The Seireitei Siege

 is a major event taking place during the Bount Invasion that allows the Bount to properly begin their assault on the Seireitei by enlisting the help of the residents of Kusajishi in the Rukongai; simultaneously, Ran'Tao comes out of hiding and reveals the truth behind the creation of the Bount.

Prelude
In the Senzaikyū pavilion, several of the buildings surrounding the main tower are leveled by large explosions occurring near their midsections, causing them to crumble in large clouds of dust and debris. After the explosions stop and the wreckage settles, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake stands with 1st Division Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe and 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya alongside several other Shinigami as he wonders whose did this.

With Ukitake noting that he never thought someone would plant a bomb inside the Shishinrō, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto appears and asserts that this is a declaration of war since the Shishinrō is made of Sekkiseki and cannot be damaged by spiritual attacks, though he admits that he never thought the Bount would take the time to plan out and enact something so tedious. After observing that he senses immense spite from this act, Yamamoto orders that more people be added to the investigative team searching for the Bount.

Having affirmed Yamamoto's declaration that they must pinpoint where the Bount are hiding, Hitsugaya runs down a street in the Seireitei, where he is joined by his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, and confirms her inquiry about the Bount being behind this by claiming that they succeeded in attacking the Gotei 13 because he failed, only for Rangiku to suggest that they strike back as the two of them depart with Shunpo. Meanwhile, at the Kuchiki Manor, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki watches over Rukia Kuchiki as the Fourth Division tends the injuries sustained in her battle against Yoshi before silently leaving and approaching the room where Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, and Ririn are staying.

Upon seeing Byakuya, Ichigo gets to his feet and frantically inquires about Rukia's condition. After initially ignoring Ichigo's inquiry, to the latter's irritation, Byakuya explains that Rukia's wounds are deep even though her life is not in danger and concludes that he will be letting her rest here until she recovers, to Ichigo and Orihime's relief. Suddenly, Kurōdo pops up from behind Orihime's head and details how this was possible due to Byakuya strongly wishing to save his sister, which means he should be proud of such wonderful sibling love, and Ririn praises Byakuya's performance while Ichigo grows somber and reveals that he wants Byakuya to help him, to the latter's surprise.

Ichigo explains that the Bount targeted Rukia because her wounds were not fully healed simply to distract Ichigo and his friends, which he cannot forgive, but when asked if he does not feel the same way, Byakuya refuses to help Ichigo, leaving Ririn aghast as Ichigo angrily questions if Byakuya will tolerate the Bount rampaging through Soul Society. However, Byakuya calmly states that there is no reason to ally with Ichigo when the Gotei 13 are already on the move, further angering the latter, and instructs him to return to the Human World, only for Ichigo to realize that Byakuya still considers him an enemy on some level for his actions during the Ryoka Invasion. With Ichigo calming down and departing as he states that he is leaving Rukia to Byakuya, a startled Orihime requests that Byakuya look after Rukia and follows Ichigo alongside Ririn, who protests this sudden change of plans.

Troubling Rumors in Kusajishi
Elsewhere, in the Kusajishi district of the Rukongai, Mitsuru Ishino and Taichi Miyamoto grin pervertedly as they stand against a wall and watch the courtesans charm and flirt with the players in a crowded gambling hall overseen by Tōba at the far end of the room, but are surprised alongside the other occupants of the room when Jin Kariya opens the front door and enters the hall. Walking past the giggling courtesans and intimidated players, who stare at him in intimidated silence, Kariya approaches a smiling Tōba, who is flanked by two more courtesans, and casually asks him if he can join the game.

When Tōba inquires about what he will be betting, Kariya withdraws a knife from his pocket and embeds it in a nearby table with a throw. After pausing in astonishment for a few seconds, the players at the table begin laughing uproariously, and as Tōba mocks Kariya as being naïve for betting his life when he is no longer in the Human World, Kariya counters that the pain should be the same regardless, causing the players to stop laughing while one of them expresses interest in gambling against Kariya despite another warning him against it and promises to break his nose. Some time later, Kariya places a card on the table and observes that he has won.

Realizing this means he will be killed as he looks at the knife, the man that Kariya was playing against nervously claims Kariya must be cheating, which leads Kariya to question if he is afraid despite being a resident of Kusajishi and renowned as the worst of the worst while getting to his feet and looming over the man. Upon being attacked by the man with the knife in the table, Kariya casually grabs the blade between his fingers, stopping the man in his tracks, and grins as he wondering if this is the most strength that the man can put behind the attack before flinging the man across the room into the far wall, leading Taichi and Ishino to look at each other and leave.

With Kariya turning to him and asking if he is the next opponent, the other man demands to know what Kariya did to the first one. Suddenly, Gō Koga warns him to stop since Kariya is not someone he can take on and ducks through the entrance to the room. As Kariya admits he simply thought he could play a little, Koga requests Maki Ichinose help him stop Kariya, and when Ichinose walks into view next to Koga, the man expresses bewilderment at a Shinigami from the Seireitei being here, which prompts Ichinose to attempt to clarify he is no longer a Shinigami. However, the man refuses to believe this and a third suggests the villagers attack all three of them.

When the crowd rushes forward, Ichinose sends three of the men flying with a backswing of his fist while Koga throws a spear-wielding villager into a second villager whose mace he lets shatter harmlessly on his body before knocking a third kusarigama-wielding villager back with a blow from his clasped fists. Upon being attacked by villagers with long poles and wooden swords, Ichinose effortlessly outmaneuvers them with Shunpo as Kariya blows several more out of the building with a gust of wind. With everyone in the building defeated or cowering in fear, Kariya promises Koga that he will be more careful next time when the latter chastises him.

While Koga reminds him that they will be found immediately if they keep getting into altercations like this no matter how big the Rukongai is, Kariya welcomes the idea of this, to Koga's chagrin, and approaches a frightened Tōba, who questions what he is and why he came here. In response, Kariya asserts they have just come for some fun and offers to let Tōba play with them before revealing they are going to turn Soul Society upside down, shocking the men lying on the floor behind them as a stunned Tōba realizes they are the Ryoka. Meanwhile, in different parts of the Rukongai, the Shinigami continue searching for the Ryoka, only to come up empty-handed.

Watching this from the window of the captain's office in the Eleventh Division compound, Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi tells her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, that their subordinates are rushing around out there and giggles at one of them falling over while wondering if 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa are doing their best. Upon being reminded by Yachiru that this is a race to see who can track down the Bount first, Kenpachi gets up and begins walking out of the room, only to inform Yachiru he is going to the bathroom when she inquires if he will be racing too. However, Yachiru leaps onto his shoulder and questions if this is all he is doing.

