Chapter Summaries

After the eight-hour workday began, Shiraishi spent his lunch break chatting and gaming with the women in his life before Genshirō Okikiba brought him a complaint about the 11th Division’s drunken misconduct. Shiraishi went to confront the division and found its headquarters covered in graffiti, with squad members drinking and fighting inside.

• Shiraishi arranged a day off with Nemu Kurotsuchi and exchanged messages with Soi Fon, Nelliel, Tier Harribel, and others during lunch.
• Shiraishi read messages from Kūkaku and thought about how carefully he limited his chats with Isane and Retsu.
• Genshirō Okikiba told Shiraishi that 11th Division members in Zaraki District were drinking, causing trouble, buying on credit, and fighting in the streets.
• Shiraishi considered the Gotei 13’s depleted ranks and decided to address the 11th Division’s behavior by changing their hearts rather than using force.
• Shiraishi arrived at the 11th Division headquarters and found its entrance defaced with graffiti and its members drinking and fighting inside.

Shiraishi confronted the 11th Division about its debts and property damage, then assigned the unruly squad a sixteen-hour workday making action movies. He arranged for Rangiku Matsumoto to produce the films by using Gin Ichimaru’s imprisonment as leverage, then prepared for his date with Nemu.

• Shiraishi visited the 11th Division and caught Ikkaku Madarame’s wooden sword with one finger before ordering the squad to gather.
• Shiraishi confronted the squad about residents’ complaints, and Yumichika Ayasegawa explained that the squad had no funds left to cover its debts.
• Shiraishi assigned the 11th Division sixteen-hour workdays and action-movie production to keep them busy and use the proceeds to pay for damages.
• Shiraishi appointed Don Kanonji as director, Rangiku Matsumoto as producer, and Hanatarō Yamada as the on-set medic.
• Rangiku Matsumoto initially refused the assignment, but Shiraishi reminded her that Gin Ichimaru was still imprisoned and promised to release him if she did the job well.
• Shiraishi finished his other work so he could take the next day off for his date with Nemu.

Shiraishi took Nemu Kurotsuchi on a morning walk in Kuchiki District after finding her camping at their meeting spot in a Dalmatian costume. Their date ended with Shiraishi abruptly fleeing when they encountered Rukia Kuchiki.

• Shiraishi arrived early at the park and discovered that Nemu had slept in a tent so she could be at the date location first.
• Nemu emerged dressed as a Dalmatian, explaining that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had recommended the costume and demonstrating that she could eat and digest materials such as steel and wood.
• Nemu asked Shiraishi to walk her on a leash, and he agreed after assuring her that he liked the idea.
• Shiraishi and Nemu walked through the park as they talked about her work and her happiness at helping him and Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
• Shiraishi turned a corner, saw Rukia Kuchiki, and vanished, leaving her confused about why he seemed to hate her.

Shiraishi took Nemu Kurotsuchi on a date through the Kuchiki District, then returned home with her for dinner. Nemu transformed her body to give him an unusual intimate experience, and they spent the evening together.

• Shiraishi carried Nemu Kurotsuchi away from Rukia and stopped her from removing her Dalmatian costume in a secluded alley.
• Shiraishi and Nemu Kurotsuchi strolled through the Kuchiki District, browsing food shops and enjoying the scenery until evening.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi invited Shiraishi to return to his house, where she prepared dinner.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi transformed into a liquid-bodied form and used it to embrace Shiraishi and feed him dinner in an unusual way.

Shiraishi confronted widespread corruption and lawlessness in Soul Society and sought advice on how to respond. Meanwhile, the newly awakened Sōya Azashiro learned about the changed world and secured Uryū Ishida’s support to travel to Hueco Mundo and destroy Hollows.

• Shiraishi found that corruption and criminal activity had spread through Soul Society, revised his response to a protest, and asked Retsu Unohana, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Shunsui Kyōraku, and Byakuya Kuchiki for advice.
• Shiraishi favored Retsu Unohana’s advice to punish some officials, win others over, issue warnings, and target illegal forces, then learned that she had noticed his hemorrhoids.
• Sōya Azashiro woke in Silbern and learned from Jugram Haschwalth that Seireitei had become the Wandenreich’s stronghold and that much had changed while he slept.
• Sōya Azashiro told Haschwalth that he intended to destroy Hollows and asked to use the Sun Gate to reach Hueco Mundo, but Haschwalth refused.
• Uryū Ishida agreed to lend Sōya Azashiro the Sun Gate, while Haschwalth objected that this could provoke war between the Shinigami and the Wandenreich.
• Uryū Ishida proposed a vote among the Sternritter, and Sōya Azashiro agreed to proceed with the vote.

