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For the episode of the same name, see Everything But the Rain.

EVERYTHING BUT THE RAIN is the sixtieth volume of the Bleach manga series.

Publisher's Summary[]

As the rain falls in Karakura Town, Isshin faces off against a Black Hollow. But when a familiar face joins the fight, Isshin will need all the help he can get. Ichigo's dark past is revealed, but can he recover from the shock of finally learning the truth!?

Bleach All Stars[]

All-Stars
石田竜弦
Ryūken Ishida
Ep378MasakiCharaPic 黒崎 一心
Isshin Kurosaki
Ep377RyukenCharaPic 黒崎 真咲
Masaki Kurosaki
Ep378IsshinCharaPic

Ep366IchigoCharaPic Ep329UraharaCharaPic
黒崎 一護
Ichigo Kurosaki
浦原 喜助
Kisuke Urahara



Chapters[]

531. Everything But the Rain op.4 Dark of the Bleeding Moon[]

10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba begins battling White, whose three creators quickly notice the conflict alongside Masaki Kurosaki.

Summary:

531Cover

The cover page of 531. Everything But the Rain op.4 Dark of the Bleeding Moon.

Twenty years ago, in Naruki City, 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba is astonished to see that White is a black Hollow while White looks back at him and growls prior to roaring loudly. Examining White, Isshin mentally notes that while his body is black and the hole in the center of his chest is filled with a mass, his Reiatsu is unmistakably that of a Hollow, causing Isshin to ready himself for battle while White rushes toward him to attack.

Simultaneously, in his hidden laboratory in Soul Society, 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen sees Isshin on a surveillance feed and wonders what he is doing in the Human World, prompting 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen to note that there is no report of a deployment order for him as 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru observes that Isshin must be on an unauthorized trip, which could be trouble. However, Aizen assures him that it is alright because this could be a great opportunity for them and requests a way to watch the fight up-close.

Back in Karakura Town, upon sensing two massive Reiatsu on the move and identifying one of them as a Hollow's at the Ishida residence, a shocked Masaki Kurosaki runs out of her room and down the hall, only to be stopped by Ryūken Ishida, who muses that he does not even need to ask where she is going before reminding her that they are supposed to head out after the Shinigami are dead and let the Gemischt Quincy like Kanae Katagiri handle the situation. With Ryūken asserting that Masaki should think of her situation and concluding that she needs to take care of herself because Echt Quincy like them should not shed their blood so easily, Masaki begins to protest this.

Meanwhile, Isshin flips back through the air, where he internally chastises himself for already being on the defensive, and clashes with White, whom he notes fights like a Shinigami despite his appearance. Mentally admitting that this is making it difficult to fight, Isshin is pushed back through the air by White, and when a Shinigami approaches to inform him that Karakura Town is under the Thirteenth Division's protection, Isshin realizes that he has been pushed out of his jurisdiction and warns the Shinigami to run, only for White to rush toward and obliterate him with a Cero fired from between his horns.

As she senses this alongside Ryūken at the Ishida residence, Masaki begins to run off, but stops and admits that while she admires Ryūken's tendency to consider factors like his mother, Quincy, and the future before he acts, taking care of herself means doing what she can as soon as she can do it. After concluding that she would never be able to forgive herself if she let someone die today while she had the chance to act, Masaki runs off, leaving Ryūken to inform Katagiri through a communication device that they are heading out.

Back in the air, Isshin expresses disbelief at White being able to fire a Cero like a Menos before clashing with White once more, where he muses that White could not possibly rampage like this without Soul Society noticing him and questions who is covering up the incidents for him, though White remains silent. Unsurprised by White not answering, Isshin moves back and releases his Shikai, Engetsu, coating his sword in blazing flame-like energy. However, before Isshin can attack White, he is slashed across the back by a cloaked Aizen.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


532. Everything But the Rain op.5 "The White Noise"[]

5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen and Masaki Kurosaki interfere in 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba's battle against White.

Summary:

532Cover

The cover page of 532. Everything But the Rain op.5 "The White Noise".

5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen muses on how the cloaks that he, 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, and 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen are wearing completely suppress their Reiatsu and allow them to become nearly invisible by kneading a small amount of Kidō into the fabric, which he thanks Kisuke Urahara for leaving them eighty years prior. Meanwhile, having been slashed across the back by Aizen, 10th Division Captain Isshin Kurosaki falls to a rooftop below, where he realizes that he was cut by a Zanpakutō rather than a Hollow and that there is a traitor planning this within the Gotei 13, prompting him to demand that his attacker show himself.

