Arrancar Invasion

The  is a major conflict revolving around Ichigo Kurosaki and the Gotei 13's first encounters with completed Arrancar, created by Sōsuke Aizen using the Hōgyoku.

The conflict begins after Ichigo and his friends return to Karakura Town from Soul Society and attempt to resume their lives, only for the mysterious Shinji Hirako to invite Ichigo to join the Visored while incomplete Arrancar in the form of Grand Fisher and The Menos Grande attack his friends; this results in Isshin Kurosaki revealing that he is a powerful Shinigami and Ryūken Ishida proving that he is the true Last Quincy while intervening.

Shortly afterward, Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo, two completed Arrancar, are sent to Karakura Town to gauge Ichigo's power level, with Yammy viciously brutalizing Ichigo and his friends until Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin save them. Though the Gotei 13 sends a Shinigami Strike Force including Rukia Kuchiki to assist Ichigo, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his Fracción attempt to kill everyone in Karakura Town with any trace of Reiatsu, forcing Ichigo and his friends into another battle that ends with Ichigo losing once more and realizing he needs help in controlling Zangetsu. With Ichigo going to the Visored for assistance, his friends begin their own training with different individuals for the next month.

The conflict ends when Ulquiorra enacts a third invasion with multiple other Espada as a distraction while he corners Orihime Inoue and threatens to kill her friends unless she joins the Arrancar, which she has no choice but to accept. Healed from his second battle with Grimmjow by Orihime as her parting gift, Ichigo is able to prove that she is still alive and was not killed by the Arrancar, but is forbidden alongside the Shinigami Strike Force from rescuing her by Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who declares that she has betrayed them. Despite this, Ichigo receives assistance from Urahara in covertly entering Hueco Mundo, and along with Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida, he sets out to rescue Orihime from the Arrancar.

Prelude
After returning to Karakura Town and his life as a student, Ichigo Kurosaki returns to Karakura High School and reunites with his friends, with him, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida having grown close during the events of the Ryoka Invasion. With Tatsuki Arisawa somehow able to see his Substitute Shinigami Badge, Ichigo receives his first Hollow alert from it during class and easily dispatches the Hollow, but while discussing Uryū's status with Orihime and Sado afterward, Ichigo is observed from above by an upside-down Shinji Hirako.

Confirming from observation that Uryū has lost his Quincy powers, Ichigo is left musing on what happened while Shinji joins his class as a student seated next to him. That night, Ichigo responds to another Hollow alert, but is confronted and attacked by Shinji, who reveals that he also wields a Zanpakutō. Simultaneously, in other parts of Karakura Town, Uryū is confronted by a modified Menos Grande and Kon, in Ichigo's body, is stalked by a far more humanoid Grand Fisher.

With Uryū and Kon being attacked and Kisuke Urahara monitoring the events from the Urahara Shop, Shinji reveals he can form a Hollow mask like Ichigo's at will and identifies himself as a Visored before inviting Ichigo to join his group for the upcoming battle. During this, Uryū does his best to fight off the Menos Grande without any spiritual powers by making use of Gikon and other items, but the Menos Grande reveals it is actually two entities that can split apart and overwhelms Uryū, only for the latter to be saved by the arrival of his father, Ryūken Ishida.

Effortlessly dispatching both halves of the Menos Grande, Ryūken reveals that he not only has Quincy powers far surpassing Uryū's, but that he is the true Last Quincy as the inheritor of Sōken Ishida's power and skills, and offers to restore Uryū's powers in return for the latter promising to never work with the Shinigami again. Meanwhile, Kon is quickly overpowered by Grand Fisher, who believes he is Ichigo, but is saved from a lethal blow by a barrier produced by the charm that Isshin Kurosaki sewed to Ichigo's shirt as the latter arrives and reveals that he is a Shinigami.

Upon noticing Isshin's incredible Reiatsu alongside Shinji, Ichigo abandons his confrontation with the latter and refuses to join the Visored due to identifying as a Shinigami. During this, Isshin explains that he has always known when Kon was replacing Ichigo and created the charm in order to protect him as Grand Fisher realizes that Ichigo's father being a Shinigami makes him a true blood. With Grand Fisher revealing his true form and massive Zanpakutō, Isshin identifies him as an Arrancar, a Hollow who removes their mask in order to gain Shinigami powers, and challenges him to a duel that swiftly ends with Isshin effortlessly cutting Grand Fisher in two with Agitowari.

In the aftermath of Grand Fisher's defeat, Isshin is joined by Urahara, who reveals that he has known Isshin for the past two decades and was involved in his Shinigami powers returning. After noting that Ichigo has been contacted by the Visored, Isshin informs Urahara that Grand Fisher was an Arrancar much more powerful than any the Gotei 13 had encountered before and that Sōsuke Aizen must be behind their evolution, with the Hōgyoku providing the power boost for new Arrancar. With Isshin and Urahara concluding that a war against the Arrancar is imminent, the Gotei 13 captains assemble for a meeting.

At school the next day, Ichigo and Uryū ruminate on the offers they received last night, and when Shinji gets into an argument with his friends over his behavior toward Orihime, Ichigo drags him outside and demands to know why he is still here despite his offer being rejected, but Shinji promises to continue until Ichigo accepts because his inner Hollow poses a huge risk to his friends and family. On his walk home, Shinji is confronted by Hiyori Sarugaki over his failure to recruit Ichigo before the two are met by Orihime and Sado, who wish to know who they are. Around the same time, Uryū accepts Ryūken's offer.

