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HIGHER THAN THE MOON is the thirty-fifth volume of the Bleach manga series.

Publisher's summary[]

While the Shinigami are entrenched in bloody one-on-one battles with the Espada, their sworn enemy Sōsuke Aizen is preparing to make the next move in his elaborate plan. The battlefields of Hueco Mundo will soon give way to another battlefield where the price of losing will prove to be infinitely higher.

Bleach All Stars[]

All-Stars
ネリエル
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck
Ep190NnoitraCharaPic2 井上 織姫
Kenpachi Zaraki
Ep192NellielCharaPic ノイトラ
Nnoitra Gilga
Ep199KenpachiCharaPic

Ep286MayuriCharaPic 井上 織姫
Orihime Inoue
Ep216IchigoCharaPic2
涅 マユリ
Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Ep215OrihimeCharaPic 黒崎 一護
Ichigo Kurosaki



Chapters[]

306. Not Perfect is GOoD[]

12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi kills Szayelaporro Granz.

Summary:

306Cover

The cover page of of 306. Not Perfect is GOoD.

In his mind, Szayelaporro Granz wonders how many years have passed, eventually settling on it being an immense amount of time, and wonders when 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Zanpakutō will finally pierce his heart before repeatedly begging for it to hurry up and kill him.

In the real world, a dead Szayelaporro stands with Mayuri's Zanpakutō piercing through both his right hand and his heart. Watching this, a scoffing Mayuri observes that nothing in this world is perfect, which is why the average person yearns for it, but questions if perfection is really desirable and declares that he abhors the concept due to the emptiness and stagnation that it implies, with anyone who reaches perfection having no more room for innovation, improvement, wisdom, or talent. After elaborating that scientists should consider perfection to represent despair and strive to be greater than all who came before without reaching perfection, which is a contradiction that they both struggle with and take pleasure in, Mayuri grabs his Zanpakutō and concludes that Szayelaporro lost as a scientist the moment he declared himself to be perfect.

Upon seeing the blade of Mayuri's Zanpakutō break off in Szayelaporro, leaving only the hilt in his hand as he walks away, a confused Uryū Ishida questions if he is alright due to this, only for Mayuri to clarify that he intentionally broke his Zanpakutō because he can always recreate the blade so long as the hilt remains intact and wished to punish his Zanpakutō for its disobedience. Looking around the rubble of Szayelaporro's palace, Mayuri settles on a large chunk of rock that he finds himself unable to lift, and when he calls his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, over to help him, Mayuri remembers that she is currently desiccated and laments how much trouble she is prior to using a strange technique to revive and heal her, leaving Uryū and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai blushing and astonished at this working, though Mayuri asserts that it should be obvious as to how it worked.

Mayuri declares that it is a waste of time to explain his techniques to simpletons and orders Nemu to dig a hole in the rubble he was examining earlier as Renji warns an irritated Uryū to not aggravate his crushed organs any further. When Nemu breaks through the rubble with Tedoriru, Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne burst out, but have their explanation of where they went interrupted by Nemu continuing to drill through the rubble with her hand. With Pesche begging Nemu to calm down and assuring her that they are on the same side, Mayuri instructs her to not bother digging around Pesche and Dondochakka since the latter are in the way and responds to Pesche offering to explain the situation to them by coldly asserting that he and Dondochakka should be dead, to their horror, before Nemu lifts and throws away the large chunk of rubble that they were standing on top of, exposing a set of doors in the side of a more intact section of the building within the wreckage.

In response to Uryū wondering how a doorway survived the destruction of the palace, Mayuri explains that scientists constructing a laboratory build a room that is sturdier than all the others not to fill it with equipment or a library of research papers that they spent a great amount of time working on, but instead to store their specimens that they crawled to the edges of the world to collect, which he demonstrates by opening the doors to reveal two bodies hanging from the ceiling within, to his intrigue.