Kenpachi asks Yachiru if she is bored, and with him expressing confusion at her clarification of actually being relieved, Yachiru explains that Ichinose being with the Bount means Kenpachi would not have fun fighting him now, though Kenpachi states this does not matter since he has shown how weak he is by working for them, leading Yachiru to conclude she does not care if he does not care while Kenpachi departs. Later in the day, with the sun beginning to set outside Kūkaku Shiba's house, an exhausted Ichigo and Orihime finally reach the house and sit down on the stairs past the front door while lamenting how they do not have any leads or clues.

When Orihime wonders why the Bount would break into the Seireitei just to destroy the Shishinrō, Ichigo theorizes that they wanted all of Soul Society to know that they have come here. Despite Ririn ridiculing the Bount putting in so much effort just to announce a crime, Ichigo counters that they came to Soul Society for revenge and that it would be a problem for them if no one noticed. With Kurōdo asserting that they never knew what the Bount were thinking to begin with and that the latter seem to be enjoying their crimes, Yasutora Sado steps through the doorway with Noba and apologizes for not being able to reach Rukia in time, only for Ichigo to admit he could not either.

After Ichigo informs Sado that Byakuya was the one to save her and Rukia is currently being treated at the Kuchiki Manor, Ririn claims this would not have happened if they were more useful. Suddenly, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko appear in front of a startled Ichigo and observe he seems tired before declaring they will show him something interesting. Once Ichigo and his friends move outside in front of the house, with Ichigo wondering what it is they want to show him, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko rapidly turn a crank outside the house that causes the fists of the stone arms holding up the banner to uncurl until they become flat, open palms, which amazes Orihime.

However, when asked about what he thinks of this, a perplexed Ichigo simply questions what it is, causing Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko to tearfully demand to know if he is not impressed by this magnificence, which blows Ichigo onto his back. While lying upside-down, Ichigo sees a cloud of dust being kicked up in the distance and turns himself over to see Taichi and Ishino riding on their boars while calling out for Ganju Shiba. Recognizing them as members of Ganju's Gang, Ichigo leaps aside right before the boars run over the area where he was lying, leaving them to crash into and knock down the two stone arms holding up the banner in front of the house.

Shortly afterward, Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, Ganju, Taichi, Ishino, Kenji Yamashita, and Sadatomo Saionji sit before Kūkaku in the main room of the house, where Taichi finishes recounting what they saw in Kusajishi and observes it was the first time he had ever seen someone who could silence the villagers there. With Ganju musing on the location, Ichigo inquires if it was Kariya who did this, and when Ganju asserts Kusajishi is a good place to start investigating even if on a hunch, Ichigo wonders why, only for Ganju's attempted explanation to be cut off by Kūkaku detailing how Kusajishi has some of the strongest fighters in the Rukongai who could be quite a force if unified.

When Ganju protests that he was about to say this, Kūkaku punches him in the face and asserts anyone could have figured this out before turning to Taichi and Ishino, whom she menacingly asks about the reason they were in Kusajishi to begin with, leading Taichi to frantically claim they were inspecting an intelligence game and studying society. In response, Kūkaku sends them both flying into the air with an uppercut for breaking her rule against doing things they cannot do in broad daylight and turns to Ichigo, who decides to follow up on this since every lead is important regardless of its size, prompting a smiling Kūkaku to affirm this.

Suddenly, Uryū Ishida opens the door to the room and states he will be going too, surprising his friends. With Uryū requesting Ganju let him come along so he can defeat Kariya, Ganju acknowledges this and begins to explain the plan for tomorrow morning, but is interrupted when Kūkaku punches him to the ground and proclaims they are going right now since they need to outmaneuver the Bount, leaving Ichigo and his friends stunned while Ganju reminds Kūkaku that it is easy to get lost in this area at night. However, Kūkaku merely inquires if Ganju heard her, which prompts a frightened Ganju to decide they will head out now with the encouragement of his gang.

Outside the house, Ichigo sees the boars of Ganju's Gang and wonders what they are, leading Ganju to angrily correct his terminology and introduce the boars as Bonnie, Connie, Tony, Annie, Sunny, Honey, Manny, Nanny, and Kanbe. With Ichigo demanding to know why the last one is named different, he and his friends see Orihime praising the boars as cute and cuddling a blushing Kanbe. Following this, Ganju has his Gang saddle up on their boars, but when he turns to Ichigo and his friends to instruct them to do the same, a startled Ichigo refuses to ride on any boar prepared by Ganju and runs off while both Ganju and Ririn, who is riding on Ichigo's shoulder, protest this idea.

Ichigo asserts that he does not know how long it will take to reach their destination if he uses a boar and disappears with Shunpo, leaving Ganju irritated by this comment and demanding that Ichigo not underestimate Bonnie's capabilities before riding off on her back with the rest of Ichigo's friends and his gang on the other boars. Simultaneously, at the Kuchiki Manor, a sleeping Rukia opens her eyes and looks to the left to see the garden, which causes her to realize with confusion that she is at the Kuchiki Manor. After concluding she was saved, Rukia notices a large pad on the floor to her right and observes it is warm when she puts her hand on it, which she attributes to Byakuya.

Elsewhere in the Seireitei, Byakuya slowly walks down one of the streets and approaches one of the four gates of the Seireiheki. Meanwhile, in the Rukongai, Kon emerges from behind a board leaning against a wall in a marketplace and feigns having forgotten his location and identity, only to collapse in exhaustion. As he mentally reiterates that he is not going to die in a place like this, Kon immediately springs up upon hearing a woman's voice nearby and sees a young lady bringing tea to an older woman outside a teahouse. Focusing on the young lady's bosom, Kon states he will never forget the shape of happiness and runs toward the woman.

At the other end of the wall Kon was standing next to, Ganju rides past with the others and warns an uncomfortable Uryū to not speak since beginners tend to bite their tongues. Behind them, Orihime cheers on the boars and Kurōdo revels in the experience alongside her due to this being the first time he has ever ridden a boar while Sado rides silently nearby. With the group approaching and entering the nearby forest, Ganju cautions them to not hit their heads against low-hanging branches. At the same time, Kariya, Koga, and Ichinose stand with Tōba inside a house in Kusajishi with several villagers standing outside, where Tōba suggests they rest here for a while.

