Good Bye Halcyon Days

''This article is about the event. For the manga volume, see goodbye, halcyon days.''

 is the climax of the Arrancar Invasion; upon learning of Orihime Inoue's unique abilities, Sōsuke Aizen has Ulquiorra Cifer stage a third conflict between the Gotei 13 and the Arrancar in Karakura Town while he coerces Orihime herself into defecting to the Arrancar, the ramifications of which dramatically alter the plans of Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies.

Prelude
Presuming from the intelligence they have collected that Sōsuke Aizen will not be able to use the full power of the Hōgyoku until the end of December and thus will not have his Arrancar army make its move until then, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto decides to have his own forces use that time to train and has Orihime Inoue relay this information to Ichigo Kurosaki. After doing so in the Visored Study Chamber and resolving to get stronger as well from seeing Ichigo's development, Orihime is met by Yoruichi Shihōin, who brings her to the Study Chamber underneath the Urahara Shop at Kisuke Urahara's request. Despite Orihime's desire to fight alongside her friends, Urahara reveals that he will not be allowing her to do so because her sole offensive power is currently out of commission and her healing ability is outclassed by 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana and Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, who will be on the front lines and have combat training as well.

Left in tears by this, Orihime encounters Rukia Kuchiki outside the Urahara Shop, and after being informed of the situation, Rukia vehemently rejects Urahara's decision since Orihime was instrumental in saving her from her execution in Soul Society. Though Orihime is willing to accept her role because she does not want to burden others, Hiyori Sarugaki suddenly appears and forcibly brings Orihime back to the Visored Study Chamber, where Hachigen Ushōda reveals that he can repair her damaged hairpin due to their abilities being similar and successfully restores Tsubaki, along with Orihime's offensive power. With this, Orihime regains her resolve to take part in the upcoming battle, which Hachigen counsels her on, and exits the Study Chamber, where Rukia offers to let Orihime train with her in Soul Society so that she can stand alongside her friends.

However, around the same time, Aizen reviews Ulquiorra Cifer's memory of witnessing Orihime's powers during his and Yammy Llargo's confrontation with her and Yasutora Sado, which leaves him intrigued by their nature, and soon after discusses an order with Ulquiorra to be carried out at a later date. On October 29th, Aizen summons several Espada, including Ulquiorra, to witness the Arrancarification of Wonderweiss Margela. Once the ceremony is completed, Aizen reminds Ulquiorra of the order they discussed prior and instructs him to carry it out, bringing along anyone else he wishes to in the process, with Ulquiorra ultimately selecting Yammy, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Luppi Antenor, and Wonderweiss.

Simultaneously, Orihime and Rukia continue sparring in the training grounds behind the Thirteenth Division barracks under the supervision of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. When the Shinigami are informed of multiple Espada-class Arrancar invading Karakura Town, Rukia immediately departs at Ukitake's behest to join and assist the Gotei 13 forces in Karakura Town, with Orihime being told by Ukitake that she will have to wait longer for the Dangai to have its outer wall stabilized so she can safely return as well, which she accepts while Rukia wonders why the Arrancar have shown up so soon.

The Smokescreen: Abduction
Soon afterward, at the Central Senkaimon in the Seireitei, Orihime is informed of the outer wall of the Dangai being stabilized and allowing her to pass through, prompting her to run inside while profusely thanking the Kidō Corps. Shortly afterward, two unseated Shinigami join her as escorts and explain that it is customary for two Shinigami with their Jigokuchō removed to accompany guests through the Dangai, with Orihime no longer being considered a Ryoka and thus granted this custom. With one of the Shinigami apologizing for the nuisance, Orihime thanks him and mentally promises her friends that she will be able to help out now that she has gotten a little stronger. Suddenly, Ulquiorra expresses disdain at only two guards accompanying Orihime and asserts that the Shinigami are more incompetent than he thought they were if they do not realize that the Dangai is the most dangerous part of Orihime's journey before emerging from a Garganta behind her.

