In Karakura Town, just as the last bell of the day rang, Kurosaki Ichigo walked out of the gate of Mashiba Middle School, his bag slung lazily over his shoulder.
"Yare yare... another boring day," he muttered as he turned into an empty street, heading home.
Just then, a voice barked from behind him.
"Oi, Kurosaki!"
Ichigo sighed, eyebrows twitching. "Tch… I knew this was coming."
Turning around, he faced a familiar punk — the same upperclassman who had tried to pick a fight with him yesterday. Great. Reinforcements today?
'Guess he brought friends for a rematch,' Ichigo thought, already annoyed. Ever since he was a kid, his orange hair and aloof attitude made him an easy target for troublemakers. Fortunately, he'd been trained in karate since he was small, and he wasn't the type to lose.
Yesterday's punk had mocked his hair, threw a punch, and left with a sore jaw for his troubles. Now here he was again — this time with backup.
"Big bro, that's the guy—Kurosaki Ichigo—the one who dyed his hair like a freak!" the smaller delinquent barked.
"This hair ain't dyed..." Ichigo muttered, deadpan.
"Oi, punk! You think you can lay hands on my little bro and just walk away? I'm Noma-sama, and I don't forgive easily," the taller thug cracked his knuckles and swaggered forward.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes—then suddenly froze.
Out of the corner of his eye, something... moved. A white claw stretched out from a narrow alley beside them, large and unnatural. And then, its head appeared.
It wore a white bony mask.
Ichigo's breath caught in his throat. This wasn't any animal he knew. The thing drooled, and a raspy voice echoed from beneath the mask. "I smell it… so close… something delicious…"
"Oi! You two! Get outta here!" Ichigo barked, backing away quickly.
"Hah? You think I'll fall for that lame trick?" Noma stepped forward, blocking the alley.
"Bakayaro—!" Ichigo started, but it was too late.
With a blur of motion, the monster's claw swatted Noma like a fly, sending him crashing into a nearby wall.
"Aniki!" the younger delinquent screamed, frozen in place.
Ichigo broke out in a cold sweat. The monster's gaze was now locked onto him.
"So I'm the target, huh…"
Ichigo turned and ran.
'Crap. What the hell is that thing!? It's not just a ghost… Is it after me because I can see spirits?!'
He had always been able to see ghosts, but this was on a whole other level. The creature behind him was no ordinary spirit — it was a Hollow. Though Ichigo didn't know the term yet, his instincts screamed danger.
He weaved through narrow streets and alleys, trying to use his knowledge of the area to stay ahead, but the Hollow was fast — far too fast.
'Dammit… if this keeps up, I'm toast...'
Then—
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
A voice rang out from the shadows, clear and authoritative. A burst of red light exploded against the Hollow's leg.
The beast howled, collapsing to one knee.
Ichigo turned, stunned, just in time to see a young man in a black shihakushō step into view. His presence was calm but commanding.
He drew a katana — longer and more spiritual than a normal blade. A Zanpakutō.
With one clean swing, the blade sliced through the Hollow. The creature shrieked as its body began to glow and then dissolved into the wind, particles of light floating away into the night sky.
Ichigo stood frozen, his breath catching in his throat.
"W-What… the hell was that thing?"
...
From a rooftop not far away, a second figure had been watching. The one who had fired the Kido earlier — Amamiya Miyako — had just returned from Naruki City after receiving an alert on his Soul Pager. Without a moment's hesitation, he rushed to Karakura Town.
As soon as he saw the target of the Hollow's attack, his heart skipped a beat.
'So that really was Kurosaki Ichigo... Still in middle school, huh?' he noted, taking in Ichigo's dark school uniform.
Even from a distance, Miyako could feel the dense Reiryoku radiating from the orange-haired boy. No wonder a Hollow had been drawn to him.
'Tch… and so it begins,' Miyako thought grimly.
He leapt down from the roof and landed lightly in front of Ichigo, holding up a small device issued by the Shinigami Research and Development Institute — a Kikanshinki.
"Sorry, kid. You weren't supposed to see that," Miyako muttered. He pressed a button, and the device began flashing rapidly.
"Oi, what the hell?! What's with the camera?!" Ichigo shouted, covering his eyes.
Miyako kept snapping shots with the flash, expecting Ichigo to slump over, his memories erased.
But nothing happened.
"…Eh?" Miyako blinked. "Oi oi, don't tell me it's busted…"
He gave the device a good shake and tried again. Still nothing.
"Yare yare… Is this what happens when someone has this much Reiryoku?" he mumbled.
Ichigo, growing irritated, slapped the device out of Miyako's hand.
"Oi, knock it off already! What was that monster just now?! Who are you?! What's going on?!"
Miyako let out a sigh. "Tch… you're noisy."
He pocketed the device and turned away.
"Listen up, Kurosaki-san. Next time you see something like that, run the other way. That's all I'll say."
"Oi! Don't just walk away!" Ichigo yelled, taking a step forward.
But in that instant, Miyako vanished.
High-speed movement — Shunpō.
Truth was, Miyako didn't want too much contact with Ichigo. If Aizen was already keeping tabs on this "treasured son," then any lingering would only draw suspicion.
'As long as Sentarō Kotsubaki-san — the Fourth Seat stationed here — recovers soon, things should quiet down,' Miyako thought as he moved quickly across Karakura's rooftops. 'I'll have to erase that other guy's memory too… poor guy.'
Back on the street, Ichigo scratched his head roughly.
"Dammit…" he muttered. Ever since he could remember, he'd been able to see ghosts. But this? This was on another level. The creature from before had triggered something deep in his memory… something he hadn't wanted to remember.
The day his mother died.
That blurred shape.
That clawed arm reaching toward him…
'That thing… was it the same?'
Ichigo clenched his fists and walked toward home with heavy steps.
Thankfully, days passed after that encounter without another incident. No more Hollows, no strange men in black, no bizarre attacks.
But Ichigo couldn't forget.
Meanwhile, Miyako stood outside Karakura General Hospital, where Ishida Ryūken worked. He didn't go inside. Instead, he stood beneath a streetlight for a moment, silent.
'Now isn't the time yet, Kurosaki-san,' he thought, adjusting the hilt of his Zanpakutō. 'Please wait a little longer. You and I both still need time.'
Amamiya Miyako's thoughts turned inward as he considered his next move. He would need Fourth Seat Sentarō Kotsubaki to stay alert and aware.
The humans in Karakura Town who possess reishi cannot have their memories erased. It's imperative they don't witness the existence of Hollows.
Clad in a black robe, Amamiya Miyako paused briefly outside the hospital where Ishida Ryūken resided. Then, without a sound, he vanished.