Chapter 1
Author: Zuo Jinyan R
Synopsis:
(No system, multiple heroines, no overpowered protagonist)
I inexplicably came to the world of Bleach. Huh? Why am I starting out as a soul?
After entering Soul Society and working hard to attain Shikai, Miyako Amamiya looked at the bow in his hand and the arrow formed from a concentration of Reishi, and fell into thought.
Why did this Zanpakuto look more and more wrong the longer he looked at it?
"Haschwalth, I have already seen it, that future..."
"Quincy, Soul Reaper, Fullbring, Hollow. My son, Miyako Amamiya... you will be resurrected as a human as the Holy Son, and then you will slay the Soul King for me!"
"Director Ishida, this is already the tenth person to die in an unexplained incident, and I hear the number of victims is still rising," the young nurse said to Ryūken Ishida, who was standing beside her.
"Is that so? I understand." Ryūken Ishida replied expressionlessly, but his hands gradually tightened around the deceased's records, betraying his inner turmoil.
The same cause of death again? What exactly happened that day? Could all the dead be Mixed-Blood Quincy? Ryūken Ishida pondered.
"Director Ishida, I heard that quite a few more bodies have been found in other places, and their conditions are remarkably similar. Please make sure you find the cause of death. It would be terrible if it turned out to be a virus," the young nurse said worriedly.
"I understand. I'll personally perform an autopsy on him shortly and do my best to determine the cause of death." Ryūken Ishida put down the records and prepared to begin his work.
This was not the first autopsy Ryūken Ishida had performed that month. During every one of them, he had found varying amounts of a special substance in the deceased, which he had named "silver."
Ryūken Ishida did not know whether the "silver" had caused their deaths or appeared afterward. He believed that only by performing autopsy after autopsy on these people could he gradually uncover the truth behind their deaths.
Ye Hui, I will uncover the truth behind your death... Ryūken Ishida knitted his brows and tightened both hands around the scalpel.
"Just as I thought, there's 'silver' in this body too. If I'm not mistaken, he was a Quincy as well." As the autopsy proceeded, Ryūken Ishida noticed something different about this deceased man.
"The silver content is too high, several times higher than in the others. What's going on?"
After completing the autopsy, Ryūken Ishida picked up the deceased's paper records again. The deceased was named Miyako Amamiya, aged twenty-four. His time of death was estimated to have been June 17, 200x, at his home.
What's so special about this man? Why was there so much silver in him? It looks like I'll have to investigate, Ryūken Ishida thought.
Meanwhile, at Miyako Amamiya's home, a translucent figure lay on the floor. His tightly shut eyes, furrowed brows, clenched teeth, and clawlike hands showed the man's pain.
Pain, despair, and unwillingness welled up in him all at once, along with other negative emotions, making the man scramble to his feet. "Where is this?" He looked around the room.
Why can't I see myself in the mirror?? The man stood in front of the mirror, utterly bewildered. One moment he had been working late into the night and had only laid his head on the desk for a short rest. The next, he had woken up in this unfamiliar room.
The man explored the room and discovered that he could neither get out nor pick anything up. After looking into the only mirror in the room, he discovered that he could not even see himself. Did I die suddenly? Why does this look so much like I'm a ghost? The man felt like crying, but this was not even his own house.
The only information he could glean was that the original owner of the house was probably named Miyako Amamiya. The house seemed a little messy, with clutter piled haphazardly on the table and several overturned cups on the floor.
Just as the man was wondering what to do next, the wind outside the window suddenly grew stronger, and he could faintly hear what sounded like heavy footsteps. He walked to the window and looked outside, but after a single glance, he immediately pulled his head back. What he had seen in the night had shocked him.
What kind of monster is that? Why is it out there? Where exactly am I? The man clapped his hands tightly over his mouth to keep himself from making the slightest sound. Outside the window, a pitch-black beast wearing a white bone mask was approaching the room step by step. Notably, there was a hole in the monster's chest.
Wait, a hole in its chest and a white mask. Could that be a Hollow? Am I in the world of Bleach?
The man immediately felt despair. This world was far too dangerous. Ordinary people could be caught up in battles between Soul Reapers and Hollows, let alone him, who was clearly a soul now. If he were devoured or contaminated by a Hollow, he would be doomed sooner or later.
He did not believe he was some overpowered protagonist. Even if he became a Hollow, he would still have to keep devouring and evolving, and even a Gillian, the lowest class of Menos Grande, was nothing more than fodder.
What he did not know was that the Hollow outside had already pressed its head against the window.
"Found you... delicious... tasty... food." The white-masked Hollow opened its mouth and spoke haltingly.
