Itagaki, Seishiro [Character Build]

板垣 星史郎

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STATISTICS REPORT

SPIRITUAL PRESSURE GREAT| With great power comes greater responsibility, this is the belief Seishiro passionately believes in. With such a tremendous spiritual pressure comes the duty to uphold justice and use it for the good of all. However his power is not his own, for he was gifted a token of power from Illiana Wake, which corrupts his control over his own reiatsu. This serves to give him greater power, but not the capacity to use it to its fullest. Even so, centuries of study within the Kido Corps and training his zanjutsu has made him a force to be reckoned with.

PERCEPTION MASTER| Articulate inspection is something of a niche for Seishiro, proving that keen insight on the smallest detail can sometimes yield tremendous effects. Delving into the Demon Arts has been a fascinating experience that has also given him an inherent level of perception that breaks down the very nature of an ability just as he gazes upon it, analyzing its properties through observation. Nothing is beyond Seishiro's comprehension; he has seen too much to be fooled by anything new, endured decades where others would perish within moments. He is even considered largely paranoid, almost always on the watch for a new threat.

Higaimōzō [被害妄想, Paranoia]| Always on the lookout for traces of deception, he has the ability to detect entities shrouded or obscured by him through physical or spiritual means. He can see where light is bent to shroud users with the ability to use Kyokko and even more complex variants, and has the innate sixth sense to know when something is nearby. Only those with far more advanced powers than Seishiro could even hope to take this Shinigami by surprise. Many sleepless nights in Hueco Mundo are the reason Seishiro developed this feature. Seishiro can see reiatsu in all of its applications, being able to discern the nature of the reiryoku being manipulated even if it isn't meant to be. Like most who master perception and devoutly study the Demon Arts, he is simply very well aware of his surroundings and can see reiatsu in the natural world plain as day, despite any and all mechanics it possesses.

SPIRITUAL CONTROL EXPERT| Ever since his corruption in Hueco Mundo almost fifty years ago, he has been incapable of harnessing his powers the same way he could before. He can approach the same level of power as before, but he cannot access a large part of his reiatsu for some unknown reason. He is curious as to whether or not this is merely a limit of their world that he has finally surpassed, or if there is something more insidious at work inside him. Despite this his efforts are quite renowned, capable of channeling large sums of reiatsu with apparent ease, though still not trained to their fullest extent.

KIDŌ PERFECTED| Apprenticed under the secretive Tokomaru-sama, he became a legend through his use of Kidou. Although many of his techniques aren't inherently Kidou, they are derived from principles he developed while learning and studying The Demon Arts. Despite never holding an official seat within the Kidoshu, he was the right-hand of Tokomaru-sama, and acted as a faithful companion. He hopes to one day share his learnings with Tokomaru-sama should they ever be fated to meet again.

Kojin Kūkan [個人空間, Personal Space]| Manipulaters of Kidou often enjoy the luxury of having a good distance between them and their opponents so as to avoid having their spells interrupted. Seishiro can essentially form Kidou at any point within ten meters of himself. This means that when casting Kidou they can form at any particular point within the ten meter radius. The reason for this is so that anyone within his 'personal space' can be dealt a serious blow from an instant-hit Kidou. This can also be used simply to reduce the range between the Kidou and the target by ten meters, which would make it reach them much faster than usual.

AGILITY EXPERT| Years of racing to and from the Rukongai Wastelands on training exercises into the uninhabited reaches of Soul Society has honed his agility quite well. An avid user of Shunpo, his speed with the art is surpassed by few among the many shinigami populating the Seireitei, though many share his prowess at the very least among seated shinigami. Lithe and average in size, he is an incredibly agile target and is nigh impossible to hit with slow moving projectiles. Consecutive use of Flash Steps is no problem, and his skill allows him to dance between dozens of incoming projectiles unscathed.

ZANJUTSU PRACTITIONER| Seishiro's zanpakutou was once his bread and butter for combat, mostly due to its inherent supportive traits and the multiplicative nature of its abilities while more allies are present. The zanpakutou, however, serves little purpose on its own, making it incredibly tedious for use. Even so, the weapon is a part of him that he will never forsake; but he fears that his zanpakutou spirit doesn't feel the same.

HAKUDA NOVICE| Developing a fighting style known as Oniken no Michi [Way of the Demon Fist], Seishiro has innate strength and speed on his side, but lacks any refined fighting styles. Instead, his martial arts method consists of adding the strength of his Kidou to his attacks, which more than makes up for his otherwise insufficient knowledge in hand-to-hand combat. Still, he prefers to fight with a weapon or spells as opposed to his fists, but is more than prepared to should the need arise.