When Hiyori attempts to kill Orihime and Sado rather than explain who she and Shinji are to them, Shinji carries her off and promises that they only have to wait a little longer to get what they want. Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki Clinic, a depressed Ichigo ignores Isshin's usual antics and goes to his room, where he anxiously ponders Zangetsu getting closer to consuming and taking him over by the second and wonders what to do about it. Suddenly, Karin Kurosaki enters his room and reveals that she knows he is a Shinigami while the SRDI detects the arrival of Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo in Karakura Town.

Upon sensing the arrival of the two Arrancar alongside his friends, Ichigo is forced to leave Karin in his room so he can respond to the threat while the Gotei 13 realizes that Ulquiorra and Yammy are fully-developed, unlike Grand Fisher and the Menos Grande. In the park he and Ulquiorra crashed down into, Yammy sucks the Souls out of hundreds of people with Gonzui out of annoyance for being stared at, but Tatsuki manages to survive despite being only meters away, though she is left exhausted. When Yammy attempts to finish her off with a kick after learning that she is not the person they are searching for, Sado intervenes and shields her by catching Yammy's foot with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante. Despite agreeing with Sado to take Tatsuki away like they discussed, Orihime doubles back in shock and concern upon seeing that Yammy has ripped off Sado's entire right arm.

Having decided with Sado before they reached the park that she would focus on rescuing people while he focused on fighting since he cannot heal others, Orihime realizes that he did so in order to protect her and gains the resolve to block Yammy's attack on her as well with Santen Kesshun before setting up Sōten Kisshun to restore Sado's arm, intriguing Ulquiorra. However, when Orihime attempts to counterattack with Koten Zanshun, Yammy effortlessly blocks and destroys Tsubaki prior to attempting to kill her. Suddenly, Ichigo appears between them while blocking Yammy's hand with his Shikai, Zangetsu, and apologizes to Orihime as he activates his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu.

With Orihime intimidated by the new sensation of Ichigo's Reiatsu, Yammy learns that Ichigo is the one they were sent to find and enthusiastically attacks him, only for Ichigo to casually block his punch and deduce that he is the one who ripped off Sado's arm prior to cutting off Yammy's own right arm near the shoulder in retribution, leaving Ulquiorra surprised by his development while he continues to wound Yammy. Despite this, when Yammy begins drawing his Zanpakutō, Ichigo's bewilderment at him and Ulquiorra having broken masks and Zanpakutō like he and Shinji do leads to Zangetsu resurfacing in his mind, distracting him long enough for Yammy to brutally beat him down and send Orihime flying with a backhand to the head when she attempts to intervene. Before Yammy can kill Ichigo, Urahara appears between them with Yoruichi Shihōin and blocks his punch with Chikasumi no Tate.

Yammy assumes that Urahara and Yoruichi are simply two more bugs to squash, but Yoruichi quickly dispels this by slamming him headfirst into the dirt, kicking him hard in the face, and punching him into the ground hard enough to crater it. Though Yammy survives this and angrily fires a point-blank Cero at Yoruichi and Orihime, whom she is tending to, the blast is neutralized by Urahara countering it with a Nake, Benihime, which he fires again at a stunned Yammy. Suddenly, Ulquiorra cuts through the Nake, Benihime with his hand, jabs his hand into Yammy's gut to punish him for being so foolhardy, and opens a Garganta so they can return to Hueco Mundo and report to Aizen that the Shinigami he had been interested in is too weak to even be worth killing.

Early Stages
The next day, Yoruichi finishes recovering from the battle by consuming large amounts of food at the Urahara Shop and explains to Urahara that Yammy's Hierro being strong enough to hurt her during her attacks indicates that the Arrancar are much stronger than they anticipated. Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, Orihime is left heavily bandaged by the encounter, with Ichigo feeling guilty over her injuries despite her assurances. However, Ichigo is astonished when 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa arrive, and after learning that they have been sent to assist him against the Arrancar, Ichigo is reunited with Rukia Kuchiki.

Rukia immediately launches off the windowsill she hoisted herself onto to kick Ichigo back, slap him twice in the face, and pull his Shinigami form out of his body with her Gokon Tekkō and out of the classroom, leaving the other Shinigami to observe that this is exactly how they expected the reunion to go. Elsewhere, at Rukia's instruction, Ichigo tracks down a Hollow and is kicked down to fight it, though he is too unfocused to defend himself against it and begins dodging its attacks. Upon seeing this, Rukia criticizes him for letting the defeats of Sado and Orihime affect him like this and reveals that she knows about his inner Hollow, leaving Ichigo shocked, prior to concluding that he should become stronger in order to overcome his problems, which allows Ichigo to regain his resolve and purify the Hollow.

