"Sou ka... So it's finally time." Amamiya Miyako muttered as he looked at the blinking alert on his Denreishinki. He let out a quiet sigh, brushing some stray hair from his face.
The message was clear—his recall order from Soul Society had officially arrived. His mission in the Human World would soon be reassigned to another Shinigami.
"Guess I should go say goodbye," Miyako murmured, slinging his Zanpakutō over his shoulder. He had planned to bid farewell to Ishida Ryūken after today's training. The intense battles and drills over the past several days had taught him much—not just in theory, but in practice.
Though Miyako hadn't yet mastered the Quincy techniques Ryūken had demonstrated, he had committed every detail to memory. The older Quincy hadn't held anything back. If anything, it felt less like being taught techniques and more like being handed the mindset of a warrior.
Ryūken-san's reiryoku control was incredibly refined—subtle, unpredictable, like a craftsman shaping air itself. Just watching him fight had given Miyako countless ideas. Slowly, he had started developing a combat rhythm unique to himself.
Then, his Denreishinki buzzed violently—spiking reiryoku levels. Hollow alert.
Miyako's expression sharpened.
"Hmm... Karakura Town?" he muttered in confusion. "What's going on over there? Sentarō Kotsubaki is still stationed there, isn't he?"
Something felt off.
— Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, Sentarō Kotsubaki stood facing a familiar monster.
"You're really showing yourself in broad daylight this time? Not skulking around like last time?" Kotsubaki said, voice low, Zanpakutō already drawn.
Standing before him, grinning with malice, was none other than Grand Fisher—the Hollow that had ambushed him not long ago. But this time, the Hollow wasn't hiding. It was standing tall, as if eager for a fair fight.
"Che... yare yare daze," Kotsubaki cracked his knuckles. "Then I won't hold back this time."
He lifted his blade. "Tsuchinamazu... Rise and rumble!"
(As of now, Sentarō Kotsubaki's Shikai release phrase (and the name of his Zanpakutō) has not been officially revealed in the Bleach manga, anime, novels, or databooks.)
His Zanpakutō transformed instantly—reshaping into a wide, ringed blade adorned with tiny bells. The air trembled slightly as his spiritual pressure surged.
"Oi, Shinigami," Grand Fisher snarled, "Where's that brat who stabbed me last time? Bring him out! I don't let anyone get the drop on me—ever! I do the ambushing!"
"You? You're just a third-rate ambusher," Kotsubaki said with a smirk. "Ain't no need for backup. I'll take care of you myself."
He crouched low and slammed the flat of his blade into the ground. "Let's see you crawl out of this."
BOOM!
The earth rumbled. A sudden tremor surged through the pavement beneath Grand Fisher, and with a deafening crack, the ground buckled. Tall earthen pillars erupted around the Hollow, locking its limbs in place.
"What the—!?" Grand Fisher growled as it was pinned. "What is this!?"
"This," Kotsubaki said proudly, "is the power of Tsuchinamazu."
But just as Kotsubaki closed in to strike—
SWOOSH!
A claw burst from the ground beneath his feet.
"NANI!?" Kotsubaki gasped. A white Hollow limb—completely separate from the one sealed—lunged for him, snaring his side. Grand Fisher's mocking laugh echoed from the earth.
"BAKANA...! That was just a decoy!" Kotsubaki snarled, trying to tear away.
"Hahahahaha!" Grand Fisher howled. "You still can't sense underground reiryoku, huh? That's your weakness, Shinigami! You thought you trapped me, but I've already adapted!"
Kotsubaki gritted his teeth. "Kisama…"
As another claw swiped toward him, he raised his blade in desperation. Spiritual energy surged as he coated it in pure reiryoku. With a cry, he cleaved off the attacking limb—but not before the second claw pierced through his side.
Blood splattered across the pavement.
"Guh—!"
Kotsubaki stumbled back, clutching his wound. He shakily reached for his Denreishinki and sent out a distress signal.
...
By the time Miyako arrived, the scene was a mess.
Kotsubaki Sentarō was bleeding, barely standing, facing off against the monstrous Grand Fisher. Miyako's brows furrowed as he analyzed the Hollow's spiritual pressure.
"Yare yare... didn't I warn him last time?"
But something felt off. Miyako narrowed his eyes, focusing his senses.
"No... this reiatsu… it's stronger than before."
He immediately recognized the familiar yet altered spiritual pressure. It was Grand Fisher—but different.
'He's evolved…? No, this is more than that. Did Aizen do something to him?' Miyako thought grimly.