Uryū Ishida and Haschwalth called a Sternritter vote over whether to lend Sōya Azashiro the Sun Gate so he could travel to Hueco Mundo and exterminate the Arrancar. The vote approved the request, and Sōya asked Uryū to meet him there.

• The surviving Sternritter gathered in the hall after Uryū Ishida and Haschwalth summoned them to vote.
• Gremmy noticed that Sōya Azashiro was not present in a real body and asked who he was.
• Haschwalth explained that Sōya wanted to borrow the Sun Gate, while he opposed lending it and Uryū supported it.
• Uryū argued that lending the gate would not cause a conflict with the Shinigami, and most of the Sternritter voted in favor.
• Haschwalth considered attacking Sōya but abandoned the idea after Gremmy warned that it was not his true body.
• Sōya asked Uryū to meet him at the Sun Gate, and Uryū agreed.

Haschwalth and Uryū Ishida called the surviving Sternritter to vote on whether Sōya Azashiro could borrow the Sun Gate to reach Hueco Mundo. The Sternritter approved the request, and Uryū Ishida agreed to escort Azashiro.

• The surviving Sternritter gathered in the hall after Haschwalth and Uryū Ishida called a vote.
• Gremmy noticed that Sōya Azashiro was not using his real body and asked who he was.
• Haschwalth explained that Azashiro wanted to borrow the Sun Gate to eliminate Arrancar, while he opposed the plan and Uryū Ishida supported it.
• The Sternritter voted eight to two in favor of lending Azashiro the Sun Gate, with one abstention and the Schutzstaffel absent.
• Haschwalth abandoned the idea of attacking Azashiro after Gremmy warned that the body was not real.
• Uryū Ishida agreed to accompany Sōya Azashiro to the Sun Gate.

Sōya Azashiro secretly entered Hueco Mundo and planned to turn the Arrancar against one another before exterminating them. In Soul Society, Shiraishi struggled with a flood of government paperwork, suspected someone was deliberately burying him in it, and ended the evening asking Retsu Unohana to have a child with him.

• Sōya Azashiro traveled through the shadows to Hueco Mundo and hid in a warehouse while listening for an opportunity to stir conflict among the Arrancar.
• Shiraishi reviewed baskets of paperwork caused by the expansion of government departments and ordered unnecessary departments abolished.
• Retsu Unohana encouraged Shiraishi to persist with his work and promised to support his decisions.
• Shiraishi suspected someone was teaching officials to bury him in paperwork and decided to have Soi Fon investigate.
• Shiraishi told Retsu Unohana he wanted a child, and she agreed to have one with him.

Shiraishi tried to reduce his paperwork and visited Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to discuss releasing Gin Ichimaru and placing him at Shin'ō Academy. Yamamoto said Sarugaki Hiyori would likely oppose the plan, so Shiraishi decided to speak with her after her class.

• Retsu Unohana told Shiraishi that the previous day had been a safe day and that the current day was good for a bountiful harvest, and they spent the morning together.
• Shiraishi told Genshirō Okikiba to return most of the documents to the departments while he secretly had Soi Fon investigate the people behind the corruption.
• Shiraishi went to Shin'ō Academy and discussed Gin Ichimaru's possible release and appointment as an instructor with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
• Shiraishi explained that the Visored supported releasing Gin Ichimaru under watch, but Sarugaki Hiyori's objection could prevent him from teaching at the academy.
• Yamamoto told Shiraishi to wait until noon to speak with Hiyori, then said Ganju ranked fifth among the sixth-year students.

Shiraishi visited Shin'ō Academy, observed its classes, and asked Hiyori Sarugaki and Love Aikawa whether Gin Ichimaru could be released and work there. After they rejected him as a colleague and Nel said she hated him, Shiraishi ruled out Hueco Mundo and considered the one remaining place that might accept Gin.

• Shiraishi toured Shin'ō Academy's history, Hakuda, Kidō, and swordsmanship classes after Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto warned him not to cause trouble.
• Shiraishi asked Hiyori Sarugaki and Love Aikawa how they felt about Gin Ichimaru's release, and both agreed to it.
• Shiraishi proposed that Gin work at Shin'ō Academy, but Hiyori and Love both objected.
• Shiraishi asked Nel whether Gin could return to Hueco Mundo, and she said she hated him.
• Shiraishi abandoned the idea of sending Gin to Hueco Mundo and decided to look for another place that would accept him.

