After arriving in the Human World, Amamiya Miyako didn't rush straight into Karakura Town to find Ishida Ryūken.
Tracking Ryūken-san wasn't particularly difficult. Miyako just needed to visit the hospitals around Karakura one by one, and eventually he'd come across the name Ishida Ryūken.
But right now, there was something more pressing on his mind—he needed to confirm the truth behind his own death. Or rather, he needed to find the list of people who died around the same time as he had—four years ago.
With that goal in mind, Miyako headed to Naruki City Hospital to look through death records from five years prior.
That night, under the dim glow of a desk lamp in a small room he had taken shelter in, Miyako quietly sifted through the files he'd gathered.
June 17, 200x.Deceased: [Name Redacted]Cause of death: Unknown.Notes: Facial expression severely contorted prior to death—victim appeared to suffer intense pain or trauma…Deceased: [Name Redacted]Cause of death: Unknown. Similar signs observed.
Page after page, the reports bore eerie similarities. Deaths with unknown causes, all clustered around the same time. Expressions of anguish frozen on their faces. The cause of death never determined.
Miyako's hands clenched into fists as he scanned through the documents.
"No doubt… this is Yhwach's doing. The Heilig Pfeil—the Holy Selection."
Miyako leaned back with a sigh, the papers still in hand.
"I'll need to visit the hospitals in Karakura and Naruki again, just to be sure."
Naruki City, a neighbor of Karakura, was currently the base of operations for Xcution. Luckily, Ginjō Kūgo and the rest hadn't started stirring things up with Soul Society yet. As long as he kept a low profile and stuck to file rooms and rooftops, he should avoid crossing paths with them.
During his stay in Naruki City, things had been relatively quiet. Just as he expected, even though it bordered Karakura Town, there weren't many Hollows or wandering souls. With his workload manageable, he found the time to do some real digging.
"Alright, guess it's time to pull a few all-nighters."
Miyako muttered as he jumped down from a rooftop, landing silently in an alley. He had decided to spend the next few nights performing konsō—Soul Burials—for any wandering souls he could find. After that, he'd finally make his way to Karakura for a deeper investigation.
When it came to locating Hollows, though, things weren't as simple. He would need to comb the area carefully. No shortcuts.
"Yare yare… sounds like a real chore," he sighed, scratching the back of his head.
…
At Naruki City General Hospital, Miyako once again located the records of deceased individuals from June 17th, 200x.
As expected, they matched perfectly with the files he had found earlier.
"This confirms it," he said under his breath, tucking the documents into his bag.
Without wasting a second, he made his exit.
Miyako had always relied on logic and preparation. As someone who once lived in the Human World, he made good use of maps, internet cafes, and common sense. He was quick—get in, get the intel, get out. The last thing he wanted was to be spotted by any stationed Shinigami.
"Now then… only one place left," he murmured.
His gaze turned toward the direction of Karakura Town—the place where he had died.
Even now, that moment remained vividly etched into his soul. The fear, the confusion, the cold grip of death—those sensations still lingered. Though his former self was gone, the remnants of that memory clung to Amamiya Miyako like a shadow.
A few more days passed, and yet Miyako hadn't dared to enter Karakura. The area was currently under the watch of a Shinigami. According to the spiritual pressure he sensed near the town's border, it was none other than Sentarō Kotsubaki from the 13th Division.
He often sensed Sentarō-san's reiatsu clashing against Hollows at the town's edges.
Every time, the Shinigami emerged victorious.
"If I go in now, I'll get flagged immediately," Miyako muttered. "He'll definitely report me."
Just as he was beginning to feel stuck, an unexpected spiritual disturbance erupted across the city. It wasn't subtle—far from it.
"Two reiatsu… one's Sentarō-san, and the other… a Hollow?"
Miyako narrowed his eyes. The Hollow's reiatsu was overwhelming—far stronger than any ordinary hollow. And for a brief moment, it was overpowering Sentarō.
"Tch… now's my chance."
Without hesitation, Amamiya Miyako shot forward, flashing across rooftops toward the source of the clash
…
On a low ridge just beyond Karakura Town, Sentarō Kotsubaki was engaged in a fierce battle.
Originally, while on patrol, he had spotted a young girl with long black hair and a white kimono. Her gaze was vacant, expression lifeless. A wandering soul, or so he had thought.
