Aaroniero's palace (Novena)

The dark tower of the Noveno Espada, the only one who cannot bear the artificial sky's light. Here Rukia faces him, and Aaroniero shows himself to her wearing Kaien Shiba's face.

Aaroniero devoured Metastacia, the Hollow that had possessed Kaien, and with it the lieutenant's body and memories. Rukia has to run through the man she most admired for a second time; she does it with Sode no Shirayuki's third dance, and comes out of it gravely wounded.