Meanwhile, Nnoitra Gilga is slashed down the chest by 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakutō, though his Hierro protects him from being cut and causes the blade to simply grind across his skin, allowing Nnoitra to leap back unharmed and cut through Kenpachi's shoulder with his own Zanpakutō before reiterating that his Hierro is the strongest of all the Espada and cannot be cut by the sword of a mere Shinigami, leaving Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue concerned.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


307. Bite it, Slash it[]

12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi tends to Uryū Ishida as 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki continues to battle Nnoitra Gilga.

Summary:

307Cover

The cover page of 307. Bite it, Slash it.

Pinned down by 12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi, Uryū Ishida demands that she let go of him and to know what her captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, is going to do to him, prompting Mayuri to reach into his haori and claim that he is going to fix Uryū, though the latter realizes that Mayuri actually intends to modify him. With Mayuri pointing out how Uryū should at least thank him for offering to heal Uryū's wounds for free regardless of how it turns out, Uryū refuses and questions if Mayuri will be changing his appearance as well, and as Nemu smothers a protesting Uryū with her breasts to silence him, Mayuri encourages her to do so and assures Nemu that it is fine even if Uryū dies. From behind Mayuri, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai requests that the former heal him first so he can aid the others who have encountered Espada as well, but Mayuri informs him that the only one still battling is 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who has reached Ichigo Kurosaki's location, and asserts that Kenpachi does not need Renji's help before reminding Renji that Kenpachi is like a wolf with blood in his nostrils who will devour anyone who gets in his way when on the battlefield, which Mayuri considers a foolish way to die.

Meanwhile, Kenpachi fiercely clashes with Nnoitra Gilga, who is pressed back prior to being launched into the air by an upward slash from Kenpachi. However, a grinning Nnoitra grabs his Zanpakutō by the chain attached to the end of the handle and begins spinning it rapidly above his head, generating a strong whirlwind around him, before throwing the Zanpakutō blade-first down at Kenpachi, who sidesteps it while it embeds itself in the sands, jams his own Zanpakutō blade-first into the sand as well, and grabs a link of the chain to roughly pull Nnoitra down to him, culminating in Kenpachi grabbing Nnoitra by the head and slamming him on his back into the sands, where he grabs his Zanpakutō once more and stabs it down at Nnoitra's head.

In response, Nnoitra frantically moves his head out of the blade's path at the last second and frees himself from Kenpachi's grasp to move several meters back with his Zanpakutō, leading Kenpachi to muse that Nnoitra would not have dodged it if he were not afraid of it and reiterate Nnoitra's proclamation that the sword of a mere Shinigami cannot cut his skin as he asserts that Nnoitra must have a vulnerable spot. Leaping high into the air, a scoffing Nnoitra claims that it is merely instinct to evade an attack and that nothing will change Kenpachi's blade being useless against him prior to slamming his Zanpakutō down onto Kenpachi, kicking up a large cloud of sand in the process.

Suddenly, Kenpachi recalls people like Nnoitra in Soul Society who said he would not be able to cut them, and as the sand clears to reveal him holding Nnoitra's Zanpakutō back by the blade, Kenpachi concludes that he has never met anyone whose eyeballs and throat could stand up to steel while thrusting his Zanpakutō through Nnoitra's eyepatch and out the back of his head. With Ichigo and Orihime Inoue watching this in shock, Kenpachi stands with Nnoitra hanging off his Zanpakutō, but is alarmed when Nnoitra glares down at him, maniacally declares that Kenpachi still cannot cut him, and thrusts his right hand into Kenpachi's chest, drawing a large amount of blood.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


308. SATAN FROM ORBIT[]

Despite Nnoitra Gilga's claims of being impossible to cut, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki begins adapting to his durability.

Summary:

308Cover

The cover page of 308. SATAN FROM ORBIT.