After an encounter with Keigo Asano that leaves him incapacitated by a backhand strike from her when he attempts to grope her, the Shinigami Strike Force leaves Karakura High School as Ichigo brings Rukia back to the Kurosaki Clinic, where she reunites with an overjoyed Kon. Chasing off Isshin and Yuzu Kurosaki as they attempt to eavesdrop on him, Ichigo is met by Renji, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika popping out of the attic through his ceiling light and is informed of the nature of the Arrancar, as well as the Strike Force being assembled due to completed Arrancar appearing sooner than expected. Following this, Hitsugaya reveals that there are three classes of Menos, with the Gillian that Ichigo fought prior to entering Soul Society being the weakest and the Vasto Lordes being the strongest, and warns him that Aizen assembling ten or more Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar would doom Soul Society.

Simultaneously, Ulquiorra returns to Las Noches alongside Yammy and shares his memories of the encounter with Aizen and his fellow Arrancar, including Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who berates him for leaving Ichigo alive to potentially threaten them another day, though Ulquiorra promises to deal with him if this occurs. Back in Karakura Town, the Shinigami Strike Force splits up to find places to stay across town, with Hitsugaya and Rangiku going to Orihime's apartment while Renji heads to the Urahara Shop and Rukia stays at the Kurosaki Clinic, but as night begins to fall, Grimmjow appears in a Garganta above the city.

While Rukia convinces Isshin and Yuzu to let her stay with an elaborate and tragic backstory, Rangiku thanks Orihime for letting her stay at the latter's apartment despite Hitsugaya choosing to stay on the roof instead and takes a bath inside. Sitting outside the bathroom, Orihime responds to Rangiku inquiring about her melancholy demeanor by tearfully admitting that she is jealous of Orihime for being able to cheer up Ichigo so easily and that she hates feeling this way about someone she loves. However, Rangiku assures her that she is being mature by confronting her feelings instead of running away from them and that Ichigo needs both her and Ichigo, to Orihime's relief. Meanwhile, Grimmjow and his Fracción use Pesquisa to detect everyone with substantial Reiatsu across Karakura Town and prepare to kill them all.

With Rukia nonplussed about being roomed with Karin and Yuzu instead of in Ichigo's closet, Renji waiting patiently outside the Urahara Shop to meet Urahara himself, Ikkaku and Yumichika discussing the impossibility of the onigiri they bought being mass-produced so quickly, and Orihime enjoying her cooking with Rangiku, Grimmjow orders his Fracción to not let any of their targets escape before they leap out across Karakura Town, immediately alerting Ichigo and the Shinigami. As Rukia realizes what they are planning and that Sado is one of the targets, Ikkaku and Yumichika move out while Hitsugaya and Rangiku are confronted by Shawlong Koufang and Nakeem Grindina. Elsewhere, Sado is attacked by Di Roy Rinker, but Ichigo intercepts the latter's hand mid-jab as Edrad Liones and Yylfordt Granz confront Ikkaku and Renji.

Realizing that he would have died without Ichigo's intervention, Sado is told to let Ichigo handle this and runs off while wondering if he and Ichigo can ever fight side-by-side again. Simultaneously, as Ichigo prepares to battle Di Roy, Rukia steps in and swallows a Chappy pill to reveal that she has regained her Shinigami powers from living in the Reishi-dense Soul Society. With Chappy restraining Ichigo, Di Roy attacks Rukia while she is talking to him and declines to learn her name, prompting Rukia to ask him to remember the name of her sword and initiate Some no mai, Tsukishiro. Though Di Roy attempts to escape it by leaping into the air, Rukia freezes him solid in a pillar of ice, which shatters behind her.

Once Rukia returns to her and Ichigo, Chappy explains that Rukia's Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, is considered the most beautiful Zanpakutō in all of Soul Society and that she has the skill to become a seated officer, though 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki has worked behind the scenes to prevent her from doing so because it is a dangerous position. Suddenly, Grimmjow confronts them both, intimidating them with his powerful Reiatsu, while his remaining Fracción sense Di Roy's death and disparage him for being so weak. Elsewhere, as Keigo goes out to buy drinks for Mizuho Asano, Ikkaku is sent crashing through a nearby wall by Edrad, recognizes Keigo from Karakura High School, and strikes a deal to save him from Edrad in exchange for being allowed to stay at Keigo's house alongside Yumichika. When Edrad declines to introduce himself, Ikkaku chastises him for this and does so himself instead. Ikkaku and Edrad proceed to battle fiercely, with Ikkaku attempting to force Edrad to release his Zanpakutō and Edrad becoming astonished by Ikkaku's dangerous style of fighting. After Ikkaku succeeds in wounding him, Edrad reveals that an Arrancar's Zanpakutō release returns them to their true form and activates his Resurrección, Volcánica.

During this, Rukia is alarmed by Grimmjow's powerful Reiatsu and attempts to warn Ichigo against fighting him, but Grimmjow immediately impales her on his hand and deduces that she is not the stronger of the two of them, causing Ichigo to attack him in rage. Back at Ikkaku's location, Edrad elaborates that Volcánica is the true form of his power and unleashes a blazing fire-infused punch that sends Ikkaku hurtling down the street, which leads Yumichika to contact the SRDI and request a spatial freeze as well as a company funeral for Ikkaku. With Edrad continuing to brutalize Ikkaku and reveling in how much stronger he has become, Ikkaku releases his Shikai, Hōzukimaru, only for Edrad to quickly break through it and punch Ikkaku into the ground. However, Ikkaku manages to withstand a finishing blow from Edrad and activates his Bankai.