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POSSESSIONS | ODDS AND ENDS

IMAGE OF MARETHYU | The mask of the now deceased Vasto Lorde Marethyu is among one of Seishiro's most prized trinkets. While the normal masks of lesser Hollow tend to break more easily, the mask of this Vasto Lorde was particularly durable. Upon his death by Seishiro's hand, he looted and salvaged what he could of Marethyu, taking his mask and skull as a helm and his hide for a cloak, and his carapace for armor plating beneath his cloak. Grotesque and intimidating, they actually have unique properties that has caused them to become necessary tools for Seishiro's survival.

The mask can be used as a medium to draw out Hollow energies afflicting Seishiro, whose power seems to otherwise dwindle in the wake of the pale moonlight that hangs oppressively in the air. Without this mask, Seishiro would regress into a Hollowified Shinigami, but through the engineering mind of Illiana Wake, the mask was created. It also protects his body from many physical injuries and can block an ordinary Hollow's Cero effectively. The cloak conceals Seishiro's reiatsu for that of a Hollow, imitating their essence and allowing him to avoid anyone with a grudge against Shinigami. It can even be used to conceal his reiatsu outright, however this can be detected by those who are equal to or above Seishiro in terms of spiritual perception. Preparing an attack or defense would likely make the wearer easier to distinguish from their surroundings, most certainly if one was to begin handling large amounts of reiryoku for techniques.

SPIRITUAL TRACKING DEVICE | Capable of alerting him of nearby threats, it acts as a sonar that scans a mile around the user and was originally uplinked to a database that surveys all of the known realms. Now it is only useful for helping Seishiro avoid large groups of hostiles on Hueco Mundo's barren frontier. It is possible for it to detect all forms of spiritual entities from a distance away, much earlier in detection than a person's normal senses are. He keeps this on him at all times and has it set to alarm him if they encroach on his position consistently for more than a few seconds or simply stray too close towards his position. Owing his life to this contraption on more than one ocassion since journeying to Hueco Mundo, he has tied it against his neck on a lanyard made from the leather hide of a long since dead Hollow.

The tracker is capable of detecting anything within a fifteen square mile radius, which is approximately the size of a capital city. His own signature is attuned with the device so that it doesn't trip the system. It is possible to communicate with other trackers through an instant messaging system, but having lost his connection to the databases and servers that handle this information, he is incapable of using this feature except to ocassionally try his luck. He is often frustrated with this object, for it is the reason he is still alive but also failing to get him back home.

THE EYE OF ILLIANA WAKE | Forced onto him by the Arrancar's relentless insisting on his taking her gift, she bound him against his will and exchanged an eye with him. The eye itself was Illiana's zanpakutou, which represented all of her great and terrible powers. Seishiro is unaware of the changes as of now, having been put in an induced coma for the entirety of the recovery process. Sometimes he wonders if Illiana didn't manage to steal more than his eye from him. His original eye was infused with Illiana's. Why she chose to fuse them he wasn't sure, perhaps as a gift to Seishiro?

The eye is the source of Hollow Reiatsu in Seishiro's body that is contaminating him with the virulence that weakens him every waking hour. Alone and exhausted, his body is beginning to succumb to the oppressive reiatsu--or perhaps it is attuning itself to function more smoothly with his own reiatsu. Being Illiana's Zanpakutou, it contains massive amounts of her power and capabilities, which is now Seishiro's to do with as he wishes. It is unknown why Illiana bestowed Seishiro her eye, but it is speculated she hoped to one day retrieve it back from Seishiro.

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KIDO | THE DEMON ARTS

Eishōhaki [詠唱破棄, Incantation Abandonment] | Intent upon mastering the use of Eishohaki, Seishiro spent a large portion of his life not only disciplining his mind and body to make using Kido without incantation less stressful, but more rewarding. Among the legendary masters of Kido, he has the power to produce all Kido techniques without their incantation at full power. Typically he can be detected utilizing his reiryoku as if he were using the incantation, but he needn't actually say them. This makes practicing these powers in combat more viable as he needn't give his opponents such an opening to interrupt him. Seishiro's Eishohaki is considered to be mastered, allowing him nigh the full power of most Kido, while the extremely high level ones are reduced in power lightly, barely diminished by the method. He is even working on a more sleuth method of conjuring these powers without having to mention their name at all, though his experimentations into this art are undocumented by Seishiro.