Pulling his right hand out of 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki's chest and grabbing the latter's Zanpakutō with his left hand, Nnoitra Gilga infers that Kenpachi is struggling to understand how someone can survive a sword through the head and pulls his eyepatch aside with the tip of Kenpachi's Zanpakutō to reveal both his Hollow hole and his mask fragments where his left eye would be. As he lets go of Kenpachi's Zanpakutō, Nnoitra confirms that no one can survive a sword through the head and clarifies that Kenpachi's blade simply passed through his head rather than piercing it before haughtily concluding that Kenpachi has met his match.

However, Kenpachi merely grins at this, and when Nnoitra angrily attempts to kick him in the chest while demanding to know why he is laughing, Kenpachi grabs his leg before it can make contact and admits that he is too happy to stop himself from laughing. With Nnoitra confused by this, Kenpachi explains that there would be no fun in cutting up Nnoitra if it would not kill him and releases the latter's leg as he concludes that knowing Nnoitra will die if cut is all he needs to know and rushes forward while declaring that he is going to enjoy cutting up Nnoitra, prompting the latter to proclaim that he cannot possibly do so.

Kenpachi begins rapidly clashing with Nnoitra, who is pushed back across the sands by the force of his attacks, and eventually exploits an opening to slash his Zanpakutō down at Nnoitra's left side. Upon blocking the blade with his left forearm, Nnoitra is startled to see it cut into his skin and draw blood, which leads him to repel Kenpachi with a wave of his arm in irritation. Though Nnoitra licks the blood from his wound and claims that this was a fluke which Kenpachi should not be proud of, Kenpachi stares at his Zanpakutō and performs a practice swing with it to his right side before sharply jerking his arm up, blowing away the sand next to him in the process with the generated wind force, and inviting Nnoitra to come at him once more.

When Nnoitra angrily tells him to not get cocky and delivers a powerful downward strike of his Zanpakutō from the air, Kenpachi blocks it with his own Zanpakutō, which begins cutting through the blade of Nnoitra's Zanpakutō and quickly severs one of its tips alongside slashing horizontally across Nnoitra's face, to his aggravation. Standing opposite Nnoitra, Kenpachi observes that he is finally getting used to Nnoitra's Hierro, to the latter's shock, and details how he has not fought in so long that he had forgotten to keep his muscles loosened up as he thanks Nnoitra for the warm-up and promises to repay him, which he follows with a powerful thrust of his Zanpakutō at Nnoitra's head.

Narrowly sidestepping this, Nnoitra attempts to attack Kenpachi once more, but the latter intercepts him with an upward slash to Nnoitra's left shoulder, causing him to fire a Cero from the tip of his outstretched tongue in frustration. In response, Kenpachi casually grabs the Cero with his right hand and throws it aside, causing it to detonate in the sands behind him and leaving Nnoitra standing bewildered for several seconds prior to angrily rushing toward Kenpachi and attempting to stab the latter with his hand once more. However, Nnoitra's hand instead catches on and rips off a grinning Kenpachi's eyepatch, revealing his fully intact eye underneath, and a stunned Nnoitra is slashed down the length of his body by Kenpachi as the latter's Reiatsu surges.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


309. Pray for the Mantis[]

Nnoitra Gilga activates his Resurrección, Santa Teresa, and overpowers 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

Summary:

309Cover

The cover page of 309. Pray for the Mantis.

With a large amount of blood spattering the sand nearby and dripping from his Zanpakutō, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki stands apart from Nnoitra Gilga, who has been slashed vertically down the left side of his body, and reaches up with his hand to feel the area over his right eye. Upon realizing that his eyepatch was cut off, Kenpachi attributes his inability to control his strength to Nnoitra doing this, and when a panting Nnoitra questions what the eyepatch is, Kenpachi explains that it is a seal he uses to contain his Reiatsu so his battles last longer. As Kenpachi questions if Nnoitra still standing after that attack means he is alive or just on his last breath, Nnoitra denies such an attack or Kenpachi's Zanpakutō being able to kill him and proclaims that he is never going to die before activating his Resurrección, Santa Teresa.

