Due to this sub-arc has the most numbers of episode the summary will be slipt into two parts.
Episode 266: This episode recaps the story of the intense war between some of the Soul Reaper captains and lieutenants and the remaining Espadas in Sōsuke Aizen's arrancar army. It concludes with when Ichigo Kurosaki and Ulquiorra Schiffer are about to renew their fight.
Episode 267: Ichigo and Ulquiorra's final battle properly gets underway with the two of them being more or less evenly matched. Ichigo is able to read his opponent's movements better than he could when they first fought, managing to wound Ulquiorra, if even slightly. Ichigo surmises that it is either he is becoming more like a hollow or his opponent is becoming more human, which angers Ulquiorra. Meanwhile, Yasutora "Chad" Sado and Renji Abarai struggle to fight a gigantic hollow in the desert of Hueco Mundo named Battikaroa, eventually claiming victory after discovering its weakness by blasting its head off after cracking its body. Back in a tower of Las Noches, Orihime Inoue manages to protect Ichigo from a near-lethal attack from Ulquiorra.
Episode 268: Ichigo and Ulquiorra continue their fierce fight as Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia approach Orhime. Although Loly orders Menoly to rip Orihime to shreds, Menoly refuses, telling Loly that Orihime has outstanding power which can heal anything. Loly berates Menoly and begins to torture Orihime by herself as Ichigo tries to reach Orihime despite Ulquiorra blocking him. When Yammy Riyalgo suddenly arrives, he kills Menoly and injures Loly when Ulquiorra refuses to let him fight Ichigo. Orihime heals Loly, who then releases her zanpakutō, Escolopendra, revealing herself with multiple venomous skeletal tentacles. As Loly squares off with Yammy, he punches her through the wall and lets her fall, seemingly to her death. He then aims for Orihime, who tries to defend herself with Santen Kesshun as Ichigo still tries to defeat Ulquiorra. Meanwhile, Rukia Kuchiki continues to fight Rudbornn Chelute and the Exequias as Chad and Renji slaughter more hollows. Uryū Ishida bursts through the wall of the tower with Ginrei Kojaku, preparing to aid Ichigo and rescue Orihime.
Episode 269: Uryū fights Yammy separate from the group, using the majority of his Quincy techniques to attempt to defeat this giant arrancar, all the while luring him into a trap. Using mines he had gotten from Mayuri Kurotsuchi and planting them on every floor of the fifth tower, Uryū succeeds in dropping Yammy all the way to ground level. Meanwhile, Rukia has difficulty in dispatching Rudbornn and the Exequias until Chad and Renji show up to give her a hand. Ichigo, still battling Ulquiorra, dons his hollow mask and starts to overwhelm his opponent. Ulquiorra breaks through the canopy of Las Noches in order to release his zanpakutō, Murciélago while stating the only 2 rules for inside of Las Noches: the first rule is Grand Rey Cero and the second rule is Espadas 1 to 4 cannot release their zanpaktõ.His sword release gives him large bat-like wings, raising his abilities to the point where he nearly decapitates Ichigo with his first attack.
Episode 270: Ichigo tries to fend off Ulquiorra's attacks with mixed results. However, he declares that he will never give up even if this arrancar is stronger than he is. Ulquiorra responds by transforming into his second release, which he claims Aizen himself has not seen. Ichigo attempts to defend himself and get in an attack, but Ulquiorra is too fast and powerful for him. Eventually, when Orihime and Uryū reach the surface, they discover that Ichigo has already been defeated and captured by Ulquiorra, who then tells Orihime to watch how he will extinguish her last hope by killing Ichigo. With that, he punches a hole through Ichigo's chest by firing his Cero Oscuras.
