RIGHTARM OF THE GIANT

Standing before Ichigo Kurosaki in the street on a moonlit night, Uryū Ishida reveals that he is a Quincy who hates Shinigami, to Ichigo's shock, before clarifying that this means he hates Ichigo himself as Rukia Kuchiki watches in surprise.

The next day, at Karakura High School, Tatsuki Arisawa and Orihime Inoue look at the list of top scores for the freshmen's final exam of the first semester, with Tatsuki praising Orihime for placing third out of the entire class as the latter giggles. When Michiru Ogawa admits that she did not think Orihime was that smart, Tatsuki notes that she has always been intelligent despite her personality and appearance. Upon Michiru noticing that Ryō Kunieda placed second, Chizuru Honshō chimes in and observes that Ryō excels in both literary and martial arts before revealing that she was also the freshmen class representative, leading Michiru to note that this must be why the teachers do not bother her. As Chizuru informs Michiru that Ryō went to Nationals for track as well, Tatsuki casually notes that she is also going to Nationals this year, to Chizuru and Michiru's shock, and details how she won the city karate tournament in May before boasting of the high caliber of the school's karate teams this year, as the boys' team is going to Nationals as well and the girl who won three Nationals has joined their team.

A few feet away, after looking through the top 50 scores to determine if any of their friends did well, Keigo Asano confidently declares that there are no "traitors" among them and that no one in his circle of friends has made the top 50 as Mizuiro Kojima cheers on this assertion. However, as Ichigo watches from behind, Keigo and Mizuiro notice that he placed 23rd, leading Keigo to shield Mizuiro's eyes with his hand while proclaiming that the brutish and ugly nature of reality will only pollute their pure hearts, which Mizuiro agrees with. After telling Ichigo that they will never hang out with him again, which Mizuiro considers an extreme reaction, Keigo tells Yasutora Sado that he can hang out with them because he is not on the list, only for Sado to silently point out that he placed 11th. Shocked by this revelation alongside Mizuiro, Keigo demands that Ichigo and Sado stay away from them because they must be possessed by evil and intelligent spirits before running away in tears as he vows to never hang out with them again. As they watch this, Tatsuki notes that Keigo and Mizuiro are still not as annoying as they used to be, which Orihime agrees with.

While Orihime notices that he is remaining silent, Ichigo reflects on his confrontation with Uryū the previous night and wonders who he was as he regrets not beating up the latter for introducing himself so rudely. Mentally pointing out that they were performing Shinigami work and that Uryū had no right getting involved and then insulting them, Ichigo realizes that he cannot remember Uryū's first name, only Ishida. As he misremembers Uryū's name as being Ernie and Ari, Orihime asks him if he mentioned the name Ishida, and when a surprised Ichigo asks her if she knows Uryū, Orihime reveals that he is in their class and points to the final exam scores, where Ichigo is stunned to see that Uryū placed 1st. Seeing this, Tatsuki tells Orihime to give up on getting Ichigo to recall Uryū because he is terrible at remembering names and faces before mocking Ichigo as still not knowing half the class, leading Ichigo to tell her to shut up. Orihime notes that Ichigo may not be able to remember Uryū because he does not talk very much unlike his usual circle of friends, and when Ichigo asks her if she knows all this because she is friends with Uryū, Orihime cheerfully denies this and reveals that they are simply in the same crafts club, to Ichigo's shock.

Shortly afterward, Orihime brings Ichigo to their homeroom, where they see Uryū sitting as the other students begin leaving. As Ichigo notes with astonishment that he really is in their class, Uryū begins to leave as well, only for Michiru to run up to him with her torn doll. Seeing this, Uryū takes out a rectangular box, which Orihime identifies to Ichigo as a sewing kit, and opens it to reveal multiple spools of thread, one of which he threads through a needle before holding up the torn doll and masterfully sealing up the tear on the side in only a few seconds. With her repaired doll falling into her hands, Michiru happily thanks Uryū, only for him to coldly declare that it was no big deal, to Michiru's embarrassment. Watching this with Ichigo, Orihime notes that Uryū would be a nice guy if it were not for his cold demeanor and asks Ichigo if something happened between the two of them, but when Ichigo brushes it off as not being a big deal, Orihime pauses before accepting that she will not be getting the full story.

