Chapter Summaries

After Las Noches dissolved, Nel drove off hostile Arrancar while law-abiding survivors, including Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, joined Akatsuki. Ayato concluded that the Soul King was the path to further evolution, gathered the Royal Knights, and announced his intention to obtain the Soul King's power, winning Stark and Ulquiorra's support.

• Nel expelled Arrancar who came to Akatsuki arrogantly and later killed those who targeted the unconscious Menos Grande, after Ulquiorra warned her.
• Halibel assessed Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and let him join after Kenpachi Zaraki defeated him and promised to keep an eye on him.
• Grimmjow learned about the Twelve Royal Knights, aspired to join them, and began challenging Kenpachi to grow stronger.
• Ayato considered how to surpass his current limits and decided that exploring the Soul King’s power was the safest path forward.
• Ayato gathered the five Royal Knights, explained that the Soul King was the lynchpin of the Three Realms, and said he would become an equal existence who could stabilize them.
• Stark supported Ayato’s decision, and Ulquiorra fervently declared his support as well.

Ulquiorra explained why Hueco Mundo deserved a role in mediating the Three Realms, and Ayato organized training to prepare Akatsuki for the coming conflict. Later, Kuchiki Rukia, Orihime Inoue, and Ishida Uryu sought help restoring Ichigo Kurosaki’s Shinigami powers, but Ayato condemned Soul Society for withholding support.

• Ulquiorra argued that Hueco Mundo should help mediate the Three Realms and said Akatsuki could claim that right after Ayato obtained the Soul King's power.
• Ayato told Akatsuki’s members to train and protect their lives, then assigned Kenpachi Zaraki, Stark, Ulquiorra, Halibel, and Nel goals to strengthen themselves.
• Ayato sealed the spiritual energy around the Training Ground for Akatsuki’s use for a year, and Kenpachi Zaraki began fighting the others there.
• Stark activated Second Resurrección the next day, surpassed Ulquiorra, and teamed up with him to challenge Kenpachi Zaraki.
• Kuchiki Rukia, Orihime Inoue, and Ishida Uryu told Ayato that Soul Society had not gathered enough Shinigami power in a Spirit Sword to restore Ichigo Kurosaki’s powers.
• Ayato mocked Soul Society’s refusal to help Ichigo and said its members should be killed again to make them obey.

Ayato agreed to infuse Kisuke Urahara’s Spirit Sword with enough spiritual power to help Ichigo Kurosaki regain his abilities. After meeting Ulquiorra, Rukia, Orihime Inoue, and Ishida Uryu returned to the Living World, where Kisuke advised them to let Ichigo pursue another possible path to power for now.

• Ayato considered whether helping Ichigo Kurosaki might create a future enemy, then chose to fill the Spirit Sword with his spiritual power without asking for anything in return.
• Ayato led Rukia, Orihime Inoue, and Ishida Uryu to the Training Ground, where its dense spiritual power left them gasping until they adapted.
• Rukia, Orihime Inoue, and Ishida Uryu thanked Ulquiorra, who explained that he had gone to Soul Society at Kisuke Urahara’s request and then sent them back to the Living World.
• Kisuke Urahara explained that Soul Society’s limited contribution had not been enough, while Ayato had supplied the Spirit Sword with the needed power.
• Kisuke Urahara told the three not to rush to restore Ichigo Kurosaki’s strength because his recent efforts to regain power might benefit him, and he worried that the Quincy King’s prophecy was about to begin.

Quilge Opie and two Arrancar attacked Akatsuki’s entrance and demanded that its members submit to Yhwach, but Ayato overwhelmed them. As Ayato moved to finish Quilge, an unknown figure appeared and blocked his strike.

• Two Quincies attacked the Menos Grande outside Akatsuki, but Nel swallowed their shots and counterattacked.
• The Quincies revealed that Yhwach had empowered them and demanded that Akatsuki submit; Nel released her form and threw her spear at them.
• Quilge Opie arrived, stopped Nel’s spear, and asked Akatsuki’s leader to consider Yhwach’s offer, but Ayato appeared and cut all three men in half.
• Quilge used Ransōtengai to repair himself and activated Vollständig, but Ayato prevented him from absorbing Reishi and easily scattered his Heilig Pfeil.
• Ayato struck at Quilge again, but a figure appeared in the distance and blocked the sword pressure.

