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goodbye, halcyon days. is the twenty-seventh volume of the Bleach manga series.

Publisher's summary[]

Orihime Inoue's return from Soul Society is interrupted by the Arrancar, Ulquiorra Cifer, who has a different, terrifying path for her. Using duplicitous tactics, Ulquiorra convinces Orihime to accompany him to Hueco Mundo, which brands her as a traitor in Soul Society's eyes and therefore unworthy of rescue. Ichigo Kurosaki refuses to abandon his friend, and sets out to storm Hueco Mundo to set her free! But can he win when the entire world is against him?!

Bleach All Stars[]

All-Stars
石田 雨竜
Uryū Ishida
Ep158SadoCharaPic 浦原 喜助
Kisuke Urahara
Ep269UryuCharaPic 茶渡 泰虎
Yasutora Sado
Ep329UraharaCharaPic

Ep320RukiaCharaPic 井上 織姫
Orihime Inoue
Ep216IchigoCharaPic2
朽木 ルキア
Rukia Kuchiki
Ep215OrihimeCharaPic 黒崎 一護
Ichigo Kurosaki



Chapters[]

234. Not Negotiation[]

Ulquiorra Cifer reveals that he has orders to take Orihime Inoue as 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya initiates his counterattack against Luppi Antenor.

Summary:

234Cover

The cover page of 234. Not Negotiation.

In the Dangai, Ulquiorra Cifer stands before Orihime Inoue and her two Shinigami escorts, whose numbers he criticizes as negligently low prior to admitting that the Kōryū being disabled is convenient for him because he does not like being rushed when he is talking to someone. With an intimidated Orihime recognizing Ulquiorra from her prior encounter with him and Yammy Llargo, the Shinigami on her right draws his Zanpakutō and realizes that Ulquiorra is an Arrancar, and as Ulquiorra withdraws his left hand from his pocket, Orihime frantically agrees to talk with him, only for Ulquiorra to fire a Bala from his hand that destroys the Shinigami's left arm and a large chunk of his torso, to Orihime's shock.

While Ulquiorra confirms that he wants to talk to her, Orihime immediately sets up her Sōten Kisshun around the fallen Shinigami and urgently tells the other Shinigami to run away now. However, Ulquiorra punches a hole in the second Shinigami's body with another Bala that destroys most of his arms as well, forcing Orihime to expand the radius of her Sōten Kisshun by having Ayame fly over to him to cover and begin healing both Shinigami. Upon seeing this, Ulquiorra praises Orihime's ability to heal such catastrophic wounds and asserts that her powers are truly impressive, but when Orihime turns to glare at him, Ulquiorra demands that she come with him. When Orihime stares at him in disbelief, Ulquiorra promises her that he will kill her friends if she says anything other than "yes" and opens miniature Garganta to show Ichigo Kurosaki, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto. Ulquiorra warns Orihime that she is not permitted any questions or discussions because she has no rights here and can only save her friends from the guillotine they have placed their heads in with immediate compliance because this is an order rather than a negotiation, leaving Orihime mortified as he concludes that he has orders to bring her back unharmed due to Sōsuke Aizen wanting her powers and reiterates his demand for her to come with him.

Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, Kisuke Urahara skids back through the air with a smoking wound on his shoulder away from Wonderweiss Margela, who holds his hand out after firing a Bala from it, and admits that he has never seen this technique before inquiring about what it is called. Suddenly, Urahara is blasted from behind by a Bala from Yammy, who laughs maniacally and explains that a Bala is a projectile of hardened Reiatsu that trades the power of a Cero for twenty times its speed. With Yammy firing several more Bala down at a fallen Urahara, who is engulfed by the dust cloud kicked up on impact, and reveling in the latter's inability to dodge them, Luppi Antenor sighs at Yammy having likely already killed Urahara even though he wanted to do so himself and turns his attention back to Rangiku, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, who are still wrapped up in tentacles of his Resurrección, Trepadora, and whom he questions the logic of Urahara showing up to save the day and getting himself killed so quickly to, only to admit that there is nowhere for them to run while outnumbered eight to three anyway.

In response, an unamused Rangiku points out how much Luppi talks and asserts that braggarts like him make her sick, prompting an irritated Luppi to remind Rangiku that her life is in his hands due to his tentacle being wrapped around her and vow to perforate her if she makes him mad. However, when Luppi attempts to bring his remaining four tentacles up, he is astonished to discover that they have been frozen to the ground below as Hitsugaya rises up with his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, activated and criticizes Luppi for being careless enough to drop his guard and ignore his opponent. When Luppi expresses disbelief at him still being alive, Hitsugaya details how Daiguren Hyōrinmaru being the ultimate ice weapon means that it will always reform so long as water is nearby no matter how many times it is shattered, prompting Luppi to frantically attempt to attack him. However, Hitsugaya informs him that there is no point in doing so since Luppi's negligence gave him more than enough time to prepare and reveals that Luppi's weapon having eight arms is outclassed by his own having all the water in the atmosphere while dozens of large ice pillars appear in the surrounding air to encircle him and Luppi. After encasing a shocked Luppi in the rapidly converging ice pillars with Sennen Hyōrō, Hitsugaya observes that eight arms was not quite enough for him.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


235. The Frozen Clutch[]

Kisuke Urahara turns the tables on Yammy Llargo as Ichigo Kurosaki receives assistance in his battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Summary:

235Cover

The cover page of 235. The Frozen Clutch.