Above Isshin, Gin deduces that he realized it was not a Hollow, which Aizen affirms, and when Gin questions him wanting to leave already as he begins walking away, Aizen explains that Isshin's Bankai takes a heavy toll on his body, meaning that his current injury will prevent him from activating it, and that White is another failure prototype if he cannot defeat a captain using only their Shikai. In turn, Tōsen requests that Aizen refer to White by his name instead of as a "prototype" because he is in another dimension compared to the other Hollows they have created due to being the first Hollow ever created from a Shinigami Soul. Acknowledging this and apologizing to Tōsen, Aizen muses on White gaining his name from the whiteness within him contrasting with his black armor and expresses appreciation for the irony.

Down on the rooftop, Isshin blocks a heavy downward slash from White, causing blood to spurt from the wound on his back, and stomps on White's free arm to prevent him from attacking with it while internally noting that he cannot focus his Reiatsu enough to use Bankai with a wound this deep. Despite this, White manages to fling Isshin into the air with brute strength and leaps after him, prompting Isshin to warn White not to underestimate him, draw blood from his back wound into his mouth with his free hand, and spit the blood wound onto Engetsu, creating a horizontal pillar of energy that detonates in a large explosion upon making contact with White.

With Masaki reaching the site of the battle below and seeing White's severed left arm embedding itself in the ground near her after hurtling out of the resulting cloud of smoke, Isshin is impressed to find White continuing to clash with him using only one arm. Suddenly, White pins down Isshin with another downward slash and begins charging another Cero between his horns that he aims directly at a startled Isshin. Before White can fire the Cero, he narrowly evades a Heilig Pfeil fired by Masaki, who stands on the pavement below with a Heilig Bogen formed.

Though Tōsen promises to eliminate Masaki since a Quincy getting involved was not part of the plan, an excited Aizen stops him and expresses interest in seeing what happens before White rushes down to attack Masaki, with Isshin unable to follow due to his ankle being injured. Masaki fires dozens of Heilig Pfeil at White, and with the latter evading all of them with ease, she decides to change tactics and disperses her Heilig Bogen, leaving Isshin urging her to run and Aizen startled. With Masaki holding her left hand out to him, White reaches her and bites deep into her left shoulder, only for Masaki to calmly note that she has got him, form a handgun-sized Heilig Bogen in her right hand, and fire a powerful Heilig Pfeil at point-blank range through White's head.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


533. Everything But the Rain op.6 "The Gravitation"[]

In the aftermath of his battle against White, 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba meets Masaki Kurosaki for the first time as 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen decides to monitor how the situation develops.

Summary:

533Cover

The cover page of 533. Everything But the Rain op.6 "The Gravitation".

With 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba, 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, and 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen watching in shock, White's shattered corpse begins falling away from Masaki Kurosaki, only for the mass in his chest to suddenly swell up behind him, prompting Isshin to rush down and pull the corpse away from Masaki just before it detonates in a massive, one-sided explosion, which Tōsen is alarmed by.

In the aftermath, Masaki runs over to a prone Isshin and frantically asks him if he is okay, which he confirms. When Isshin thanks her for saving him and mocks himself for needing to be helped by a young girl despite being a captain, Masaki counters that he would not have been so badly injured if he had not protected her from the explosion, which prompts a laughing Isshin to observe that they are even now as Masaki promises to heal him. However, with Isshin wondering who she is since she was able to defeat White, Masaki internally debates what she should do since she does not know how a Shinigami will react to learning she is a Quincy, but introduces herself as a Quincy to Isshin. Though initially stunned by this, a smiling Isshin admits that he has never seen a Quincy in person before and claims that he feels lucky to meet one like this. Surprised by Isshin's reaction, Masaki wonders if this is what all Shinigami are like and laughs as well while expressing hope that this is the case for the sake of Izumi, Ryūken, and the other Quincy. In the air above Isshin and Masaki, Ryūken Ishida stands with Kanae Katagiri while holding solid Spirit Weapons with her and asserts that they can leave since Masaki is safe without any problems, which Katagiri acknowledges.

Some time later, in the hidden laboratory, an aggravated Tōsen slams his hand onto a console and calls White an utter failure for passing on to a Quincy instead of a Shinigami, which they created him to Hollowfy, after surpassing the Hollowfication stage and reaching the metastasize stage. However, Aizen enters the room and denies this since White strayed from his original goal due to aspects they could not predict or expect prior to detailing how he is fascinated by a Hollow created from a dead Shinigami choosing a Quincy despite that being the opposite of himself and wondering if Tōsen and Gin do not want to see what happens next.

Later, in the meeting hall of the First Division barracks, Isshin concludes his report to the other captains and Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who affirms his understanding of the situation and notes that while an unauthorized excursion is a violation of their laws, Isshin's quick and decisive action helped minimize Shinigami casualties and prevented excessive damage to the Human World, which is why Yamamoto will overlook this violation. Initially celebrating this, Isshin regains his composure and thanks Yamamoto as 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi mockingly asserts that failing to retrieve the remains of this mysterious Hollow is a serious crime on its own. When Yamamoto brings up Isshin's report only describing how unusual the Hollow was and questions if the latter truly did not leave anything noteworthy out, Isshin recalls Masaki Kurosaki and claims that he did not.

