Chapter 43

"I'm fine. I'd only be watching you two cook here anyway. You want me to ask what flavors Byakuya likes, right? Got it," Ichigo Kurosaki said as he took his leave.

Miyako Amamiya looked at the curry powder in front of him and said to Rukia, "Let's prepare the ingredients first, Rukia. We can cook them before we do anything else."

"Oh, right." Rukia turned, picked up the ingredients, and poured them into a large pot. It really was enormous. He had no idea why Rukia had chosen it.

"Whoa, Rukia, isn't this pot a little too big? Are you planning to feed all the patients in the Fourth Division?" Miyako Amamiya asked.

"No. Besides my brother, I wanted Captain Ukitake and you to try some too, so I needed a pot this big," Rukia explained. But her reiryoku had yet to recover, and once she had put in all the ingredients, she found it very difficult even to stir them.

Seeing this, Miyako Amamiya stepped forward and took Rukia's hands. "You haven't fully recovered yet, so you can't manage work that takes strength, can you? Let me help," he said helplessly.

Miyako Amamiya held Rukia's hands from behind and began stirring the food in the pot. But in that position, it looked as though he had his arms around her, and Rukia couldn't help blushing.

This embrace, this scent... The more Rukia thought about it, the redder her face became. Her hands gradually lost their strength, and she was close to going limp in Miyako Amamiya's arms.

From behind her, Miyako Amamiya couldn't see Rukia's expression, but he noticed her movements growing weaker and couldn't help asking, "Rukia? What's wrong? Has your reiatsu not recovered yet, so you're running out of strength?"

"No! I-I-I-I, I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine in a moment!" Rukia said hastily. She put more strength into stirring, putting Miyako Amamiya's doubts to rest.

After a while, the food in the pot was finally half-cooked. Miyako Amamiya and Rukia stopped and waited for Ichigo Kurosaki to return and tell them Byakuya Kuchiki's preference.

"I'm back," Ichigo Kurosaki said, pushing open the door.

"How did it go, Ichigo? Did you find out?"

"Of course," Ichigo Kurosaki said confidently. "Turns out Byakuya likes spicy food. I heard it from his clan's chef."

"Huh? My brother likes spicy food?! Then why are most of the things he usually eats sweet..."

"Oh, I asked about that too," Ichigo Kurosaki said. "Byakuya specifically told the chef to make more sweets. Apparently, his wife was especially fond of them, and then he saw that you liked them a lot too, Rukia. So he kept up the habit of having more sweets made."

"So that's how it was..." Rukia murmured. Her brother had done so much for her without her knowing.

Rukia felt the gulf that Byakuya Kuchiki's long-standing coldness had created gradually being filled by these quiet acts of care.

"Then let's get back to it. I'll make some spicy curry and bring it to my brother myself!" Rukia said energetically.

"No, Rukia, you should make Captain Kuchiki's portion separately."

"Huh? Why?" Rukia asked, puzzled.

"I'm just saying we can make a separate, spicier serving of curry rice for Captain Kuchiki. The normal kind will do for everyone else. If you make this whole pot spicy, I don't think everyone will be able to handle it. At least, Captain Ukitake won't."

"But there's another question. Should patients be eating food that's too spicy?" Miyako Amamiya asked, puzzled.

"Oh, that's true. My family runs a clinic, so I know food with such strong flavors really isn't suitable for patients."

"Patients? Strong flavors? Are they supposed to avoid that? The Fourth Division has never said anything about it," Rukia asked in confusion.

"Ichigo, see how amazing Soul Reapers' souls are?" Miyako Amamiya said with feeling.

"Y-yeah, I guess?" Ichigo Kurosaki replied awkwardly. He hadn't expected souls' habits to be so different from ordinary people's.

The three got to work, and at last they finished a whole pot of curry, as well as a portion of spicy curry just for Byakuya Kuchiki.

