For the past few days, Amamiya Miyako had stepped into his inner world every day, crossing blades with his Zanpakutō spirit. But no matter how many times they clashed, the results were the same—utter defeat.
"Tch… yare yare… he knows my Shikai's abilities like the back of his hand…" Miyako muttered.
The spirit's Zanjutsu outclassed his own. Even if he tried tricks, they were read instantly. The gap felt like a canyon.
Taking a deep breath, Miyako decided to ease up on Shikai training for now. Instead, he dove into the combat theory and manuals Captain Ukitake had provided him.
The Quincy records, as expected, only covered the conflict two hundred years ago—nothing from before that. He would need to visit the Shiba again one day… but only when the timing was perfect.
"Hadō no. 63: Raikōhō… Hadō no. 73: Sōren Sōkatsui…" Miyako murmured, eyes scanning through pages thick with Kidō incantations and diagrams.
"Kidō knowledge?" a familiar voice asked.
Miyako glanced up. "Ah, Rukia-san. Yeah… Captain Ukitake gave me this. I figured it's time I really study it."
Rukia placed her hands on her hips, a small, proud smile on her face. "Heh. When it comes to Kidō, I'm pretty confident, you know."
"Oh? Now you've got me curious, Rukia-san. Which ones have you mastered?"
"For Hadō, I've already learned Sōren Sōkatsui," she replied with a hint of pride. "For Bakudō, I can use Hyapporankan. And for Kaidō, my healing skills are… decent. Though I can't match the Fourth Division's pros."
"That's amazing, Rukia-san!" Miyako leaned forward. "Who taught you all this?"
Rukia's expression softened. "Some from Kaien-fukutaichō before… and some from my onii-sama."
"Kuchiki-taichō? Huh… I guess he's not as distant toward you as I thought."
Rukia's gaze drifted to the side. "I don't really understand him. He's always so cold… yet sometimes he does things like this. Maybe he just doesn't want me to disgrace the Kuchiki name."
Miyako didn't comment further. He knew Byakuya-taichō's pride ran deep; unless fate pushed him, he wouldn't easily reveal his heart.
"Still…" Miyako flipped a page and sighed. "The Bakudō I want most isn't here. And I doubt you know it either."
"Oh? Try me. I know more than half of them," Rukia shot back, slightly indignant.
"Bakudō no. 81: Dankū."
Rukia's eyes widened. "Baka! Dankū is an extremely high-level barrier Kidō. The spiritual pressure needed is massive. Without Captain-class reiatsu, it's weak at best—or impossible to cast."
"Yes, yes, I know," Miyako waved it off with a sigh.
"Once is enough!" she scolded. Then, with a glint in her eyes, she smirked. "Miyako, forget the books. Let's go straight into practice. I'll teach you in a fight."
"Practice? I haven't even memorized them yet."
"No problem. I'll teach you mid-battle—the incantations, traits, weaknesses. But…"
"But?" Miyako asked warily.
"No Shikai," Rukia said sweetly.
Miyako's eyebrow twitched. "You just want to get back at me, don't you?"
"Oh, Miyako-kun, you're imagining things," Rukia replied, her tone pure nobility. "Do I look like that kind of person?"
Yes, he thought instantly.
"Ahem… I think I'll just—" Miyako picked up his study materials and started edging away.
Too late.
"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!" Rukia's voice rang sharp, and in an instant, a rope of golden light shot out, wrapping around the papers in his hands. With a practiced flick, she yanked them free and pulled them into her grasp.
"Oi, oi, Rukia-san…" Miyako muttered, watching her close her eyes and smile like a cat that had just stolen the cream.
"I… I get it," he sighed. That expression left no room for escape.
The two stood in the open clearing of Mt. Koifushi. Tall trees surrounded them like silent witnesses, their leaves whispering in the wind. Miyako glanced around nervously.
"Rukia, let's not go overboard, okay? If your Kido burns half this place down, it'll be a real shame"
"Yare yare… you underestimate me, Miyako-san," she replied with a faint smirk. Hopping lightly to the opposite end of the clearing, she added, "Instead of worrying about the scenery, maybe worry about yourself?"
"Eh? Wait—why are you standing there? Aren't you going to demonstrate first?" Miyako asked, his voice an octave higher.
"No need," Rukia answered, her tone light but eyes sharp. "Nothing teaches Kido faster than experiencing it firsthand. And since you won't be using Shikai, I'm confident I can make this… educational."
"Oh no…" Miyako muttered under his breath.
Rukia's voice suddenly rang out, steady and sharp as steel. "Bones of the fallen, scatter into stardust!
Crimson crystal sword, ring of steel!
The moving wind, the still void!
The spear thrusts forward, paving the path to the castle of emptiness!!" Miyako's eyes widened—he recognized the rhythm of a full incantation.
"Hado #63: Raikōhō!"
A roaring sphere of golden lightning burst from Rukia's palm, crackling with lethal power.
"Oi oi oi! Time out—!"
"Don't even think about using Shunpo!" Rukia cut in, her voice commanding. "Block it with Kido, Miyako-san!"
He gritted his teeth. "Tch—Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!"
A glowing yellow disk of energy spun into existence before him, spiritual pressure surging as he pumped more reiryoku into the shield.
It wasn't enough.
The Raikōhō smashed into the barrier like a cannon blast, shattering it into motes of light. Miyako dove and rolled, the lightning grazing the ground behind him before shooting harmlessly into the sky.
"Oi, Rukia! If that had hit me, I'd be roasted!"
She flicked her hair back coolly. "Don't be so noisy. My healing Kido's decent—you'd live. Anyway, did you memorize the incantation just now?"
"Uh…" His silence was answer enough.
"Mou… you're hopeless," she sighed. "Then we'll just do it again. Listen closely this time!"
"Oi, you're definitely doing this on purpose!" Miyako thought bitterly, watching her start the incantation again.
Despite firing off a second Raikōhō, Rukia's tone shifted mid-attack into lecture mode. "The most important thing about Raikōhō is controlling the reiryoku flow—focus it in your palm before release, or the blast will scatter and weaken."
Lightning screamed toward him again.
"W-wait, I get it! I get it!" Miyako yelled, ducking behind a half-formed barrier.
"Hmm… shame. I was hoping you'd get a closer look," Rukia said, almost pouting. "Anyway—next move!"
"Eh? Matte, Rukia—!"
Too late. A new string of words left her lips, different from before.
The forest erupted with a fresh explosion, shockwaves shaking the branches overhead. Birds shrieked in protest, taking to the skies in a chaotic flurry.
From somewhere inside the smoke, Miyako coughed. "This… is definitely revenge…"
Rukia's silhouette emerged through the haze, hands on her hips, smiling like a teacher satisfied with her pupil's "progress."
"Lesson one, Miyako-san—Kido is best learned through the body. Yours will remember this training… even if your mind doesn't."