Chapter 9

This is getting tricky, Miyako Amamiya thought. His Zanpakuto not only knew more than he did, but also grew stronger just as quickly as he did.

Miyako Amamiya felt helpless, but he had no intention of giving up and continued to fight him.

What Miyako Amamiya didn't notice was that the black at the hem of the black-haired boy's white robe seemed to be slowly spreading upward...

At Mashiba Middle School in Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki was walking out of the school gates, ready to go home.

As Ichigo walked down an empty street, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Hey, Kurosaki," a rough voice called. Ichigo let out a long sigh, seeming to understand what was going on.

"What do you want?" Ichigo turned around and addressed the people behind him. Looking closely, he spotted a familiar face: the upperclassman delinquent who had picked a fight with him yesterday.

Is he here for revenge? Ichigo thought helplessly. His orange hair and outwardly cold personality had attracted plenty of trouble from delinquents ever since he was young. Fortunately, he had studied karate since childhood and had managed to deal with all that trouble so far.

Just yesterday, an upperclassman delinquent had heard about him from somewhere and come specifically to pick a fight, mocking his hair color and putting his hands on him.

Ichigo had promptly beaten him up, but he hadn't expected him to bring someone along today.

"Boss, that's him, Ichigo Kurosaki, the guy who dyed his hair orange," the delinquent said to the tall man beside him.

"My hair isn't dyed..." Ichigo sighed.

"Hey, brat, you dyed your hair such an arrogant color and even beat up one of my guys. Looks like you haven't heard how tough I, Lord Noma, am." The tall man flexed his wrists and approached Ichigo.

Suddenly, Ichigo's eyes widened. A white claw reached out from an alley nearby, larger than that of any beast Ichigo knew of. Then its owner gradually poked its head out.

Its appearance shocked Ichigo even more. The beast wore a white, bony mask and resembled no animal he knew. The white claws on its hands were large and long.

An unknown liquid dripped from the beast's mouth as it trembled and spoke. "I can sense it. Delicious food, right here..."

"Idiots, get away!" Ichigo hurriedly warned the two men in front of him.

"Huh? Don't think I'll fall for that. I'm going to beat you senseless today." The tall man stepped forward, placing himself in front of the beast.

"In my way..." In an instant, the beast swatted the tall man aside.

"Boss!" the other delinquent shouted. He had no idea what had happened; in an instant, his boss had crashed into the wall beside them.

Cold sweat broke out on Ichigo's forehead. Only then did he realize that he was the beast's target. He turned and ran, hoping to lure it somewhere else. Otherwise, all three of them would probably come to harm.

When Ichigo started running, the beast behind him realized its food was escaping. It moved on all fours and gave chase.

Damn it, what's going on? Seeing ghosts was one thing, but now even a bizarre beast like this has shown up. What the hell is wrong with this world? Ichigo had been able to see ghosts that others couldn't since he was little, but he had never made it known. What he saw today left him even more at a loss.

Relying on his familiarity with the area, Ichigo kept kiting the beast behind him, but if this continued, he would run out of stamina sooner or later.

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō."

As Ichigo considered what to do, a voice reached his ears, and the beast suddenly let out a wail.

Ichigo looked back and saw that some attack seemed to have struck the beast's leg. It lay helplessly on the ground, unable to chase him any farther. Then a black-haired man in a black kimono appeared in front of him, drew his sword, and slashed at the beast.

As the blade passed through its body, the beast gradually turned transparent until it vanished.

"What on earth..." Ichigo stared, still unable to understand what was happening.

Miyako Amamiya had just returned from Fumu City. After receiving a message on his Denreishinki, he had rushed straight from Fumu City to Karakura Town. The person the Hollow had attacked surprised him greatly.

Ichigo Kurosaki should still be in middle school at this point, right? Miyako Amamiya guessed, looking at Ichigo's all-black school uniform.

I didn't expect Ichigo Kurosaki to have this much Reiryoku already. No wonder a Hollow targeted him.

"Sorry, kid, but you'll have to forget what you saw." Miyako Amamiya took out the Memory-Changing Device the Technology Development Bureau had given him, quickly approached Ichigo, and pointed it at him.

"Hey, what's going on? Expla—" Before Ichigo could finish, Amamiya began frantically taking pictures of his face, the flash shining on him again and again.

I can't let you know about this yet, Miyako Amamiya thought.