Shiraishi released Gin Ichimaru from confinement and assigned him to the 11th Division, where Kenpachi Zaraki immediately challenged him to a fight. Later, Shiraishi asked Soi Fon to secretly investigate who was teaching civil servants to be corrupt.

• Shiraishi freed Gin Ichimaru and assigned him to the 11th Division to help oversee its discipline.
• Kenpachi Zaraki woke and attacked, and Shiraishi blocked his strike before leaving Gin Ichimaru with him.
• Kenpachi Zaraki and Gin Ichimaru began fighting as their Reiatsu collided.
• Shiraishi visited Soi Fon and asked her to investigate suspected efforts to teach civil servants corruption in secret.
• Soi Fon agreed to arrange a discreet investigation and decided to have Ōmaeda handle it.

Soi Fon assigned Marechiyo Ōmaeda to infiltrate the former nobles and investigate the person pulling the strings, while Sōya Azashiro discovered Negación Threads spreading through Hueco Mundo. At Ulquiorra’s palace, Sōya agreed to help Loly and Szayelaporro get into the Research and Development Institute.

• Soi Fon ordered Marechiyo Ōmaeda to ingratiate himself with corrupt nobles and trace their hidden leader.
• Sōya Azashiro detected Negación Threads entering his body and followed them to make contact with whoever was behind them.
• Loly asked Ulquiorra to help her and Szayelaporro invade the Research and Development Institute, but Ulquiorra refused.
• Sōya Azashiro appeared at Ulquiorra’s palace and agreed to help Loly and Szayelaporro enter the institute.

Pesche followed a mysterious invitation to 11-2, Seventh District, where Di Roy attacked him after a dispute in an online game. Pesche accidentally killed Di Roy and fled when Shawlong Koufang arrived to arrest him, leaving Shawlong to take the body to Grimmjow's palace.

• Pesche, jealous of Dondochakka's relationship with Sun-Sun, found a note inviting its recipient to 11-2, Seventh District and dressed up to meet the supposed woman.
• Di Roy tracked the player who had repeatedly killed and taunted him in a game to the same address.
• Di Roy kicked in Pesche's door and attacked him, and Pesche deflected his Cero before fatally cutting him down.
• Pesche panicked over Di Roy's death and told Shawlong Koufang that Di Roy had attacked him and run into his sword.
• Shawlong said he would take Pesche to Grimmjow, but Pesche escaped with Sonído.
• Shawlong did not pursue Pesche and carried Di Roy's body toward the Sixth Espada's palace.

After Di Roy died in a fight with Pesche, Grimmjow tried to kill Pesche, but Nelliel stopped him and learned that Pesche had acted in self-defense. Grimmjow then chose to wage war on Nelliel, leaving Shawlong to prepare their group for battle.

• Shawlong told Grimmjow that Pesche had killed Di Roy, and Grimmjow destroyed Di Roy's corpse before setting out to kill Pesche.
• Nelliel stopped Grimmjow from stabbing Pesche and fought him until Pesche explained that Di Roy had attacked him first.
• Shawlong suspected that someone had manipulated events to provoke a conflict between the Espada, while Grimmjow agreed to set aside the immediate confrontation.
• Nelliel argued that love and peace could guide the future of Hollows, and Grimmjow laughed before returning to his palace.
• Grimmjow ordered Shawlong to ready Edrad, Nakeem, Yylfordt, and the others for war against Nelliel, saying he would rather die than stop growing stronger.

Sōya Azashiro stirred Grimmjow into conflict with Nelliel and then attacked Kisuke Urahara to keep him from disrupting his plan to eliminate Hollows. He left Urahara incapacitated and headed to speak with Grimmjow, while Urozakuro fell silent.

• Sōya Azashiro learned that Grimmjow had chosen to go to war and told Loly to persuade Loly and Menoly while he dealt with another obstacle.
• Kisuke Urahara received a message from Azashiro and recognized him when he appeared in Hueco Mundo, bypassing Urahara’s security measures by fusing with Reishi.
• Urahara challenged Azashiro’s belief that Shinigami should eliminate Hollows, and Urozakuro provoked Azashiro by recalling his fearful past and his sister’s sacrifice.
• Azashiro fused with Urahara’s internal organs and used the opening to inject him with a Superhuman Drug, leaving him slowed and incapacitated.
• Azashiro left to speak with Grimmjow before Shinigami reinforcements could arrive, while Urozakuro quietly disappeared.

