Defend Karakura Town! Entire Appearance of the Shinigami

In Kagamino City, some distance from Karakura Town, a young Plus girl flees a pack of Hollows until the creatures are annihilated purely by the pressure radiating from the assembled captains, Aizen, and his highest Espada. The stationed Shinigami Eikichirō Saidō urges the girl to run and quietly wonders how the coming battle will resolve. High above the town, the gathered captains and lieutenants confer until Yamamoto orders everyone clear and raises Jōkaku Enjō, walling Sousuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen inside a pillar of flame. Content to let events unfold, Aizen tells Gin they need lift no finger for the fight to end.

Within a tower of Las Noches, Ulquiorra Cifer asks a captive Orihime Inoue whether she is afraid, and she answers that her heart already rests with her friends. She recounts feeling both gladness and sorrow when she learned they had come for her, eventually understanding that they carried the same protective wish she did. Ulquiorra dismisses shared feeling as a Human delusion and challenges her to define the heart, asking whether he would find it by splitting open her chest or skull.

Racing toward Orihime, Ichigo Kurosaki is briefly stalled by the Exequias and their commander, Rudbornn Chelute, until Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, and Yasutora Sado step in to hold them off. As Ulquiorra presses his cold questions, Ichigo bursts up through the floor of the throne room, arriving at last.

The Gotei 13 assemble above Karakura Town to face the three strongest Espada, and Yamamoto uses Jōkaku Enjō to isolate Aizen, Tōsen, and Gin in flame. Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Cifer debate the nature of the heart in Las Noches. Ichigo Kurosaki, delayed by Rudbornn Chelute and the Exequias, is aided by Renji, Sado, and Rukia before crashing into the throne room to confront Ulquiorra.

The episode adapts Chapters 316 and 317 and belongs to the Fake Karakura Town arc. The Substitute Shinigami Work Diary short is comedic, showing Rukia struggling to cram Gigai into Ichigo's closet until the Gigai of Rangiku, Renji, Yumichika, and Ikkaku all tumble out onto him.