The Head Captain orders Mayuri Kurotsuchi to simplify the procedures to perform Gentei Kaijo, a restriction release for the Spiritual Pressure of the Advance Troops while in the World of the Living.
Trouble is brewing in Las Noches, Aizen's palace in the Hollow realm, Hueco Mundo. One of the Arrancars, Patras, rebels against Aizen and tries to steal the Hogyoku.
There are only a few months left until the showdown with the Arrancars. Ichigo continues to train with the Visoreds, but the amount of time in which he can remain Hollowfied hasn't increased by much.
Ichigo and his friends manage to drive away Grimmjow and the other Arrancars. But behind the scenes, Aizen orders Ulquiorra to bring Orihime to Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo awakens to realize that the serious injuries he received from Grimmjow's attack have completely healed. He senses that Orihime came to his room from the traces of Spiritual Pressure that she left behind.
Ichigo goes with Sado and Ichida to Hueco Mundo, and Orihime helps Grimmjow retrieve his hands upon order from Aizen to show her powers to the rest of the Arrancers.
In a second attempt to defeat Runuganga, the Guardian of the White Sands, Rukia uses Sodenoshirayuki, but her attack backfires when she accidentally stabs Bawabawa in the back.
Ichigo and his friends have fallen into the Menos Forest. They fight off attacks from Gillians while they look for Rukia and Nel, who have been separated from the group.