Ichigo reports his findings of Muramasa's abilities to Ukitake, Shunsui and Unohana. In order to find out about Muramasa's effects on zanpakut?, Ichigo and Ikkaku patrol Seiretei to seek out the entities. Meanwhile, someone breaks into a compound and knocks out the Soul Reapers guarding the area. ?maeda and his men stumble on the unconscious guards and investigate, only to encounter his zanpakut? spirit, Gegetsuburi and Hozukimaru. ?maeda and Gegetsuburi are just about to fight when Ichigo and Ikkaku interrupt. ?maeda is knocked out of the fight, leaving Ichigo to battle Gegetsuburi, while Ikkaku fights Hozukimaru. Ichigo defeats Gegetsuburi but Ikkaku is wounded by Hozukimaru's bankai. Just as he attempts to continue the battle, Ukitake, Shunsui, Soi Fon and her Stealth Corps arrive to surround Hozukimaru, but he uses his bankai to get away. However, they manage to obtain Gegetsuburi. Ichigo goes after Hozukimaru, but the entity escapes when Senbonzakura's petals block Ichigo's route. Ichigo discovers that the attack was from Byakuya, who disappears.
From creator Tite Kubo, comes the story of a world where passing lurks impalpable to an everyday human's eyes. Ichigo Kurosaki helps run a local clinic with his family but Ichigo has the unusual ability to see poltergeists but rather than react with surprise he merely sees it as an annoyance. Ichigo helps those when he cares but can't bring himself to care enough... until one fateful day. A small, mysterious woman appears on duty inside his room, a Soul Reaper known as Rukia. Soon enough Ichigo and Rukia get formal in the oddest of ways and in such an untimely matter the losses begin. The Kurosaki family is soon attacked. This leads Ichigo on his first step to accepting the roles and responsibility's a Soul Reaper must uphold.