As its activation creates a large tornado, Ikkaku stands with his Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, a set of three oversized blades, which Edrad claims to be impressed by. However, Ikkaku counters that his Reiatsu is not high enough to be impressive yet and resumes his battle with Edrad, where he easily cuts through the latter's Hierro with his blades, allowing a startled Edrad to determine that Ryūmon Hōzukimaru focuses entirely on offensive power and prepare to match it with his own. After spinning Ryūmon Hōzukimaru around to fill up the dragon gauge on the side of the main blade and reach its maximum power, Ikkaku invites Edrad to finish this, and the two clash in an explosion of flame and Reiatsu.

In the aftermath of their clash, Ikkaku spits up blood and falls to the ground below, leaving Edrad to admit that he is glad he learned Ikkaku's name and die from the massive hole left in his body. On the ground, Ikkaku recalls his first meeting with 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki in the slums of the Rukongai and his refusal to become a captain at Renji's behest before Yumichika finds him. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya is left struggling against Shawlong despite using his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, and Rangiku is seemingly incapacitated by Nakeem as Yylfordt easily overpowers Renji. Suddenly, the Reiatsu of the Arrancar triggers Ururu Tsumugiya's Slaughter Mode, causing her to violently attack Yylfordt and leading him to activate his own Resurrección, Del Toro, and impale her on his horn.

When Yylfordt flippantly throws Ururu off his horn, Jinta catches her and attacks him in rage, but fails to do any damage, forcing Renji to shield Jinta with his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, when Yylfordt attacks him in turn, though Yylfordt easily smashes through the bone segment and spears Renji as well. Elsewhere, Hitsugaya continues attacking Shawlong, only for the latter to remain unharmed by the ice encasing him and assume that the petals floating behind Hitsugaya represent how much more time he can maintain Daiguren Hyōrinmaru for, due to Hitsugaya's young age and inexperience preventing him from maintaining a Bankai that requires a huge amount of energy for an extended period of time. After deciding to show Hitsugaya the respect he deserves as a captain rather than wait for his Bankai to disappear, Shawlong activates his Resurrección, Tijereta, and rapidly slashes Hitsugaya across the chest with his claws, drawing a large amount of blood in the process.

With Shawlong easily cutting through one of his wings as well, Hitsugaya inquires about whether him being Arrancar #11. means that he is the eleventh strongest Arrancar overall, prompting Shawlong to detail how Arrancar are numbered according to the order of their birth with the exception of the Espada, who are number according to their strength, and reveal that Grimmjow is the sixth Espada. As Grimmjow forces Ichigo to use his Bankai as well, Rangiku receives authorization from the SRDI for her, Hitsugaya, and Renji to perform Gentei Kaijo, which they all do simultaneously once Rangiku relays the news to Hitsugaya and Renji, causing their Reiatsu to suddenly skyrocket in intensity and volume.

Renji, Hitsugaya, and Rangiku explain to their opponents, who have been damaged by their Reiatsu increases, that captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 are required to wear a Gentei Reīn on their bodies when traveling to the Human World so as to not adversely effect the Souls and Humans around them, causing their power to quintuple when the restriction is lifted with Gentei Kaijo. As Renji easily takes off Yylfordt's left arm with Hihiō Zabimaru and Rangiku effortlessly outmaneuvers Nakeem's Sonído with her own Shunpo while slashing through his left side, a panicking Shawlong orders them both to retreat, but Hitsugaya refuses to let him escape and pursues Shawlong to freeze and shatter him with Ryūsenka as Rangiku kills Nakeem with her Shikai, Haineko, and Renji blasts Yylfordt with Hikotsu Taihō.

Following this, Hitsugaya collapses in a shower of blood, leading a concerned Rangiku to beg Orihime to come up and heal him, and Renji is forced to seal Hihiō Zabimaru while mentally admitting that he might not have been able to win had Yylfordt fought seriously from the beginning or not hesitated over the Gentei Kaijo. Simultaneously, Grimmjow casually dodges Ichigo's attacks and grabs his sword by the blade to throw him down the street, only to be briefly startled when Ichigo manages to evade one of his attacks as well. After brutally overwhelming Ichigo's defense and kicking him into the street below, Grimmjow mocks him for only gaining average speed from his Bankai, but is shocked when the dust clears to reveal Ichigo charging and firing a black Getsuga Tenshō that Grimmjow is forced to block with his arms, leaving a long gash running down his arms and chest as Kaname Tōsen arrives.

A pleased Grimmjow decides that Ichigo is worth killing now, and with Ichigo struggling to keep Zangetsu from taking control due to the black Getsuga Tenshō emboldening him every time it is used and cursing the fact that it did not wound Grimmjow deeply enough, Grimmjow begins to draw his own Zanpakutō, only for Tōsen to suddenly appear and declare that he is taking Grimmjow back to Hueco Mundo for punishment due to Aizen being displeased with him mobilizing and losing five Arrancar to invade the Human World without permission, which Grimmjow grudgingly agrees to. Though Ichigo protests this, Grimmjow points out that Tōsen just saved his life since Ichigo obviously cannot use the black Getsuga Tenshō more than three additional times and could not possibly defeat him in his released state prior to promising that Ichigo will die the next time he hears Grimmjow's name as the Garganta closes behind him.

