In the Rukon district,
incidences of mysterious deaths occurred among the Soul Society
where people vanished, leaving just their clothes behind.
Squad 9 was investigating in the field
when someone attacked them.
Captain Kensei Muguruma and
Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna's Spiritual Pressure disappeared.
The Thirteen Court Guard Squads determined
that a worst-case scenario had occurred.
Urahara, who had sent Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki to
the scene following the request by the aforementioned Squad 9,
tries to go after her, but…
Let me…go there, please!
No.
My second-in-command is headed there now!
I must…
Kisuke!
You're making a scene. Pull yourself together!
Didn't you make the choice to send her?!
Can't you see that your panic is an insult to her?!
Ultimately, however, five members:
captain of Squad 3, Rojuro Ohtoribashi,
captain of Squad 5, Shinji Hirako,
captain of Squad 7, Love Aikawa,
Hachigen Ushoda, lieutenant of the Kido Corps,
and Lisa Yadomaru, lieutenant of Squad 9, are chosen to go.
When the members arrive,
they are confronted by an abnormal figure.
Shinji!
Are you all right, Hiyori?!
K-Kensei!
What's going on with that?
Is that really Kensei?
That mask… That Spiritual Pressure…
It is almost like he's a Hollow!
I'm not sure, either.
Maybe it's Kensei, maybe it's not.
Anyway, what's certain is we'll die if we don't draw our swords.
What Shinji and the others saw was Kensei,
whose Spiritual Pressure and appearance had been transformed
into something resembling a Hollow.
Kensei, who had lost himself, attacked.
Reluctantly, Hirako and the others fought back.
However, Kensei displayed extraordinary power,
and when Mashiro, who had also been transformed, joined in,
the five gradually began losing the fight.
Behind you, Rose!
Gochu Tekkan.
Bakudo 63: Sajosabaku.
Hey! Thank you for your rounds.
C-Captain Kyoraku?!
What's the matter? Why're you out at this hour?
Well, I had a bit of trouble falling asleep.
Maybe I'm thinking too much?
– Huh?! – Huh?!
Nothing.
It seems like Lieutenant Aizen had trouble falling asleep too.
– Good night, Lieutenant Aizen! – Good night, Lieutenant Aizen!
You men should call it a night yourselves.
– Good night, Captain Kyoraku! – Good night, Captain Kyoraku!
'Night.
Huh?
Excuse me.
Um…
Nanao Ise…right?
Huh?! Y-Yes, sir!
I'm honored that you remembered me!
Yes.
Well, you are the youngest child we have here now.
You see, I remember the names of every young girl here.
Besides, you came to see me every month.
Oh.
That's right. Today's the first of the month.
Yes.
That is why I thought I'd like to read
with Lieutenant Yadomaru again this month.
I see.
But, I'm sorry.
Lisa isn't here tonight.
Why?
She's on an important mission.
But don't worry.
She'll be back in the morning. I'm sure of it.
Stop it.
Kensei, you weren't the kind of weakling who would strike a girl.
Right?
Hey, are you okay, Lisa?
I'm okay.
You're not okay.
Quiet.
Anyway, at this rate, either way, we're not going to last.
Hachi…
Isn't there any other way?
There is.
However…
He easily broke through Sajosabaku.
This time, we'll have to go at him with maximum force.
To do that, I'll need all of you to create
a sure-fire opportunity for me to use a Bakudo.
However, my Bakudo may take us all along with it, as well.
Is that all?
Love…
I'll draw him to me.
While I'm doing that, capture Kensei!
I'm going too!
Me too.
With those injuries? Are you crazy?
I can do it alone.
You watch my back.
Show off!
Look who's talking!
Rose!
I know!
How solid can he be?!
Hachi!
Bakudo 99!
Kin!
A Nineties-level Bakudo without an incantation, eh?
Gotta hand it to you.
I overextended myself…a bit.
Okay then.
What shall we do now?
Can't you do something using Kido?
Even if you want me to,
if I don't know the cause, there's nothing I can do.
What's the matter, Hiyori? Are you okay?
Hachi, heal this one for starters.
Shin…
Shinji…
Let go of…
me!
Hiyori!
What the hell's going on?!
Wha—?
No!
This is…
Lisa!
Rose! Hachi!
You're…
Tosen!
Why did you do that to Kensei?
You betrayed him… Your own captain?!
He didn't betray him.
He is loyal.