The release kicks up a massive cloud of sand around Nnoitra, where Kenpachi sees a crescent moon silhouette within, before clearing to reveal Nnoitra, who has gained an unequally-sized pair of horns on his head, two additional arms connected to his shoulders, thick armor covering his arms and torso, and a large scythe with a lengthy, lopsided blade in each hand. Watching this from afar, Ichigo Kurosaki is surprised by Nnoitra's extra arms and realizes that the vertical wound inflicted by Kenpachi has been healed and closed as well, leaving him astonished that this could be done when Kenpachi does not have his eyepatch on anymore. Despite this, when Nnoitra asks him how it feels to see an Espada's release for the first time, Kenpachi grins widely and praises this sensation because it feels like Nnoitra's Reiatsu is sharpening his own Zanpakutō.

In turn, Nnoitra demands that Kenpachi try to cut him with this sharpened sword, causing Kenpachi to rush forward and slash downward at Nnoitra. However, Kenpachi is startled when Nnoitra easily blocks his slash with one of his scythes, wonders if this is all Kenpachi has got, and slices another scythe diagonally across Kenpachi's chest, sending him flying back to land motionless on the sand with blood spraying from his wound while Nnoitra mocks this swing as feeble.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


310. FOUR ARMS TO KILLING YOU[]

11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki reengages Nnoitra Gilga with the latter's four arms in mind.

Summary:

310Cover

The cover page of 310. FOUR ARMS TO KILLING YOU.

With Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue watching in shock and concern alongside 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, who is perched atop a broken and tilted pillar, the latter's captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, lies motionless in the sands with a large gash running diagonally along his chest before Nnoitra Gilga, who has activated and attacked Kenpachi with his Resurrección, Santa Teresa. Upon realizing that Kenpachi is not even twitching, Nnoitra assumes that he has died and turns his attention to Ichigo, Orihime, and Yachiru, whom he decides to kill next. In response to Nnoitra approaching them, Orihime runs toward Yachiru, and when Ichigo tries to stop her by reaching out his hand, he is repelled by the interior of her Sōten Kisshun surrounding him, leaving him startled at her Shun Shun Rikka being powerful enough to push him back.

Meanwhile, Orihime shields Yachiru with Santen Kesshun, only for Nnoitra to disparage it and raise one of his scythes in preparation for destroying it. However, Yachiru merely points at the area behind Nnoitra and tells him that he should look behind himself just before Nnoitra experiences a monstrous and intense Reiatsu enveloping him in the shape of a demonic skull. Turning around in alarm at this, Nnoitra has his upper right arm severed and leaps several meters back while the arm spins through the air and is impaled on the Zanpakutō of Kenpachi, who stands before Nnoitra, tosses the arm away, and notes with amusement that this is one down. As Nnoitra curses him, Yachiru claims that Kenpachi gets mad when people attack her, though Kenpachi denies being mad.

When Nnoitra accuses him of cheating by pretending to be dead, Kenpachi counters that he was just musing on how Nnoitra's ability to always block his attacks with an extra arm made the battle unfun and asserts that he could not think of a clever way to prevent that, which is why he will instead be cutting off Nnoitra's arms one by one. While Yachiru points out that Nnoitra cannot fight without any arms, which Kenpachi acknowledges as he decides to leave him with one instead, a bemused Nnoitra wonders if Kenpachi is insane and calls this the stupidest thing he has ever heard prior to declaring that this is the last arm Kenpachi will take from him, regrowing his severed arm with High-Speed Regeneration, and clarifying that it is the last thing Kenpachi will ever take from anyone.

After proclaiming that he is going to slice Kenpachi to death with four arms because the latter is weaker than he is, Nnoitra lunges forward and begins clashing rapidly and fiercely with Kenpachi, which eventually culminates in Nnoitra sending Kenpachi flying several meters back with enough force to shatter the side of a tall building that he crashes into. With Nnoitra claiming that he can knock Kenpachi around like a feather because the latter is so light and complaining that this makes it harder to kill the latter, whose intention of running away he questions, Kenpachi kicks his foot out of the rubble, which an approaching Nnoitra narrowly dodges, and grabs Nnoitra by the head to slam him on his back before bringing his Zanpakutō down in a powerful slash, forcing Nnoitra to block with all four scythes at once.

