Bleach

- Dordonni used to be Espada No.3, before Nel took the spot. He feels srange fighting alongside Nel, which he compares to liquor mixed in with chocolate. Nel doesn't get the metaphor but thinks it sounds delicious. Dordonni is not sure if she is joking or serious.

- Dordonni only now found out that Nel used to be the child that was with Ichigo. Nel is still a bit unhappy about what Dordonni did to her in that fight but is willing to put their differences aside for now.

- The Sternritter and Arrancar are all fighting together against Ikomikidomoe. Harribel and Dordonni distract it with air, water and earth, trapping the Hollow in a rather muddy cyclone. Then Cirucci uses her blade to pierce Ikomidomoe's eye, blinding it and Nel threw Lanzador Verde further into the eye. After that Charlotte covered the Hollow in Rosa Blanka, slowly sucking out the Reiatsu of it. When Ikomidomoe tried to escape, Meninas pummeled into the gound and Liltotto devoured the clones it tried to created. Candice threw lightning bolts at it and then Bambietta and Giselle fired explosive arrows atit. After that Na Na Na paralyzed it, so that Luppi and Grimmjow could finish Ikomikidomoe off with Desgarron and eight Gran Rey Ceros.

- Cirucci got her lost limbs back thanks to Szayel and Mayuri. She is oddly not pleased about this. While obvious, all the Zombie Arrancar have gotten stronger.

- If Nnoitra's Hierro is the strongest shield, then Nel's Lanzador Verde is perhaps the strongest spear. The spear can pierce the shield in this case.

- Charlotte's Rosa Blanka sucks out the Reiatsu of Charlotte's opponents, making it like Yumichika's Zanpakto ironically.

- All the attacks cause for an explosive spectacle that briefly distracts Giselle and Bambietta, who admire the pretty view. Especially for Giselle who enjoys watching the fireworks together with Bambietta. It seems she has become quite nicer towards Bambietta.

- Giselle and Bambietta worked out a few little tag-team strategies. Giselle uses Lichtregen and Bambietta turns the arrows into explosions, creating a rain of bombs that rain upon the battle field and turns everything they touch into more bombs, the cyclone, the air, the bushed of Rosa Blanca and of course Ikomikidomoe.

- Grimmjows enjoys fighting together with the others. It reminds him of fighting together in a pack again. He would never admit it, but Grimmjow misses his Fracccion.

- Na Na Na and Askin used to be friends.

- Na Na Na has a really cool scene, as he paralyzes Ikomikidomoe. "You thought I was some kind of underling, didn't you? And so you underestimated me. If Nakk Le Vaar had been here, he'd probably say-". Raising his fingers, Na Na Na Najahkoop smiled in pleasant remembrance of his former comrade. "That's lethal!"

- Hikone has to save Ikomikidomoe. This also indirectly confirms that devouring the Soul King was not a permanent thing. For one, Ikomidomoe would have been the lynchpin then, just like Yhwach became the lynchpin after absorbing his father. And, Ikomidomoe is definitely not Soul King level, which he would be, if he had kept the Reiatsu of the Soul King.

- Hikone calls out Ikomikidomoe's name, activating Bankai. Or rather Resureccion. The only reason Hikone is able to do that is because Kenpachi lets him. The name full name is Ikomikidomoe Hououraku Hakkei or "Eight picturesque views of the Fenghuang's fall". This heavily implies that Ikomikidomoe used to be Phoenix-like Hollow. Ikomikidomoe is definitely based on Arturo Plateado, if they are not the same person.

- Ikomikidomoe's motivation is to get its original name back. Hikone using Bankai actually frightens it. The Bankai causes Hikone to look like a Hollow. His skin gets all white. Imagine how Hollow Ichigo looks but the Shihakosho is still black.

- Using Bankai releases the limit that had been placed on Hikone. The entire time he only had used 1/5 of his strength. Now he is on the same level as Aizen. And Hikone is still not using his full power. He deliberately had not used Ikomidomoe's true name, so the Bankai is not a full power.

- Hisagi arrives.

- Yoruichi and Kensei tag-team to kill Tokinada. Yoruichi kicks him so hard that he is blown-off into Kensei's direction who explodes Tokinada's organs with his Bankai. But then Tokinada just heals all his wounds.

