Foundation Stones (episode)

For the chapter of the same name, see Foundation Stones.

Foundation Stones is the three hundred and sixty-eighth episode of the Bleach anime overall and the second episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.

Summary
In Silbern, with Luders Friegen gasping in pain in a pool of blood on the floor in front of him after having had his right arm severed, Yhwach observes that he does not need to strain himself by attempting to sit up since he must be in incredible pain and permits him to give his report while lying down, which Luders thanks him for. However, when Yhwach notes that Luders does not need his legs either if he is not going to sit up, a mortified Luders forces himself up and claims that he would never disrespect Yhwach by talking to him by lying down.

With a petrified Asguiaro Ebern watching this, a smirking Yhwach invites Luders to begin his report. Meanwhile, at the Kurosaki Clinic in Karakura Town, Ryūnosuke Yuki sits around a box of bread with Shino Madarame, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida, where he takes a bite of bread and laments that "he" is late. Upon being asked by Uryū about who he is referring to, Yuki clarifies that he means Ichigo Kurosaki and questions if they should not go help him, but Uryū asserts that there is no need to do so since the enemy's Reiatsu has already vanished and Ichigo would never lose to such an opponent anyway.

After Uryū declares that he would never help Ichigo anyway and Sado counters that he would, Orihime chuckles and explains to a confused Uryū that she appreciates how he and Ichigo have become such good friends, which is what she likes about him, leaving a flustered Uryū to demand that she not tease him like this. Suddenly, Ichigo announces his return and confirms to a pleased Orihime that he is not injured before Yuki's Denreishinki begins ringing, and when he answers it, a startled Yuki informs the others that it is a message for all divisions of the Gotei 13 and puts the Denreishinki on speaker mode so everyone can listen to it.

In the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon stands in front of a transmitter and requests that those he is speaking to listen closely so he does not have to repeat himself prior to detailing how seven unidentified individuals infiltrated Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's office, killing one Shinigami but leaving Yamamoto himself unharmed, while another unidentified individual appeared near Black Ridge Gate where the First Division was standing guard and killed 116 people in just over 3 minutes, with Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe being mortally wounded and dying in Yamamoto's office shortly after.

Yuki and Shino are alarmed by someone who had served under Yamamoto for centuries being killed like this as Akon concludes that the entry and exit routes used by the intruders is unknown and that the Shakonmaku surrounding the Seireitei appears to be undisturbed, which means the invaders have some method of bypassing it. The next day, with his friends having departed and dawn beginning to break, Ichigo sits alone on his bed and somberly looks out the window while Sado jogs along the road, Orihime looks out the window of her own apartment, and Uryū stares at his Quincy Cross on his own bed in silence.

Bluntly admitting that he does not like this, Ichigo decides to patrol the area and departs in his Shinigami form to leap through the air and contemplate the situation. However, Ichigo is interrupted when Nel Tu screams his name and falls toward him from a Garganta high above, leaving Ichigo shocked just before she slams into him with Chōkasoku, resulting in the two of them crashing into a playground below with enough force to crater the ground upon impact. In the aftermath, an aggravated Ichigo sits up and berates Nel for doing this as soon as she sees him again after almost two years of being apart.

Despite this, a weeping Nel begs Ichigo to help her because something terrible has happened in Hueco Mundo, to his astonishment. Back in Silbern, Yhwach picks up on Luders proclaiming that Soul Society would be destroyed in five days, and when Luders explains that this would be enough time for both the Gotei 13 and the Wandenreich to prepare for battle, Yhwach reminds him that this is in the future, which unnerves Luders, and brings up the latter's assessment of Soul Society and the Human World collapsing in the near future if the Hollow population were left unchecked after being sent out to observe the border intensity level.

When Yhwach inquires about whether he is a prophet, a trembling Luders is initially unable to answer him, but eventually confirms that he is not once Yhwach presses him on it, only for Yhwach to assert that he wishes to hear of the present instead of the distant future if Luders cannot accurately predict it prior to blowing the latter's head off in a fountain of blood. With Luders's limp body collapsing, Yhwach turns his attention to Ebern and notes that there is nothing worthy of praise or punishment about him since he kept Ichigo at bay. However, after Ebern thanks him for this, Yhwach tells him to become a foundation for peace and blows his head off as well.

Following this, one of the other messengers questions if a departing Yhwach is okay with disposing of Arrancar soldiers since he previously called them valuable for not requiring combat training, though Yhwach simply shapes the throne he was standing on into a set of stairs that he ascends toward a curtain above him as he proclaims that they can always get more Arrancar because Hueco Mundo is under his control and is simply another foundation stone toward invading Soul Society, which he emphasizes by pulling the curtain aside to reveal a bloodied and defeated Tier Harribel strung up in chains while in her Resurrección, Tiburón.

