Chapter Summaries

Ukitake Hiroshi, Nagano Kahide, and Hachi Haneha were ambushed by Ginters and Tsukishima after fleeing to the Human World, and escaped toward Karakura Town. Duan Mu detected their spiritual pressure, realized they were being pursued by a likely Fullbringer, and headed to help after asking Omaeda to remove his restriction.

• Ukitake Hiroshi regretted fleeing to the Human World because his actions might bring trouble to his family, while Nagano Kahide tried to reassure him and Hachi Haneha played video games.
• Ginters and Tsukishima attacked the apartment, and Hachi Haneha pulled Nagano Kahide away from the door before Ginters cut through it.
• Ukitake Hiroshi used Kido to shield the group and cover their escape, then Hachi Haneha carried Nagano Kahide toward Karakura Town while she released her spiritual pressure to attract dispatched Shinigami.
• Duan Mu failed to find the fugitives in Nankawase, but detected them after their spiritual pressure drew the Supervision Team's attention.
• Duan Mu asked Omaeda to remove his restriction, armed himself, and used Shunpo to pursue the fugitives, suspecting their attacker was a Fullbringer.

Duan Mu rescued Hachi Haneha, Nagano Kahide, and the mortally wounded Ukitake Hiroshi from Ginjo Kugo, but Ginjo and Tsukishima caught up as Duan Mu tried to escape. Duan Mu sent the survivors to seek reinforcements and stayed behind to fight, ending the chapter facing Ginjo’s powerful attack.

• Hachi Haneha, Nagano Kahide, and Ukitake Hiroshi tried to reach Karakura Town, but Ginjo Kugo ambushed them and impaled Ukitake Hiroshi.
• Duan Mu appeared, secretly bound Ginjo Kugo with Kyokō, struck him with Raikōhō, and used Kido to keep Ukitake Hiroshi alive.
• Duan Mu carried the three survivors away, but Ginjo Kugo recovered and pursued them; Tsukishima intercepted Duan Mu with a sword thrust that struck only his discarded jacket.
• Duan Mu used Utsusemi to escape Tsukishima, gave Hachi Haneha the Command Divine Machine, and ordered him to contact Omaeda for reinforcements.
• Duan Mu turned to fight Ginjo Kugo and Tsukishima, but abandoned a chance to strike Tsukishima when Ginjo launched a powerful slash at him.

Duan Mu fought Ginjo Kugo and Tsukishima while severely outmatched, using stealth and Kido to keep them at bay. After the restriction on his power lifted, he survived Ginjo’s attack and prepared to counterattack with his reiatsu greatly strengthened.

• Duan Mu endured Ginjo Kugo’s slash, bound him with Kido, and flew after Tsukishima while Hachi Haneha reported the fight to Soi Fon.
• Duan Mu ambushed Tsukishima, but their frontal clash left Duan Mu at a disadvantage as Ginjo Kugo caught up and attacked from behind.
• Duan Mu focused on Tsukishima during Ginjo’s attack, and Ginjo’s slash blasted him to the edge of the forest, where Ginjo and Tsukishima assumed he was dead.
• Tsukishima noticed the corpse had too little blood, and Duan Mu rose alive as the restriction on his chest vanished and his reiatsu surged.
• Duan Mu revealed that the restriction had lifted during Ginjo’s attack and declared that his turn had begun.

Duan Mu fought Ginjo Kugo and Tsukishima, escaped as Soul Society’s reinforcements arrived, and was taken back to Soul Society for treatment. While recovering in the intensive care unit, he discovered that the battle had earned him a huge reserve of experience points, leaving him able to approach captain-level strength if he chose to spend them.

