Chapter Summaries

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto unleashed Ryujin Jakka to save Seireitei’s central districts and free Soul Reapers to reinforce the outer battlefronts. At the Zhu Sibo family’s secondary residence, Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan activated his Bankai against Arturo Platido.

• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto drew Ryujin Jakka and burned away Hollows attacking Seireitei’s vital institutions and Noble District.
• The First and Second Divisions restored defensive lines in the central districts and sent freed Soul Reapers to the outer battlefronts.
• Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan sensed Fujimaru and Matsuri retreating to safety while Ika headed in the wrong direction, then prepared to fight on.
• Arturo Platido watched as Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan activated his Bankai, Heavenly Radiant Purple Firmament Takemikazuchi, and unleashed a vast surge of purple lightning.

Shuichi watched Zhengyuan’s lightning storm fail to stop Arturo, who charged at Ika and the Redwater Mirror. Shuichi restrained Arturo with golden chains, leaving him stunned by the Vasto Lorde’s human form and Zanpakutō.

• Shuichi sensed the Zhu Sibo family evacuating while Zhengyuan’s lightning battered Arturo without weakening his calm Reiatsu.
• Ika ran toward the battlefield carrying the Redwater Mirror, and Arturo recognized its aura and released his power as the Undying King.
• Arturo used emerald Reishi wings and Sonído to evade Zhengyuan and rush toward Ika.
• Shuichi caught Arturo’s ankle with a golden chain from a red fissure, then bound his body and wings with more chains.
• Shuichi saw Arturo’s human features, broken mask, and sword, and confirmed that his Reiatsu belonged entirely to a Vasto Lorde.

Arturo broke free of Shuichi's chains and unleashed a Gran Rey Cero that shattered Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan's Bankai while Shuichi fought to protect Ika. Ika completed the Redwater Mirror's activation and began consuming Arturo Platido's Reiatsu ceiling, leaving the battle's outcome unresolved.

• Ika retreated and guided the Redwater Mirror through its activation while Arturo shattered Shuichi's golden chains and flew above the Seireitei.
• Arturo formed a Gran Rey Cero and blasted through Shuichi's incantationless Danku as Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan shielded Ika with his lightning curtain.
• Shuichi struck Arturo with Senju Kōten Taihō, but the Gran Rey Cero shattered all six of Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan's magatama and broke his Bankai.
• Shuichi activated Bankai, Yomi Bloom, and used its chains and flowers to move and heal Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan.
• Ika poured her Reiatsu into the completed Redwater Mirror, which linked to Arturo Platido and began consuming his Reiatsu ceiling.

Shuichi and Ika weakened Arturo with Redwater Mirror while fighting to keep him at bay, until Yamamoto arrived and forced Arturo to retreat through a Garganta. Arturo vowed to remember Shuichi, and Yamamoto promised to burn him to ashes if they met again.

• Arturo tried to destroy Redwater Mirror, but Ika blocked his strike as Shuichi counterattacked and drove him back.
• Arturo targeted Ika, but Shuichi’s chains stopped his blade, allowing her to escape and reactivate Redwater Mirror.
• Shuichi relentlessly pressed Arturo with an unnamed sword style while Redwater Mirror drained Arturo’s Reiatsu, and Shinji rejoined the battle.
• As Shuichi prepared to activate Eternal Dance, Yamamoto arrived and sent a sea of fire at Arturo.
• Arturo escaped inside a Negación pillar, identified himself to Shuichi, and vowed to remember him.
• Shuichi challenged Arturo to face him again, and Yamamoto promised to burn Arturo to ashes with his own hands.

Isshin Shiba and Yoruichi Shihōin fought off a Gillian as the Vasto Lorde retreated through a Negación. Seireitei’s defenders remained locked in battle with the Hollow hordes, while nobles celebrated the retreat despite the destruction around them.

• Isshin Shiba attacked a Gillian with Getsuga Tenshō, splitting its Cero but struggling to overcome it.
• Yoruichi Shihōin struck the Gillian’s head with golden lightning, allowing Isshin’s crescent to cut the Gillian in two.
• Yoruichi Shihōin recognized the pale pillar of light as Negación, and Seireitei’s squad members learned that the Vasto Lorde was retreating.
• Seireitei’s fighters continued battling the remaining Hollows as urgent communications spread news of the retreat.
• Nobles in the Noble District cursed the fleeing Vasto Lorde, while the ruined buildings and fallen servants remained around them.

After the Hollow Disaster, the Fourth Division struggled to treat the many wounded across Seireitei. Ika’s injuries left her Reiatsu permanently diminished, while Unohana worked to save Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan, and the treatment station continued tending to Soul Reapers facing severe physical and emotional injuries.