Criticizing the number of Orihime's escorts as negligently low, Ulquiorra admits that the Kōryū being disabled is convenient for him because he does not like being rushed when he is talking to someone. With an intimidated Orihime recognizing Ulquiorra from her prior encounter with him and Yammy, the Shinigami on her right draws his Zanpakutō and realizes that Ulquiorra is an Arrancar, and as Ulquiorra withdraws his left hand from his pocket, Orihime frantically agrees to talk with him, only for Ulquiorra to fire a Bala from his hand that destroys the Shinigami's left arm and a large chunk of his torso, to Orihime's shock. While Ulquiorra confirms that he wants to talk to her, Orihime immediately sets up her Sōten Kisshun around the fallen Shinigami and urgently tells the other Shinigami to run away now.

However, Ulquiorra punches a hole in the second Shinigami's body with another Bala that destroys most of his arms as well, forcing Orihime to expand the radius of her Sōten Kisshun by having Ayame fly over to him to cover and begin healing both Shinigami. Upon seeing this, Ulquiorra praises Orihime's ability to heal such catastrophic wounds and asserts that her powers are truly impressive, but when Orihime turns to glare at him, Ulquiorra demands that she come with him. When Orihime stares at him in disbelief, Ulquiorra promises her that he will kill her friends if she says anything other than "yes" and opens miniature Garganta to show Ichigo, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto. Ulquiorra warns Orihime that she is not permitted any questions or discussions because she has no rights here and can only save her friends from the guillotine they have placed their heads in with immediate compliance because this is an order rather than a negotiation, leaving Orihime mortified.

After concluding that he has orders to bring Orihime back unharmed due to Aizen wanting her powers and reiterating his demand for her to come with him, Ulquiorra travels to Karakura Town, and when an enraged Grimmjow attempts to activate his Resurrección during his battle against Ichigo and Shinji Hirako, he is stopped after he utters its release command by Ulquiorra, who grabs his sword hand and informs a stunned Grimmjow that they are returning because their mission has been accomplished before a Negación beam engulfs them from the sky above. With Yammy engulfed by another Negación beam and observing with annoyance that they are done as two more beams engulf Wonderweiss and Luppi, Ulquiorra notices traces of Reiatsu from Ichigo's Hollow mask and realizes that he has acquired a new power.

However, Ulquiorra dismisses it as utterly insignificant and informs Ichigo that there is nothing he can do since the sun has set and the day belongs to the Arrancar while the Garganta he and Grimmjow were pulled into closes behind him, leaving Orihime to stand solemnly in the Dangai before her Sōten Kisshun. Soon afterward, Hachigen holds an unconscious and bandaged Ichigo and explains that his power is closer to a regression of space than outright healing, which requires him to actively identify the subject he is regressing in order to activate it, and that the Reiatsu of both Ichigo and Grimmjow are currently mingling in Ichigo's wounds, meaning that he will need to stay far away from the Visored with their Hollow-like Reiatsu in order to make a full recovery, before telling Rukia that taking Ichigo home and putting him to bed is the best treatment he can recommend right now, which Rukia thanks him for.

That night, in the Study Chamber of the Urahara Shop, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame struggles to keep Tessai Tsukabishi away since he is not hurt badly enough to require the latter's form of treatment, only for Ururu Tsumugiya to put him in a headlock from behind and begin choking him so he will stop struggling and resume resting despite 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa's pleas for her to let him go. Nearby, an unimpressed Hitsugaya wonders if they ever shut up and notices Urahara standing silently on top of a rock formation nearby, which Hitsugaya observes he has been doing in deep thought ever since the Arrancar left after mentally admitting that Urahara is still a mystery to him regardless of what he has been told.

