Shinigami and Quincy, the Battle of Madness

Trapped in her cell, Orihime is battered by Loly and Menoly until Grimmjow tears through the wall, kills Menoly with a point-blank Cero, and humiliates Loly before hauling Orihime up. He explains he came to settle a debt rather than rescue her, since she once restored his severed arm, and now expects her to do something for him. When Menoly later wakes unharmed, Loly realizes Orihime healed her attackers, wrapping both women in Sōten Kisshun and rebuilding Menoly's body, a sight that leaves Loly convinced she is facing a monster.

In Szayelaporro's palace, Uryū drops in on the Espada and his swarm of Fracción, introducing himself as a Quincy. Szayelaporro is delighted to face both a Quincy and a Bankai wielder, and when Uryū pierces him with a Seele Schneider, the blade simply dissolves, revealing that the scientist has already studied Uryū's earlier fight against Cirucci Sanderwicci. As the battle drags on, Uryū notices his Heilig Pfeil growing steadily weaker while Szayelaporro tunes his power down at will, until Renji steps in to shield him and urges him to unravel the trick.

Grimmjow interrupts Loly and Menoly's assault on Orihime, killing Menoly and driving off Loly. Orihime heals both Arrancar, reviving Menoly entirely, and Grimmjow reveals he wants repayment for her earlier restoration of his arm. Uryū confronts Szayelaporro Granz, the eighth Espada, alongside Renji and learns that Szayelaporro has analyzed his abilities, progressively weakening his arrows before Renji intervenes to protect him.

The episode covers the Hueco Mundo arc and adapts Chapter 272 through Chapter 274. The picture-book short has Suì-Fēng describe Yoruichi to Kiyone Kotetsu, whose imagination twists the description into a furred, rat-like monster. Techniques on display include Menoly's rogue Cero, Grimmjow's counter-Cero, Orihime's Sōten Kisshun, and Uryū's Seele Schneider and Ginrei Kojaku. The anime expanded several beats and softened the manga's more graphic depictions of the violence.