As the flash went off, Ichigo raised both hands to cover his eyes, but Miyako Amamiya waited a long time without seeing him fall asleep.

Huh? Is it broken? Miyako Amamiya shook the Memory-Changing Device in his hand, intending to try again.

At that moment, Ichigo slapped the phone out of Miyako Amamiya's hand and roared at him, "Knock it off! What is that thing? What was that monster? And who are you? What the hell just happened?"

"Sigh, does it not work on people with Reiryoku?" Miyako Amamiya sighed, having no intention of explaining much.

"Kid, stop asking. I'm not going to tell you," Miyako Amamiya said casually. "All I can tell you is to stay far away if you run into that monster again."

He then turned and left.

"Hey!" Ichigo tried to call him back, but Miyako Amamiya vanished in an instant.

Miyako Amamiya ran on. He didn't dare have too much contact with Ichigo. Who knew whether Aizen was watching his "dear boy" all the time?

As for Hollows, once Fourth Seat Chōtarō, who was stationed here, recovered, they probably wouldn't let Ichigo see one under normal circumstances. Oh, right, he still had to heal that unlucky guy from earlier and erase his memory.

Ichigo scratched his head in frustration. Being able to see ghosts had already made him realize something was wrong with the world, and now a beast had appeared, giving him a vague sense of danger. Ichigo wasn't so carefree that he could leave his safety to someone else.

Moreover, that beast had vaguely reminded Ichigo of a hazy childhood memory. It was the day his mother had died, and before he lost consciousness that day, he seemed to have seen the indistinct shape of a beast as well.

"Damn it..." Ichigo walked home in frustration.

But Ichigo's frustration didn't last long. For a long time after that day, he didn't encounter another monster like that beast.

It isn't time yet, so please wait patiently. Both you and I need time, Miyako Amamiya thought. He also planned to warn Fourth Seat Chōtarō that the memories of humans with Reiryoku in Karakura Town couldn't be erased, and that he should try not to let them see Hollows.

Putting on his black robe, Miyako Amamiya stopped at the hospital where Ryūken Ishida worked, then vanished...

"Oh my, thank you so much. We couldn't have managed without you during this time, Fifth Seat Amamiya," Zennosuke Kurumadani said with a smile.

"I'm just glad you've recovered, Fourth Seat Chōtarō. Speaking of which, I was a little overconfident. The Hollows in Karakura Town far exceed those in Fumu City in both number and quality. I had quite a hard time dealing with them," Miyako Amamiya said, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, you're too modest, Fifth Seat Amamiya. I could feel your Reiatsu every time you fought, and it steadily overwhelmed the Hollows. How can you call that difficult?" Zennosuke Kurumadani patted Miyako Amamiya on the shoulder.

"Fourth Seat Chōtarō, there's something I think I should tell you," Miyako Amamiya said seriously.

"What is it?" Zennosuke Kurumadani was a little puzzled.

"I've discovered that there are quite a few humans with Reiryoku in Karakura Town, and a few of them have a considerable amount. They're more likely to become targets for Hollows. And..." Miyako Amamiya took out the Memory-Changing Device. "The tool the Technology Development Bureau gave us doesn't seem to work on some people."

"Is that so?" Zennosuke Kurumadani finally grew serious. This really was a major problem.

"So if possible, please try not to reveal yourself in front of them. And it's best to eliminate Hollows when they appear in front of them," Miyako Amamiya cautioned.

"I understand. You have a point."

"If you're having trouble keeping up, Fourth Seat Chōtarō, you can call me anytime. I'm stationed in Fumu City, right next door," Miyako Amamiya said with a smile.

"Come on, don't underestimate your senior. I'm a Soul Reaper who knows the true name of his Zanpakuto, after all." Chōtarō didn't think much of it. Aside from Grand Fisher, whom he had encountered that day, Zennosuke Kurumadani hadn't run into any other troublesome Hollows.

"Fourth Seat Chōtarō, you should know who I'm talking about." Miyako Amamiya decided to remind him after all. Grand Fisher was no pushover. Even if Grand Fisher didn't seem as strong now as in the main storyline, he was still a troublesome opponent.

"Grand Fisher..." Zennosuke Kurumadani didn't underestimate him either. "I understand. If I need to, I will."

Miyako Amamiya nodded to him, left Karakura Town, and returned to Fumu City, where he was stationed.