Keigo return to his apartment with Yumichika and a heavily wounded Ikkaku, and despite his expectations, Mizuho happily welcomes them to stay in their apartment for as long as they want to since she is attracted to men who shave their heads, with Ikkaku sternly correcting Keigo when he tries to tell Mizuho that Ikkaku is actually bald. As Tessai Tsukabishi works to heal Ururu with Kaidō and Orihime heals Rukia with Sōten Kisshun, Grimmjow is brought before Aizen in the latter's throne room by Tōsen, where Aizen claims to not be angry because he believes that Grimmjow's actions were an overzealous display of loyalty. When Grimmjow interprets Tōsen's desire to punish him as hiding a personal grudge behind the cause of justice, Tōsen asserts that killing with purpose is justice and cuts off Grimmjow's left arm before incinerating it with '''Hadō #54. Haien'''. After Gin Ichimaru accuses him of knowing this would happen, Aizen assures him five Gillians dying does not affect their plan.

Middle Stages
During this, from within the Study Chamber beneath Karakura Hospital, Uryū senses that the enemy has left Karakura Town prior to dodging another Heilig Pfeil from Ryūken and demanding to know whether this training will actually restore his powers, prompting Ryūken to promise that it will if Uryū survives and continue his assault. Outside, once Rukia is healed, she suggests that Ichigo seek out Urahara's help for controlling his inner Hollow, but Ichigo reminds her that Urahara would have done something already if he could help and refuses to burden Urahara with more of his problems. The next day, after leaving his home early and visiting the site that Ulquiorra and Yammy crashed down into, Ichigo decides that it cannot go on like this any longer. With Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, and Uryū staying absent from school, Hitsugaya reveals to Rangiku that they were struggling against Gillians and thus cannot take the Arrancar lightly, to her shock. As Jinta celebrates Ururu's recovery outside the Urahara Shop, Sado visits Urahara and begs the latter to train him, leaving Urahara speechless. Meanwhile, Ichigo tracks down a warehouse and enters it to find Shinji and the other Visored, where Shinji deduces he has finally decided to join them.

Despite this, Ichigo proclaims that he is actually here to force the Visored to help him control his inner Hollow, and when Shinji scoffs at this, Ichigo enters his Shinigami form and begins clashing with Shinji across the warehouse as the other Visored watch and comment on how their battle does not seem to be too serious, since Ichigo is holding back out of fear of his inner Hollow surfacing. Annoyed by Shinji's tactics, Hiyori sends him flying out of the warehouse with Super Harisen Slipper and explains to Ichigo that they will be the ones to decide whether or not Ichigo can join them prior to donning her own Hollow mask to force Ichigo to do the same.

After brushing off the protests of her fellow Visored, Hiyori proceeds to attack Ichigo several times, wounding him in the process, and suggests that he bring out his inner Hollow and perform Bankai if he does not want to die, which Ichigo refuses to do. Though Ichigo attempts to figure out how Hiyori is controlling her own inner Hollow from sight alone while she continues to attack him, she eventually wounds him grievously enough that he loses consciousness, allowing Zangetsu to manifest and immediately begin strangling Hiyori after overpowering her. Suddenly, the other Visored pin down Zangetsu and Shinji breaks his mask, which causes Ichigo to regain control of his body as Shinji accepts him into the Visored.

That night, at the Kurosaki Clinic, a crying Yuzu declares that Ichigo is never coming home. After sadly informing Yuzu that she was not able to find Ichigo in town, Rukia stands on the roof and wonders where he is since she cannot detect his Reiatsu. The next day, an unimpressed Ichigo uses the Super Trainer in the Visored warehouse as the other Visored sit around and talk to each other until he grows frustrated and hurls the machine at Hiyori, who intercepts it by pulling Shinji's head into its path. Arguing with Hiyori over the efficacy of using the Super Trainer, Ichigo reveals that he knows it is designed to drain his Reiryoku to test his limits and promises that he could use it for a week, only for Shinji to berate him for acting as though he fully understands the situation and knock him out with Tanma Otoshi to begin his proper training.

Once the Visored are inside their Study Chamber, Shinji has Hachigen Ushōda erect Hachigyō Sōgai around the warehouse, set up a box-shaped barrier around Ichigo, and pin Ichigo's unconscious body underneath '''Bakudō #58. Gochūtekkan'''. Simultaneously, in his inner world, Ichigo confronts Zangetsu, who greets him as the king and reveals his own color-inverted version of Zangetsu while proclaiming that he has become the dominant part of Ichigo's powers and attacking Ichigo. As Zangetsu gains control of Ichigo's body in the real world, he matches Ichigo's Bankai stance and prepares to activate his own in Ichigo's inner world.

With Zangetsu gaining his own color-inverted version of Tensa Zangetsu and revealing that he gained his Bankai at the same time Ichigo did, Ichigo fires a Getsuga Tenshō at him, but Zangetsu simply cuts through it with his hand and clashes with Ichigo before firing his own Getsuga Tenshō. In the real world, Kensei Muguruma takes over the fight against Zangetsu from Lisa Yadōmaru with his Shikai, Tachikaze, while Shinji warns Ichigo that the Visored will have to kill him if he does not gain control of his inner Hollow soon. Back in his inner world, Ichigo has his sword grabbed and dissolved by Zangetsu, who asserts that he is simply a child trying to copy the master when using his Bankai.