• Shuichi treated Ika and told her that overtaxing her Reiatsu had caused lasting damage, reducing her from an upper Seated Officer to a lower Seated Officer.
• Retsu Unohana treated the nearly shattered Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan after Shuichi had kept him alive with preliminary care.
• Yamada Kiyonosuke scolded and treated Kensei Muguruma, who had barely survived fighting Gillians with his Bankai.
• Fourth Division Squad Members treated a young Twelfth Division Seated Officer whose burned arm could be reattached but would likely never wield a Zanpakutō again.
• A female Ninth Division Soul Reaper wept beside a gravely wounded Seated Officer, who reassured her that he was still alive.
• Across the treatment station, exhausted medical teams continued treating the wounded through the night.

After resigning as Fifth Division Captain, Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan agreed to stay behind and care for his family while vowing to kill Arturo Platido himself. Shinji Hirako became the new Fifth Division Captain, and Kensei Muguruma was appointed lieutenant of the Ninth Division.

• Zhu Sibo Zhengyuan submitted his resignation and declared that he would hunt Arturo Platido once his injuries healed.
• At the captains' meeting, Shuichi reminded Zhengyuan of his family, and Zhengyuan agreed not to pursue Arturo immediately while insisting he would still resign.
• Yamamoto asked Sosuke Aizen whether he had mastered Bankai, then summoned Kensei Muguruma to offer him the Fifth Division captaincy.
• Kensei Muguruma refused the captaincy and recommended Shinji Hirako, who accepted the Fifth Division position.
• Shinji Hirako entered his new captain's office and complained about the trouble the role would bring.
• Jūmonji Quando appointed Kensei Muguruma Ninth Division Lieutenant, and Kensei accepted.

Kisuke Urahara failed to discover how Arturo Platido had caused the mass Hollowfication in Rukongai, leaving the mystery unresolved. Years later, Central 46 approved Shibata Takanobu’s release from custody and appointment as captain of the Eleventh Division.

• Kisuke Urahara traced the Hollow uprising in Rukongai to Arturo Platido, but his investigation could not explain how the souls had been forced to mature and become Hollows.
• Several years later, students at Shin'ō Academy heard that Gin Ichimaru was graduating early after completing the curriculum in one year.
• Sosuke Aizen asked Gin Ichimaru about his coursework, and Gin said he had finished it long ago.
• Central 46 debated Shibata Takanobu’s custody record and proposal to become Eleventh Division captain, with members arguing over his crimes, achievements, and the division’s customs.
• Central 46 voted to release Shibata Takanobu and appoint him captain of the Eleventh Division, ordering the First Division to conduct a final review and award his haori.

As the academy's newest generation graduated and joined the divisions, Isane chose the Fourth Division, Rangiku joined the Fifth Division to be near Gin, and Kiyone and other low-scoring recruits entered the Thirteenth Division under Kaien Shiba's welcoming guidance. The recruits faced very different first impressions, from the Fourth and Eleventh Divisions' stern demands to Kaien's reassurance that combat scores were not the only measure of strength.

• Isane told Kiyone and Rangiku that she planned to join the Fourth Division to learn Kaidō and follow Captain Unohana, while Kiyone had not chosen a division.
• After graduation, Isane joined the Fourth Division, where Yamada Kiyonosuke warned the new recruits that mistakes could cost lives.
• Rangiku joined the Fifth Division and watched Gin Ichimaru enter the barracks, thinking she had finally caught up with him.
• Tetsuzaemon Iba and Ashido joined the Eleventh Division, where recruits were immediately challenged to fight.
• Kiyone Kotetsu, Sentaro Kotsubaki, and other recruits with weaker combat assessments joined the Thirteenth Division, where Kaien Shiba welcomed them and said combat scores were not everything.

Sosuke Aizen secretly searched the Great Spirit Library for records about Arturo Platido and Shendu Wuming, learning about Arrancar and Soul Reaper Hollowfication. He left the library resolved to investigate the people connected to the buried incident and explore the boundaries between Soul Reapers and Hollows.

• Sosuke Aizen read a record about Arturo Platido and inferred that Hollows who broke their masks became Arrancar, whose blades and releases were called Zanpakutō and Resurrección.
• Sosuke Aizen discovered a record stating that Shendu Wuming had become a half-Soul Reaper, half-Hollow monster and was imprisoned in Muken.
• Sosuke Aizen read Senjumaru Shutara's report on Bankai Hollowfication and noted the recorders' names: Shuichi, Chikiri Shijima, and Senjumaru Shutara.
• Sosuke Aizen resolved to investigate the personnel archives and considered what the records revealed about Soul Reapers and Hollows.
• Sosuke Aizen returned to the Fifth Division Barracks and greeted the Squad Member at the entrance.