Upon being asked by Kariya if he can gather enough men, Tōba asserts there is no one in Kusajishi who will not listen to him and promises to assemble the number of people Kariya requested by tomorrow before excusing himself. Though Koga apologizes for bringing him to a place like this, Kariya assures Koga he is having fun and turns to Ichinose, who initially does not respond to Kariya inquiring about how he feels about the situation prior to snapping to attention and apologizing when Koga alerts him. Chuckling at this, Kariya brings up how Ichinose has been acting strange ever since he came here with them and speculates something is bothering him.

However, Koga claims the same is true for Kariya, who expresses intrigue at this, and describes him as seeming like he has been in high spirits ever since entering Soul Society. In turn, Kariya acknowledges this is true and details how he finally feels like he is free here since he felt cramped up until now. With Koga surprised by this, Kariya moves to leave the house, and when Ichinose questions this, Kariya observes someone amusing is approaching them. When Ichinose offers to join him in this case, Kariya orders him to organize the locals and proclaims he will be greeting this man himself as he exits the building, leaving Koga and Ichinose to stare after him.

Elsewhere in the forest, Ganju continues riding with the others and declares that he is coming through, but Uryū gets him to stop after much persuasion and hesitantly reveals they have been going in circles, shocking and embarrassing Ganju while the others express exasperation at this. Meanwhile, Kon happily drinks tea outside the teahouse, and after Kon praises the quality of the tea, the young woman offers to bring him more if he wants it, leading Kon to declare he wants to live at this teahouse forever. In a wetlands area of Soul Society, Ichigo reappears and asks Ririn what she senses, only to end up departing again upon being told there are no Bount present.

Back in the forest, Ganju ponders the situation in silence and attempts to downplay his mistake by laughing it off with platitudes, but stops upon seeing three thuggish men walking along the path ahead. One of the men inquires if a second is just going to leave them, which the second man refuses to answer, and responds to the question being turned back on him by admitting Kariya intimidated him despite being suspicious before denying the third man's teasing assertion that he is fawning over Kariya and suggesting they think about it. Suddenly, the three of them bump into Bonnie and see Ganju before them while the latter reveals he wants to ask them something.

Though the third man demands to know what he is talking about and the first man confidently informs Ganju they are from Kusajishi, Ganju surprises them by asserting this just makes things easier and assures Orihime he will be fine when she expresses concern for him. Ganju proceeds to introduce himself as the previously self-proclaimed "Deep Red Bullet of West Rukongai" and the currently self-proclaimed "Karakura Town's Fastest Cashier, Flash Numeric Keypad" while holding up a barcode scanner in each hand, leaving Orihime, Sado, and Uryū aghast at his monikers still being self-proclaimed, before rearing up on Bonnie and charging into the three men.

That night, Kariya finds Byakuya in the forest outside the Seireitei and eagerly initiates a fight with him in order to test his newfound power. Simultaneously, Bonnie stands over the three incapacitated men while Ganju calls them pathetic. Though Orihime expresses concern over this as she stands next to Sado and Noba, Kurōdo reminds her Ganju has not done anything and it was Bonnie who defeated the men. Suddenly, while Ganju tells Orihime to not worry about the details, they are interrupted by a far-off burst of Reiatsu, which they recognize as Ichigo's before realizing Uryū is no longer with them and must have run off toward Ichigo's location. When Orihime moves to follow him, Ganju has her stop and assures both her and Sado that Ichigo and Uryū are strong and capable enough to take care of themselves.

Ganju asserts they also need to know what is going on in Kusajishi first and crouches to pick up the long-haired man by the scalp. With the man begging for mercy, Ganju wraps his arm around the man's shoulders and reveals he wants to know more about the skilled newcomers who came to Kusajishi, which leads the man to identify Kariya as the leader of them, astonishing Orihime and Sado. Noting he thought so, Ganju presses for information on what Kariya is doing, and when the man details how Kariya wants to turn Soul Society upside-down and is gathering people, Kurōdo gasps in horror as the man concludes Kariya is at the gambling house bookie's residence.

After the man notes they were told something good would happen if they followed Kariya, Ganju thanks him and knocks the man out. When Orihime inquires about what they should, Ganju states they just have to go to the house, only for Sado to point out how it could be dangerous if Kariya is gathering men there. Acknowledging this, Ganju decides he has no choice other than to contact "The Bull of Kusajishi", leaving Taichi Miyamoto shocked since this is a dangerous move. As Ganju reminds him it is faster to learn about Kusajishi from people in Kusajishi, Taichi raises the possibility of the Bull being allied with the Bount, but Ganju dismisses this as impossible and grins.

Meanwhile, in the house in Kusajishi, Koga and Ichinose sit on a platform lit by candles before Tōba and a crowd of villagers, whom they inform that Kariya has said he wants to fight alongside them against the inhabitants of the Seireitei. With the crowd murmuring in shock at this, a stunned Tōba wonders if they are really serious about attacking the Seireitei and the man next to him claims that this is not worth sacrificing his life for. When asked why he believes the group can win after assuring them of this, Koga promises them that the Bount have a plan, only to assert that he needs them to agree to fight alongside the Bount before he can tell them what the plan is.

Koga declares all Souls should enter Soul Society equally instead of having one portion rule over the rest and elaborates that there should not be poverty in the Rukongai before bringing up how residents of Kusajishi do not know when they will die and have their blood washed away by more blood, which he compares to their lives in the Human World, though he notes those were far worse and are the reason why they can empathize with the residents of Kusajishi. As Koga inquires if they do not want to see the light of day and live their lives the way they want to without looks of scorn from the rest of the world, the man next to Tōba proclaims everyone wants this.

With Koga concluding that Kariya will turn Soul Society upside-down and inviting those present to come with them to a new world, and as the villagers murmur among themselves, Tōba requests that Koga prove he is serious about this and permits him to do anything to display this. In response, Koga tells Ichinose to draw his Zanpakutō, surprising him and the crowd, prior to ordering Ichinose to try and cut Koga's right arm. Though initially hesitant, Ichinose gets up and quickly slashes at Koga's arm, leaving a mild cut and shocking Tōba and the other villagers. While blood drips on the platform from his arm, Koga turns his arm sideways and places his left hand over the cut.

Drawing in and absorbing Reishi from the atmosphere to heal the cut on his arm, Koga declares that the Bount are invincible and that the villagers have nothing to worry about. As the wound fully heals and he raises his arm into the air, Koga proclaims that the Bount and the villagers will dissolve Soul Society into the shape it should be in, causing the villagers to cheer with excitement. Later, hundreds of armed villagers gather outside before Ichinose and Tōba, who admits that more are showing up than he expected and informs Ichinose that their numbers will soon double at this rate. As Ichinose notes there are many dissatisfied with the Seireitei, Tōba asks him about Kariya and Koga's absence, though Ichinose promises they will return soon.