- It's confirmed, Enrakyoten can copy the ability of every Shinigami who had existed. Though so far it seems that it only applies to Shikai. That ability just now was Hisagomaru (Hanataro's Zanpakto). He fights off Shunsui with Gagaku Kairo (Zanpakto of the seventh Kenpachi), summoning large creatures, Yoruichi with Senbonzakura and all the other fighters with Tsuchinamazu (Afro-san). The reason for why Enrakyoten has that ability was because it was created to watch over all of history.

- Shunsui knows the Zanpakto abilities and names of every seated officer.

- There are no weak Zanpakto. Only weak Shinigami. Depending on how much Reiatsu a Shinigami possesses the abilities of the Zanpakto increase tremendously. That's what makes Enrakyoten so dangerous. Tokinada is on the same level as Byakuya and Yoruichi. So, the abilities of Tsuchinamazu for example are much stronger. While Afro-san could only raise the ground a bit, Tokinada could summon rocks from everywhere and impale anyone not fast or attentive enough.

- Tokinada uses Heineko next, which traps Shunsui alongside the beasts from Gagaku Kairo. Shunsui had to use the Tenran Kido to disperse the ash maelstrom. If it wasn't for Harribel's Cascada, everyone else would have been killed by Heineko, since the ash was everywhere.

- Shinji has arrived. Shunsui tells him to be ready in case Tokinada uses Sakanade, so that Shinji can re-reverse the reverse. Thanks to Sakanade, Shinji has actually getting used to fighting if his senses are reversed.

- Tokinada uses Rjujin Jakka but because Tokinada is much weaker than Yamamoto, the fire is also much weaker. Shunsui fears that Tokinada might use Kyoka Suigetsu, so he immediately closes his eyes, but then uses Tokinada uses Shunsui's Darumasan game, to force him to open his eyes and then he uses Kyoka Suigetsu. Everyone is trapped because of all the ash, petals and beasts running around, which count as part of the Zanpakto. And then he shatters Kyoka Suigetsu.

- Hisagi arrives on the battlefield. He is a bit confused on all the former enemies being gathered but recognizes that they seem to be allies.

- We get a brief flashback, when Haschwalth and Yhwach were talking about how they felt seeing the Soul Palace.

- When Hisagi lands in the battle field, everyone is on the defensive and suspicious of him (at least those that know him), since they can't know if Hisagi is real or not, also because they didn't expect him to be here to begin with.

- Hisagi and Tokinada meet. It's hard to imagine, but this is the first time the two actually meet. Both wonder for a bit just who the hell the other guy is, until they realize. Tokinada asks Hisagi to write an article about his victory and the fall of the captain commander who had rebelled against the nobility alongside Quincy and Arrancar. Hisagi immediately comes to the conclusion that Tokinada is pure evil and different from Yhwach and Aizen, that in this case it wasn't just a matter of perspective. So, he answers Tokinada that he is going to write an article about the fall of the head of the Tsunayahrio family.

- Though for the sake of an journalist's integrity, Hisagi tries to remain neutral and ask Tokinada about Hikone. Tokinada simply states that Hikone is a tool that was created to allow the Shinigami to rule over all three realms, which angers Hisagi, who considers Hikone a person. Tokinada is confused why he should have attachment for a tool.

- Tokinada continues that saving Hikone is pointless. He doesn't know any other live besides serving Tokinada. But Tokinada does point out that he never mistreated him. Nor did he ever lie to him or give him false hope. Though neither did he praise Hikone. He just presented himself as he is and that made Hikone happy. Tokinada argues that there is no reason to deprive Hikone of his happiness. But Hisagi realizes that Tokinada simply raised Hikone in a way, where he would see Tokinada as the world itself.

- Hisagi is about to attack Tokinada when Shunsui grabs him and Nanao into his shadow dimension. He explains what Tokinada's Zanpakto can do and apologizes to Hisagi for dragging him into this mess. Hisagi promises to defeat Tokinada or at the very least to neutralize his Zanpakto.

- While Tokinada waits for Shunsui to come out, he decides to kill time by mocking Yoruichi.

- It seems Sui-feng is really in love with Yoruichi. At least Tokinada thinks killing Yoruichi with the Zanpakto of the Shingami who loves Yoruichi is a fitting fate. He already marked Yoruichi once (thanks to Kyoka Suigetsu), but he waits to use the second sting, so that Yoruichi can die right in front of Sui-feng and he can see Sui-feng's face. Yoruichi tries to laugh it off, noting that the world is full of irony, since Sui-feng once tried to kill her herself. Tokinada wonders if it is really the world that's full of irony or because of Urahara.

