Post by Izo Genzoku on May 17, 2020 22:23:03 GMT -5
Passwords:
1. Black Hole
2. Moon Pray
Essentials
Type: Berserker
Squad: 3rd Squad
Rank: Captain
Name: Izo Genzoku
Age of Death: 30
Real Age/Age of Appearance: 1098/ 30
Blood Type: B+
Type: Berserker
Squad: 3rd Squad
Rank: Captain
Name: Izo Genzoku
Age of Death: 30
Real Age/Age of Appearance: 1098/ 30
Blood Type: B+
{***IMPORTANT NOTE***}
Because I would like to get the maximum amount of SP for my app (Class 2), could my grader please grade the app to this standard so that I can make the necessary changes to get the maximum amount of SP.
Because I would like to get the maximum amount of SP for my app (Class 2), could my grader please grade the app to this standard so that I can make the necessary changes to get the maximum amount of SP.
Appearance
Height/Weight: 9'1"/ 409 Lbs
Physical Description:
Calling Izo a behemoth would be an insulting understatement. Izo is a Colossus of a man, towering above even some hollows. His frame is seemingly as bulky as a king sized bedframe, his shoulders wider than the horizon. His titanic physique has been sculpted over the centuries of combat and hardship he's braved; due to his, every one of his muscles- biceps, triceps, pectorals, traps, calves, etc.- are massive and toned. Along with his giant-like hands and immeasurable boot size, Izo's build would leave any mortal man shaking in fear.
The most discernable feature on Izo's face would most likely be the six slash marks engraved from the top of his left eyebrow to the right of his chin. His jawline is strong and defines, with his chin jutting prominently at just the right size. His nose extends an average distance and remains pointed forward. His eyes are a smoky blue color, accompanied by slight bags on his lower eyelids. Izo's pitch black hair cascades past his shoulders and stops in the middle of his back, silky smooth all the way down.
Izo's stride is long and heavy, each step propelling aside all the dirt around him. No movement is second guessed and his slow pace is made up for by his long legs. He often keeps his face straight, even when joking, usually confusing others as to whether or not he means what he says. His gaze is piercing but calm when speaking to others; he has made it a habit to make sure whoever is speaking to him knows they're being listened to. Back straight, shoulders relaxed, Izo faces the world determined and unfazed at the same time.
Every action is purposeful, every doorknob is turned with an openness to face what is inside. The aura in whatever room he enters is dampened and turned serious in an instant. He stands a fair distance away to all outsiders, while ignoring personal space with those he considers important. His demeanor speaks volumes to all that witness it; be wise with your speech, or don't engage with him at all.
A long, pitch, ten foot cloak surrounds his entire body with a soft, silk face mask attached to it to cover his nose and mouth. This covers the black Captains haori he requested. Under that would be his bare chest with lacerations and wounds galore all reflecting his countless years of physical sacrifice. Black knee high boots with silver shackles at the ankles house his feet and fitted black pants tuck into them. On the left side of his neck there is a large wolf brand, snarling at whoever catches its glance.
Height/Weight: 9'1"/ 409 Lbs
Physical Description:
Calling Izo a behemoth would be an insulting understatement. Izo is a Colossus of a man, towering above even some hollows. His frame is seemingly as bulky as a king sized bedframe, his shoulders wider than the horizon. His titanic physique has been sculpted over the centuries of combat and hardship he's braved; due to his, every one of his muscles- biceps, triceps, pectorals, traps, calves, etc.- are massive and toned. Along with his giant-like hands and immeasurable boot size, Izo's build would leave any mortal man shaking in fear.
The most discernable feature on Izo's face would most likely be the six slash marks engraved from the top of his left eyebrow to the right of his chin. His jawline is strong and defines, with his chin jutting prominently at just the right size. His nose extends an average distance and remains pointed forward. His eyes are a smoky blue color, accompanied by slight bags on his lower eyelids. Izo's pitch black hair cascades past his shoulders and stops in the middle of his back, silky smooth all the way down.