Some time later, as Uryū walks down the street, he asks Ichigo if the latter is going to follow him all the way home. Standing on the steps behind Uryū, Ichigo admits that he has been busted and asks Uryū how long he has noticed his presence, leading Uryū to assert that he has known Ichigo was there since he and Orihime were observing him in the classroom earlier. Though Ichigo sarcastically congratulates him for this, Uryū observes that Ichigo allows his Reiatsu to radiate with reckless abandon and claims that a psychic monkey would notice him, to Ichigo's consternation, before pointing out that Ichigo cannot even sense the Reiatsu of others right next to him and did not notice Uryū himself until today. Though Ichigo tries to explain that he is terrible at remembering names and faces, Uryū clarifies that this is not what he is referring to and explains that he sensed Ichigo's unusual Reiatsu the moment he arrived at Karakura High school, as well as how he became a Shinigami in the middle of May, before revealing that he even knows Rukia's secret identity. As dozens of Reiraku suddenly manifest around Uryū, Ichigo recognizes them from his prior usage of the technique while Uryū explains that they are manifestations of Reiatsu which a good Shinigami can notice right away and a skilled Shinigami can even touch. Deriding Ichigo's skill for not even noticing Uryū's before, Uryū reaches out and grabs Ichigo's Reiraku, which is red, as he notes that a Shinigami's Reiraku is colored different from that of normal Souls. After letting go of Ichigo's Reiraku, Uryū states that he is a Quincy with the power to kill Hollows and asks Ichigo if he would like to play a game to see which of them is superior as he promises to demonstrate how worthless Shinigami are.

Meanwhile, Rukia arrives at the Urahara Shop.

On a street in Karakura Town, when a confused Ichigo Kurosaki questions his desire for a game between them, Uryū Ishida confirms his terminology and explains that this will help Ichigo understand how the world can survive without Shinigami.

Meanwhile, outside the Urahara Shop, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya play janken, and when he hits rock while Ururu hits scissors, Jinta points to the side and tells Ururu to look over there, only for Ururu to keep staring down. Admitting that Ururu is more tenacious than he thought she would be, Jinta repeats the process with her, and when she hits paper while Jinta hits rock, Ururu points upward and tells Jinta to look up there, prompting him to instinctively look up and lose the game. When Ururu cheerfully tells him that he has to clean today because of this, Jinta angrily declares that it is not over because they are playing best-of-three, only for a confused Ururu to point out that he already lost fourteen times in a row. Grinding his fists against Ururu's temples, Jinta claims that everyone knows it is the fifteenth time that counts and demands that they play one more time despite Ururu's protests that she does not want to play anymore. Suddenly, Tessai Tsukabishi grabs Jinta by the collar of his shirt and lifts him high into the air before calmly asking him what he is doing, prompting Jinta to frantically claim that he is not doing anything.

Walking up behind them, Rukia Kuchiki kicks Tessai's bottom and demands that they move aside, only to quickly move back and clutch her foot in pain as an unfazed Tessai turns around and asks her what they can do for her. After Rukia asks him where Kisuke Urahara is, Tessai lets her into the shop, where Urahara greets her before being hit in the face by Rukia's thrown Denreishinki. When Rukia points out how she called him a hundred times and never got a response, which she considers a failure of his customer service, Urahara rubs his chin while apologizing and noting that she must have called while they were out of the store because they have been very busy lately. Wondering where Ichigo is and assuming that he is Rukia's boyfriend, Jinta proclaims that he hoped Rukia dumped him for his attitude, leading Urahara to caution him. However, Rukia merely notes that Ichigo is likely in great trouble even as they speak, which is why she is here, and reveals that there is something she needs to ask Urahara, piquing his interest.

Elsewhere, Ichigo refuses Uryū's invitation to play a game, to the latter's slight surprise, and points out that he has no reason to fight Uryū while claiming that whatever issues Uryū has with Shinigami are between him and his psychiatrist. When Uryū asks him if he is afraid, Ichigo refuses to fall into that trap and asserts that there is simply no contest between the two of them. Hearing this, Uryū agrees and reminds Ichigo that he received his powers from Rukia, which makes him only a Substitute Shinigami, before mocking Ichigo as being unable to even wipe his nose without Rukia's guidance, visibly angering Ichigo.

