'Don't die, don't want to die, live on, no matter who, cannot take my/your life…'
In her dream, there was a similar voice again. After joining the True Spiritual Arts Academy for some time, a voice constantly 'harassed' Amamiya Miyako.
Amamiya Miyako recalled the plot of the Shinigami world and guessed that this might be related to Zanpakuto. A similar case was Tōshirō Hitsugaya; a voice called to him before he became a Shinigami, and she might be in a similar situation.
'Tōshirō Hitsugaya, as the youngest Captain in Soul Society, his talent is imaginable. However, such a genius was easily manipulated by Aizen. If I am in the same situation and Aizen discovers me, he might friendly display his Kyōka Suigetsu in front of me.' Amamiya Miyako thought to herself, but demonstrating talent early also had its advantages, which was to improve her strength until she had enough self-preservation ability before the Thousand-Year Blood War began.
Opening her eyes, Amamiya Miyako woke up in her True Spiritual Arts Academy dormitory and found that it was still early, but she had no desire to sleep. Today was a special day; the True Spiritual Arts Academy was distributing Asauchi to all students today, which made Amamiya Miyako a little impatient.
"Listen up, the Asauchi are only temporarily lent to you. If you don't successfully graduate after the next six years, the True Spiritual Arts Academy will reclaim the distributed Asauchi. Only those who truly graduate and join the Gotei 13 can truly possess an Asauchi and become a true Shinigami."
"In the days to come, all of you must live and sleep with this 'Asauchi.' By accumulating refinement, you will engrave the essence of your soul into the Asauchi, thus creating 'your own Zanpakuto.' However, those who can transform an Asauchi into a Zanpakuto are well-known figures in Soul Society. Some people may never obtain their own true Zanpakuto in their entire lives, so you must treat your Asauchi well."
The True Spiritual Arts Academy teacher in charge of distributing the Asauchi said to the students on the stage. Behind him, a row of "Asauchi" resembling Japanese samurai swords was placed. Everyone's eyes were fixed on these Asauchi, wishing they could pick them up right now.
As the Asauchi were distributed, it was soon Amamiya Miyako's turn. Amamiya Miyako calmly picked up the Asauchi in front of her.
"Are you the only one with fifth-rank reishi this time? You must treat your Asauchi seriously," the True Spiritual Arts Academy teacher in charge of distribution looked at Amamiya Miyako.
"Yes, I understand, I will treat it seriously." Amamiya Miyako was not surprised. Fifth-rank reishi was enough for some people to remember her. In the days to come at the True Spiritual Arts Academy, she must not show too much talent. Caution, she must be cautious, Amamiya Miyako told herself.
"Next, I will tell you how to engrave the essence of your soul into the Asauchi, and better allow the Asauchi to record your soul…" After all the Asauchi were distributed, the teacher in charge began to teach everyone the key points about Asauchi transforming into Zanpakuto.
…
Back in the dormitory, Amamiya Miyako waited until everyone was asleep before taking out her Asauchi, sitting cross-legged on the bed, and placing the Asauchi on her lap to quietly sense it.
During the day, when Amamiya Miyako had just received the Asauchi, she noticed that the voice that had been bothering her for several months had become louder and clearer.
Amamiya Miyako did not enter deep meditation during the daytime instruction, so as not to do anything eye-catching. Now, however, was a good opportunity to understand the true source of the voice.
As her attention became deeply focused, Amamiya Miyako slowly lost consciousness…
When she opened her eyes again, Amamiya Miyako found herself in a room. Upon closer inspection, it was the same room from the Human World. The room's layout and the placement of objects were identical to what she had seen when she first regained consciousness.
"Why is it this place…? Am I in my inner world right now?" Amamiya Miyako walked towards the window, but found that outside the window was a void, not the street she had seen in the Human World.
"You should understand why it's this place, why all the objects are exactly the same as they were then…" A voice suddenly came from behind, causing Amamiya Miyako to quickly turn around and look at the owner of the voice.
It was a black-haired, blue-eyed boy. He appeared to be no older than ten, dressed in a white robe, with his arms crossed. On his right wrist hung a Quincy Cross pendant. The boy looked at Amamiya Miyako, waiting for her answer.
"Are you my Zanpakuto? Even if I just engraved the essence of my soul, it wouldn't transform the Asauchi that quickly, would it?" Amamiya Miyako asked. She didn't understand. Even if she was truly gifted, it shouldn't lead to Shikai on the first infusion of essence.
"Zanpakuto… Hmph, I'm not a Zanpakuto right now. I'm just using this Asauchi to have a chance to meet you. Who I am, the voice in your heart should have told you, right? After all, you understand what that voice represents, don't you?" The black-haired boy in white did not intend to answer in too much detail, only giving vague replies.
Amamiya Miyako recalled the recent anomalies. At first, she thought she was like Tōshirō Hitsugaya, hearing the call of a Zanpakuto, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
Upon careful reflection, she realized that this voice was very similar to the voice Amamiya Miyako heard just before regaining consciousness in the Human World. Without exception, these voices all represented an emotion, just like her reply to Ishida Ryūken's words…
"That's right, I'm not going to keep you guessing. You know, you've essentially died once already. But before you died, your desire to live, your unwilling will, awakened the hidden power within that original body. You know, don't you?"
"…Is it the Quincy's power?" That was the only possibility, Amamiya Miyako replied.
"Hahaha, that's right, I am that power. But don't you have any doubts? How could you, a mixed-blood Quincy, have survived? Yhwach is not a benevolent fellow. The Holy Selection reclaims the power of all mixed-blood Quincy, including their souls. Why did only 'you' survive in soul form?"
Amamiya Miyako began to frown. Her previous guess was not wrong. The deceased who could attract Ishida Ryūken to investigate could only be a mixed-blood Quincy after the Holy Selection, and she was the only surviving "dead person." But why did she become the special one?
"There's one other person, like you. No, I should say he's even more special than you, after all, he's the only mixed-blood Quincy who wasn't affected by the Holy Selection."
"Ishida Uryū!" Amamiya Miyako was startled, thinking of the truly special person.
"That's right, Ishida Uryū," the black-haired boy in white smiled and said to Amamiya Miyako, "Then you should understand, shouldn't you, the power I represent?"
"Antithesis, Ishida Uryū's unawakened Sternritter, which allowed him to successfully avoid the effects of the Holy Selection. Similarly, you, too, are my Sternritter…" Amamiya Miyako finally understood. Those unwilling wills had successfully activated a trace of her Sternritter's power, allowing her soul to survive even though her physical body died.
"Sternritter, huh… That's not wrong to say. You're really lucky. At the brink of death, you successfully called forth a trace of my power, allowing your soul to survive. Originally, if you hadn't touched the Asauchi, I would have remained silently within you for my entire existence, but because of the Asauchi, I finally had the opportunity to gain my own will and converse with you."
"Then, what is your 'Sternritter' power? Why can it protect my soul from being affected?" Amamiya Miyako frowned. She knew her Sternritter power must not be simple, otherwise her soul would have perished along with her body long ago.
"Heh heh, as for that, I'll leave it for you to discover yourself. One day you'll need my power, after all, you're aiming to be a Shinigami now, aren't you? Shinigami should gain power in a 'Shinigami' way, shouldn't they?"
After the black-haired boy in white finished speaking, he gradually turned into smoke and disappeared. Then, the room also began to blur.
Amamiya Miyako felt a dizzy spell, her consciousness gradually fading…