Szayelaporro Laughs, The Net Trapping Renji is Complete

Donning his Hollow mask, Ichigo activates Tensa Zangetsu and drives Ulquiorra back with a colossal Getsuga Tenshō the Espada cannot fully stop. When the smoke clears, though, Ulquiorra emerges with only faint scratches, admits that was Ichigo's best, and fires a Cero that blasts him out onto the sands with Nel in his arms. Revealing his tattoo, Ulquiorra explains he is merely the fourth-ranked Espada and thrusts his hand through Ichigo's chest before leaving him for dead and ordering him to flee Hueco Mundo or die.

In Orihime's chamber, the plummet of Ichigo's Reiatsu draws Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia, who mock the human's favored status and set about tormenting her. Loly hurls Orihime to the floor by her hair, stomps on her, and demands she cry, warning her that she does not belong among the Arrancar. Meanwhile, in Szayelaporro's palace, Renji hammers away with Zabimaru, briefly forcing the smirking scientist to dodge before Szayelaporro reveals he already holds all of Renji's combat data.

Reading every move, Szayelaporro evades Renji's attacks, snaps off a fragment of his blade, and dismisses Zabimaru as a crude power-type weapon with nothing left to study. He triggers a horde of his Fracción and sics the giant Medazeppi on Renji, promising not to interfere personally. Renji stabs his sealed sword into the creature's hand to escape being crushed, sending Medazeppi into a rampage that shatters the chamber and leaves Renji trapped in a pit of rubble.

As Medazeppi rears back for a killing blow, a Heilig Pfeil pierces its side and drops it. Uryū Ishida appears at a new hole in the wall, having heard the fighting echo through the walls of Las Noches since they are not made of Sekkiseki, and dryly tells the battered Renji that it looks like someone beat him up.

Ichigo overwhelms Ulquiorra with a masked Getsuga Tenshō, but Ulquiorra shrugs it off, reveals he is only Espada rank four, and defeats Ichigo by piercing his chest. Loly and Menoly begin tormenting Orihime after sensing Ichigo's fall. Szayelaporro Granz outmatches Renji using his combat data and unleashes his Fracción, with Medazeppi nearly killing him. Uryū Ishida arrives and shoots Medazeppi down, rescuing Renji.

This episode is part of the Hueco Mundo arc and adapts portions of Chapters 270 through 272. Its opening theme is After Dark and its ending is Kansha. It first aired in Japan on February 27, 2008, and in English on October 31, 2009. Three concurrent events unfold: Ichigo against Ulquiorra, Renji and Uryū against Szayelaporro, and Orihime's confrontation. A Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book skit shows Suì-Fēng pinning Ukitake to a tree and slicing off his clothes so Kiyone can photograph him. The adaptation expands several beats, including Ichigo's opening disc of Reiatsu and Uryū building pressure into his final arrow.