- Hisagi, Shunsui and Nanao reappear. Due to Kyoka Suigetsu, Hisagi fights with closed eyes. When Tokinada notices that Hisagi is Shunsui's last hope, he gets a laugh attack. But it turns out the reason is that Kyoraku wants to use Hisagi as a detector.

- The idea was this: As Hisagi attacks, using long-range combat, he would convey the location of reiatsu to Kyoraku using his voice and attack direction. This would help to confirm the identity of an ally or Tokinada himself. Tokinada can overwrite his voice, figure and the trajectory of attack with ‘complete hypnosis’. But in order to reproduce that perfectly, it was necessary for Tokinada to closely pay attention to Hisagi’s voice and method of combat. If there was even the slightest incongruity, Kyoraku would recognize it and respond accordingly.

- One of the subjects at the Shinigami academy is fight in complete darkness, using Reikoku. Though Hisagi remarks that this still wasn't close to how Tosen had to fight, whose Reikaku was of course the best as a result. As Hisagi recalls past moments with Tosen, he wonders why his former captain had to suffer so much. He sees Tokinada as the answer and asks him if he had observed Tosen's final fight. Tokinada describes in detail how Tosen died and laments that he wasn't there. This causes Hisagi to snap and attack. Tokinada continues to mock Tosen's suffering.

- Tokinada then reveals that he knew that Tosen was involved in Urahara's banishment. He didn't bother to tell C46 though, because it was too much trouble. Now Kensei and Shinji are not all too happy. But thanks to Shinso and Senbonzakura they can't move. Though Tokinada did not know that Tosen was working for Aizen.

- Hisagi asks again why Tokinada raised Hikone in such a way. Tokinada replies that this is how Shinigami do things and spills the beans about the Soul King.

- Shunsui actually didn't believe in the original sin completely. He thought most of it were just rumors and legends. Shunsui and Hisagi managed to locate Tokinada but then Shunsui gets attacked by Aura. Aura just wants that Hisagi hears the story of the Soul King, so that he can write an article for the entire world to read.

- The reason why Tosen sided with Aizen against Soul Society instead of just killing Tokinada is because Tosen thought the original sin was the greatest injustice.

- Tokinada asks, why did Tosen rebel against Soul Society? Was Aizen right? Why did Urahara create the Hogyoku. It seems Urahara created the Hogyoku for two reasons: To fight off the eventual Quincy invasion, but while the Hogyoku would have made things easier, a victory without it shouldn't be impossible. The bigger reason is, because Urahara wanted to create his own Soul King, using the Hogyoku. And it seems that his earlier interest in Ichigo was because he wanted to turn Ichigo into the lynchpin. Because thanks to the Hollow factor, Ichigo (and Ginjou too) would be more stable.

- The reason Aizen had addressed Ukitake in particular during the "empty throne in the heavens" speech was because Aizen knew about Mimihagi.

- The Soul King lost his arms so that he could be stuck in a state between stagnation and progress, between static and dynamic. The Soul King is neither dead, nor is he alive.

- The Soul King is the progenitor of Quincy, Shinigami and Fullbringer. But not of Hollows it seems. The Soul King was a a Shinigami, a Quincy and a human and had abilities similar to a Fullbringer. The Soul King was both a devil and a messiah. He was the protector of the original world and the five ancestors of the noble families created the three worlds by sacrificing him.

- It also possible that humans did not exist as they are currently are known. But rather something that was between Hollow and Human.

- Btw, the entire time Hisagi is trying to attack Tokinada with Kazeshini. At some point Tokinada had to block the attack with Gegetsuburi.

- Kubo always thought that Hisagi had some main-character traits. Although he is shy and gets teased a lot, he is, in reality, a very adorable person. He was a crybaby as a child, but then continued down the same path as the person who saved his life. Later, he met his mentor, who helped him face his fear. He was then forced to fight against his mentor because he had walked down the wrong path. But only when Narita proposed to make hin the MC of the story, did Kubo realize that Hisagi was also hero-like.

- Kubo indeed wanted to reveal Shinji's and Hisagi's Bankai in the final arc.