Meanwhile, inside the Urahara Shop, Urahara admits that he has not heard the term Quincy in a long time, and when Rukia asks him if he knows what it means, Tessai steps forward and notes that it has been 200 years since he last heard that word. Surprised by this span of time, Rukia asks Urahara what a Quincy is, prompting him to explain that the Quincy were a clan dedicated to fighting Hollows and were scattered all over the world at one time before all perishing 200 years ago. With Rukia shocked by this revelation, Urahara details how the Quincy came about when people with spiritual powers like Ichigo's recognized the existence of Hollows and developed their powers in order to fight and vanquish them like the Shinigami do. Observing that the two groups had very different ideas of how this should be accomplished, which led to a rift forming between them over time, Urahara reveals that the crux of this disagreement was whether Hollows should be cleansed or destroyed - while Shinigami used their Zanpakutō to cleanse Hollows and send them to Soul Society, the Quincy viewed Hollows as deserving only destruction. As he states that this is perhaps an understandable sentiment, Urahara points out how Hollows devour Human souls and murdered the friends and loved ones of the Quincy, who could not understand why they should get to enjoy the peace of Soul Society, and admits that he cannot entirely blame them before noting that this led to them killing Hollows in order to avenge their murdered friends, which led to their downfall.

Elsewhere, Ichigo decides to play Uryū's game and takes Kon's Gikongan out of his shirt pocket. In the past, Kon protests the idea of going with Ichigo if Rukia is not going to be present, but Rukia knocks the 'Gikongan out of his plushie body anyway and explains that Ichigo should take it just in case he needs to become a Shinigami at a moment's notice because she has a feeling that they have not seen the last of Uryū. In the present, Ichigo notes that Rukia's prediction came true and swallows the Gikongan, causing his Soul to exit his body. As Kon takes control of his body, Ichigo tells him to wait there and watch as he defeats Uryū. However, when Ichigo asks him to lay out the rules of this game, Uryū simply takes out a small tablet and notes that they will begin with this, to Ichigo's confusion. Upon Uryū revealing that it is Hollow Bait that will cause Hollows to converge on Karakura Town when scattered and explaining that the winner will be whoever defeats the most Hollows in 24 hours, a shocked Ichigo points out how this will be putting everyone in the town in danger and refuses to take part, only for Uryū to claim that Ichigo is starting to bore him before crushing the tablet between his fingers. Declaring that there is no need to worry about innocent bystanders because he is going to kill every Hollow that appears, Uryū tells Ichigo that he will accept his challenge if he really has the courage to protect people from Hollows.

In the sky above Karakura Town, a Hollow tears its way into the Human World and lets out a roar, only to immediately be destroyed by a Heilig Pfeil from Uryū Ishida, who casually notes that this marks one for him. Suddenly, Ichigo Kurosaki grabs him by the collar and slams him into a wall, prompting Uryū to calmly ask him what is wrong. Ichigo demands that he call off the game and get rid of the bait, but Uryū points out how he cannot recall the bait now that it is spreading on the wind, meaning that there is no turning back, and that Hollows will soon flock to Karakura Town because of it before advising Ichigo to start running because it will not be easy to defend an entire town from the hordes. With Ichigo angered by his lack of concern, Uryū warns him that Hollows will go after anyone with high Reiryoku, prompting Ichigo to think of Karin Kurosaki and immediately take off, with Kon following close behind. However, Uryū observes that Ichigo really does not know that there are others close to him besides his family who have spiritual powers, which will cause him to lose the game through being crippled by his own despair and realize how unfit he is on the far bank of their rubicon.

Meanwhile, on the sports field of Karakura High School, Tatsuki Arisawa sits on the sidelines of a baseball game and sighs while noting that even though she won the city tournament, is in excellent shape, is doing well in her training for Nationals, and has her team's spirits at an all-time high, she herself is not in high spirits due to reasons which she does not want to share with anyone else, something she does not understand. Upon seeing the Souls of two lovers floating through the air, Tatsuki tells them to get a crypt together before being snapped back to reality when her coach tells her that her break is over, which she acknowledges. Suddenly, Orihime Inoue walks up and asks Tatsuki if they can talk, prompting Tatsuki to recall how she began noticing strange things after the incident at Orihime's house a couple months ago, which she barely remembers beyond a very uncomfortable feeling and a vague memory of seeing someone who looked like Rukia Kuchiki walking through the house - though she thought it was a dream at first, Tatsuki learned that Orihime had experienced the exact same thing when they discussed it the next day, and from that point on they began seeing things that progressed from hazy smudges to more distinct figures, culminating in the Cazh Soul incident, after which Tatsuki was able to see Souls much more clearly than she ever wanted to. When another Soul tries to get her attention, Tatsuki whirls around and shoos it away, to Orihime's confusion, before asking Orihime what it is she wants to talk about. However, before Orihime can explain, she and Tatsuki hear the sound of shattering glass, and someone shouts out that all the windows on the first floor of the nearby building just shattered. Wondering what happened, Tatsuki tells Orihime that they should check it out and runs off, only for Orihime to see the sky above them distorting.