Kenpachi sees Nnoitra struggling to hold him back and wonders if the latter is done already, but is interrupted when Nnoitra thrusts a third left arm through his side and out of his back, covering it and the sand behind Kenpachi with blood. Reiterating that Kenpachi is not taking any more of his arms, Nnoitra pulls his arm out of Kenpachi, revealing that he has grown out a third right arm beneath the other two as well, and concludes that he will be killing Kenpachi with all six of his arms, leaving Kenpachi to cough up blood.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


311. The Undead 4[]

Continuing to battle Nnoitra Gilga, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki is forced to get serious due to his extensive injuries.

Summary:

311Cover

The cover page of 311. The Undead 4.

As Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue express fright at the sight of his third set of arms, Nnoitra Gilga holds out his bottom left wrist, which generates a scythe for that hand to wield, and informs 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki that it is over. Despite this, Kenpachi begins laughing maniacally and claims that he loves this because he is finally even with Nnoitra now that he has holes in his body as well. Grabbing his Zanpakutō, Kenpachi invites an unnerved Nnoitra to continue this and slashes his Zanpakutō horizontally at Nnoitra, who ducks down, leaving the blade to cut through a large chunk of rubble behind him, and slices one of his scythes through Kenpachi's left shoulder, only for the latter to continue grinning and bring his Zanpakutō crashing down onto Nnoitra. Upon blocking this with another scythe, a struggling Nnoitra kicks Kenpachi in the side with his left leg, pushing him several meters to the side, before lunging toward him again.

After Kenpachi narrowly evades a scythe aimed at his head, which only scratches his cheek, and thrusts his Zanpakutō at Nnoitra's in turn, Nnoitra runs up the wall of the broken building that Kenpachi crashed into earlier and slashes diagonally through the top, causing a massive chunk of it to slide off and fall onto Kenpachi, who simply sticks his Zanpakutō into the side and flicks it, causing the entire chunk to split and crumble into large pieces around him. From above the falling rubble, Nnoitra comes down on Kenpachi with all six of his scythes and resumes their fierce clash while frantically wondering how Kenpachi can possibly be fighting back when he has been cut more and is bleeding worse than Nnoitra has and is, which causes him to demand that Kenpachi stop annoying him and die already prior to slashing his scythes at Kenpachi's left shoulder once more, this time cutting open the side of his neck as well.

Upon putting a hand over his neck wound, Kenpachi realizes that he really is going to die if he keeps this up and notes that he does not want to die, leaving Yachiru to stare at him as he decides to use kendō. With Nnoitra confused by this, Kenpachi explains that Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto made him practice it for a while after he joined the Gotei 13, though he did not find it appealing and disliked the name implying that it was the proper way of swordsmanship, only to admit that he did learn one thing which made sense to him. Kenpachi bluntly informs Nnoitra that a sword is more powerful when swung with both hands, and when an incredulous Nnoitra proclaims that this is obvious and rushes toward Kenpachi with his scythes outstretched, Kenpachi infers that Nnoitra does not understand just how much stronger it is, grips the bottom of his Zanpakutō's handle with his left hand, and performs Ryōdan, a powerful downward slash.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


312. Higher Than The Moon[]

Nnoitra Gilga finishes his battle against 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

Summary:

312Cover

The cover page of 312. Higher Than The Moon.[3]

Charging furiously toward 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki with his scythes outstretched, Nnoitra Gilga is stopped in his tracks when the former performs Ryōdan, unleashing a powerful downward slash that cuts through Nnoitra along his left side and kicks up a huge plume of sand as it travels across the desert. With the sand falling back down around him, Kenpachi stands with both hands on his Zanpakutō and expresses amazement at Nnoitra still being alive upon seeing the latter on his hands and knees, having had all three of his left hands severed and with a huge gash running down the left side of his body. After admitting that Nnoitra is tougher than he expected, Kenpachi turns around and bids Nnoitra farewell, prompting a startled Nnoitra to demand that Kenpachi come back because this is not over.