- It seems that Narita and Kubo are good friends. When Kubo revealed that he was planning to end Bleach in one or two years, Narita thought Kubo was joking. Basically, Kubo, because of his illness, wanted to finish the final arc in one to two years (though since mangaka are notoriously bad at estimating how long they need, it would probably have taken longer). Shuheisha gave him the okay for one year and Kubo decided to focus only on Ichigo's group till the manga ends. I think Chapter 659, when the focus shifted towards Uryuu was the point, when Kubo decided to end thingns.

- The the meeting between Narita, Matsubara and Kubo happened. They asked him all they wanted to know and Narita asked if he could include the things Kubo had told him in the books. Kubo then gave Narita even more information and they planned the story of the books together, the new characters they introduced and how the characters from the manga should behave, etc. So, the books are not just Narita's story, they are Kubo's too.

- Kubo told Narita and Matsubara the backstory of Urahara and Yoruichi. But they refused to write it down. Because when they heard it, they were so amazed that they immediately told him, that Kubo has to tell it in manga form.

- Narita hopes/belives that Bleach will continue in the future.

- Squad Zero has to replace all the soldiers that the Schutzstaffel had killed. Wonder where they all come from. So, in light of recent events, Ichibee gathers them and the rest of Squad Zero in front of Yhwach and tells them the story of the original sin.

- In the beginning there was chaos. Progress and stagnation flickered back and forth, there was neither life nor death. It took the world a hundred million years to cool down. Eventually Hollows came into existence.

- But these Hollows begun to devour souls and risk bringing everything into stagnation. Eventually all these Hollows combined together to the first Menos. But then a new life came into beginning. He destroyed that Menos, rejected its existence and turned it into sands of Reishi. That being was the Soul King. Other beings also came into existence, including Ichibee but with his near omnipotence and omniscience, the Soul King stood out. The Soul King continued to protect the world from Hollows. But because he annihilated them with his Quincy powers, the world slowly begun to sink into chaos.

- So Hollows were indeed part of the original world. But they were not corrupted human souls, but a natural existence. This actually would explain Ulquiorra's backstory, who was born as a Vasto Lorde and part of a race of Vasto Lorde who looked just like him. It also seems Proto Hueco Mundo was created through the remains of that original Menos. Furthermore, it looks like the idea of Quincy originating from a clan of Hollow hunters has its root in the original world, not the current world.

- In the old world, it seems souls would come naturally into existence. Spontaneously at that.

- It also seems that Yhwach was mistaken about the old world. While death was not a thing, the fear of being devoured by Hollows sure as hell existed. So, one has to wonder how Yhwach had planned to eliminate fear. Was fear of not actually dying enough a? Or perhaps he planned to protect the world from Hollows, just like the Soul King did? Or maybe there was a more drastic idea? Either way, just recreating the original world would not have led to stagnation as Aizen had proclaimed. But it wouldn't be as perfect as Aizen had proclaimed either. So there may be more.

- The original world was not chaotic in itself. That was a result of the Soul King annihilating Hollows from existence. Perhaps that's what Yhwach would have used Zanka no Tachi for? To eliminate Hollows without annihilating them.

- Anyway, there were five beings who did not agree with how the Soul King handled things. Those five were the ancestors of the five families. All five of them had different motives.

- The Tsunayahshiro ancestor was afraid that the Soul King could one day oppose him. The Kuichiki ancestor believed that more order was nessecary, that things had to be more solid. The Shihoin ancestor believed that a larger circulation of souls was nessecary to advance the world. The Shiba ancestor wanted to purify Hollows instead of annihilating them, since they too had hearts. And the last ancestor wanted a world that would serve as the lid to cover up the 'pit' that would later be known as 'Hell'.

- Interestingly, Narita still refuses to name the last family. This might explain though why the last family is nowhere to be seen. They are busy with Hell. This also might explain, why those who had read the novels thought that Hell might be explored next. Certainly makes it more interesting, who Tokinada's assassin is going to be.

- Also it seems, that the Shiba came up with the idea of Shinigami.

- Despite five different motives it led to the same goal in the end; to split the world. A world of order, a world of implementation, also a paradise of sand where Hollows from two sides would end up in. Seeing as how much live sucked in Hueco Mundo, as seen with Nnoitra and Starrk, one has to wonder how realistic that paradise was actually going to be.

- Perhaps another form of the world would be born, but the essential thing was the clear separation of the world of the 'living' from the world of the 'dead'. In order to turn this division into a reality, what was required was the power of a man who transcended everything.

