Enter The Home of Hollows

 marks the beginning of the Invasion of Hueco Mundo and the introduction of Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies to the desolate realm of the Hollows, where they also encounter benign Arrancar for the first time in the form of Nel Tu and her companions while the Espada are alerted to their arrival.

Arrival in Hueco Mundo
With Kisuke Urahara having created a Garganta for them to use, Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida enter Hueco Mundo in a surge of Reiatsu felt throughout the realm. Upon landing on the floor of the building they emerged in, Ichigo is surprised by Hueco Mundo being solid instead of slimy, though Uryū cautions him to lower his voice since their entrance cannot have gone unnoticed. With Ichigo continuing to wonder if this is really Hueco Mundo, Uryū reiterates that they need to be careful and suggests they find a place to hide, but is interrupted when Demoura Zodd slams his hand into the ceiling behind them while emerging from a nearby hallway and demanding to know who they are.

Sado and Uryū run away from a wailing and pursuing Demoura, with Uryū pulling a protesting Ichigo and asserting that they could cause the corridor they are in to collapse if they fight here. Though Ichigo does not believe it would collapse and questions why it would matter if it did, Uryū points out how there are no windows on the walls, and when a nonplussed Ichigo wonders why this matters, Uryū angrily concludes that they must be underground if there are no windows and urgently notes that they need a much bigger and more open area to fight in prior to Sado pointing out an exit ahead of them, which ends up leading to a large chamber held up by thick pillars.

As Ichigo questions if this is big enough for him, Uryū notices a set of stairs and attempts to run over to them in order to see if they lead outside, only for Aisslinger Wernarr to appear before him with Sonído and demand to know where Uryū thinks he is going. With Uryū mentally observing that there being more than one Arrancar in a place like this is logical, Demoura emerges from the passageway behind Ichigo and Sado, leading Uryū to conclude that they are trapped, which Ichigo blames him for. Upon looking at Demoura and Aisslinger, Ichigo notes that they look more like Hollows than the Arrancar who appeared in the Human World.

However, when Ichigo tells Sado and Uryū to stand back while he handles this, Sado elbows him hard in the side of the head, sending Ichigo crashing into a nearby wall. Upon being confronted by an incredulous and bleeding Ichigo over this, Sado counters that he is the one who should stand back while he and Uryū take care of this.

Uryū responds to Ichigo's shock at this by explaining how Urahara told them about the Arrancar hierarchy and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's group being a mixture of Gillians and Adjuchas, with Menos Grandes generally taking humanoid forms when turned into Arrancar while only Vasto Lorde remain humanoid throughout. When Uryū concludes that many Gillians and Adjuchas consequently never take Human form even after becoming Arrancar and that they look more like Hollows when they have lower intelligence, he is forced to evade a punch from Demoura that shatters the ground where he was standing while Aisslinger fires several projectiles at Sado when the latter attempts to run to Uryū's aid and takes offense at this description since he is not stupid, unlike Demoura, who denies this as well.

Upon emerging from the dust kicked up by Demoura's punch and attempting to summon his Heilig Bogen, Uryū is shocked to see Demoura notice him and slam his hand into the ground to shower Uryū with debris and prevent him from moving around. With Sado manifesting his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and firing an energy blast at him with it, Aisslinger easily evades the blast with Sonído and clarifies that he and Demoura simply abandoned their humanoid forms in exchange for immense power prior to firing more blasts from his tendril-like fingers at Sado, who blocks them with Brazo Derecha de Gigante as Aisslinger concludes that Humans like Sado and Uryū should not take them lightly.

When Ichigo expresses concern for them, Uryū tells him to shut up and watch, but is forced to dodge another strike from Demoura and mentally observes that the latter is actually wrapping Reishi around his hands when attacking instead of performing ordinary palm strikes, which Uryū admits is a more troublesome attack than it seems due to its disruption of the surrounding Reishi making it impossible for him to construct a Reishi Heisō. However, while wishing that he could put some distance between himself and Demoura, Uryū has an idea and gets Sado's attention prior to making a rotating motion with his hand. Nearby, Aisslinger internally mocks Sado for being too slow to keep up with his Sonído, only to express confusion upon noticing Uryū standing still, and when Demoura continues rampaging toward Uryū, Aisslinger warns him to wait before Sado suddenly punches Demoura hard in his left cheek with Brazo Derecha de Gigante, shattering part of his mask and sending him flying back behind a stunned Aisslinger.

