"Urahara-san… draw your Zanpakutō directly," Amamiya Miyako said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "Not just draw it—use your Shikai, right away."
Kurosaki Ichigo, standing off to the side, blinked in surprise. Zanpakutō? Wasn't that a Shinigami's weapon? And… Shikai? Why would Amamiya tell the shopkeeper to use his Zanpakutō? He didn't even know Urahara-san was a Shinigami.
Ichigo turned quickly to Tsukabishi Tessai, whispering urgently, "Oi, Tessai-san… what's going on?"
But Tessai remained silent, his huge frame unmoving, as if carved from stone. Ichigo's irritation only grew.
"I see…" Kisuke Urahara's voice broke the tense silence. Slowly, he drew the slender blade hidden inside his cane. His tone dropped into a calm but dangerous register. "Awaken… Benihime."
The cane transformed before Ichigo's eyes, its disguise melting away. The blade was elegant and thin, with no tsuba—only a crimson tassel where one should be. The hilt curved gently at the end, giving it a graceful yet deadly look.
Urahara-san kept Benihime's spiritual pressure carefully suppressed so Ichigo wouldn't be overwhelmed, but even so, Ichigo felt an unsettling ripple in the air.
"T-The… name of a Zanpakutō?!" Ichigo muttered, his eyes wide.
"Then… I too," Miyako said quietly, his hands bringing together the two short blades at his sides.
The steel rang out as he connected them. "Kakurete… Shinya Zetsunen!"
A burst of reiryoku flared, reshaping his weapon entirely. Ichigo's jaw dropped. "E-Eh? Why… why is it a bow? Just like Ishida?!"
"No way…" Urahara's eyes narrowed behind the brim of his striped hat. "A dual-blade Zanpakutō… and after Shikai, it transforms into a bow?!"
"Urahara-san," Miyako's voice was calm but edged with challenge. "Do not dodge the attack I'm about to release. Use Benihime to block. Otherwise… you won't understand the true nature of my Zanpakutō."
Urahara gripped Benihime more firmly, his posture shifting. The joking shopkeeper mask was gone—only the vigilant former Captain remained. "Alright… come, then."
Seeing he was ready, Miyako raised the bow, drawing reiryoku from deep within his body. His twin blades, now fused into a bow, glowed faintly.
As I wish… sever him, Zetsunen!
This was the first time Miyako had used his Zanpakutō's full ability in the Human World. The arrow of pure spiritual energy formed in an instant, then shot forward like a crimson comet.
Urahara's eyes tracked it precisely, and when it entered striking distance, he slashed cleanly.
The arrow shattered—too easily. But instead of dispersing into nothing, the fragments dissolved into shimmering motes of light… and those motes clung to Benihime's blade like living things.
In moments, the entire weapon was enveloped.
Urahara's brow furrowed. He could feel something shifting inside the Zanpakutō. A second later, his eyes widened.
"No… way… Benihime… has reverted?"
The Shikai's shape and power vanished as if stripped away, leaving only the sealed cane-form in his hands.
He poured more reiryoku into the weapon, trying to reawaken it. But it was like throwing stones into the ocean—no matter how much power he pushed, there was no response.
"This…" he said slowly, still testing the weight of the now-sealed blade, "…is your Zanpakutō's ability."
Miyako lowered his bow, letting the light fade. The weapon split back into twin swords, which he slid into their scabbards. "So, Urahara-san… in your opinion… could this ability stop Kyōka Suigetsu?"
Urahara lowered his head in thought, silent for a long moment. Finally, he looked up, his tone steady. "…I understand. I'll tell you what I know. I only hope you can truly see it through."
His expression shifted slightly, gaze turning toward Ichigo. "But before that… Kurosaki's first stage of training must be completed."
"Amamiya-san, I'll leave it to you," Urahara Kisuke said as he stepped beside Kurosaki Ichigo, his geta clacking softly on the floor.
Without another word, he tapped the bottom of his cane against Ichigo's chest—hard. Pak!