Seeing 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya encase Luppi Antenor in ice pillars using Sennen Hyōrō, Yammy Llargo is astonished by the latter's defeat and angrily chastises him for underestimating the Shinigami instead of immediately finishing them off. Suddenly, Kisuke Urahara appears behind Yammy and finishes the latter's claim that Sōsuke Aizen will punish them if they lose here, prompting a startled Yammy to turn around and swing his fist toward Urahara, who evades with Shunpo and finishes Yammy's questioning of how he can be alive by wondering what Yammy thinks. In response, an irritated Yammy demands that Urahara stop finishing his sentences and fires a Bala at Urahara, who is engulfed in a cloud of smoke upon impact.

However, as a triumphant Yammy asks him how it feels to be shattered to pieces, Urahara appears behind Yammy and holds the blade of his Shikai, Benihime, to Yammy's cheek before asserting that he has seen the technique enough times to prevent Yammy from hitting him with it again and firing a point-blank Nake, Benihime at Yammy, who is left bloodied. Urahara brings up Yammy's assumption that all of his Balas hit Urahara and his disbelief at Urahara still being alive prior to pulling out a small sphere, which he claims is the secret, and placing it against his lips to blow air into it, causing it to inflate into a Portable Gigai that looks exactly like him. When an astonished Yammy questions what this is since he has never heard of it before, Urahara affirms this since he has never shown it to anyone before and observes that he is probably the only one who could successfully use it as a decoy in combat in addition to making it since it is difficult to switch places with while squeezing the air out of the mouth of the Portable Gigai between his hands.

With Urahara wondering if Yammy could tell when he made the switch, an angered Yammy attempts to fire another Bala at him, but Urahara reiterates that Yammy cannot hit him with this anymore and counters the blast by placing Benihime against Yammy's fist and performing Tsuppane, Benihime, leaving Yammy to stare at him in shock as Urahara details how he analyzed both the Reishi composition of the Bala and the movement of Yammy's muscles when he fires one, allowing him to dodge or counteract it at will despite the difficulty of doing so, and invites Yammy to finish this battle, which Yammy furiously agrees to.

Meanwhile, Ichigo Kurosaki is slashed across the chest by a heavily wounded Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and crashes into the ground with enough force to crater it, where he comes to a stop after rolling across the concrete and sees Grimmjow approaching him. When Ichigo attempts to summon his Hollow mask, the accumulated matter around his face suddenly disperses, causing a grinning Grimmjow to kick him hard in the chest and send Ichigo hurtling down the street past several houses. Initially assuming that Ichigo's mask cannot materialize again once it is broken, Grimmjow realizes that this cannot be the case since Ichigo attempted to restore it and theorizes that Ichigo has sustained too much damage, expended too much Reiryoku, or reached a limit for the number of times he can use it.

After pinning Ichigo's sword arm to the ground by stabbing his own Zanpakutō through its wrist, Grimmjow concludes that Ichigo's mask is gone now no matter what the reason is and prepares to fire a Cero from his palm, which he assures Ichigo will blow his head off painlessly at this range. Suddenly, Grimmjow's hand and his lower legs are encased in ice, dispersing the charging Cero, and he turns to see Rukia Kuchiki standing with her Shikai, Sode no Shirayuki, right before she performs Tsugi no mai, Hakuren, engulfing Grimmjow in a wave of icy air. In the aftermath, Rukia kneels before Ichigo next to Grimmjow, who has been encased in a large and jagged block of ice, and begins attempting to pull Grimmjow's Zanpakutō out of Ichigo's wrist, where she rebuffs Ichigo's question about when she got here by asserting that she needs to concentrate since the Zanpakutō is stuck tight in the ground.

With Rukia sarcastically pointing out how useful the power that Ichigo used must have been given his current state and Ichigo telling her to shut up, Grimmjow abruptly breaks out of the ice and grabs Rukia by the head while inquiring about whether she believed that she could defeat him by simply freezing the top layer of his skin before charging another Cero against her head, to Ichigo's terror.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


236. The Sun Already Gone Down[]

Shinji Hirako takes over the battle against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez before it is interrupted.

Summary:

236Cover

The cover page of 236. The Sun Already Gone Down.

Seeing Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez gripping Rukia Kuchiki by the head while charging up a Cero in the same palm, Ichigo Kurosaki struggles to free himself from Grimmjow's Zanpakutō, which is pinning his arm to the ground, before Grimmjow's arm is suddenly hit with enough force to push it off of Rukia's head, causing the Cero to fire and explode several meters away instead. With Grimmjow staring in bewilderment at this, Shinji Hirako stands on a nearby rooftop and complains about having to get involved in a Shinigami battle, though he notes that he cannot exactly ignore it when they are making a ruckus so close to him.

