After releasing her Shikai, Rukia-san closed in swiftly, her movements as elegant as falling snow. The air around her shimmered with biting cold—the unmistakable aura of Sode no Shirayuki.
"Yare yare… she's not holding back at all," Amamiya Miyako muttered as he used Shunpo to maneuver away. Though his arrows gave him good range, the icy mist creeping in from Rukia-san's Zanpakutō made the battlefield feel much smaller.
"Sode no Shirayuki"… the most beautiful ice-type Zanpakutō in Soul Society, Miyako thought. It couldn't manipulate water vapor as freely as Hyōrinmaru, but anything her blade or cold air touched could be frozen instantly. That alone made her dangerous.
He kept firing to suppress her approach. If she got too close, it would be over. Rukia-san clicked her tongue in frustration. She had already used her First Dance: Shirayuki no Mai (First Dance: White Snow) once, but Miyako had figured out the technique's range. It wouldn't surprise him again.
Tch. I still have the Third Dance… but using San no Mai: Shirafune (Third Dance: White Sword) would eat up too much of my reiryoku, Rukia-san thought.
"Hadō #26: Fushibi," she chanted, slamming her palm into the ground. Flames erupted and swallowed Miyako's arrows mid-flight. She vanished with Shunpo, trying to close the distance.
"Tch… nice try." Miyako flicked his wrist, firing two arrows in front of her rather than directly at her. Then he began to chant.
"Hadō #20: Shōtenkō," he muttered.
The two reishi arrows suddenly burst with blinding light.
"Kuh—my eyes?!" Rukia instinctively turned her head. She had avoided the arrows, suspecting something was off—but she hadn't expected this. Shōtenkō didn't need a direct hit. The burst of light could disorient even the most seasoned Shinigami.
"Now," Miyako said, eyes sharp.
He raised his bow and began gathering energy. In moments, the reishi compressed into one massive arrow.
"Hikari no Ame (Rain of Light)!"
He released the shot. Mid-air, the arrow shattered into dozens of streaks, raining reishi down like a meteor shower.
Rukia's eyes narrowed as she sensed the multiple incoming signals.
"Tch... Tsugi no Mai: Hakuren!" she called. "Next Dance: White Ripple"
Cold air surged forward from her blade, a giant wave of frost that swallowed the falling arrows and froze them mid-flight. The field glittered with white shards.
But Miyako was already on the move.
"His reiryoku… it vanished?!" Rukia gasped.
"It didn't vanish," came a voice behind her, "I simply hid it."
Miyako reappeared behind her. His bow was gone. In his hands were two blades—his Zanpakutō in full Shikai form. The air around them crackled with restrained energy.
"What…? When did you—?!" Rukia turned just in time to raise Sode no Shirayuki.
Miyako didn't let up. One blade deflected her parry, the other slicing forward—just inches from her neck.
"Checkmate," Miyako smirked.
"Damn it…" Rukia muttered, staring at the edge of his Zanpakutō. He really is quick to adapt…
Truth was, Miyako felt just as uneasy. If I kept firing from afar, she'd eventually catch me with a long-range attack. But going in with my twin blades let me shut down her freezing radius.
He sighed, lowering his weapons. Still, fighting with both a bow and swords in Shikai… I really wish I could use both at once. That'd be ideal.
"Looks like I win this round," he said, sheathing his swords. "You've improved, Rukia-san, but there's still a little gap between us."
Ugh…" Rukia groaned, clutching her shoulder. Her face was slightly flushed—not just from exertion, but maybe a little from frustration too. "Your fighting style is seriously unpredictable. It's nothing like what they teach at Shin'ō Academy…"
"I'll take that as a compliment," Miyako replied with a cheeky grin.
Unlike the stiff, textbook-trained Shinigami, Amamiya Miyako moved with a rhythm of his own. When power was evenly matched, it was the unexpected that determined victory.
"Still," he continued, tilting his head thoughtfully, "Sode no Shirayuki… doesn't it have more techniques? I've only seen Some no mai, Tsukishiro and Tsugi no mai, Hakuren. Aren't there more?"
Rukia nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's a third—San no mai, Shirafune. It's a decisive move... but it consumes a lot of reiryoku. Unless I'm sure it'll land, it's too risky."
"Hmm," Miyako murmured. "Your Zanpakutō's elegant, but mine just happens to be a bad match for it."
"If Sode no Shirayuki could generate ice like Captain Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru, I'd have frozen you already," Rukia muttered with a pout.
Miyako chuckled, then leaned back against a tree, arms folded. "By the way, Rukia-san, have you really seen the ability of my Zanpakutō?"
"You mean Shinya Zetsunen?" Rukia tilted her head. "Isn't it just forming reiryoku arrows and altering them mid-flight? That's what you've done every time."
Miyako smirked. "That's only spiritual manipulation. Those are just... warmups. Not Shinya Zetsunen's true power."
"What?!" Rukia's jaw dropped. "You've been holding back this whole time?"
"I want you to remember something important." Miyako's tone turned serious. "Never show all your cards in a fight. Don't reveal your Zanpakutō's full ability unless you're sure you'll win. Keeping the enemy guessing is your greatest weapon."
Rukia blinked, taken aback. "That's... the first time anyone's said that to me."
"Think about it. Have you ever seen Captain Ukitake use his full Zanpakutō ability?"
"Well, no, but that's because he's sick…"
"And Captain Kyōraku?"
"…Not really either…"
Miyako leaned forward. "Then why is it you're so eager to shout out your techniques every time you draw your blade?"
Rukia went quiet.
"Let's put Captain Aizen aside for now. In short, Rukia, do not reveal your Zanpakuto's abilities to the enemy during battle. Before you confirm that the enemy is not completely defeated, honestly keep your mouth shut. ?"
"Eh? But Captain Aizen's Shikai—he even gave us a demonstration…"
He stared hard at Rukia. "You lost to me just now because I already knew most of what your Sode no Shirayuki could do."
"Tch…" Rukia's expression twisted with irritation. "So annoying. I get it already, okay? I won't blab about my techniques anymore."
"But even after all that talk," she said, giving him a suspicious glare, "you still haven't told me what your Shikai does."
Miyako smiled faintly. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Hmph, keeping secrets now? How mysterious…" Rukia muttered, crossing her arms.
"The day'll come when you'll see it for yourself. And when that happens…" He trailed off, hiding a dangerous glint in his eye. After all, Shinya Zetsunen's true power wasn't something he could casually show anyone—not with Aizen still watching from the shadows.
"But that's for another time. For now, let's keep training. Watching your Zanpakutō in action gave me a few ideas."
"Eh? My Sode no Shirayuki?" Rukia blinked, holding her blade curiously.
But before Miyako could explain, a low growl echoed through the forest clearing.
Grrrrnnn.
"…That was your stomach, wasn't it?" Miyako deadpanned.
Rukia's face went red immediately. "I-it's not like I'm hungry or anything!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Rukia-san, your ears are turning bright red."
"Sh-shut up!" she shouted, stomping away toward her bag. "Let's eat first, then we train!"
Watching her flustered retreat, Miyako chuckled softly. Yare yare… Rukia-chan really doesn't change.
He gazed up at the swaying treetops, letting the breeze wash over him. Another day of training, another step forward.