"What an amazing junior. Is this what a genius is like? Maybe he really can..." Zennosuke Kurumadani said with emotion. The Reiatsu he had observed Miyako Amamiya unleash during this time had greatly shocked him. Miyako Amamiya was nothing like a student who had just graduated from Shin'ō Academy. With his help, Zennosuke Kurumadani really did feel much more at ease.

Meanwhile, Miyako Amamiya had finally finished rushing between the two cities. Although they weren't far apart, the number of Hollows appearing in Karakura Town had still left him amazed.

Thanks to the frequently appearing Hollows, Miyako Amamiya could feel that his skill in both Shunpo and Hirenkyaku had improved considerably.

Through his battles with Hollows during the day and his lessons with Ryūken Ishida at night, Miyako Amamiya had finally mastered the basics of the Quincy technique Hirenkyaku. He was still cautious, however, and rarely used Hirenkyaku when he sensed Zennosuke Kurumadani nearby.

"Aaaah..." The Hollow's scream stirred no emotion in Miyako Amamiya. After using the Spirit Bow in his hand to pin its limbs to the ground, he drew the sword at his waist and dealt it the final blow. The Hollow was then purified.

The Hollows in Fumu City were all minor foes and took Miyako Amamiya hardly any effort to deal with. Ultimately, Hollows in the World of the Living probably weren't supposed to be very capable in the first place. The truly powerful ones were likely in Hueco Mundo, devouring one another.

Watching the sun gradually set, Miyako Amamiya knew it was time. He carefully sensed the Reiatsu in Fumu City and found that there probably weren't any other Hollows. He took out the black robe Ryūken had given him, put it on, and headed to the hospital in Karakura Town where Ryūken worked.

Meanwhile, Ryūken had finished all his work. "You're here?" he said without looking back. Ryūken hadn't sensed Miyako Amamiya's Reiatsu because of the black cloak, but he had noticed traces of Reishi manipulation nearby and knew Miyako Amamiya had arrived.

"Yes. Let's begin today's training, Mr. Ishida." Miyako Amamiya pulled back the cloak's hood. He wouldn't take the cloak off until he entered the space Ryūken had constructed.

Once the two of them entered, Ryūken's office fell completely silent.

But before long, someone new appeared outside the window.

"This is...? Traces of the cloak I gave Mr. Ishida. Why would he take it out and use it now? Nothing should have happened recently." As the cloak's maker, Kisuke Urahara had his own backdoor that allowed him to detect subtle traces. Today, he had happened to discover signs that the cloak he had given Ryūken was being used again.

Urahara stood outside the window. He knew this was Ryūken's hospital and that any Soul Reaper who tried to enter would be detected by Ryūken, so he didn't go in.

Although Urahara had helped Ryūken before, neither of them considered the other a companion they could get along with. They preferred to call it a special working relationship. Both tacitly kept their own secrets and stayed out of each other's affairs.

Urahara wouldn't pry into Ryūken's secrets lightly, and the reverse was also true. But today, Urahara had not only detected traces of Miyako Amamiya using the cloak, he had also noticed a trace of unfamiliar Reiatsu.

Urahara adjusted his hat, shielding the eyes hidden beneath it, and lingered for a long time. He decided to keep watch nearby. The Quincy who remained in the World of the Living and an unfamiliar Reiatsu had appeared in the same place, making Urahara very curious.

"Phew, luckily I still have one of the cloaks I brought out of Soul Society." Urahara was grateful that he had taken plenty of useful things with him when he left, allowing him to remain hidden and undiscovered in the World of the Living to this day.

The sun set and night fell. As time passed, the moon began to shine ever brighter. Miyako Amamiya finished his lessons for the day and came out of the hospital.

He put on his cloak and hurried back toward Fumu City, unaware that a pair of eyes had already been watching him on his way back.

"Well, this really is..." Urahara was also wearing a black cloak, along with other tools that concealed his Reiatsu, making him difficult to detect.

I didn't expect it to actually be a Soul Reaper... Urahara thought in surprise. But he couldn't understand why a Soul Reaper would visit a Quincy.

That direction is... Urahara narrowed his eyes, carefully watching the direction Miyako Amamiya was speeding off in.

Looks like I'll need to investigate. Urahara took out his folding fan and covered his chin, intending to investigate the neighboring city.

