After Aizen's defeat, the shinigami are adjusting back to peaceful times. After cleansing and restoring the barriers where Karakura Town was temporarily swapped with Soul Society, Matsumoto and Nanao enter the Precipice World to return home, but are confronted by something along the way. Hitsugaya and Shunsui lose contact with their lieutenants, who have not returned. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Rukia go off to handle hollows, and Kon goes off to investigate a spiritual disturbance and finds a green-haired girl covered in rags. Hitsugaya and Shunsui report to Yamamoto regarding their lieutenants' disappearances, but Matsumoto and Nanao return at the same time. Both of them do not recall being away that long and just came back directly. The shinigami realize time in the Precipice World is out of sync with Soul Society, with Yamamoto ordering Kurotsuchi Mayuri to conduct a survey of the area with Kenpachi's team as security escort. Ichigo returns home and is furious with Kon, who has brought back the green-haired girl. Rukia is unable to detect the presence of the girl, who has no spirit energy nor a human's signature. While the survey in ongoing, Mayuri and Kenpachi's team are confronted by an intense light emerging from the walls of the Precipice World. Rukia is ordered to return to Soul Society along with Ichigo. They discuss with Urahara who advises Ichigo not to go to Soul Society in his present condition and mentions that Yoriuchi travelled there but has not returned. Ichigo goes anyway with Rukia through the Precipice World but are chased by the Kototsu. To save themselves, Ichigo goes bankai and carries Rukia all the way to Soul Society but due to the gradual loss of his powers, he drops out of bankai and falls to the ground. Ichigo encounters Hitsugaya and then Byakuya with both attacking him. Byakuya places Ichigo under confinement. Somewhere in Soul Society, a man walks through a lab filled with piles of gigai and addresses what seems to be Kira Izuru and Nanao.