Though Kenpachi asserts that this is the end of their battle since he is under no obligation to finish off an opponent who cannot fight back, Nnoitra counters that the battle really is not over in this case and gets to his feet, with two of his right hands wielding scythes and the third clutching his left shoulder, while claiming that he can still fight. Upon seeing Kenpachi remain silent at this, Nnoitra angrily questions if the former is afraid of him and orders Kenpachi to say something, only for a grinning Kenpachi to express annoyance at this and decide to grant Nnoitra's request just before Nnoitra lunges toward him and prepares to attack.

In the past, during Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck's time as an Espada, she and Nnoitra travel to a Hollow colony, which Nnoitra summarily destroys. When asked by Nelliel why he did this since they were not ordered to do so, Nnoitra points out that he was not ordered not to kill the Hollows either, and when Nelliel explains that a massacre runs contrary to Sōsuke Aizen's objectives because he wants to find Vasto Lorde, Nnoitra asserts that he killed the Hollows for Aizen's benefit due to them being renegade elements who do not agree with Aizen and muses that a Vasto Lorde would have been able to stop his rampage, meaning that there was not one here to begin with. With Nnoitra concluding that he is following orders precisely and wondering what the big deal is about a couple hundred dead Hollows, Nelliel reminds him that they are simply two of the lucky few Hollows that evolved favorably, leading an irritated Nnoitra to invite her to try and punish him if she sees fit. However, Nelliel merely calls him a child despite reaching Espada status and walks away, leaving a stunned Nnoitra to angrily attack her.

Later, a prone Nnoitra regains consciousness and, upon seeing Nelliel sitting on a rock before him, questions why she saved him, which prompts Nelliel to clarify that she simply prevented him from committing suicide since he is a valuable Espada. Perturbed by this, Nnoitra bluntly states that he does not like Nelliel and knows that she knows this, which is why he does not understand why she keeps following him around, but Nelliel informs him that she does so because he is weaker than she is. Internally, Nnoitra ruminates on how humiliating and painful it is for people to pity him before declaring that he shows no mercy and kills everyone with one strike regardless of their age or form so no one has a chance to rise up against him again.

In the present, Nnoitra is slashed across the chest once more by Kenpachi in a blow that severs two of his right hands, causing Nnoitra to fall to his knees with a blissful smile as blood spurts from his wounds. When he looks at a resting Nel nearby, Nnoitra sees her recognize him by name, falls over, and dies.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


313. TO CLOSE YOUR WORLD[]

Just as Nnoitra Gilga falls, Sōsuke Aizen intervenes to recapture Orihime Inoue.

Summary:

313Cover

The cover page of 313. TO CLOSE YOUR WORLD.

In the past, a young Nnoitra Gilga cuts down a frantically surrendering Arrancar and turns to a younger Tesra Lindocruz, whom he infers has something to say as he questions what is wrong with killing a weakling. Upon being asked if that was an Arrancar, Nnoitra confirms that he could see the former was and asserts that this is why he killed him before warning Tesra to remember that mercy will not save anyone if he wishes to keep accompanying Nnoitra.

Later, Nnoitra faces off against Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck during her time as an Espada, where she refuses to fight him due to not seeing the purpose in his battles. However, Nnoitra declares that fighting itself is his purpose, to her confusion, and elaborates that he continues fighting because he wants to die in battle, which is why has become what he is so he can eat and breathe battle. When Nelliel realizes this is simply intoxication, Nnoitra affirms that the finest alcohol is nothing more than water compared to battle in his eyes.