Meanwhile, the fight between Kariya and Byakuya, which has been joined by Ichigo, is interrupted when Ran'Tao enters the battlefield and confronts Kariya, who retreats at Koga's behest with cover provided by the latter's Doll, Dalk. Elsewhere in the forest, Ganju has Bonnie come to a stop with the rest of his group behind him and notes that "The Bull of Kusajishi" should be around here somewhere. When Orihime questions what he is doing, Ganju tells her to watch and places his fingers to his lips as he whistles loudly, which causes Daiji Hirasago and his subordinates to emerge from the nearby bushes, startling Orihime and Sado while Ganju greets Daiji.

Some time later, in the house in Kusajishi, as the sun begins to rise outside, Koga asks Kariya about how skilled Byakuya proved to be, leading Kariya to admit that he was not bad and that fighting him made for a good declaration. Upon being probed by Koga if this was his true intention, Kariya chides him for inquiring too much lately, but Koga claims that he is only doing so because he is in good spirits and walks with Kariya to the window, where they see the crowd of villagers cheering for them outside. As Kariya inquires about the status of Yoshi, Mabashi, and Sawatari, Ichinose informs him that they are watching the movements of the Seireitei as planned, and after observing that it is almost time to begin, Kariya grins at the mob outside.

Ran'Tao's Revelations
Meanwhile, Ran'Tao closes the hatch in the ground leading to her dwelling and guides Ichigo and Uryū down a set of stairs, where Uryū is unnerved by the strange and eclectic items leaning against the walls. Suddenly, Ichigo cries out in pain, prompting Uryū to look around to see Ran'Tao using a pair of defibrillators on him. Despite Ichigo's protests, Ran'Tao shocks him again and informs him he is now healed, which a surprised Ichigo happily confirms. After telling him to not underestimate science and putting away the defibrillators, Ran'Tao wonders what she should begin talking about and questions how much Ichigo and Uryū already know about the Bount.

With Ran'Tao starting a fire underneath a pot, Ichigo recounts Kariya's explanation of how Ran'Tao was using Human Souls to perform experiments with the aim of creating a life that never dies. Intrigued by the revelation that Kariya is the leader of the Bount, Ran'Tao notes that the success rate of their experiment should have been very high, and when Ichigo brings up the accident during the experiment that affected the cycle of rebirth and created the Bount, Ran'Tao affirms this and recalls how there was no place in the Human World for the Bount before revealing that Soul Society would not help the Bount either because it would have meant accepting their existence.

Elaborating that Soul Society would have had to admit they created a subspecies as a side effect of the experiment, Ran'Tao details how the Bount tried to force their way into Soul Society after being rejected and how the Quincy became involved at this point, resulting in a battle between the two that Kariya took part in and which Soul Society took advantage of to nearly eradicate the Bount by sending in Shinigami to kill the survivors, which Kariya witnessed and was traumatized by. As Ran'Tao concludes the ones who escaped this battle or were living elsewhere at the time became the group Kariya now leads, Uryū wonders what she was doing until now with this information.

Uryū questions why Ran'Tao did not go to the Human World and do something if she is so concerned about the Bount before demanding to know if Ran'Tao did not feel attached to the Bount as the researcher who created them even if they were an accident, but is mortified alongside Ichigo and Ririn when Ran'Tao turns around and partially removes her robe to reveal a large kanji inscribed on her back, which she explains is a seal placed on her Shinigami power that prevents her from leaving Soul Society. When Ichigo asks her about the power she used to enter the fight, Ran'Tao puts her robe back on and notes years of research let her regain some power.

With Ran'Tao admitting this is limited, Ichigo wonders why she was exiled from the Seireitei in the first place, and when Ran'Tao recounts how the ones who exiled her were relieved to learn the Bount did not have the ability to convert themselves to Reishi, Ririn deduces they believed everything could be settled in the Human World. Ran'Tao recalls predicting the Bount would use any means they could to enter Soul Society and proposing they publicize everything in order to accept the Bount, only to bitterly ruminate on this being the result, to Ichigo's sorrow and empathy, as she turns to Uryū and apologizes for the great deal of trouble that she has caused him.

After Uryū confirms Kariya used his Quincy power to get here, Ran'Tao is left perplexed by him being the enemy of the Bount even though he assisted them in entering Soul Society and inquires about what this means, only for Ichigo to interject and dismiss this as the result of a lot happening. Noticing the Quincy Bangle on Uryū's wrist, Ran'Tao asks him if he knows what it is and describes it as being incredibly dangerous. Though Ran'Tao beings to warn him about what will happen if he uses it recklessly, Uryū acknowledges the danger and asserts he has to defeat Kariya no matter what happens, which leads Ran'Tao to accept him being prepared for the consequences.

Suddenly, as Ran'Tao cautions Uryū to be careful for both himself and those around him, she collapses and clutches her head, startling and concerning Ichigo and Uryū. Assuring them she is fine, Ran'Tao observes they should have thought she looked strange and reminds Ichigo and Uryū she is much older than most Shinigami are before revealing she experimented on herself in order to keep living until the Bount came back, which means she now needs to rest for about half a day, to Ririn's astonishment. Despite Ichigo insisting he still has things to ask her, Ran'Tao promises to answer them when she recovers and immediately falls asleep on her bed.

With Ichigo annoyed at having been cut off while he was still talking, Uryū picks up on Ran'Tao mentioning she is much older than she appears to be and concludes it cannot be helped because of this. When Ririn inquires if they are going to return to Kūkaku's house, Ichigo denies this on the grounds that they still have things to ask Ran'Tao and states they will be staying here, which Uryū agrees is the best course of action. The next day, a sleeping Ichigo wakes up screaming and mutters about an exploding egg prior to seeing soup boiling in the pot in front of him. As they sit around the pot, Ririn wonders what kind of dream Ichigo had and Uryū asserts he sleeps for too long.

Entering the room from the stairs, Ran'Tao observes that Ichigo is finally awake and invites the three of them to eat. After the soup is finished, Ichigo lies on his side as Uryū decides to pick up from where they left off yesterday. With Ran'Tao apologizing for falling asleep halfway through, Uryū hesitantly brings up her face, to her confusion, and details how they met a Bount named Yoshino Sōma in the Human World whose face looked exactly like Ran'Tao's, which he wants to know the meaning of. While Ririn proclaims that she wants to know as well and Ichigo stares silently, Ran'Tao theorizes that Yoshino is probably a copy of her, astonishing Ichigo, Uryū, and Ririn.

