Wrath as a Lightning

Wrath as a Lightning
Quote	"The heart burns, even though the rain falls."
TYBW Episode #	5
Overall Episode #	371
Manga Chapters	Chapter 500, Chapter 501, Chapter 502, Chapter 503, Chapter 504, Chapter 505
Arc	Thousand-Year Blood War arc
Chronology
Previous Episode	Kill The Shadow
Next Episode	The Fire
Airdate
Japanese	November 8, 2022
English	December 2, 2022
Theme Music
Opening	Scar
Ending	Saihate
Episode 371 Screenshots

For the chapter of the same name, see Wrath as a Lightning.

Wrath as a Lightning is the fifth episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and the three hundred and seventy-first episode of the Bleach anime overall.

Summary[]

With Tsūdentō being thrown into the ground and walls near the captains, lieutenants, and seated officers of the Gotei 13 across the Seireitei, Rin Tsubokura speaks to them from within the Shinigami Research and Development Institute and reveals that Ichigo Kurosaki is on his way to Soul Society with his Bankai unable to be stolen by the Quincy, shocking and elating those listening, though 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is merely annoyed by his 3rd Seat, Akon, acting without permission.

However, as one of the researchers asserts that the tide of battle will turn in their favor once Ichigo arrives, a startled Akon draws his attention to the fact that Ichigo's Reiatsu has disappeared within the Garganta and they have lost contact with him altogether. After Akon orders the researchers to look into it and send the Riteitai to the exit of the Garganta as well, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka suddenly smashes through the ceiling and nearby wall of the SRDI, to their shock, and begins attacking the researchers with blank eyes while PePe Waccabrada watches from afar and chuckles maliciously with his Love Stick, Beshanul.

Meanwhile, within the Garganta, Ichigo repeatedly attacks the Reishi cage enveloping him and questions what it is prior to being reconnected to Akon's terminal. Upon answering the call and beginning to explain what happened to him, Ichigo instead hears the screams of agony and panic from the SRDI and the Shinigami near the Tsūdentō across the Seireitei, leaving him mortified. With Rukia telling those around her that they just need to hold out until he gets here, an enraged Ichigo attacks the cage with a Getsuga Tenshō. Simultaneously, in Hueco Mundo, Quilge Opie observes that Ichigo is on a rampage.

However, Quilge proclaims that it does not matter because Yhwach granted him the letter "J" for The Jail, which means that Ichigo will never escape this prison, and turns to Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, and Nel Tu lying on the sand nearby, whom he decides to finish off before the power he gained from absorbing Ayon disappears. Suddenly, with Kisuke Urahara begging him to wait, Quilge is cut vertically in half on his left side by a slash from behind, leaving his two halves to fall to the ground in different directions, and as a stunned Urahara wonders who could have done that, someone holds a Zanpakutō to his neck.

Simultaneously, within the Garganta, a panting and sweating Ichigo expresses frustration at being unable to break through the cage even with his Getsuga Tenshō while in the Seireitei, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki is cut on his right shoulder, sending a spray of blood high into the air, and slides back as his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, expresses concern for him, though Byakuya merely asserts that Renji should be watching him fight in order to figure out Äs Nödt's abilities. When Renji suggests that he go first instead, Byakuya counters that Renji's Bankai is their last hope now that his own has been stolen.

Promising to draw out Äs' abilities, Byakuya notices his hands trembling as they grip his Zanpakutō and wonders why his limbs feel like they are freezing. With Byakuya theorizing the Reishi Thorns surrounding Äs are coated in some kind of poison, Äs infers this and clarifies that it is not poison, but instead something Byakuya lost long ago, prior to asking Byakuya to retrace his memories and recall how he became strong enough to overpower his enemies as a captain. Concluding that he has not felt this sensation in a long time and that it is most important for survival, Äs informs Byakuya that he is feeling fear.

While Renji expresses disbelief at this, Äs explains that anyone struck by his Reishi Thorns experiences fear over many things, such as the consideration of drawing and swinging their sword or breathing in and out, leading to something fatal, which makes it impossible to even think straight since anything and everything is suspicious, though he observes that Byakuya is resisting it by sheer force of will so far. Admitting that Byakuya is a threat, Äs dismisses him because a threat is nothing compared to fear and the core of Byakuya's soul is already consumed by fear of Äs, whom Byakuya rushes forward to slash at, only for Äs to dodge backward.