Izo's stride is long and heavy, each step propelling aside all the dirt around him. No movement is second guessed and his slow pace is made up for by his long legs. He often keeps his face straight, even when joking, usually confusing others as to whether or not he means what he says. His gaze is piercing but calm when speaking to others; he has made it a habit to make sure whoever is speaking to him knows they're being listened to. Back straight, shoulders relaxed, Izo faces the world determined and unfazed at the same time.
Every action is purposeful, every doorknob is turned with an openness to face what is inside. The aura in whatever room he enters is dampened and turned serious in an instant. He stands a fair distance away to all outsiders, while ignoring personal space with those he considers important. His demeanor speaks volumes to all that witness it; be wise with your speech, or don't engage with him at all.
A long, pitch, ten foot cloak surrounds his entire body with a soft, silk face mask attached to it to cover his nose and mouth. This covers the black Captains haori he requested. Under that would be his bare chest with lacerations and wounds galore all reflecting his countless years of physical sacrifice. Black knee high boots with silver shackles at the ankles house his feet and fitted black pants tuck into them. On the left side of his neck there is a large wolf brand, snarling at whoever catches its glance.
Personality
Dislikes:
1. Consistent/ Occasional incompetence- Failure on a personal level is something all people will experience and can relate to. However, failures that amount to the detriment and suffering of others is unacceptable. A couple of mistakes, maybe a few, alright; regular or semi- regular incompetence, absolutely unacceptable. Accepting a responsibility that requires others to rely on your constant attentiveness and punctuality is not something to be taken lightly.
2. An Excess of Relationships- Love, affection, and meaningful relationships are a blessing, and a curse. Although he cherishes the ones he has grown fond of, the burden of a plethora of loved ones he would feel obligated to protect would inevitably lead to an unnecessary loss.
3. An Excess of Stress- The trauma Izo has experienced throughout his life lingers in his head. Because of this, he has a sort of sensitivity to mental/ emotional stressors. If he cannot alleviate said stress, Izo becomes susceptible to either fits of uncontrollable rage or complete isolation.
4. Hunger- It is safe to say, Izo was not the most fortunate of children. His stature and economic standing left him looking for a meal most of time. Nowadays, he has made it a habit to get as much food as he needs in every sitting.
5. Sweets- Izo never tasted sweets until later on in his long life, so he never developed the common fondness for them that most people have.
6. The Gotei 13- A bit contradictory, isn't it? He believes there is a superiority complex among the members of the Gotei 13. The air of proudness and condescension that lingers in the Seireitei (in his opinion) disgusts him. Also, let's just say the...lackluster productiveness of the Gotei 13 is his biggest problem with them.
7. Silence- Silence only leaves Izo with his own thoughts. He doesn't like his own thoughts...
8. Karma- The concept of karma scares Izo; through the millennia he's lived through... lets just say he isn't proud of all the decisions he's made and if karma was real, he'd be in quite the predicament.
9. Obnoxiousness- Almost paradoxically, loud noises or belligerent folks annoy the hell out of Izo. He doesn't respect the big talkers either; the loud ones usually fall first.
10. The Afterlife- Even though he's made great use of his time after death, occasional, he wishes his soul would've simply disappeared so that his troubles would all go away. But, not only did he find his purpose, but he despises thinking that way.
Likes:
1. Loved Ones- For the very few Izo has let into his inner circle, he absolutely adores them and can't get enough of their presence. Everytime he gets to spend even a little time with those he loves, he wastes not even a fraction of a second relishing in the experience.
2. Wolves- Having a wolf as a companion in his past life, Izo grew to love the bonding with man's best friend.
3. Exercise- Keeping the mind and body occupied with some intense training is something that Izo not only enjoys, but has been accustomed to for centuries.
4. Hollows- Although most of them have a disdain for him and his kind, these lost souls have found a place in Izo's heart. Hearing their stories of how they got to where they are and what they've been through is one of his favorite things.
5. Fighting- Izo made it a ritual to learn from every physical encounter and has now found a consistent rush from it. He also secretly enjoys putting people in their place.
6. Hunting- Hanging with packs of wolves would obviously bring about its fair share of hunts. Izo has become quite good at it and it reminds him of his days as a human, hunting animals and even hunting alongside a wolf- like hollow.
7. Autumn- The falling of leaves in the breeze was one of the first beautiful scenes Izo witnessed as child. It left such a lasting mark that his zanpakuto's inner world has falling leaves as well.
