Amamiya Miyako recalled Urahara Kisuke's instructions from the Human World as he quickened his steps toward Rukia's detention cell. The weight of those words pressed against his chest, urging him forward.
He stopped outside the door and glanced at Sentarō Kotsubaki. "Sentarō, after I go inside, don't let anyone enter. I need to speak with Rukia alone," Miyako said firmly.
"Yes, Vice-Captain Amamiya!" Sentarō straightened immediately, nodding at the seriousness on Miyako's face.
The room fell silent after Miyako entered. For a while, no sound or presence could be sensed from within, the heavy quiet only making the guards outside shift uncomfortably.
When Miyako finally emerged with Rukia, both their expressions carried a heavy complexity, leaving Sentarō puzzled about what had just taken place.
"Let's go, Sentarō. We're escorting Rukia to the Senzaikyū—the Palace of Penitence," Miyako said, his voice low, his mood heavy.
"Yes!"
Together, Miyako and Sentarō led Rukia toward the division gates, where the guards of the Palace of Penitence were already waiting. They surrounded the group and guided them onward.
Along the way, Rukia's expression shifted between composure and unease. Her eyes would occasionally linger on Miyako, full of worry. Miyako, however, remained silent, leading the way without a word.
When they arrived at the towering white spire of the Senzaikyū, Miyako paused, watching as Rukia was led into her chamber. He gave her a small nod—silent, yet filled with meaning.
"Miyako, you…" Rukia's voice broke at the threshold.
But Miyako only shook his head gently, offering no reply.
"Vice-Captain Amamiya, thank you for the escort. You may leave now," one of the guards said curtly.
Miyako nodded once and stepped out of the Palace of Penitence, his thoughts lingering behind him.
'Miyako… Ichigo… please, both of you, stay safe,' Rukia prayed silently inside, recalling what Miyako had just told her about Kurosaki Ichigo's arrival, and about what Miyako himself had endured recently. Her chest tightened with worry for them both.
Meanwhile, Miyako quickened his pace toward the First Division barracks. Captain Ukitake had entrusted him with attending the Captains' meeting in his stead.
At the base of the Senzaikyū, Miyako spotted a familiar figure staring up at the tower—Abarai Renji.
"Miyako!" Renji called, hurrying toward him. "Rukia… has she already been transferred inside?"
"Yes," Miyako answered simply.
"I see…" Renji's expression twisted with conflict, his fists clenching. "Since Rukia's arrest… Captain Kuchiki hasn't said a word about her. Not even once."
Miyako frowned faintly but remained silent. Regarding Kuchiki Byakuya's thoughts, it wasn't his place to speak.
The two men stood there in silence, each lost in their own storm of thoughts, until a familiar figure appeared ahead at the intersection.
Aizen Sōsuke.
He raised a hand in a calm wave, his gentle smile sending an inexplicable chill through the air.
"Miyako-kun. Abarai-kun. It's been a while. Would you two… care for a little chat?"
Renji tensed immediately. "Captain Aizen…?"
Miyako steadied his gaze, knowing there was no way to avoid the encounter. He stepped forward alongside Renji.
"Is there something you require from us, Captain Aizen?" Miyako asked carefully, already guessing his true intent. Aizen wanted to plant doubt—to sway them against Soul Society itself.
"Rukia Kuchiki is one of your squad members, is she not, Miyako-kun? And Abarai-kun… I believe you and Rukia have known each other since your days in Rukongai."
Renji stiffened. "Huh? This… well, yes." He hesitated but admitted it. It wasn't exactly a secret.
Miyako stayed silent, his jaw tightening.
"Tell me," Aizen continued, his smile soft but his eyes sharp, "from your perspective… does she truly deserve to be executed?" His voice dropped into a tone that demanded reflection.
Renji faltered, caught off guard. "Uh… I—I don't understand what you mean, taichō…"
Aizen adjusted his glasses slightly, his eyes glinting in that composed, unreadable way of his. He explained his views on the matter, speaking with that calm persuasion he was known for. Renji fell silent, unable to argue against his logic. But Miyako… Miyako felt something was wrong. His thoughts were tangled, his chest heavy with unease.
Before he could sort it out, an alarm bell rang sharply across Seireitei. The echo silenced their conversation at once.