Standing in front of Sado, Uryū observes that the matchup matters and admits that fighting the same opponent so much recently made him overlook the obvious solution of switching opponents if both he and Sado are having trouble fighting two against two as he forms his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, and declares that it is their turn. Ichigo is left shocked by its appearance and questions if it is really a bow, prompting Uryū to counter that he would not use any other type of weapon and rotate the bow to aim it at a stunned Aisslinger before drawing back a Heilig Pfeil, naming Ginrei Kojaku, and firing the Heilig Pfeil in a powerful burst of energy.

Nearby, a wounded Demoura rears back and falls against a wall, cratering it upon impact, to pant heavily as Sado muses that he should not have destroyed Demoura's mask since he looked better with it on. Angered by this, Demoura throws a punch at Sado, who effortlessly catches it with Brazo Derecha de Gigante and responds to Demoura struggling to overpower him by wondering if this is all the latter has got prior to grabbing hold with his other hand and flipping Demoura over to slam him into the ground with Grua Tirar. Back in front of Uryū, a bleeding Aisslinger emerges from the cloud of dust kicked up by the impact of the Heilig Pfeil and curses Uryū as he begins to run away with Sonído, only for Uryū to easily catch up to him with Hirenkyaku and commend Sonído for being fairly fast upon seeing it for the first time.

When Aisslinger is left aghast at a Human keeping up with Sonído, Uryū clarifies that he is a Quincy rather than an ordinary Human and explains that Hirenkyaku is another high-speed movement technique which he considers superior to both Shunpo and Sonído. However, Aisslinger declares that he has never heard of Quincy, leaving Uryū disappointed by his ignorance, before asserting that Uryū being able to keep up with his Sonído means nothing unless the latter can counter his Uña Tirotear while firing hundreds of small energy bullets at Uryū with his tendril fingers. In turn, Uryū begins firing hundreds of Heilig Pfeil from Ginrei Kojaku at the approaching bullets, creating a cloud of colliding energy projectiles between the two of them.

Seeing this, Aisslinger mocks this solution of shooting down all his bullets as something a child would think of and boasts that he can fire 108 bullets at once, but Uryū reveals that Ginrei Kojaku can fire 1,200 Heilig Pfeil at once, leaving Aisslinger in disbelief while a surge of Heilig Pfeil overcomes his bullets to converge on all sides and slam into Aisslinger simultaneously. Meanwhile, a winded Demoura falls to his hands and knees in exhaustion, and as Sado approaches him, Demoura refuses to lose to a weakling like him and extends his tongue toward Sado with Lengua Tronco, only for the latter to stop it with Brazo Derecha de Gigante'.

With Demoura's extended tongue bunching up on the floor in front of him, Sado points out to a shocked Demoura that this seeming to be a last-resort attack indicates that he is done fighting, and as the red outer portions of the shoulder protrusion of Brazo Derecha de Gigante flaring open to expel a large amount of energy, Sado decides to take his turn and apologetically admits that he will have to finish off someone who has lost the will to fight even if he does not enjoy it because he cannot afford to be nice this time before punching Demoura hard in the stomach with El Directo. Following this, Sado walks away from Demoura's collapsing body and notes that it is done while dispelling Brazo Derecha de Gigante. Nearby, a heavily damaged Aisslinger curses Uryū and attempts to raise one of his remaining tendril fingers to attack.

In turn, Uryū immediately destroys the tendril with a Heilig Pfeil and corrects Aisslinger calling him a Human once again before telling Aisslinger to warn Sōsuke Aizen that he should fear the Quincy who has come to Hueco Mundo instead of the Shinigami. Suddenly, the chamber they were fighting in begins rumbling, causing Sado to realize that it is going to collapse, and when an angered Ichigo reminds them that Uryū is the one who claimed they should be careful since the structure is underground, Aisslinger clarifies that the room is designed to self-destruct because he and Demoura are the guardians of the building who are tasked with eliminating anyone who tries to enter Las Noches by this route, meaning that they and the room crumble away if they lose.