Some time afterward, Nnoitra sits with Tesra in the desert of Hueco Mundo and ruminates that there is no salvation for the Arrancar, something Sōsuke Aizen cannot change, though he is grateful to the latter for giving him strength so he can experience a higher level of battle. Promising to get stronger than anyone and fight the ultimate enemy to prove there is no one greater than he is and crush all of his rivals as he picks up a fistful of sand and watches it fall from his hand, Nnoitra concludes that he wants life to have fled his body before it hits the ground when he dies.

In the present, Tesra sheds a single tear while he lies dying on the sands and looks at Nnoitra, who lies dead before 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki as the latter praises his performance in their battle. After ripping off his tattered haori, Kenpachi walks over to a concerned Ichigo Kurosaki, shocks him and Orihime Inoue by shattering the Sōten Kisshun surrounding him with a single stomp, and flings Ichigo several meters away with a single hand. Once Ichigo lands on the sands and angrily demands to know what he is doing, Kenpachi tells him to pick up his sword, which lies behind Ichigo, and get out of here with Orihime because his job is done and the rest can be left to Kenpachi. Though Ichigo protests that he cannot quit now, Kenpachi reminds him that he is a Substitute Shinigami tasked with protecting Karakura Town, which means he should be satisfied with saving Orihime and not deprive Kenpachi of more fun, leaving Ichigo nonplussed while Kenpachi demands that Orihime heal his injuries.

Suddenly, as Orihime moves to do so, Coyote Starrk appears before her with Sonído, alarming those present, and apologetically admits that he does not like such things before asserting that he needs to take Orihime with him. Though Ichigo and Kenpachi immediately lunge toward him, Starrk disappears with Orihime just before their Zanpakutō slam into the area where he was standing, which leaves Ichigo dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, a terrified Orihime stands before Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen while Aizen welcomes her back and observes that she is wearing a pained expression, causing him to move to her, place his hand on her cheek, and softly request that she smile since they all get sad when the sky darkens and she merely needs to wait here for a little while until they wipe out Karakura Town, with a Garganta opening to display the town behind him in the process.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


314. Night Side of Abduction[]

Sōsuke Aizen announces the beginning of his conquest of Karakura Town as he strands the invaders in Hueco Mundo.

Summary:

314Cover

The cover spread of 314. Night Side of Abduction.

With Orihime Inoue shocked by his proclamation that they will be destroying Karakura Town, Sōsuke Aizen affirms that they will be doing so to create the Ōken as he approaches the Garganta leading to Karakura Town behind him. At Aizen's behest, Kaname Tōsen initiates Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra, connecting Aizen to Ichigo Kurosaki, his friends, and all the Shinigami who have invaded Hueco Mundo.

After complimenting them on their defeat of so many Espada, Aizen announces that he and his forces will now begin their invasion of the Human World. As a shocked Uryū Ishida questions how they can be doing so if Orihime's powers have not yet awakened the Hōgyoku and Rukia Kuchiki wonders where she is, Aizen explains that he will leave Orihime in the fifth tower, with the stairs behind him disappearing to strand Orihime on the ground below, and invites her friends to save her if they want since she is no longer of use to him, to the further confusion of those listening. Aizen explains that Orihime's astonishing powers that let her reject phenomena transcend the powers of all other Humans and had their significance recognized by the high officials of Soul Society early on, which is why he abducted her in order to provoke a crisis in Soul Society that would lead the Gotei 13 to withdraw from the Human World and defend the Seireitei.

While Ichigo recalls Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto ordering 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya's advance team to return to Soul Society upon learning that the Arrancar are battle-ready, Aizen elaborates that he used Orihime as bait to lure Ichigo and his friends to Hueco Mundo and observes that they and the four captains who later joined them have been successfully confined just as the Garganta used by 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi are forcibly closed. Upon sensing this, 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu determines that they have all been sealed, and when Uryū Ishida questions if it is possible to open them again from here, Mayuri admits that only Kisuke Urahara has a thorough understanding of the Garganta and cannot be communicated with from here.

