"Oi, Rukia, stop pulling already. I can walk on my own," Amamiya Miyako said with a sigh as she tugged at his sleeve. "We're already outside the Tenth Division, y'know."
"Hurry, hurry!" Rukia replied, practically dragging him forward. "I don't want Rangiku-san to get there before me!"
"Eh? Rangiku-san getting there first? What are you talking about?" Miyako asked, confused.
"It's the Gokon Tekkō!" Rukia explained, her eyes shining with determination. "Didn't you just say we'd need Gikongan and Gokon Tekkō for the mission in the Human World? Well, the most popular one among female Shinigami is Chappy the Rabbit! Last time, I couldn't get her while we were in the Human World… and I've been waiting for this chance ever since. This time, no matter what, I'll get her!"
Her face was already flushed red with excitement.
Miyako rubbed the back of his neck, finally remembering. "Ahh… right, that. Yare yare, you're really serious about this." He gave in with a small sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll come along too. Might as well buy a couple myself."
The two of them hurried toward the Twelfth Division. After all, both Gikongan and Gokon Tekkō were designed and sold through their department.
Because of Aizen's rebellion, there hadn't been as many Shinigami assignments to the Human World lately, so the scramble for these items wasn't as crazy as it used to be. Even so, Miyako thought it was ridiculous to rush for something like this. Still, seeing Rukia's blissful, almost childlike expression, he decided not to spoil her mood.
Soon enough, Rukia was holding up a small rabbit-shaped dispenser—the Chappy model she'd been talking about. She cradled it in her hands like it was a treasure.
Miyako blinked at the pink, round-eared mascot with an unreadable expression. …All I can think of is braised rabbit meat, he thought silently. He wisely kept it to himself—knowing if he said it out loud, Rukia would probably knock him flat.
...
Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, twilight filtered through the blinds of a sterile office.
Ishida Ryūken closed a folder, turning his sharp gaze toward his son. "Well, Uryū. Have you decided? Will you accept my condition?"
Uryū adjusted his glasses and answered after a pause. "…Yes. I will cut my ties with the Shinigami." His voice was firm, but inside, his thoughts were different.
If the Shinigami come to me, then it's not my problem. Besides, Kurosaki isn't even a Shinigami. He's just a human with Shinigami powers…
Ryūken's expression didn't soften. "I hope you're not lying to me."
He stood, walking past his son toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Uryū asked, frowning.
"Follow me," Ryūken said flatly. "I will restore your Quincy abilities."
Uryū's eyes widened. Restore his Quincy powers? He hesitated, but his curiosity and determination got the better of him, and he followed.
With Amamiya Miyako's earlier help, Uryū had been able to glimpse the possibility of regaining his strength even faster than in the original flow of events. But this was the decisive moment.
They descended into the depths of the hospital. In the basement, Ryūken unlocked an inconspicuous door, leading to a vast, white reishi space that stretched far beyond the dimensions of the building itself.
Uryū's eyes darted around, astonished. "This… this is?! The scale… it's far larger than the hospital itself! Is this like… Kisuke-san's underground training ground?"
He didn't realize that Quincies, too, had techniques for constructing their own reishi domains. He still thought only Shinigami had methods like this.
Ryūken walked a few paces away, his hands in his coat pockets, and then turned coldly toward his son. "We'll begin now."
"Begin? What do you mean?" Uryū demanded. "You still haven't told me what I'm supposed to do."
Without answering, Ryūken reached into his pocket and withdrew a silver emblem—the true Quincy Cross he had inherited. Unlike the cross-shaped one Uryū carried before, this one shone with the five-pointed star design once used by his grandfather, Sōken Ishida.
For the first time, Ishida Uryū laid eyes on his father's Quincy Cross. Unlike his own, it wasn't shaped like a simple cross but instead bore the star-like design once carried by his grandfather, Sōken Ishida.
Ryūken's cold voice echoed through the reishi-filled chamber. "And now… there is only one thing you must do, Uryū."
Uryū tensed, his breath catching in his throat.