Episode 271: A horrified Orihime rushes to Ichigo's lifeless body, only to be blocked by Ulquiorra. Uryū intervenes and attempts a sneak attack yet fails, but he decides to buy Orihime time to heal Ichigo's wounds. Ulquiorra quickly overwhelms him, while a distraught Orihime cries out for Ichigo. Orihime's lament breakdown unexpectedly triggers Ichigo to undergo a new hollowfication. Ulquiorra, surprised at the transformation, unleashes a Cero Oscuras, but only to have it blocked by Ichigo's own cero. After a quick skirmish, Ichigo manages to sever one of Ulquiorra's arms. Ulquiorra reveals his incredible ability to regenerate non-vital organs instantaneously. He regenerates his severed arm and unveils his most devastating attack, Lanza del Relámpago. The attack proves fruitless as Ichigo dodges it without effort and Ulquiorra is quickly overwhelmed and defeated.
Episode 272: As Rudbornn continuously produces more soldiers to defend him, Chad and Renji attack him simultaneously with them breaking his defense while Rukia freezes Rudbornn, who is then finished off by Yammy who abruptly arrives at the scene. Meanwhile, in his new hollow form, Ichigo finishes Ulquiorra point-blank with his cero, but when Uryū stops him, trying to end his merciless attacks, Ichigo stabs Uryū with his zanpakutō. Ulquiorra awakes and interrupts Ichigo from using his cero on Uryū, causing it to backfire on Ichigo and reverting him back to his normal self. Although Ulquiorra demands to have a rematch with Ichigo, the latter compromises by suggesting an even-leveled fight. Ulquiorra, agreeing to his terms, suddenly realizes his body is expiring due to over-exhaustion of his own power, yet Ichigo refuses to kill him. While his body turns to ash, Ulquiorra remembers his conversations with Orihime and realizes he has grown a heart within himself. Ulquiorra asks Orihime if she is afraid of him, and she replies that she is not. Satisfied with her answer, Ulquiorra dissolves and fades into the winds.
Episode 273: Yammy becomes enraged at Ulquiorra's death and releases his zanpakutō, Ira. He grows to a colossal size and his rank increases from 10 to 0, explaining that the Espadas actually rank from 0 to 9. Rukia, Chad and Renji go all out on him, but he successfully blocks all their attacks. Meanwhile, in the fake Karakura Town, Tier Halibel continues her fight with Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Halibel releases her sword, Tiburón, and slices Hitsugaya's body in two. As she attempts to move toward Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to exact revenge on him for destroying her Fracciónes, the Tres Bestias, Hitsugaya reappears and reveals what she sliced was merely an ice illusion.
Episode 274: Hitsugaya and Halibel use an array of water and ice attacks. Since Hitsugaya can turn any water into ice, and Halibel can turn any ice into water, both of their attacks neutralize each other out. However, both of them have a plan to turn the battleground into water and finish off the opponent in a single blow. As Hitsugaya tries to keep up with Halibel and protect the injured Soul Reaper lieutenants, he is injured severely from Halibel's Cascada. When Halibel comments on Hitsugaya not being able to fight at full strength, Hitsugaya stands up and extols at Hyōrinmaru being the strongest of all snow and ice zanpakutō, which gives the wielder the control of the heavens. He is then about to unleash his strongest attack, Hyōten Hyakkasō.
Episode 275: Hitsugaya releases his Hyōten Hyakkasō, an attack that manipulates the weather then uses it to dramatically increase its power, and successfully freezes Halibel, trapping her in a tower of ice. Meanwhile, Suì-Fēng and Marechiyo Ōmaeda continue their fight against Baraggan Louisenbairn. He slows Suì-Fēng's reaction time, making her unable to land any of her attacks on him, then grabs her left shoulder, aging it to the point that it breaks from frailty. Suì-Fēng and Ōmaeda devise a strategy to attack Baraggan, but Ōmaeda hesitates at the last moment and it fails. Baraggan then releases his zanpakutō, Arrogante, and unleashes his Respira, a dark cloud that decays everything in its path. His Respira chases after Suì-Fēng and manages to reach her left hand, which withers it down to the bone and begins to spread up her arm. Suì-Fēng, realizing that her whole body will decay into nothing unless drastic action is taken, orders Ōmaeda to cut off her left arm before the Respira can spread further.