Nijū Eishō [二重詠唱, Twofold Incantation] | When attempting to fool an opponent who couldn't possibly know the inner complexities of the Demon Arts, Seishiro can use this method to prepare two Kidou simultaneously and even manage to fire them off back-to-back almost simultaneously. This incantation method also opens up the potential to merely hold on to almost-completed incantations and suddenly complete them after pausing merely to catch an opponent off guard.

Kōjutsu Eishō [後述詠唱, Spoken-After Incantation] | Traditionally unorthodox, this incantation style is one unappreciated by Seishiro but not unpracticed. Although his techniques of this variety are often reduced in their strength significantly, the sudden eruption of reiryoku into the desired Kido can be quite useful and has a very low requirement of simply speaking after making the action, which upon mastering Kido can be done to further charge the technique while it is already in effect.


HADOU | Way of Destruction

Now a master of Hadou, he was an academic achiever in his youth and came to learn every known Hadou he could place his eyes on. More than a capable practitioner of the many documented and publicly available Demon Arts that clutter the Kido Corps grand archives, he moved on to more vexing and peculiar spells that might baffle the simple minds of other unenlightened shinigami. Proficient in the execution of their use, he is renowned as a walking library and has quite the collection of powerful spells and magics to throw his opponent's way. Known to sling spells with quite flowing and rapid movements, he is considered a walking paragon of what it means to be Kidoshu. Hadou available in the Kidoshu public archives are known to Seishiro, who applies their use daily.

BAKUDOU | Way of Binding

Bakudou was one of the first styles of the Demon Arts that intrigued Seishiro. Restricting an opponent's movements and options is an excellent way to begin the magnificent ritual of battle. Much as you seek to take an enemy's chess pieces by setting traps, so too do you achieve victory by outmaneuvering your opponent. Seishiro has wisdom and logic to reinforce the applications of his techniques, mastering various seals and barriers. These are some of his most powerful techniques, more often than not crucial in the heat of battle. Seishiro has demonstrated applied use of each Bakudou in the past, more than adept at each and every one of them over the course of decades of training.

KINJI KIDOU | Forbidden Demon Arts

Seishiro Itagaki was not documented to have had knowledge or possession of any of the Forbidden Demon Arts during his time spent in the Soul Society, but he has had more than a few chance encounters with restricted tomes of forgotten lore and with reputable sources of knowledge from the past. Only Tokomaru-sama has been entrusted with such secrets in the past, and so it is uncertain if Seishiro has ever been imparted with at least one. Only time will tell if he managed to obtain any of the relics of knowledge that these legendary Kido were inscribed upon. If he should have these techniques though, it would prove quite the hassle if anyone found out.

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ZANPAKUTOU | SOUL CUTTER

ZANPAKUTOU NAME | Kishijojishi Kandōna-isan [騎士叙事詩 感動な遺産, The Epic of a Knight's Inspiring Legacy]

ZANPAKUTOU APPEARANCE | Seishiro's zanpakuto is typically hidden within a shakujo that has three rings hanging from either side of a giant hoop that sits atop the end of the staff. The top hoop is resemblant of the kidoshu insignia, with two points jutting out the circle higher along its length, and the long handle of the stave acting as the third bottom point. Within this shakujo is Seishiro's real zanpakutou, which is a standard katana with a black hilt and a circular tsuba in the shape of the kidoshu insignia as well.

SHIKAI | Kishijojishi [騎士の叙事詩, The Knight's Epic]

RELEASE PHRASE | Kitaru yami ni tachimukau [来る闇に立ち向かう, Stand against the coming darkness]

SHIKAI APPEARANCE | Due to Seishiro's innate desire to protect rather than destroy, his zanpakutou manifests itself as a shield in his shikai release. It acts as both a defensive and offensive utility, capable of bashing opponents with extreme blunt force (a targe on the shield makes it a traumatic blunt force weapon, much like a mace) which makes it useful for puncturing hierro. It is a heater shield with the kidoshu insignia emblazoned on the front; from the center of this symbol is a cluster of sharp, jagged spikes.

