Amamiya Miyako slowly opened his eyes.
He had clearly heard it—the name of his Zanpakutō. His heart was still pounding with emotion, and the power now coursing through his soul felt more real than ever before.
Lowering his gaze to the Asauchi resting across his knees, he blinked in disbelief. That nameless sword had changed—no, it had awakened. What lay before him now was no longer just a sword.
"…What the heck…" Miyako muttered.
Because the blade had split into two.
Two standard-sized katana lay across his lap. Their blades gleamed faintly, and the hilts were marked by a black-and-white contrast—twin opposites in perfect balance.
Miyako picked up both blades, one in each hand, feeling their weight, their pull. "Oi oi… this isn't funny…" he said, eyebrows furrowed. "Don't tell me this is normal?"
"…No way it's over yet," he added quietly.
Taking a breath, he whispered the release phrase of his Zanpakutō.
The moment he did, his spiritual pressure surged like a tidal wave.
The twin blades began to glow and shift. They didn't act separately—instead, they pulled toward each other, fusing mid-air. The edges bent and lengthened, becoming a curved arc. The shape stretched outward, growing taut—
A bow.
A large, elegant bow now floated in his hand, pure white, with black patterns spiraling like veins across its surface. It gave off a quiet, but intimidating presence.
"…A bow…?" Miyako's voice trailed off.
He held it up and studied it in silence. This… this wasn't just Shikai. His Zanpakutō's true power—it still hid something deeper. This bow might only be one facet of its form.
But for now, he had more immediate concerns.
Standing up, Miyako drew back the bowstring. Reishi from the air rushed in, forming an arrow instantly. Unlike Rinkaku Jisō, which required conscious effort to gather spirit particles, the bow seemed to call them in on its own.
Yare yare… this is way easier than before.
He dismissed the arrow and tried again—this time forming one directly using his own spiritual energy. The process was just as smooth.
But this wasn't the time or place for full tests. In the Human World, he couldn't afford to fire blindly. The destructive potential was unknown. And who knew what his Zanpakutō's special ability really did?
Miyako released the bow form, allowing the reishi to disperse. The Zanpakutō reverted back into twin swords with a flash of light.
Just then, a familiar spiritual pressure approached at high speed.
"…Him?" Miyako muttered.
A second later, a voice called out, casual as always.
"Oi, Amamiya-san! I felt a crazy surge of reiatsu from Karakura Town—was that you?"
It was Sentarō Kotsubaki, a fellow Shinigami who spoke with little restraint.
Apparently, Kotsubaki had been lounging around Karakura's rooftops when he sensed a massive spiritual pressure erupting from nearby Naruki City. It was so intense, he thought a Menos Grande had emerged—or worse. Alarmed, he'd rushed over to find the source.
But when he arrived, the only one standing in the area was Amamiya Miyako… and the spiritual pressure had already vanished.
"Huh? That was mine?" Miyako scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Kotsubaki looked stunned. "It was huge, man! It totally disrupted the balance in the Human World. I thought the Dangai was about to open or something!"
Miyako laughed sheepishly. "Ahaha… sorry about that…"
He'd completely forgotten—Shinigami above seated officer level normally wear a Limiter Seal when assigned to the Human World, to prevent their spiritual pressure from disturbing the natural flow of souls. But since he wasn't assigned officially… he'd just let it loose.
"Yare yare da ze…" Miyako sighed.
Suddenly, Kotsubaki pointed at his waist, eyes wide.
"Hold up—two swords?! You have two Zanpakutō?!"
Now that the bow had vanished, the twin blades rested in plain sight at Miyako's side, black-and-white hilts glinting in the afternoon sun.
"No way… don't tell me you already know your Zanpakutō's true name?! And they're dual-type?"
Kotsubaki was visibly shaken.
Dual-sword Zanpakutō were incredibly rare. As far as Soul Society records went, only two existed: Katen Kyōkotsu, wielded by Kyoraku Shunsui, Captain of Squad Eight, and Sōgyo no Kotowari, the Zanpakutō of Ukitake Jūshirō, Captain of Squad Thirteen.
And now… a third?
Even more shocking was the dense wave of spiritual pressure he had felt moments ago—it was undeniably at fukutaichō (Vice Captain) level, maybe even higher.
"…Yeah. It was just a bit of luck," Amamiya Miyako replied, rubbing the back of his neck with modesty.
"Yare yare da ze…" Sentarō Kotsubaki sighed, scratching his head as he gave a crooked smile. "Rookies these days are something else."
Miyako blinked. "Eh? What do you mean by that?"
Sentarō Kotsubaki grew serious. "Miyako-san… your current reiatsu might already be exceeding the regulated threshold. The higher-ups in the Soul Society could be getting wind of it as we speak. If they confirm it…"
"…They'll recall me?" Miyako's face stiffened.
"Exactly. If you've gone over the line, they'll likely summon you back to Seireitei," Kotsubaki said. "You'd have to be fitted with a Gentei Reiin—the spiritual limiter—just like the Vice Captains, to prevent further disturbances in the Human World."
Miyako's brows furrowed.
But I'm still learning from Ishida Ryūken-san. If I'm recalled now…
Kotsubaki raised a hand. "I get it. But the Jigokuchō scouts pick up massive spiritual spikes like the one from your Shikai earlier. You know how rare dual Zanpakutō are, right? That kind of energy spike doesn't go unnoticed."
"…Tch. Should've worn that black cloak," Miyako muttered under his breath, recalling how Kisuke Urahara and the Visored usually cloaked their Shikai under a Kido barrier. But advanced barrier techniques weren't in his skillset—not yet.
He sighed. "Plans just can't keep up with the pace of reality…"
"Don't get too down, Miyako-san," Kotsubaki offered, his grin returning. "This could actually work in your favor."
"Huh? How so?"
"Isn't your goal the Vice Captain seat? I remember what you said when you first came here."
"…That's true." Miyako looked away, slightly embarrassed.
"Your spiritual pressure earlier? Let's just say you're already stronger than I am," Kotsubaki laughed lightly. "Use this chance. Get recalled, pass the test, earn your stripes."
Miyako remained silent, thinking it over. Maybe it was fate. If he couldn't continue learning Quincy techniques from Ryūken-san, perhaps returning to the Seireitei to deepen his mastery of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō was the right path after all.
"Arigatou, Kotsubaki-san," Miyako finally said, his voice more resolute. "I'll seriously consider your suggestion."
"Good! I'll see you back in Karakura Town sometime," Kotsubaki called as he turned to leave, vanishing in a blur of shunpo.
Miyako remained behind, gazing down at the twin Zanpakutō resting at his sides. He breathed deeply, trying to steady the tangle of thoughts in his mind.
'I'll have to explain everything to Ryūken-san soon…' he thought, scratching his head. 'Plans change, huh?'
He tightened his grip on one of the hilts.
'Still… with these blades, I finally have a way to protect myself.'