When Grimmjow questions what Shinji is and whether he is with Ichigo and Rukia, Shinji wonders why he would be, and when Grimmjow inquires about what he is, Shinji responds by raising the question of why it matters to Grimmjow, who concedes that he does not really care because he does not need to know who Shinji is in order to kill him and pulls his Zanpakutō out of Ichigo's wrist, which spurts a large amount of blood, before leaping toward Shinji and furiously attacking him, which destroys part of the roof Shinji was standing on. In response, Shinji reappears in the air behind Grimmjow and criticizes him for not having any control since his dodged attacks always destroy something and make Shinji think twice about dodging them to begin with, but Grimmjow merely scoffs at Shinji's belief that he is dodging the attacks and moves in to attack him once more.

However, Shinji calls him a hothead and dons his Hollow mask, shocking Grimmjow, prior to leaping forward and clashing with Grimmjow, who infers from his mask that he is associated with Ichigo, only for Shinji to reiterate that it does not matter who he is. Sent flying back by an explosive burst of force from the clash, Grimmjow is astonished to see Shinji charging a Cero in front of his sword hand as the latter apologizes for not holding back since Grimmjow seems strong and fires the Cero at him, engulfing Grimmjow in a powerful explosion. In the aftermath, a further wounded Grimmjow crashes into the ground below and pants heavily while Shinji lands and praises him for mitigating the damage from the Cero by countering it with his own at the last second.

Suddenly, an enraged Grimmjow attempts to activate his Resurrección, but is stopped after he utters its release command by Ulquiorra Cifer, who grabs his sword hand and informs a stunned Grimmjow that they are returning because their mission has been accomplished before a Negación beam engulfs them from the sky above, which Ichigo recognizes. Simultaneously, Yammy Llargo is engulfed by another Negación beam and observes with annoyance that they are done here as a startled Kisuke Urahara turns to see two more beams engulfing Wonderweiss Margela and Luppi Antenor, who is freed from 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Sennen Hyōrō and sarcastically apologizes for the latter being unable to kill him before promising to twist Hitsugaya's head off and crush it next time they meet.

Back at Ichigo's location, Ulquiorra notices traces of Reiatsu from Ichigo's Hollow mask and realizes that he has acquired a new power, but dismisses it as utterly insignificant and informs Ichigo that there is nothing he can do since the sun has set and the day belongs to the Arrancar while the Garganta he and Grimmjow were pulled into closes behind him, leaving Orihime Inoue to stand solemnly in the Dangai before her Sōten Kisshun.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


237. goodbye, halcyon days.[]

Orihime Inoue makes use of the permission she was given to say goodbye to one person.

Summary:

237Cover

The cover page of 237. goodbye, halcyon days.

In her apartment in Karakura Town, Orihime Inoue finishes writing a set of instructions covering laundry, garbage, and food for 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto so they do not make a mess and looks at the bracelet on her left wrist as she recalls Ulquiorra Cifer's explanation of how wearing it envelops her in a special spiritual membrane so only Arrancar can see her, which will also allow her to pass through solid objects and which she can never take off, as well as the permission he granted her to say goodbye to just one person before she leaves without violating their agreement by making that person aware of her presence, which she has until midnight to take care of along with her other preparations. Standing up from her dinner table, Orihime leaves behind the instructions with the phrase "good bye, halcyon days" written in the bottom-right corner of the other page.

Meanwhile, in the Study Chamber of the Urahara Shop, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame struggles to keep Tessai Tsukabishi away since he is not hurt badly enough to require the latter's form of treatment, only for Ururu Tsumugiya to put him in a headlock from behind and begin choking him so he will stop struggling and resume resting despite 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa's pleas for her to let him go. Nearby, an unimpressed 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya wonders if they ever shut up and notices Kisuke Urahara standing silently on top of a rock formation nearby, which Hitsugaya observes he has been doing in deep thought ever since the Arrancar left after mentally admitting that Urahara is still a mystery to him regardless of what he has been told. Ruminating on how the Shinigami Strike Force got off easy considering the number of Espada who came to Karakura Town and how the Gotei 13 made a grave miscalculation due to the Arrancar being fully operational and ready to battle, Hitsugaya concludes that they have to prepare for battle immediately and hope it is not too late already. When Hitsugaya asks her if she was able to contact Soul Society, his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, reveals with concern that she has not been able to and holds up her Denreishinki, which is emitting static.