- The Shiba ancestors was against this, but the Tsunayashiro ancestor insisted on using the Soul King. He was tied up and sealed inside a crystal. He was renamed Soul King and Ichibee witnessed the rest of history himself. Using the Soul King's powers of the Almighty as the 'keystone', the five ancestors created the foundation of a new world. Soul Society, the Material World and Hueco Mundo. Life and death were separated. The Soul Cycle ushered in a new era. And then, one day, the ones who managed the Soul Society, came to be known as 'Shinigami'.

- The Soul King did not resist this, though Ichibee is unable to understand why. He speculates if the Soul King was paralyzed by fear, or if he had found hope in the new world or if he saw something in the far future.

- But even that was not enough. The Tsunayashiro ancestor believed that the Soul King could one day escape. He wanted the Soul King neither alive, not wanted he to kill him. So, the ancestors separated his arms. But even that was not enough. So they decided to gouge out the internal organs of the Soul King, like a scoop of ice. They also cut off his legs (and while it's not mentioned explicitly his penis too). They destroyed his power, creating a puppet king for their convenience.

- While Ichibee spoke casually, as if he was discussing the weather, the rest of Squad Zero was disturbed and shocked. It seems they didn't know about this part of the story either. Especially Senjumaru seemed to be disgusted.

- The Soul King actually has a will on his own. It might have faded with the passage of time, but Ichibee think he was aware of the general situation and thus guided Ichigo here to the Soul Palace. Ichibee could feel it. If the bone is the Oken, then a part of his soul is entrusted into the Soul Palace.

- This makes one wonder if the same applies towards Yhwach. Both that he still has a will and can influence things, which so far is implied, and if the Soul King had guided his son too. Another thing, that is now possible, is that the Soul King might have his own plans and used both Yhwach and Ichigo for something. After all, Yhwach himself was afraid of his father, because before meeting Mimihagi he thought the two were on the same side, but then the possibility that the Soul King wanted to devour Yhwach became reality. It is possible that he might have been okay with being sealed but whatever feeling he once might have, during the events of the final arc, he considered the Shinigami his enemey, since the moment he was free, he had attacked the Shinigami, while ignoring the Quincy. Makes one wonder, if the Soul King might have ended up as the final antagonist.

- This all also basically confirms that Kirnji's talk about the Soul King being interested in Ichigo, while technically true was just Ichibee telling stuff.

- The Shiba ancestor actually tried to replace the Soul King and become the lynchpin themselves. They had hoped to find a way, because in their eyes, the sinless should be be exempt from the other crimes. In Ichibee's eyes, this was the most foolish thing to do. The Shiba ancestor failed and was was erased from history by the House of Tsunayashiro. Thus begun the slow decline of the Shiba family. Though Ichibee thinks that only thanks to the Tsunyashiro ancestor was the blood of the Shiba allowed to trive.

- The ancestor seemed to remind Hikifune of Kaien and Ichibee of Ichigo. Ichibee admitted when Ichigo appeared, possessing all the qualities that made him fit to replace the Soul King, Ichibee really thought that history was repeating itself and wondered if perhaps the world needs someone like him.

- The rest of Squad Zero and the soldiers were not as joyous about these last words of Ichibee, because they could be interpreted in another way: The history of the Shinigami is built on far more cruel sins than murder and that the crime is being committed even today.

- In retrospect this might explain Lille's attitude. He saw the Shinigami as sinners because of the original sin.

- The originator of the Quincy power is the Soul King, since he is the source of Yhwach.

- Not even Tokinada and his ancestors know the exact origins of Yhwach. The translator noted that we haven't learned everything about the original sin. It seems that there is a side of the story for Shinigami, Fullbringer and Quincy. We just have heard the Shinigami side, I would guess the Fullbringer side will be told via Ginjou and Aura, which begs the question, who is gonna tell the Quincy side?

- Tokinada believes Yhwach has two possible origins. Either he is the biological son of the Soul King and was born in the original world or he is the manifestation of some of the Soul King's power that was stripped away when the ancestors committed the original sin. Either way, that means Yhwach came into existence at least a million years ago. This implies a few things. First, that Yhwach is truly the father of all Quincy, but instead of 1200 years ago, he created the Quincy a million years ago. Since even robots can be Quincy, one has to wonder if at some point he made Quincy mammoths.

- The other and more important implication is, that Yhwach has some reincarnation deal going on. Perhaps he found a way to manipulate the cycle of souls or maybe his father helped him out.