Elsewhere, as a Hollow attempts to attack a pair of Souls, Ichigo cuts off its right arm, causing it to topple over, before shoving his Zanpakutō through its mask, purifying it. Noting that this is the third Hollow he has purified, a panting Ichigo pulls his Zanpakutō out while mentally detailing how Karin must be out of school by now and probably went to play somewhere, which he will need to find in order to protect her. However, upon hearing another Hollow nearby, Ichigo begins running toward it as he realizes that there is too much area to cover and that he is too slow. Remembering that he has been using Rukia's Denreishinki to find Hollows before now, Ichigo tells Kon to go get it from Rukia, and when Kon mockingly wonders why he should do what Ichigo says, Ichigo punches him in the face and demands that he go, prompting Kon to run off while tearfully hoping that Ichigo gets a headache when he re-enters his body.

On the roof of a building elsewhere in the city, Uryū continues destroying Hollows with his Heilig Pfeil, reaching a total of eleven as the sky begins to distort behind him. In downtown Karakura Town, Yasutora Sado stops in his tracks as he notices something, and when Gitano Shigeo asks him what is wrong, he assures him that it is nothing. While Kisuke Urahara watches the sky from outside the Urahara Shop, Don Kanonji turns his head in confusion while in the makeup chair, prompting his assistant to ask him to not move. On a field nearby, a soccer ball lands near Karin's feet, and though her friends tell her to kick the ball, Karin can only stare in fear as the distortion in the sky intensifies.

While Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryū Ishida continue their Hollow-hunting duel, Kisuke Urahara notices the fighting while sitting with Rukia Kuchiki in the Urahara Shop, prompting the latter to ask him what is wrong. When her Denreishinki begins beeping, Rukia expresses exasperation at a Hollow appearing right now and apologizes to Urahara as she prepares to head out, only to be surprised when the beeping suddenly stops and the purification order disappears. Noting that Ichigo seems to be especially fast today, Rukia whips out the Denreishinki again when it resumes beeping, only to see the order disappear once more. Rukia wonders if her Denreishinki is broken, and when it begins to beep once more, she asserts that there is no way Hollows could be appearing at this rate, only to grow visibly shocked when the beeping grows louder and does not relent. Seeing multiple markers on the screen, Rukia realizes that the number of Hollows present in the area is growing exponentially and rushes outside, where she sees the sky crumpling and distorting. As Rukia wonders what is happening to the sky and if this is the result of some supernatural event, Urahara merely sits behind her in silence.

Elsewhere, Gitano Shigeo tells Yasutora Sado to get moving and declares that he will make the latter pay the extra ¥500 if they miss the cheap lunch-hour prices, which Sado notes he does not have. While Gitano confirms this and asserts that he will make Sado pay if they get there late, Sado looks back at the distortion in the sky and notes that he has experienced this feeling before, only for Gitano to dropkick him and declare that he subsists on almost nothing before admonishing Sado for not realizing that as a spoiled student who gets to eat just because he is alive. Proclaiming that he lives for his next meal, Gitano asks Sado what he just said, prompting Sado to repeat his proclamation, and tells him once more to get going while explaining how his food rules include not buying meat unless it is on sale, using the expiration date as an estimate, and never paying full price at the local grocery store. Suddenly, Bulbous G breaks into the Human World and crashes down behind Sado, shocking him alongside Gitano and Harutoki Ide.

As Gitano wonders if that was a gas explosion, the dust clears to reveal Bulbous G standing in front of Sado, who can only see a spot shimmering like a heat wave but knows that something is there and notes that he has experienced this same feeling before. While Gitano asks Sado if he is okay, Bulbous G rears up to attack and Sado realizes that it is moving, prompting him to shove Gitano and Ide aside before moving back as Bulbous G's fist slams into the ground where they were standing. With Gitano and Ide having landed on some stairs nearby, Sado tells them to run as he leans out of the way of another punch from Bulbous G that snaps a nearby metal sign in two. Realizing that Bulbous G is after him specifically, Sado turns around and begins running away from Gitano and Ide, who wonder why he is running from them. Continuing to run, Sado notes that he is going to lead whatever is chasing him to a place where it cannot hurt anyone else in the form of a vacant lot up ahead, which he hopes no one is hanging around.

