Crown of Lies, Baraggan's Grudge

Believed finished after Suì-Fēng's release, Baraggan bursts free and unleashes his aging breath, vowing to slaughter everyone and proclaiming himself an undying god. He batters Hachigen's barriers and mask, insisting his power alone is absolute in the world. Hachigen, however, has spotted the flaw: if everything the king touches rots, then something must shield the king himself. He removes part of his own decaying arm and, through clever binding arts, implants it inside Baraggan, placing the death-power somewhere it was never meant to reach. The absolute force turns on its owner, and Baraggan begins to disintegrate.

Refusing to accept his end, Baraggan drifts into memory. As the bored ruler of Hueco Mundo, he once welcomed three intruders, Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen, as amusement. Aizen offered him even greater power in exchange for obedience, speaking of dissolving the boundary between opposing states of being. Baraggan laughed him off and ordered his army to attack, only to strike illusions while Aizen sliced his crown in two and forced him to his knees. From that humiliation, Baraggan swore to one day seize the throne back from Aizen.

In the present, his final swing at Hachigen dissolves along with his body, and the once-mighty king vanishes. Hachigen reflects that Baraggan was, in the end, just another small life terrified of death. Nearby, Starrk senses his ally's demise, draws his second weapon, and resolves to avenge him.

Baraggan destroys Hachigen's containment and rampages with his rotting power. Hachigen deduces that Baraggan is protected from his own decay and implants his severed, rotting arm inside him. Baraggan's absolute power consumes him from within. A flashback shows Aizen conquering Hueco Mundo, cutting Baraggan's crown, and inspiring his lifelong grudge. Baraggan dies as his last attack fades away. Starrk, grieving, vows revenge and readies his second pistol.

The episode adapts Chapters 370 and 371 within the second half of the Fake Karakura conflict, closing out the duel of Hachigen and Suì-Fēng against Baraggan while advancing the parallel fight over Harribel. Comic relief arrives in the Karakura mystery segment, where Ichigo watches Rukia coach Renji through his flame arts, only for the lieutenant to produce a comically tiny burst. Baraggan's downfall marks the elimination of the Espada's second-ranked member.