- Yhwach was born 1200 years ago, or rather that was when his most recent life had started, or perhaps his second-most recent life, given that Yamamoto was sure to had him killed. This all also implies that all these powerless Quincy that had been lynched were Yhwach. After all, they suddenly stopped appearing when Yhwach survived his infancy. That means for around a million years, Yhwach was born and immediately killed over and over and over again. And he was aware of each time and could do nothing, since he was a paralyzed baby. No one wonder that Yhwach fears death. Makes one also wonder how that culture of lynching came into existence. Perhaps it was the doing of the Shinigami trying to prevent Yhwach's existence. It also begs the question what the deal is with Haschwalth and if there is a connection to Ginjou and Ichigo, who can give and take and just give power respectively.

- Yhwach's main motivation was to save his father from a million years of isolation, where he was denied even the privilege of both life and death. And while it liberated the Soul King, it seems Yhwach was not really happy that he had to kill his own father. Tokinada seems to imply that it was a Sadistic Choice, Yhwach had to take. Of course, Tokinada isn't exactly the most trustworthy guy, but Narita confirmed that we will learn everything about Yhwach, including his motivations. So, unless we hear a new version, Tokinada is telling the truth.

- Tokinada notes the irony that despite the Gotei fighting to protect the Soul King and even dubbing the war 'The Great Soul King protection war', it was Yhwach who actually tried to save the Soul King, while the Shinigami had mutilated their own savior. He also reveals that Yhwach is the new Soul King.

- Despite hearing all of this, the alliance still tries to attack Tokinada. As Shunsui puts it, the original sin doesn't change that Tokinada has to be stopped.

- Kyoka Suigetsu can't create illusions out of thin air, it always has to substitute something.

- Tsuchinamazu can even create mud figures, which Tokinada uses as a substitute for himself via Kyoka Suigetsu.

- It seems the ancestor were unable to erase all evidence of the original sin. That's how Aizen and Urahara found out, by gathering all that information.

- Tokinada believes that because of the original sin there can never be justice in this world, and especially what the Shinigami are fighting for can never be justice. Only someone like Tosen could believe in the existence of justice.

- Tokinada attacks Kyoraku with Hyorinmaru and Tengen, but Nanao protects him with Kido barriers. While she holds of Tokinada attacks, Shunsui tries to find some kind of weakness in Tokinada. He then senses an irregularity in Tokinada's Reiatsu and realizes that Tokinada's life is slowly shaved off.

- Tokinada reveals that the price for wielding the Zanpakto of the Tsunayashiro is one's soul. Gradually it is cut off until nothing remains. It's the reason why no one in his family ever had dared to wield it before.

- Tokinada then reveals that the curse of the Ise sword is based on the same principle. Gradually it cuts of the soul of the wielder. Since Nanao has accepted the sword in the fight against Lille, it means the curse is going to continue. So either she marries the man she loves, which would be Shunsui, and he dies or she herself dies for wielding it. One of the two will not live for very long. Perhaps in hundred years one needs a new head captain or a new vice-captain.

- That all is also a parallel to the Pernida fight, where Nemu, to protect her captain, shaved off her own soul. It is also like the xth time that the Ise sword has been compared to the Zanpakto connected to the original sin.

- Shunsui's perplexed why Tokinada would cut his own life. Tokinada reveals that he will gladly sacrifice his own life. For the sake of spreading his scorn against the world, he is willing to give up everything. While Tokinada enjoys it obviously, he genuinely hates the Shinigami, the world, the original sin, his ancestors and perhaps even himself. If Tosen were to fight for great justice, Tokinada would fight for great injustice. Say what you want about Tokinada, but he takes his trolling seriously.

- Hisagi then attacks Tokinada again. Tokinada notes that Hisagi is surprisingly calm.

- Hisagi then thinks back to the moment when Tosen first revealed his Bankai to him. What is interesting about this sequence is, that Narita draws many parallels between Yhwach and Tosen.

- Tosen uses his Bankai on Hisagi to explain him something about the nature of fear. While deprived of all his senses, Hisagi notes that Tosen's Bankai is essentially living in Muken.

- The purpose of Muken is that the sinners are deprived of all their senses and over time, they would all lose their minds and cease to function as human beings.

