Chapter 16

"Really?" Rukia Kuchiki stared at Miyako Amamiya, somewhat skeptical.

"Let's not talk about that. I'm going to train. How about it? Want to come with me?" Miyako Amamiya asked.

"With me?"

"Oh, speaking of which, I only learned yesterday that you'd become the 6th Seat. I haven't formally congratulated you yet. Congratulations, 6th Seat Kuchiki," Miyako Amamiya said with a smile.

"Spare me the title." Rukia sighed, knowing Miyako Amamiya was trying to tease her again.

"Then, 6th Seat Kuchiki, how about a fight? Let me see how much you've improved," Miyako Amamiya asked.

"...Let's go," Rukia said after a moment's thought.

"Go? Isn't the training ground right next to us?"

"To West Rukongai," Rukia said, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"The Shiba Clan? Haven't we already been there?" Miyako Amamiya asked, puzzled.

"No... To Ribushiyama, at the northern end of West Rukongai's third district. We'll fight there," Rukia said.

"Why go all that way when the training ground is right here?" Miyako Amamiya pressed.

"Quit nagging! Just come with me!" Rukia was a little embarrassed. Was she supposed to tell him she was afraid the rumors would keep spreading? She had already noticed some people in the squad discussing her relationship with Miyako Amamiya.

To keep the rumors from spreading further, she couldn't train with Miyako Amamiya here anymore. Ribushiyama was indeed a good choice: it had plenty of open space, no one would disturb them, and since it was outside the Seireitei, they could also fight at full strength.

Miyako Amamiya didn't dare press further. He could tell Rukia was a little flustered and annoyed.

So he obediently accompanied her to their destination.

"Speaking of which, Rukia, didn't you learn your Zanpakuto's Shikai ages ago? Why didn't you use it when you fought me before?"

Miyako Amamiya found it strange. If Rukia had used her Shikai in their previous fights, he probably wouldn't have stood a chance.

"Ah, my Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki... I did learn her name a long time ago." Rukia sounded a little helpless.

"But after that incident, I called her name desperately, and she never answered me once."

"I see." Miyako Amamiya looked thoughtful. A Zanpakuto represented the heart. If its owner's heart was closed off, the Zanpakuto wouldn't answer them either.

"Then you can use her now, right?" Miyako Amamiya asked confidently.

Rukia chuckled. "Of course. I'm not the person I used to be. When we fight, be careful you don't end up losing to me."

"I'll look forward to it." Miyako Amamiya smiled, full of confidence in his own Shikai.

When they reached Ribushiyama, Miyako Amamiya was struck by the scenery. Though Ribushiyama was a mountain, it had a forest shaded by green trees. A gentle breeze stirred the treetops, and a fresh scent filled the air, as though every leaf were singing softly.

More importantly, there was a large clearing in the middle of the woods, with faint signs that someone had once been there.

Miyako Amamiya couldn't help exclaiming, "The scenery here is wonderful. I didn't expect to see such beautiful natural scenery in Soul Society."

"Of course," Rukia said proudly.

"Well, no time to waste. Let's begin." Miyako Amamiya moved away from Rukia and drew his swords, looking at her.

"Yeah, let's." Rukia's voice held a hint of provocation. "Fair warning, I won't hold back, Vice Captain Miyako."

"Big words, Rukia. I'll show you that a real vice captain's strength is nothing to take lightly." Miyako Amamiya answered her challenge, intending to fight her seriously.

The wind stirred the surrounding woods, the rustle of leaves sounding without pause. A few birds occasionally flew overhead, lending the scene a peaceful, natural air.

Neither Rukia nor Miyako Amamiya moved. They gripped their Zanpakuto tightly and stared at each other.

The next second, they vanished at the same time, stirring up the fallen leaves as they collided.

The sound of blades clashing rang out again and again through the clearing in the forest.

"Hey, what's wrong, Rukia? Your Zanjutsu doesn't seem to have improved much." Miyako Amamiya pressed Rukia with his twin swords.

"Ugh..." Rukia knew her Zanjutsu hadn't improved much lately. In fact, ever since she'd enrolled at Shin'ō Academy, she hadn't shown much talent for it.

After Miyako Amamiya drove her back several steps, Rukia switched from a two-handed grip to a one-handed one. She had no intention of continuing to match Zanjutsu with him. After all, a Soul Reaper's combat wasn't limited to Zanjutsu.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai!" The moment she retreated, Rukia used Kidō, trying to paralyze Miyako Amamiya.

But the sharp-eyed Miyako Amamiya immediately spotted Rukia raising a hand and knew she was about to release Kidō. He leaped high and countered with Kidō of his own.

"Bakudō #9: Geki." A rope formed by Geki shot toward Rukia, but instead of dodging, she let it wrap around her hand.

"Got you." Miyako Amamiya tightened his grip on his sword and pulled hard on the rope, trying to throw Rukia off balance.

"No, I've got you." Rukia looked at her bound hand. Though she couldn't swing her sword, she still had another hand to release Kidō.

"Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden." She lightly touched the rope formed by Geki with a finger. Electricity flashed, racing along the rope toward Miyako Amamiya.

Seeing this, Miyako Amamiya acted decisively and immediately cut the rope with his sword. In that brief moment, Tsuzuri Raiden had already reached the severed rope at his feet.

"I really can't let my guard down. Your talent for Kidō is nothing to underestimate, Rukia," Miyako Amamiya praised her.

"Idiot, that was nothing. You'll see plenty more," Rukia said confidently.

"Really? Then let's get started..." Miyako Amamiya said. He had no intention of continuing to watch Rukia demonstrate her talent for Kidō.

"Bakudō #21: Sekienton." A thick cloud immediately appeared around Miyako Amamiya. "Bakudō #26: Kyokkō." Miyako Amamiya used a double incantation, instantly blocking Rukia's sight.

Rukia stayed alert, unsure where an attack might come from.

"Then..." Miyako Amamiya joined his two swords and activated his Shikai, intending to catch Rukia off guard. After all, the people in the original Bleach were far too fond of taking turns attacking, gradually increasing the power of their moves each time. So why not go all out from the start?

Miyako Amamiya had no desire to adopt that fighting style. If he wanted to win, he would crush his enemy before they could use their full strength.

"Separate, Divine Arrow: Severed Thought." His Zanpakuto fused into a bow. Miyako Amamiya leaped into the air and fired an arrow at Rukia from high above.

Rukia had already detected the powerful Reiatsu Miyako Amamiya released, and she remained on guard against an attack from the smoke.

But although Miyako Amamiya had released his Reiatsu and formed the arrow within the smoke, he had already left it and was attacking Rukia from high above.

"Over here," Miyako Amamiya called out kindly after firing the arrow.

"What?" Rukia looked up and realized she'd been fooled. The arrow was already speeding toward her. She twisted sharply to the side and dodged it, but the arrow still grazed her shoulder before landing at her feet.

"It's not over yet." Miyako Amamiya held out his hand.

Swing down the Silver Tongue, strike the Five-Pronged Stone Bed! Gojūbaku, Miyako Amamiya recited silently.

A white capsule began to form from the arrow, enveloping Rukia. Miyako Amamiya had removed the pentagram marking from Gojūbaku, however. That shape was closely associated with the Quincy, and as a Soul Reaper, Miyako Amamiya couldn't very well use it. Besides, they were outside the Seireitei, so there was no need to worry about being watched by the Wandenreich.

A self-created Kidō? Rukia thought in surprise. Rukia had already seen him use arrows as a medium for releasing Kidō, but this was the first time she had seen this entirely new Kidō.

The white capsule completely enclosed Rukia. Rather than follow up with an attack, Miyako Amamiya silently compressed the Reishi within his body to form a more powerful arrow, ready to fire the moment Rukia emerged.

But the white capsule wasn't broken open. Instead, white vapor rose from it, and it gradually began to freeze.

Could it be? Miyako Amamiya immediately released the arrow at Gojūbaku. But though the arrow struck Gojūbaku, there was no sign of Rukia, only frozen fragments of Gojūbaku scattered across the ground.

Behind me. Miyako Amamiya quickly turned and retreated.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." Rukia had already released her Zanpakuto, but she didn't attack immediately.

"You actually released your Zanpakuto without any warning, Miyako. You really are..." Rukia still found this fighting style a little hard to understand. Who used their strongest move right at the start?

"This is the right way to fight, Rukia. Doesn't the wound on your shoulder prove it?"

Sode no Shirayuki was a pure white Zanpakuto. Its oval guard had six cutouts, there was a pattern at the front of its hilt, and a white ribbon was attached to the end.

It was Miyako Amamiya's first time seeing Rukia's Shikai, and he couldn't help saying, "Your Sode no Shirayuki is beautiful, Rukia."

"Come to think of it, she's been called that many times. Some people even call her the most beautiful Zanpakuto in Soul Society," Rukia said with a chuckle.

"However..." She gripped Sode no Shirayuki with both hands and pointed its tip at Miyako Amamiya. "If you're only surprised by Sode no Shirayuki's beauty, you'll pay for it, Miyako Amamiya."

In an instant, cold air poured from Sode no Shirayuki's tip and spread toward Miyako Amamiya.

Miyako Amamiya nimbly dodged the cold air and said with a smile, "That's not even as fast as Kidō."

"Really? Then watch closely," Rukia said unconcernedly.

"Some no Mai: Tsukishiro." Rukia swung her sword, and the white ribbon formed a circle. A layer of ice instantly spread across the ground beneath her feet.

Miyako Amamiya deliberately refrained from using Shunpo to escape, instead secretly covering his feet with Reiryoku. The ice spread much faster than before and promptly froze his feet.

"The cold air just now was only to establish Some no Mai's attack range. Since you're still within it, Some no Mai can freeze you directly," Rukia said with a smile.

"Ah." Miyako Amamiya sighed, wondering where she'd picked up the habit of explaining her own moves.

"Rukia, let me tell you something," Miyako Amamiya said. "It's not that I couldn't dodge. I deliberately chose not to."

