Bleach does like dragging things out… We start off with a repeated scene from last episode as Ichigo and Ulquiorra face off and before we got anywhere we’ve switched scenes.

Renji and Chad are beating up some weak arrancar, who only know how to howl randomly. Rukia is facing off against Rudobon. All the while explosions keep happening where Ichigo is fighting as he and Ulquiorra unleash their attacks.

After Ichigo survived a direct cero without using his mask, Ulquiorra asks if he’s gotten stronger because of Orihime. He then says that saving her is meaningless as she’s one of them now, which angers Ichigo.

Outside, a comical fight of Renji and Chad against an apparently more powerful version of Runuganga called Battikaroa, is ongoing in which Renji decides to use his bankai as none of his or Chad’s attacks will work.

There was then a short scene of Yammy as he walks out of a room stretching his arms after eating and says it’s time to go.

Then another short scene of Ichigo vs Ulquiorra, where Ichigo is able to see Ulquiorra’s attacks enough to grab his arm then slash him diagonally across Ulquiorra’s body.

Back to Renji and Chad. Even Renji’s bankai seems to have no effect, but after thinking that this powered up version of Battikaroa looks just like a normal hollow, they think he’ll die if they chop its head off. Renji then charges and fires a baboon bone cannon at its head, but it opens its mouth and fires a cero, the attacks hit and Renji is knocked out of the air.

This shifting of scenes I slightly irritating. Anyway, back to Ichigo’s fight. Ulquiorra backs off as a small cut appears on his chest. Ichigo then states that he’s able to read Ulquiorra’s attacks better now and it might be because he’s become more hollow-like, or maybe Ulquiorra’s become more like him. Ulquiorra’s face didn’t look happy as he stabbed down and the ground collapsed around him.

Renji and Chad’s fight again. After Renji’s failed attack Chad rushes in and reveals his Brazo Izquierda del Diablo and cracks Battikaroa’s body and face up a little. But he recovers and fires off another cero. Renji fires another baboon bone cannon to deal with the cero as Chad goes and inflicts another attack that cracks up Battikaroa’s  body again, and as he is distracted by Chad, Renji jumped up and slams his bankai into Battikaroa’s face finally killing it.

Ichigo’s fight again and after hearing from Ichigo that Ulquiorra may have become more like him, he steps his game up a notch. Just as Ulquiorra had outwitted Ichigo and was about to slash him, Orihime protects Ichigo with her Santen Kesshun.

Well I must say, having watched Bleach for so long I’m used to all this dragging out. As you can see Ichigo’s fight barely got started. Renji and Chad only finished off one enemy and they didn’t even touch upon Rukia’s fight. Though I am still looking forward to Ichigo and Ulquiorra’s fight being animated. Just have to wait quite a while. Don’t know how long it’ll be before we get to the top three espada fights. I didn’t really enjoy seeing Chad and Renji killing off weak hollows. That was just a waste of time really, just dragging it out as usual. Whatever.