Ge Kuang asked Kisuke Urahara to remove the Soul King Fragment implanted in her, and he secretly extracted it. After the Tsunayashiro Clan discovered the fragment was missing, Sosuke Aizen saw it in Urahara’s laboratory and realized another Hōgyoku-like object existed.

• Ge Kuang told Kisuke Urahara that she had overheard the Tsunayashiro Clan discussing the Soul King Fragment in her body and asked him to remove it.
• Kisuke Urahara warned Ge Kuang about the dangers and the Tsunayashiro Clan’s likely response, then agreed to help her.
• Kisuke Urahara secretly removed the grain-sized fragment from Ge Kuang and kept it in an Isolation Case.
• The Tsunayashiro Clan discovered the fragment was gone, traced Ge Kuang’s visit to the Twelfth Division, and added Kisuke Urahara to its list without confronting him.
• Sosuke Aizen used Kyōka Suigetsu to enter the Reishi Research Institute and saw the fragment in Urahara’s laboratory, recognizing its resemblance to the Hōgyoku.
• Kisuke Urahara sensed someone behind him and swung his blade, but Sosuke Aizen escaped unseen.

After Ge Kuang’s death, Tōsen Kaname learned the truth about her murder from a fellow Soul Reaper, who was secretly Tsunayashiro Tokinada. Tōsen was wounded and left in despair, but Sosuke Aizen intervened and offered to take him away.

• Ge Kuang’s friend mourned her and took her Zanpakutō from her coffin after her funeral.
• Tōsen Kaname forced his way into the Noble District to seek Central 46 and was stopped by guards.
• A Soul Reaper told Tōsen about Ge Kuang’s burial wish and confirmed that her husband had killed her.
• Tōsen recognized that the man speaking to him was Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who admitted to killing Ge Kuang and urged Tōsen to forgive him.
• Tokinada’s guards moved to attack Tōsen as he staggered away, but Sosuke Aizen intervened and offered to take him with him.

The Eleventh Division's Squad Members grew increasingly exhausted under Shibata Takanobu's quiet, confidence-eroding leadership, while Ashido confided his concerns to Kuruyashiki in Rukongai. Kuruyashiki remained carefree but agreed that he might someday go to Seireitei, leaving Ashido with a little hope.

• Shibata Takanobu's constant criticism and unpredictability wore down the Eleventh Division's Squad Members without overt punishments.
• Several Squad Members admitted they felt increasingly tired and stifled, though they could not identify what was wrong.
• Ashido told Kuruyashiki that the Eleventh Division's atmosphere had become exhausting and strange.
• Ashido urged Kuruyashiki to become a Soul Reaper and protect souls from Rukongai instead of drinking in a tavern.
• Kuruyashiki laughed off Ashido's plea but said that if he went to Seireitei someday, Ashido should buy him a drink.

Tōsen Kaname and Sajin Komamura became close friends at Shin'ō Academy despite being shunned for their differences. After graduating, Tōsen chose the Ninth Division to seek the place where she had been and pursue justice, while Komamura joined the Seventh Division.

• Tōsen Kaname endured his classmates' doubts and earned their admiration by navigating the academy through Reiatsu and quietly helping others.
• Sajin Komamura faced harsher rejection because of his hood but continued training and helping classmates who asked for his advice.
• Tōsen Kaname and Sajin Komamura became close friends, and Tōsen explained that he wanted to become a Soul Reaper to hear and confront injustice.
• After graduation, Sosuke Aizen invited Tōsen to the Fifth Division, but Tōsen declined and chose the Ninth Division.
• Sajin Komamura received an assignment to the Seventh Division, and he and Tōsen parted with words of encouragement.

The Eleventh Division advanced under Shibata Takanobu’s gravity while he stayed behind the front lines, leaving its Squad Members to bear the worst of the Quincy barrage. Kuruyashiki began to resent Shibata and stepped forward to protect the men, keeping his anger in check.

• The Quincy’s arrow barrage forced the Tenth Division to retreat, and the other divisions formed up to support the advance.
• Shibata Takanobu used his gravity to deflect arrows and ordered the Eleventh Division forward without joining the charge.
• Aku followed the order, was struck by an arrow, and fell without Shibata stopping to help him.
• Lisa Yadōmaru, Iba Chitetsu, and Yamada Kiyonosuke noticed the Eleventh Division’s mounting casualties and reacted with concern and anger.
• Kuruyashiki saw Squad Members fall as Shibata stayed behind, then cut down arrows threatening a man at the front and advanced in his place.