"Survive my attack."
Ryūken extended the Quincy Cross. Spirit particles swirled toward him like a storm, condensing with frightening precision until a small but luminous bow of reishi formed in his hand. Without hesitation, he loosed the first arrow.
"—Tch!" Uryū barely threw himself to the ground in time as the glowing shaft whistled over his shoulder, scorching the air.
He rolled aside, panting. His heart hammered in his chest. He no longer had access to his Quincy techniques, no Hirenkyaku, no reishi manipulation, nothing but his instincts and his body.
"Oi! Ryūken! What's the meaning of this?!" he shouted angrily. "Didn't you say you were going to restore my Quincy powers?!"
His father's reply was merciless. "We'll talk after you survive."
Ryūken slipped one hand casually into his pocket, drawing back his bow with the other. Another arrow formed instantly, faster than Uryū could track.
"Damn it…!" Uryū cursed, diving behind one of the reishi-formed pillars. The arrow slammed into it, shattering the construct in a burst of light.
The sheer pressure of his father's control left him reeling. Not only was the bow's shape unique, but the rate at which he condensed spirit particles… it was on a level far beyond Uryū's imagination.
'This power…!' he thought, his chest tightening. Ryūken… just what kind of man are you?
His mind flashed back to Miyako's words, words that hinted at Ryūken's hidden strength. Did Amamiya already know this side of him…?
But there was no time to reflect. Another volley was already coming.
....
Meanwhile, deep within Las Noches, silence hung heavy in the white halls until it was broken by a voice calm and smooth as silk.
Aizen Sōsuke leaned back in his chair, studying old data spread across the desk before him. His lips curved into a faint smile.
"…Kurosaki Ichigo. Shiba Isshin. Kisuke Urahara…" He closed his eyes briefly, as though savoring the names. He could feel Ichigo's growth from afar, like a flame burning hotter by the day.
"Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy…" Aizen murmured softly. "A being that contains all three powers. Kurosaki Ichigo… has the seed I planted finally grown into a tree?"
A low chuckle escaped him. "Although I was delayed by waiting for your growth, even missing the Hōgyoku in the process… seeing the material ripen into perfection makes it all worthwhile. Fufufu… how could I not be pleased?"
His gaze sharpened. Interesting. Show me, Kurosaki Ichigo. Show me the extent of your power.
"Aizen-sama."
At his call, Tōsen Kaname appeared silently, kneeling with head bowed.
"Send Ulquiorra to the Human World," Aizen ordered, his tone flat, almost casual. "I want Kurosaki Ichigo tested."
"Yes," Tōsen answered without hesitation. He did not ask why, nor did he doubt. With a single bow, he vanished into the shadows.
From the side, a sly voice intruded. "Heh… Captain Aizen, what are you plotting now?"
Ichimaru Gin stepped into the dim light, his trademark smile fixed in place, eyes closed as always. "Why send Ulquiorra just to test that boy from Karakura Town?"
Aizen's expression softened into something almost fond, though the cruelty beneath it was unmistakable. "I merely wish to see the fruit of my labor, Gin. Tell me… do you still remember White?"
Gin's eyes opened the slightest crack, curiosity flickering within. "Ohhh, that Hollow you created from Shinigami souls? You called it 'White,' right? A nasty little experiment…"
"Yes," Aizen said with quiet satisfaction. "And it sleeps within Kurosaki Ichigo. The mask of that Hollow is beginning to reemerge. Isn't it fascinating?"
Gin tilted his head, amusement lacing his voice. "Inside Kurosaki, huh…? Now that's interesting. I thought it self-destructed. Didn't it end up inside that Quincy brat instead?"
Aizen gave a faint chuckle. "Perhaps I never told you all the details. No matter. What matters is this: the material cultivation succeeded. And now… I can no longer resist the urge to test him."
His laughter echoed through the white halls, smooth and controlled, reverberating into the highest reaches of Las Noches.
When the sound finally faded, silence reclaimed the fortress once more—profound, endless, and foreboding.