8. Guitars- The simple strum of a guitar seems to soothe the ever-running thoughts in his mind. He made sure have one in his Captain Quarters to play in solitude.
9. Art- Due to the artistic habits of his zanpakuto spirit, Izo has grown accustomed to and fond of paintings and drawings of all qualities. Specifically, the ones drawn by his zanpakuto spirit have captured his admiration, so much so that he has attempted to recreate them in his own time (to no avail).
10. His Zanpakuto Spirit- His zanpakuto spirit is possibly the most important being/s in his life. Although he hates being alone with his thoughts, he's fine with it as long as it's with them.
Habits:
1. Wolf Brand- When reminiscing, deep into thought, or simply racked with stress, Izo will wince slightly and rub the brand on his neck. A vivid memory of pain, stress, and nostalgia, his branding ceremony frequently worms its way back into his mind when he has to find a distraction to escape to.
2. Reading Stories- In one of his own notebooks he keeps on his person, Izo has written down the various life stories of individuals he's met over the years from their perspective. While in meetings, walking around the Seireitei, and even talking, he will often take out his notebook and re-read one of the many memorable entries. It's often so immersing to him that he'll simply ignore his current surroundings in favor of his book.
3. Reliving Past- During his usual training sessions, unless he is specifically working on a certain technique, Izo will take this time to relive a key battle from his past, aiming to improve on his mistakes and experience different conclusion than he previously got. Of course, this would be from his perspective, but his memory is sharp and his bias is minimal.
4. Quick Eater- On a lighter note, when lunch time arrives, Izo is not one to dillydally. He is likely the first one to eat and first on to leave the dinner table, usually leading to people perceiving him as gluttonous (not that he minds much...)
5. Lasting Judgement- First impressions are paramount. Izo treats each first encounter as the true nature of someone's character. What he hates more than an unfavorable personality is shallowness. If one does not reveal their true character upon introduction, and instead resorts to the fake, meekly polite façade most people adhere to, he views them as cowardly or superficial.
6. Concealing His Identity- Outside of the Seireitei, Izo makes sure to hide his identity from the world. He puts his mask over his mouth, hood over his head, and cloak over his haori making sure no one knows him, or his Captaincy.
Flaws:
1. Stuck in the Past- Possibly his biggest weakness, Izo finds himself helplessly stuck in the past. The present and reality's current state is often fleeting for Izo; his mind usually prioritizes recalling the countless encounters of his past life rather than focusing on the universe before him. The only time the real world maintains a consistent grasp on his mind is when he's either in battle, spending time with the few people that interest him, or...
2. Stuck in the Future- Also in contention for his biggest weakness, Izo also worries constantly about the future. It may be safe to say Izo is inhabiting an infinite pool of uncertainty within his mind. With plans to forever alter reality itself running through his psyche, contemplation about the future relationships he may lose/gain, and even predictions of his own demise, Izo's brain finds it impossible to continually dwell in the present.
3. Judgmental- As alluded to before, Izo is quite critical of unfamiliar people. If one's first impression isn't satisfactory, or if you simply rub him the wrong way, he won't hesitate to ignore your presence entirely. Second chances are rare and would require a unique and meaningful repentance. Needless to say, betrayals are NOT tolerated.
4. Merciful- Some may call this a virtue, but in life or death situations, it may not be the smartest decision. Though not with all individuals, Izo will sometimes spare his foes at the end of a battle in order to hear their story. He'll ask them for their history, motivations, lovers, etc. If he finds it compelling, he may decide to let them go or... well, let's save that part for later.
5. Brutal- It seems as though some aspects of Izo's personality are in direct conflict with each other; Izo rarely ever gets the chance to investigate the various histories of his foes due to the brutality of the combat he partakes in. Often times foes are ripped in half by his blade or utterly disfigured before he even had time to think. If the goal is to learn about your enemies, this seems a bit counter-intuitive.
6. Emotional Instability- Many thoughts race through Izo's mind constantly, each one originating from a different experience, different time, different emotion, different issue. Due to the nature of these jumbled and often complex thoughts, it can become easily overwhelming for him. It causes him to go through mood swings that many people don't notice simply because he doesn't let anyone in. Through his stoic outer layer, cracks of anger, sadness, and a range of other negative emotions creep to the surface, bubbling up to a boil waiting to be released.
