A long-awaited showdown between Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki has begun. Has Ichigo succeeded in mastering bankai, the highest level of power that a Soul Reaper can attain, to face Byakuya as an equal?

"Ichigo 'Strawberry' Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts, he was born with the gift. 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. Orihime's return from the Soul Society is interrupted by the Arrancar Ulquiorra, who has a different, terrifying path for her. Using duplicitous tactics,...

"Ichigo and the rest of the rescue squad have made it as far as the fortress of Las Noches and are one step closer to freeing Orihime from the Arrancars' clutches. And although the battles in Hueco Mundo have been brutal, the opponents have been surprisingly honorable. But that is about to change..."-- from publisher's web site.

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.