The man's mind suddenly went blank. The Hollow reached out a claw, and the sound of the window shattering immediately brought him back to his senses. His survival instinct left him no time for fear. He scrambled away from the window on all fours and finally escaped to a corner of the room before the Hollow's hand could touch him.
Only then did he have a chance to look at the Hollow. Its body was too large to enter the room completely, so it had only reached one hand inside, trying to grab him. But as the Hollow strained, its claw slowly drew closer to the man. It looked as though it would reach him at any moment.
To think that, young as I am, I've not only died once, but am about to die a second time. Or I'll become a Hollow, and that's even worse than death. The man could not help closing his eyes as he waited for the claw to reach him.
Just as the Hollow's claw was about to touch him, a howl came from outside, like something slicing through the wind.
After waiting a while without feeling the Hollow touch him, the man opened his eyes. What he saw surprised him greatly. The Hollow outside the window was covered in sharp, pale-blue objects, though he could not tell whether they were arrows or something else. Before long, its body began to dissipate.
He went out through the window and saw a white-haired man in a suit standing on a utility pole, holding up a blue-and-white bow.
"This is quite a surprise. I didn't expect you to still be alive in the form of a soul," Ryūken Ishida said.
I'm saved. I never expected to run into Ryūken Ishida. Does that mean this is Karakura Town? I'm still a soul right now. How am I supposed to live from here on out?
The silver hair and white suit had allowed the man to recognize Ryūken Ishida at once. Though relieved for the moment, when he thought about his condition as a soul, he wondered how he could possibly survive in the World of the Living.
"Um, sir, could you tell me what's going on? Why did that monster attack me, and what exactly is my condition right now?" the man asked Ryūken Ishida through the window.
Ryūken Ishida dismissed the bow in his hand and leaped down from the utility pole into the room, step by step.
Floating and jumping... that's practically flying, isn't it? Is that the Quincy Hirenkyaku? the man thought.
Ryūken Ishida entered the room and looked around, but found no trace of a Quincy. Even so, he still believed that Quincy blood had flowed through the original body of the man before him.
"Miyako Amamiya, you've undoubtedly died. You're merely living on as a soul now," Ryūken Ishida answered his question. "My name is Ryūken Ishida. The monster just now is called a Hollow. They are also spirits of the dead, but they are evil souls that harm other souls and humans."
So I really am dead. That's unfortunate. The man let out a long sigh. Wait, Ryūken Ishida just called me Miyako Amamiya. Am I the original owner of this room, that unlucky guy? But why does he know my name?
Miyako Amamiya remained silent. He had too many questions, but did not know where to begin.
"I have some questions for you," Ryūken Ishida said.
"Go ahead, Mr. Ishida. I'll answer if I know," Miyako Amamiya replied.
"Did anything happen before you died? Or do you know what caused your death?" Ryūken Ishida looked at Miyako Amamiya.
Miyako Amamiya thought about it. Though he had appeared in this room as soon as he regained consciousness, some voices still lingered inside him. He no longer knew what the original owner had said before dying, but Miyako Amamiya understood that the emotions he had felt before waking were the original owner's unwillingness to accept his fate and his near-mad desire to survive.
"I don't know what happened before I died, but something inside tells me I was in terrible pain and couldn't accept what was happening. I still remember vividly how desperately I wanted to live. As for anything else, I can't remember it clearly."
Ryūken Ishida fell into thought. He could not yet confirm whether the abundance of "silver" in Miyako Amamiya's body was related to his condition before death, but he could record this clue. If he continued investigating the dead, perhaps he could corroborate what Miyako Amamiya had said.
I originally came here to investigate what was special about Miyako Amamiya, but I never expected his soul to still be alive. The others left no souls behind when they died. Without exception, none of the Quincy deaths I investigated before left a soul behind. Miyako Amamiya himself must have some secret that allowed his soul to survive. But perhaps I should deal with his soul first. Perhaps I should send him on to the afterlife, or another Hollow might attack him. But would letting someone who has seen my Quincy abilities go to Soul Society cause trouble too? Ryūken Ishida thought.
While Ryūken Ishida was lost in thought, Miyako Amamiya was considering a few things himself.
Why does Ryūken Ishida know my name? Did the original me have some connection to him? Or some connection to the Quincy? But most of the Quincy in the World of the Living should already be extinct, except for the Ishida family. The more Miyako Amamiya thought about it, the more something seemed wrong.
Wait, I don't know what time it is now. If Yhwach has already carried out Auswählen, then there really aren't any Quincy left besides the Ishida family. But what if I died from Auswählen? Has Ryūken Ishida's wife already died from Auswählen too? Did something unusual about me draw Ryūken Ishida here to investigate? Was the original me a Mixed-Blood Quincy?
What Miyako Amamiya did not know was that he had already figured out most of his origins. The original Miyako Amamiya had indeed died from Yhwach's Auswählen, and he was the only Mixed-Blood Quincy whose soul had survived death.