Simultaneously, in the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia Kuchiki experiences the same interference with her Denreishinki when she attempts to call Orihime in Soul Society while sitting in Ichigo Kurosaki's room and wonders if there is some sort of spirit wave interference prior to looking over at a heavily bandaged Ichigo, who is sleeping on his bed. In the past, Hachigen Ushōda holds an unconscious Ichigo and explains that his power is closer to a regression of space than outright healing, which requires him to actively identify the subject he is regressing in order to activate it, and that the Reiatsu of both Ichigo and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez are currently mingling in Ichigo's wounds, meaning that he will need to stay far away from the Visored with their Hollow-like Reiatsu in order to make a full recovery, before telling Rukia that taking Ichigo home and putting him to bed is the best treatment he can recommend right now, which Rukia thanks him for.

In the present, Rukia questions who the Visored were, what kind of power Ichigo is about to gain, and why the Arrancar suddenly stopped their attack and withdrew because she does not understand any of it, only to determine after a moment's pause that she should go outside and cool off since she is getting confused. However, Rukia is interrupted when Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki begin arguing over whether or not to come into Ichigo's room outside his bedroom door, and when Rukia opens the door to meet them, Yuzu meekly asks if she can eat dinner in Ichigo's room, which a smiling Rukia assures her that Ichigo would certainly like.

Later that night, with Karin and Yuzu having finished their dinner and fallen asleep next to Ichigo's bed, Orihime passes through the curtains while intangible and sheepishly apologizes to a still-sleeping Ichigo. As she begins to detail how she would like to say goodbye to lots of people like Tatsuki Arisawa, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, and Rukia, Orihime is startled when she hears a noise and peers over Ichigo's bed to see Karin and Yuzu sleeping on the other side, which leads her to infer that they ate dinner in here tonight. Suddenly, while deducing that they did this because they missed Ichigo, a blushing Orihime realizes that she is in Ichigo's room for the first time and that it smells like him. After taking hold of Ichigo's hand in her own, Orihime leans down and attempts to kiss Ichigo, but stops at the last second and begins crying as she admits that she cannot do it. With her tears falling on Ichigo's face, Orihime wipes her eyes and wonders what she is doing before clenching her mouth.

Orihime tells Ichigo that there were so many things she wanted to do, like becoming a teacher or an astronaut, opening a pastry shop, going to a donut shop and asking for one of each type, or going to an ice cream parlor and asking for one of each flavor, which makes her wish that there were five of her so she could be born in five different towns, eat five different meals, have five different jobs, and fall in love with Ichigo five different times. After thanking Ichigo, Orihime bids him farewell.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


238. Eagle Without Wings[]

Ichigo Kurosaki and the Gotei 13 learn of Orihime Inoue's disappearance.

Summary:

238Cover

The cover page of 238. Eagle Without Wings.

The day after the third battle against the Arrancar in Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki falls out of his bed in the Kurosaki Clinic during a dream and criticizes himself for being so cliché as he rubs his head, only to be bewildered upon discovering that his right wrist has been healed of the stab wound inflicted by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's Zanpakutō. With Ichigo concentrating and recognizing Orihime Inoue's Reiatsu on his wrist, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya appears on his windowsill and confirms that this is most likely the case as he tells Ichigo to come with him because they have a situation to address.

Shortly afterward, Ichigo is brought to Orihime's apartment in his Shinigami form, where he discovers Rukia Kuchiki, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa assembled inside the living room. While Ichigo and Rukia express concern at each other being here, Hitsugaya asks Rangiku if the spirit wave interference is gone, and once she affirms this, Hitsugaya has her open a video link on the large screen in the room to the screen set up in Soul Society, but is startled when 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake appears on the screen instead of Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. When Hitsugaya questions why he is here, Ukitake states that there is some news which he felt that he should tell Ichigo and the Shinigami Strike Force himself before revealing that he was the last person who saw Orihime when she entered the Central Senkaimon to return to the Human World, shocking Ichigo and the other Shinigami.

As Ukitake deduces from their reactions that Orihime never arrived in the Human World, Ichigo demands to know what is going on and what happened to Orihime, which prompts Ukitake to explain that her fate is uncertain because the two guards assigned to escort her returned through the Central Senkaimon alive, where they claimed that Orihime was abducted by an Arrancar and possibly killed, to Ichigo's mortification. With Rukia protesting him presenting this idea, Ukitake apologizes for having to say it and clarifies that they only know of the Arrancar appearing and Orihime disappearing with him. However, Ichigo vehemently denies this being possible and holds up his right arm for a surprised Ukitake to see while informing him that his wrist was injured too badly for anyone in Karakura Town to heal during yesterday's battle, only for it to be completely healed with traces of Orihime's Reiatsu on it by the time that he woke up this morning, which means that she cannot be dead.

Suddenly, Yamamoto concurs with this and calls it highly regrettable as he approaches the screen from behind Ukitake. When Ichigo picks up on him calling this regrettable, Yamamoto elaborates that Ichigo's evidence of Orihime being alive implies that she has betrayed them because she would not have been allowed to visit Ichigo had she been abducted, meaning that Orihime must have joined the Arrancar of her own free will. Upon seeing Ichigo angrily protesting this, Renji grabs him by the shoulder and tells him to stop now so he does not make things worse prior to addressing Yamamoto directly and offering to go to Hueco Mundo as the leader of the Strike Force so he can capture the traitorous Orihime, to Ichigo's amazement.