Meanwhile, Heita Toujoin tells Karin Kurosaki to kick the ball, only to be hit in the face by it as Karin halfheartedly apologizes. When Kei Uehara, Kazuya Usaka, and Ryohei Toba berate her for being distracted and demand to know if she actually wants to play, Karin merely growls at them, prompting her friends to cower at a distance while claiming that they are up for a fight. Apologizing again, Karin says that she is going home, to the surprise of her friends, and begins walking away while noting that she cannot concentrate on soccer due to that weird blur she saw before deciding to take a bath and go to bed early. Suddenly, Karin encounters an out-of-breath Sado, and as the two recognize each other, Karin asks Sado what a grown man is doing by himself in a vacant lot, only for Sado to suddenly grab her and leap away as Bulbous G crashes into the ground where they had been standing. Upon seeing Bulbous G pull himself into view, a shocked Karin wonders what it is.

As they kick around their soccer ball, Ryohei Toba, Kazuya Usaka, Heita Toujoin, and Kei Uehara discuss what they should do next, with Ryohei suggesting that they let Karin Kurosaki go, Kazuya claiming that she has no team spirit, Kazuya asserting that she will get an ego if they go after her now, and Kei deciding to go after her, which the others quickly agree to do as well. Suddenly, the four friends hear a loud noise, prompting them to look over and wonder what it was.

Meanwhile, with chunks of rock flying through the air after Bulbous G's impact, Yasutora Sado stands between him and Karin while noting that he does not see anything moving and cursing his inability to see Bulbous G clearly, as he has no idea what the Hollow is doing. However, when a shocked Karin wonders what Bulbous G is, Sado realizes that she can see the Hollow, leading her to assert that Bulbous G is as clear as day to her. As Sado looks down at her, Bulbous G closes in from behind, prompting Karin to warn Sado of this. Grabbing Karin, Sado leaps away again as Bulbous G smashes the area where he was standing, and upon landing, he realizes that Bulbous G has disappeared and wonders where he went. Suddenly, Karin directs Sado to look to his right and tells him to run, allowing Sado to narrowly dodge a punch from Bulbous G that craters part of the field. Karin asks Sado if he cannot see Bulbous G, and upon learning that he can only see a shimmer, she decides that he will be their legs while she acts as their eyes. Though Sado protests this, Karin asserts that it is their only hope and reveals that she has seen such monsters in the past before explaining that she also wants to figure out what Ichigo Kurosaki has to do with them.

While Sado expresses surprise at her mentioning Ichigo, Karin sees Bulbous G coming at them and tells Sado to dodge to the right, which he does before sensing Bulbous G's arm in front of his face and punching down onto it. However, Bulbous G is unfazed by this and swipes at Sado with his other hand, which injures Sado and sends him flying with Karin despite the latter's instructions to dodge right again. As Karin lies on the ground with Sado, her friends run over to her and ask if she beat up Sado and caused him to bleed so much. Seeing them, Karin frantically yells at them to get out of here, but they interpret this as her being hostile and demand to know why she is being so mean despite their concern for her. When Bulbous G rises up behind her friends, Karin leaps toward them and begins pushing them to the ground as Sado watches from the ground.

In the past, Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa bleeds from the mouth as he asks a young a tearful Sado what being mean accomplished for him, as he has only hurt those who hurt him without any goal past that. Praising Sado as being strong, tall, and handsome, which he believes are all the attributes people wish for, Oscar places his hands on Sado's shoulders and explains that people who are different always get picked on in their world before pleading with Sado to be kind and learn to use his strong fists for good. In the present, Sado mentally tells Oscar that he has learned that his fists are for protecting himself and others instead of hurting people. As he throws another punch at Bulbous G to protect Karin, Sado asks to be given power, causing a huge torrent of energy to burst through Bulbous G's side. As Bulbous G rears back, now missing his left arm, Sado stands with Brazo Derecha de Gigante active.