On June 5th at Seito High School in Karakura Town, Masaki sits in her classroom and thinks about Isshin while wondering if he made it safely back to Soul Society. With Masaki hoping that Isshin did not get in trouble and realizing she should have at least asked for his name, Isshin lies on a pillow on one of the walkways at the Tenth Division barracks and remembers Masaki battling White as he muses that rumors of Quincy still surviving in the Human World were true and that Masaki had a lot of courage to both save him and reveal that she is a Quincy despite knowing he is a Shinigami. After regretting not talking to her a bit more, Isshin sits up and decides that he should go back to the Human World in order to thank her properly this time.

Meanwhile, Masaki walks down a road with her friends, Kanan and Shiho, after school ends for the day, where Kanan asserts that every day must be very exciting for Masaki because she lives with the attractive Ryūken, though Masaki denies anything going on between them because Ryūken is her cousin. With Shiho affirming this and reminding Kanan that Masaki is not like that even if she and Ryūken were not related, Masaki thanks Shiho for knowing her so well, only to express confusion at her clarifying statement. Suddenly, with Kanan insisting that she would express her affections for Ryūken even if she were related to him, an appalled Masaki experiences a sensation of crawling darkness across her left side, causing her to lose focus and begin stumbling until she bumps into Kisuke Urahara. Though the latter assures Masaki that he is fine when she profusely apologizes to him and continues walking after asking her if she is okay, he stops in surprise upon sensing something strange from her. While Masaki's friends walk away with her and make sure she is okay, which Masaki promises them that she is, Urahara looks at Masaki in confusion and furrows his brow.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


534. Everything But the Rain Op.7 "Hole of Reproach"[]

Masaki Kurosaki begins experiencing strange side-effects from being bitten by White.

Summary:

534Cover

The cover pages of 534. Everything But the Rain Op.7 "Hole of Reproach".

At the Tenth Division barracks in Soul Society, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto cheerfully calls out for her captain, Isshin Shiba, and claims that she has to go to the dumpling shop on an urgent mission, which is why she would like him to handle her paperwork for her. However, upon discovering that Isshin has departed for the Human World and left behind a note telling her to make up an excuse to relay to Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, an enraged Rangiku tears up the note and berates Isshin for immediately returning to the Human World without authorization simply because he was lucky enough to escape punishment the first time before throwing the crumpled remains of the note against the wall as she demands to know what Isshin thinks this job is, only for 3rd Seat Tōshirō Hitsugaya to point out the hypocrisy of her statement.

Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, Masaki Kurosaki returns to the Ishida residence and announces her arrival, but Ryūken Ishida's friendly greeting is cut off by Izumi Ishida confronting Masaki, who frantically declares that she has just returned, over her battle against a Hollow to save a Shinigami the other night, to both her and Ryūken's shock. Despite Masaki denying this, Izumi admonishes her for disgracing herself by lying, and as Ryūken runs up the stairs in search of Kanae Katagiri, Izumi demands to know why Masaki did such a thing. With Izumi berating Masaki for being so shameless as to break the rules of the Quincy while in their care, Ryūken confronts Katagiri in the laundry room by pressing her up against the wall and demanding to know why she told Izumi despite his request that they stay silent about Masaki since she had no problems, only for Katagiri to reveal there was a problem because Masaki sustained a wound from White's attack, meaning that the future of Ryūken's bloodline could become tainted if she does not receive proper treatment from Izumi and Sōken Ishida.

Though Ryūken claims that this does not matter, Katagiri counters that it means everything to them and reminds Ryūken that he said his marriage to Masaki was for the future of the Quincy, prompting Ryūken to curse and run back to the bannister, where he tells Izumi to wait and attempts to claim responsibility for Masaki's actions. However, as she attempts to assure him that this is not necessary, Masaki collapses, to the shock of both Izumi and Ryūken, who leaps over the bannister and rushes to Masaki's side. Upon turning Masaki over to see if she is hurt, Ryūken is astonished to discover a Hollow hole forming in the center of her chest, and as Izumi realizes what this is, Ryūken picks up Masaki and questions where Sōken is, prompting Izumi to explain that they are trying to get in contact with him right now and order Ryūken to stay here until he returns. Despite Izumi insisting that he not be around Masaki and referring to the latter as "it", Ryūken opens the front doors and leaps away with Hirenkyaku while still carrying Masaki, leaving Izumi to beg him to come back with a Hollow wound covering her lower right leg.