In response, Yamamoto firmly asserts that Renji will not do so since the Shinigami Strike Force will be returning to defend Soul Society now that they know the Arrancar are battle-ready, and when Rukia realizes that he wants them to abandon Orihime, Yamamoto confirms this and concludes that she is only one girl while they have the fate of worlds to consider, leading a conflicted Rukia to refuse to obey this order. However, Yamamoto reveals that he suspected as much and took necessary precautions while a Senkaimon opens in the room to reveal 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, the latter of whom tells the Shinigami Strike Force to come with them per Yamamoto's orders as Byakuya informs them that he and Kenpachi have been instructed to use force if necessary, which means that they should not resist.

With the other Shinigami intimidated by this, Ichigo accepts Yamamoto's decision and requests that the latter simply tell him how to enter Hueco Mundo without having Soul Society directly assist him so he can save Orihime by himself, due to her being his friend. Despite this, Yamamoto refuses to let Ichigo do this, to the latter's astonishment, and details how the Gotei 13 requiring Ichigo's assistance in the coming battle means that they cannot permit him to do as he wishes or throw his life away before ordering Ichigo to stand by and await further orders, leaving Ichigo clenching his fist in frustration while Rukia is ushered into the Senkaimon by Renji and solemnly apologizes to Ichigo prior to the Senkaimon closing and leaving Ichigo alone in the room.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


239. WINGED EAGLES[]

Ichigo Kurosaki prepares to travel to Hueco Mundo and rescue Orihime Inoue.

Summary:

239Cover

The cover spread of 239. WINGED EAGLES.

In the Study Chamber beneath the Visored warehouse, Mashiro Kuna approaches Shinji Hirako with a strange package that she found outside, and when Shinji wonders what it is, Mashiro admits that she does not know before responding to Shinji's criticism of her picking up random packages by questioning why she should not when it was right outside the warehouse. Upon opening the package, Shinji discovers clean bandages inside and wonders why Ichigo Kurosaki would do this, only to call him a fool upon finding a note thanking the Visored inside.

Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, an irritated Misato Ochi sarcastically thanks Ichigo for deciding to visit his class and whacks his head with her binder as she claims to have thought Ichigo had lost interest in advancing to the next grade and deduces that he was not actually in the hospital because of an accident. When Ichigo meekly observes that she got new glasses, Misato thanks him for noticing, only to angrily proclaim that she got them three week ago and whack Ichigo again, causing him to grunt in pain while Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima look at each other. In the hallway shortly afterward, Keigo enthusiastically greets Ichigo and attempts to leap in front of him while he walks down the hall, but Mizuiro stomps his head down to the ground and cheerfully asks Ichigo where he was for the last month since him not answering his phone left them somewhat worried, which prompts a smiling Ichigo to apologize and state that he was busy.

Unnerved by this response, Mizuiro reveals that he got tickets for the screening of Bad Shield 2, and after learning from Mizuiro that this is scheduled for December 5th, Ichigo promises to try to return by then and thanks a disturbed Mizuiro before walking away, only to suddenly be confronted by a sweating and distressed Tatsuki Arisawa, who tells him that she cannot find Orihime anywhere in the entire town and that her presence simply disappeared yesterday. When Tatsuki accuses him of knowing where Orihime is, Ichigo dismissively claims that he does not and that Tatsuki should probably take another look around since Orihime is unlikely to actually be missing, leading Tatsuki to angrily grab him by the collar, which alerts the other students in the hall, and deny this because she can constantly feel Orihime's presence and gauge her location from it, even when it gets weak as though she is behind a wall for a period of time, before asserting that Ichigo must know something about it disappearing completely yesterday.

With Ichigo reiterating that he does not know anything and questioning what is wrong with her, Tatsuki wonders if he believes that she is an idiot and reveals that she has seen him fighting Hollows in his Shinigami form. However, when Tatsuki suggests that it is time for him to tell her what is going on, an initially uncertain Ichigo coldly declares that it is none of her business. In response, an outraged Tatsuki punches Ichigo's head through the window behind him, causing glass to rain down into the courtyard below while a shocked Keigo restrains her and Mizuiro asks a fallen and bloodied Ichigo if he is alright. Demanding to know what she is to Ichigo since she thought they were friends, Tatsuki points out how Ichigo is keeping things from her now even though she has helped him out many times when he was in trouble and sullenly calls him a jerk. As Mizuiro attempts to approach him over this, Ichigo asks him and Keigo to take care of Tatsuki for him and to stay far away from him prior to leaving.

