Sarugaki Hiyori and the other Visored show up to find Urahara preparing…er, something, and Hiyori chastises him for sending Ichigo, Yoruichi and the others before they arrived . Yoruichi’s little sister also shows up; I don’t believe we’ve ever met her, but she’s too late to give her sister a large care package.
Then again, perhaps she and the Visored will eventually serve as reinforcements for Ichigo and the others, whom we don’t see this week. Instead, Ichibei scolds and battles Yhwach, using a painted seal to conjure a giant hand that blasts the Quincy King 1000 ri (or roughly 2,500 miles) away, then slaps him back to where he started.
Nimaiya fights a still-alive Askin in a battle of poisoned blood, Kirinji seemingly beats Haschwalth in a duel of blades, and Ishida’s reishi projectiles bounce gently off of Shutara’s hastily-sewn umbrella like droplets of spring rain. Hikifune remarks that Squad Zero isn’t messing around anymore.
Ichibei seems to indulge Yhwach in a bit of melee fighting before using his brush to cut the very name of Yhwach’s arm, reducing it to “ar-” and halving its strength and speed, then shortening Yhwach’s own name to “Yhw”. All in all, it looks like an overwhelming victory for Squad Zero…but I knew it would be fleeting, because 1.) this is Bleach and 2.) there’s one episode left.
Here I was, taking small comfort in knowing Bambietta Basterbine’s suffering was at an end, but nope, here she is, being sucked dry of the blood Gigi gave her in order to heal herself. When she begs for her life, Gigi is again enraged and violent, then snapping back to swooning over Bambi’s lifeless corpse. What did Tite Kubo have against Bambi?!
Lili finds Gigi, and reports that Candice and Meninas and her faced off against Pepe, with mixed results. Lili wants to ensure Quincy forces are stabilized by the time His Majesty returns to Soul Society from the Palace. It seems all Gigi really wants to do is not die and keep fucking around with what’s left of Bambi.
Neither of them get their wish, as Yhwach—sorry, Yhw—seemingly has enough strength in him to activate Auswählen—German for “select”—which draws all of the powers of the Quincy down below (including Lili and Gigi’s) and redistributes it to the Quincy who need it most (Uryuu, Haschwalth, and the Royal Guard).
The lesser Quincy who have their powers and very souls stolen turn into skeletons, but the Sternritter seem to remain alive, if significantly weakened. I wonder it that means Yhwach can still draw from them should the need arise. And I assume if Ichigo’s party and Visored make it to the Palace in time, they’ll be able to re-tip the scales Yhwach just tipped in his favor. We’ll find out in the big Part 2 finish.
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