Episode 276: Suì-Fēng and Ōmaeda find themselves in a bad situation against Baraggan's Respira. They cannot even counterattack Respira because they cannot get anywhere near it. Then, Suì-Fēng goes off somewhere, leaving Ōmaeda to fight Baraggan alone. Ōmaeda tries to buy time with various ideas but finds himself impotent against Baraggan. Just when Ōmaeda is backed into a corner, Suì-Fēng arrives, having released her bankai, a large golden weapon that covers her entire right arm. She then fires a missile at Baraggan which leads to a massive explosion.
Episode 277: The massive explosion sends Suì-Fēng flying, but Ōmaeda manages to catch her, protecting her from crashing into a building. Shunsui Kyōraku and Coyote Stark continue their fight as Stark pressures Kyōraku to reveal his bankai. Stark then calls for Lilinette Gingerbuck and he fuses together with her in order to release his zanpakutō, Los Lobos, dressing like a gunslinger. The fight resumes as Stark gains the upper hand, confusing Kyōraku as how his pair of guns function. As Kyōraku is in trouble with Stark's cero, Jūshirō Ukitake uses his shikai which leaves Stark questioning if Ukitake just fired a cero.
Episode 278: Kyōraku allows Ukitake to join him in fighting Stark, who notices Ukitake's shikai, which absorbs his cero and shoots it back out again. Just then, a huge Garganta opens up and reveals Wonderweiss Mergera and another gigantic hollow named Hooleer next to him. Wonderweiss stabs Ukitake in the chest while Stark shoots Kyōraku with a cero, making both Kyōraku and Ukitake faint to the ground. Wonderweiss then screams loudly, shattering the ice that Halibel was trapped in and allowing her to escape unharmed. Wonderweiss then blows out the smoke remaining from the missile out of Baraggan, making him resume his place. Wonderweiss finally has Hooleer blow away the flames surrounding Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. Just when the Soul Reapers begin to panic, the Vizards make an unsuspected arrival at the fake Karakura Town right in front of Aizen, Gin and Tōsen.
Episode 279: One hundred one years ago, it is revealed how Aizen experimented hollowification on a group of Soul Reapers, when they were sent into exile and why they called themselves the Vizards. In the present, Shinji Hirako explains to Yamamoto that the Vizards are not the allies of the Soul Reapers, but the enemies of Aizen, yet Ichigo is the exception. Wonderweiss commands Hooleer to release a lot of Menos, but the Vizards quickly defeat them. Hirako, later confronting Aizen, is stopped by Tōsen, who is then intervened by Sajin Komamura. Halibel breaks out of the ice and attacks Hitsugaya, but Hiyori Sarugaki backs him up and Lisa Yadōmaru comes to assist her. Mashiro Kuna easily defeats Hooleer, while Love Aikawa and Rōjūrō "Rose" Otoribashi confront Stark. Komamura and Tōsen are quickly interrupted by Shūhei Hisagi, who wants to join Komamura in defeating Tōsen.
Episode 280: Hisagi joins Komamura to battle Tōsen in hopes of bringing his former captain back to his senses. Meanwhile, the other Soul Reapers form uneasy alliances with the Vizards: Lisa, Hiyori and Hitsugaya take on Halibel; Love and Rose cover for Kyōraku and Ukitake and face Stark; and Hachigen "Hachi" Ushōda, Suì-Fēng and Ōmaeda are up against Baraggan. Hachi creates a barrier around Baraggan, yet he easily dissipate it. Hachi makes an armored wall between the three of them and Baraggan to buy some time. Hachi asks Suì-Fēng to use her bankai again in exchange for a deal. Baraggan survived the first time she used it because he made the missile age and redirected the explosion away from him. When Hachi boxes Baraggan in with three more armored walls around him, Suì-Fēng fire her bankai to defeat Baraggan once more, granted that Hachi will seal Kisuke Urahara in a barrier for one month. Hirako, though failing to sneak up on Gin, remarks that one more of Aizen's allies have fallen.
