Ichigo Kurosaki, along with his family, runs a local clinic. Ichigo has the unusual ability to see poltergeists but rather than react with surprise he merely sees it as an annoyance. Ichigo helps those when he cares but can't bring himself to care enough... until one fateful day. A small, mysterious woman appears on duty inside his room, a Soul Reaper known as Rukia. Soon enough Ichigo and Rukia get formal in the oddest of ways and in such untimely matter the losses begin. The Kurosaki family is soon attacked. This leads Ichigo on his first step to accepting the role and responsibility's a Soul Reaper must uphold.
A pillar of flame appears behind Aizen and Yamamoto emerges from it. Aizen tells him that his appearance is too late as he's the only captain of the Gotei 13 left with any actual offensive abilities. He continues to explain that if he falls, the entire Gotei 13 will collapse in on itself and he suggests to him that he should have come forth sooner.
Kira and Iba remark on how high the captains and Visored reiatsu are, and they wonder if Momo and Rangiku will be all right from being around such a huge amount of reiatsu. Kira then wonders if the captains and Visored strength will be enough to defeat Aizen.
Ichigo breaks through a Garganta and arrives in the Fake Karakura Town. To his luck, Ichigo appears directly behind Aizen and he uses this opportunity to fire off a Getsuga Tenshō at Aizen. However, the attack ends up hitting a barrier that appears behind Aizen.
The release of Shinji Hirako's shikai, Sakanade, prompts Sōsuke Aizen to comment that it is an interesting shape for a katana. Shinji responds that it is great and he will not lend it to him. Aizen then states that he finds it strange that it does not give off any particular kind of aura.
Tōsen calls Komamura foolish for using his Bankai, claiming that he has already proven his power is far beyond his. Komamura remarks that he sounds like an Espada saying that. However Tōsen rebukes this and tells Komamura not to compare him to the Espada, claiming to have already surpassed them.