Guillotine You Standing

Grimmjow slides off the blade that pierced him, and Ichigo catches him as the last of his Hollow mask flakes away. After setting the defeated Espada gently on the sand, Ichigo bounds up to Orihime's tower and asks if she is alright; she confirms it while silently relieved to see her Ichigo returned to normal. Nel promptly barrels into his stomach hard enough to make him cough blood and knock them both off the ledge, tearfully thanking him for surviving even as he scolds her for the reckless leap.

The mood lightens as Ichigo hoists Orihime over his shoulder to float them down rather than hunt for stairs, brushing off her embarrassment by remarking she is not as heavy as expected, which earns him a shot to the crotch from Nel and a lesson on how one should speak to a lady. On the ground, Ichigo announces he will go help Chad and Rukia and that the two of them are coming along, since staying here is too dangerous.

Before they leave, a bloodied Grimmjow staggers up behind them as his Resurreccion dissolves back into his sealed sword. He swears he will never let Ichigo claim victory and lunges, but Ichigo throws his own weapon aside, slips the stab, seizes Grimmjow's wrist, and tells him plainly that he has lost. Ichigo argues there is no point to a kingdom won by devouring everyone he hates, and that fighting Ichigo again and again would satisfy him more. As Grimmjow refuses and breaks free to attack once more, Nnoitra's blade suddenly slams into his chest, dropping him, and Nnoitra coolly tells him to die because Ichigo is now his prey.

The Grimmjow duel formally concludes with Ichigo sparing his rival rather than killing him. A tender, comedic beat reunites Ichigo with Orihime and Nel. The chapter then pivots the arc by introducing the Quinta Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, who ends Grimmjow's resistance with a single strike and marks Ichigo as his next opponent.

The chapter appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump under the alternate title Tooth and Nail. It was adapted across Episode 167 and Episode 190. Nnoitra's arrival launches the next major clash of the Hueco Mundo arc.