Wondering what is happening to Masaki and why she is in so much pain, Ryūken admonishes himself for not stopping her by force on that night and for not doing everything in his power to intervene in the battle just before a massive Hollow appears behind him and prepares to bite down, only for Isshin to cut it in two from behind with a slash of his Zanpakutō. With Isshin commenting on how this was a close one since the Hollow almost got him and declining to accept any thanks from a man, Ryūken recognizes Isshin, who is left confused until he sees the hole in Masaki's chest and rushes down to investigate while sheathing his Zanpakutō. However, Ryūken tells Isshin to not come any closer and informs Isshin that Masaki is in this condition because she protected him and broke the rules of the Quincy by saving a Shinigami, which is what caused her to get hurt. After Isshin picks up on the bite wound causing this and Ryūken clarifies that he cannot think of any other explanation while refusing to ever forgive him for this happening to Masaki, Kisuke Urahara appears next to them in the air, asserts that they have no time to argue, and requests that they both come with him so he can explain the choices they have for saving Masaki.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


535. Everything But the Rain op.8 "Defenders"[]

Masaki Kurosaki is saved from her encroaching Hollowfication by 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba.

Summary:

535Cover

The cover pages of 535. Everything But the Rain op.8 "Defenders".

In her subconscious, Masaki Kurosaki envisions herself drifting into a peaceful black hole. Though her surroundings are dark and lonely, Masaki muses that she does not feel afraid because she can sense someone down there who needs her and opens her eyes, but finds herself floating into the gaping mouth of a massive Hollow head.

Simultaneously, with rain pouring down outside the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara has Masaki lain on a table inside and informs 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba and Ryūken Ishida that he has been researching the same symptom Masaki is exhibiting for close to one hundred years, to Ryūken's astonishment. When Isshin questions who he is, Urahara introduces himself by name and as an exile from Soul Society, leaving Isshin stunned by his identity. Despite this, Ryūken asserts that he does not care who Urahara is and demands that the latter restore Masaki to normal, only for Urahara to point out that he never said anything about returning Masaki to normal because she can never go back to the way she used to be, leaving Isshin and Ryūken horrified while Urahara has Masaki brought to a table and explains that she is undergoing Hollowfication, the process of a Hollow's Soul being poured into another Soul and destroying the boundary between the two in an attempt to sublimate the latter Soul to a higher level, with it initially being meant to strength a Shinigami's Soul but ultimately proved incapable of controlling.

With Urahara concluding that this is the result of using such an uncontrollable technology on a Quincy, which is outside its original purpose, Ryūken assumes that this means there is no way to save Masaki, but Urahara clarifies that he can still save Masaki's life even if he cannot restore her to her former self and elaborates that the advancement of Hollowfication turns the subject into a monster with no sense of reason after the original Soul and the Hollow become mixed, ultimately causing the boundary between itself and the outside world to be destroyed and obliterate the subject with it regardless of its will, which he calls Soul Suicide. However, Urahara reveals that his research has led him to discover a way to counteract Hollowfication by injecting the victim's Soul with a certain substance, allowing it to maintain its balance so that its boundaries are not destroyed and preventing Soul Suicide because it only occurs when the Soul becomes unbalanced.

When Isshin expresses confusion at this, Urahara gives an example of a Hollowfied Shinigami being injected with a vaccine created from a Quincy's Heilig Pfeil and a Human Soul, allowing them to remain stably in their current state indefinitely, but notes that such a vaccine is not enough here because it can only prevent Soul Suicide while saving Masaki's life, preventing Hollowfication, and allowing her to continue existing as a Human will require a stronger counteracting force. With Urahara elaborating that this stronger force must remain at Masaki's side for all time until she dies in order to continually suppress her Hollowfication, an aghast Ryūken protests this, leading Urahara to observe that he is sharp to catch on this quickly and tell Ryūken that he has no choice in this matter because the one with a choice is Isshin, to the latter's confusion.

Pulling a sheet off a box containing an inert Gigai, Urahara explains that it is a special one made from a Human Soul that completely envelops the Soul that enters it to make the latter fully Human and tells Isshin that his choice is to become a hybrid of Shinigami and Human, Masaki's opposite, as Shinigami are the opposite of Quincy and Humans are the opposite of Hollows, meaning that Isshin can be the counteracting force to Masaki if he wishes to. However, Urahara admits that this scenario has far too many downsides for Isshin because he will have to bind the latter's Soul to Masaki's and the Hollow within her with a Reishi string for as long as she and her descendants live, which means that Isshin will be unable to use his Shinigami powers or even see Hollows within the Gigai. Once Urahara concludes Isshin will likely never return to his Shinigami form again once he enters the Gigai, Ryūken mentally notes there is no way Isshin will accept this offer when it has only downsides for him, and Urahara explains that Masaki's Soul and the Hollow inside her must be tied together with an incredibly strong Reishi string for the Gigai to function as a vaccine to prevent Hollowfication, which will prevent Isshin from leaving the Gigai so long as the string remains tied.