• Duan Mu used restriction release and powerful Kidō against Ginjo Kugo and Tsukishima, but his injuries worsened and Ginjo’s Hollow-powered attack devastated the battlefield.
• Duan Mu bluffed Ginjo Kugo with an incomplete Kurohitsugi, then escaped when Ginjo hesitated and reinforcements from Soul Society approached.
• Duan Mu collapsed after reaching safety, began treating himself, and was found by Omaeda and the Onmitsukidō, who arranged his return to Soul Society.
• Duan Mu woke in the Fourth Division’s intensive care unit, where Isane had tied him to the bed to prevent him from escaping again.
• Duan Mu found that the Nagano, Ukitake, and Hachi families, along with Soi Fon, had granted him 35,960 experience points, which he chose to save rather than spend on spiritual pressure.

After half a month of recovery, Duan Mu returned to the 2nd Division to report the battle with Ginjo Kugo, then went back to Rukongai to resume work at his Yorozuya. He interviewed Man'ya Ori, a newcomer with experience running a similar business, and offered him a job if he kept all commission details confidential.

• Omaeda took Duan Mu to the 2nd Division, where Duan Mu described the battle with Ginjo Kugo to Soi Fon in detail.
• Hachi Haneha thanked Duan Mu for rescuing him and said he had joined the Punishment Force.
• Duan Mu returned to Rukongai and learned from Uzuki that Man'ya Ori had been handling Yorozuya commissions while he was away.
• Duan Mu interviewed Man'ya Ori and learned that he had worked at his wife's family shop, Eel House, in the Human World.
• Duan Mu offered Man'ya Ori a place at the Yorozuya on the condition that he keep every commission confidential.

Duan Mu reunited with Habutae and the others after their victorious return from northern Rukongai, then dealt with the two captured Great Villains and the tavern’s rowdy celebration. He left their fate to Uzuki while Ikkaku Madarame continued treating the tavern as a place to fight.

• Habutae, Diao Ao, and the others returned to Duan Mu’s tavern with Nishijin-ori and two captured Great Villains, and Duan Mu noticed how much they had grown stronger.
• Ikkaku Madarame arrived and provoked the tavern’s villains into fighting him, while Ayasegawa Chikao immediately left.
• Duan Mu found Man'ya Ori drunk after Diao Ao had celebrated with him, and he arranged for Ori to be taken upstairs to rest.
• Duan Mu ordered the two Great Villains killed, but they begged to join his ranks when the villains argued over who would deal with them.
• Ikkaku Madarame said he was working because Rukongai fell under the 11th Division’s jurisdiction, and Duan Mu left the Great Villains’ fate to Uzuki.

Duan Mu grew restless during a quiet stretch of work, struggling to raise favorability and gain experience while longing for another dangerous battle. The Golden Seal Society then offered him a commission to go to Hueco Mundo.

• Duan Mu reviewed his favorability gains and experience total, noting that his progress with Isane, Yachiru, and others had stalled or remained difficult.
• Duan Mu admitted to Man'ya Ori that peaceful days bored him and that he missed the thrill of fighting powerful opponents.
• The Golden Seal Society contacted Yorozuya with a new commission.
• Man'ya Ori told Duan Mu that the commission was a request for him to go to Hueco Mundo.

Duan Mu accepted a commission to find the Fujiwara siblings in Hueco Mundo and entered through a Hollow’s Garganta. After arriving, he prioritized staying safe and began considering how to test whether a female Hollow’s affection would earn him experience points.

• President Sagawa told Duan Mu that Fujiwara Hisashi and Fujiwara Rei had been swept into Hueco Mundo after watching a Hollow fight in the Human World, and Duan Mu accepted the rescue commission.
• Duan Mu learned that the Fujiwara family had first asked Onmitsukidō for help, while Kōrogi Aoi’s report raised doubts about why the timid siblings had watched the fight.
• President Sagawa explained that Duan Mu would enter Hueco Mundo through a Hollow’s Garganta and would need to return through a temporary passage after two days.
• Tokishita asked a young man in a white robe to accompany him to Central 46’s Video Hall, saying he would understand Tokishita’s actions there.
• Duan Mu emerged into Hueco Mundo, concealed his aura, and flew away from the Hollows gathering nearby.
• Duan Mu decided to prioritize his safety while experimenting to see whether gaining a female Hollow’s affection would earn him experience points.