Ruminating on how the Shinigami Strike Force got off easy considering the number of Espada who came to Karakura Town and how the Gotei 13 made a grave miscalculation due to the Arrancar being fully operational and ready to battle, Hitsugaya concludes that they have to prepare for battle immediately and hope it is not too late already. When Hitsugaya asks her if she was able to contact Soul Society, Rangiku reveals with concern that she has not been able to and holds up her Denreishinki, which is emitting static. Simultaneously, in the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia experiences the same interference with her Denreishinki when she attempts to call Orihime in Soul Society while sitting in Ichigo's room and wonders if there is some sort of spirit wave interference prior to looking over at a sleeping Ichigo.

Rukia questions who the Visored were, what kind of power Ichigo is about to gain, and why the Arrancar suddenly stopped their attack and withdrew because she does not understand any of it, only to determine after a moment's pause that she should go outside and cool off since she is getting confused. However, Rukia is interrupted when Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki begin arguing over whether or not to come into Ichigo's room outside his bedroom door, and when Rukia opens the door to meet them, Yuzu meekly asks if she can eat dinner in Ichigo's room, which a smiling Rukia assures her that Ichigo would certainly like.

Five Lifetimes, One Love
During this, in her apartment, Orihime finishes writing a set of instructions covering laundry, garbage, and food for Hitsugaya and Rangiku so they do not make a mess and looks at the bracelet on her left wrist as she recalls Ulquiorra's explanation of how wearing it envelops her in a special spiritual membrane so only Arrancar can see her, which will also allow her to pass through solid objects and which she can never take off, as well as the permission he granted her to say goodbye to just one person before she leaves without violating their agreement by making that person aware of her presence, which she has until midnight to take care of along with her other preparations. Standing up from her dinner table, Orihime leaves behind the instructions with the phrase "good bye, halcyon days" written in the bottom-right corner of the opposite page.

Later that night, with Karin and Yuzu having finished their dinner and fallen asleep next to Ichigo's bed, Orihime passes through the curtains while intangible and sheepishly apologizes to a still-sleeping Ichigo. As she begins to detail how she would like to say goodbye to lots of people like Tatsuki Arisawa, Sado, Uryū Ishida, and Rukia, Orihime is startled when she hears a noise and peers over Ichigo's bed to see Karin and Yuzu sleeping on the other side, which leads her to infer that they ate dinner in here tonight. Suddenly, while deducing that they did this because they missed Ichigo, a blushing Orihime realizes that she is in Ichigo's room for the first time and that it smells like him. After taking hold of Ichigo's hand in her own, Orihime leans down and attempts to kiss Ichigo, but stops at the last second and begins crying profusely as she admits that she cannot do it with a smile.

With her tears falling on Ichigo's face, Orihime wipes her eyes and wonders what she is doing. After clenching her mouth, Orihime tells Ichigo that there were so many things she wanted to do, like becoming a teacher or an astronaut, opening a pastry shop, going to a donut shop and asking for one of each type, or going to an ice cream parlor and asking for one of each flavor, which makes her wish that there were five of her so she could be born in five different towns, eat five different meals, have five different jobs, and fall in love with Ichigo five different times. After thanking Ichigo, Orihime bids him farewell.

Eagle Without Wings
The next day, Ichigo falls out of his bed during a dream and criticizes himself for being so cliché as he rubs his head, only to be bewildered upon discovering that his right wrist has been healed of the stab wound inflicted by Grimmjow's Zanpakutō. With Ichigo concentrating and recognizing Orihime's Reiatsu on his wrist, Hitsugaya appears on his windowsill and confirms that this is most likely the case as he tells Ichigo to come with him because they have a situation to address. Shortly afterward, Ichigo is brought to Orihime's apartment in his Shinigami form, where he discovers Rukia, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika assembled inside the living room.