"Next, I'll ask someone to send you on to the afterlife. Your soul will go to a place called Soul Society and start a new life there. If you don't go to Soul Society, it isn't safe to remain in the World of the Living as a soul," Ryūken Ishida told Miyako Amamiya.
"But you must promise me one thing. Once you reach Soul Society, don't tell anyone what happened today, whether it concerns me or what happens next."
Ryūken Ishida ultimately decided to send Miyako Amamiya to Soul Society. Although his own identity might be exposed, the few Quincy remaining in the World of the Living were no longer worth the Soul Reapers' continued attention, so it would not be a major problem.
The only thing he needed to consider was Miyako Amamiya's Konsō.
Miyako Amamiya opened his mouth. He understood what Ryūken Ishida meant. If his own guess was right, then he absolutely could not speak of what had happened today in Soul Society. Doing so would not only attract the attention of various bosses, but might even cost him his life.
"I understand, Ishida-san. I won't tell anyone, I promise."
Ryūken Ishida had thought he would never contact Kisuke Urahara again after Masaki was saved. After all, he was a Quincy, and he already owed Urahara a favor for saving Masaki. Now he had to ask Kisuke Urahara, a Soul Reaper, for help again. But to learn the truth behind his wife's death, he would presumably have to deal with Soul Reapers again sooner or later. Ryūken Ishida took out his phone and found the number he had never called.
"Urahara, it's me, Ishida. I have a favor to ask. At xxx..." Ryūken Ishida said.
Just as I expected, it's Kisuke Urahara. He's sending me to Soul Society. That's fine too. For a soul, Soul Society is at least a little safer than the World of the Living. Though Soul Society also has all sorts of masterminds hiding behind the scenes, it's at least better than being devoured by a Hollow in the real world. As for how I'll survive, I can only take things one step at a time, Miyako Amamiya thought.
Before long, a man wearing a green-and-white striped hat and carrying a wooden cane appeared outside the window.
"Oh my, oh my, long time no see, Ryūken-san. I never expected you to contact me of your own accord. I'm truly honored. What brings me here this time? Whatever it is, I'll be sure to do my utmost." Kisuke Urahara took out a fan and covered half his face, speaking frivolously to Ryūken Ishida.
"Cut the nonsense, Urahara. This man here, I want you to send him to Soul Society." Ryūken Ishida turned to look at Miyako Amamiya as he spoke to Kisuke Urahara.
"Oh, young man, you've died at such a tender age? What a pity." Kisuke Urahara's tone made Miyako Amamiya's mouth twitch. It was truly unpleasant.
"But Ryūken-san specifically asked me to come deal with this young man's situation. Could there be something special about him?"
Kisuke Urahara lowered his head and narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Miyako Amamiya. Miyako Amamiya did not dare say much. As the saying went, the more one spoke, the more likely one was to slip up. For now, he would obediently remain silent and let them make the arrangements.
"Isn't it a Soul Reaper's duty to perform Konsō on souls in the World of the Living? Or has your brain rusted from staying here so long that you've forgotten?" Ryūken Ishida said coldly to Kisuke Urahara.
"Your tongue is as sharp as ever, Ryūken-san. It's true that sending souls on to the afterlife is a Soul Reaper's duty, but as I am now, I can hardly be called a qualified Soul Reaper. If someone found out I was the one who performed his Konsō, I'd be in trouble," Kisuke Urahara said.
"Spare me the pointless talk and get on with it." Ryūken Ishida gave Kisuke Urahara no face and called out his lie.
"Yes, yes, I understand. Young man over there, it'll only take a moment, so don't be afraid." Kisuke Urahara drew his cane and pointed its head at Miyako Amamiya.
"Young man, remember to keep my involvement a secret when you get there, or there'll be big trouble, both for you and for me." Kisuke Urahara put away his smile and warned him seriously.
Miyako Amamiya had wanted to ask a few things about Soul Society, but decided against it. He knew that the more he said, the more he would reveal. Given what he already knew about Soul Society, he did not need to ask anyone else.
Miyako Amamiya nodded to Kisuke Urahara and closed his eyes. As Kisuke Urahara transformed the cane in his hand into a sword and pointed its hilt at Miyako Amamiya's forehead, Miyako Amamiya's body gradually began to change. It was proof that he was going to Soul Society.
Only after Miyako Amamiya had vanished completely did Kisuke Urahara turn to Ryūken Ishida.
"Ryūken-san, in my current situation, I can't let Soul Society find me."
"Stop pretending, Urahara. You have a way to avoid being detected, don't you?"
"Oh my, that was the truth. If I were discovered, I'd be in trouble. But as long as I'm not discovered, it'll be fine, won't it?"