Bulbous G is blasted back by a surge of energy that destroys his left arm as Yasutora Sado stands, his right arm now transformed into Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and reflects on his grandfather's request that he be kinder than others because he is so big and strong. When Karin Kurosaki asks him what is wrong with his arm, Sado simply stares at it before having his attention drawn to Bulbous G, who roars while pulling himself to his feet. As Karin expresses shock at him still not being finished, Sado runs toward Bulbous G, who prepares to intercept him, and the extension on his shoulder flares up with energy as he delivers an uppercut directly to Bulbous G's face, resulting in the latter's head being destroyed by another surge of energy as his body is sent flying away and down the hill. Staring in astonishment, Karin realizes that Sado hit Bulbous G even though she did not tell him where the Hollow was and begins to ask Sado if he was finally able to see Bulbous G, only for a smiling Sado to give her a thumbs-up, to Karin's embarrassment, before falling over and collapsing.

As a shocked Karin runs over and asks him if he is okay, Sado notes that the armor on his arm appeared out of nowhere and emitted a powerful force, which coincided with him suddenly being able to see Bulbous G clearly, and admits that he does not know how any of this happened or why he is lying there exhausted. Upon seeing Karin standing over him, Sado asks her if she is hurt, and when she tearfully replies that he is the one who is hurt, he affirms that this is good. Irritated by this, Karin kicks him in the head and asserts that this is not even remotely good before running off to fetch Isshin Kurosaki while declaring that she cannot stand how Sado is just like Ichigo. Watching Karin leave, Sado notes that she kicks just like Ichigo.

Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, Chizuru Honshō sweeps up broken glass alongside Tatsuki Arisawa while stating that she would not have come if she knew this is what she would be doing before bemoaning how boring the task is and criticizing the judo practitioners for getting rowdy and breaking the glass despite the risk of people watching. When Tatsuki notes that they all said it was not them, Chizuru recalls that they claimed their arms moved on their own and assumes that they were simply mad over losing the state tournament. As Tatsuki continues to puzzle over the situation, Chizuru wonders if she is defending them and teases Tatsuki as having a preference for sweaty guys, prompting an angered Tatsuki to demand to know what she just said. After staring at Tatsuki for a few seconds, Chizuru declares that this is stupid and that she is going home as she tosses her broom and dustpan aside despite Tatsuki's protests.

Upon seeing Orihime standing motionless several feet away, Chizuru offers to go home with her and leave the cleaning to Tatsuki, but Orihime does not respond, leading a somewhat concerned Chizuru to ask her what is wrong and observe that she is even more out of it than usual. When Chizuru promises to tickle Orihime into submission if she does not snap out of it, Tatsuki demands to know if she has no shred of decency, leading the two of them to confront each other once more. However, Orihime suddenly claims that there is a TV show airing right now that she wants to watch and grabs Tatsuki and Chizuru before pushing them away from the school, to their considerable confusion. Atop the building behind them, Numb Chandelier drapes a tentacle over the side and looks down on the three girls.

As she pushes Tatsuki Arisawa and Chizuru Honshō away from Numb Chandelier, who is lurking atop a building behind them, under the pretense of wanting to go home, Orihime mentally notes that only she can see Numb Chandelier and recalls thinking only that she wish she had not seen it and that she needed to get away from there upon first seeing the Hollow. Admitting that she knows nothing about the situation other than that Numb Chandelier is dangerous, Orihime observes that every cell in her body is screaming at her to run away and telling her that Numb Chandelier will rip them to pieces before asserting that she must act like nothing is wrong so she does not scare her friends. Orihime continues to run ahead of Tatsuki and Chizuru as she encourages them to hurry up, prompting Tatsuki to note that it is unlike her to skip out on chores like this. When Chizuru professes her desire to match Orihime's beauty, vivaciousness, and sweetness, a disgusted Tatsuki tells her to die and come back as a more sentient being and responds to Chizuru attempting to further explain her love for Orihime by punching her hard in the gut, which Chizuru praises the form of as she collapses.

However, as she calls after her friends once more, Orihime realizes that Numb Chandelier has vanished from the roof of the building and nervously wonders where she has gone as Chizuru asks Tatsuki if she is really going to wear her karate gi home. Admitting that she had forgotten she was wearing it, Tatsuki tells Orihime that she has to change her clothes and that they should go on without her, despite Orihime's protests. Suddenly, Orihime sees that Numb Chandelier has suspended herself in the air above them, and as she slowly looks at the Hollow, Numb Chandelier notes that Orihime can see her. When Chizuru asks her if something is wrong, Orihime frantically tells her to run, to Chizuru's confusion, as Numb Chandelier mocks this command and generates numerous seeds on her forehead before unleashing them in a flurry of projectiles. A frightened Orihime shields herself with her arms as the seeds slam into the ground around her and shatter all the windows on the surrounding buildings. Wondering what that was, Orihime realizes she is unharmed and runs over to Chizuru upon seeing her lying on the ground with a bloody shoulder. With Chizuru grunting in pain, Orihime notes that she is bleeding badly and asks her what she can do, only for Chizuru to perk up and caress Orihime's chin while calling her sweet for crying like this. Getting to her feet, Chizuru admits that she does not know what hit her and may be bleeding a lot before claiming that it does not hurt that much and demonstrating how her left arm still moves just fine.