Ran'Tao elaborates that the experiment to create immortal Souls which created the Bount used Gikon, or artificial Souls, based on the Souls of the researchers instead of ordinary Souls to experiment on. As Ririn picks up on the mention of Gikon, Ran'Tao explains how there was a moral quandary with using Human Souls even though it was mathematically possible to create immortal life, which led them to create Gikon based on their own Souls instead that went through a sudden mutation during the experiment and were incorporated into the cycle of rebirth, with her concluding that their incredible power is to be expected due to their own Souls being derived from Shinigami Souls.

When Uryū realizes that this is why Bount can use Dolls like Shinigami use their Zanpakutō, Ran'Tao confirms this and notes that Gikon research grew in the aftermath, leading to Gikongan and Modified Soul technology being developed, leading a stunned Ririn to declare that this means the Bount are essentially her distant relatives. Upon hearing this, Ichigo deduces that Ririn and her fellow Mod-Souls can have Bount sensor abilities because they are based on the same technology as Ran'Tao admits that she believed the Gikon would not have the features of the Shinigami they were based on directly surface after being reborn. After affirming that Yoshino indeed looked like Ran'Tao when the latter inquires about this, Uryū coldly reveals Kariya killed her, leaving the four of them in silence while Ran'Tao processes this prior to Ichigo concluding they must stop the Bount.

Assault Preparations
In the forest of Kusajishi, dozens of men work at chopping and pulling down large trees using axes and rope while in the Seireitei, 10th Division 7th Seat Kōkichirō Takezoe informs Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto that they have confirmed strange movements in Kusajishi and elaborates that someone has hired many villagers to cut down trees in the forest, alerting Rangiku as Hitsugaya questions if it is the work of the Bount. Noting that it seems like a bookie of one of the multiple gambling halls in Kusajishi is behind this on the surface, Kōkichirō confirms Hitsugaya's suspicion that someone is pulling the strings by revealing that he also has information pertaining to this. When Rangiku inquires about what they should do, Hitsugaya asserts that this is the clue they have been waiting for and that they will need to do a search, which Rangiku assumes they will send a subordinate in the Tenth Division to perform.

However, a smiling Hitsugaya tells her that they will be visiting 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and with Rangiku surprised by this, Hitsugaya explains that he wants Renji to come with them because the latter has had the most contact with the Bount of anyone in the Seireitei. Elsewhere, Ganju huddles with Orihime, Sado, Kurōdo, and Noba alongside the members of the Kusajishi Bull's Gang while Daiji approaches them with a report from the man he put on reconnaissance. Upon being asked by Ganju by Jin Kariya's movements, Daiji observes that the Bount have gathered an impressive number of people in a short period of time.

Daiji details how they are gathering ruffians from across Kusajishi who lack Reiryoku despite their toughness, which means they could not defeat Shinigami even in large numbers, but Ganju reminds him the Shinigami would not fight seriously against residents of the Rukongai and it is a huge burden to fight continuously while holding back, which Daiji acknowledges. After Ganju theorizes the Bount will be thinking of more than one way to attack the Seireitei due to their small numbers, Daiji questions what Ganju will do about this, prompting Ganju to declare they are going to stop the Bount and bring up how the Kusajishi residents are unruly to begin with.

As he states they will make it easier for the Shinigami to fight the residents of Kusajishi by breaking up the crowd, Ganju concludes this is what he has to consult Daiji about and calls him brother while wrapping his arm around Daiji's shoulders, though the latter expresses confusion and exasperation at Ganju suddenly acting like they are close. Assuring Daiji he does not need to worry about it and pointing out how they do not have much time, Ganju requests Daiji gather as many of his allies as he can. When Daiji wonders why Ganju is so passionate about this, Ganju reveals a close friend of his is working hard to do something about the Bount and he wants to help.

With Daiji picking up on Ganju's mention of a friend, Orihime infers that Ganju is referring to Ichigo Kurosaki as Kurōdo celebrates how friendship means that no one is ever alone and proclaims that nothing is more important than helping each other out, only for Ganju to demand that he shut up and clarify that he does not want Ichigo to die after the terrible time he had with the Bount. Though he mocks Ganju for being able to speak of friendship like this without feeling even a little embarrassed, Daiji agrees to help Ganju since he never liked the bookie to begin with and identifies himself by his real name, leading Orihime to realize "The Bull of Kusajishi" is not his real name.

When asked by Sado why he goes by this name, Daiji simply declares that it is cool, which Ganju endorses as a stunned Orihime and Sado observe that they are very alike, before ordering Komae, Max, and Ellie to round up some sturdy men. Back in the Seireitei, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, his lieutenant Nanao Ise, and Ukitake watch from the pavilion at the base of the steps to Senzaikyū as dozens of Shinigami work on repairing and reconstructing the buildings destroyed by the bombs on the previous day, where Shunsui notes that they have become quite good at repairs as Nanao attributes this to the multiple Ryoka invasions forcing them to.

However, Ukitake reminds them nothing is resolved even if they finish the repairs and wonders who set the bombs to what end, leading 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi to suggest it might have been a diversion created by the Bount after their arrival while approaching them with his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi. Shunsui asserts there is no point to such a diversion if the buildings are repaired, but Mayuri calls him naïve and brings up how this kind of distraction also causes mental shocks, with the entirety of the Seireitei being in chaos right now, as he claims everyone must have become lazy if intruders were able to enter the Seireitei so easily.

Suddenly, while moving to walk away, Mayuri stops in his tracks and stares in shock at the idea that the bombing was a diversion. With Shunsui and Ukitake questioning what is wrong, Mayuri expresses disbelief and claims to have something important to attend to before briskly walking away with Nemu, leaving Shunsui, Nanao, and Ukitake visibly confused. At dusk, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki grabs his Zanpakutō in his office and prepares to leave, which prompts his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, to ask him if he is going to meet Ichinose. Confirming this, Kenpachi tells her Hitsugaya has been able to track and locate him, leading Yachiru to join him.

That night, back in Kusajishi, Kariya oversees the villagers hammering, sawing, and dragging the tree trunks around a large area alongside Tōba, Yoshi, Mabashi, and Sawatari, where he instructs them to rest for a moment and listen to him. Once all the villagers stop what they are doing and listen to him, Kariya commends their courage and reminds them this is their fight, since they were controlled and discriminated against even though they are also from Soul Society. Kariya asserts they are released and free as of tonight before proclaiming they will commence an attack on the Seireitei and need the villagers' help, causing them to cheer loudly while Kariya smirks.

