Ashido and Rukia continue to battle Pequenos, one of the Adjuchas who controls the Menos Forest. Pequenos attacks at full strength to try to end the long-shared enmity between him and Ashido. Meanwhile, Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, and Renji follow Nel and her friends' Spiritual Pressure to the depths of the Menos Forest. They find that Nel and her friends have been captured. At that moment, they are surrounded by a tremendous number of Gillians.

Ichigo succeeds in wounding Aizen with his Hollowfied Getsugatensho attack. But to his surprise, the Hogyoku instantly heals Aizen’s wound. Aizen then reveals an even more shocking truth to Ichigo.

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. Rukia is hiding out of harm's way with a mysterious Soul Reaper named Ashido, and Nel was taken away by a group of Hollows. Just as Rukia and Ashido notice a drop in Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure, they sense something else in the forest approaching.

Head Captain Genryusai Yamamoto of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads steps in to battle Aizen. Genryusai’s attempt to incinerate Aizen in a blazing inferno is thwarted by Wonderweiss, whose Ressureccion form extinguishes the flames. Wonderweiss is revealed to be a Mod Arrancar created by Aizen for the sole purpose of sealing away Genryusai’s zanpakuto, Ryujinjakka.

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. Startled by his injury, Bawabawa begins flailing and sends Rukia flying through the air. Ichigo and his friends are swallowed by the desert of Hueco Mundo and fall into the Menos Forest, home of the Menos.

The Thirteen Court Guard Squads and Visoreds launch a full-scale attack against Aizen. But Aizen makes quick work of their combined efforts. Just when all hope is thought to be lost, Hirako uses his Zanpakuto’s power to draw away Aizen’s attention, giving way for Hitsugaya to deliver the killing blow.

Ichigo and his friends save a girl who is being attacked by mysterious Arrancars. The girl is also an Arrancar, named Nel, and as it turns out, she was only playing tag with her Arrancar friends, Pesche and Dondochakka. Nel and her friends are oddly cheery, but when they realize that Ichigo is a Soul Reaper, they worry that Aizen will scold them for letting their enemies roam freely.

Ichigo has returned to the World of the Living to battle Aizen. After an unsuccessful first attack, Ichigo Hollowfies to deliver his Getsugatensho against Aizen, but that too proves ineffective. Witnessing the immense power Aizen holds, Ichigo begins to lose his will to fight, when the Thirteen Court Guard Squads stand up to support him.

Ichigo and his friends defeat the Arrancars Iceringer and Demora, whom they meet in underground corridor 22. They escape the underground just as it begins to crumble and come out onto the surface of Hueco Mundo. It is a world of night and white sand. They immediately find Aizen's palace, Las Noches, and are awed by its size. Meanwhile, Aizen calls a meeting with all of the Espada.

Tosen is now able to see in his Ressureccion form. But Komamura states that in exchange for his vision, Tosen has now blinded his own heart. Unable to bring himself to kill the man he wanted to save, Komamura falls before Tosen’s attack. Meanwhile, Hirako prepares to use his Shikai, Sakanade, against Aizen.

Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad charge through the Garganta and into Hueco Mundo. There, they find themselves in a large corridor. They set off deeper into the building to search for Orihime, but as they move further down the corridor they find many traps left for them by the Arrancars.

Komamura performs his Bankai, Kokujo Tengen Myo-oh, to subdue Tosen. However, Tosen has already deduced the weakness of Komamura’s Bankai from years of working closely together. Despite the damage received, Komamura refuses to give up on his former friend, throwing out the question of why Tosen chose to become a Soul Reaper in the first place.

Orihime has been kidnapped by Sosuke Aizen and the Arrancars. Ichigo decides to go to Hueco Mundo in order to save her. He visits Urahara's shop and finds Uryu and Chad waiting for him. They have both finished their training and are ready to join Ichigo in the rescue of Orihime. Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, Orihime is brought before Aizen in his palace, Las Noches.

As he holds a dying Hiyori, an enraged Hirako readies himself to confront Aizen in battle. Meanwhile, Hisagi and Komamura battle Tosen in a desperate attempt to bring their former ally back to his senses. But Tosen, who believes he follows a just path, ignores their plea and attacks them.

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. In the Soul Society, Rukia and Orihime have also been undergoing rigorous training. Ukitake happily watches the two and is pleased that Rukia finally has friends. Sosuke Aizen may have plans to cut their training short as he calls on his Espada.

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. Ulquiorra realizes what Patras is up to, but he is defeated when he is caught off-guard by Menis and Aldegor, who assist Patros in his rebellion. Upon obtaining the Hogyoku, the three go to the World of the Living, where they head to Urahara's shop in order to find Kisuke Urahara, the creator of the Hogyoku.