- The Initial Invasion -
- With Ryuunosuke and Shino gone, Ichigo continues to combat the unusual number of hollows in Karakura Town. When he feels a particularly large group suddenly appear and then vanish, he rushes to the scene.
^ Arriving where he felt the hollows, Ichigo meets Quilge Opie, who greets him politely. Ichigo regards Quilge with suspicion while he explains his use of the hollow bait and his duties as a Quincy. Unfortunately, Ichigo doesn't particularly care. He raises his sword to which Quilge responds with his own.
^ The fight commences with both combatants on fairly equal footing. However, after only a short exchange, Ichigo has a clear advantage all around. Chad and Orihime arrive at this time, unsure of what to think about this new enemy.
^ Feeling Ichigo's superior power, Quilge pulls out his trump card, the Quincy Vollstandig. He undergoes a flashy transformation, emerging from a pillar of blue flame with glowing blue wings, a sort of halo, and dramatically increased abilities. Before Ichigo can test himself against this new form, though, Quilge reveals his other power. With his power, he was granted the title of Sternritter "J", The Jail. Using this power, Quilge traps Ichigo in a seemingly impenetrable cage.
^ With Ichigo trapped, Chad and Orihime step up to face Quilge.
- At the same time, a calamitous event occurs in the Soul Society. With little warning outside of a very bad feeling, a massive white fortress surrounded by forest appears, as if bleeding from the shadows, within the walls of the Seireitei. The Initial Invasion begins.
^ Before the Shinigami can react to the arrival of the Wandenreich, enormous blue pillars of concentrated Reishi erupt all around. From these pillars emerge the Sternritter and Quincy soldiers.
^ Squad 3 Vice-Captain Kira Izuru gathers other combatants gather outside of one of the pillars. As the pillars dissipate, a powerful blast erupts out, tearing through Izuru, killing him. The Sternritter that emerges from the pillar proceeds to kill the other Shinigami as well.
^ We then see a number of Captains confronting other Sternritter.
Squad 8 Captain Kyouraku Shunsui is met by Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone.
Squad 2 Captain Soi Fon is met by Sternritter "I" Cang Du.
Squad 11 Captain Zaraki Kenpachi is met by Sternritter "Q" Berenice Gabrielli, Sternritter "Σ" Shazz Domino, and Sternritter "Y" Loyd Lloyd.
Squad 10 Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro is met by Sternritter "R" Jerome Guizbatt.
Squad 6 Captain Kuchiki Byakuya is met by Sternritter "F" As Nodt and Sternritter "S" Mask De Masculine.
Squad 7 Captain Komamura Sajin is met by Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine.
Squad 3 Captain Otoribashi Rojuro is met by Sternritter "U" Nanana Najahkoop.
- Otoribashi Rojuro receives word that his Vice-Captain has been slain. He and the Quincy exchange threats.
- Squad 6 Vice-Captain Abarai Renji and Squad 13's Kuchiki Rukia meet up with Kuchiki Byakuya as the Sternritter approach. They regard each other with caution.
^ The Shinigami form up to fight 3-on-2, but the Sternritter are not having it. Mask takes it on himself to take the weaker two out of the picture. Byakuya moves to defend them, but he is intercepted by As Nodt. As Mask disappears to eliminate the other two, Byakuya is faced with As Nodt's Schrift, The Fear.
^ At first, it seems as if Byakuya has the advantage. His Bankai, Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi, surrounds both combatants, threatening to envelop the Quincy. As Nodt is unfazed, however. He begins a monologue, going on about the power of fear. Slowly but surely, The Fear begins to affect Byakuya, causing horrible hallucinations and breaking apart Byakuya's composure. He desperately strikes at As Nodt, but Mask appears behind him while he is distracted.
- Squad 10 Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro, backed up by his Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku confront a rather large Quincy with the form of an Ape. They prepare to fight, Toshiro with his Bankai and Rangiku dispersing her dust. The Quincy, Jerome Guizbatt, stretches his jaw.
- Sternritter "I" Cang Du steps up to Squad 2 Captain Soi Fon and Vice Captain Omaeda Marechiyo. He takes a martial arts stance and his skin begins to harden. Soi Fon accepts his challenge, preparing to strike with her Shikai, Suzumebachi.
- Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine excitedly stares down Squad 7 Captain Komamura Sajin as he levels his sword against her. The giant phantom limb of his Shikai appears menacingly above him.
- Squad 8 Captain Kyouraku Shunsui kneels before Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone. The Quincy holds a smoking gun, looking down on the injured Captain. Shunsui looks up, revealing a bloody eye socket.
- Ishida Uryu moves quickly through the streets of the Soul Society. His mission is simple: Locate Squad 13 Captain Ukitake Juushiro and relay his location to the Sternritter. Something feels off about the mission. Part of it is his history with the Gotei 13, the times he's fought against and with them. The other part bothering him is his target. Why Ukitake Juushiro? Before he can give it much thought, he runs across Squad 12 Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri.
- We divert back to Karakura town. Ichigo is still trapped, desperately trying to get out of The Jail. Chad and Orihime are making an admirable effort to defeat Quilge, but the Quincy's Vollstandig power is just too great. He systematically wears them down, critically injuring both Fullbringers.
^ Seeing his friends being beaten, Ichigo goes berserk. He hacks at The Jail, putting all of his strength into his strikes again and again. But it's no use. The Jail is impenetrable by anyone other than a Quincy. It shocks Quilge, then, when he sees the bars of his Jail begin to crack under Ichigo's onslaught. Wisps of white/blue energy start to mix with the usual black of Getsuga Tensho, becoming more prominent with each hit.
^ Eventually, The Jail shatters. Ichigo rushes to his friends' aid, but Quilge has already fled by the time he touches down. Ichigo rushes Chad and Orihime to Urahara Shop for help.
- Kuchiki Byakuya nurses an injured arm as he dodges the combined attacks of Mask and As Nodt. He unleashes Senbon Zakura as best he can, but his attacks are mostly ineffective. Between As Nodt's Fear and Mask's incredible strength and stamina, all he can really do is lead the Quincies away from Rukia and Renji.
^ With As Nodt attacking from a distance and Mask getting up close, Byakuya comes up with a plan, but his Fear-addled mind can't keep it straight. He moves to attack As Nodt directly, but is stricken by a horrible vision. He turns to duke it out with Mask, but he can do little more than defend against the relentless attacks from both Quincies.
^ In the end, he resolves to stand firm and face his opponents like a Captain of the Gotei 13. He positions himself so that both Quincies are in his range, and unleashes one final attack. His petals engulf Mask and As Nodt, seemingly holding them down, but then Byakuya is assaulted by more visions. They threaten to break his concentration and weaken his attack, but he holds. More visions come to him, but still, with much effort, he holds firm. Then he sees a vision of Rukia rotting away, and he wavers. Mask seizes the opportunity and charges through the petals, landing a devastating blow.
^ As he is brutalized by the Quincies, Byakuya hopes that he led them far enough from the others to keep them safe. He offers sage advice to Renji and Rukia in his mind, hoping that they continue to grow stronger. As Mask launches a flashy special attack, Byakuya wonders if he acted appropriately as the head of the Kuchiki clan.
- Squad 1 Captain Yamamoto Genryuusai senses the rapid disappearance of the Shinigami forces, including one Captain class Reiatsu. He decides to take the field.
- Squad 8 Captain Kyouraku Shunsui and Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone, both heavily damaged now, take notice of Yamamoto's move. Shunsui takes a breath and informs Accutrone that the Captains can't just sit around if the Captain Commander is stepping out.
- Omaeda Marechiyo lends his shoulder to a battle damaged Soi Fon. They leave the body of Cang Du, covered in different Hornet Crests, as it is consumed by Suzumebachi's effect.
- Squad 3 Captain Otoribashi Rojuro retracts his Shikai and steps away from the corpse of Sternritter "U" Nanana Najahkoop.
- Shunsui and Accutrone clash and step back. The fight seems to be even, but Accutrone declares that the Quincies, also, can't afford to sit around.
- Yhwach steps out into the Soul Society with Jugram Haschwalth close behind. He regards the smoke rising from various battles across the Seireitei with satisfaction. He offers a silent challenge to Yamamoto.