He just…
loyally followed my orders, that's all.
Please don't hold it against him, Captain Hirako.
Ai…zen.
I should've known it was you.
So you were on to me?
You're good.
Of course I am.
Since when?
From the time you were still in your mother's womb.
I see.
I've always felt that you were someone dangerous.
Someone who couldn't be trusted.
That's why I chose you as my lieutenant.
I did it to keep an eye you, Aizen!
Yes, I appreciate that, Captain Hirako.
Thanks to your deep distrust of me, you didn't realize.
I just told you that I did.
No.
You didn't realize.
During this past month…
that wasn't me…
who has been following you.
What?!
I am able to make someone
mistake any phenomenon for something else at will.
That is the true power of my Zanpakuto, Kyokasuigetsu.
I refer to its power as…
"Complete Hypnosis."
Complete hypnosis, you say?!
You are a sharp man, Captain Hirako.
If you had received me as your second-in-command
as other captains ordinarily do,
perhaps you may have seen through me.
However, you did not.
Because you did not trust me,
you never got closer than a certain distance,
never opening up to me, or giving me information,
and never tried to get closer to me.
That's why you never realized.
Even if I switched places with a completely different person.
I had the man who took my place memorize everything
about my normal behavior patterns and my patterns of interaction
when dealing with you and other squad members and captains.
If you understood me deeply,
even slight differences in habits or behaviors
would have seemed out of place to you.
You are lying there defeated because
you remained totally unfamiliar with me.
Do you understand now?
Captain Hirako?
Aizen…
And one more thing.
Earlier, you said
you chose me as your lieutenant to keep an eye on me.
You are mistaken.
What?!
Just as a captain has the right to select his lieutenant,
squad members have the right to refuse an assignment.
While that right is very rarely exercised,
I also had the choice of not becoming your lieutenant.
Why didn't I do that?
Because it was the ideal situation.
Your excessive suspicion and wariness of me
was truly ideal for my plan.
Do you understand?
You did not choose me.
I chose you, Captain Hirako.
Maybe you should be apologizing to your friends.
Because you were chosen by me,
you ended up down there on the ground with your friends.
Aizen…
Thank you for going for my cheap taunt.
Damn it! You're doing this to me too?
Aizen!
Damn it! You're doing this to me too?
Aizen!
What is this?!
As we thought,
it looks like an agitated state accelerates the Hollowfication.
Hollowfication?!
What is that supposed to mean?
You don't need to know.
Sh-Shinji?
Kaname.
Yes, sir.
Stop!
I don't know what's going on.
But if you think everything will go according to your plan,
you're gravely mistaken.
Oh.
Even though the Hollowfication has progressed that far…
Come to think of it, didn't Aizen just say…
As we thought,
it looks like an agitated state accelerates the Hollowfication.
Which means that if I maintain my composure,
this strange process won't progress?!
What shall we do?
You can go ahead and continue.
We'll just have one less sample.
So I'm a sample?
You say interesting things.
Looks like he's losing.
Yeah, it looks that way.
What is this?!
I don't know what's happening.
Am I suffering, or…
It's almost as if someone other than me is doing the fighting.
It's no wonder we had a hard time dealing with Kensei,
even in groups.
But at this rate, I may have a chance!
I'm sorry.
I will finish him right now.
There's no need to worry, Kaname.
I expected this to happen.
Besides…
The speed at which Hollowfication occurs
differs from individual to individual.
That was quite an interesting sight.
But that's as far as you go, it would seem.
Let's end it, Captain Hirako.
In the end, remember one thing.
Betrayal you can see is trivial.
What is truly frightening is
betrayal you cannot see, Captain Hirako.
Goodbye.
You people were wonderful test subjects.
Damn it!
Well…
What an interesting guest.
The Past Arc finally comes to an end next week!
I get to appear at last!
You wish, Ichigo.
It seems there will be another story following the Past Arc.
What? You mean?
You'll be stuck in the Illustrated Guide to Soul Reapers
for some time to come.
Who is the main character of this anime supposed to be?!
The Substitute Soul Reaper Work Journal!
There are times when we provide a place for Soul Reapers
who come to the World of the Living.
Sorry I'm late.
No problem, we were just about to start.
Now,
with regard to the next activity of the Men's Soul Reaper Association…
Why're you guys holding your meeting here?!
There's no meeting hall that the Soul Society will let us use!
Please go home.