In the real world, Kensei continues battling Zangetsu and blows his left arm off with Bakudantsuki, but is startled when a giant worm bursts out of the stump and attacks him. Once Kensei destroys the worm, Zangetsu emerges with a regenerated and Hollow-like left arm, slightly unnerving him as Lisa notes that Ichigo will run out of time once she rotates in to fight Zangetsu again. Back in Ichigo's inner world, Zangetsu lectures him on how a killer instinct is what establishes otherwise identical beings as superior to each other, with Ichigo's lack of this element preventing him from ever defeating Zangetsu, and impales Ichigo on his sword. While Zangetsu refuses to ever be the horse of a king who is weaker than he is, Ichigo's thought process leads him to grab the sword impaling him by the blade, causing it to turn black.

In his mind, Ichigo meets a mental manifestation of Kenpachi, who begins attacking him and tells Ichigo that they both seek battle because they seek power, with the two being forever intertwined, meaning that his only path forward is to take his sword and slay his enemy. Back in his inner world, Ichigo turns the sword completely black, pulls out it out of his abdomen, and impales Zangetsu on it, causing blackness to burst out of the wound and begin disintegrating Zangetsu, who decides to let Ichigo rule for now and promises to crush him if he ever slips up.

Meanwhile, with Love Aikawa battling him in the real world, Zangetsu has almost completely Hollowfied Ichigo's body, complete with a large tail and mane of hair, and Lisa learns that Ichigo is almost at the time limit before they will have to kill him. Zangetsu begins charging a Cero at the tip of his fingers, causing Love to prepare to don his own Hollow mask, but before Zangetsu can fire it, his body begins cracking apart and glowing with energy, which forces Hachigen to pull Love out just before a screaming Zangetsu explodes. In the aftermath, the Hollowfied husk falls off of Ichigo's body, which is now wearing a Hollow mask and collapses once Hachigen dissolves the barrier. When Shinji asks him how he feels, Ichigo reveals that he is okay and refuses to cede control to Zangetsu ever again. Elsewhere, Orihime ruminates on her friends' absence from school and discovers that Hitsugaya and Rangiku have set up a large monitor in her apartment which connects them to Yamamoto.

Yamamoto reveals that they have discovered Aizen's true objective is to create an Ōken, a key that acts as the only way to access the Soul King Palace and the Soul King himself, whom Aizen intends to kill. However, he clarifies that the more pressing matter is the method used to create an Ōken, which requires 100,000 Souls and a shifting zone known as the Jūreichi which currently comprises Karakura Town, meaning that he will obliterate the area to create the key. With Yamamoto promising that the Gotei 13 will stop him from doing so, an initially frightened Orihime promises to inform Ichigo of this development.

After Orihime leaves, Yamamoto brings out 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori due to her wanting to speak to Hitsugaya, prompting Rangiku to quietly step out. Apologizing to Hitsugaya for raising her sword against him, Hinamori asks him if he intends to kill Aizen and begins claiming that Aizen must have been forced to commit atrocities prior to Yamamoto rendering her unconscious with Inemuri and noting that it was too soon for her to speak to a distraught Hitsugaya. During this, Renji begins training Sado in Urahara's Study Chamber, having agreed to do so in exchange for Urahara answering his questions, and Orihime reaches the lot containing the Visored warehouse.

Observing several animals unconscious avoiding the warehouse, Orihime deduces that there is a barrier surrounding it that blocks the building out of the minds of those who pass by it and discovers that she can pass through it since it is similar to her Santen Kesshun. Down in the Study Chamber below, a sweating Ichigo dons his Hollow mask to defend against a masked Hiyori's Gatling Mad-Stomping, but is only able to maintain it for four seconds before it shatters, which Shinji is unimpressed by. Suddenly, Hachigen senses someone slipping through his barrier and alerts the other Visored to this, only for it to be Orihime, who proceeds to inform Ichigo of what Yamamoto told her about Aizen's plan. Though he admits to having a hard time comprehending the idea of Karakura Town being obliterated, Ichigo promises Orihime that he will stop Aizen, leaving her resolved to grow stronger as well.

Once Orihime departs, the Visored are left wondering who she was while Love brings up her ability to pass through the Hachigyō Sōgai to Hachigen, who theorizes that she possesses a similar type of barrier ability to him that allowed her to enter despite his disbelief that a Human could possess such a power. Outside the Visored warehouse, Yoruichi finds Orihime and reveals that Urahara wants her brought to his Study Chamber. Meanwhile, in the Karakura Hospital Study Chamber, an exhausted Uryū barely manages to shield his fall when knocked off a high platform by using Wolke, which Ryūken calls him a coward for using while he continues unleashing his barrage of Heilig Pfeil. Despite barely being able to move his arms and legs anymore, Uryū believes that Ryūken is nearly out of stamina as well and uses the last of his Gintō to immobilize him in Gritz, only for Ryūken to easily dissolve it and shoot Uryū nineteen millimeters to the right of his heart's sinoatrial node, which he reveals is the only way to restore Quincy powers lost by using the Quincy: Letzt Stil.