^ Yhwach is only slightly surprised when one of the Special War Potentials, Squad 11 Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, appears carrying the bodies of Sternritters "Q", "Y", and "Σ". Kenpachi drops his kills and explains how underwhelming they were. He challenges Yhwach, who accepts.
- Toshiro falls to his knees, his Bankai shattered and his petals almost completely gone. Rangiku lies unconscious behind him. Jerome Guizbatt taunts them, looking like a giant ape. Demanding that weaklings get out of his sight, he uses his ability, The Roar, and blows Toshiro and Rangiku far away with his massive voice.
- Komamura Sajin's Bankai stands stiff, mid-swing, as Sajin is engulfed in explosions. He falls, taking heavy damage. Bambietta laughs sadistically and snaps her fingers, leaving Sajin for dead in another large explosion.
- Mask De Masculine and As Nodt banter casually after decimating Byakuya, who is left beaten to a bloody pulp. His injuries are fatal. Renji and Rukia are left severely injured.
- Squad 9 Vice-Captain Hisagi Shuhei is backed into a corner by Sternritter "O" Driscoll Bercci. He explains his power, The Overkill, before preparing to kill Shuhei. Then Yamamoto arrives.
^ Bercci recognizes Yamamoto immediately and begins to taunt him with his Vice-Captain's death. Yamamoto seems to take these taunts in stride, keeping his cool and withstanding the Quincy's attacks without so much as flinching.
^Yamamoto lashes out, roaring along with his Zanpakuto's flames as he incinerates Bercci in an instant. His Vice-Captain avenged, Yamamoto makes a b-line for Yhwach.
- When Yamamoto arrives, Yhwach is tossing Kenpachi aside. The Squad 11 Captain gave him less trouble than expected, but there are noticeable signs of damage on his person, and Haschwalth lays severely injured nearby. He boasts that raw power on its own is useless against one that is destined to rule the world.
^Yamamoto challenges that, and is ambushed by Sternritters "F", "S", and "K". He swats them away with little effort. When he turns back to Yhwach, he activates his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi. What follows is a fight that sees Yamamoto's power completely overpowering Yhwach at every turn.
^ Yamamoto activates the different stages of his Bankai to overwhelm Yhwach, going so far as to raise his old comrades to fight. Backed into a corner, Yhwach invokes a power that Yamamoto has not seen before. A dark, undulating shadow resembling a hand springs out of the ground behind Yhwach, in contrast to the white/blue energies that Quincies, even Yhwach, usually produce. His wounds begin to heal, and his hesitance to strike down the burning souls of his comrades disappears as he is enveloped in this powerful dark energy.
^ The tide of the battle turns in Yhwach's favor. His new power allows him to blast through Yamamoto's flames. In a flurry of explosive clashes, the two old enemies trade blows in earnest, testing their skills against each other. Sensing that his Bankai will soon destroy everything, Soul Society included, Yamamoto makes the decision to deactivate it, leaving himself open against Yhwach's new power, but ensuring that the Seireitei isn't immediately destroyed. Yhwach seizes this chance and strikes down Yamamoto.
- The aftershocks of the fight between Yamamoto and Yhwach spread throughout the Soul Society.
^ Shunsui looks grimly down at the corpse of Accutrone, sensing the death of the Captain Commander. Blood streams from his vacant eye socket like streaking tears.
^ Squad 4 Captain Unohana Retsu stares out over the battle worn Seireitei, wide-eyed.
^ The other Captains, save for those that lay defeated react to Yamamoto's death in their own ways. Some express shock, others anger. One question passes through all of their minds. How could this happen?
- Yhwach and Haschwalth regard the dead Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, commenting on the loss of one Special War Potential for the Shinigami. Soon thereafter, Yhwach collapses, the use of that dark power taking its toll on his body. Haschwalth helps him retreat and sends the signal for the Quincy forces to do the same.
^ The regular Quincy forces and the remaining Sternritter pull back to the Wandenreich. A front line develops along the boundary between the Quincy base and the Soul Society.
- Both forces begin licking their wounds.