Approaching casually, Sentarō had knelt down, preparing to perform a konsō.
"Let's get you to peace, little one," he had said softly.
But just as he reached out, a monstrous presence surged up behind the girl—clawed birdlike feet and a warped, beastly body rising from the shadows. Tentacles lashed out from the creature's grotesque form, striking without warning.
"Che…! Yare yare da ze!" Sentarō Kotsubaki hissed as he barely rolled out of range, unsheathing his zanpakutō in the same breath to deflect the flurry of attacks.
A clean cut opened across his shoulder.
Too fast.
Too deceptive.
Too dangerous.
"Ohh, you dodged? I was hoping for a clean kill," the girl's voice morphed—its tone no longer innocent, but dripping with mockery.
"You filthy Hollow… disguising yourself as a child…!" Sentarō Kotsubaki growled, grimacing through the pain.
"Heh. This form?" The girl chuckled as her skin bubbled and twisted, slowly peeling away like wet paper. "It lures them in just fine."
Before long, the human-like face gave way to the hollowed white of a skull mask. A long, fleshy lure connected the former "girl" to the true Hollow body lurking behind her—a hunched, animal-like beast with rows of gleaming teeth.
"With this trick, I've devoured countless souls," the monster cackled. "And you, Shinigami, are nothing more than dessert."
Sentarō Kotsubaki's expression darkened. "So it's you…"
He knew the name. Every seated officer had been briefed on this Hollow's tactics.
Grand Fisher.
A known threat in the records of Soul Society—classified as a high-priority Hollow. It lured spiritually aware humans and unsuspecting Shinigami using a mimetic lure resembling their loved ones. But it was also a master of escape, having evaded countless pursuits.
"Tch… this is bad." Sentarō Kotsubaki's grip on his zanpakutō tightened. His injuries slowed him down, and this was no opponent to fight half-heartedly.
But just as Grand Fisher readied another strike—
A second surge of reiatsu suddenly flooded the mountaintop.
"Bakudō 33… Sōkatsui!"
The incantation rang through the dusk like thunder. A wave of deep-blue fire burst forth from the shadows and smashed into Grand Fisher's flank.
"Gwahh!!" the Hollow screeched, caught off guard.
A quarter of its grotesque body was blasted into ash as it tumbled across the ground.
"You…" Grand Fisher hissed, twisting its neck toward the new arrival. "Another Shinigami?!"
Amamiya Miyako stepped forward, his arm still raised from the Kidō spell. His eyes were sharp and calm, his expression unreadable. The faint glow of blue reiryoku still crackled in his palm.
"Surprise attacks not your thing, Hollow-san?" he muttered coolly.
Grand Fisher snarled. "Damn it! I almost had that one!"
Sensing the tide had turned, the Hollow flared its wings and turned to flee into the trees.
"Stop right there!" Amamiya yelled, shunpo'ing forward, his figure blurring in the night.
But behind him—
"Gahk!" Sentarō Kotsubaki coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth.
Amamiya skidded to a halt. "Sentarō Kotsubaki-san!"
He abandoned the chase and rushed to his comrade's side, immediately pressing his hands over the wound. Pale green light shimmered as he activated a basic Kaidō spell. It wasn't elegant—he wasn't skilled in healing arts—but it was enough to stop the bleeding.
"You really saved my hide there, Amamiya-san…" Sentarō Kotsubaki said weakly, forcing a grin.
"Oi, don't speak too soon. That Hollow got away thanks to me," Miyako muttered, frustration evident on his face. "Still… I'm glad you're alive."
As he continued to stabilize the wound, Sentarō Kotsubaki spoke between breaths. "That Hollow… it's called Grand Fisher. There's a full record in Seireitei. It's cunning—too cunning. I underestimated it, and… well…"
Miyako nodded grimly. "So that was it…"
He'd heard the stories. Even among Menos-class Hollows, Grand Fisher was notorious. Its tactics were cruel, its presence a plague.
"Now that I'm down like this," Sentarō Kotsubaki added with a chuckle, "protecting Karakura Town is going to be a challenge."
But Miyako didn't reply right away.
He stared off toward the woods where Grand Fisher had vanished—then turned his gaze to the sleeping lights of Karakura below.
'A rare chance, huh…' he thought to himself.