The Antagonizer

The chapter runs two battles in parallel. Renji Abarai and Yasutora Sado keep a wave of Hollows at bay, buying room for Rukia Kuchiki, who has already cleared away the Exequias and now stands ready to face their leader. Rudbornn Chelute answers by releasing his Zanpakuto. Far above, within the pillar, the duel between Ichigo Kurosaki and Ulquiorra Cifer rages on. Ichigo slips a kick and tries to strike back, only for Ulquiorra to vault over him, and a Getsuga Tensho is cut apart before it can land as the Espada reappears at his back, though Ichigo turns the blow aside.

Ulquiorra fires a Cero at close range, and when the smoke thins Ichigo stands with barely a scratch. The Espada observes that his opponent has come a long way since their last meeting, now able to shrug off a Cero without pulling on his Hollow mask. Pressing the point, Ulquiorra argues that Orihime belongs to Hueco Mundo and that rescuing her would change nothing. Ichigo counters that the choice was never Ulquiorra's to make, and the Espada concedes that it was Aizen who decided her fate.

This installment closes the thirty-ninth collected volume, released as EL VERDUGO, printed in Japan on June 4, 2009 and in North America on April 3, 2012. Its events were folded into the anime across Episode 226 and Episode 267. A brief flashback panel recalls Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.