That night, Kisuke Urahara smokes a pipe outside the Urahara Shop and welcomes Ichigo, who arrives in his Shinigami form. When Ichigo questions how Urahara knew he would come here, Urahara deduces that Ichigo wants to know how to get to Hueco Mundo and informs him that the method is ready. After the two of them drop down into the Study Chamber below, Urahara explains that he barred Orihime from front-line combat because he was afraid that Aizen might target her due to her powers, but it did not work because he was mistakenly too concerned with her feelings and too passive about protecting her, which is why he is prepared to help in any way he can. Upon being told by Ichigo that this will mean going against Soul Society, a smiling Urahara notes that it will not be the first time he has done so.

Suddenly, Uryū Ishida observes that Ichigo looks hopeless while sitting on a tall rock formation behind him, and when a startled Ichigo asks him why he is here, Yasutora Sado approaches him and asserts that they are going to Hueco Mundo as well since Urahara told them everything. With Ichigo refusing to let this happen since they are not strong enough even though he appreciates the gesture, Sado manifests his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which has significantly changed shape, and throws a powerful punch imbued with energy that Ichigo is forced to block with his Shikai, Zangetsu, resulting in a powerful explosion that destroys several large rocks around them. In the aftermath, Sado questions if this was not strong enough for Ichigo and requests that he believe in them rather than try to do it all himself because they want to help. Once Uryū hops down from the rock formation he was sitting on, Urahara suggests that they get started since the three of them seem to be ready.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


240. regeneration.[]

Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida head to Hueco Mundo as Sōsuke Aizen asks Orihime Inoue to demonstrate her powers.

Summary:

240Cover

The cover page of 240. regeneration.

In the Study Chamber beneath the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara performs the incantation and ceremony for Keikaigi, causing a large, oval-shaped Garganta to manifest between two posts embedded in separate rock formations in front of Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida. After Urahara explains that this is the opening used by the Arrancar to enter the Human World and that the three of them will need to create their own path out of the chaos of Reishi that lies beyond since there is no solid ground, where they will arrive at Hueco Mundo by heading toward the darkness, Ichigo requests that Urahara tell his family something so they do not worry about him, which Urahara agrees to do, before promising to apologize to his friends once he returns when Urahara brings them up, which Urahara smiles at.

Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū leap into the Garganta, which closes behind them, leaving Urahara to note that they can come out now that Ichigo is gone. From behind a nearby rock, Tatsuki Arisawa, Keigo Asano, and Mizuiro Kojima meekly emerge, and when Keigo wonders how long he has known they were there, Urahara reveals that he knew before they even arrived and left the front door of his shop open when he found out they were following Ichigo. Ruminating on Ichigo's naivety in believing that a few harsh words can sever his friendship with them, Urahara concludes that he now has his own work to do.

Meanwhile, in his throne room in Las Noches, Sōsuke Aizen welcomes Orihime Inoue to the palace as she stands below him with Ulquiorra Cifer, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Luppi Antenor, Yammy Llargo, and Wonderweiss Margela. Once Orihime confirms her name to him, Aizen exerts his Reiatsu and casually requests that Orihime display her powers to him. As Orihime weakly agrees and wonders why it feels like all the strength is being sucked out of her, Aizen elaborates that some here are not completely convinced of the value of her powers and indicates a bandaged and partially frozen Luppi, who questions how Orihime could possibly be worth the battle they fought as a diversion for her. In turn, Aizen apologizes since he did not believe Luppi would be so severely injured, to the latter's irritation, and suggests that Orihime demonstrate her powers by healing Grimmjow's left arm, startling both her and Grimmjow.

Scoffing at the ridiculousness of this idea, Luppi claims that it is impossible for Orihime to restore Grimmjow's arm due to Kaname Tōsen's destruction of it and Orihime not being a god, only for Orihime to quietly begin using Sōten Kisshun on the stump of Grimmjow's left arm. Though Luppi warns Orihime against trying to save her life with this charade and promises to kill her if this does not work because there is no reason to keep her alive if her powers are too weak, he is stunned alongside Grimmjow to see the latter's left arm fully restored without any trace of injury. When Luppi demands to know how she did this since it goes way beyond healing, Aizen brings up Ulquiorra's theory that it is a form of temporal or spatial regression, which Luppi believes impossible for a Human to be able to perform, but denies it being either of these things and asserts that it is instead a rejection of phenomena.

Aizen details how Orihime's powers limit, reject, and deny all phenomena that have affected her subject, allowing her to make it as though the damage sustained never occurred and making her power far more potent than temporal or spatial regression, which means that her power trespasses on God's territory and violates divine law, leaving Luppi mortified. After testing out his restored wrist, Grimmjow asks Orihime to heal one more thing and turns around so she can use Sōten Kisshun on his destroyed Espada tattoo, which is in turn fully restored as well. When Luppi sees this and questions what he is doing, a grinning Grimmjow shoves his left arm through Luppi's chest, to the latter's shock, and sarcastically bids him farewell prior to firing a Cero from his other hand at point-blank range, destroying the upper half of Luppi's body and leaving his bleeding lower half to collapse. With Grimmjow cackling at his power and rank being restored, Orihime looks on fearfully as the other Espada look away.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


241. Silverflame.[]

Uryū Ishida explains how he circumvented the deal he made with Ryūken Ishida as he, Ichigo Kurosaki, and Yasutora Sado enter Hueco Mundo.