Episode 281: Baraggan survives Suì-Fēng's bankai, though half his face has been destroyed. In anger, he fires out his Respira attack until he rots away Hachi's right hand. However, Hachi removes his hand using a barrier and transports it inside Baraggan's body, causing him to start deteriorating painfully. In a flashback, it is revealed he was once the ruler of Hueco Mundo until dethroned by Aizen, Gin and Tōsen. In the present, Baraggan, taking his final moments to remember his vow to reclaim his throne someday, tosses his axe at Aizen, but it disintegrates and Baraggan dies. Stark shows distress at his death and vows to avenge him.
Episode 282: Stark shows no sign of getting serious in his battle against Love and Rose. Running out of patience, Lilinette begins to mindlessly fire at the two Vizards without Stark's permission. But her attacks prove to be ineffective against the two, and she is gradually cornered by the pair's fine team play. Finally, Love hits Stark, throwing him into a sea of flames. Lisa, Hiyori and Hitsugaya are having an argument about their difficulty with coordinating their attacks against Halibel. With Lilinette's motivation, Stark then summons a pack of wolves, made from parts of their souls, which explode on impact. When his victory seems assured, Stark is unexpectedly stabbed in the back.
Episode 283: It is revealed that Kyōraku was the one who had stabbed Stark in the back. Kyōraku then explains that his zanpakutō has four techniques in the form of children's games turned into reality. Stark catches on quickly and learns to use Kyōraku's attacks against him. However, Lilinette sacrifices her life for Stark by absorbing a fatal attack from Kyōraku that Stark was unable to block in time. Showing distress at her death, Stark nearly defeats Kyōraku at one point. Instead, Kyōraku finishes Stark off by targeting his hollow hole, dealing a massive amount of damage to Stark. As Stark dies, a flashback reveals Stark's first encounter with Lilinette in Hueco Mundo. Meanwhile, Aizen, growing tired of the battles, decides he no longer needs Halibel and slashes her.
Episode 284: When Halibel was a Vasto Lorde long ago, she recruited Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun to be the Tres Bestias, tasked to grow stronger and to kill ravenous hollows. The quartet later encountered Baraggan when he was king of Hueco Mundo, who offered her to join his side, but she declined, also wounding a shark-like hollow who approached her. After Aizen, Gin and Tōsen arrived in Hueco Mundo to recruit Baraggan, Aizen also took an interest in Halibel. Some time later, Halibel is attacked by the shark-like hollow, which has now turned into an arrancar. Although the Tres Bestias tried to help her, they are eventually defeated. Just when the shark-like arrancar is about to kill Halibel, Aizen suddenly appeared and killed the arrancar, then offering Halibel a place in his arrancar army and telling her that no one would have to be sacrificed in order to grow stronger. In the present, Halibel angrily attacks Aizen, but she is then stabbed in the back of her left shoulder by Aizen, who used an illusion to deceive her, sending her plummeting into the city below. Aizen then challenges the Soul Reapers and Vizards in combat.
Episode 285: Wonderweiss battles Mashiro, who takes the upper hand until her hollow mask breaks. Before Wonderwiess can finish her off, Kensei Muguruma steps in to save her and takes her place, soon releasing his bankai at Wonderweiss. Meanwhile, Hiyori explains to Aizen why the Vizards have a score to settle with him, due to their painful experiences they endured one hundred and one years ago. Although Hirako warns the others not to fall for Aizen's taunts, Hiyori gives in and rushes in for an attack at Aizen, only to be stabbed in the back by Gin, badly injuring her. Hirako catches Hiyori, who then apologizes for not being able to hold back. Hirako calls for Ichigo, realizing that Orihime can still heal her. Meanwhile, back in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo has gone to help Rukia, Chad and Renji. The three are still in a battle with Yammy, trying to come up with tricks to defeat him but are ultimately defeated.