While Ichigo and Rukia express concern at each other being here, Hitsugaya asks Rangiku if the spirit wave interference is gone, and once she affirms this, Hitsugaya has her open a video link on the large screen in the room to the screen set up in Soul Society, but is startled when Ukitake appears on the screen instead of Yamamoto. When Hitsugaya questions why he is here, Ukitake states that there is some news which he felt that he should tell Ichigo and the Shinigami Strike Force himself before revealing that he was the last person who saw Orihime when she entered the Central Senkaimon to return to the Human World, shocking Ichigo and the other Shinigami.

As Ukitake deduces from their reactions that Orihime never arrived in the Human World, Ichigo demands to know what is going on and what happened to Orihime, which prompts Ukitake to explain that her fate is uncertain because the two guards assigned to escort her returned through the Central Senkaimon alive, where they claimed that Orihime was abducted by an Arrancar and possibly killed, to Ichigo's mortification. With Rukia protesting him presenting this idea, Ukitake apologizes for having to say it and clarifies that they only know of the Arrancar appearing and Orihime disappearing with him. However, Ichigo vehemently denies this being possible and holds up his right arm for a surprised Ukitake to see while informing him that his wrist was injured too badly for anyone in Karakura Town to heal during yesterday's battle, only for it to be completely healed with traces of Orihime's Reiatsu on it by the time that he woke up this morning, which means that she cannot be dead.

Suddenly, Yamamoto concurs with this and calls it highly regrettable as he approaches the screen from behind Ukitake. When Ichigo picks up on him calling this regrettable, Yamamoto elaborates that Ichigo's evidence of Orihime being alive implies that she has betrayed them because she would not have been allowed to visit Ichigo had she been abducted, meaning that Orihime must have joined the Arrancar of her own free will. Upon seeing Ichigo angrily protesting this, Renji grabs him by the shoulder and tells him to stop now so he does not make things worse prior to addressing Yamamoto directly and offering to go to Hueco Mundo as the leader of the Strike Force so he can capture the traitorous Orihime, to Ichigo's amazement. In response, Yamamoto firmly asserts that Renji will not do so since the Shinigami Strike Force will be returning to defend Soul Society now that they know the Arrancar are battle-ready.

When Rukia realizes that he wants them to abandon Orihime, Yamamoto confirms this and concludes that she is only one girl while they have the fate of worlds to consider, leading a conflicted Rukia to refuse to obey this order. However, Yamamoto reveals that he suspected as much and took necessary precautions while a Senkaimon opens in the room to reveal 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, the latter of whom tells the Shinigami Strike Force to come with them per Yamamoto's orders with a bored expression as Byakuya bluntly informs them that he and Kenpachi have been instructed to use force if necessary, which means that they should not resist this order.

With the other Shinigami intimidated by this, Ichigo accepts Yamamoto's decision and requests that the latter simply tell him how to enter Hueco Mundo without having Soul Society directly assist him so he can save Orihime by himself, due to her being his friend. Despite this, Yamamoto refuses to let Ichigo do this, to the latter's astonishment, and details how the Gotei 13 requiring Ichigo's assistance in the coming battle means that they cannot permit him to do as he wishes or throw his life away before ordering Ichigo to stand by and await further orders, leaving Ichigo clenching his fist in frustration while Rukia is ushered into the Senkaimon by Renji and solemnly apologizes to Ichigo prior to the Senkaimon closing and leaving Ichigo standing silently and alone in the room.

The next day, in the Study Chamber beneath the Visored warehouse, Mashiro Kuna approaches Shinji with a strange package that she found outside, and when Shinji wonders what it is, Mashiro admits that she does not know before responding to Shinji's criticism of her picking up random packages by questioning why she should not when it was right outside the warehouse. Upon opening the package, Shinji discovers clean bandages inside and wonders why Ichigo would do this, only to call him a fool upon finding a note thanking the Visored inside. Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, an irritated Misato Ochi sarcastically thanks Ichigo for deciding to visit his class and whacks his head with her binder as she claims to have thought Ichigo had lost interest in advancing to the next grade.