Miyako Amamiya then stamped his foot, instantly cracking the ice.

"As it happens, my Zanpakuto is the perfect counter to your Some no Mai." Miyako Amamiya retreated, firing arrows at her.

"As long as I stay out of Some no Mai's range, it's completely useless. I let you freeze me on purpose because I wanted to see how powerful it was and how it attacked."

"And... why did you tell me? Now that I know what the move does, won't it be useless against me?" Miyako Amamiya sighed.

Rukia dodged, flustered and annoyed. "Q-quit nagging!" She also realized that if she hadn't told Miyako Amamiya, Some no Mai might have worked a few more times.

"I won't tell you what comes next." Rukia held Sode no Shirayuki horizontally.

After releasing her Shikai, Rukia kept closing in on Miyako Amamiya. Though Miyako Amamiya could keep her at bay with his bow, the cold air from Sode no Shirayuki still restricted his movements somewhat.

Sode no Shirayuki was an ice-and-snow-type Zanpakuto. Though it couldn't freeze enemies by directly creating ice from water vapor like Hyōrinmaru, the strongest ice-and-snow-type Zanpakuto, it could instantly freeze anything its cold air touched.

Miyako Amamiya kept attacking to stop Rukia from approaching, determined not to let the cold air near him, and Rukia was troubled by this. Miyako Amamiya already knew the range of Some no Mai: Tsukishiro, so she could no longer catch him off guard with it.

Though her Zanpakuto also had San no Mai as a means of attacking at range, San no Mai: Shirafune consumed too much spiritual power and could only be used as a finishing move.

Can I only use Kidō to keep him occupied? Rukia thought.

"Hadō #26: Red Flame Barrier." Rukia slapped the ground, and a wall of flame blocked Miyako Amamiya's incoming arrows. She immediately used Shunpo to rush forward.

But Miyako Amamiya had no intention of letting her get any closer. He immediately fired two arrows, aiming in front of Rukia rather than at her.

"Hadō #20: Heaven-Illuminating Orb," Miyako Amamiya recited. The arrows in front of Rukia suddenly shone with a dazzling light.

Oh no... My vision. Rukia had already moved away from the two arrows because she was worried Miyako Amamiya would use them to form another Kidō. She hadn't expected Heaven-Illuminating Orb.

Even without hitting its target, Heaven-Illuminating Orb could temporarily disrupt their vision. The moment Rukia failed to shield her eyes, Miyako Amamiya knew he had succeeded.

Don't panic. Focus on sensing Miyako's Reiatsu, Rukia told herself.

"But I won't give you that chance." Miyako Amamiya began charging his attack, and the arrow quickly grew enormous.

"Licht Regen." The arrow split apart after it was fired. Rukia sensed countless fluctuations of Reiatsu ahead of her and immediately found herself in a difficult situation.

No choice. With that thought, Rukia pointed Sode no Shirayuki ahead of her.

"Tsugi no Mai: Hakuren!" Sode no Shirayuki's tip instantly released a vast amount of cold air that swept forward.

Miyako Amamiya's Licht Regen was soon frozen solid by the cold.

But Miyako Amamiya had no intention of wasting such a good opportunity.

Rukia sensed Miyako Amamiya's Reiatsu ahead of her weaken instantly, then vanish altogether.

"His Reiatsu vanished? How is that possible?" Rukia said.

"It didn't vanish. I hid it." Miyako Amamiya appeared behind Rukia in an instant. The bow in his hand was already gone, replaced by the two swords of his unreleased Zanpakuto.

"What?" When Rukia's sight returned, she saw that Miyako Amamiya had actually undone his Shikai and charged straight at her with his Zanpakuto.

How bold... Rukia had to admire Miyako Amamiya's willingness to give up his Shikai on the spot as part of his fighting style. She hurriedly raised Sode no Shirayuki to parry again.

But Miyako Amamiya spotted an opening in her hurried movement. He knocked Sode no Shirayuki aside with one sword and pointed the other straight at Rukia's neck.

"The match is decided," Miyako Amamiya said with a smile.

"D-damn it..." Rukia looked at the sword in front of her and had to admire Miyako Amamiya's ingenuity.

But Miyako Amamiya actually felt rather helpless too. If he had continued using his Shikai, its arrows might still have been blocked. With his Zanpakuto in its original form, he could stop Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki from releasing cold air.

Ah, I really wish I could have both the twin swords and the bow, Miyako Amamiya thought. Undoing his Shikai carried risks too. If his enemy had thick skin and tough flesh, the drawback would be enormous.

Miyako Amamiya put away his swords and looked at Rukia. "Sorry, Rukia. Looks like there's still a bit of a gap between us."

"Ugh..." Rukia stared at Miyako Amamiya, seemingly a little unwilling to accept it. Then she sighed and said, "Your fighting style is really bold. It's completely different from what they teach at Shin'ō Academy. It's always unexpected."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Unlike traditional Soul Reapers, Miyako Amamiya wasn't so rigid in every move he made. When opponents were evenly matched, catching the other off guard was the key to victory.