After Aisslinger concludes that this is the kind of enemy Ichigo and his friends are up against and that there is no victory where they are going with the battle only just beginning here, Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū hurry up the nearby set of stairs, with Uryū taking one last look at Aisslinger before leaving. Behind them, Aisslinger muses on Uryū's bold declaration that Aizen should fear him instead of the Shinigami and asserts that Aizen fears no one, which is why the Hollows flock to him since his path of fearlessness shimmers like moonlight to beings born from fear.

Shortly afterward, the passage leading down to the chamber from the surface of Hueco Mundo is filled with sand when the structure fully collapses, resulting in Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū bursting out of it seconds later and coughing up sand while Ichigo expresses relief at them making it out at all. With Uryū commenting on this being the world of the Hollows, Ichigo is surprised by the barren, desert-like area surrounding them and comments on how it is not very cheery with the near-completely white features. When Sado notices that all the trees seem to be dried up, Uryū breaks off a branch to inspect and deduces that they are instead made from a quartz-like substance. Suddenly, an alarmed Sado draws Ichigo and Uryū's attention to the horizon, where the massive palace of Las Noches looms in the distance.

Upon seeing it, a startled Uryū wonders if this is a palace or a fortress, deducing that it must be the location that Aisslinger was talking about, and Sado points out how the trees look like sticks next to it while admitting that its sheer size is messing up his sense of scale. Uryū observes that it is a good thing they got to see it from a distance so they could get a sense of the whole area, and as Ichigo questions how it helps them, Sado notes that it might be useful later and that this is better than not seeing it at all prior to assuming that Orihime Inoue is being held somewhere in there, which Uryū concurs with due to there not seeming to be anywhere else that the Arrancar could hide her in. With Ichigo suggesting that they start running since standing around just invites further attack, he, Sado, and Uryū begin approaching Las Noches while two figures watch them from atop a nearby ledge.

Meeting of the Espada
Meanwhile, within Las Noches, the Espada approach their meeting table and discuss the appearance of intruders, with Zommari Rureaux revealing the twenty-second underground passage has self-destructed, Baraggan Louisenbairn expressing surprise at how far away the intruders entered the realm from, Szayelaporro Granz musing it would have been fun if they had broken right into the throne room, Nnoitra Gilga cackling gleefully at the event, and Coyote Starrk telling Nnoitra to shut up so he can sleep as Tier Harribel, Aaroniero Arruruerie, Yammy Llargo, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra Cifer sitting down silently alongside them. Walking into the room from the main entrance, Aizen approaches the table with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen, where he greets the Espada and announces they have been invaded prior to offering them tea.

Once all of the Espada at the table have been served tea, Aizen has Tōsen pull a lever to display an image of Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū running across Hueco Mundo to himself and the Espada. When Aizen names each of them in turn, Grimmjow is left alarmed by Ichigo's presence as Aaroniero muses on this being the enemy, Baraggan expresses disappointment at the enemy raid being comprised of children, Szayelaporro calls them boring, and Yammy looks away dismissively. In response, Aizen cautions the Espada to not underestimate them because Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū were among the Ryoka who invaded Soul Society and defied the Gotei 13.

When Zommari questions who is missing from their group since there were four Ryoka who invaded Soul Society, Ulquiorra clarifies that it is Orihime, prompting Nnoitra to mockingly approve of them coming to rescue their friend, only to assert they look weak. With Harribel reminding him that he was just warned to not underestimate the group, an annoyed Nnoitra counters that he did not mean it like this and wonders if Harribel is afraid of them. Suddenly, Grimmjow stands up from his seat next to Aizen and begins walking away, and when Tōsen asks him where he is going, Grimmjow states he is going to kill them since it is best to exterminate vermin as soon as possible.

Though Tōsen points out that Aizen has not given him his orders yet, Grimmjow declares that he is going to kill the intruders for Aizen. However, Aizen addresses Grimmjow directly and requests that he sit back down since Aizen is not done speaking even though his enthusiasm is appreciated. Upon seeing Grimmjow looking at him disdainfully, Aizen tells him to speak up and exerts his Reiatsu, forcing a startled Grimmjow to his knees with its intensity, before standing up and observing that they understand each other now. Turning back to the rest of the Espada, Aizen assures them that there is no need for excessive alarm even if they should not underestimate the enemy and instructs them to return to their palaces and conduct their usual business without being overconfident or reckless as he promises that no one can defeat the Espada as long as they are with him.

