A soft knock echoed on the wooden door of the Thirteenth Division captain's office.
"Taichō, I'm back," Amamiya Miyako called from outside.
"Come in, Miyako-kun," Ukitake Jūshirō's warm voice answered.
Sliding the door open, Miyako stepped inside—only to find that Ukitake-taichō was not alone. Sitting casually on the tatami was a man with a woven straw hat pulled low and a pink, flower-patterned haori draped loosely over his captain's robe.
There was only one person in all of Seireitei who dressed like that—Kyōraku Shunsui, Captain of the Eighth Division.
"Oh? So you're Amamiya Miyako-kun," Kyōraku said with an easy smile, tipping his hat slightly. "Finally, we meet. Jūshirō's told me quite a bit about you."
Miyako bowed politely. "Kyōraku-taichō… yoroshiku. It's an honor to meet you."
Ukitake smiled wryly at his old friend. "Shunsui… Anyway, Miyako-kun, about your trip to the Eleventh Division—nothing happened, right?"
Though Ukitake had reluctantly agreed to let Miyako go after some persuasion, his worry had never left.
Miyako scratched his cheek, smiling faintly. "Hm… after a little friendly exchange with their Fourth Seat and Sixth Seat, they shouldn't be mocking our Thirteenth anymore."
Ukitake blinked. "Friendly exchange?"
Kyōraku chuckled knowingly. "Heh… Miyako-kun, you didn't happen to beat them into the ground, did you?"
"Well…" Miyako admitted, "after I dealt with the Fourth and Sixth Seats, Third Seat Madarame was about to step in, but their taichō—Zaraki Kenpachi—returned just in time."
At the mention of that name, Ukitake's eyes sharpened. "Kenpachi… Miyako-kun, you didn't—"
"Yare yare, Taichō, give me a little credit," Miyako interrupted with a shrug. "I know my own limits. When Captain Zaraki showed… interest in me, I reminded him of the Gotei 13's regulations. He decided to let me walk away."
"…Sou ka." Ukitake finally exhaled, relief softening his shoulders.
Kyōraku let out a hearty laugh. "Hah! You're an interesting one, Miyako-kun. Not many can make Kenpachi back off. And that Sixth Seat you mentioned—Abarai Renji, wasn't it? The one about to be promoted to Fukutaichō of the Sixth Division? Didn't think you'd take him down too."
Miyako shook his head modestly. "Kyōraku-taichō, you give me too much credit. Captain Zaraki just doesn't care for anyone weaker than him. As for Abarai-san, it was mostly thanks to the element of surprise… and the ability of my Zanpakutō."
Kyōraku's gaze shifted to Miyako's waist, where two sheathed blades rested. "Another dual Zanpakutō, hm? Aside from mine and Jūshirō's… that's rare."
On the surface, it was a casual remark. But in truth, Kyōraku's mind was already working. He knew why his own Zanpakutō, Katen Kyōkotsu, manifested as two blades—and he knew why Ukitake's Sōgyo no Kotowari did as well. That kind of form didn't happen without reason.
If their cases were anything to go by, Miyako's dual blades should share a similar cause… yet Jūshirō had told him that Miyako's Shikai didn't keep its twin-blade form. Instead, the weapons became a bow and arrow.
That contradiction… intrigued him deeply.
'This Miyako-kun's hiding something,' Kyōraku thought. But then again, Jūshirō had his own secrets once, and that never stopped the two of them from becoming close friends.
From what he could see, Jūshirō was clearly pleased with his fukutaichō. There was no need to treat Miyako like a threat—at least for now.
Miyako, Pov,
Shunsui-san had always been the kind of man who could glide through a battlefield or a banquet with the same lazy smile. Smooth-talking, charming, and rarely ruffling feathers—unless he wanted to. As long as nothing he did truly harmed Soul Society, he was as generous as they came.
For now, nothing I'd done would cause trouble for the Gotei 13. If anything, some things might even help. So I wasn't worried in the slightest.
"I thought this matter with the Eleventh Division would drag out, Miyako-kun… but you handled it faster than I imagined," Ukitake-taichō said with a warm, satisfied smile. "Bold yet careful—exactly how a Vice-Captain should be."
His words made my chest feel a little warmer than I'd like to admit.
"What to do…" Ukitake-taichō continued, pretending to think deeply. "Kiyone-chan and Sentarō-san are dependable, but I think you might have a knack for division administration too. How about it, Miyako-kun? Want to try handling some paperwork?"
I coughed twice and sat up straighter. "A-ano, Captain… I still have unfinished business with Madarame-san from the Eleventh Division. I don't think I'll have much time to shuffle papers."
Ukitake-taichō chuckled softly. "Just joking, Miyako-kun. Carry on as usual."
Still, I swore I saw that mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
"Jūshirō, you're still the same," Shunsui-san drawled lazily. "Always teasing your subordinates until they get flustered."
"Is that so? I don't recall," Ukitake-taichō replied, smiling in that way that made it impossible to tell if he was innocent… or very guilty.
Then Ukitake-taichō's expression shifted, the air in the room tightening just a little. "Alright, back to business. Miyako-kun, starting tomorrow, the Thirteenth Division will dispatch new members to be stationed in the Human World. You will stand with me when we announce it."
"Hai, wakarimashita, Captain Ukitake," I said firmly, hands curling into a light fist.
'So… that day has finally come.' I began silently counting the time left before everything began to move.
"The Human World, huh?" Shunsui-san said, tipping his straw hat back. "Word is, the Hollows popping up there are getting stronger and stronger."
"Sou da," Ukitake-taichō replied seriously. "Especially that Hollow you reported before—Grand Fisher. There's never been a case like that in the Human World before. It's… troubling."
Shunsui-san's eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his hat. "Iie… it's more than troubling. Before every big storm, there are always a few bad signs. And lately… I've felt the wind changing."
Ukitake-taichō let out a soft breath, but his smile remained. "Even so, the Thirteenth Division is not weak. Since Kaien's incident, our support protocols have been strengthened. If something happens, I believe you, Miyako-kun, and the others will rush to aid your comrades without hesitation."
"Leave it to me," I replied without hesitation, my voice steady. This was also exactly what I wanted. After all… once Kuchiki Rukia received the Hōgyoku from Urahara-san, I needed to be in the Human World—ready.
"Ne, Shunsui, our Vice-Captain is reliable, isn't he?" Ukitake-taichō asked, his smile lightening the mood again.
Shunsui-san gave me an approving grin. "Aa. Although my Nanao-chan is amazing, I wouldn't mind if she respected me as much as Miyako-kun respects you."
Ukitake-taichō's eyebrow lifted. "Shunsui… isn't that your problem?"
"Ehh? Is it?" Shunsui-san's tone was pure innocence.
I couldn't help but mutter under my breath. "…Yare yare."