Yhwach tried to recruit Ayato into his plan to destroy the Three Realms, but Ayato refused and attacked him and Cang Du for trespassing in Hueco Mundo. Yhwach escaped with Cang Du, recognized Ayato as a major threat, and sent Cang Du to delay Ichigo Kurosaki in the Living World.

• Ayato confronted Yhwach about his prophecy and Cang Du’s claim that Ayato would make a wise choice.
• Yhwach offered Ayato a place in his ranks, promising to destroy Soul Society and restore the world to a deathless state, but Ayato rejected his ideals.
• Ayato demanded that Yhwach take an attack or withdraw his people from Hueco Mundo, then fired Annihilation at Yhwach and Cang Du.
• Yhwach’s Blut Vene Anhaben barrier broke, but black shadows transported him and Cang Du away before the attack struck them.
• Back at his base, Yhwach sent Cang Du to the Living World to keep Ichigo Kurosaki from reaching Soul Society, then planned to meet Aizen Sōsuke and Ichibei Hyōsube.

After learning that Akatsuki lacked control over Hueco Mundo, Ayato ordered its members to unify the realm and establish a management system. The campaign faced little resistance, and Ayato made Grimmjow a Royal Knight as the story left half the positions unfilled.

• Stark identified Akatsuki’s weak control over Hueco Mundo as the reason it had missed the Quincy’s activities, and Ayato ordered the group to bring the realm under its rule.
• Ayato offered to turn promising Menos into Arrancar, and he transformed those who chose not to attempt the process themselves, including several Royal Knights’ Fracción.
• Kenpachi Zaraki, Stark, Ulquiorra, Halibel, Nel, and Grimmjow led Arrancar in six directions to gather Hollows and establish regional management.
• The teams encountered no meaningful resistance but abandoned their search of Hueco Mundo’s vast wastelands, then brought the Hollows they found to regions around Akatsuki.
• Ayato praised Grimmjow for his work and promoted him to Royal Knight, leaving half of the positions vacant.

Ayato sent Ulquiorra and Grimmjow to the Soul Society to declare Hueco Mundo’s war and announce his claim to replace the Soul King. They arrived amid the Quincy invasion, warned Yamamoto about Chōjirō, and left after he accepted their declaration, with both wars set to begin in five days.

• Ayato ordered Ulquiorra and Grimmjow to declare war on the Soul Society and sent the Moon Spirit with them.
• Cang Du gathered Orihime Inoue, Chad Yasutora, and Ichigo Kurosaki’s classmates to keep Ichigo occupied in the Living World.
• Ulquiorra and Grimmjow entered the Seireitei and found Quincies fighting Shinigami near the First Division barracks.
• Ulquiorra warned Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni that Chōjirō Sasakibe might be in danger, and Yamamoto rushed to intervene as the Quincy leader wrote that the Wandenreich would destroy the Soul Society in five days.
• Ulquiorra delivered Ayato’s declaration, including his intention to become the new king of the Three Realms, and Yamamoto accepted it; Ulquiorra said Hueco Mundo would likely begin its war in five days as well.

Ayato led Hueco Mundo into Soul Society after Yhwach launched an early attack, finding Seireitei devastated and the Gotei 13 on the defensive. He sent his allies to the battlefields and went to Muken to meet Aizen Sōsuke.

• Ayato learned that Yhwach had declared war and ordered Hueco Mundo to prepare to depart for Soul Society.
• Kisuke Urahara told Ichigo Kurosaki that the Quincy and Hueco Mundo had declared war, and Ichigo chose to rescue his kidnapped companions first.
• Yhwach ordered the Sternritter to begin their assault on Soul Society before the five-day deadline.
• Ayato gathered the six remaining Twelve Royal Knights and led them through a spatial rift to Seireitei, where they found the Quincy gaining the upper hand.
• Ayato sent the five Royal Knights to observe the battles, allowed Kenpachi Zaraki to aid the Eleventh Division, and went to Muken to meet Aizen Sōsuke.

Ayato asked Aizen to help replace Soul Society’s rules after Ayato absorbed the Soul King’s power, but Aizen refused because he wanted the throne for himself. Yhwach then tried to recruit Aizen into the Invisible Empire, and Aizen refused him as well, while quietly using Kyoka Suigetsu to judge his strength.