Episode 286: Ichigo manages to reach where Rukia, Chad, and Renji were after Rukia was thrown by Yammy. Ichigo manages to cut Yammy slightly with a point-blank Getsuga Tenshō using a new hollow mask, but is unable to wear it again. Yammy takes advantage of the situation and grabs Ichigo, with an intent of crushing Ichigo with his bare hands. Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki save Ichigo, having cut one of Yammy's legs off. Mayuri arrives and tells everyone that he has managed to analyze the Garganta and offers to send Ichigo back to Karakura Town through it. Byakuya reminds Ichigo that his duty is supposed to be protecting Karakura Town, not fighting at Hueco Mundo. Retsu Unohana decides to go along with Ichigo to the world of the living.
Episode 287: In this special episode, Ichigo and a number of other characters take part in an alternate world that hinges closely on the stories of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. Ichigo finds out that this is all a dream and strives to wake up, while the others are intent on finding a hidden treasure called the Snow Crystal. Throughout a series of misadventures, Ichigo and the others encounter a magic lamp in a temple with the power to grant three wishes by a genie, in the form of Rukia, but by breaking the laws of granting wishes to them, she is sentenced to be executed in the "Lamp Society". Ichigo and the others go to rescue her, and by doing so, Ichigo is then granted the third and final wish. Instead of wishing to wake up from the dream he is supposedly having, he opts for the Snow Crystal. However, when it appears as a fishcake, it is revealed that the whole ordeal was dreamed up by Isane Kotetsu in the Soul Society.
Episode 288: The battle between Kenpachi and Yammy continues, as the former seems to have the upper hand. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Unohana head for the world of the living through the Garganta opened by Mayuri, who discusses the after war period with Byakuya. Unohana reveals to Ichigo that he is the only person who can defeat Aizen, since he is the only one that did not witness Aizen's shikai, also informing him that "seeing" Aizen's shikai is out of the question. Ichigo, realizing his great responsibility, resolves to defeat Aizen. Back in Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi is still dominating Yammy, seemingly defeating him and prompting Byakuya to finish him off, who refuses to do so, as Yammy suddenly fires a cero at both captains.
Episode 289: Kenpachi scolds Byakuya for being useless and not finishing off Yammy earlier. Byakuya gets angry squares off with Kenpachi to see who is stronger. Yammy attempts to attack, but is promptly struck down by both Byakuya and Kenpachi for interrupting their feud. Yammy gets angry and grows into an altered form, revealing that his rage lets him become stronger. Meanwhile, after Gin had injured Hiyori, Hirako then confronts Aizen. When Tōsen decides to use his "true power" against Hisagi and Komamura, he shocks them by donning a hollow mask instead of using his bankai. Hisagi and Komamura are both disheartened to see how far Tōsen has gone to attain more power. Tōsen quickly dispatches Hisagi with a slash across his chest and kicks Komamura to the ground below. Hisagi, who sidestepped the slash, restrains Tōsen, who then stabs him through the chest again. Afterwards, Komamura prepares to release his bankai.
Episode 290: In the past, it is shown how Komamura and Tōsen met as friends, later revealing that Komamura wanted to repay a debt as his reason for becoming a Soul Reaper. In the present, Komamura activates his bankai but is blocked continually by Tōsen, who later discovers that he can cause damage to Komamura himself whenever his bankai is damaged. Komamura learns that Tōsen had lost a beloved female friend to murder by her husband, and he had joined the academy in order to get his revenge for her demise, being the truth behind his relentless search for justice. Tōsen then activates his release form, taking the form of a hairy insect. When he opens his eyes in this new form, Tōsen exults that he can see the world for the first time. Meanwhile, Aizen finally draws his blade against Hirako. Nonetheless, Hirako then tells Aizen that he is sorely mistaken if he believes he is the only one with a zanpakutō that has power over the senses.
Rating up till this point: 6/10
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