User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 654 - Deadman Standing/@comment-1268838-20151204030314

Wait, did people actually expect him to be dead? I mean, I can sympathize with those who wish he did. But to be honest, I like this development - I wasn't expecting him to go to Seireitei. It at least gives Izuru(!) something to do. The destruction of Lille's halo seems to have negated his invulnerability, which I find a little interesting. Much earlier in the arc, when Ichigo destroyed Quilge's halo, he noted that it stopped his Sklaverei. Or something along those lines. It's just like Kubo to wait hundreds of chapters before even vaguely explaining (or even naming) something, so maybe there's some kind of connection there.

Anyway, this next fight is bound to be utterly insane, considering the number of combatants alone. With the revelation that Pernida was the Left Hand of the Soul King, and that Lille is apparently the strongest Sternritter (though he's like, the second or third to make that claim), I can only wonder how Gerard will one up them. Here's hoping that we don't get a repeat of what happened with Kensei and Rose. Ugh.