Five Ways to Three Paths
Outside, in the sands of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo falls on his back in exhaustion while Sado and Uryū rest alongside him. When Ichigo complains about how they do not seem to be getting any closer to Las Noches despite how much they have run and wonders if the palace is just a mirage, Uryū begins to explain that they could not be seeing a mirage here since those are created by heat, only for Ichigo to loudly decline to hear his explanation. Noticing a small, lizard-like Hollow that quickly burrows underground when it sees him looking at it, Ichigo muses that this world seems to have some wildlife in it even though he believed it was devoid of life.

In response to Ichigo questioning what they sustain themselves on since Hollows feed on Human Souls, Uryū theorizes that Hueco Mundo's atmosphere being so dense with Reishi means that the small Hollows can sustain themselves just by breathing, leaving Ichigo shocked by his knowing the Reishi density of the atmosphere while a pleased Uryū details how Quincy using ambient Reishi when they fight leads to their strength being proportionate to the Reishi density of the area, noting that he realized this during the fight earlier, and concludes that he should be able to fight even better than he does in the Human World or Soul Society once he gets the hang of it.

Ichigo dismissively observes he gains nothing from this even though Uryū and the Hollows are improved by it, prompting a startled Uryū to assert it should be the same for Shinigami since the Reishi in Soul Society allowed Rukia Kuchiki to regain her spiritual powers, though Ichigo claims Rukia may simply be a unique case. As a perturbed Sado examines his left arm, Uryū warns Ichigo that the high concentration of Reishi here is an advantage for the Arrancar as well and muses that they are sure to see him, Ichigo, and Sado as both enemies and food no matter how close Aizen is to turning Hollows into Arrancar, with any Hollows they meet likely being several times stronger than they appear to be. Despite Uryū concluding they have much to be wary of, Ichigo simply declares he talks too much and waves off Uryū's indignation at this while telling Sado to keep going with him. Suddenly, Ichigo is interrupted by Bawabawa bursting out of the sand nearby and chasing after Nel Tu alongside Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne, who laugh as Nel cries in fear. With Uryū assuming Nel is Human and wondering how that could be possible here, Ichigo proclaims they will figure it out later and must help her now.

With Nel running from Pesche, Dondochakka, and Bawabawa, Ichigo suddenly appears and slams his sheathed Shikai, Zangetsu, into Dondochakka's face, sending the latter flying back, as Sado leaps into the air with Brazo Derecha de Gigante forming and is joined by Uryū wielding Ginrei Kojaku, resulting in them crashing into a shocked Pesche and Bawabawa from above. As Ichigo stands over Dondochakka, Sado holds Bawabawa aloft, and Uryū aims a Heilig Pfeil at Pesche, who complains about the tip poking into and burning his forehead, Nel pulls down her hood and begs Ichigo and his friends to stop picking on them, leading a stunned Ichigo to notice the mask covering her head and wonder if she is a Hollow. Shortly afterward, Nel, Dondochakka, Pesche, and Bawabawa bow and apologize for the misunderstanding, with Nel revealing they were playing endless tag because there is not much to do for fun in Hueco Mundo.

When Ichigo points out how there were tears in her eyes even though she claims she was playing, Nel confirms this and notes her masochistic nature means that it not fun for her unless she is chased so much that she cries, leading Ichigo to angrily punch the back of Dondochokka's head and demand to know what they have been teaching Nel. At Uryū's questioning, Nel introduces herself as an Arrancar, to Ichigo's surprise, and Pesche and Dondochakka identify themselves as her older brothers prior to declaring Bawabawa is their pet, leading Ichigo to question if Arrancar can have families and pets. In turn, Nel calls him rude for assuming otherwise as Pesche and Dondochakka claim they decided to be Nel's older brothers after encountering her one day and being enamored by her cuteness, only for Ichigo to bluntly state this does not make them a family. However, when Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka are left aghast by the implications of this, an unnerved Ichigo concedes they are a family after all.

Some time later, Bawabawa slithers across the desert with Ichigo, Sado, Uryū, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka on his back, where Ichigo inquires about the latter three really being Arrancar. Sitting on Ichigo's lap, Nel reminds him of the cracked mask on her head, but when Ichigo clarifies they are very different compared to the Arrancar he and his friends faced in the Human World, Nel reveals those were Números and hops off of Ichigo's lap while detailing how these are high-ranking Arrancar assigned a double-digit number who serve under the direct command of the Espada, making them expert fighters unlike Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka, and pointing out how Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū look even less like Arrancar than they do due to lacking masks and Ichigo wearing a black robe, which makes him look more like a Shinigami.