Jūmonji Quando used the devastating Hado #96, Ittō Kasō, to defeat Siegfried Hess, but the technique destroyed his left arm. As the technique was declared forbidden, Jūmonji began preparing Kensei Muguruma to succeed him, just as Mashiro Kuna went out to fight the Quincy again.

• Jūmonji Quando unleashed Hado #96, Ittō Kasō, and defeated Siegfried Hess, but the flames charred and destroyed Jūmonji's left arm.
• Yamada Kiyonosuke found that Jūmonji's bones and Spirit Network had carbonized beyond repair and warned that a Reishi prosthesis would not work.
• Kensei Muguruma visited Jūmonji in the hospital and promised to cover his left side in future battles.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto classified Ittō Kasō as a forbidden technique, and the Kidō Corps added the Commander-in-Chief's permission requirement to its textbook entry.
• Jūmonji told Kensei he would begin teaching him, then a Seated Officer reported that Mashiro Kuna had led a squad out to fight the Quincy alone again.

Walthraud Ethel’s blizzard and ice powers were countered by a coordinated Soul Reaper assault led by Lisa Yadōmaru and Kensei Muguruma, who killed her. Shuichi kept Candice Catnipp, Liltotto Lamperd, and Meninas McAllon occupied until Walthraud’s defeat forced them to retreat.

• Lisa Yadōmaru ordered the Soul Reapers to retreat beyond the snow line while Sajin Komamura and Tōsen Kaname blocked Walthraud Ethel’s attacks.
• Shūsuke Amagai opened a path through the blizzard with fire, allowing Kensei Muguruma to charge Walthraud with his Bankai.
• Lisa Yadōmaru pinned Walthraud in place and staggered her, leaving her vulnerable to Kensei Muguruma’s attacks.
• Kensei Muguruma knocked Walthraud unconscious and shattered her heart, causing the blizzard to subside.
• Shuichi held off Candice Catnipp, Liltotto Lamperd, and Meninas McAllon until Walthraud’s Reiatsu vanished, after which the three Quincy retreated.

Kōga Kuchiki struggled to hold off Victor Brandt and his poisonous fog until Shinji Hirako and Sosuke Aizen arrived to take over. With Gin Ichimaru’s long-range strike creating an opening, Aizen trapped Victor in Black Coffin, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Victor Brandt changed his poison fog, weakening the targeted antidote, while Kōga Kuchiki fought him with Bankai and high-level Kidō until the poison and exertion nearly overcame him.
• Shinji Hirako and Sosuke Aizen arrived, and Aizen raised Dankū to shield the retreating Soul Reapers from the fog.
• Aizen used Kyōka Suigetsu and Shinji used Sakanade to disorient Victor and land a slash, leaving him unable to strike either of them.
• Gin Ichimaru shot Victor from a distant clock tower, interrupting his Reishi gathering and briefly immobilizing him.
• Aizen and Shinji struck Victor with Raikōhō from opposite sides, and Aizen completed the incantation for Hadō #90: Black Coffin, trapping Victor inside.

After the third inconclusive battle between the Wandenreich and the Soul Reapers, growing despair among the Quincy erupted into a failed coup. A few survivors escaped the Wandenreich and fled through the Dangai to the World of the Living.

• Jugram Haschwalth avoided captain-class Soul Reapers and killed seated officers across the battlefront with Holy Arrows.
• The Soul Reapers and Quincy withdrew after suffering heavy losses, ending the fighting without a decisive victory.
• Quincy soldiers and officers began doubting Yhwach as the Sternritter and rank-and-file forces continued to die in repeated wars.
• Disillusioned Quincy launched a coup against the Wandenreich, but Jugram Haschwalth and the Sternritter's iron guard crushed it.
• A few defeated rebels escaped through a spatial rift and the Dangai, fleeing to the World of the Living.

After the Quincy War, Central 46 approved generous compensation for the survivors and the fallen, while Yamamoto ordered expanded Shin'ō Academy enrollment to address the divisions’ severe officer shortages. The chapter ended with young Squad Members drinking together and voicing anger over the final battle’s chaos and the captains’ absence.

• The war’s end left the Gotei 13 with heavy losses among Seated Officers, and casualty reports flooded Central 46.
• Central 46 approved special war bonuses in addition to the usual death benefits and disability allowances for those who fought.
• The next day, compensation payments reached the divisions, and Yamamoto ordered expanded enrollment for the next two Shin'ō Academy intakes.
• Young Squad Members who had survived the war gathered over sake and complained that repeated officer deaths had left them without clear orders.
• The Squad Members accused Quincy leaders of deliberately targeting Seated Officers and demanded to know why the captains had not intervened.