In an instant, Ichigo felt his consciousness tear away. His soul form separated from his body, a long silver chain—the Chain of Fate—dangling from his chest and connecting him to his physical form.
Ichigo blinked in shock. "Oi… what the—?!"
Urahara tilted his head with a light smile, the brim of his bucket hat casting a shadow over his eyes. "Aa, this is Kurosaki-san's first time leaving his body in a form other than Shinigami, ne? Yare yare…"
Instead of screaming or panicking, Ichigo kept his eyes fixed on Urahara. He was still replaying the fierce clash between Amamiya Miyako and the shopkeeper in his mind—the Shikai releases, the strange ability that sealed Benihime.
"For the rest of the training," Urahara continued, his voice suddenly serious, "you must reveal everything. Your identity… your Zanpakutō… your Shikai… and, of course, its true name."
Ichigo clenched his fists. "Tch… fine. But only if you keep your promise too."
Seeing Ichigo's unshaken gaze, Urahara chuckled faintly. "Wakatta. I'll tell you everything… but only if you can regain your Shinigami powers."
The first stage went by quickly. Ichigo's spiritual pressure began to surge once more, wild and untamed.
Then—without warning—Tessai's massive figure loomed over him. With a single swing of a huge axe, Tessai severed the Chain of Fate.
"Wha—?!"
Before Ichigo could even react, Tessai hurled him into a deep, dark pit. His startled cry echoed, fading as he fell further and further into the abyss.
Urahara exhaled and turned toward Amamiya. "Saa… now that he's busy, we should talk about our own business."
Amamiya Miyako's half-smile didn't fade. "Then I'll ask straight, Urahara-san… Kurosaki Ichigo's origins. That monstrous reiatsu from before… and now, training to become a Shinigami in this way? It's unheard of."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "You're hiding something."
Urahara's smirk faltered. "Amamiya-san wa… hontō ni…" He let out a small sigh. "Alright. I'll tell you everything—starting from when I… left the Seireitei."
His tone grew heavier. He spoke of the days when he was Captain of the Twelfth Division, the formation of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, the fateful incident that forced him into exile… and finally, the shadow of one man who seemed to be pulling the strings all along.
"Aizen Sōsuke…" Amamiya repeated slowly, his brows furrowing. The details painted a picture far more sinister than he'd expected.
"If what you say is true," Amamiya said quietly, "and with the odd movements in the Seireitei lately… it's almost certain that the members of Central 46 have already fallen under Kyōka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis."
Urahara's eyes narrowed. "Sou ka… so that's how it is. That explains… everything."
Amamiya's thoughts drifted. If Kuchiki Rukia returned to Soul Society now, she'd walk straight into Aizen's hands. The Hōgyoku hidden inside her body… it was only a matter of time before he took it.
"Besides Kurosaki and his little group," Amamiya asked, "do you have any other plans prepared?"
"I do." Urahara's expression softened slightly. "A trusted partner—her strength is our biggest insurance. Since I can't set foot in Seireitei, I've entrusted most of the arrangements to her."
"Yoruichi Shihōin," Amamiya said flatly.
Urahara froze for a second, then laughed wryly. "Aa… I swear, Amamiya-san, no matter how well I hide things, you still manage to dig them up."
Ignoring the comment, Amamiya continued, "I understand enough. I'm returning to the Seireitei. If I cross paths with Kurosaki-san and his group, I'll… smooth the way for them. But openly, we remain enemies."
"I see." Urahara's voice turned firm. "Then I'll tell Kurosaki the situation. Stopping Aizen… will be up to you. But for now, we can't reveal too much about him to Kurosaki-tachi. I hope you'll agree."
"I do." Amamiya's eyes glinted. "If it really comes to that moment… I'll act beforehand."
He had already accounted for that possibility—going as far as persuading Ukitake-taichō to request Rukia be guarded within the Thirteenth Division.
And if the opportunity comes… I might be able to borrow 'its' power, Amamiya thought.
The faintest smile crossed his lips. This time, the pieces would move before Aizen even realized the game had begun.