• Ayato and Aizen discussed their evolved powers, the Quincy and Hueco Mundo attacks on Soul Society, and Yhwach’s strength.
• Ayato proposed establishing a cycle between the Living World, Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, and Hell, warning that Hell was nearing its limit.
• Ayato asked Aizen to help change the world’s rules after Ayato absorbed the Soul King’s power, but Aizen refused because he would not yield the throne to Ayato.
• Ayato left as Yhwach arrived and asked Aizen to join the Invisible Empire; Aizen refused, saying he could not follow a Shinigami.
• After Yhwach departed, Aizen realized that he had manipulated the time around Yhwach without being detected and believed he could foresee Yhwach’s fate.

Ulquiorra fought As Nodt after learning that the Quincy could steal Shinigami Bankai, but The Fear had no effect on him. As Nodt unleashed his Vollständig and still failed to frighten Ulquiorra, while Kuchiki Byakuya recovered his Bankai.

• Ulquiorra left Abarai Renji and confronted As Nodt, explaining that Hueco Mundo had come to display its strength rather than help the Soul Society.
• Ulquiorra released his Resurrección, and As Nodt attacked him with Quincy arrows and Kuchiki Byakuya's stolen Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.
• As Nodt's arrows failed to affect Ulquiorra with The Fear, and Ulquiorra pierced him with a Black Cero.
• Ulquiorra explained that he lacked fear because he was not human, driving As Nodt into a frenzy as Kuchiki Byakuya announced that his Bankai had returned.
• As Nodt transformed with Vollständig and surrounded everyone with a wall of eyes, but Ulquiorra remained unaffected and destroyed the wall with Moonlight Swords.
• As Nodt froze in despair after realizing that even his Vollständig could not make Ulquiorra feel fear.

Ulquiorra defeated Ace and fought Mask De Masculine, while Kuchiki Byakuya helped him before the Quincy escaped. Elsewhere, Halibel joined Toshiro Hitsugaya’s battle and Kenpachi Zaraki cut down several Quincy, ending with a baffling opponent who died after transforming into him.

• Ulquiorra defeated Ace, then fought Mask De Masculine and discovered that James’s encouragement and apparent death increased Mask De Masculine’s power.
• Kuchiki Byakuya used Bankai to block Mask De Masculine, but black shadows carried Mask De Masculine, James, and Ace away before Ulquiorra could finish them.
• Ulquiorra thanked Kuchiki Byakuya, checked on the other battlefields, and left after wondering why the Shinigami had been overwhelmed.
• Halibel intervened in Toshiro Hitsugaya’s battle, while Kenpachi Zaraki encountered former Eleventh Division subordinates and killed a Quincy who transformed into a giant gorilla.
• Kenpachi Zaraki killed another Quincy who kept talking, then watched a third Quincy transform into him and collapse dead.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni unleashed Zanka no Tachi against Yhwach, while Kenpachi Zaraki fought Haschwalth. Yamamoto’s final strike felled Yhwach, and Haschwalth apologized to his lord as the battle ended.

• Lloyd Lloyd died after imitating Kenpachi Zaraki, whose overwhelming power crushed his body, and Kenpachi headed toward Yamamoto’s Bankai.
• Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni activated Zanka no Tachi and revealed its East: Rising Sun Blade, while Kenpachi arrived and challenged Haschwalth.
• Kenpachi wounded Haschwalth, then kept attacking despite World Harmonization reflecting damage back onto him; his wounds healed rapidly as Haschwalth retreated.
• Yamamoto used Zanka no Tachi’s West, South, and North abilities, annihilating the Quincy skeleton army and cutting Yhwach in two.
• Yamamoto’s Bankai faded, and he turned away from Yhwach, who spoke of his failing strength before Haschwalth apologized for failing to carry out his command.

Yhwach revealed that he had used Loyd Lloyd to deceive Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, stole Yamamoto’s Bankai, and prepared to destroy Seireitei. After Kenpachi Zaraki intervened and Ayato arrived, Yamamoto pleaded with Ayato to help Soul Society, prompting Yhwach to order the Sternritter to unleash the final assault.