During this, with Yumichika laughing hysterically at Ikkaku wearing gaudy clothes given to him by Mizuho, Rangiku joins them in the apartment and is left confused by Ikkaku going along with what Mizuho wants since she constantly complains to Orihime about her living conditions. When Keigo comes home and attempts to grope her again, Rangiku kicks him in the face again, leaving Ikkaku to suggest that she leave after doing what she came here to do. In the Study Chamber beneath the Urahara Shop, Orihime witnesses Sado training with Renji and refusing to stop for the day as Urahara brings up the news about the Ōken, which he learned from Rangiku, and informs Orihime that he will not be allowing her to participate in the upcoming battle due to her sole offensive ability being out of commission. Despite Sado's protests, Orihime accepts Urahara's decision and runs off while in Las Noches, Aizen reviews Ulquiorra's memory of her using Sōten Kisshun and is intrigued by it.

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

End Stages
Over a month later, on October 29th, Yammy finishes having his arm reattached by Roka Paramia and is taken by Ulquiorra to the Arrancarification ceremony of Wonderweiss Margela by Aizen, who briefly awakens the full power of the Hōgyoku for this and tells Ulquiorra to carry out the mission they discussed last month while bringing whoever he wants with him. Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, Ichigo continues training with the Visored, though Shinji observes that his current time limit of eleven seconds for maintaining his Hollow mask is still too little progress. During this, Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika perform Jinzen in one of the parks as Ikkaku notices that the clouds overhead are moving faster.

With Ukitake overseeing Rukia's training with Orihime in the Seireitei and musing on how short-lived this peaceful period will be, a Garganta suddenly opens above the park in Karakura Town to reveal Yammy, Grimmjow, Luppi Antenor, and Wonderweiss. After Luppi brings up his demotion from the rank of Espada, Grimmjow leaves in search of Ichigo as Yammy and Luppi engage the Shinigami below. Simultaneously, in the Visored Study Chamber, Love and Kensei hold down Ichigo so he does not confront the Arrancar, but Shinji has them let him go. Shortly afterward, Ichigo encounters Grimmjow in the air above Karakura Town and to demonstrate just how much he has improved in the month since they last fought.

As the SRDI detects the arrival of the Arrancar in Karakura Town and relays this to the Gotei 13, Ukitake orders Rukia to travel to Karakura Town and assist the rest of the Shinigami Strike Force while Orihime waits for the Dangai to be stabilized so she can travel through it as well. Back in Karakura Town, Ichigo activates his Bankai and dons his Hollow mask, shocking Grimmjow with his increase in Reiatsu, before completely overwhelming the latter and firing a Getsuga Tenshō at point-blank range. In the park, Yammy easily overcomes Hitsugaya's Shikai, Hyōrinmaru, and Luppi decides to fight all of the Shinigami at once as Urahara prepares to head out and confront the Arrancar in Renji and Sado's stead.

Remembering Shawlong's Tijereta, Hitsugaya attempts to prevent Luppi from using his own Resurrección by activating Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, but Luppi succeeds in releasing Trepadora and quickly overwhelms Hitsugaya with the power of his eight tentacles by crushing the latter with Jaula Tentáculo. During this, Ichigo hits a badly wounded Grimmjow with two more Getsuga Tenshō, and after Grimmjow desperately fires a Cero at him, Ichigo succeeds in pushing through it with his sword and prepares to deal the finishing blow. However, Ichigo's mask shatters before he can attack again, allowing a grinning Grimmjow to confirm that the battle is indeed over and slash Ichigo across the chest.

Grimmjow catches up to a falling Ichigo and clashes with him once more as he notes that Ichigo began breathing harder once his mask shattered, which means that he used up most of his power and still failed to win. Meanwhile, Luppi overpowers Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika with La Hélice and is left unimpressed by the experience while a bored Yammy watches and an inquisitive Wonderweiss notices something in the distance. Before Luppi can skewer a restrained Rangiku with Hierro Virgen, Urahara severs the tentacle wrapped around her with Kamisori, Benihime and prepares to engage Luppi directly. Suddenly, Wonderweiss attacks him from behind and is left undeterred by Urahara repelling him with Nake, Benihime. Simultaneously, Orihime enters the Dangai and is joined by two Shinigami escorts, only to almost immediately be confronted by Ulquiorra.

After near-fatally incapacitating the two Shinigami escorts with separate Bala blasts, Ulquiorra watches as Orihime uses Sōten Kisshun to begin healing them and reveals that he is here to bring her back to Hueco Mundo at Aizen's behest, with any noncompliance from her resulting in the death of her friends, before asserting that Orihime only has the option of agreeing to these terms. During this, in Karakura Town, Urahara withstands a Bala from Wonderweiss, only to be caught off-guard by another from Yammy that sends him crashing down to the trees below while Yammy fires several more after him. Disappointed that he will not get to kill Urahara himself, Luppi turns his attention back to Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika, all of whom are restrained by his tentacles, and threatens to maim Rangiku when the latter calls him arrogant for talking so much. Suddenly, Luppi discovers that his back four tentacles are frozen to the ground as Hitsugaya rises up and reveals that he has been using this time to prepare his counterattack before encasing Luppi in ice with Sennen Hyōrō.