Despite this, with Urahara beginning to detail the one event that would cause Masaki and the Hollow to be freed from the string, Isshin bluntly agrees to the proposal, to Urahara and Ryūken's shock. After chastising Urahara for talking too much and telling him to hurry up, Isshin confirms he will give up being a Shinigami and protect Masaki for the rest of her life, and when Urahara wonders if he has no lingering doubts, Isshin denies this, only to detail how he will not be able to live with himself if the person who saved him dies because he had doubts. With Ryūken astonished by this, Urahara acknowledges Isshin's resolve and announces that he will begin the procedure immediately. Within Masaki's subconscious, as she frantically shields herself from the encroaching Hollow head with her arms, Isshin appears between them and grabs Masaki under his arm while announcing that he has come to rescue her.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


536. Everything But the Rain op.9 "June Truth"[]

Isshin Shiba saves Masaki Kurosaki and enters a relationship with her as Ryūken Ishida learns of Kanae Katagiri's feelings for him.

Summary:

536Cover

The cover pages of 536. Everything But the Rain op.9 "June Truth".

Promising that the Hollow inside Masaki Kurosaki's Soul will not be able to touch her now that he is here, 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba notices the Hollow looking at him and assumes that it is confused about this because it does not have any fingers, which he admits to only just realizing as well, before firing a diagonal Getsuga Tenshō that cuts through the Hollow, leaving it to shatter. As she watches this in awe, Masaki recognizes Isshin as the Shinigami she met the other day and declares that she has been wanting to see him again prior to asking him if his wounds are okay and requesting to learn his name as a perturbed Isshin yells at her for being so excited while naked.

Back in the real world, Masaki stops sweating and takes a deep breath, causing a startled Isshin to look at Kisuke Urahara as the latter holds up his hands forming peace signs and confirms that she will be alright now that he has successfully bonded their Souls, to Isshin's relief. Suddenly, a giggling Masaki blushes and reminisces about Isshin getting made at her, which prompts an annoyed Isshin to grind his knuckle into her forehead and reprimand her for not learning her lesson from what just happened while Urahara watches in amusement.

Elsewhere, Ryūken Ishida walks through the rain and finds Kanae Katagiri standing before him with an umbrella, where he initially walks past her prior to Katagiri inquiring about whether Ryūken left Masaki behind with the Shinigami. Affirming this, Ryūken tells Katagiri to return to the Ishida estate and inform his mother that he is unable to protect the Quincy, but Katagiri pointedly refuses to leave him here and reminds Ryūken that it is her duty to devote her entire life to serving him, with her life having belonged to Ryūken from the moment they first met, before tearfully asking him not to be sad because it tears her heart apart when he is. In response, Ryūken decides that they will go home together, to Katagiri's delight.

After Masaki graduates from high school, she leaves the Ishida family due to her Soul being mixed with a Hollow, which Isshin infers was Ryūken's decision as his way of letting go of Masaki and calls the correct decision. Meanwhile, Isshin makes use of the medical skills he learned at the Shin'ō Academy and opens the Kurosaki Clinic, managing to learn what he needed to know to live in the Human World with Urahara's help while Masaki frequently came by from college to make fun of his white coat. Though Isshin tells Masaki that he lost his Shinigami powers after being banished from Soul Society over a mistake he made, he realizes that she probably saw through this lie immediately because he was terrible at lying and her intuition was sharp. Despite this, Isshin muses that lies like that meant little to them, as did whether or not they were even lies, and any lie felt meaningless with Masaki because she would always see through his lies and forgive him for telling them. When the two of them see a movie that Isshin calls sad and boring which features an old man comparing his elderly wife that he spent many years with to the sun, Isshin sees Masaki crying and admits that this line stuck with him even though he does not remember anything else about the movie because Masaki was like the sun, attracting everything, forgiving everything, illuminating everything, and spinning everything around herself, with Isshin himself just happy to be spun by her.

In the present, Isshin stands before Ichigo Kurosaki in their home and notes that he was born after this prior to recounting Ichigo gaining his Shinigami powers from Rukia Kuchiki, who had been sent as part of Sōsuke Aizen's scheme, manifesting his Zanpakutō by training with Urahara, and awakening his inner Hollow during his battles in Soul Society, which meant that Isshin's Reiatsu could no longer suppress the latter and caused him to regain his Shinigami powers for the first time in twenty years by breaking the connection between his Gigai and Ichigo. However, after noting that he does not need to describe everything Ichigo experienced because he has already lived through those events, Isshin clarifies that there are things he has experienced which he still does not understand and reveals that Ichigo does not know the full truth about Masaki's death, nine years ago today.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


537. Everything But the Rain op.10 "Prinz von Licht"[]

Ichigo Kurosaki learns about Yhwach's connection to the death of his mother, Masaki Kurosaki.