Simultaneously, at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Mayuri sits before his computer and takes what he is seeing on its screen as proof that he was right. When asked what is wrong by Nemu, Mayuri reveals that the one who snuck into the Seireitei and set the bombs was Ichinose, which he proves by bringing up footage of the central Senkaimon opening and closing multiple times in recent days despite no Shinigami passing through it and adding a Reiatsu filter to it that shows an invisible Ichinose exiting the Senkaimon into the Seireitei, as he was not able to completely suppress his Reiatsu during this process, something only Mayuri himself noticed.

With Mayuri concluding Ichinose has been surreptitiously breaking into the database to make alterations and hide information, which he claims will not work on him, a chuckling Mayuri informs Nemu that Ichinose's Shikai, Nijigasumi, can use light refraction to make him invisible while the Bount have a special technique to hide their Reiatsu, something Ichinose would use if he had access to it, meaning Ichinose made himself invisible to create diversions in the Seireitei while he accessed the database. After running a search pattern for alterations made by Ichinose, Mayuri affirms the results as proving Ichinose could not normally accomplish this without being caught.

However, Mayuri is left aghast when he comes across the data regarding the Quincy Bangle and identifies it as the data they retrieved after it was erased, which Nemu confirms. After recalling how he thought of using Quincy power to draw the Bount to Soul Society when he saw this data, Mayuri realizes that Ichinose showed him this data to manipulate him and begins shaking Nemu by the collar as he concludes that the Bount had Uryū use his Heilig Bogen so they could enter Soul Society, leaving him trembling in rage at the Bount for tricking him like this. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya sits with Renji in the forest of Fugai and gets to his feet while looking up.

Rangiku drops down from above the trees and lands in front of Hitsugaya and Renji to reveal the Kusajishi villagers are gathering deep in the forest, which leads Hitsugaya to note their intelligence indicates an alarming number of villagers have been gathered while Renji brings up how this has caused the area surrounding Kusajishi to become fairly quiet as a result. When asked what they will do, Hitsugaya decides they have to go since they have come this far and cautions Renji and Rangiku against harming the villagers if possible since they are still Rukongai residents. Acknowledging this, Renji picks up and holsters his sheathed Zanpakutō while preparing to head out.

Suddenly, Rangiku inquires if Renji's Zanpakutō is alright, and when he expresses confusion at this, Rangiku brings up his recent usage of Higa Zekkō in the Human World and how his Zanpakutō must not have recovered yet. Though Renji assures her he does not need to use his Shikai on villagers, Hitsugaya questions what he will do if the Bount come out and tells a stumped Renji he can run back to the Seireitei as a messenger if this occurs before departing with him and Rangiku. Elsewhere, Ichigo stands outside the entrance to Ran'Tao's dwelling with her, Ririn, and Uryū as he informs Ran'Tao the Shun Shun Rikka told him the Bount are in the Kusajishi forest.

When Uryū wonders what she will be doing, Ran'Tao points out how this is unlikely to be the only thing the Bount are doing and notes that she has something to prepare just in case. After Ran'Tao agrees to meet up with him and Uryū afterward, Ichigo inquires about how long the Quincy Bangle will actually hold up, which prompts Ran'Tao to admit that she does not know if it will become useless today or tomorrow, only to warn Uryū that it could blow away everything in a radius of several kilometers if it were to detonate. Left nervous by this alongside Ichigo, Uryū claims that there is no reason to get scared at this point and walks away, leaving a startled Ichigo to run after him.

Back at the logging operation in Kusajishi, Gō Koga informs Kariya that their preparations for a surprise attack on the Seireitei are on schedule, which pleases Kariya, while Ichinose approaches and reveals several Shinigami, including a captain, are approaching their location. As Ichinose suggests he stay here to deal with them, Kariya observes things will be easier later if they deal with the Shinigami now and permits Ichinose to do as he wishes, which Ichinose affirms. Meanwhile, in the forest, Rangiku runs up to a villager and jabs him in the stomach with the handle of her sheathed Zanpakutō, knocking him unconscious and causing him to collapse.

Having incapacitated all the other villagers in the clearing, Rangiku looks up at Hitsugaya, who crouches on a tree branch and notes the Bount are undoubtedly up ahead. With Rangiku observing how strange it is for there to be so few people here and Renji asking him what they should do, Hitsugaya orders them to split up and move ahead before they all depart with Shunpo. At the logging yard, Ichinose stands alone in the clearing as Hitsugaya runs out of the trees and realizes he has found one. After Ichinose identifies himself in response to Hitsugaya demanding to know who he is, Hitsugaya questions if he is the Shinigami who has been helping the Bount.

Ichinose denies being a Shinigami any longer and claims that he is now a comrade of the great Kariya. When Hitsugaya demands to know where the Bount are, Ichinose unsheathes his Zanpakutō and asserts that he does not need to answer Hitsugaya, who decides to force an answer out of him and assumes a battle stance alongside Ichinose before the two of them rush forward and clash in a shower of sparks. With Ichinose managing to pin Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō underneath his own, Hitsugaya is left perplexed at Ichinose helping the Bount when he has so much skill, and when Ichinose explains that he saw Kariya's goal as justice, Hitsugaya is further confused.

However, as Ichinose concludes Kariya will purge the Shinigami, he is visibly alarmed and leaps back with Shunpo to separate himself from a startled Hitsugaya while Ichigo knocks out a villager in the nearby forest and walks into the clearing with Ririn and Uryū. Informally greeting an annoyed Hitsugaya, Ichigo asks him about what is going on in this forest as Rangiku appears next to them alongside Renji with Shunpo and reports there really are too few villagers in the surrounding forest. Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble, prompting Ichigo and his friends to look into the forest and see a protesting Orihime riding on Nanny with Sado holding the reins behind her.

After Nanny slides to a halt, a stunned Ichigo wonders why Orihime is here, which prompts her to reveal Ganju and the others are currently routing the villagers as Ganju and Daiji's gangs incapacitate the villagers in the forest with their boars and refuse to let any of them get away. Orihime notes they accompanied Ganju to the forest in order to stop the villagers gathering in it, but Kurōdo declares there are too few people present, and as Hitsugaya questions what this means, a shocked Sado recalls facing off against Sawatari, who can manipulate space in a manner similar to Noba, leading Rangiku to affirm this while Ichinose tells them Kariya's forces are at the Seireitei.

