, and Jushiro Ukitake urged him to leave Shino Academy for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
• Ronglin agreed to join after Shiba Zhu encouraged him and Kuchiki Byakuya teased her, though he asked for easy missions.
• News of Ronglin’s recruitment and promised promotion spread, drawing crowds of students to praise him outside his dormitory.
• Ronglin used Kido Binding Arts to immobilize several hundred students and fled with the Shinigami sent to collect him.
• Ronglin entered the First Division’s administrative hall, where he faced Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and the assembled Captains, then pushed back their oppressive murderous aura with his Spiritual Pressure.

Ronglin impressed Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni with his Spiritual Pressure and was invited to choose an Asauchi before beginning his mission. After searching the racks, he found that none of the blades resonated with him, leaving his ability to obtain a Zanpakuto in doubt.

• Ronglin withdrew his Spiritual Pressure after Kyoraku Shunsui intervened to smooth over his disrespectful reaction to Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's killing aura.
• Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni praised Ronglin and told him to choose an Asauchi before his mission began the next day.
• Ronglin searched the sword racks but could not sense any Asauchi that belonged to him.
• Ronglin told Shutara Senjumaru that none of the Asauchi resonated with him and he did not know which one to choose.