Summary:

241Cover

The cover page of 241. Silverflame.

In the Garganta, Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida run through the void by creating Reishi pathways underneath their feet, with Ichigo and Sado's being rough and patchy. When part of the pathway suddenly gives way under Sado's foot, causing him to almost fall off, he confirms that he is fine to Ichigo as Uryū rides past them on a stable board of Reishi and criticizes them for being unable to create proper footing. In response, Ichigo reminds Uryū that he is terrible at this sort of technique and calls the board that Uryū is riding on unfair, only for Uryū to counter that it is simply an elementary variation of Hirenkyaku. However, Uryū is alerted when Sado reveals that Kisuke Urahara informed him of the deal that Uryū made with Ryūken Ishida to stay away from Shinigami in return for having his Quincy powers restored and being trained, and as Sado questions why he is here if this is the case and a startled Ichigo demands to know if this is true, Uryū solemnly confirms that it is.

In the past, a sweating Ryūken steps outside of the Study Chamber inside Karakura Hospital and lights a cigarette as an exhausted Uryū lies draped over the side of one of the levels within and pants heavily. Suddenly, Urahara opens a circular doorway inside one of the nearby pillars and apologizes for being late even though it is only late afternoon prior to noticing that Ryūken is not there, which he considers lucky for himself. When Uryū wonders what he is doing here, Urahara informs him of Orihime Inoue being abducted by the Arrancar at Sōsuke Aizen's behest and details how Ichigo will undoubtedly try to rescue her himself, which will lead him to come to Urahara to find out how to enter Hueco Mundo. However, Uryū asks Urahara to go away, to the latter's surprise, and explains that he cannot go to Hueco Mundo with Ichigo because he cannot get involved with Shinigami right now. Though he attempts to declare that he will go by himself if Orihime needs saving, Uryū realizes something and brings up Urahara mentioning that Ichigo is going alone, prompting Urahara to reveal that he will be doing so because Soul Society has withdrawn from the matter, which results in a surprised Uryū changing his mind and requesting that Urahara let him out of the Study Chamber.

In the present, Ichigo admits that he does not understand since he is still a Shinigami despite Soul Society not being involved, but Uryū clarifies that he is a Substitute Shinigami who is currently defying Soul Society, meaning that he is neither a Shinigami nor their ally and thus has nothing to keep Uryū from helping him. With Ichigo pointing out how Uryū is being extremely technical here and Uryū claiming that he sees it as a loophole, which leads Ichigo to demand to know what the difference is and respond to Uryū wondering whose side he is on by angrily reminding him that they are supposed to be enemies, a smiling Sado mentally notes that this is typical of Uryū.

Back in the Study Chamber, Ryūken opens the door to find a note left by Uryū on one of the platforms and scoffs dismissively prior to Isshin Kurosaki observing that Uryū escaped while standing behind Ryūken in his Shinigami form. When asked by Ryūken how he got in here, Isshin is startled by Ryūken addressing him by his last name and questions what has gotten into him, only for Ryūken to reiterate his question before noticing Isshin's appearance and realizing that he has regained his powers, with Isshin confirming this and reveling in how cool he looks, though Ryūken asserts that he just looks gaudy. Isshin asks Ryūken if he is not going to read the note that Uryū left, and when Ryūken states that he knows what it says, Isshin deduces that he let Uryū leave, which leads Ryūken to take another drag off his cigarette and claim that he is not concerned with what Uryū does with his regained Quincy powers or whether he lives or dies now that he has helped the latter get them back. After Isshin sits down and observes that Ryūken is far from a great father, Ryūken counters that he is still a better one than Isshin, who somberly concedes that this is true.

Meanwhile, in Las Noches, Orihime sits in her room and ruminates on how she was told to stay here and not cause any trouble, but notes that there is nothing for her to do and that she is hungry. Upon recalling Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez laughing maniacally after regaining his arm through her Sōten Kisshun and killing Luppi Antenor, Orihime questions if she made the right choice in coming here and whether cooperating with the Arrancar will just make things worse, only to conclude that she just has to make the Arrancar believe that she is useful for now until everyone is ready for battle. Suddenly, Orihime experiences a powerful Reiatsu alongside Ulquiorra Cifer, Yammy Llargo, and Aizen, who observes that they are here while Ichigo, Sado, and Uryū break out of the Garganta and into Hueco Mundo.

Upon landing on the floor of the building they emerged in, Ichigo is surprised by Hueco Mundo being solid instead of slimy, though Uryū cautions him to lower his voice since their entrance cannot have gone unnoticed. With Ichigo continuing to wonder if this is really Hueco Mundo, Uryū reiterates that they need to be careful and suggests they find a place to hide, but is interrupted when Demoura Zodd slams his hand into the ceiling behind them while emerging from a nearby hallway and demanding to know who they are.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


242. TWO MEN ARE BURNING[]

Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida begin battling Demoura Zodd and Aisslinger Wernarr.