Simultaneously, at the Black Ridge Gate along the Seireiheki, Danzōmaru stands guard and finds himself confronted by Yoshi and Mabashi. When Danzōmaru demands to know if they are Bount, a laughing Yoshi inquires about why it matters if she is as Koga approaches Jidanbō Ikkanzaka at the White Road Gate and identifies himself as a Bount prior to requesting that Jidanbō let him inside the Seireitei. With Jidanbō refusing to do so, a smiling Koga concludes that he will just have to force his way in and summons Dalk. Later, as morning dawns, Jidanbō lies defeated before Koga as Sawatari's Doll, Baura, surfaces behind the latter.

Baura opens his mouth and releases a large siege engine, along with hundreds of villagers, that had been contained within his stomach, allowing the villagers to place the engine at the White Road Gate and begin preparing to pull it open while an announcer within the Seireitei warns the Gotei 13 of this development. With another siege engine being placed at the Black Ridge Gate with hundreds more villagers, Kariya stands alongside Yoshi and Mabashi as he smiles maliciously. During this, Kenpachi intervenes in Ichinose's confrontation with Ichigo and his friends, allowing the latter to run back to Seireitei while Kenpachi begins his duel with Ichinose.

Siege and Betrayal
Forcing the tip of the siege engine underneath the White Road Gate, the villagers begin raising it by pulling down on the other end. With immense effort and Tōba's sustained encouragement, the villagers succeed in raising the gate almost completely up by fully leveraging the siege engine. After noting with delight that they did it to Kariya, who acknowledges this, Tōba instructs the villagers to riot as they please within the Seireitei, and as the horde of villagers rushes toward the gate, several Shinigami step into view on the other side and assume battle stances, which causes the startled villagers to stop in their tracks as they are told that they will not pass this point.

When the Shinigami demand to know who the Ryoka are, Kariya, Koga, and Sawatari walk forward through the crowd, which parts to accommodate them, and approach the edge of the gate boundary while the unnerved Shinigami refuse to let them in. Upon reaching the boundary, Kariya stops and stands still as he looks over the Shinigami, who draw their Zanpakutō and rush forward to attack him. In response, Kariya unleashes a powerful wave of wind with his Doll, Messer, that slams into the Shinigami, bending their Zanpakutō and sending them flying several meters back, where they all fall and lie incapacitated while Tōba praises this technique.

However, Kariya simply responds by thanking the villagers for their work, confusing Tōba, before revealing this is where they part ways. Though Tōba believe this is some kind of joke since the villagers were planning to invade, Kariya reiterates that their role in this is over, and when an angered Tōba asserts they were going to crush the Seireitei together, Kariya tells him the villagers were just pawns and a means to open the two gates, since the Seireiheki is impossible to destroy or pass through using Reiryoku due to the power-nullifying properties of Sekkiseki. Tōba accuses Kariya of using them, but Kariya clarifies they are simply no longer of use now.

With Kariya detailing how this fight belongs to the Boun] alone from now on and observing that the villagers will just be in the way if they hang around, the villagers refuse to accept this and a defiant Tōba draws a dagger from his waist as he rushes toward Kariya alongside them, prompting Kariya to remind them that they are in the way and unleash another powerful gust of wind from his outstretched hand that blows the villagers back into the Rukongai and briefly creates a cyclone, dispersing them in its wake. In the aftermath, Kariya walks away from the still-open gate with Koga and Sawatari into the Seireitei while Ichigo and his friends run up to Jidanbō.

As Renji realizes the gate is open and Uryū wonders what the siege engine is, Ichigo angrily calls out to Kariya, who turns around and blasts the siege engine with a gale of wind powerful enough to dismantle its pieces and cause it to collapse, leaving the gate to fall back down between the group and the Bount while Hitsugaya curses at having allowed the Bount to escape. On the other side of the gate, Sawatari criticizes the group as being pathetic for Shinigami, only for Kariya to warn him the real fight is about to begin and to not underestimate the captains. Revealing he tasked Mabashi and Yoshi with creating distractions, Kariya tells Koga and Sawatari to crush the captains.

When asked by Koga about what he will be doing, Kariya asserts their ultimate goal is to instantaneously destroy the Seireitei, since they deserve to have judgement passed upon them for trying to destroy the Bount they created, and they need something in order to achieve this which he will be retrieving. Koga is surprised there is something with that much destructive power within Soul Society, and as Kariya affirms there is, Sawatari inquires about where it is located, leading Kariya to inform them it is in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. After promising Koga he will know what it is soon, Kariya concludes their final meeting place is Sōkyoku Hill.

With Koga and Sawatari remaining silent, Kariya questions if something is wrong and instructs them to say what is on their minds, but Koga merely wishes him luck, which prompts a stoic Kariya to leave as he tells them to go. Back outside the Seireiheki, Orihime uses Sōten Kisshun to heal the large gash in Jidanbō's right shoulder and urges the latter to wake up. With considerable effort, Jidanbō opens his eyes and sits up, to Orihime's relief, before recognizing her and her friends while Orihime comments on how it has been some time since they last met. Observing that Orihime has saved him again, Jidanbō assures her that his wound no longer hurts and is not serious.

Renji runs up to the group with Hitsugaya and Rangiku, where he explains that it will take time for the Gotei 13 to open the gate from within, and in turn, Ichigo requests that Jidanbō open the gate despite his injuries, which Jidanbō gladly accepts. Though Jidanbō manages to raise the gate enough for the group to pass under, when a grateful Ichigo and his friends attempt to run through, Jidanbō stumbles and slightly drops the gate, to their concern. As Jidanbō claims that he is fine and urges them to go, Uryū observes that his wounds have reopened and Ichigo declares that they have to honor Jidanbō's efforts to keep the gate open despite his injuries by hurrying.

However, after her friends run through the gate, Orihime stays behind next to Jidanbō, and when Ichigo expresses confusion at this, Orihime insists on staying behind so she can heal Jidanbō before tossing an admiring Kurōdo under the gate to the group despite his protests. Assuring Ichigo that she will be alright and can handle this, Orihime tells Jidanbō that he can let go of the gate now, which he thanks her for as he lets the gate fall to the ground. With Orihime waving goodbye to Ichigo as he asks her to take care of Jidanbō, Kurōdo attempts and fails to run under the gate before it hits the ground and is despondent over Orihime's decision to leave him in the Seireitei.

