The moment the Hōgyoku entered Amamiya Miyako's body, a chill ran through him. His soul wasn't that of an ordinary shinigami, and the fluctuations of the Hōgyoku couldn't be hidden. Because of that, every time he faced Aizen Sōsuke, his body tensed and sweat beaded at his brow.
But strangely… Aizen showed no signs of suspicion. The man continued to wear that ever-so-kind smile, the mask of a benevolent captain. Miyako could only breathe a little easier, though his heart never settled.
Originally, his plan had been simple: obtain the Hōgyoku temporarily, wield its power when necessary, then return it. But fate had played a cruel trick—the orb had fused into him, completely. That was something he hadn't anticipated.
"As long as it's inside me, I can't let Aizen-san lay his hands on it… or Soul Society will fall," Miyako thought, tightening his grip on his twin blades.
There was only one path left. He had to keep the Hōgyoku away from Aizen, escape Soul Society, and later seek out Hueco Mundo to refine its power in secret. It was dangerous… but it was also the only chance.
The Hōgyoku is both a curse and a key. Since it chose me, there's no way I'll give it up.
Suddenly, Miyako's expression sharpened. His spiritual senses screamed—an oppressive reiatsu was approaching. He unsheathed his twin Zanpakutō in one fluid motion, his eyes fixed forward.
"Amamiya-san…?" Rukia's voice trembled as she followed his gaze.
From the distance, a lone figure walked steadily up the slope of Sōkyoku Hill. Dark skin, violet hair, shaded goggles over blind white eyes. His presence was cold and unwavering.
"Captain Tōsen…" Rukia whispered, her fists tightening.
"You didn't run," Tōsen Kaname said flatly, his voice a low resonance. "Then, I'll silence you here."
Miyako glanced around. Tōsen was alone. That meant Aizen was still within Central 46, ensuring his betrayal would soon be revealed. If Miyako stalled long enough, everything could change.
"Then my only role here…" Miyako raised his blade, his eyes fearless, "…is to stop you."
"Have I been discovered already?" Tōsen tilted his head, though his expression was unreadable. "No matter. Although you bear me no grudge, for Aizen-dono's sake, you must fall."
He wasn't hiding anymore. His voice carried conviction, as if resignation had hardened into resolve.
"Vice-Captain… no, Amamiya Miyako. If possible, do not resist. It will only bring you pain."
"Yare yare…" Miyako gave a faint grin, brushing sweat from his brow. "That sounds reasonable, Captain Tōsen. But unfortunately for you, I can see it clearly—your body is still wrapped in wounds from your fight with Zaraki Kenpachi-san."
Tōsen fell silent. No more persuasion, no more masks. Only steel.
"Cry… Suzumushi!"
"Separate… Shinya Zetsunen!"
The air vibrated with the clash of voices. Tōsen's Zanpakutō shivered, its edge releasing a piercing, insect-like cry. The sound cut across the hill, forcing Rukia to stumble, clutching her ears.
"Suzumushi, First Movement… Shikai."
Miyako narrowed his eyes. He knew Suzumushi's first ability—its hypnotic tone disabled those with weaker reiatsu. And Rukia, her powers still heavily suppressed, stood no chance.
"Rukia-chan!" he called, but her gaze had already glazed over, caught in the trap of Suzumushi's tone.
"Tch… no time to waste."
In an instant, Miyako nocked an arrow of pure reishi onto his conjured bow, loosing it with a sharp whistle.
But Tōsen merely lifted Suzumushi. The arrow struck its edge, and the vibrating resonance scattered the energy harmlessly aside.
"Troublesome… The vibrations repel my reishi. I can't bind his Zanpakutō like this."
Miyako darted to the side in a blur of Shunpo, pulling the battle further from Rukia. But Tōsen had no intention of letting him go.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tōsen leapt, locking onto Miyako's spiritual pressure with frightening precision.
"Suzumushi Benihikō!"
He swept his blade. Instantly, dozens—no, hundreds—of glowing blades erupted, flying through the air like a swarm of crimson cicadas.
The storm of steel descended.
"Che… so this is Benihikō, huh?" Miyako muttered, yet his hands remained steady. Drawing his bow back, his spirit arrows split apart the moment they were loosed.
"Scatter… Hikari Ame! (Rain of Light)"
Reishi arrows burst into countless shafts, colliding midair with Tōsen's blades. Sparks of light and steel showered down, neither side giving way.
But then Tōsen's reiatsu surged, increasing the swarm. The crimson blades multiplied, beginning to overwhelm Miyako's barrage.
Seeing the swing of Tōsen Kaname's blade, Amamiya Miyako clicked his tongue softly.
"Yare yare… can't just clash head-on with him forever."
In the blink of an eye, Miyako vanished with Shunpo, reappearing several meters away. Instead of aiming directly at Tōsen, he nocked another arrow of condensed reishi and released it at an oblique angle.