Misato deduces that he was not actually in the hospital because of an accident, and when Ichigo meekly observes that she got new glasses, Misato thanks him for noticing, only to angrily proclaim that she got them three week ago and whack Ichigo again, causing him to grunt in pain while Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima look at each other. In the hallway shortly afterward, Keigo enthusiastically greets Ichigo and attempts to leap in front of him while he walks down the hall, but Mizuiro stomps his head down to the ground and cheerfully asks Ichigo where he was for the last month since him not answering his phone left them somewhat worried, which prompts a smiling Ichigo to apologize and state that he was busy.

Unnerved by this response, Mizuiro reveals that he got tickets for the screening of Bad Shield 2, and after learning from Mizuiro that this is scheduled for December 5th, Ichigo promises to try to return by then and thanks a disturbed Mizuiro before walking away, only to suddenly be confronted by a sweating and distressed Tatsuki, who tells him that she cannot find Orihime anywhere in the entire town and that her presence simply disappeared yesterday. When Tatsuki accuses him of knowing where Orihime is, Ichigo dismissively claims that he does not and that Tatsuki should probably take another look around since Orihime is unlikely to actually be missing.

In turn, Tatsuki angrily grabs Ichigo by the collar, which alerts the other students in the hall, and denies this because she can constantly feel Orihime's presence and gauge her location from it, even when it gets weak as though she is behind a wall for a period of time, before asserting that Ichigo must know something about it disappearing completely yesterday. With Ichigo reiterating that he does not know anything and questioning what is wrong with her, Tatsuki wonders if he believes that she is an idiot and reveals that she has seen him fighting Hollows in his Shinigami form. However, when Tatsuki suggests that it is time for him to tell her what is going on, an initially uncertain Ichigo coldly declares that it is none of her business. In response, an outraged Tatsuki punches Ichigo's head through the window behind him, causing glass to rain down into the courtyard below while a shocked Keigo restrains her and Mizuiro asks a fallen and bloodied Ichigo if he is alright.

Demanding to know what she is to Ichigo since she thought they were friends, Tatsuki points out how Ichigo is keeping things from her now even though she has helped him out many times when he was in trouble and sullenly calls him a jerk. As Mizuiro attempts to approach him over this, Ichigo asks him and Keigo to take care of Tatsuki for him and to stay far away from him prior to leaving. Later that day, a sweating Ryūken Ishida steps outside of the Study Chamber inside Karakura Hospital and lights a cigarette as an exhausted Uryū lies draped over the side of one of the levels within and pants heavily. Suddenly, Urahara opens a circular doorway inside one of the nearby pillars and apologizes for being late even though it is only late afternoon.

With Urahara noticing that Ryūken is not there, which he considers lucky for himself, Uryū wonders what he is doing here, prompting Urahara to inform him of Orihime being abducted by the Arrancar at Aizen's behest and details how Ichigo will undoubtedly try to rescue her himself, which will lead him to come to Urahara to find out how to enter Hueco Mundo. However, Uryū asks Urahara to go away, to the latter's surprise, and explains that he cannot go to Hueco Mundo with Ichigo because he cannot get involved with Shinigami right now. Though he attempts to declare that he will go by himself if Orihime needs saving, Uryū realizes something.

Uryū brings up Urahara mentioning that Ichigo is going alone, prompting Urahara to reveal that he will be doing so because Soul Society has withdrawn from the matter, which results in a surprised Uryū changing his mind and requesting that Urahara let him out of the Study Chamber. That night, Urahara smokes a pipe outside the Urahara Shop and welcomes Ichigo, who arrives at the far end of the front lot in his Shinigami form. When Ichigo questions how Urahara knew he would come here, Urahara deduces that Ichigo wants to know how to get to Hueco Mundo and informs him that the method is ready.