Back in Karakura Town, Ichigo is left alarmed by Nel claiming that someone has attacked Hueco Mundo and tries to get her to elaborate, but is forced to pull her aside when Pesche Guatiche crashes down next to him as well. Though an upside-down Pesche commends Ichigo for being able to dodge this even though his presence was concealed until the last second and attempts to introduce himself since his torso is stuck in the ground, Ichigo merely stomps on his crotch and identifies Pesche, who groans in pain. Simultaneously, in the Seireitei, the Gotei 13 stands assembled before the crematorium containing Chōjirō's body.

After envisioning Chōjirō kneeling loyally before him once more while standing directly in front of his pyre, Yamamoto orders that the fires be lit. Meanwhile, in the Kurosaki Clinic, Yuzu Kurosaki turns on the oven burner in the kitchen as Karin Kurosaki watches television in the adjoining living room. Above them, in his bedroom, Ichigo stands before Orihime, Sado, and Uryū, whom he has brought to meet with Nel and Pesche, and apologizes for calling them over so early in the day, though Sado assures him that it is fine. With Sado questioning whether Hueco Mundo has truly been attacked by an outside force, Pesche confirms that it has.

Pesche explains that Harribel has ruled Hueco Mundo since the deaths of Coyote Starrk and Baraggan Louisenbairn until the day that the Wandenreich arrived, where they slaughtered dozens of Arrancar and Yhwach left Harribel herself on the verge of death with his overwhelming power, forcing Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka Birstanne to flee from the advancing army at Harribel's behest while Yhwach vanished alongside Harribel in a flash of darkness. With Pesche concluding that they have no idea why Harribel was taken, Nel cries over Harribel's fate, causing Orihime to comfort her, as Sado wonders who the Wandenreich were.

Admitting that he does not know, Pesche reveals that they have taken several Arrancar and abducted Dondochakka as well while he, Nel, and Pesche were trying to escape. After Pesche kneels and begs for Ichigo's help, Sado observes that he does not even need to ask if they will since he knows Ichigo will want to help, which prompts Ichigo to confirm that he cannot just ignore the plight of the Arrancar after what he has heard. Suddenly, Uryū interjects to inform his friends that he cannot accompany them this time, since he cannot help Hollows and Arrancar as a Quincy, but Ichigo accepts this since Quincy exist to destroy Hollows.

Once Ichigo explains that he figured Uryū would respond this way and simply did not want the latter to sulk over not being consulted first, Uryū warns Ichigo to be careful, and when Ichigo promises him that they will manage even without him present, Uryū begins to state that this new enemy might be too dangerous, only to be interrupted when Kisuke Urahara comments on the interesting conversation they are having and offers to arrange a trip to Hueco Mundo while sitting on Ichigo's windowsill. Back in Silbern, as two attendants clean up the blood on the floor, Jugram Haschwalth picks up Ebern's Medallion and brings Yhwach's attention to it.

Haschwalth notes that it seems to have been used, but did not end up functioning properly, which Yhwach is perturbed by. During this, in the Garganta, Ichigo runs along a golden Reishi pathway with his friends and questions how Urahara showed up when he did, leading Urahara to claim that he was hiding outside of Ichigo's window the whole time to wait for the perfect opportunity, though he claims that this was a joke and that he was simply alerted by two Arrancar dropping into Karakura Town alongside Ichigo's earlier battle and the unusual activity in Soul Society before concluding that this is all connected and no longer a joking matter.

With Urahara observing that it is time to exit, several members of the Jagdarmee usher dozens of chained Arrancar in hooded rags along the sands of Hueco Mundo while a Garganta opens in the air above them to release Ichigo and his friends into the air. Despite Nel expressing shock at emerging so high in the air, Ichigo calmly states that it is usually like this with Urahara, who is delighted by Ichigo knowing him so well, and the group falls to the desert below. When one member of the Jagdarmee notes that he heard voices, another points out that the only living things from this location are with them and that they killed everyone else.

As the Jagdarmee members dismiss this and move on, Ichigo hides in the wreckage of a building with his hand over Nel's mouth and his other friends around him, where Sado observes that the Jagdarmee did not notice them and Pesche informs Ichigo that he does not sense Dondochakka's Reiatsu among the captives. Looking out onto the burning sands filled with bodies, Urahara infers that the Jagdarmee did not return because all of the Hollows and Arrancar here are dead, which Orihime affirms after sending Ayame to inspect the mutilated corpses. In response, Pesche asserts that he did not expect anything different from the Wandenreich.