Upon noticing Luppi's defeat, Yammy criticizes him for not finishing off the Shinigami fast enough, only to be startled when Urahara appears unharmed behind him and reveals that he used a Portable Gigai to trick Yammy. Negating Yammy's subsequent attempt at firing a Bala with Tsuppane, Benihime, Urahara invites him to finish their battle. Elsewhere, Grimmjow responds to Ichigo failing to resummon his mask by brutally kicking him down the street and taking advantage of his helplessness to shove his own Zanpakutō through Ichigo's wrist into the ground and charge a Cero in front of Ichigo's head. Though Rukia saves Ichigo by encasing Grimmjow in ice with Tsugi no mai, Hakuren, Grimmjow quickly breaks out of this and grabs Rukia's head to begin charging another Cero against it.

Before Grimmjow can kill Rukia, Shinji arrives and blasts Grimmjow's arm off of her head prior to engaging him in combat. Though Grimmjow initially believes that he has the upper hand, Shinji shocks him by donning his own Hollow mask and quickly overpowers Grimmjow with his increased physical strength, culminating in him firing a Cero that Grimmjow only narrowly mitigates the damage of by countering with a Cero of his own at the last second. Further wounded by this, an angered Grimmjow attempts to activate his Resurrección, but Ulquiorra intervenes and extracts him, Luppi, Yammy, and Wonderweiss from across Karakura Town with Negación beams, ending the conflict while belittling Ichigo's new power as meaningless while Orihime is left standing somberly in the Dangai.

That night, Orihime leaves instructions for Hitsugaya and Rangiku to maintain the apartment on her dining room table as the wounds of the Shinigami Strike Force are tended to. With Hachigen unable to fully heal Ichigo, he is left to rest in his bedroom, where a concerned Karin and Yuzu join him to eat dinner and sleep. Later, Orihime enters Ichigo's bedroom by using a special bracelet given to her by Ulquiorra to phase through the window, with her presence being concealed as well. Having been granted permission by Ulquiorra to say goodbye to one person as well, Orihime is overcome by the sensation of finally being in Ichigo's room and nearly kisses him, only stopping herself at the last second and crying over what she was about to do. Orihime muses on how she would have loved to live five separate lives and experience so much more of the world, but confesses that she would have fallen in love with Ichigo every single time and bids him farewell.

Aftermath
The next day, Ichigo and the Shinigami Strike Force learn of Orihime's disappearance, with Ichigo realizing that she had healed his wounds overnight due to her Reiatsu lingering on his wrist. Upon hearing of Orihime visiting Ichigo, Yamamoto determines that she must have defected to the Arrancar, and when Renji proposes going into Hueco Mundo to bring her to justice, Yamamoto refuses to let him do so prior to having Byakuya and Kenpachi appear in a Senkaimon to bring the Strike Force back to Soul Society. Despite Ichigo offering to go to Hueco Mundo without assistance from Soul Society, Yamamoto orders him to stay in Karakura Town since his strength will be needed for the upcoming conflict, leaving Ichigo melancholy.

The following day, Ichigo returns his bandages to the Visored warehouse along with a note thanking them for their help and returns to Karakura High School. When Keigo and Mizuiro Kojima approach him, Ichigo promises to return in time to see Bad Shield 2 with Mizuiro before a haggard Tatsuki confronts him over her current inability to sense Orihime anywhere in town. Though Tatsuki reveals that she knows he is a Shinigami and asks him to explain the situation to her, Ichigo coldly refuses, resulting in Tatsuki punching his head through a window and angrily calling him a jerk for not remembering she is his friend. That night, Ichigo approaches Urahara for help in entering Hueco Mundo, with Urahara having already prepared the method and explaining that he tried to keep Orihime out of the upcoming battle in order to protect her. Joined in the Study Chamber by Sado and Uryū, Ichigo is convinced to let them join him when Sado demonstrates his new level of strength with a punch.

Urahara opens a Garganta with Keikaigi and explains that Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū will need to create their own Reishi pathways in order to reach Hueco Mundo on the other side. After requesting that Urahara tell his family something so that they will not worry about him, Ichigo resolves to apologize to his friends when he returns and leaps into the Garganta alongside Sado and Uryū, with Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro being called out from behind a rock by Urahara while he prepares to do his own work for the upcoming battle as well. Simultaneously, in Las Noches, Orihime is brought before Aizen, who asks her to demonstrate her unique powers by restoring Grimmjow's left arm. Despite Luppi's claim that such a thing is impossible, Orihime successfully restores Grimmjow's arm as Aizen details how her powers allow her to reject any and all phenomena, which lets her trespass on divine territory, and Grimmjow violently kills Luppi to reclaim his rank as the sixth Espada.

In the Garganta, Ichigo and Sado struggle to maintain a Reishi pathway while Uryū does so with ease due to his natural skill at Reishi control. When Sado brings up the deal he made with Ryūken to not work with Shinigami in exchange for having his powers restored, Uryū explains that Ichigo being a Substitute Shinigami who is ignoring an order from Soul Society means that he is currently not working with the Shinigami. Back in the Karakura Hospital Study Chamber, Ryūken is met by Isshin in his Shinigami form and discusses Uryū's decision with him. Meanwhile, in Las Noches, Orihime, Aizen, and the Espada experience a powerful Reiatsu Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū emerge from the Garganta and break into Hueco Mundo.