Internally, Byakuya ridicules the idea that he has been battling without fear since that is impossible and asserts that he has overcome and accepted his fear of battle, but suddenly envisions a smiling Rukia rotting into a decaying corpse in front of him, to his alarm, just before Äs shoves his hand through Byakuya's chest. With Byakuya coughing up blood, Äs notes that the preconception of experience allowing one to conquer fear is easier to believe when one is strong and experienced and details how fear with a cause is easy to deal with since removing the cause also removes what one believes to be fear, only to clarify that true fear has no cause.

As Äs concludes that true fear is an instinct rather than an emotion with no limits that crawls up one's body like an endless horde of flies, making it something they cannot escape, a screaming Byakuya rapidly slashes at him several times, but Äs easily evades him, leaps back, and uses his Medallion to activate Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, astonishing Byakuya and Renji, before attacking Byakuya with it. After Rukia notices a cherry blossom falling through the air near her face and realizing something has happened to him, Byakuya falls before Äs with a large amount of blood spurting from wounds on his chest.

Byakuya struggles to stay on his hands and knees while Äs approaches him and asserts that Byakuya cannot win with just his Shikai against his own Bankai, only to be interrupted when Renji proclaims that Senbonzakura Kageyoshi does not belong to him and furiously attacks Äs. Upon seeing the explosion of force at Byakuya's location, a concerned Rukia begins rushing toward it, but Meninas McAllon claims to feel offended by Rukia turning her back on her opponent and rushes after Rukia to attack her, resulting in a fountain of blood spurting into the air. Back at Byakuya's location, Äs blocks Renji's Shikai, Zabimaru, with Blut Vene.

When Renji attempts to ensnare him within an extending Zabimaru, Äs jumps into the air, activates Senbonzakura Kageyoshi once more, and blasts a stream of blade petals at Renji, who is forced to block them with the broad side of Zabimaru. Upon seeing Byakuya getting to his feet, Äs redirects Senbonzakura Kageyoshi to instead engulf Byakuya in a massive torrent of blade petals, slashing him all across his body and leaving him nearly unconscious, and when Byakuya begins to collapse once the torrent ceases, Äs resumes the torrent, which quickly slams Byakuya into a nearby wall with enough force to crater it.

Enraged by this, Renji runs toward Äs and attempts to activate his Bankai, only to be interrupted when Mask De Masculine grabs Zabimaru by the blade and dropkicks Renji with enough force to send him flying through several buildings and across the Seireitei. Though Mask is pleased by this result and tosses away the severed segment of Zabimaru in his hand, Äs chastises him for not allowing Renji to use his Bankai so Mask could steal it, prompting a startled Mask to admit that he thought only captains had Bankai while Äs tells him to reread Yhwach's Daten. Nearby, Byakuya asks Rukia and Renji to forgive him while his Zanpakutō shatters.

Meanwhile, at the Blue Stream Gate, Yhwach and Jugram Haschwalth stand over dozens of slaughtered Shinigami, where they are confronted by 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who stands before them with Berenice Gabrielli, Jerome Guizbatt, and Loyd Lloyd impaled on his Zanpakutō and slung over his shoulder while inquiring if Yhwach is their boss. While Haschwalth expresses disbelief at him killing three Sternritter, Zaraki casts their corpses onto the ground and asserts that it was not too hard, as Jerome simply turned into a giant ape who could attack people with his voice and Zaraki cut him in two.

After recounting how he could not hear Berenice explaining his ability to object to the existence of others due to his ears ringing from Jerome's yelling and chose to rip out his throat with his hand, Zaraki admits that Loyd was not bad since he transformed into Zaraki and gave him a decent battle, but concludes that he simply had to become stronger than Loyd's impression of him. With Haschwalth stating that he now understands why Zaraki is considered a monster, Zaraki flicks the blood off his blade and proclaims that he came here to kill Yhwach rather than talk to Haschwalth before attacking a smiling Yhwach.

Despite Haschwalth's concern for him, Yhwach scoffs and blocks Zaraki's slash with his forearm, generating a powerful explosion of force around them. Simultaneously, within the Garganta, Ichigo curses after hearing Byakuya, Renji, and Rukia's defeats and repeatedly attacks the cage with more Getsuga Tenshōs as he refuses to let any of the Shinigami die. Back in the Seireitei, the SRDI researchers set up a side aperture in the air to reconnect to the Garganta and struggle to do so, though they are told not to give up by Akon and Hiyosu, the latter of whom supports the former on his shoulder while they enter with bloody wounds.