Pesche points out a large blue flame burning on the sands and details how the Wandenreich use highly condensed Reishi to burn away even the rocks and buildings of Hueco Mundo that are otherwise inflammable, which was one of the many unknown powers of the Wandenreich that sent the Arrancar into disarray and left them no choice but to run away. When Ichigo brings up the Arrancar that were taken captive, Pesche theorizes that they will be used in the Wandenreich's advanced guard and have a good chance of ending up like the dead Arrancar before them, which causes Ichigo to decide that they will go rescue the taken Arrancar as well.

Though Pesche points out that Dondochakka is not in this group, Ichigo counters that they will be saving him anyway and that it does not make a difference if they save other Arrancar first, which Pesche admits is true, before leaping away. With Urahara wondering if Ichigo remembers that these Arrancar were his enemies not too long ago, Sado infers that Pesche knew Ichigo would react this way and do something about the plight of the Arrancar prior to Orihime insisting that they do something as well, which Sado agrees with. Watching Orihime and Sado run off after Ichigo, a stunned Pesche declares that they will act as well, to Urahara's concurrence.

Elsewhere, the captive Arrancar are lined up against a wall by the Jagdarmee before their leader, Quilge Opie, who sits on a throne with his head resting on his hand. Among the Arrancar, Loly Aivirrne deduces that Quilge is the one they must take down, and when Menoly Mallia questions if they should really be doing this, Loly counters that they will end up dead anyway if they do nothing. Clicking his heels together, Quilge demands the attention of the captives and announces that they will be hosting a selection competition for the Hollows and Arrancar to determine which of them will live or die today.

Quilge details how he will be stabbing each of the Arrancar in the side, starting from the right end of the line, and instructs them to get down on their knees and beg like they are licking the shoes of the Jagdarmee if they desperately wish to live. With Quilge claiming that the captive Arrancar are those who had the luck, wits, and strength to survive the earlier assault of the Jagdarmee and must not waste this opportunity, a male Arrancar steps forward and begins to ask if he will be spared should he vow to serve the Wandenreich, but Quilge immediately impales him with a spear and proclaims that this is not how it works.

After clarifying that joining the Wandenreich requires an entrance exam and that this selection competition simply determines who will get that chance, Quilge pulls his spear out of the dead Arrancar and begins impaling several others one at a time to illustrate what will happen to those who fail while his subordinates discuss his lack of interest in actually bringing back any Arrancar or even in Hueco Mundo itself. Suddenly, when Quilge stabs his spear at them, Loly and Menoly bring up the chains binding their wrists against the tip of the blade, which shatters them, and Menoly cuts through the spear with her Zanpakutō before holding it to Quilge's chin.

When two of his subordinates approach him in alarm, Quilge merely notes that they took too long to react and is left puzzled by Loly and Menoly still having their Zanpakutō since those were supposed to have all been confiscated. Once Loly and Menoly introduce themselves and claim that they would never be defeated by an underling like him, Quilge manifests his Reishi Sword and cuts through the blade of Menoly's Zanpakutō, throwing two Reishi daggers into Menoly's right shoulder at the same time, before slamming the hilt of his Reishi Sword into the side of Loly's head when she attacks him, incapacitating her.

Walking away, Quilge orders his subordinates to punish Loly and Menoly without killing them, since Yhwach ordered him to bring back any foolish Arrancar with courage and they have passed this test, and ruminates on Sōsuke Aizen not being as great as everyone considers him to be if he had such weak Arrancar as aides, though he admits that this is to be expected since even Harribel was powerless before Yhwach. However, upon hearing the noises of pain behind him growing louder and turning around to reprimand his subordinates for overdoing it, Quilge sees Pulsera Cuerno decapitating dozens of his subordinates and hurtling toward him.

With Quilge wondering who they are, Emilou Apacci stands on a rocky outcropping alongside Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun, where she expresses disbelief at Quilge speaking poorly of Harribel without even knowing who they are. As Apacci disparages Quilge for being clueless, Sung-Sun observes that the Wandenreich seems to have captured Harribel while they were away and Mila Rose admonishes Quilge for getting cocky simply because he defeated two self-proclaimed aides to Aizen, which Quilge smirks at. Miles away, Ichigo moves along the sands and sees a mushroom cloud of smoke rising in the distance, causing him to realize that the fight has begun.