"How is it?" Rukia waited expectantly as Ichigo Kurosaki tasted it.

"Delicious! It's better than any curry I've had in the World of the Living!" Ichigo Kurosaki exclaimed.

"Really! Then try this spicy one too."

Ichigo Kurosaki took a bite without a second thought, but the next moment he burst out.

"So hot! Water, water!" He frantically searched the kitchen for water, and only recovered after finding some and gulping down several mouthfuls.

Miyako Amamiya smiled without saying anything. You must be joking. With your tolerance, I don't believe the spice won't kill you.

"Ichigo, how is it? What do you think?" Rukia pressed.

"It tastes pretty good too, but I really can't handle how spicy it is," Ichigo Kurosaki said with a pained expression.

"It's fine. Captain Kuchiki should like it," Miyako Amamiya said with a mischievous grin.

Rukia tried it herself. The mild curry was indeed delicious, but the spicy one sent her coughing at once. Seeing this, Miyako Amamiya hurriedly handed her a glass of water.

"Will my brother really like it this spicy...?" Rukia said doubtfully.

"Don't worry. The Kuchiki Clan's chef said so, so it can't be wrong. All right, let's hurry and take it to Captain Kuchiki." Miyako Amamiya urged her on, unable to wait to see Byakuya Kuchiki's expression change.

"Mm... all right. I'll take it to my brother now. But..." Rukia looked at the curry in the big pot. "Did we make too much? It looks like there'll still be some left after Captain Ukitake and the others have had theirs?"

"If you don't mind, leave it to me. I'll take some to Chad and the others, and to Ikkaku, Kenpachi, and the others in the 11th Division," Ichigo Kurosaki said casually.

"The 11th Division? Ichigo, when did you get so close to them?"

"Don't ask, Rukia. Friendships between men form very quickly." Miyako Amamiya urged Rukia to hurry and deliver the plate of spicy curry rice.

"I know, stop pushing me," Rukia said helplessly.

In Byakuya Kuchiki's hospital room, his injuries had improved a little, and he could sit up by himself now. He was looking out the window in silence, with no telling what he was thinking.

Then familiar voices came from outside the door, leaving Byakuya Kuchiki puzzled.

"What glowing food? What nonsense are you talking about?" Rukia said helplessly outside the door.

"Rukia, trust me. Just put a lid over it, then aim Hadō #20: Heaven-Illuminating Orb at the plate the instant you lift the lid, and the food will taste a whole level better!"

"Idiot, stop saying such stupid things. I'm not listening to you." Rukia opened the door, ignoring Miyako Amamiya.

"Rukia? And Miyako Amamiya?" Byakuya Kuchiki looked at the two in confusion, wondering what had brought them here.

"Hello, Captain Kuchiki. We've brought you dinner," Miyako Amamiya greeted him with easy familiarity.

"Dinner? Doesn't the Fourth Division already..."

"This is different. It's a new dish Rukia learned in the World of the Living. She made it herself and wanted to bring it for you to try," Miyako Amamiya explained. "Hey, Rukia, why are you getting all timid again? Come on, didn't you want your brother to try it?"

Rukia bashfully offered the plate to Byakuya Kuchiki and said softly, "Brother, please try it!"

Seeing that it was a gift from Rukia, Byakuya Kuchiki accepted it without hesitation and put a spoonful in his mouth.

Miyako Amamiya watched Byakuya Kuchiki expectantly, hoping the spiciness would twist his expression.

Unfortunately, Byakuya Kuchiki swallowed it after tasting it, his expression unchanged.

"This dish..." Byakuya Kuchiki said haltingly, "I like it very much." After saying this, Byakuya Kuchiki smiled at Rukia for the first time in a long while.

It wasn't just because Rukia Kuchiki had made it. The dish really did suit his tastes, and it made Byakuya Kuchiki feel immensely pleased.

"That's wonderful." Rukia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rukia." Byakuya Kuchiki softly called her name.