Only then did Kisuke Urahara ask seriously, "Ryūken-san, that young man just now was connected to the recent unexplained deaths, wasn't he?"
"This has nothing to do with you, Urahara." Ryūken Ishida replied coldly, unwilling to answer Kisuke Urahara's question.
"I heard from Mr. Kurosaki that on June 17, both Ms. Masaki and your wife suffered incidents on the same day. That young man just now probably suffered an incident that day too, didn't he? What exactly happened that day?" Kisuke Urahara asked gravely.
"Shut up, Urahara. Don't go prying into my affairs." Ryūken Ishida clenched his hands. The mysterious deaths of both his wife and Masaki had cast a shadow over his heart.
Kisuke Urahara gave him a long look. "In that case, I'll take my leave." With that, he jumped out the window.
Ryūken Ishida simply stood there, his furrowed brows revealing his inner turmoil. After a while, he finally set about his original purpose: investigating the room of the deceased Miyako Amamiya.
During his search, Ryūken Ishida found a sealed black box in a corner of the room. He opened it to find a silver cross pendant lying quietly inside, reflecting white light in the moonlight.
Just as I thought, a Quincy Cross? It seems that even if Miyako Amamiya himself wasn't a Quincy, his parents or ancestors may have been, and Quincy blood flows through Miyako Amamiya himself. If he was mixed-blood, then the possibility is much higher. I still need to investigate the others who died in the same way.
Ryūken Ishida closed the black box, put it in his pocket, and jumped out the window as well. The room fell silent.
After an unknown amount of time, Miyako Amamiya gradually regained consciousness. He examined his surroundings, and the most eye-catching sight was the towering wall in the distance.
That's Seireitei, the center of Soul Society. Miyako Amamiya looked at this unfamiliar world, his thoughts complicated. Perhaps he would have to live here for the rest of his life.
Around him, a group of people were also looking about in confusion. It seemed they were all souls who had just arrived in Soul Society. At the very front stood a man dressed in black with a katana at his waist. Miyako Amamiya knew he was a Soul Reaper of Soul Society. In Rukongai, Soul Reapers wielded considerable authority and were beyond the reach of ordinary souls.
The Soul Reaper then began explaining their current situation before making arrangements for the newly arrived souls.
After receiving the relevant guidance, Miyako Amamiya gradually came to understand his present circumstances. Though he did not know the order in which souls were assigned, fortunately he had not been assigned to one of the higher-numbered districts, so he did not have to worry too much about public safety.
The concentration of Reishi in Soul Society was extremely high. Ordinary souls did not need solid food and could survive simply by absorbing Reishi from the atmosphere and consuming water. As a soul, Miyako Amamiya did not need to worry about food, but it also depended on whether he felt hungry and possessed spiritual power.
By now, Aizen has finished creating the Hōgyoku. He shouldn't be coming to Rukongai frequently to collect souls anymore, so there's no need to worry too much about safety. The most urgent thing is to find a way into Shin'ō Academy as soon as possible, Miyako Amamiya thought.
A few days later, Miyako Amamiya gradually adjusted to life here. Most importantly, even after drinking water, he still felt somewhat hungry. This was undoubtedly proof that he possessed spiritual power. What he needed to do now was enroll at Shin'ō Academy in Seireitei as soon as possible and gain the powers of a Soul Reaper.
If Miyako Amamiya's guess was correct, the story would begin seven years from now. That was when Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki first came into contact, so he had to make every second count and gain at least enough power to protect himself.
After finding out where Shin'ō Academy was, Miyako Amamiya hurried to its registration office without stopping: past Hakutōmon in the western district, then a hundred meters south past Jidanbō. According to what Miyako Amamiya had learned earlier, this was precisely the registration period for Shin'ō Academy. If he missed it, he would waste more precious time.
Looking at the long line before him, Miyako Amamiya could not help pressing a hand to his forehead and sighing. It seemed most souls still aspired to become Soul Reapers. Although many souls in Rukongai hated Soul Reapers, many others also longed to become true Soul Reapers. After all, in Soul Society, Soul Reapers had the highest status after the nobles.
"No Spiritual Pressure Level. Next." The Soul Reaper in charge of testing Spiritual Pressure Levels was examining the souls who had come to enroll, one by one.
"Twentieth-rank Spiritual Pressure Level. You pass."
"Your Spiritual Pressure Level is too low. You fail."
"If you failed, don't stay here watching. None of you are qualified to become Soul Reapers." The Soul Reaper shouted at the rejected crowd and drove them away.
As the people ahead of him were eliminated one by one, Miyako Amamiya's turn finally came. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the crystal ball used to test Spiritual Pressure Levels.
As Miyako Amamiya's hand drew near, the light inside the crystal ball gradually began to expand.