"The emergency Captains' meeting…" Miyako muttered under his breath.
"Yes, it seems we must head to the First Division," Aizen said with his usual gentle smile. He turned, waving casually. "Well then, Abarai, Amamiya-kun, we'll continue another time."
"Wait, Aizen-taichō." Miyako spoke up quickly, regretting his own words almost immediately. "Ukitake-taichō is too ill to attend today, so… he asked me to observe in his place and report back."
"Sou ka." Aizen's eyebrows rose slightly, feigning surprise. "Then please accompany me, Amamiya-kun."
Miyako's gut twisted. Yare yare… I should have known not to agree to Ukitake-taichō so easily. Being stuck next to Aizen in a Captains' meeting…
Together, they entered the First Division's hall. Several Captains were already gathered.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya turned his sharp eyes on Aizen before glancing at the unfamiliar face beside him. "Yo, Aizen. You're late. And… who's this? Someone who isn't a Captain at a Captains' meeting?"
Miyako straightened his posture, bowing slightly. "Vice-Captain Amamiya Miyako of the Thirteenth Division. Ukitake-taichō is unwell and requested I attend as an observer."
"Ukitake…" Hitsugaya muttered, nodding. "So that's it."
"I permitted it." Yamamoto Genryūsai's stern voice cut through the air from his seat at the head of the hall, his eyes still closed. "It is merely a student's request. There is no harm in allowing it."
The other Captains exchanged glances but accepted the explanation. After all, Ukitake's chronic illness was well-known.
"Oh? Miyako-kun, what a surprise." A familiar voice broke through. Shunsui Kyōraku, with his easygoing smile, waved lazily from across the hall. "Didn't expect to see you here, eh?"
"Long time no see, Kyōraku-taichō," Miyako greeted respectfully, moving to stand behind him when prompted.
Moments later, the last Captain entered—the ever-smiling Ichimaru Gin. His narrow eyes slid toward Miyako instantly.
"My my~ This is strange. A Captains' meeting… yet someone who isn't a Captain walks in? How curious…"
Before Miyako could respond, Aizen's tone sharpened slightly. "Miyako-kun is here on behalf of Ukitake-taichō. This was permitted by the Captain-Commander. Please, Gin, there's no need to say more."
"Ahh, so Jūshirō's illness again, hm?" Gin's smile didn't waver. "He really should take care of himself."
"Oi, Gin." Zaraki Kenpachi leaned forward, his grin feral. "Earlier, you ran into one of the Ryoka, didn't you? And yet you didn't finish the job."
Gin chuckled. "Aa, I thought he was as good as dead already. Guess my senses aren't what they used to be."
"Or maybe," Mayuri Kurotsuchi scoffed, "you're incompetent and trying to mask it with negligence."
"Now now," Gin replied slyly, "are you saying I let him go on purpose?"
"That's exactly what I mean."
The atmosphere in the hall tensed as their words sharpened. Miyako stood silently behind Kyōraku-taichō, his hands behind his back.
Kyōraku leaned slightly toward him with a grin. "Ne, Miyako-kun, don't mind it. Even Captains bicker like children sometimes."
"…Sou desu ka," Miyako replied quietly, though his eyes stayed sharp. No, this tension… it's not just simple arguing.
Finally, Yamamoto's cane struck the ground with a sharp don. "Enough." His voice carried authority that silenced the room at once.
He questioned Gin directly about his failure. Gin, with that same carefree smile, admitted it without hesitation. Aizen spoke up as if to press for more detail—
But before anything could continue, an emergency siren blared throughout the Seireitei.
"All Captains, return to your posts immediately," Yamamoto ordered, his voice thunderous. "Protect the Seireitei at all costs."
The meeting dissolved into motion. Yet amidst the chaos, Hitsugaya's sharp eyes caught the subtle performances of Gin and Aizen—two men acting flawlessly, hiding something darker beneath their facades.
Miyako quietly excused himself, slipping away from the hall and returning to the Thirteenth Division.
Only once he reached the safety of familiar walls did he realize his back was drenched in cold sweat.
Was I discovered? he thought, gripping his sleeve tightly. No… then why do I feel like I was being watched the entire time…?