In the Seireitei below, 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi slams into the side of a building within his division's barracks, causing Driscoll Berci to laugh and declare that it sucks to be weak like Hisagi is. With Hisagi realizing that he is hopelessly outmatched, Driscoll wonders if the former is afraid of his strength and explains that his Schrift, The Overkill, allows him to grow stronger with each person he kills before noting that he has already killed a hundred people today and killed just as many the last time he was in the Seireitei, including a lieutenant just like Hisagi, who gasps upon realizing that he is the one who impaled Chōjirō Sasakibe.

Suddenly, with Driscoll forming a javelin-like Heilig Pfeil between his Reishi Tekkō and throwing it at Hisagi to demonstrate how he killed Chōjirō, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto appears in front of Hisagi and deflects the Heilig Pfeil with his hand, leaving it to crash into another building. Initially startled by this alongside Hisagi, Driscoll laughs maniacally and calls himself lucky since he came here for Yamamoto prior to proclaiming that he will be killing the latter with his own subordinate's Bankai and using his Medallion to activate Chōjirō's Bankai, Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū.

As Yamamoto recalls seeing Chōjirō use it and closes his eyes in sorrow, a large energy disc forms above Driscoll and pours down columns of lightning while he claims that Yamamoto should be thanking him since Chōjirō apparently had not used his Bankai in over 2,000 years. Watching this in astonishment, Hisagi mentally admits that he had no idea there was a Zanpakutō other than 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru that could control the weather just before Driscoll blasts Yamamoto with a large bolt of lightning. In the past, a young Chōjirō calls out to a middle-aged Yamamoto, who turns to face him.

Having been called "Eijisai" due to the scar on his forehead resembling the "Ei" character, Yamamoto yells at Chōjirō for calling him this and ruminates on how this nickname became more widespread each time he distinguished himself in battle, to his chagrin. However, Chōjirō apologizes and refuses to call Yamamoto by his given name since it would be too audacious, and when Yamamoto questions why he keeps hanging around here despite not even being a student, Chōjirō explains that he wants to be Yamamoto's right-hand man, which prompts Yamamoto to assert that this is only another reason he should become a student so he can rise to the rank of master.

In turn, Chōjirō counters that a student would be forced to imitate Yamamoto and declares that his role as a right-hand man would be to compensate for everything Yamamoto cannot do or handle. Though Yamamoto dismisses this, Chōjirō clarifies that he has not been coming here every day and is here for the first time in a month because he has acquired a Bankai, which leads a bemused Yamamoto to challenge Chōjirō to defeat him with this Bankai. Shortly afterward, in the Ryūgon district of the Rukongai, Yamamoto stands across from Chōjirō, who activates Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū, gathers the lightning onto Gonryōmaru, and charges at Yamamoto.

Having been wounded on his forehead by this attack, Yamamoto observes that it left a permanent scar intersecting with his existing one despite not being enough to defeat him and describes Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū as being akin to a newborn baby, only for Chōjirō to readily concur with this and promise to spend the rest of his life honing his Bankai so he can be of use to Yamamoto. After recounting how Chōjirō did not lie and came to be known by all of Soul Society through years of grueling training, Yamamoto muses that people began calling him "Jujisai" following this because the new scar shape on his forehead resembled the character "Ju".

With Chōjirō continuing to call him "Eijisai" since he does not want his actions to change Yamamoto's name, Yamamoto notices a willow tree in the garden nearby and decides to take on the name Genryūsai for Chōjirō's sake. In the present, Driscoll continues to blast a motionless Yamamoto with lightning, to Hisagi's concern, and questions if he has lost the strength to retaliate after being struck by his subordinate's Bankai prior to intensifying the lightning striking him. When the lightning ceases, a grinning Driscoll is unnerved by Yamamoto simply asserting that he understands Chōjirō's frustration and walking forward as his haori falls off.

After proclaiming that Chōjirō's Bankai was not this weak when he used it, Yamamoto releases his Shikai, Ryūjin Jakka, and unleashes a massive blast of flame that incinerates Driscoll, reducing him to a skeleton that crumbles into ashes while Yamamoto notes that he has finally given Chōjirō a proper sendoff and bids him farewell. Approaching a stunned Hisagi, Yamamoto promises that he will kill every last member of the Wandenreich himself and bursts into the air in a scorching trail of flame. With Yamamoto hurtling across the Seireitei like a comet, the other captains are alarmed and impressed by his rage.