Upon seeing that Orihime is still crying, Chizuru notes that she is adorable when crying before asserting that she likes Orihime better when she is laughing, only to suddenly find herself gripping Orihime by the throat with her left hand. As Orihime expresses confusion at this, an equally bewildered Chizuru begins to panic upon realizing that she can no longer control her left arm and tries to pull herself away as she frantically apologizes. Laughing at the sight of this, Numb Chandelier orders Chizuru to strangle her friend and drops to the ground as she explains that she fires seeds from her forehead which sprout and grow roots in whoever they hit because she does not like to fight. As Chizuru punches Orihime against her will, Numb Chandelier details how she makes her proxies kill each other while she stays clean before sending forward several other students possessed by her seeds while noting that it has been a long while since she has seen someone as pretty as Orihime be ruthlessly slaughtered by her classmates. The possessed students swarm Orihime and begin ripping off her clothing while Orihime begs them to stop. Suddenly, Tatsuki kicks two of the students off of her, and as Orihime gratefully calls out to her, Tatsuki apologizes for not noticing Numb Chandelier before. When a surprised Orihime asks her if she can see Numb Chandelier, Tatsuki admits that she can only tell where Numb Chandelier is and asserts that she is the thing which made Orihime cry before proclaiming to Numb Chandelier that she has a long-standing rule of beating up anyone who makes Orihime cry.

Tatsuki Arisawa rapidly defeats several of the students possessed by Numb Chandelier's seeds in a single blow each and reminds them that she is just one little girl before maniacally laughing as she wonders if any of them will give her a fight, to Orihime Inoue's embarrassment. Noting that Tatsuki is a lively one, Numb Chandelier declares that it is even sweeter to watch the faces of lively victims contort in agony as the possessed boys whom Tatsuki had knocked down rise up behind her. As she prepares to take them out once more, Tatsuki finds herself grabbed by Chizuru Honshō, who tearfully tells her to run, before receiving a powerful blow to the chest and being restrained by the possessed boys, allowing Numb Chandelier to shoot her in the shoulder with another seed.

As Orihime screams out to Tatsuki despite being muffled by the possessed boys restraining her, Numb Chandelier explains that the seed which she fired into Tatsuki is now taking over her body and will allow Numb Chandelier to control her movements. Numb Chandelier ponders how to make Tatsuki pay for interrupting the fun she was having with Orihime and considers having her classmates beat her up followed by Tatsuki choking herself to death or making her classmates rape her and hang her from the roof before she cuts the rope herself and dies, only to be interrupted by Orihime still attempting to call out to Tatsuki. Angered by this, Numb Chandelier has one of the possessed boys restraining Orihime slam her head into the ground to shut her up. Claiming that it is hard for an unspoiled mind like hers to devise wicked tortures, Numb Chandelier decides to have Tatsuki plan her own death instead, but Tatsuki merely tells her to shut up and let Orihime go. As Numb Chandelier caresses Tatsuki's face with one of her tentacles and asserts that the latter's life is within her hands, Tatsuki bites down hard on the tentacle, causing Numb Chandelier to scream in pain as she tries to free herself. When Tatsuki keeps biting down despite being whipped with other tentacles, Numb Chandelier unleashes a barrage of seeds upon her while declaring that Tatsuki is not worth controlling and should die, resulting in Tatsuki being hit by several seeds all over her body. Panicking at the sight of this, Orihime kicks and pushes her way free of the possessed boys restraining her and runs over to Tatsuki, who falls to the ground while mentally telling Orihime to not cry.