Summary:

537Cover

The cover spread of 537. Everything But the Rain op.10 "Prinz von Licht".

As Ichigo Kurosaki recalls Masaki Kurosaki's death, Isshin Kurosaki observes that she was not supposed to die that day, and when Ichigo expresses confusion at this, Isshin brings up how she had access to Blut, which Ichigo remembers Kisuke Urahara describing as an enhancement of one's abilities by infusing Reishi in one's veins. Isshin details how Masaki was an Echt Quincy before merging with a Hollow, which let her use Blut from birth without having to train for it like Gemischt Quincy do, and had exceptionally powerful Blut Vene, which was why the wound she sustained from White was such a cause for concern and which prevented her from ever sustaining an injury from a Hollow in the years following the battle.

Pausing for a moment, Isshin explains to Ichigo that rather than being unable to help Masaki on the day of her death, he chose not to help her, and details how he felt their Reiatsu from the Kurosaki Clinic, which meant that he would have gone if Masaki had been in trouble even if his lack of access to his Shinigami powers would have prevented him from providing much assistance. Isshin notes that even though Grand Fisher was the type of Hollow to hide his Reiatsu, the difference between him and Masaki was so obvious and vast that Masaki should have defeated him without sustaining a single scratch, but this did not happen. When asked if he knows about Uryū Ishida's mother, Ichigo admits that he does not since Uryū does not talk about his family, prompting Isshin to identify her as Kanae Katagiri and reveal that she fell ill nine years ago on June 17th before dying three months later, to Ichigo's utter shock.

At Ichigo's inquiry, Isshin explains that nine years ago, Yhwach initiated Auswählen to filter through the surviving Quincy, to Ichigo's astonishment, and relays a legend about the sealed Quincy king that claims he regains his pulse after 900 years, his mind after 90 years, and his strength after 9 years, which he accomplished by robbing Quincy he deemed impure of their powers and making them his own, resulting in Katagiri falling into a fatal coma while Masaki lost her powers and then her life for the same reason. When Ichigo questions how Yhwach can accomplish this and assumes that this comes from Yhwach being the king of the Quincy, Isshin reveals that he is actually the Father of the Quincy and the progenitor of them all whose blood runs in the veins of every Quincy.

Recalling Yhwach's comments during their battle on his lineage and the inability of The Jail to contain Quincy, Ichigo regains his resolve and thanks Isshin, who smiles at this and says that it was no problem. With the rain clearing up and dawn approaching, Ichigo exits the Kurosaki Clinic with Isshin, where Ikumi Unagiya approaches him to return Ichigo's Substitute Shinigami Badge that he left behind. Taking it and thanking Ikumi, Ichigo tells Isshin that he is leaving.

Meanwhile, in Silbern, Sternritter "B" Jugram Haschwalth approaches Yhwach sitting on his throne, and when asked about the subject, Haschwalth steps aside so Uryū can walk forward, now dressed in a Sternritter uniform. Welcoming Uryū as his son, Yhwach invites him to fight together with them.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


538. Standing On the Edge[]

Ichigo Kurosaki returns to the Soul King Palace as the Gotei 13 readies itself for a second invasion.

Summary:

538Cover

The cover page of 538. Standing On the Edge.

With Ichigo Kurosaki standing in Karakura Town and preparing to leave, Isshin Kurosaki questions how he intends to get back to the Soul King Palace, prompting Ichigo to look back at him speechlessly just before Mera Hiuchigashima appears in the air behind him in a puff of smoke, notes that the timing is perfect, and tells Ichigo that they are going.

Moments later, Ichigo finds himself standing in the pit in the Hōōden before Mera, who explains that the Chōkaimon used to send Ichigo to the Human World cannot be opened without setting a strict round-trip time limit, which is why Ōetsu Nimaiya planned to bring him back after one night from the beginning since Ichigo would either change in one night or not at all. After popping out from behind Mera, Nimaiya affirms this and, having been impressed by the resolve in Ichigo's eyes, points at him while declaring that he should be able to do this now as Ichigo looks back at the Asauchi gathered behind him. However, Nimaiya and Mera are left astonished when the Asauchi respond to Ichigo's presence by kneeling down before him and turning black. Upon turning around, Ichigo looks to a specific Asauchi that he asserts is the right one and holds out his open hand, which the Asauchi reaches up to grip with its own, causing its black skin to flake off and reveal white skin underneath before the Asauchi looks up at Ichigo with a Hollow's face. Grinning at this, Nimaiya tells Ichigo to come up and promises to personally reforge his Zanpakutō for him.