As they run down a street, 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori observes that she has never felt Yamamoto get this angry before and her captain, Shinji Hirako, confirms that he has not seen this or Yamamoto fighting on the front lines. Elsewhere, Hitsugaya points out how hard Yamamoto is fighting and tells his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, that they cannot let themselves be defeated, which she concurs with as Cang Du raises his Reishi Claws in response. Simultaneously, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura rouses his subordinates by declaring that it would be disgraceful for them to lie down while Yamamoto still stands.

With 7th Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba and the other Shinigami standing up and loudly affirming this, Bambietta Basterbine stands opposite Komamura and expresses confusion at how they are doing this when they were almost dead moments ago. During this, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku gets to his feet and observes that Yamamoto's Reiatsu is reverberating across the Seireitei as though he is telling Shunsui that he does not recall raising a coward who would struggle against someone of Robert Accutrone's level prior to readying his Shikai, Katen Kyōkotsu, and rushing toward the latter while attacking.

Shortly afterward, Yhwach holds an unconscious Zaraki aloft by the throat, identifies him as a Special War Power, and questions if this is the best he can do prior to assuming that he has overestimated the Shinigami and telling Zaraki to go to sleep as he tightens his grip. Suddenly, Yamamoto slams into the ground behind Yhwach and notes that it has been a thousand years since they last met before proclaiming that he has come to annihilate Yhwach, who grins at this.

Characters in Order of Appearance[]

Fights & Events[]

• Byakuya Kuchiki vs. Äs Nödt (concluded)
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto vs. Driscoll Berci (concluded)
• Fall of the Seireitei

Powers and Techniques Used[]

Zanpakutō Techniques:

• Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer) (flashback)
• Shūkei: Hakuteiken (終景・白帝剣, Endscape: White Imperial Sword) (flashback)

Hohō Techniques:

• Shunpo (瞬歩, Flash Steps)

Quincy Techniques:

• Brazo Derecha de Gigante (巨人の右腕 (ブラソ・デレチャ・デ・ヒガンテ), Buraso Derecha de Higante; Spanish and Japanese for "Right Arm of the Giant")

• Piskiel (神の正義 (ピスキエル), Pisukieru; Japanese for "Justice of God")

• Blut Vene (静血装 (ブルート・ヴェーネ), Burūto Vēne; German for "Blood Vein", Japanese for "Stilled Blood Guise")
• Heilig Pfeil (神聖滅矢 (ハイリッヒ・プファイル), Hairihhi Pufairu; German for "Holy Arrow", Japanese for "Sacred Destruction Arrows")
• Star Dropkick (スター・ドロップキック, Sutā Doroppukikku)

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

• Zabimaru (蛇尾丸, Snake Tail)
• Kazeshini (風死, Wind of Death)
• Gonryōmaru (厳霊丸, Stern Spirit) (flashback)
• Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火, Flowing Blade-like Flame)
• Katen Kyōkotsu (花天狂骨, Bones of Heavenly Blooming Madness)

Bankai:

• Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heaven Chain Slaying Moon)
• Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (千本桜景厳, Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms) (stolen)
• Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū (黄煌厳霊離宮, Yellow-Glittering Royal Villa of the Stern Spirit) (stolen)

Spirit Weapons:

• Reishi Sword
• Reishi Thorns
• Reishi Tekkō
• Reishi Claws
• Reishi Sword

Schrifts:

• The Love (愛 (ザ・ラヴ), Za Ravu; Japanese for "Love")
• The Jail (監獄 (ザ・ジェイル), Za Jeiru; Japanese for "Prison")
• The Fear (恐怖 (ザ・フィアー), Za Fiā; Japanese for "Fear")
• The Roar (咆哮 (ザ・ロア), Za Roa; Japanese for "Yell")
• The Question (異議 (ザ・クエスチョン), Za Kuesuchon; Japanese for "Objection")
• The Yourself (貴方自身 (ジ・ユアセルフ), Ji Yuaserufu; Japanese for "Yourself")
• The Overkill (大量虐殺 (ジ・オーヴァーキル), Ji Ōvākiru; Japanese for "Massacre")

Music[]

Timestamp	Track Listing
00:30	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 18 - 2219 TYBW racy orchestra
05:00	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 02 - 1142 TYBW piano synth suspense
08:50	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 16 - 1130 TYBW violin viola duo
11:00	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 19 - 1130 TYBW piano solitude
11:40	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 01 - On the precipice - orchestra 2022
13:17	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 05 - 1130 TYBW full orchestra choir
14:12	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 23 - BLEACH TYBW theme
17:43	No Official Release
20:02	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 20 - 1106 TYBW CH united

Anime Notes[]

Navigation[]

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