Duan Mu studied Hollow evolution in Hueco Mundo, killing a male sheep-like Hollow and theorizing that Hollow abilities could inspire new Kido. When his Command Divine Machine detected the Fujiwara siblings’ signals, he headed toward them despite sensing that someone was watching him.

• Duan Mu watched Hollows devour one another, then killed a sheep-like Hollow after it identified itself as male.
• Duan Mu reviewed how Hollows evolved from newly transformed spirits through Gillian and Adjuchas to Vastolorde, comparing their life forms and abilities with Soul Reapers.
• Duan Mu considered reproducing Hollow abilities through Kido rather than merging with a Hollow and becoming a Visored.
• Duan Mu’s Command Divine Machine detected signals from the Fujiwara siblings, and he decided to head toward them despite his other research plans.
• Duan Mu continued toward the signals while sensing that an unknown presence was watching him.

Tier Harribel learned that two weak Shinigami had entered Hueco Mundo and heard an unverified report of a powerful Shinigami who had vanished. Shiba Kaien rescued the Fujiwara siblings from Hollows, but Duan Mu appeared and threatened him before he could lead them to safety.

• Tier Harribel heard that Aaroniero Arruruerie had gone to investigate two Shinigami in Hueco Mundo and learned that a powerful Shinigami might have appeared in the same area.
• Fujiwara Hisashi and Fujiwara Rei fled five Hollows, and Rei fell behind after freeing her hand from her brother’s grasp.
• Shiba Kaien appeared, severed the Hollow’s arm holding Rei, and killed all five Hollows before introducing himself to the siblings.
• Shiba Kaien offered to take the Fujiwara siblings to a safe hiding place and asked them about Soul Society and the Shiba Clan.
• Duan Mu appeared behind the siblings, warned them not to go with Shiba Kaien, and threatened him when he tried to introduce himself.

Duan Mu lost control of his killing intent when Aaroniero, disguised as Shiba Kaien, invoked the Shiba Clan and Kūkaku, and he attacked the Espada. Duan Mu unleashed a devastating final strike, but an unknown figure appeared and redirected it, saving Aaroniero.

• Duan Mu abandoned his plan to escort the Fujiwara siblings back to Soul Society and released the sinister domain surrounding his blade.
• Duan Mu attacked Aaroniero, and his first three steps overwhelmed the Espada’s water-based defenses and revealed a prototype domain.
• Aaroniero released his Resurrección and gathered the power of the Hollows he had devoured for a counterattack.
• Duan Mu spent experience to strengthen his kidō and physical constitution, then completed a fifth step and unleashed a black lightning slash.
• An unknown figure appeared and diverted Duan Mu’s slash, saving Aaroniero from the attack.

Duan Mu nearly killed Aaroniero, but Nnoitra arrived and forced him into a hopeless fight. Duan Mu’s Zanpakuto broke its seal and unleashed a strange ability that displaced Nnoitra, while Duan Mu’s whereabouts remained unknown.

• Duan Mu’s attack split Aaroniero’s released form, but a male Arrancar rescued him and carried him toward Las Noches as Nnoitra confronted Duan Mu.
• Nnoitra overwhelmed Duan Mu, who spent his remaining experience points to improve his physique and used Kidō attacks that Nnoitra’s Steel Skin withstood.
• As Nnoitra prepared to kill him, Duan Mu’s Zanpakuto’s seal cracked and its proficiency surged to Advanced.
• Nnoitra wounded Duan Mu, but Duan Mu completed the chant, “Soothe the Innocent Children, play to your heart’s content!” and a strange space engulfed Nnoitra.
• Nnoitra emerged nearly half a minute later and found that Duan Mu’s spiritual pressure and presence had disappeared.