Summary:

242Cover

The cover page of 247. TWO MEN ARE BURNING.

In the building that they entered Hueco Mundo in, Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida run away from a wailing and pursuing Demoura Zodd, with Uryū pulling a protesting Ichigo Kurosaki and asserting that they could cause the corridor they are in to collapse if they fight here. Though Ichigo does not believe it would collapse and questions why it would matter if it did, Uryū points out how there are no windows on the walls, and when a nonplussed Ichigo wonders why this matters, Uryū angrily concludes that they must be underground if there are no windows and urgently notes that they need a much bigger and more open area to fight in prior to Sado pointing out an exit ahead of them, which ends up leading to a large chamber held up by thick pillars.

As Ichigo questions if this is big enough for him, Uryū notices a set of stairs and attempts to run over to them in order to see if they lead outside, only for Aisslinger Wernarr to appear before him with Sonído and demand to know where Uryū thinks he is going. With Uryū mentally observing that there being more than one Arrancar in a place like this is logical, Demoura emerges from the passageway behind Ichigo and Sado, leading Uryū to conclude that they are trapped, which Ichigo blames him for. Upon looking at Demoura and Aisslinger, Ichigo notes that they look more like Hollows than the Arrancar who appeared in the Human World, but when he tells Sado and Uryū to stand back while he handles this, Sado elbows him hard in the side of the head, sending Ichigo crashing into a nearby wall. Upon being confronted by an incredulous and bleeding Ichigo over this, Sado counters that he is the one who should stand back while he and Uryū take care of this, which Uryū concurs with.

Uryū responds to Ichigo's shock at this by explaining how Kisuke Urahara told them about the Arrancar hierarchy and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's group being a mixture of Gillians and Adjuchas, with Menos Grandes generally taking humanoid forms when turned into Arrancar while only Vasto Lorde remain humanoid throughout. When Uryū concludes that many Gillians and Adjuchas consequently never take Human form even after becoming Arrancar and that they look more like Hollows when they have lower intelligence, he is forced to evade a punch from Demoura that shatters the ground where he was standing while Aisslinger fires several projectiles at Sado when the latter attempts to run to Uryū's aid and takes offense at this description since he is not stupid, unlike Demoura, who denies this as well.

Upon emerging from the dust kicked up by Demoura's punch and attempting to summon his Heilig Bogen, Uryū is shocked to see Demoura notice him and slam his hand into the ground to shower Uryū with debris and prevent him from moving around. With Sado manifesting his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and firing an energy blast at him with it, Aisslinger easily evades the blast with Sonído and clarifies that he and Demoura simply abandoned their humanoid forms in exchange for immense power prior to firing more blasts from his tendril-like fingers at Sado, who blocks them with Brazo Derecha de Gigante as Aisslinger concludes that Humans like Sado and Uryū should not take them lightly.

When Ichigo expresses concern for them, Uryū tells him to shut up and watch, but is forced to dodge another strike from Demoura and mentally observes that the latter is actually wrapping Reishi around his hands when attacking instead of performing ordinary palm strikes, which Uryū admits is a more troublesome attack than it seems due to its disruption of the surrounding Reishi making it impossible for him to construct a Reishi Heisō. However, while wishing that he could put some distance between himself and Demoura, Uryū has an idea and gets Sado's attention prior to making a rotating motion with his hand.

Nearby, Aisslinger internally mocks Sado for being too slow to keep up with his Sonído, only to express confusion upon noticing Uryū standing still, and when Demoura continues rampaging toward Uryū, Aisslinger warns him to wait before Sado suddenly punches Demoura hard in his left cheek with Brazo Derecha de Gigante, shattering part of his mask and sending him flying back behind a stunned Aisslinger. Standing in front of Sado, Uryū observes that the matchup matters and admits that fighting the same opponent so much recently made him overlook the obvious solution of switching opponents if both he and Sado are having trouble fighting two against two as he forms his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, and declares that it is their turn.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


Author's Notes[]

Volume 27 Intro Image
I bought an iPod the other day. I put off buying one just because they were so popular. What was I thinking?! Wow!! It's so useful! You can listen to hundreds of songs in a row! The machine itself is great, but the best part is the packaging. I couldn't bring myself to throw away the acrylic case my iPod came in even though I have no use for it. I hope someday I can design a book jacket so good that no one can throw it away.

-Tite Kubo

References[]

  1. Bleach 27 (Japanese). Shueisha.
  2. Bleach Vol. 27. Viz Media.
  3. This chapter originally appears as "Good bye, Halcyon Days" in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
  4. This chapter originally appears as "Regeneration" in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
  5. This chapter originally appears as "TwoMenAreBurning" in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

Navigation[]

THE MASCARON DRIVE goodbye, halcyon days. BARON'S LECTURE FULL-COURSE

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