Meanwhile, in the Seireitei below, Shūtetsu Nagakiso paces along the edge of a room filled with Shinigami practicing Zanjutsu and admonishes them for not performing swings capable of cutting down Quincy, which they acknowledge. During this, two unseated Shinigami discuss 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya losing his Bankai, which one of them considers proof that Hitsugaya is finished and that the fate of his division is uncertain, before Nagakiso reprimands them for talking, to their startlement. Suddenly, Hitsugaya opens the door, and when a surprised Nagakiso approaches and inquires about what brings him here, Hitsugaya bows and requests that Nagakiso train him because his Bankai being stolen means he must retrain from the basics to fight with Zanjutsu. With Nagakiso shocked by this and the two Shinigami smiling at each other, Hitsugaya takes his place among the other training Shinigami and begins practicing sword swings while ruminating on how he had perfected his Bankai following Sōsuke Aizen's defeat, only for it to be stolen all the same, before telling himself that there is no time to mourn for what has been lost because he cannot get it back and must look forward.

Simultaneously, on the outskirts of the Rukongai, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi follows his captain, Kensei Muguruma, to a clearing in the forest and questions why they are here, which leads Kensei to declare that he wants Hisagi to use his Bankai. Kensei explains to a startled Hisagi that while his Bankai was not stolen during the last invasion, there is no guarantee that it will not happen during the next one, making it paramount for the Gotei 13 to have as many officers capable of Bankai as possible. When 9th Division Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna leaps down in front of Hisagi with a flip, Kensei has her don her Hollow mask, and as a grinning Kensei warns Hisagi that she is strong with her mask on and that he will only survive if he achieves Bankai, Hisagi frantically tells Mashiro to wait and begins to protest this, only for Mashiro to punch him hard in the stomach, causing him to collapse. Upon seeing this, Kensei berates Hisagi for not heeding his warning and Mashiro asserts that there is no way a lieutenant could defeat a super lieutenant while brandishing her custom lieutenant's badge. With Kensei clarifying that Mashiro will not hold back from killing Hisagi during this because Kensei is not soft like Kaname Tōsen was, Hisagi forces himself up and observes that he has always respected and admired Kensei prior to proclaiming that the latter has no right to disparage Tōsen regardless, leaving Kensei to stare down at him.

Simultaneously, a shirtless and sweating 7th Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba finishes lifting a boulder in repetitions and sets it down while looking back toward a cave entrance flanked by a tall, thin torii gate and wondering when his captain, Sajin Komamura, is going to come out of there. Within the cave, Komamura stands before the Wolfman Clan Elder, who opens his eyes and questions who is there. When Komamura notes that it has been a long time since they last met, the Elder counters that he has a lot of nerve coming back here.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


539. Prob-less, Progress[]

The Gotei 13 captains continue their trainings and projects in preparation for the war.

Summary:

539Cover

The cover page of 539. Prob-less, Progress.

At the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon enters the control room, where a surprised Niko Kuna wonders if it is okay for him to walk around yet, prompting Akon to admit that while he is still in pain, but refuse to lie in bed all day and inquire about the whereabouts of their captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. In response, Kuna reveals that Mayuri has stayed in his office with his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, ever since the Quincy invasion, and after confirming what she said and looking around the room to see the surveillance bugs inactive, a surprised Akon opens a panel on the nearby wall and begins typing into the keypad within while explaining to Kuna that Mayuri has never left the bugs inactive while in his office for more than 24 hours. Concluding that Mayuri either has experienced a crisis or is conducting experiments that he does not want anyone else to see through the bugs, Akon asserts that he is going to take a look either way and presses the large red button on the control panel, creating a medium-sized screen hanging in the air. At Kuna's inquiry, Akon bluntly states that this displays the feed of a hidden camera he installed in Mayuri's office, to Kuna's astonishment, only to be bewildered alongside her when the feed displays Mayuri asking someone on a table in front of him if they can move, leaving Akon aghast at what he is creating.

Meanwhile, at the Ōmaeda Clan estate, Mareyo Ōmaeda looks for her brother, 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda, before finding him lounging on the porch. After apologizing for bothering Marechiyo while he is trying to take a nap, Mareyo requests that he play with her while holding up a ball. However, Marechiyo declines and assures a distraught Mareyo that he is just busy, prompting Marejirōsabu Ōmaeda to promise to read Mareyo a nice book while Marechiyo rests, due to the latter being tired from work. In turn, Mareyo bluntly refuses this because Marejirōsabu's books are creepy, and as Marejirōsabu attempts to laugh this off as her not understanding the complexities of his literature, Mareyo tells Marechiyo that she is going to take a walk to escape from Marejirōsabu, leaving Marechiyo nonplussed as he looks up at the sky and wonders why his captain, Suì-Fēng, decided not to take him with her, with Suì-Fēng performing one-handed pushups on a rocky spire elsewhere.