Kiyohara Tsumugu learned that Duan Mu’s Command Divine Machine had been damaged and that Duan Mu’s spiritual-body density had risen to captain level, making a Garganta return impossible. In Hueco Mundo, Tier Harribel searched for the missing Shinigami and realized he might be hiding on a Gillian.

• Akon told Kiyohara Tsumugu that the Technical Development Bureau had lost Duan Mu’s signal after his Command Divine Machine was damaged.
• Akon revealed that Duan Mu’s spiritual-body density had surged to captain level, so a Garganta could not safely carry him back.
• Kiyohara Tsumugu decided to report the situation to Captain Soi Fon after learning that the available ways to return Duan Mu were impractical or could take months.
• Tier Harribel continued searching the Forest of Menos for the Shinigami she had seen after his fight with Nnoitra.
• Tier realized that the injured Shinigami might be concealed on the body of one of the mindless Gillian.

Duan Mu woke from severe injuries in Hueco Mundo and began healing himself with his Development Spirit Crest, but Tier Harribel found him before he could recover. To stop her from killing him, he offered to help advance her Arrancar evolution, and she agreed to test his claim.

• Duan Mu awoke beneath a Gillian and assessed his critical injuries, realizing he could use his Development Spirit Crest and Kido to heal himself despite being unable to move.
• Duan Mu began drawing in spirit particles to treat his injuries, exposing his location as Tier Harribel found him in the Forest of Menos.
• Tier Harribel prepared to kill Duan Mu, but he recognized her and promised he could make her Arrancarization more complete.
• Duan Mu asked Tier Harribel to hold his hand so he could demonstrate his idea, and she felt his Spiritual Power spread through her body.

Duan Mu studied Hollows and Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, seeking a way for Tier to grow stronger despite having reached her final life form. After Tier offered to bring him a newly evolved Adjuchas, Duan Mu decided to remain in Hueco Mundo to pursue his research and the experience points he could gain from her favor.

• Duan Mu concluded that Tier could not evolve her life form further, so he studied whether her Hollow Core could let her increase her strength like Aaroniero.
• Duan Mu worried that Aizen might kill him over what he knew about the Espada, but decided he still had to report their existence to the Seireitei after leaving Hueco Mundo.
• Tier questioned whether Duan Mu could help her grow stronger, then offered to bring him an Adjuchas that had recently evolved from a Gillian.
• Duan Mu gained favorability and experience from Tier, and decided to stay in Hueco Mundo to continue his research and earn more experience.

After a month of experiments, Duan Mu created a Hollow Crest and reforged Tier’s Hollow Core, enabling her to use Secondary Resurrección. Tier demonstrated its terrifying power, and Duan Mu prepared to leave Hueco Mundo for the Human World.

• Duan Mu’s experiments finally unlocked the advanced Hollow Crest, giving him knowledge of how to reorganize an Arrancar’s Hollow Core.
• Tier volunteered to be his first test subject, trusting him to inscribe the Hollow Crest into her and her Zanpakuto.
• Duan Mu used his flesh and blood to form the crest, which let Tier absorb and store reishi for Secondary Resurrección while concealing the change from others.
• Tier used her new form to destroy the Hollows gathered outside the cavern, and Duan Mu realized her strength had become frighteningly great.
• Tier’s favorability toward Duan Mu reached 60, and she offered to send him to the Human World before more Hollows arrived.
• Duan Mu asked Tier to teach him Hollow techniques, including tearing space and firing Cero.

After returning from Hueco Mundo, Duan Mu visited Urahara Kisuke to learn what had happened to the Fujiwara siblings and traded intelligence for three transfer piles. Urahara’s findings implicated an unknown Fullbringer, and Soi Fon escorted Duan Mu back to Soul Society to report at an ongoing captains’ meeting.

