Karin is really upset about Ichigo leaving and accidentally kicks her ball into the street. Hitsugaya stops it from going in the street and Karin goes to her friends to their soccer field. Middle schoolers are using the field and refuse to let them on so they challenge them to a soccer game. While they're walking back, Karin sees Hitsugaya again and asks for his help.

Keigo's sister is the president of student council and challenges another school's Kendo team to a match. She asks Ikkaku to help her team win because the other school ambushed and injured all of the good team members. He accepts and trains all of the inexperienced freshman to be ready to fight the match. Most of the freshman are injured during training and Ikkaku has to ask the shinigami for help.

Hanatarō of 4th Squad and Rin of the Technological Development Bureau are sent to the real world on a investigation of the Arrancar. They meet a cake chef who requests their help to fulfill his last wish. Things become complicated however, when a Menos Grande appears to crash the party.

A girl is drowning in a river near Rangiku and Kon. Rangiku removes Kon from his regular stuffed animal and throws him into the stuffed animal of the little girl drowning. Kon saves the girl and Rangiku leaves without him. Kon is stuck with the little girl and has to play with her. The little girl explains to him that her parents are no longer together and that her mother works a lot. Kon feels sorry for her and takes her to her old home. Once they arrive a hollow attacks and Kon has to face it in order to protect the little girl

An Arrancar named Patros is sick of serving Aizen, because he is a shinigami. He takes the Hougyoku and plans on using it to become King himself. Ulquiorra catches him, but Patros has friends and defeats Ulquiorra very easily. Patros goes to the real world and is in a hurry to find Urahara, to see how the Hougyoku works. He asks his friends to hold off Hitsugaya's gang, and they do. Meanwhile, Patros gets to Urahara's shop and begins battling Renji, because Urahara is away.

Patros is still battling Renji, while in Hueco mundo Aizen returns to the where the Hougyoku was. Renji activates his bankai and Ririn, Kuroudo and Noba join the fight. But will that be enough to fight against Patros? Meanwhile, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Yumichika and Ikkaku are still fighting against the other two arrancars. Who will win and what will Aizen say about the Hougyoku?

Everyone is training to achieve stronger power for the upcoming Winter War. Rukia & Orihime are training there powers, Matsumoto & Yumichika are training for bankai, Renji is training to make Chad stronger and Ichigo is training his Vizard powers. In the midst of all this training, a group of Espada power level Arrancars attack the real world. They are Yammy, Luppi, Wonderwice and Grimmjow, which is run by Ulquiorra. They start there attack on Hitsugaya's group. Meanwhile, Rukia and Orihime try to get to real world. And Ichigo goes looking for Grimmjow. And Urahara goes to the battlefield.

Ichigo continues his battle with Grimmjow, with his hollow mask, that is only going to last about 11 seconds. He has the upper hand too, until his mask breaks. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya is fighting Yammy, well Luppi is fighting Yumichika. Luppi gets bored and wants to fight all four and releases, beats Hitsugaya and fights Ikkaku, Matsumoto, and Yumichika at once, as things start to look bad Urahara comes in and saves them. Ulquiorra appears before Orihime and tells him that they she needs to come with him right now or her friends will be killed.

After saving Rangiku from death, Urahara commences his fight with Yammy. Luppi continues his battle with the others and Hitsugaya manages to come and help them up. Meanwhile, Ichigo is struggling to fight Grimmjow after losing his mask. Rukia shows up to help but they are no match. All seems lost when help in the form of Hirako appears to help. The conclusion to the battle with the Espada begins!

As the Soul Reapers recover from the battle with the Espada and Ichigo lies bandaged and asleep in bed, Orihime has to finish preparations to leave with Ulquiorra. She has 12 hours to get ready and she can only say goodbye to one person. She walks around town as she tries to decide who will be that one person she sees before she leaves them all behind.

Ichigo wakes up and finds his hand healed. Realizing it was Orihime he is joined by Hitsugaya who tells him that something urgent has happened. Ichigo finds that Orihime has either been kidnapped or killed by an Arrancar. He says no because his hand was healed. Commander Yamamoto says that it means that she joined of her own will and is a traitor. He calls back Hitsugaya’s group to Soul Society to prepare for the battle. Now alone, Ichigo must know find a way to get to Hueco Mundo by himself.

With Urahara's help the gateway is opened and Ichigo begins his journey to Hueco Mundo with Chad and Uryuu. Unbeknownst to Ichigo, they were followed by someone who Ichigo thought had been dealt with. In Hueco Mundo, Orihime is given tasks to demonstrate her power. If she is not able to complete them, then surviving among the Arrancar will not be a very easy task.

Ichigo. Uryuu and Chad arrive in Hueco Mundo to find themselves in strange building. They are able to survive and avoid most of the traps but they must then find a way out of the building and deal with the guards who are there to get rid of any trespassers who dare to enter. Finally, Chad and Uryuu’s new powers will be tested in a real situation.

Chad and Uryuu finish off their opponents and escape into the barren desert of Hueco Mundo. Aizen gathers the Espada together and informs them of the situation. Meanwhile, Ichigo and the others must survive the desert of Hueco Mundo and make it to Aizen's castle in one piece.

Ichigo and the others intervene to save a little girl from 3 Hollows only to find that she is really an Arrancar named Nell. After a short episode, they are interrupted by the appearance of a Guardian who blocks their path to the castle. The guardian seems invulnerable to all their attacks until they get a helping hand from some friends

Lunuganga catches Ichigo and the others by surprise and sucks them underground. They awake to find themselves surrounded by Hollow with Rukia missing. Suddenly, they are joined by a whole group of Menos Grande. Meanwhile, Rukia wakes up and has similar encounters with Hollows. She escapes only to find a couple of Menos herself. A strange figure with a mask appears to save her. Just who is this unknown person who wields a zanpakutou?

Nell and her group are captured by a group of Adjuchas and Ichigo sets out to find her with the others. Meanwhile, Rukia sets out to find her friends with Ashido's help. They are confronted by Adjuchas and Gillian along the way and forced to battle. Ashido's past is eventually revealed as they travel and Rukia learns about the story behind his mask.

Ichigo, Renji, Uryuu and Chad catch up to the Adjuchas and rescue Nell and her siblings. A battle ensues between their group and the Menos who are led by another Adjuchas. Meanwhile, as Rukia and Ashido head toward Ichigo, their way is blocked by the leader of the Adjuchas, appointed by Aizen himself as a guardian of the Forest. Ashido and the Adjuchas begin fighting and Rukia is able to give a helping hand. Now she must reunite with Ichigo and try to escape the underground Forest.

Ichigo and the others break into Las Noches successfully. However, they immediately are thrown off course when Nell falls into an old abandoned tunnel and forces the others to go in after her. When they get out, they are then forced to split and each go down separate hallways. Meanwhile, Orihime is taken to see Aizen.

Ichigo continues his battle with Dordonii. And is struggling with Dordonii attacks.