Ichigo arrives at the Royal palace and is taken to a healing spring.
While Ichigo marvels at the Soul King Palace, he recalls that Sōsuke Aizen was trying to make the Ōken to access this very place. He asks Oshō when they used it and Oshō explains that the Ōken is a part of them. He states that Aizen was effectively trying to create one of them to access the Palace. Senjumaru comments that Aizen was trying to create life, defeat the Soul King and become a god himself. But while she regards Aizen as evil, she states that the Quincy Ichigo faced are far more wicked.
After Kirio explains the layout of the Soul King Palace to Ichigo, he is brought to Tenjirō's domain. While there, he is healed in the hot springs there, along with Byakuya, Rukia and Renji as Kirinjō explains his healing methods.
An individual approaches the Soul King, asking if the King has awoken.