Simultaneously, in his cave, the Wolfman Clan Elder asks 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura what he wants, leading Komamura tp announce that he has come to learn their clan's secret technique. However, the Elder merely laughs at him and reminds Komamura that he has no right to make demands like this after hiding his face with a cloth and mask in order to pretend to be human because he was ashamed of his appearance. In turn, Komamura points out that he is no longer concealing himself and explains that the world has changed enough in the past few decades that he believes their clan can live out in the open, though this world is now under threat. Despite this, the Elder angrily tells Komamura to be silent, creating a strong wind with his breath, and details how the world will remain intact while its bearers change, with their clan remaining unharmed and continuing to live in the shadows no matter who that is. Though Komamura insists that they have to change the world for the sake of their children and grandchildren, the Elder counters that it will not change and does not need to since it does not matter who controls it. Slowly standing up as Komamura continues to protest this, the Elder vows to crush Komamura if he refuses to avoid disrupting the peace of their clan, only for Komamura to welcome this challenge.

Back in the Soul King Palace, a screeching Ichigo hurtles down a slide alongside Nimaiya and the Asauchi to crash into a pool of water below, where Nimaiya questions if he is okay and commends Ichigo's courage in diving into the chute headfirst even after being warned of the danger, only for Ichigo to angrily counter that Nimaiya is the one who shoved him in headfirst. Dismissing this, Nimaiya directs Ichigo's attention to the surrounding area, where Ichigo is astonished to see several large waterfalls forming a massive body of water around the cliff that the Hōōden resides on. After noting that this is why it was constructed on a cliff since a Bankai cannot be reforged without all this water, Nimaiya reveals that this is where Ichigo and Zangetsu will say goodbye.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


540. THE SWORD FIVE[]

Ōetsu Nimaiya begins reforging Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō with his assistants.

Summary:

540Cover

The cover page of 540. THE SWORD FIVE.

Performing a series of dance maneuvers, Ōetsu Nimaiya announces the beginning of his show before Tsumiko Tsuchimiya, Hasuka Hashihara, Mera Hiuchigashima, Nonomi Nomino, and Tokie Tonokawa crash down onto him from above, injure him in various ways, and proclaim that they are his bodyguards. As Ichigo Kurosaki and the Asauchi stare blankly at this, Nimaiya wonders why the Asauchi is just standing there and beckons it forward, causing the Asauchi to transform into a shining blade that hurtles through the air around Ichigo and embeds itself in the ground next to Nimaiya, to Ichigo's surprise. Behind Nimaiya, Mera breathes fire at the stone furnace, igniting its lower half, and Tokie laments her role in the forging while weeping to spawn water from a bucket that she holds over a trench next to the furnace while Nonomi reminds her that this is important. Following this, Hasuka pulls the blade out of the ground with her prehensile hair and Tsumiko pulls a tooth out of her mouth to sculpt it into a long and large mallet. After tying up his hair and removing his glasses, Nimaiya declares that they will get started and begins hammering the blade in the flames with Tsumiko's mallet.

When asked by Nimaiya what he sees, Ichigo notes that it is much brighter now and question if Nimaiya should have kept his glasses on, but Nimaiya counters that he would not be able to see the color of the flames if he did and deduces that Ichigo's first reaction to seeing the Asauchi turn white upon touching him was to be reminded of his inner Hollow. Quenching the blade in the water-filled trench, Nimaiya confirms that the Asauchi does represent Ichigo's inner Hollow and that it was the catalyst to draw out Ichigo's Zanpakutō Spirit. Though nonplussed by this, Ichigo is visibly shocked when Nimaiya resumes hammering and reveals that Ichigo's inner Hollow is actually his Zanpakutō Spirit, as Sōsuke Aizen created White by layering countless Shinigami Souls on top of each other in a method identical to Nimaiya's creation of Asauchi, allowing it to enter Ichigo's Soul, merge with his natural Shinigami powers, and become his Zanpakutō Spirit.

With Ichigo realizing what this means for the Zangetsu he knows, Nimaiya reminds him that he will be saying farewell to Zangetsu here and asserts that Ichigo should already know the truth about the man masquerading as his Zanpakutō Spirit. In his inner world, Ichigo stands before Zangetsu, and when Ichigo claims to already know who he is, Nimaiya urges him to look closer because he has already seen this man up close recently as the enemy who destroyed Soul Society and proclaims that Zangetsu is Ichigo's Quincy powers taking the form of Yhwach from a thousand years ago.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


Author's Notes[]

Volume 60 Intro Image
This is the second story of June 17. Please read it on a rainy day if you can.

-Tite Kubo

References[]

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THE BATTLE EVERYTHING BUT THE RAIN THE LAST 9DAYS

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