In response to this, Ichigo tells Kurōdo to take Orihime's feelings into consideration since she chose to stay behind and reminds him Orihime left him with the rest of the group for a reason as he turns to Ririn and asks her about the Reiatsu of the Bount. Though Ririn admits she cannot sense any right now and theorizes the Bount are hiding it, Ichigo asserts the Bount will not be able to suppress their Reiatsu forever because they came to the Seireitei with a goal. With Ichigo concluding the Mod-Souls are the ones who can best detect the Bount and are being counted on by them, Kurōdo acknowledges this and launches into a speech about trusting Orihime.

Hitsugaya orders the group to split up and search for the Bount, leading Ichigo and his friends to run off in different directions. Suddenly, before Hitsugaya and Rangiku can follow suit, a Jigokuchō approaches them and flutters onto Rangiku's index finger, where it relays an order for Hitsugaya to assemble with the other captains for a meeting. Elsewhere in the Seireitei, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng stands before several Keigun as one relays the same message to her from another Jigokuchō. Irritated by the order coming at such an inconvenient time, Suì-Fēng instructs the Keigun to continue dispatching to the assigned areas.

After elaborating that the Keigun are to continue searching until they find the Bount, at which point they are to contact other groups and wait for help instead of immediately engaging, Suì-Fēng departs with Shunpo following the Keigun doing the same. In a different part of the Seireitei, Ichigo runs down a street with Ririn on his shoulder and urges the latter to keep searching even though she is not sensing anything. When Ririn comments on him being worked up about finding Kariya, Ichigo questions what is wrong with this, only for Ririn to claim that her sensors do not work properly when someone emotional is near her, which Ichigo is startled by.

Meanwhile, Sado runs down a different street with Noba, who states he is not detecting anything yet, and Renji responds to Kurōdo's complaints about him running much more roughly than Orihime does by telling him to shut up as he sprints down another street with Kurōdo slung over his shoulder. Simultaneously, the Keigun running through the streets stop upon finding themselves confronted by a smirking Mabashi, who identifies them as they demand to know if he is a Ryoka. Declining to answer, Mabashi brings up how he heard the Keigun are strong, and when they assume combat stances in response to him partially unzipping his shirt, Mabashi notes they want to fight.

Upon being summoned by Mabashi and told to proceed, his Doll, Ritz, acknowledges this and creates multiple copies of herself that begin flying around the Keigun, distracting them, while Mabashi rushes forward and slams his open palms into one of the Keigun to send him flying prior to bashing his elbow into the head of another Keigun and knocking him back with an uppercut. After hitting a third Keigun with a running punch that knocks him unconscious, Mabashi sticks his tongue out at the remaining Keigun and runs past the unconscious one around the corner of the intersection he is lying in, prompting the other Keigun to pursue him.

Meanwhile, in the meeting room in the First Division barracks, Yamamoto stands before the assembled captains and learns of Ukitake seemingly being ill as he assesses the status and response of the Keigun, only for Mayuri to suddenly bring up Hitsugaya's lack of response. With Hitsugaya startled by this, Mayuri criticizes him for failing to prevent the Bount from infiltrating the Seireitei despite being assigned to lead the task force with orders to annihilate them, but Hitsugaya simply accepts it is all his fault and he has no excuse for this, though Shunsui assures him it is not worth agonizing over this when they need to be planning out what to do next.

At 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura's prompting, Byakuya reveals Kariya can control wind, to Suì-Fēng's surprise, and his additional ability to control Reishi gives him a powerful regenerative ability, only for Mayuri to insist they focus on questioning Hitsugaya's responsibility instead of changing the subject. However, Shunsui mentions he heard a Quincy tool held by the Shinigami Research and Development Institute is what allowed the Bount to enter Soul Society and it was given to them in a setup, which he takes as evidence of Mayuri's preference to ignore his own shortcomings as he sternly reprimands Mayuri for not considering the feelings of other people.

Claiming he is also irritated right now and knows how to take responsibility, Mayuri demands to know where Shunsui heard about this, though Shunsui merely says he has sharp ears. After interrupting the conversation by slamming the tip of his cane into the floor, Yamamoto reprimands the captains for quarreling at a time like this and orders them to have their divisions spread out across the Seireitei and destroy the Bount on sight. Yamamoto further instructs them to act independently so the Ryoka can be dealt with as soon as possible and relieves Hitsugaya of his temporary commander duties, shocking the latter, and concludes by asking for quick and immediate reports.

Aftermath
Soon afterward, Mayuri stands in his laboratory with his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, who inquires if he will be going out in person. As he affirms this, Mayuri laments the time wasted on the captains meeting and warns the Bount that this is not over before sheathing his Zanpakutō and leaving Nemu in charge with orders to do what needs to be done. Meanwhile, Kurōdo yells in shock and informs a still-running Renji that he can sense a Bount, but when Renji asks him where it is, Kurōdo suddenly asserts that it disappeared, leading an unimpressed Renji to stop and question if Kurōdo is just saying things, with an offended Kurōdo countering that he was positive about this.

With Renji angered by the Bount being so sneaky, Kurōdo notes guerrilla warfare is the most effective strategy when fighting an army with only a few people and admits the Bount are making an intelligent choice, prompting Renji to demand to know what the point of praising them is. Apologizing for this, Kurōdo tells Renji to head around the right corner in front of them in order to reach the area where he sensed the Bount presence, and as Renji runs off, Ririn complains about the Bount presence appearing and disappearing like the beam of an old flashlight prior to insisting she is allowed to be emotional when Ichigo comments on her telling him to calm down.

While Ichigo expresses exasperation at Ririn's hypocrisy, Noba also detects a Bount presence appearing and disappearing, which he relays to Sado. Elsewhere, several Shinigami run down a street and stop in shock upon seeing Mabashi sitting against the wall on their right. When the Shinigami assume combat stances and demand to know if he is a Ryoka, Mabashi gets up while wondering why they are wearing such fierce expressions, and as the Shinigami draw their Zanpakutō, Mabashi calls out to the multiple copies of Ritz, who narrow their heads into tendrils and jab their bodies into those of the Shinigami, causing them to collapse, before leaving alongside Mabashi.

In a different part of the Seireitei, Sawatari senses Mabashi's actions and decides to make his move as well, but does not notice Mayuri having concealed himself with Nisehada on the archway behind him and coldly glaring at Sawatari. In the Second Division barracks, a Keigun reports the encounters of the second and third groups with the Ryoka to Suì-Fēng, who is annoyed to learn that the result of the encounters is unknown due to the complicated information and orders the Keigun to have all the groups gather in the northern streets of the Seireitei, where she will join them shortly.