• Duan Mu entered Urahara Shop, changed into new work clothes, and agreed to exchange Hueco Mundo intelligence for information about the Fujiwara siblings.
• Urahara Kisuke revealed that spatial freezing had concealed the siblings’ disappearance and that reishi from a Fullbringer had been found at the scene.
• Duan Mu negotiated for three transfer piles instead of learning Tessai Tsukabishi’s forbidden techniques, then shared his account of meeting Aaroniero and Nnoitra while withholding information about Tier.
• Urahara Kisuke arranged a false spiritual-pressure trail at Sakura Natural Park, allowing Duan Mu to leave the shop without raising suspicion.
• Soi Fon and the Punishment Force met Duan Mu at the park and escorted him through the Senkaimon to the First Division for a captains’ meeting.

Duan Mu attended a captain meeting and reported his encounters with two powerful Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, including one who claimed to be Shiba Kaien. Yamamoto ordered the divisions to prepare for the threat and rewarded Duan Mu with permission to travel through most of Seireitei using his special pass.

• Soi Fon brought Duan Mu and Omaeda to the captain meeting, where Duan Mu awkwardly entered in his boots and faced the captains' scrutiny.
• At Soi Fon's direction, Duan Mu explained that a Golden Seal Society commission had taken him to Hueco Mundo and recounted his encounters with two Arrancar.
• Duan Mu reported that one Arrancar claimed to be Shiba Kaien and could use the abilities of the Hollows he had devoured, while another possessed spiritual pressure exceeding that of most captains.
• Aizen compared Duan Mu's account to an incident from a century earlier, and Yamamoto ended discussion of the incident and ordered the Technical Development Bureau to monitor Hueco Mundo.
• Yamamoto warned the captains to prepare for the Arrancar and rewarded Duan Mu with permission to travel through most of Seireitei using his special pass.

After returning from Hueco Mundo, Duan Mu reunited with the Supervision Team and discovered Nagano Kahide could operate surveillance equipment linked to the Video Hall. The footage raised his suspicions that the Kōmiyo might have manipulated the information that sent him to Hueco Mundo, and the chapter ended with the team spotting a Quincy killing a Hollow.

• Duan Mu returned to the Monitoring Division, where the team welcomed him and brought him food as he explained his hunger after leaving Hueco Mundo.
• Duan Mu reunited with Ukitake Hiroshi and Nagano Kahide, who had joined the Supervision Team, and offered to help Ukitake with his cultivation.
• Nagano Kahide demonstrated surveillance equipment she had acquired and operated, while Kiyohara Tsumugu explained the Supervision Team's restricted access to the Video Hall's feeds.
• Duan Mu questioned how the Technical Development Bureau obtained surveillance footage and suspected the Kōmiyo might have manipulated information about the Fujiwara siblings' incident and his trip to Hueco Mundo.
• The team watched footage of an elderly Quincy killing a Hollow, and Kiyohara Tsumugu ordered them to notify the Soul Reaper stationed in the Human World and warn the Quincy again.

Duan Mu returned to the Shiba residence and told Shiba Kūkaku about his dangerous fight in Hueco Mundo, where she scolded him and forbade him from taking further Hueco Mundo commissions. With work scarce, Kūkaku arranged for him to continue Kido training over the winter, while Duan Mu resolved to devote most of his future experience points to strengthening his reiatsu.

• Duan Mu hesitated to tell Shiba Kūkaku about the Hollow wearing Shiba Kaien's face and sent Iwao away before entering the residence.
• Shiba Kūkaku revealed that Ukitake had already told her about Duan Mu's encounter in Hueco Mundo, then knocked him down and warned him not to risk himself there again.
• Shiba Kūkaku forbade Duan Mu from accepting Hueco Mundo commissions and offered to continue training him in Kido during the winter.
• Duan Mu agreed to train at the Great Kūkaku Training Hall after lunch and considered the limits of his Kido techniques.
• Duan Mu invested 200,000 experience points into his reiatsu and decided to spend future points on it until he encountered its ultimate barrier.