ABILITIES |

Teki Hametsu [敵破滅, Vorpal Weapon; lit. Foebane] | A weapon created to single-handedly 'decapitate' an opponent from the slightest scratch; that is the fabled legend behind this shikai technique. In truth it is merely a weapon crafted to instantly sunder someone's soul from their body upon so much as scratching them, killing them instantaneously. But this power doesn't come without its limitations; the weapons are very brittle, and will shatter from so much as a parry. They also must not be used on anything before striking the opponent, or else the power is wasted. They can be materialized in the user's right hand. The stipulation that they must hit their target first ignores layers of clothing, etc. that don't constitute an actual defensive trait. Hierro and armor counts as a protective layer that would block the attack and shatter the weapon. The weapons can even designate abstract targets, and aren't limited to any particular form. Rather the weapons usually vary in type depending on the opponent, the weapon usually outfitted to 'counter' the opponent, for the weapon is essentially their 'bane'. These weapons can even be handed away, though they crumple in the hands of the target they're meant to destroy, as they are completely incompatible with them due to their nature.

Mohan [模範, lit. Exemplar]| Seishiro can opt to abandon his shield to grant his allies with an inherent boost in their abilities, at the cost of leaving Seishiro defenseless. Though never truly defenseless, he is certainly more vulnerable at this point. The idea of this technique is that Seishiro's body becomes their 'shield', and is also the zanpakutou's primary function. Seishiro drops a complete rank, but his allies gain a complete rank. [Mastery upgrades are an inherent part of this temporary rank up.]

Migawari [身代わり, lit. Scapegoat]| Through Mohan Exemplar, Seishiro's soul becomes intertwined with his allies' souls, wrapping around them protectively and causing them to become protected by Seishiro. This comes at a cost; by doing this, Seishiro will sustain all of them damage that they take--though lethal damage is split between the two, mitigated to prevent either target from sustaining fatal wounds. This technique also gives Seishiro intimate knowledge about his ally's fights, as a part of his soul is manifested on his allies. Although he can't actually see what they see, his reiatsu sensory is amplified, allowing him a sort of sixth sense, and giving him reason to know when they are in dire need of assistance.

Hōfuku [報復, lit. Retaliation]| A very basic reiryoku-based attack, it is simply an arcing wave of Seishiro's reiatsu. It is very potent and strong, and has the potential to be very powerful in certain applications. When used normally, it is comparable to that of moderate kidou technique. When used as a means of defending someone, it is amplified by this desire, and becomes much more devastating. It is shot from the manifestation of Seishiro's zanpakutou--the shield--normally. It is possible to use one of his swords as a catalyst as well, slashing it at opponents from afar or using it to amplify his melee attacks. While using Mohan Exemplar and Migawari Scapegoat, the technique can use allies as a conduit, and Seishiro can blast targets with the technique. This is the most powerful use of the technique. When used against an opponent who just landed an attack, its strength is increased exponentially, which is why it is called Hōfuku Retaliation.

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MISC. | POWERS

Ta Keitai* [多形体, Polymorph]| The ability to change anything into something else temporarily. It is in no way harmful to the target, though it does have practical application in combat. Despite this it is also a useful tool for punishment. It simply morphs the target into the desired object after the user charges the technique as an arcane orb in the palm of their hand. It must contact the target to affect them, but it can be slung through the air with great strength by appropriately strong practitioners. It can also be used merely to turn the user into something else as a form of disguise.

This technique cannot be used on anyone but the user in combat, but the user is freely able to change their appearance as they see fit, and can change back just as fast. This is meant as more of a shapeshifting technique when used for combat purposes.

Kōen* [後援, Aegis]| By merely making a gesture with his hands, Seishiro can produce basic barriers of reiryoku that are translucent prisms of energy that provide very basic protection. Although more complex formations can be made by using two hands or in the hands of a master, they are more than effective as singular rectangular barricades. They are typically used to deflect an incoming slash or other attack, and can be layered or interwoven to provide a stronger defense. In its most powerful form the barrier is a sphere or dome surrounding the user that cannot be permeated, though it strains the user to maintain it for long and a prolonged siege on the barrier will inevitably break it.

Able to be formed with a mere hand gesture, they are extremely fast and therefore last sustained defensive qualities, instead blocking an attack for an instant before dissipating, only acting to parallel the incoming force with an equal and opposing force. The dome is produced by using two hands that focus the necessary energies to shield any incoming attack, though higher ranks can eventually break through with persistence, as they will eventually outlast Seishiro in combat.