Nel has a realization and begins trembling as she asks them about what they actually are, prompting Ichigo to identify himself as a Substitute Shinigami, Uryū to introduce himself as a Quincy, and Sado to note that he is just a Human. Terrified by this alongside Pesche and Dondochakka, Nel frantically calls them bad guys for being Shinigami, which leads Ichigo to question how she did not know what they were, and declares that Arrancar do not want to go to Las Noches prior to assuming that Ichigo is going to kill them, which Ichigo denies. Suddenly, Runuganga rises up in front of Bawabawa and promises to rip them all to pieces as the guardian of the white sand. With those present startled by this, Runuganga rebukes Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka for helping the intruders he had just learned about and vows to turn them all into sand.

In turn, as Nel attempts to claim that this is not what it looks like, Ichigo tells her to move aside and fires a Getsuga Tenshō at Runuganga, who is sliced vertically in half from the chest up. Though Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka accuse him of being a cheater for performing a surprise attack like this, Ichigo reminds them that he just save them and wonders where the surprise element was since he attacked Runuganga from the front. However, Runuganga simply rejoins his split halves and proclaims that Ichigo attacking without warning or remorse is an even more heinous crime. When Ichigo demands to know how Runuganga did this, Nel casually informs him that Runuganga is made of sand, prompting Ichigo to warn her that Runuganga is targeting her group as well and that they cannot just stand around.

With Runuganga punching the ground near Bawabawa, who narrowly evades him, Ichigo turns to Uryū and Sado for a plan, though they both remark that their attacks will not work. Ichigo concludes they have to run away for now and form a plan later, and while Nel urges Bawabawa to turn around, Runuganga's mouth splits open to reach his chest and he refuses to let them escape prior to forming a massive antlion pit underneath Bawabawa and the group. Turned to by Ichigo for a weakness of Runuganga's, Nel is coerced when Ichigo points out how she is about to die and reveals it is water, but Ichigo is left questioning where they will get that in a desert. Suddenly, Ichigo sees ice floating past his face and hears Tsugi no mai, Hakuren being performed, resulting in Runuganga being frozen solid and shattering into dozens of pieces upon falling over while Ichigo and his friends turn around to see Rukia and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai standing atop a nearby dune.

As Ichigo expresses shock at their arrival, Rukia and Renji leap off the dune to the sand near Bawabawa, whom Ichigo drops off of as Nel panics at the sight of more Shinigami, which Uryū tells her to stop worrying about. A smiling Ichigo runs over to Rukia and Renji while beginning to ask them why they are here, only to be interrupted when Rukia punches him upside the chin and tags in Renji, who punches a bewildered Ichigo in the side of the face, sending him crashing onto his back as Sado and Uryū express concern for him. When Rukia demands to know why Ichigo left for Hueco Mundo instead of waiting for her and Renji to come back, Ichigo admits that he was not sure if they were going to come back.

In response, Rukia counters that they would have come no matter what it took and that this was their intention from the beginning before questioning if she and Renji are not Ichigo's friends whom he can trust. Surprised by this, Ichigo assures Rukia that they are and that she is right, leading a smiling Rukia to tell Ichigo to never make her ask that again and to get up so they can save Orihime, which Ichigo smiles at. Soon afterward, with the group riding on the back of Bawabawa, Ichigo inquires about the cloaks Rukia and Renji are wearing and if they were on sale, prompting a slightly embarrassed Rukia to reveal that they were told to bring the cloaks due to the sandstorms in Hueco Mundo by Byakuya, leaving Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū completely shocked by the idea of Byakuya sending them to Hueco Mundo.

Renji clarifies that Urahara is the one who opened the Garganta for them prior to Rukia recounting Byakuya informing them that his orders were to bring them back and not to stop them from going again, which allowed them to do as they liked after coming back to Soul Society. Though Ichigo is bemused by Byakuya mellowing out like this, Rukia adds that he wanted Ichigo to run around Hueco Mundo for a while and let the Arrancar deal with his nuisance, leaving Ichigo aggravated while Rukia turns her attention to Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka, whom she wonders about the identities of. In response, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka introduce themselves and attempt to call their group by three different names simultaneously, to Ichigo's confusion, which causes them to argue among themselves about which name they should be using as a nonplussed Ichigo tells Rukia that this is what Hollows are like.