• Yhwach revealed that the man Yamamoto had fought was Loyd Lloyd, then killed Loyd and admitted he had visited Aizen Sōsuke beneath the First Division Squad Barracks.
• Yhwach stole Yamamoto’s Bankai with a Sternritter medallion and taunted him before attacking with a spiritual sword.
• Kenpachi Zaraki blocked Yhwach’s strike and declared that Yhwach would have to get past him to kill Yamamoto.
• Ayato arrived and explained that his allies had chosen to help because they disliked the Quincy, while Yamamoto pleaded with him to save Soul Society.
• Retsu Unohana urged Ayato to help preserve Yamamoto’s remaining dignity, and Yhwach ordered Haschwalth to begin the final step and destroy Seireitei.
• Haschwalth summoned the Sternritter’s Holy Soldiers, and countless Quincy poured from shadows across Seireitei’s skies.

Kamitachi Ayato used the Moon Spirit to freeze the Shadow Realm, stopping Yhwach’s reinforcements and trapping the Sternritter in the Seireitei. Kenpachi Zaraki fought Yhwach, but Yhwach’s Zanka no Tachi, North: Tenchī Kaijin reduced Zaraki’s attack and spiritual-pressure skull to ash.

• Yhwach summoned a vast force through the Shadow Realm and told Ayato he could not stop the threat everywhere at once.
• Ayato explained Yhwach’s Shadow Realm ability, then joined the Moon Spirit to create Space Freeze, collapsing the Shadow Realms and blocking travel between the Seireitei and Wandenreich.
• Yhwach attacked Ayato, but Kenpachi Zaraki intervened and claimed the fight for himself.
• Yhwach used the stolen Zanka no Tachi against Zaraki, who endured the clash and charged back at him.
• Yhwach summoned the charred corpses of dead Shinigami, and Zaraki cut through them with Kendo - Two Segments.
• Yhwach countered Zaraki’s golden slash with Zanka no Tachi, North: Tenchī Kaijin, reducing the slash and Zaraki’s spiritual-pressure skull to ash.

Kenpachi Zaraki survived Yhwach’s Zanka no Tachi and struck him down in Bankai, but collapsed from the strain. Ayato negotiated the release of the blockade in exchange for Yhwach returning Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni’s Bankai, then asked Retsu Unohana to join him; she agreed to leave the Gotei 13 if the Three Realms survived.

• Kenpachi Zaraki withstood Yhwach’s Zanka no Tachi, transformed through Bankai, and overpowered Yhwach’s attacks before landing a near-fatal slash.
• Kenpachi Zaraki’s body gave out from the strain of his Bankai, and Ayato caught him as Retsu Unohana began treating him.
• Ayato agreed to release his spatial blockade after Yhwach promised to return Zanka no Tachi to Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, and Yhwach withdrew with Haschwalth and the other Quincy.
• Ayato handed Kenpachi Zaraki to Retsu Unohana for treatment, and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni recovered his Bankai.
• Ayato asked Retsu Unohana to join him, and she agreed to leave the Gotei 13 if the Three Realms survived.

Ayato returned to Hueco Mundo after demanding that Soul Society answer whether it would accept Hueco Mundo as a fellow regulator and allow him to absorb the Soul King's remaining power. As the captains debated the proposal, Mayuri Kurotsuchi argued that opposing Ayato would not stop him and urged them to plan for his breakthrough and its possible failure.

• Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni asked Retsu Unohana whether she had made up her mind, and she reaffirmed her decision to leave while promising not to become Soul Society's enemy over the Quincies.
• Ayato took Kenpachi Zaraki and returned to Hueco Mundo with the other Arrancar, then explained that they would wait for Soul Society's answer and later target the Central 46 Chambers amid the coming chaos.
• Ichigo Kurosaki defeated Cang Du and learned that Ayato and the Arrancar had helped defend Soul Society from the Quincy invasion.
• At the captains' meeting, most captains supported Hueco Mundo becoming a fellow regulator but opposed Ayato absorbing the Soul King's power because his failure could destroy the Three Realms.
• Mayuri Kurotsuchi asked whether the captains could actually stop Ayato, then proposed preparing to improve his odds of success and finding a replacement for the Soul King as the world's lynchpin.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni ordered the Gotei 13 to fight the Quincy while Mayuri Kurotsuchi researched ways to preserve the Three Realms if Ayato absorbed the Soul King's power. After Central 46 Chambers rejected Hueco Mundo's demand for equal standing, Ayato assigned Stark, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow to handle what came next as they awaited the Quincy's move.