- Inside Tosen's Bankai, Hisagi begins to hallucinate. Of monsters more horrible than Hollows (that was relatively early in his career, when Hollows could easily kill him), then of the corpses of his dead comrades and then his own hanging corpse (which probably is not coincidentally reminiscent of what happens in his Bankai). All the fear breaks Hisagi and he falls to his knees, screaming in horror.

- Tosen releases his Bankai and Hisagi is ashamed of his own fear but Tosen tells him there is nothing to be ashamed about. Being robbed of all ones senses, it is only natural that one would feel fear in that living hell and Tosen admits if he had not sound, he too wouldn't even be unable to move. But while Tosen can rely on sound, Yhwach had not even that. For a million years he and perhaps the Soul King too, had to live in that living hell of absolute nothingness, fear and death.

- This was the first time Tosen ever revealed the inside of his Bankai. Hisagi felt bad that Tosen had to reveal it just for something like this, but what ashamed him were Tosen's words: "There is certainly fear within you. But I still cannot sense that fear emanating from your sword and your words"

- Tosen then reveals that everyone is born without their senses. It's only natural to be afraid. Only monsters do not feel fear. Shinigami, Hollows, humans they all feel fear. Even Yhwach is not a demon. He is just another man. It also seems that Narita wants to imply that Yhwach started out as a good man, but his attempts to cast away fear gradually made him worse.

- The irony in Tosen's words is that back in the SS arc he believed Kenpachi to be a demon because he didn't feel fear when his Bankai had deprived Kenpachi of his senses, but Kenpachi too learned to fear. In Muken, when just like with Tosen's Bankai, he was deprived of his senses, he experienced fear for the first time. The fear of losing Unohana. The one person who can be called a demon, could be Aizen, the man Tosen had followed, since he is able to function in Muken just fine.

- Tosen then tells Hisagi this: "I have never known what light is. And the colours that are spread across the world. If there ever comes a time when I get to know about them and I forget my fear as I begin to see only hope and happiness in the repainted world, then, at that time, I will no longer remain a warrior."

- Back in the SS arc, Tosenn shed tears before hurting Uryuu because he was a Quincy, a race born to oppose the evil of the Shinigami. But he had to stop Uryuu because Uryuu was the first one to reach Rukia's cell. Tosen hated Kenpachi and Grimmjow because of their mindless violence. Mindless violence was exactly what the five ancestors did to the Soul King.

- Back in the present, only now does Hisagi truly get Tosen, now that he understands the original sin of Soul Society, why Tosen didn't hate Tokinada but the Shinigami themselves. Hisagi realizes that he never wielded true fear, that the righteousness he fought for as a Shinigami was wrong. That his sense of justice was wrong.

- He who does not fear his own blade has no right to hold it at all. Tosen always said so. Now Hisagi realized, that 'blade' did not merely refer to the zanpakuto. It was a metaphor for 'justice' and Tosen was the blade itself. Hisagi comes to the realization that Soul Society is evil. But not because of a single Shinigami like Tokinada. Tokinada is not the root or reason why Soul Society is evil. What made Soul Society evil was that its history was a betrayal of the wish of Kakyou, a wish she did not live long enough to see granted. It would not have necessarily been an exaggeration to say that Tosen was an enemy of the 'justice' of the Soul Society; the very thing that continued to give false hope that it was possible to sweep away the clouds that covered the world.

- Hisagi chides himself for believing in the justice of the Shinigami, for not fearing the justice of the Shinigami. Hisagi realizes that Tosen was not blind during their last fight and chides himself for saying the words "Open your eyes" towards his captain. Hisagi was the blind one.

- But when Tokinada asks him if he regrets killing Tosen, Hisagi tells him, he would still have stood up against Tosen. Even if Hisagi and the Shinigami were wrong, Tosen wasn't nessecarily correct either.

- Tokinada then uses Suzumemushi and asks Hisagi, what he would have done instead. Hisagi is able to block all swords and tells both Tokinada and himself: "I don't think I gave you permission to talk about justice."

- He says then: "You're not even afraid of dying, are you, bastard...? But you'll be sorry you ever messed with Captain Tosen."

- Back in the SS arc, Tosen shed tears before hurting Uryuu because he was a Quincy, a race born to oppose the evil of the Shinigami. But he had to stop Uryuu because Uryuu was the first one to reach Rukia's cell. Tosen hated Kenpachi and Grimmjow because of their mindless violence. Mindless violence was exactly what the five ancestors did to the Soul King.