Oniken no Michi* [鬼拳の道, Way of the Demon Fist]| The ability to infuse his body with Kidou through the Way of the Demon Fist. Essentially one completes the Kidou requirements while focusing the reiryoku into the desired limb, which then becomes insatured with that spell and will cast that spell on the next thing you hit with the attack. It will delay if Seishiro is within a danger close zone, a precaution to avoid serious injury. It also augments a person's physical condition, including durability and stamina, conditioning them from the constant overwhelming amount of reiatsu manifesting in and around their body. A master of this technique will have skin that resists the sharpest of blades as long as the wielder is higher than them in rank, and will even be able to survive a few chance encounters with equally strong opponent's blades, though it proves of little value against higher ranked opponents.

This technique is a passive attribute after years of developing his own fighting style and trying to infuse Kidou with his body using runes. The training has made him immune to his own backfiring techniques, as well as the obvious defensive benefits already outlined.

Kijin no Michi* [鬼刃の道, Way of the Demon Blade]| Many people do not realize that their Zanpakutou actually grows in size relevant to their reiatsu. This is because only those of captain-level in power ever come across the problem. Constantly sealing their zanpakutou down to a manageable size, it requires great amounts of reiatsu control. Seishiro manipulates the way he seals his zanpakutou down in size, allowing him to rapidly shoot his zanpakutou at opponents. This can be used to cleave large objects into pieces or to stab at enemies from very long distances, though it can be used in close range as well. The blade can also act as a conduit for Kidou spells as well, much like Oniken no Michi.

Because zanpakutou in release form are meant to maintain their shape and size, this technique cannot be applied in a release form pertaining to the user's zanpakutou; released zanpakutou can still act as a conduit for Kidou through Kijin no Michi. The blade jabs forward at the speed of Bala, making it difficult for anyone below Seishiro to block without seeing it rush towards them from afar. Equal ranks will find it hazardous to contend with but can evade it completely if they're quick enough. Higher ranks can cut through the protruding blade length, as the density of the blade is weakened when it spreads out to cover more surface area.

Senri-hin [戦利品, Spoils of War] | Upon killing an opponent, Seishiro is able to create a special item with unique properties based on what he is looting. He can only salvage one relic upon scavenging a corpse, and its properties should relate to the attributes of the slain creature or person. People will generally reward enchanted trinkets or jewelry while animals offer bone and leather for crafting armor out of. Seishiro can harvest better components for a more profound relic on stronger opponents. He can bestow these gifts to others; they don't need to be used solely by Seishiro.

Crafted items must be created and approved before using them in character. Items should pertain to the strengths and weaknesses of the creature or person killed for such reward.

Inochidzuna* [命綱, Lifeline]| A technique developed to sustain an individual in critical condition while transporting them to the Yonbantai's Coordinated Relief Station. It is impossible to maintain this technique in combat, but is possible to use it on the run. In order to keep the effect, the user must maintain physical contact. They essentially use their own power to anchor them to their body, keeping them alive forcefully, while it also works to provide basic first aid and to keep them stable and conscious.

Hantōmaku* [半透膜, lit. Semi-Permeable Membrane]| Seishiro is cloaked in residual reiatsu that seeks to filter incoming and outgoing particles. Before letting a new particle through, it first takes a test sample from the invading particles, and tries to discern its purpose. When a threat is perceived, the Semi-Permeable Membrane logs this discovery and will forevermore shut out those particles, rejecting them before they can even enter the body. This encasing serves to keep contaminating elements out of his body. This prevents techniques that simply take effect within a specific perimeter, but any affliction brought about through injuring Seishiro [i.e. a poisoned dagger] isn't prevented by this technique.

Geijutsuka o Dasshutsu* [芸術家を脱出, Skeleton Key lit. 'Escape Artist']| At times we are trapped against our will. Seishiro is very familiar with all varieties of binding and sealing techniques, having learned a colossal variety over the course of centuries. Without so much as lifting a finger he can spiritually begin to unlock any binding, remove any seal. This can be seen as using his reiatsu to 'feel out' the binding technique much like a thief feels out a lock before picking it. This principle allows Seishiro to overcome any binding through little exertion, although in some cases it can take time. This technique is very subtle in its application, undetected by most perception abilities as Seishiro is actually tinkering with the reiryoku on an infinitesimal level.

Upon being bound, Seishiro can immediately begin tinkering with the binding before beginning to unbind himself. It is a relatively expedient technique, capable of getting him out of any sticky situation. It is also possible to merely burn off techniques with his reiatsu, but this is less efficient as it drains the user more than the subtle method outlined above.

^* The technique was developed by Seishiro using intimate knowledge of the inner-workings of Kidou, requiring one to have the capacity to use Kidou expertly in order to use them effectively.

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