• Mayuri Kurotsuchi argued that using his own methods to preserve the Three Realms might be more practical than opposing Ayato, but Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni ordered the Gotei 13 to stop the Quincy and prevent Ayato from absorbing the Soul King's power.
• Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni tasked Mayuri Kurotsuchi with researching ways to improve Ayato's chances of breaking through or find another way to maintain the Three Realms' balance.
• Zero Division took Ichigo Kurosaki to the Soul King Palace, reprimanded the Gotei 13, and revealed that they opposed the Quincy but would not interfere with Ayato.
• Central 46 Chambers rejected Hueco Mundo's demand for equal standing, leaving many Gotei 13 Squad Members worried about another enemy.
• Ayato accepted Central 46 Chambers' refusal and assigned Stark, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow to handle what came next while he waited for the Quincy to act.

The Wandenreich launched a surprise invasion of Soul Society, emerging from the Seireitei’s shadow while Ayato and three Arrancar watched from above. Unohana slaughtered the Holy Soldiers and saved wounded Shinigami, as Ayato noticed a figure returning from the Soul King Palace and tearing through its barriers.

• Yhwach named Ishida Uryu crown prince to draw the Sternritter’s resentment, then announced the Wandenreich’s full-scale invasion of Soul Society.
• The Wandenreich emerged from the Seireitei’s shadow and attacked, while Ayato brought Stark, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow to the skies above the city and sent them into battle.
• Unohana hunted down the Holy Soldiers, using their blood to sustain wounded Squad Members as she cut through the enemy forces.
• After completing her task, Unohana headed back toward the Fourth Division, ignoring the bloodshed in the nobles’ district because she sensed no Holy Soldiers there.
• Ayato saw a figure rushing from the Soul King Palace toward the Seireitei, and the figure tore a huge hole through the barriers.

Ayato entered the Soul King Palace to confront Yhwach, then cut down Yhwach’s five trusted Sternritter despite their abilities. Yhwach’s Saint Graph power revived and empowered them, but Lille Barro’s renewed attack still failed against Ayato.

• Ayato understood that Yhwach had staged two attacks on the Soul Society to force Ichigo Kurosaki back from the Soul King Palace, then opened a spatial gate and entered the palace.
• Yhwach summoned Haschwalth, Askin Nakk Le Vaar, Pernida Parnkgjas, Gerard Valkyrie, and Lille Barro to keep Ayato occupied while he went toward the Soul King.
• Ayato’s spiritual pressure stopped Lille Barro’s shots, and Ayato killed Lille Barro and Gerard Valkyrie with blade pressure before using Dimensional Slash to kill Pernida, Askin, and Haschwalth.
• Haschwalth’s ability reflected the slash onto Ayato, but Ayato regenerated from the wound with Hollow High-Speed Regeneration.
• Saint Graph pillars rose from the Seireitei and the five fallen Sternritter, restoring them and empowering their abilities.
• Lille Barro fired again and pierced Ayato’s spiritual pressure, but Ayato cut the bullet apart, leaving Lille Barro stunned.

Ayato used Total Severance to counter Lille Barro and Amenominaka to separate the five Quincy into battle spaces. He summoned Unohana, Urahara, and Zaraki to face them while Yhwach opened his eyes against Ichibei Hyōsube.

• Ayato revealed that his Total Severance had canceled Lille Barro's Everything Piercing, then recognized the dangers posed by the other Quincy abilities.
• Ayato escaped Askin Nakk Le Vaar's Deathdealing by creating an isolated space, then called Moon Spirit to open its Scarlet Nine Tomoe Rinne Sharingan.
• Moon Spirit used Amenominaka to pull the four Sternritter and Haschwalth into five battle spaces, and Yhwach sensed his connection to them disappear.
• Yhwach defeated Ōetsu Nimaiya and faced Ichibei Hyōsube before opening his eyes after sensing Moon Spirit's power.
• Ayato invited Retsu Unohana, Kisuke Urahara, and Kenpachi Zaraki through spatial gates to fight the Quincy in the five battle spaces.