When Bawabawa begins crying at this, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka realize they have left him out and attempt to name their group once more, but do so in three different ways yet again, to Ichigo's exasperation. Simultaneously, in her room in Las Noches, Orihime stands before the window, having donned a white outfit given to her by the Arrancar to wear. From the doorway behind Orihime, Ulquiorra notes she looks quite good in the outfit, and when a startled Orihime questions how long he has been there, an annoyed Ulquiorra states he has only been here for a moment and tells her to stop overreacting. Stepping forward, Ulquiorra informs Orihime of her friends entering Hueco Mundo, leaving her astonished. Outside Las Noches, Bawabawa reaches the wall, allowing Ichigo and his friends to drop down to the sand, where Nel congratulates Bawabawa on doing so well while Rukia approaches the wall and wonders how they can get through it. When Rukia deduces that it is not made of Sekkiseki, Ichigo asserts that they can just break through it and draws Zangetsu as he invites Renji to join him, to Renji's chagrin. With Ulquiorra revealing Orihime's friends have come to rescue her, Renji releases his Shikai, Zabimaru, and attacks the wall alongside Ichigo in a powerful explosion of force. Orihime is left shocked as Ulquiorra reminds her that this should mean nothing to her because she is now Arrancar in body and spirit, which is what the outfit she is now wearing signifies.

Affirming this, Orihime is coerced by Ulquiorra into declaring that her body and spirit are for Aizen and his desires. Meanwhile, outside Las Noches, Ichigo and Renji successfully break down part of the outer wall, prompting Renji to confirm to Ichigo that they got through because he feels a breeze now. When an aghast Nel protests this since the actual gate to Las Noches is only a three-day walk from here, Ichigo points out that they cannot walk in through the front door since they are not just visiting a friend here and Renji asserts that they do not have three days. Thanking Nel for bringing them here, Ichigo cautions her that staying with them any longer will make the other Arrancar think she has betrayed them and bids her farewell.

However, when Ichigo runs into the hole in the wall with his friends, Nel begins frantically running after him despite Pesche and Dondochakka's protests and tells Ichigo that they became traitors the moment Runuganga found them, with Aizen potentially having known even before that, meaning that either the latter will never forgive them or the Espada will not, such that they will be killed if Ichigo does not bring them along. With Nel threatening to cry if he does not take them and insulting several aspects of his person, an irritated Ichigo tells her to stop crying and contests her insults while his nonplussed friends watch.

Shortly afterward, Ichigo runs through the makeshift passage with his friends and complains about the thickness of the wall making the tunnel so long and the darkness of the area preventing him from seeing anything, which prompts a smirking Renji to confidently declare that he will take care of this. Though Ichigo questions what he could do, Renji explains that Kidō can do some amazing things with a little creativity and uses '''Hadō #31. Shakkahō''' with the intention of creating a large light source, only to end up creating a tiny sphere of red light in his palm. With Uryū commenting on how Renji made an incredibly small and weak light source after acting like he was about to show off, Rukia berating him for attempting an Eishōhaki he has not mastered yet, and Ichigo claiming that Renji's red hair will light their way like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Renji angrily tells them all to shut up.

Some time later, the group exits the passageway into a room that is initially dark, only for five torches above five separate exits to suddenly light up, revealing the room to be a crossroads. After observing it really is time to say goodbye to Nel, a sweating Ichigo notes she could not handle the Reiatsu beyond this point, to her concern. When Uryū assumes they will try each path as a group, Rukia asserts they should each take a different path, leading Ichigo to contest the idea of dividing their forces because there is no guarantee the Espada will come after them individually.

In turn, Renji stands between them and explains to Ichigo that it is insulting to a warrior for someone to worry about their welfare. With Ichigo stunned by this, Rukia deduces Ichigo wants them to stay together because he is worried about her and reminds him that he does not need to worry about her since she did not come here to be protected by him. Once Ichigo accepts this and agrees they should all take separate paths, Renji announces they will perform a charm before they leave and details to a confused Ichigo how this is an old tradition which the Gotei 13 used to perform before major battles. Having everyone hold out their hands, Renji proclaims their blades will not shatter and their hearts will not weaken as they approach the crucial battleground before concluding that their iron hearts will remain together though their paths diverge and that they will come back here alive even if the land itself should break asunder, prompting Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Uryū, and Renji to split up into each of the five exits.

Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka are left standing in the chamber behind the departing group. As Pesche wonders what they should do next and Dondochakka observes that they are already in trouble no matter what, Nel runs toward the hallway that Ichigo entered, and when Pesche questions where she is going, Nel reveals that she is following Ichigo because she had a lot of fun coming here and wants to have more fun by staying with him before entering the hallway and leaving Pesche and Dondochakka to decide to follow her as well after a moment's hesitation, only to realize that they do not know which one she entered.

Orihime's Resolve
Meanwhile, in the hallway leading to Orihime's room, Ulquiorra steps out and recalls Orihime only hesitating for an instant prior to asserting that her heart and spirit are dedicated to Aizen without questioning the request, which he considers brave. Suddenly, a grinning Nnoitra leans against the wall behind Ulquiorra and inquires about how their pet is doing. After Nnoitra brings up Aizen putting him in charge of Orihime and suggests that Ulquiorra could have some fun with her, a disgusted Ulquiorra begins walking away, but Nnoitra moves in front of Ulquiorra with Sonído and slams his hand into the wall as he claims that he was not trying to anger Ulquiorra and simply wanted to know if things are going well.

However, Ulquiorra wonders if he is curious or frightened, to Nnoitra's confusion, and moves past the latter while noting that Orihime was under Aizen's power long before she entered Las Noches. When Nnoitra assumes Aizen used Kyōka Suigetsu, Ulquiorra asserts that there was no need for this and reveals that they put Orihime in a multi-layered mental cage upon ordering her to come to Las Noches by telling her that her friends would die if she resisted in any way, giving her a twelve-hour grace period, and permitting her to say a silent and invisible goodbye to just one of her friends, though Nnoitra scoffs at the idea of this mentally entrapping Orihime.

Ulquiorra elaborates that giving Orihime a reprieve when she was in a state of terror and letting her bid farewell to a friend led her to falsely believe they were sympathetic to her, which weakened her will, with the grace period actually being a deception to confuse her faculties because allowing her to choose who to say goodbye to created the illusion that she was acting of her own free will instead of being abducted and letting her return to the rendezvous point on her own deeply ingrained the illusion in her mind, destroying her will to escape. With Nnoitra musing on this, Ulquiorra observes a trace of Orihime's presence was left on the friend she said goodbye to.

In response to Nnoitra presuming this was a mistake, Ulquiorra reveals this trace proved she had freedom of movement and thought until her departure, which caused her actions to appear to be a voluntary betrayal of her friends. Admitting he does not know if this was a complete success, Ulquiorra concludes Soul Society has definitely abandoned Orihime by now. Nnoitra expresses admiration of Aizen's genius at undergoing such painstaking planning, but Ulquiorra counters that this was simply a game to Aizen and it would not have mattered if the plan did not work prior to asserting Orihime does not have the will to attempt an escape or even resent the Arrancar.

Simultaneously, on the couch in her room, Orihime sits and recalls her prior meeting with Aizen, where he had shown her the Hōgyoku as a display of trust and requested that she use her unique powers of phenomena rejection and destruction to help him, angering Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia with his preferential treatment of Orihime in the process. Orihime dismisses the idea of Aizen showing her the Hōgyoku because he trusts her, only to note that she now knows where it is and what her powers are as she recalls Aizen describing it as a rejection of events and the complete destruction of phenomena. Thanking Ichigo for coming to save her, Orihime concludes that she has figured out what she has to do her and that it is something only she can do before resolving to use her powers to destroy the Hōgyoku. With Aizen smirking while sitting in a chair, Ichigo runs down a corridor as someone steps out behind him.

Aftermath
Meanwhile, in the hallway his exit led to, Ichigo is joined by Nel and soon confronted by Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio. Though the latter's bumbling, eccentric nature and three-digit Arrancar number leads Ichigo to believe that he is weak, Dordoni proves himself to be much more formidable than anticipated by casually countering a Getsuga Tenshō and revealing that he is a Privaron Espada demoted from the Espada themselves. With Ichigo being soundly overwhelmed by Dordoni and refusing to activate his Bankai, Uryū is attacked by Cirucci Sanderwicci and Sado enters the domain of Gantenbainne Mosqueda.