He remembered that Grand Fisher's true form was an Arrancar, but the timing had always been unclear. Perhaps now was the moment he had fully embraced that evolution—or at least, was adjusting to his newfound power.
Seeing Sentarō-san on the verge of collapse, Miyako decided to act. He silently raised a finger, gathering reiatsu.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō."
The crimson orb surged from his fingertip, flying without incantation toward Grand Fisher. Since mastering Shikai, Miyako's control over Kidō had improved drastically, allowing for chantless spells without sacrificing power.
But the strange lure atop Grand Fisher's head twitched unnaturally—dodging at the last moment.
"Hah! You think the same trick will work on me twice, you damn brat?" Grand Fisher snarled, turning his grotesque gaze toward Miyako.
Upon seeing his target, the Hollow completely ignored Sentarō-san and lunged toward Miyako instead.
"Is that so?" Miyako smirked. "Then let's see if you'll still run away like a coward this time."
Without waiting, he turned and took off into the trees, making sure the battle stayed far from the wounded Shinigami.
"Amamiya-san, be careful!" Sentarō-san called out hoarsely. "Its spiritual pressure—it's stronger than before!"
"I know, Sentarō-san," Miyako replied calmly, not looking back.
Behind him, Sentarō-san collapsed, blood leaking from multiple wounds. "Now I'm really... seriously injured… Please win this, Amamiya-san…"
Miyako darted into the forest and came to a sudden halt. He spun around and waited, standing in the dappled light between the trees.
"Oh? Why aren't you running anymore, little Shinigami?" Grand Fisher taunted, stepping into view.
"Running? Don't flatter yourself, Hollow," Miyako replied coolly. "I only moved us away to keep Sentarō-san safe. You won't find me turning my back now."
Grand Fisher laughed, voice sharp and cruel. "No matter. After I rip you apart, I'll go back and finish off your little friend."
Miyako tilted his head slightly. "Is that your confidence talking? Or your stupidity?"
"Keh! Killing a runt like you is child's play!"
"I'll make this quick," Miyako muttered. "I don't want to damage the Human World."
He reached for his hips, drawing twin blades from either side of his waist. The air around him shifted slightly as he whispered his shikai release phrase.
"…"
In a flash of reishi, his Zanpakutō transformed into a long white bow formed of spiritual energy, with four glowing arrow-like projections orbiting it.
Grand Fisher blinked. "A bow?! You're a Shinigami—what kind of Zanpakutō is that?!"
Miyako raised the bow with one hand, calm and focused. He didn't draw a string. The floating reishi arrows shot forward with precision—two from the front, two curving behind.
"Tch, you missed!" Grand Fisher cackled. "Are you blind or just pathetic?"
"No…" Miyako's voice remained steady. "You're exactly where I want you."
Grand Fisher hesitated as he glanced at the glowing arrows embedded in the earth around him—perfectly positioned to form a square.
"What... is this?"
The four points pulsed, threads of light linking them in a geometric web. An eerie hum resonated through the forest.
"You've stepped into a trap," Miyako said quietly. "Seinaru Kamikui—Holy Bite."
The glowing formation erupted.
A pillar of white light exploded upward, engulfing Grand Fisher. The Hollow shrieked in agony, its grotesque form flailing within the energy field before its cries faded into silence.
Miyako lowered his hand, letting the bow dissolve. He didn't release his Shikai longer than necessary. Maintaining it was exhausting—and flashy.
Walking toward the smoldering clearing, he inspected the aftermath. Grand Fisher's massive body was sprawled out, the ground scorched and twisted beneath it.
But something wasn't right.
The tentacle-lure on its head—gone.
Miyako frowned, kneeling beside the body. There was a clear, fist-sized hole nearby, leading into the shadows of the forest floor.
"...Did it swap bodies with the lure and escape…?"
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Looks like Shiba Isshin-san will have to take care of it next time."
Still, the battle wasn't a total loss. It had been Miyako's first time using Seinaru Kamikui in combat against a Hollow—and its speed and precision had exceeded expectations. Even if it didn't kill Grand Fisher completely, it had crippled him.
He was confident Grand Fisher wouldn't recognize or understand the technique, even if they met again.
Miyako exhaled deeply. "Yare yare… What a pain…"
Now that the fight was over, his thoughts turned back to Sentarō-san. He wasn't in good shape when Miyako left him.
"I should get back and check on him."
With that, Amamiya Miyako vanished in a flash step, heading back toward his injured comrade.