After the two of them drop down into the Study Chamber below, Urahara explains that he barred Orihime from front-line combat because he was afraid that Aizen might target her due to her powers, but it did not work because he was mistakenly too concerned with her feelings and too passive about protecting her, which is why he is prepared to help in any way he can. Upon being told by Ichigo that this will mean going against Soul Society, a smiling Urahara notes that it will not be the first time he has done so. Suddenly, Uryū observes that Ichigo looks hopeless while sitting on a tall rock formation behind him, and when a startled Ichigo asks him why he is here, Sado approaches him and asserts that they are going to Hueco Mundo as well since Urahara told them everything.

With Ichigo refusing to let this happen since they are not strong enough even though he appreciates the gesture, Sado manifests his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which has significantly changed shape, and throws a powerful punch imbued with energy that Ichigo is forced to block with his Shikai, Zangetsu, resulting in a powerful explosion that destroys several large rocks around them. In the aftermath, Sado questions if this was not strong enough for Ichigo and requests that he believe in them rather than try to do it all himself because they want to help. Once Uryū hops down from the rock formation he was sitting on, Urahara suggests that they get started since the three of them seem to be ready.

Moments later, Urahara performs the incantation and ceremony for Keikaigi, causing a large, oval-shaped Garganta to manifest between two posts embedded in separate rock formations in front of Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū. After Urahara explains that this is the opening used by the Arrancar to enter the Human World and that the three of them will need to create their own path out of the chaos of Reishi that lies beyond since there is no solid ground, where they will arrive at Hueco Mundo by heading toward the darkness, Ichigo requests that Urahara tell his family something so they do not worry about him.

After Urahara agrees to do this, Ichigo promises to apologize to his friends once he returns when Urahara brings them up, which Urahara smiles at. At Ichigo's prompting, he, Sado, and Uryū leap into the Garganta, which closes behind them, leaving Urahara to note that they can come out now that Ichigo is gone. From behind a nearby rock, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro meekly emerge, and when Keigo wonders how long he has known they were there, Urahara reveals that he knew before they even arrived and left the front door of his shop open when he found out they were following Ichigo. Ruminating on Ichigo's naivety in believing that a few harsh words can sever his friendship with them, Urahara concludes that he now has his own work to do.

Rejection of Events: Restoration
Meanwhile, in his throne room in Las Noches, Aizen welcomes Orihime to the palace as she stands below him with Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Luppi, Yammy, and Wonderweiss. Once Orihime confirms her name to him, Aizen exerts his Reiatsu and casually requests that Orihime display her powers to him. As Orihime weakly agrees and wonders why it feels like all the strength is being sucked out of her, Aizen elaborates that some here are not completely convinced of the value of her powers and indicates a bandaged and partially frozen Luppi, who questions how Orihime could possibly be worth the battle they fought as a diversion for her. In turn, Aizen apologizes since he did not believe Luppi would be so severely injured, to the latter's irritation, and suggests that Orihime demonstrate her powers by healing Grimmjow's left arm, startling both her and Grimmjow.

Scoffing at the ridiculousness of this idea, Luppi claims that it is impossible for Orihime to restore Grimmjow's arm due to Kaname Tōsen's destruction of it and Orihime not being a god. Despite this, Orihime quietly begins using Sōten Kisshun on the stump of Grimmjow's left arm. Though Luppi warns Orihime against trying to save her life with this charade and promises to kill her if this does not work because there is no reason to keep her alive if her powers are too weak, he is stunned alongside Grimmjow to see the latter's left arm fully restored without any trace of injury. When Luppi demands to know how she did this since it goes way beyond healing, Aizen brings up Ulquiorra's theory that it is a form of temporal or spatial regression, which Luppi believes impossible for a Human to be able to perform, but denies it being either of these things and asserts that it is instead a rejection of phenomena.