Miyako Amamiya, speeding along, had no idea he had been discovered. There were many places on the nighttime streets that the light couldn't reach, so Miyako Amamiya didn't notice Urahara either, hiding his Reiatsu and staying in the shadows...

"Has half a year already passed...?" Miyako Amamiya looked out at the city. As time passed, he had begun to grow a little anxious. The most important reason was that his progress toward releasing his Zanpakuto wasn't very promising.

Although his Quincy abilities had visibly improved under Ryūken's tutelage, it took his Zanpakuto only an instant to keep up with Miyako Amamiya's growth. This gave Miyako Amamiya quite a headache.

Looking at the Asauchi in his hand, Miyako Amamiya couldn't help saying, "Hey, how much longer are you going to make me wait? There isn't much time left..."

"Oh? Young man, what is it that doesn't have much time left?" A voice came from the shadows ahead.

"Who's there?" Cold sweat poured down Miyako Amamiya's face. Someone was this close, yet he hadn't noticed. Who was it?

"Don't be nervous, young man. I just wanted to have a chat. We're acquainted, after all." Kisuke Urahara walked out of the shadows.

Miyako Amamiya drew his sword and faced him, his other hand already in his pocket, ready to take out his Quincy Cross.

Only when he saw who it was did he lower the hand reaching for the Quincy Cross. He was also very surprised, unable to understand why Urahara had come looking for him.

"It's you, the former captain of Soul Society's Twelfth Division and the first director of the Technology Development Bureau." Miyako Amamiya revealed his identity immediately, hoping it would make him wary. After all, he didn't know why Urahara had come to see him.

"Oh, you recognized me, young man? We only met once before in the World of the Living. Though I did personally conduct your Konsō." Urahara spoke flippantly.

"..." Miyako Amamiya said nothing, guessing that Urahara might have noticed his connection to Ryūken, or that Urahara had left himself a means of tracking the black cloak Ryūken had given him.

"Don't be nervous, young man. I mean you no harm. I only wanted to make a friend. Though it might sound a little strange coming from a traitor to Soul Society?" Urahara smiled as he finished.

Only then did Miyako Amamiya lower his sword and ask Urahara why he had come.

"What does Mr. Urahara want with an ordinary Soul Reaper like me? If you're worried I'll reveal your secret, there's no need. I wouldn't do that to the person who saved my life," Miyako Amamiya said.

"The person who saved your life? I'm touched! Even though Mr. Ishida merely asked me to help."

"Let's skip the nonsense, Mr. Urahara. Tell me directly why you're here. You went out of your way to approach a Soul Reaper like me; you can't really be here just to chat."

"You're quite direct, young man. But an ordinary Soul Reaper wouldn't become a Seated Officer of the Thirteenth Division in just five years..." Urahara covered his face with his fan as he looked at Miyako Amamiya and spoke.

Miyako Amamiya hated the way this riddler behaved. Urahara seemed to be praising him, but in truth he wanted to maintain a firm grip on the initiative and keep Miyako Amamiya from learning his real purpose. So Miyako Amamiya said nothing, merely watching Urahara and waiting for him to speak.

"You're quite cautious, young man. Then I'll ask you directly. What exactly happened on June 17, five years ago?" Urahara asked.

Miyako Amamiya wasn't surprised. It seemed Urahara had been paying attention to the matter too. After all, both Ryūken's wife and Isshin Shiba's wife were among those who had died under mysterious circumstances. He had probably investigated quite a bit afterward, but because he didn't know much about Quincy, he might have wanted to get some information from Miyako Amamiya.

"...That day five years ago was the day I died. I don't know anything else. By the time I regained consciousness, I was already a soul. You know what happened afterward: Mr. Ishida found me and called you to perform my Konsō." Miyako Amamiya deliberately concealed the fact that Ryūken had specifically come looking for him. He had an agreement with Ryūken, after all, and didn't want to tell Urahara about it.

"I... see..." Urahara fell into thought.

"Then, young man, if possible, could you tell me why you sought out Mr. Ishida?"

Miyako Amamiya's heart tightened. Urahara had found out after all. Was he monitoring Karakura Town, or was there something wrong with the black cloak? Ryūken couldn't possibly have told him of his own accord. That old fox could only have discovered it through some means of his own.

Even though Urahara was now a traitor, his interests were ultimately tied to Soul Society, so Miyako Amamiya had no intention of telling him that he possessed Quincy powers.