Tōsen tilted his head, his sharp senses catching the subtle shift of air. The arrow wasn't aimed straight at him—its trajectory felt strange, as if it carried another intention.
Suspicious, Tōsen charged after Miyako, ignoring the seemingly wasted arrow.
Miyako, however, was already chanting under his breath, his bow hand forming another arrow as he infused reishi into it.
"The bones of a beast, the spire of crimson crystal, the steel wheel… As wind, it moves; as space, it stops… The sound of clashing spears fills the empty castle!"
It was a Kidō incantation.
Tōsen assumed Miyako would release it from his hand. Focusing all his senses forward, he disregarded the arrow that had slipped behind him. That mistake cost him.
"Hado #63: Raikōhō!"
The arrow behind him glowed, detonating into a blinding roar of golden lightning.
"Wha—?!"
Tōsen turned too late. The thunderous explosion tore through the air, slamming into his back. Though it wasn't a direct strike, the shockwave ripped through his haori, leaving burning gashes and streaks of blood.
Miyako lowered his hand slightly, his lips curving into a mocking smile. "Gomen ne, Captain Tōsen. If you had eyes, you would've noticed… my hand never prepared to fire Raikōhō at all."
"…Tch. Clever tricks," Tōsen spat, his voice low with rising fury. He lunged, Zanpakutō slashing with even more speed and ferocity.
But Miyako had already set his trap. Just before Tōsen's charge, he had fired four arrows into the ground.
The moment Tōsen's foot touched the zone, Miyako whispered in thought:
'Accept this atmospheric formation… Sei Kamibami (Holy Bite)!'
The four arrows pulsed, reishi igniting into a burst of energy that erupted upward, like fangs biting from the earth itself. Dust and debris engulfed the battlefield in a suffocating cloud.
Yet even through the haze, Tōsen's blade cut through with precision.
Miyako hissed as a shallow cut opened along his arm. "Kuh… not deep, but he still broke through…"
He leapt back, blood dripping from his sleeve.
'As expected… Even weakened, Captain Tōsen is still a monster. I can't win head-on. I have to use his blindness against him…'
Gritting his teeth, Miyako vaulted upward, narrowly avoiding another slash. The edge of Tōsen's Zanpakutō grazed his leg, opening a cut along his thigh. Pain burned, but Miyako's eyes stayed sharp.
"Tch… this much won't stop me."
He drew again, arrows flying in quick succession. The first whistled past harmlessly—Tōsen dodged with a swift sidestep.
But Miyako smirked. "Now… follow it!"
The second arrow silently trailed the first, reishi weaving unnaturally through the air. This was the ability of his technique, Reishi Jisō—gathering reishi directly from the atmosphere instead of his own reserves.
Tōsen didn't sense it until the last moment.
"?!—"
The arrow grazed his waist, tearing flesh and leaving a bleeding wound.
Tōsen halted, grimacing. "That… arrow… carried no spiritual pressure…"
Miyako exhaled slowly, his bow lowering slightly as he explained with a grin. "Of course you couldn't sense it. That arrow wasn't mine. It was the atmosphere itself—reshaped into a weapon. Against a blind opponent too focused on reiatsu signatures… it's the perfect trick, ne?"
Inside, Miyako analyzed calmly: 'It's as I thought. If I first use my own reiatsu attacks to distract him, then draw reishi from the air, he can't distinguish the shift. His senses are too focused on my spiritual pressure.'
But his smile faded.
'Still… this technique is only effective against someone like Tōsen. Against anyone else, they'd notice the atmospheric reishi bending around me. I'd never risk showing it.'
Tōsen clutched his bleeding side, fury twisting his features. His voice was cold. "…A technique that can be seen, yet leaves no trace to be felt… You mock me."
Miyako's eyes narrowed, sweat running down his temple. 'If he releases Bankai, I'm finished. His Enma Kōrogi would plunge me into total darkness… I can't let this drag on.'
But just as Tōsen raised his blade again, he suddenly froze. His head tilted, then he abruptly retreated, vanishing from sight with a single Shunpo.
Miyako blinked. "Eh? He… left?"
Then, the voice echoed across his mind—calm and clear, reaching all Shinigami.
"To all Captains, Lieutenants, and Ryoka within the Seireitei… This is Isane Kotetsu of the Fourth Division. The situation is urgent. Below is an emergency message from Captain Unohana and myself. What I am about to say… is the truth."
Miyako immediately recognized it.
"Bakudō #77: Tenteikūra… So, that's why Tōsen retreated. Aizen's orders must have reached him."
The weight of realization pressed into his chest. If Aizen was moving, then everything was accelerating toward its climax.
He tightened his grip on his bow, blood dripping down his leg.
"…Then I can't stand still either."
Without another word, Amamiya Miyako turned and sprinted toward the direction where Kuchiki Rukia was being held. The battle wasn't over—not yet.