Return to Hueco Mundo

 is an event taking place during the Quincy Blood War, focusing on Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends traveling to Hueco Mundo once again at the behest of Nel Tu and Pesche Guatiche, who reveal that it has been conquered by the Wandenreich.

Prelude
Following his battle against Asguiaro Ebern and the latter's escape, Ichigo Kurosaki returns to the Kurosaki Clinic in Karakura Town, where his friends are waiting for him and eating bread that Orihime Inoue brought. Suddenly, Ryūnosuke Yuki's Denreishinki begins ringing with a recording of Shino Madarame humming, which he apologizes for and which Shino is alarmed by. After being punched in the face by Shino once again for pointing out how horrible the recording sounds at a certain point, Yuki answers the call, but quickly grows shocked and serious as he listens to 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon, who stands in front of a transmitter in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute and requests that Yuki listen closely and not ask any questions while he summarizes the situation so he does not have to repeat himself.

Akon details 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. Following his observation that the total number of intruders is unknown due to all witnesses being killed, though Reiatsu measurements indicate that only one intruder was present, Akon concludes that the entry and exit methods of the intruders are unknown and did not disturb the Shakonmaku surrounding the Seireitei, indicating that they can safely travel through the Seireitei's spiritual barriers. Stunned by this news, Yuki informs Ichigo and his friends that he must return to Soul Society for Chōjirō's funeral.

A Desperate Plea
Later, as the sun sets, Ichigo somberly looks out the window, admits that he does not like this, and decides to patrol the area prior to departing in his Shinigami form and leaping through the air, where he recalls Uryū Ishida theorizing that Yuki was given such a detailed report because the Gotei 13 knew he was with Ichigo and wanted him to know the situation before cautioning Ichigo to stay on alert since there is nothing else he can do besides waiting to be called on now that he has given Yuki details about Ebern. 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 after two years.

Despite this, a weeping Nel begs Ichigo to help her because something terrible has happened in Hueco Mundo. An alarmed Ichigo tries to get Nel 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. As an annoyed Ichigo questions what Pesche was trying to do while he was trying to hear out Nel on Hueco Mundo's predicament, Pesche pulls himself out of the ground.

Pesche reiterates that Hueco Mundo has been captured, but Ichigo tells Pesche to stop positioning his rear end in the air and asserts that he already knows this. That night, in the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo stands before Orihime, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū, whom he has brought to meet with Nel and Pesche in his bedroom, and apologizes for calling them over so late in the day, though Sado assures him that it is fine prior to questioning whether Hueco Mundo has truly been attacked by an outside force and reacting with confusion when Nel calls him a man from the giant tribe while wondering if he does not believe her.

Pesche confirms that it has and explains that Tier Harribel has ruled Hueco Mundo since the deaths of Coyote Starrk and Baraggan Louisenbairn until the day that the Wandenreich arrived, where they defeated and captured Harribel herself. As Pesche concludes that the Wandenreich have taken several Arrancar to use as their own soldiers, Ichigo realizes Ebern must have been one of them prior to Pesche revealing they abducted Dondochakka as well. After Orihime expresses concern over this, 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 he cannot just ignore the plight of the Arrancar after what he has heard.

When Uryū interjects to inform his friends that he cannot accompany them this time, Ichigo accepts this since Quincy exist to destroy Hollows, and once he explains that he figured Uryū would respond this way and simply did not want the latter to sulk over not being consulted first, Uryū is left irritated while Ichigo promises him that they will manage even without him present, 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.

Intrusion
Soon afterward, in the Garganta, Ichigo runs along a golden Reishi pathway with Orihime, Sado, Nel, and Pesche, where he questions how Urahara showed up when he did, leading Urahara to claim he was hiding outside of Ichigo's window the whole time to wait for the perfect opportunity, though he asserts this was a joke and 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 this is all connected and no longer a joking matter. With Urahara observing that it is time to exit, the Garganta opens in the air above Hueco Mundo to release Ichigo and his friends.

As several members of the Jagdarmee escort a line of chained and cloaked Arrancar through the sands, Nel expresses shock at emerging so high in the air, but Ichigo calmly states that it is usually like this with Urahara, who is delighted by Ichigo knowing him so well, and the group is prevented from falling to the desert below by Orihime catching them with Santen Kesshun. When one member of the Jagdarmee below 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, leading the Jagdarmee members to dismiss this and move on.

Several dozen meters away, Ichigo hides in the wreckage of a building with his left hand over Nel's mouth, his right hand gripping the bottom of Pesche's mask, and his other friends around him, where Sado observes the Jagdarmee did not notice them, leaving Ichigo surprised since they made so much noise. In turn, Pesche claims the Jagdarmee are fools, and when a startled Ichigo wonders how he can talk with his mouth covered, an unimpressed Pesche clarifies that Ichigo is simply grabbing a protuberance and berates him for doing so. Looking out onto the nearby rocks and sands filled with bodies, Urahara infers that the Jagdarmee did not return because all the Hollows and Arrancar here are dead.

Aftermath
With Orihime affirming this after sending out the Shun Shun Rikka to inspect the mutilated corpses, Pesche asserts that he did not expect anything different from the Wandenreich and points out a large blue flame burning on the sands, which he explains is highly condensed Reishi used by the Wandenreich to burn away even the rocks and buildings of Hueco Mundo that are otherwise inflammable and muses 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 captive Arrancar, Pesche theorizes that they will be used in the Wandenreich's advanced guard, which causes Ichigo to decide they will go rescue the taken Arrancar.

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.