Sōya Azashiro allied with Grimmjow’s faction to launch an attack on Nelliel and Tier Harribel while cutting communications between Hueco Mundo and the Shinigami. As Arrancar invaded Soul Society and the World of the Living, Shiraishi suspected the real battle was in Hueco Mundo and waited for more information.

• Sōya Azashiro admitted killing Di Roy and offered to help Grimmjow’s faction, then said he would attack Tier Harribel while Loly and Menoly targeted her subordinates.
• Grimmjow ordered Shawlong to put down his sword and agreed to focus on Nelliel, while Sōya Azashiro vanished and the Hueco Mundo network and Garganta to the Shinigami closed.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi informed Mayuri Kurotsuchi that communications were down and thousands of Garganta had opened across Soul Society and the World of the Living.
• Shiraishi told Genshirō Okikiba to leave the invasions to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Zaraki, and the others, and to have the Research and Development Institute open a Garganta to Hueco Mundo.
• Shiraishi suspected Grimmjow had an ally, ordered Genshirō Okikiba to monitor Silbern, and waited for news while worrying about Nel and Tier.

Nelliel organized the defense against Grimmjow’s planned rebellion, then confronted him as he attacked her. She released her Resurrección and gained the upper hand in their first exchange, while the rebellion continued across Las Noches.

• Nelliel recognized that the network outage, Kisuke Urahara’s absence, and the Garganta’s closure showed Grimmjow’s rebellion had been planned in advance.
• Nelliel sent Tier to command the Fourth Espada’s palace, warned Arrancar to stay home or surrender, and ordered Pesche to help suppress the rebellion.
• Grimmjow launched a surprise attack on Nelliel, then released his Resurrección and challenged her to fight in Hueco Mundo’s open sands.
• Nelliel released Gamuza and charged Grimmjow with her flaming lance, then caught his tail and hurled him backward.

Nelliel defeated Grimmjow in their battle, though she was badly wounded herself. After Grimmjow died, she sensed Pesche’s Reiatsu weakening and rushed back to the battlefield below to check on him.

• Grimmjow and Nelliel exchanged attacks, and Nelliel wounded him with her spear while Grimmjow struck her abdomen with his hidden plates.
• Nelliel swallowed Grimmjow’s Gran Rey Cero with Cero Doble and fired it back, leaving him badly injured and without his left arm.
• Grimmjow feigned retreat by threatening Pesche, then launched a final attack that Nelliel’s spear tore apart, killing him.
• Nelliel, wounded in the abdomen, headed back to end the war but sensed Pesche’s Reiatsu weaken and plunged through the ceiling to reach him.

Nelliel saved Pesche and ended the fighting against Grimmjow’s followers, while Tier Harribel pushed Sōya Azashiro to confront his fear and stop retreating. Azashiro released his fusion with Urozakuro, returned her to Shikai, and prepared to fight Harribel with his full attack power.

• Nelliel healed Pesche, who mistakenly thought he was dying, and then announced that Grimmjow was dead and ordered the remaining Arrancar to surrender.
• Sōya Azashiro considered retreating after Harribel overcame his Kidō and evaded his other techniques.
• Harribel called Azashiro a coward and offered to spare him if he surrendered, prompting him to admit he was afraid and call Urozakuro.
• Azashiro asked Urozakuro to release their fusion and return to Shikai, accepting that defeat would now mean his death.
• Azashiro revealed that his Bankai was defensive and his Shikai had tremendous offensive power, then introduced himself as Kenpachi Azashiro as Harribel gave her name and rank as the Fourth Espada.

Sōya Azashiro clashed with an opponent in Hueco Mundo, while Harribel took charge after the battle and learned that Loly and Szayelaporro had gone to Soul Society. Shiraishi stopped Szayelaporro from reclaiming his corpse, then checked on Nemu and confronted Mayuri about Loly escaping.

• Sōya Azashiro and his opponent collided with their Reiatsu and blades, creating a blast that shook the Sea of White Sand.
• Harribel appeared badly wounded, said her opponent had escaped, and ordered Ulquiorra to rein in the rebellious Arrancar.
• Ulquiorra told Harribel that Loly and Szayelaporro had gone to Soul Society to retrieve Szayelaporro's corpse.
• Szayelaporro tried to reunite with his preserved body in the Research and Development Institute, but it rejected him.
• Shiraishi struck Szayelaporro before he could escape, then went to the Institute's lowest level and checked Nemu's injured fingers.
• Shiraishi asked Mayuri in a stern voice whether he had let Loly get away.