However, as Orihime sees that one of the seeds has buried itself in Tatsuki's forehead, Tatsuki kicks her hard in the stomach, causing Orihime to collapse and vomit in pain. Looking up at a fully possessed Tatsuki, Orihime recalls how she was proud of the color of her hair because Sora Inoue complimented how colorful and shiny it was, only to cut it in junior high despite growing it out since she was a baby because a ninth grader had declared that they did not like the color of her hair and took scissors to it, which forced Orihime to cut the rest to match. While Tatsuki viciously kicks her around, Orihime remembers being unable to tell her brother what happened and being left alone after he died, which resulted in her withdrawing at school and becoming ever lonelier until she met Tatsuki, who took her hand and protected her, leading to her being able to grow her hair out again and deciding to never cut it again because it symbolizes her trust in Tatsuki. Thanking Tatsuki for protecting her over the last three years, Orihime watches a tear fall from her open eye and mentally tells Tatsuki to not cry because she will protect her from now on. Suddenly, Orihime's flower hairpins separate into six rods of light, which burst out and create a whirlwind around Orihime. As a surprised Numb Chandelier wonders what this is, one of her tentacles is severed, and the whirlwind clears to reveal a standing Orihime, who reminds Numb Chandelier of how Tatsuki had declared that she picked on the wrong person before proclaiming that she shows no mercy toward anyone who hurts Tatsuki.

As Orihime Inoue confidently stares her down, a shaken Numb Chandelier mocks the idea of Orihime not showing her mercy before wondering what the gnats flying around Orihime are, leading Orihime to look up in mild surprise at the insect-like objects whirling around her before wondering the same thing herself, to Numb Chandelier's consternation. However, Orihime hears a voice telling her that she must have sensed their presence because they have always been close to her. Landing on her shoulder, Shun'ō greets Orihime and introduces himself and the other spirits gathered with him as the Shun Shun Rikka, whose mission is to protect Orihime as the manifestation of her power.

Shocked by this, Orihime mistakes the Shun Shun Rikka for fairies, which Shun'ō quickly corrects by explaining that they are the power of her soul which awakened by something she responded to, which essentially makes them her. When a confused Orihime traps him between her hands, Shun'ō protests that lack of understanding does not mean she gets to capture him and reveals that no one aside from her can see them anyway. Responding to Orihime's disappointed reaction by wondering if she was planning on taking them to show-and-tell, Shun'ō notes that a few people like Ichigo Kurosaki may be able to see them, and when Orihime wonders why Ichigo would be able to do so, Shun'ō informs her that they were created because of him. Before Shun'ō can elaborate, Tsubaki suddenly dropkicks him and declares that there is no time for introductions. Brushing off Shun'ō's pained response, Tsubaki tells Orihime that all she needs to know is how to use the Shun Shun Rikka rather than who they are or where they came from.

When Orihime expresses confusion at this, Hinagiku proclaims that the job of him, Baigon, and Lily is to create a shield and reject, which requires Orihime to use her heart and a kotodama. Though Orihime is bewildered by all this information, Tsubaki notes that Numb Chandelier is about to attack as she readies several seeds on her forehead. After Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily introduce themselves to Orihime, Shun'ō gives her a kotodama to repeat after him, and as Numb Chandelier unleashes a barrage of seeds at her, Orihime uses Santen Kesshun, creating a triangular barrier in front of her which intercepts and blocks all of the seeds. As Orihime expresses surprise at this, Shun'ō explains how those three reject beyond the shield by creating a barrier between Orihime and the enemy which rejects any attack aimed at her.

While Numb Chandelier watches in confusion, Shun'ō flies over to an unconscious Tatsuki Arisawa and explains that he and Ayame can reverse the damage inflicted to anyone covered by their shield by rejecting all destruction behind the shield. After introducing himself and Ayame to Orihime, Shun'ō gives her another kotodama to repeat after him, and Orihime uses Sōten Kisshun, creating a half-oval barrier around Tatsuki that begins healing the damage done to her by Numb Chandelier's seeds. With Orihime tearing up at the sight of her friend's recovery, Tsubaki tells her to stop crying and explains how he rejects both sides of the shield by blowing a hole in the enemy and creating a shield inside to reject the union of matter, effectively splitting them in two. After Tsubaki introduces himself to her, Orihime unleashes Koten Zanshun, which burrows inside of Numb Chandelier before vertically bisecting her.

As a stunned Numb Chandelier crumbles and dissipates into the sky, Orihime faintly cheers for her victory before collapsing, which prompts Shun'ō to note that it was all too much for her before telling Orihime to hang in there as he and the other Shun Shun Rikka return to their hairpin forms, which fall to the ground next to Orihime as Kisuke Urahara arrives, with Tessai Tsukabishi carrying Yasutora Sado on his back behind him.