Aizen details how Orihime's powers limit, reject, and deny all phenomena that have affected her subject, allowing her to make it as though the damage sustained never occurred and making her power far more potent than temporal or spatial regression, which means that her power trespasses on God's territory and violates divine law, leaving Luppi mortified. After testing out his restored wrist, Grimmjow asks Orihime to heal one more thing and turns around so she can use Sōten Kisshun on his destroyed Espada tattoo, which is in turn fully restored as well. When Luppi sees this and questions what he is doing, a grinning Grimmjow shoves his left arm through Luppi's chest, to the latter's shock, and sarcastically bids him farewell prior to firing a Cero from his other hand at point-blank range, destroying the upper half of Luppi's body and leaving his bleeding lower half to collapse. With Grimmjow cackling at his power and rank being restored, Orihime looks on fearfully as the other Espada look away.

Aftermath
In the Garganta, Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū run through the void by creating Reishi pathways underneath their feet, with Ichigo and Sado's being rough and patchy. When part of the pathway suddenly gives way under Sado's foot, causing him to almost fall off, he confirms that he is fine to Ichigo as Uryū rides past them on a stable board of Reishi and criticizes them for being unable to create proper footing. In response, Ichigo reminds Uryū that he is terrible at this sort of technique and calls the board that Uryū is riding on unfair, only for Uryū to counter that it is simply an elementary variation of Hirenkyaku. However, Uryū is alerted when Sado reveals that Urahara informed him of the deal that Uryū made with Ryūken to stay away from Shinigami in return for having his Quincy powers restored and being trained, and as Sado questions why he is here if this is the case and a startled Ichigo demands to know if this is true, Uryū solemnly confirms that it is and recounts his encounter with Urahara.

Once Uryū finishes, Ichigo admits that he does not understand since he is still a Shinigami despite Soul Society not being involved, but Uryū clarifies that he is a Substitute Shinigami who is currently defying Soul Society, meaning that he is neither a Shinigami nor their ally and thus has nothing to keep Uryū from helping him. With Ichigo pointing out how Uryū is being extremely technical here and Uryū claiming that he sees it as a loophole, which leads Ichigo to demand to know what the difference is and respond to Uryū wondering whose side he is on by angrily reminding him that they are supposed to be enemies, a smiling Sado mentally notes this is typical of Uryū.

Back in the Study Chamber, Ryūken opens the door to find a note left by Uryū on one of the platforms and scoffs dismissively prior to Isshin Kurosaki observing that Uryū escaped while standing behind Ryūken in his Shinigami form. When asked by Ryūken how he got in here, Isshin is startled by Ryūken addressing him by his last name and questions what has gotten into him, only for Ryūken to reiterate his question before noticing Isshin's appearance and realizing that he has regained his powers, with Isshin confirming this and reveling in how cool he looks, though Ryūken asserts that he just looks gaudy, to Isshin's disappointment.

Isshin asks Ryūken if he is not going to read the note that Uryū left, and when Ryūken states that he knows what it says, Isshin deduces that he let Uryū leave, which leads Ryūken to take another drag off his cigarette and claim that he is not concerned with what Uryū does with his regained Quincy powers or whether he lives or dies now that he has helped the latter get them back. After Isshin sits down and observes that Ryūken is far from a great father, Ryūken counters that he is still a better one than Isshin, who somberly concedes that this is true.

Meanwhile, in Las Noches, Orihime sits in her room and ruminates on how she was told to stay here and not cause any trouble, but that there is nothing for her to do and that she is hungry. Upon recalling Grimmjow laughing maniacally after regaining his arm through her Sōten Kisshun and killing Luppi, Orihime questions if she made the right choice in coming here and whether cooperating with the Arrancar will just make things worse, only to conclude she just has to make the Arrancar believe she is useful for now until everyone is ready for battle. Suddenly, Orihime experiences a powerful Reiatsu alongside Ulquiorra, Yammy, and Aizen, who observes that they are here while Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū break out of the Garganta and into Hueco Mundo.

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