Back in the Garganta he is passing through, Aizen observes that the true strength of the Gotei 13 lies in its captains, who comprise its primary fighting force and greatest asset, but points out that three captains seceding and four more being trapped in Hueco Mundo means that Soul Society's strength has been reduced by half, which he admits was simple to accomplish and concludes will now allow them to destroy Karakura Town, create the Ōken, topple Soul Society, and finally deal with the intruders at their leisure. Upon hearing this, a stunned Ichigo attempts to rush off, and when Kenpachi wonders what he believes he can do now, Ichigo insists that he has to try something and cannot be expected to do nothing while Karakura Town is in danger. However, Kenpachi reminds Ichigo that Yamamoto issued several orders to Urahara the moment that the battle was determined to take place in the winter, with the first being to send a few captains to Hueco Mundo and the second being for the captains of the Gotei 13 to prepare to fight in Karakura Town, culminating in Yamamoto, 1st Division Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng, Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura, Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, and 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake assembling in Karakura Town before Aizen.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


315. MARCH OF THE DEATH[]

The Gotei 13 captains and lieutenants assemble against Sōsuke Aizen's Arrancar army in Karakura Town.

Summary:

315Cover

The cover spread of 315. MARCH OF THE DEATH.

With 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki informing Ichigo Kurosaki that the second order given by Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto regarding the war was for the captains of the Gotei 13 to prepare for battle in Karakura Town, Yamamoto, 1st Division Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng, Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura, Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, and 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake assemble in Karakura Town.

Back in Hueco Mundo, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi confirms to Uryū Ishida that the other captains have likely just been deployed, and as Yasutora Sado warns 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana that the captains all using their power over Karakura Town will destroy the city and kill everyone inside, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki reminds Rukia that the order was to prepare for battle and asserts that merely deploying the captains to the Human World would not be sufficient preparation, prompting Mayuri to inform Uryū that Urahara devised the Tenkai Kecchu to make Karakura Town suitable for battle by enveloping it in an enormous gateway while the Shinigami Research and Development Institute were tasked with constructing an exact duplicate of Karakura Town on the outskirts of the Rukongai, which they accomplished. After noting that the Tenkai Kecchu differs from a Senkaimon by allowing whatever it surrounds to be replaced by something in Soul Society, Mayuri concludes that they used it to transfer the real Karakura Town to the outskirts of the Rukongai.

While Unohana assures Sado that they put the residents of Karakura Town to sleep and sent them to the Rukongai alongside Karakura Town, Mayuri notes that only an uninhabited replica stands in Karakura Town's place right now and that the captains are free to destroy as much of it as needed. Meanwhile, in the Fake Karakura Town, Yamamoto asserts that the Gotei 13 made it in time, only for Aizen to wonder why he believes this since the transfer of the town will not stop him prior to having Coyote Starrk, Baraggan Louisenbairn, Tier Harribel, and their Fracción join him through their own Garganta. After musing that they will simply create the Ōken in Soul Society once they have eliminated the Gotei 13 if Karakura Town is in the Rukongai, Aizen declares that he leaves Las Noches in the hands of Ulquiorra Cifer, who emerges from the pocket dimension he was trapped in by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in front of Aizen's throne and confirms this just before making eye contact with a frightened Orihime Inoue, who stands several meters away.

In the desert outside, Ichigo reminds Kenpachi of his assertion that Ichigo's job is to protect Karakura Town and proclaims that his real job is to protect his friends as he leaps into the air and rushes toward the fifth tower, where Ulquiorra beckons him to come.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


Author's Notes[]

Volume 35 Intro Image
I went to America for work. San Diego. I appeared at an event called Comic-Con and met a lot of my American fans. I saw some local cosplay and I did a lot of interesting interviews. There were some who lined up the night before to hear me speak. It was all fresh and fun. I'm proud that my first overseas trip was to meet my American fans.

-Tite Kubo

References[]

  1. Bleach 35 (Japanese). Shueisha.
  2. Bleach, Vol. 35. Viz Media.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 this chapter appear as 'Fervorous - Ferocious' in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine

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