Is Zetsun's power useless against him too…? Or maybe… this is already his own power, so it doesn't affect him at all. Miyako-kun thought quietly, narrowing his eyes. And those twin swords… tch, is that Zetsun's true form?
Amamiya Miyako had never unleashed the true ability of his Zanpakutō—not in the Seireitei, not in the Human World. This clash inside his inner world was the first time he had dared to reveal it.
On the surface, his Shikai's ability seemed to be simple—manipulating reishi for combat. But that was only the surface. The truth was far more layered.
Normally, the reishi under his control was limited to his own body—internal spiritual pressure finely tuned to deadly precision. This alone made most opponents misjudge him. If they assumed that was his limit, he could suddenly seize reishi in the atmosphere, fighting like a Quincy but without their weaknesses.
And if an enemy assumed he was simply mimicking Quincy techniques, he could reveal his Zanpakutō's true ability at a critical moment… a move that had turned more than one battle in his favor.
That was why Miyako-kun never exposed his Shikai's real secret unless absolutely necessary.
But now… there was something even more important gnawing at him.
His gaze dropped to the faint image of the twin swords embedded in his inner world's "floor." Don't tell me… the bow and arrow I've been using… that's only a partial Shikai? He had a sinking suspicion that the white-haired youth's re-forged twin blades were the actual Shikai form.
"Yare yare…" Miyako-kun muttered to himself, rubbing his temple. This again—his Zanpakutō knew his fighting style perfectly, yet he knew almost nothing about its full capabilities. An entirely one-sided battle.
Then again, the path to a true name release was always like this—a process of struggling, failing, and slowly learning the will of one's blade.
But if he was going to overcome this, he couldn't just rely on tricks. He needed fundamentals. Zanpakutō mastery wasn't just about spirit—it required skill in all four Shinigami combat forms: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpō, and Kidō.
And there was one captain in particular who could teach him those arts without hesitation—Ukitake-taichō.
"I wonder…" Miyako murmured, "…if I can achieve full Shikai before… that day comes—before Aizen defects from the Seireitei."
That thought set his pulse racing. He had neither the strength nor the excuse to involve himself in Urahara Kisuke's affairs in the Human World… and if Aizen came for him now, he would be nothing but dust on the wind.
And yet… deep in his gut, Miyako knew certain events were inevitable. Whether by the will of fate or the hand of the Soul King himself, Kuchiki Rukia granting Kurosaki Ichigo Shinigami powers would happen. No one—not even him—could stop it.
When Ichigo and his companions invaded the Seireitei, the Gotei 13's losses had been minimal in the original flow of events. But the Thousand-Year Blood War… that was another matter entirely.
The thought made his grip tighten. Fear of death? No… it's not just that. I need power. Power to protect… and power to act without anyone else holding me back.
....
The next morning, in the quiet halls of the Thirteenth Division, Captain Ukitake looked up to see Miyako-kun approaching.
"Ah, Miyako-kun, you're here. That's great!" Ukitake said warmly. "Come to help with squad duties? They're over here."
"Cough, cough—Ukitake-taichō, I'm not here for paperwork." Miyako-kun waved a hand, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Eh?"
"Actually, I already spoke to Kiyone-chan and Sentarō-san yesterday. We decided to split the duties from now on."
Ukitake turned his gaze toward the two lieutenants, who stood at attention and said brightly, "Don't worry, Captain! We'll handle all the squad duties. Miyako-san has… more important matters to take care of."
The captain blinked, clearly thinking, How did they get tricked into agreeing to this in just one day?
"…Then, Miyako-kun," Ukitake asked, "what brings you here?"
"Captain," Amamiya Miyako said seriously, "I'd like to know where I can study more advanced techniques in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō."
"Ah… so that's what this is about." Ukitake's expression softened with understanding.
(This guy… still pushing himself so hard.)
"In Soul Society, the greatest collection of knowledge is in the Great Spirit Library Annex," Ukitake explained. "But access is… heavily restricted. Ordinary shinigami aren't allowed inside without Central 46's permission."
He tilted his head in thought. "That said, if it's purely knowledge of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō, most Captains and the great noble houses have valuable archives. I could teach you some myself, though…" He coughed lightly, the strain in his voice clear. "…you can see my health isn't suited for long training sessions."
He tapped his chin. "Theoretical knowledge, though… give me a few days. I'll gather whatever I can for you."
"You'd really do that for me? You're a great help, Captain Ukitake."
"This is nothing," Ukitake replied warmly. "As a Captain, I'm proud to see my division members grow stronger."
Miyako hesitated for a moment, then added, "There's one more thing, Captain Ukitake."
"Oh? What is it?"
"…It's about the Quincy."
At that word, Ukitake's expression sharpened, if only for a brief second. "The Quincy? Why do you want to know about them?"
"Captain, you've seen my Shikai, haven't you? You know how… unusual it is."
Ukitake's mind went back to that battle — Miyako's bow-like Shikai, its reishi-based strikes. The form, the execution… similar to the Quincy's techniques, yet not quite the same.
"Miyako," Ukitake said carefully, "your Zanpakutō may look similar to a Quincy weapon, but I don't believe it's connected. Its nature is… different." He spoke with the calm of someone who had lived through the Quincy Purge over two centuries ago.
"You misunderstand, Captain," Miyako replied. "I'm not searching for a link between my Zanpakutō and the Quincy. I simply want to study their combat methods — hoping I might adapt some elements to further develop my Shikai."
It was a neat excuse. In truth, Miyako was here for two reasons: the first was indeed to collect theoretical knowledge of all four major combat disciplines; the second was to find any surviving Quincy records in Seireitei.
"I see…" Ukitake nodded slowly. "I'll try to gather what I can, but records about the Quincy are scarce. I can't promise much."
"I understand. Even so, I'm grateful, Captain."
"The Quincy are older than most think," Ukitake continued. "There have been mentions of them since the earliest days of the Gotei 13. These days, perhaps only the Four Great Noble Houses have reliable records."
"I didn't realize the history went that far back…" Miyako said aloud, feigning surprise.
Inside, however, his thoughts were sharp. (So… it really does go back a thousand years. And if the Four Noble Houses have records… then maybe…)
He remembered — there used to be a fifth great house.
The Shiba Clan.
If the Shiba had kept any of their old archives, there was a chance they possessed information on Yhwach's first invasion. In the original events, Shiba Isshin had told Kurosaki Ichigo about his mother's death — and had spoken Yhwach's name. That could only mean the Shiba once held knowledge of the Auswählen and the Quincy King himself.
For Miyako, that was a lead worth chasing… no matter the risk.