Ichigo and the other soul reapers have a difficult time fighting the Arrancars before taking on the Espada, their more threatening competition.

Ichigo and company are one step closer to saving Rukia from the Soul Society, but for their plan to work, Ichigo must control the spiritual energy that wells within him. Meanwhile, the Soul Society dispatches a delegation to "welcome" their visitors.

Ichigo Kurosaki, born with the ability to see ghosts, is given the power of a Soul Reaper by shinigami Rukia Kuchiki so he can save his family from a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul, but Rukia's decision to give Soul Reaper powers to a human has angered the Soul Society which wants to eliminate Ichigo, and make Rukia pay for her crime.

Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki was born with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow - a malevolent lost soul - Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace. During a bloody confrontation with a sadistic Soul Reaper, Uryû chooses a path that will temporarily grant him enormous power, at great personal cost. Meanwhile, Ichigo races to master...

"Ichigo's mission to rescue his friend Orihime from the Hollow world has turned into a struggle for survival against a succession of enemies, each one more powerful than the next. Now another vicious challenger has entered the fray, one that happens to know the startling truth about Ichigo's new friend Nel!"--P. [4] of cover.

Immediately after checking into the Kurosaki Clinic with a mysterious scar on his back, the muscle-bound Chad goes AWOL. Accompanying Chad is a talking parakeet imbued with the soul of a young boy named Yuichi. It doesn't take newbie Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki long to surmise that a Hollow must be involved. Ichigo is about to sidcover that not every soul is bound for the Soul Society, especially if it's tainted with innocent blood.