Clinging to the top of Ichigo's head, which he is alarmed by, Nel recognizes the Reiatsu as belonging to the Tres Bestias and explains to Ichigo that they serve directly under Harribel as powerful enforcers who are always trying to kill each other, meaning that the enemy army is as good as dead already. When Nel begins gripping his eyes and screaming about how terrifying the Tres Bestias are, a panicking Ichigo tells her that he cannot see where he is going now. Meanwhile, Apacci sneezes while firing a Cero, causing it to warp and twist around and forcing Mila Rose to leap out of its path before it blows up several members of the Jagdarmee.

Upon landing, Apacci wonders if Mila Rose was talking about her behind her back and casually punches the head off a member of the Jagdarmee who attempts to attack her from behind, causing a large volume of blood to gush out of his neck wound. In response, Mila Rose denies talking about her and tells Apacci to wipe the snot from her nose while brutally cutting down two more members of the Jagdarmee with her Zanpakutō. As Quilge watches this with admiration from his throne, Sung-Sun appears behind him and warns Quilge against getting distracted prior to rapidly attacking him with her own Zanpakutō, though Quilge easily evades her strikes.

Quilge suggests that the Tres Bestias surrender rather than continue to fight, and though Mila Rose comes down on him with an overhead strike that levels the surrounding area while Apacci asserts that he is not as strong as he claims to be, Quilge emerges unharmed from the resulting cloud of sand and elaborates that surrendering to join the Wandenreich will allow the Tres Bestias to serve Yhwach alongside their beloved Harribel, which he believes is a level of happiness that they will never be able to attain otherwise. However, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun all reject this and demand that Quilge stop underestimating them.

In turn, Quilge realizes that his negotiations have fallen through and expresses disappointment at this. Simultaneously, in a captains meeting in the First Division barracks, Akon finishes delivering his report on the incursion to the assembled captains and is dismissed by his captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who steps in to explain that the Ryoka identifying themselves as the Wandenreich are connected to the recent mass disappearance of Hollows in the Human World, which has caused a great imbalance of Souls and could possible mean the destruction of both the Human World and Soul Society itself.

As Mayuri assumes that the captains are astute enough to have already figured out that the only ones able to erase Souls from the cycle of rebirth are Quincy, Ichigo reaches the site of the battle and is shocked to find a grinning Quilge standing over Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun, who lie defeated before him.

Events

 * Rise of the Wandenreich (concluded)
 * Return to Hueco Mundo

Powers and Techniques Used
Hollow Techniques:

Arrancar Techniques:

Zanpakutō released: Shikai:

Spirit Weapons:
 * Reishi Sword

Resurrección released:

Other Powers:

Anime Notes
Removed Content= Added/Expanded Content= Changes=
 * Akon noting that the number of intruders present at the Black Ridge Gate is unknown due to all witnesses being killed, though Reiatsu measurements indicate a high probability that only one intruder was present.
 * Uryū Ishida noting to Ichigo Kurosaki that Yuki receiving such a detailed report despite being an unseated Shinigami means that the Gotei 13 probably wants Ichigo to know the situation so they can call on him later and that they cannot do anything other than stay alert since Ichigo detailed Asguiaro Ebern to Yuki.
 * Ichigo growing annoyed at Pesche Guatiche for interrupting Nel Tu's explanation of what happened to Hueco Mundo and Pesche trying to reiterate that Hueco Mundo was attacked after pulling himself out of the ground.
 * Byakuya Kuchiki informing Renji Abarai that Chōjirō Sasakibe attained Bankai before Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake were even born, but chose to not become a captain because he wished to remain the lieutenant of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto for as long as he lived, which means that Yamamoto's grief must be beyond comprehension.
 * Nel wondering if Yasutora Sado does not believe what she is saying and calling him a man from the giant tribe.
 * Ichigo realizing that Ebern must have been one of the Arrancar conscripted by the Wandenreich.
 * Uryū beginning to warn Ichigo about this new enemy.
 * Jugram Haschwalth informing Yhwach that Ebern's Medallion was unable to capture Tensa Zangetsu, which prompts Yhwach to order more Arrancar captured from Hueco Mundo.
 * Orihime Inoue cushioning the fall of herself and her friends with Santen Kesshun.
 * Ichigo being shocked that the Jagdarmee did not notice his group's arrival despite all the noise they made and trying to silence Pesche by gripping the end of his mask, only for Pesche to reveal it is just a protuberance and berate Ichigo for doing this when he is not even causing a commotion.
 * Quilge Opie being informed of something by a subordinate before standing up.
 * One of the Jagdarmee members confirming to Quilge that they checked all the Arrancar for their Zanpakutō and that he does not know where Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia hid theirs.
 * Emilou Apacci and Franceska Mila Rose bickering while Cyan Sung-Sun confronts Quilge directly and disparages them, to their anger.
 * Nel claiming that she will watch Ichigo's back as the exasperated latter tells her to hold on tight.
 * Orihime warning a shrieking Ichigo that the enemy might see them if he makes that much noise.
 * One of the remaining Jagdarmee members running to Quilge in a panic and requesting a temporary withdrawal order, only for Quilge to kill him with a blast through the gut, drawing the attention of the Tres Bestias.
 * Ichigo being alarmed by the much bigger explosion in the distance and Nel claiming that the Tres Bestias are so incredibly strong that he will not be of any help to them.
 * Quilge reacting to Ichigo's arrival by observing that they are getting a lot of visitors today.
 * Ryūnosuke Yuki and Shino Madarame reacting with shock and disbelief to the news of Chōjirō's death.
 * A Garganta opening above Karakura Town before Nel falls onto Ichigo.
 * Harribel and the Arrancar serving her being defeated and slaughtered by Yhwach and the Wandenreich, leading Harribel to urge Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka Birstanne to run away before being taken by Yhwach in a flash of darkness.
 * Uryū explaining that he cannot help Hollows or Arrancar as a Quincy.
 * Pulsera Cuerno killing several more members of the Jagdarmee before Quilge catches it.
 * Flashbacks to Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun battling in the White Invasion.
 * Apacci firing a Cero while sneezing, which Mila Rose is forced to evade when it spirals out of control and smashes into the ground near where she was standing to blow up several Jagdarmee members.
 * Quilge sitting on his throne and watching the Tres Bestias in fascination.
 * In the manga, the ringtone for Yuki's Denreishinki is Shino humming, which she smacks him in the face over upon hearing it in Ichigo's bedroom; here, it is instead a standard beeping sound.
 * In the manga, Yuki informs Ichigo that he has to return to Soul Society for a company funeral and relays what Akon told him afterward, as well as that Chōjirō has died; here, he instead tells Ichigo that he is receiving a call meant for all divisions of the Gotei 13 and puts his Denreishinki on speaker mode so Ichigo and his friends can all hear Akon's message, where he learns of Chōjirō dying at the same time everyone else does.
 * In the manga, when Yhwach kills Ebern, the latter is decapitated and his death is only depicted as blood splashing from offscreen; here, he is instead shown getting his head blown off.
 * In the manga, Nel arrives in Karakura Town on the same night of Ichigo's confrontation with Ebern; here, she instead shows up the next morning.
 * In the manga, when searching for survivors among the mutilated Arrancar bodies, Orihime steps out onto the broken floor and sends out two of her Shun Shun Rikka; here, she instead remains crouching in the building and sends out only Ayame.
 * In the manga, the Arrancar impaled by Quilge falls onto the sand; here, he is instead pushed up against the wall behind him and the other Arrancar.
 * In the manga, Apacci tells Mila Rose and Sung-Sun to identify them to Quilge, only for Sung-Sun to wonder who she is talking to and Mila Rose to warn Apacci that she will kill the latter if Apacci gets too carried away; here, Apacci does not say anything else, Sung-Sun observes that Harribel was taken while they were away, and Mila Rose warns Quilge to not get cocky over defeating two self-proclaimed aides to Sōsuke Aizen.
 * In the manga, Nel pops up on Ichigo's shoulder; here, she instead does so on his head.
 * In the manga, after denying having talked about Apacci behind her back to make her sneeze, Mila Rose questions if her ears are rotten and begins butting heads with Apacci; here, she instead simply tells Apacci to clean the snot off her face.
 * In the manga, Sung-Sun shoves her Zanpakutō through the head of a Jagdarmee member while reprimanding Apacci and Mila Rose for squabbling; here, she instead attacks Quilge directly and warns him to not get distracted.
 * In the manga, Quilge makes his offer for the Tres Bestias to surrender, join the Wandenreich, and serve under Yhwach alongside Harribel while all four of them are standing still; here, he instead does so while being attacked by Sung-Sun and Mila Rose, emerging unscathed from a powerful attack by the latter in the process.
 * In the manga, Mayuri Kurotsuchi concludes his report to the other captains before the scene changes back to Quilge's defeat of the Tres Bestias; here, his identification of the enemy army as Quincy is instead played over Quilge standing over the defeated Tres Bestias.