"Yes, Brother!" Rukia Kuchiki answered.

"How did you know I liked spicy food?" Byakuya Kuchiki asked. Before tasting it, he had thought the dish would be mostly sweet.

"Um, well..." Rukia was a little embarrassed to say it. "Miyako actually suggested it, and then Ichigo helped me ask the Kuchiki Clan's chef. That's how I found out you'd always liked spicy food, Brother."

"I see..." Byakuya Kuchiki knew Rukia had learned what he had always kept hidden, but he didn't mind. The way his adopted sister was acting now brought him great comfort.

"Thank you, Rukia," he said softly.

Hearing Byakuya Kuchiki's thanks, Rukia's eyes gradually brightened. She couldn't contain the excitement in her heart.

Miyako Amamiya also gave up on the idea of seeing Byakuya Kuchiki embarrass himself and simply watched the brother and sister with a smile.

"The Hōgyoku went into someone else's soul on its own?!" Kisuke Urahara said in disbelief.

Yoruichi Shihōin scratched her head irritably in the image and said helplessly, "That's what the kid Amamiya said. He said he'll let you examine him the next time he comes to the World of the Living, but he has one condition."

"What condition?" Kisuke Urahara asked gravely.

"If Captain-Commander Yamamoto asks about the Hōgyoku, he hopes you'll help keep it secret. Just say I've already handed the Hōgyoku over to you," Yoruichi Shihōin said.

"...I see. I understand. I agree. I hope he can come to the World of the Living soon." Kisuke Urahara thought for a while before agreeing to the condition.

Since Miyako Amamiya dared to say that, the Hōgyoku might actually be inside him. Aside from Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara, no one else knew where the Hōgyoku was now, so it would be easier to handle the matter discreetly.

For the time being, whether or not the Hōgyoku was inside Miyako Amamiya, Soul Society was a relatively safe place for it.

But Kisuke Urahara had already heard from Yoruichi Shihōin that Aizen had found the method he had once used to make the Hōgyoku and had now established himself in Hueco Mundo. So even without this Hōgyoku, Aizen would make a complete Hōgyoku sooner or later.

Time... Luckily, the plan succeeded and bought us more time. The only remaining concern is Miss Inoue's ability... Kisuke Urahara thought worriedly.

Meanwhile, Miyako Amamiya returned to the Thirteenth Division, where Ukitake called out to him.

"Miyako, you've come at just the right time. I have something very important to do. Sorry for the trouble, but please come with me," Ukitake said gravely.

"What is it, Captain Ukitake?" Miyako Amamiya asked, puzzled.

"It's about Aizen's true goal," Ukitake said slowly. "Aizen's goal definitely isn't as simple as making the Hōgyoku and growing stronger. He must have something more important to do, something that requires him to surpass a Soul Reaper's limits."

"So we're going to the Great Spirit Art Corridor to search for traces of Aizen."

"...I understand. Let's go now, Captain Ukitake." Miyako Amamiya understood how important this was and readily agreed.

All forty-six of Central 46's original members had been slaughtered, and new members could not be selected so quickly. As such, they only needed the Captain-Commander's permission to enter the underground Great Spirit Art Corridor.

"Found it." Ukitake looked gravely at the records showing that someone had consulted information on the Hōgyoku and its associated research materials. Using that record as a starting point, he searched the other recent consultation records, but found nothing.

"Damn it... Did Aizen leave no trace here...?" Ukitake said through gritted teeth, frowning.

"Captain Ukitake, I found another consultation record," Miyako Amamiya said to Ukitake.

"Really! Miyako, where did you find it?" Ukitake asked in surprise and delight.

"I used the day of the execution as a starting point and searched backward. Luckily, I found a record quickly." Miyako Amamiya knew what Aizen's goal was, of course, so he searched directly by date and found it at once.

Miyako Amamiya handed the contents of the record to Ukitake. After seeing what Aizen had previously consulted, Ukitake's face turned deathly pale.

"So it's true... Aizen's goal really is..." Ukitake had suspected it before, because at the end, Aizen had looked him in the eye and mentioned the key word "god."

And in Soul Society, there was one and only one person who could be called a "god": the Soul King.

"The Ōken..." Miyako Amamiya softly spoke the name.

"Yes, the Ōken. And what Aizen looked up was the Ōken Creation Method..." Ukitake said uneasily.

"Miyako, you've only just become lieutenant, so you may not know about this. The King, the Soul King, is the supreme existence in Soul Society. The Ōken is the key used to open the way to the Soul King Palace. Aizen didn't find the Ōken's location, but he did discover the Ōken Creation Method..."

"Captain Ukitake, this Ōken Creation Method..."

"Yes. The Ōken isn't so easy to create. It requires a hundred thousand souls and a Spiritually Dense Area with a radius of one spirit mile. And the Spiritually Dense Area at present..."

"Is Karakura Town," Miyako Amamiya finished for Ukitake.

"Yes. Our Thirteenth Division has always paid close attention to the Spiritually Dense Area, so the Seated Officers we send there are always among the best in the division. But Aizen has set his sights on that place, and I'm afraid that, with the Thirteenth Division alone, our strength won't match our intentions," Ukitake said gravely.

"Come on, Miyako. Let's report this to the Captain-Commander."

"No, there's one more thing I want to ask you, Captain." Miyako Amamiya stopped Ukitake. Here in the Great Spirit Art Corridor, he might be able to tell Ukitake the truth about this matter.

"What is it? Can't we talk outside?" Ukitake asked.

"It's about Ichigo Kurosaki. If I'm not mistaken, after Ichigo Kurosaki leaves Soul Society, he'll be appointed a Substitute Soul Reaper by Soul Society, won't he?" Miyako Amamiya said directly.

"...Yes, if nothing unexpected happens," Ukitake said, a complicated expression on his face.

"But you know the rules for Substitute Soul Reapers too, don't you, Captain?"

"If a Substitute Soul Reaper is found to have thoughts of betraying Soul Society, they are to be eliminated immediately... That rule was issued by Central 46 after Kūgo Ginjō's betrayal." Even now, Ukitake could not understand why Kūgo Ginjō had suddenly betrayed Soul Society back then.

"Captain Ukitake, don't you think there was something suspicious about Kūgo Ginjō's betrayal?" Miyako Amamiya said.

"Miyako, are you saying there was someone behind it too?" Ukitake understood what Miyako Amamiya meant.

"There aren't any strict restrictions on the Great Spirit Art Corridor right now. As the division that proposed the Substitute Soul Reaper system, if we simply make a little use of the Great Spirit Art Corridor's records to improve the system, no one should have anything to say about it, right?" Miyako Amamiya said with a smile.

Ukitake fell into thought. Though he respected order, he was not blindly loyal, and he had his own thoughts about some of Soul Society's rules.

If Miyako Amamiya hadn't reminded him, Ichigo Kurosaki might have ended up being treated the same way as Kūgo Ginjō.

As for Ichigo Kurosaki, neither Ukitake nor Miyako Amamiya really believed he would betray Soul Society. But if Soul Society had planted a hidden danger in the Substitute Soul Reaper system from the start, it was hard to say what might happen.

"I understand. To improve the Substitute Soul Reaper system further, we do need to investigate the former Substitute Soul Reaper's betrayal more thoroughly." After a long period of thought, Ukitake agreed with Miyako Amamiya.

The two continued searching for records of past incidents involving the Substitute Soul Reaper system, hoping to find some clue. At the very least, they couldn't let an innocent person like Ichigo Kurosaki suffer unfair treatment.

At last, Ukitake found the most crucial incident.

"How is this possible? So the reason Ginjo betrayed us was..."