7. Narrowmindedness- Izo's plans for the very far away future. Ever since he learned of the intricacies of the Gotei 13, he's been concocting an intricate plan so large it threatens to the current way of life for billions of beings. Though his thoughts become scattered sometimes, Izo keeps a very focused mindset on his goals and what's to come. This leads him to develop tunnel vision and often miss most things not associated with his goal.
8. Risk it all Factor- A blessing and a curse, Izo is willing to sacrifice mind, body, and soul to complete his objectives. Whether it requires a limb, and loved one, or his sanity, whatever it takes to get the job done will be fulfilled. This is another frightening thought that plagues his mind throughout his days in the Seireitei.
Fears:
1. Losing it All- Continuing the paradoxical theme, Izo is terrified of what losing something or someone important will do to him. The inevitability of loss is something he has an extremely hard time coping with, despite the fact that, if and when a moment comes where sacrifices need to be made, he will not be one to shy from the call to action.
2. Failure- Though it sounds cliché, Izo is specifically afraid of failing his main objective...to destroy the Gotei 13 and the Seireitei. This is not some arbitrary fear of failure that everyone experiences, because the consequences of failing the set-up, execution, follow through, and conclusory tasks affects almost all of reality itself and all of the inhabitants with it. If he were to fail in his endeavors, especially in the execution of it and negatively affect all the individuals he sought to help, there's no way he could live with himself.
3. His Past- Demons from his past coming back to haunt him, or regrets reemerging from the dark recesses of his mind are things Izo prays doesn't happen to him. He already can't control his frequent mental dips into the past, so the things he keeps repressed in his subconscious he hoped will stay there forever.
4. Getting Caught- Izo's zanpakuto and zanpakuto spirit are a couple of the most important things he can think of. If his plan to betray the Gotei 13 is somehow found out, assuming he could escape with his life, his zanpakuto and the spirit would be destroyed, taking away an essential emotional anchor for him in the process.
5. Taking on the Gotei 13- Izo is no coward by any means, but taking on the might of possibly the entire Gotei 13 is a bit daunting. A natural adrenaline and tightness in his chest occurs every time he envisions the many battles he'll need to go through.
Goals:
1. The Destruction of the Seireitei- Obtaining the title of Captain was only a means to an end for Izo. Throughout his days as a human, he encountered an astounding amount of hollows in his hometown of Kyoto. If Karakura town is the hollow hotspot, Kyoto is a close second. He witnessed the countless slaughter of many of his neighbors and city residents, and even family members. Surrounded by so much spiritual energy, he was able to perceive them and eventually interact with them. Many of them only sought a meal, as he gained strength, he started to interact with them and learn of their struggles. He gained knowledge of hollow origin, Hueco Mundo, and even the Soul Society through these encounters. Eventually, he arrived at the conclusion that the many officers of the Gotei 13 were incapable of completing their task of protecting humanity and purifying hollows. Not only were countless deaths unaccounted for, but millions of beings continued to wallow in the suffering that was supposed to be alleviated by their supposed protectors, including hollows. He vowed to punish the incompetence that led to the anguish of millions by destroying the Seireitei and giving everyone the peace they were promised.
2. Reform- The creation of new souls and Hollows won't cease, even if Izo's plan comes to fruition. When that time comes, it is imperative that he have a plan to keep these people safe in his new system. Well, he does. Izo plans to enlist some souls mandatorily to join the new Seireitei and fight to keep humanity and the soul society safe. A curriculum or ideology of understanding would also be pushed, showing people that hollows are just lost souls, helplessly corrupted by their previous desires.
3. Marry Aoi Ito- One he has known since his childhood and all the to current day, Aoi Ito(NPC I will make later) has been one of the main sources of happiness for Izo and vice versa. He has planned on marrying her in his human days, but unfortunately, death caught up to him before he got the chance. Once his plan is seen through to the end, he plans on making the bond between them official (more on her in "History").
Alignment- Chaotic Good
Overall Personality- Complex may be the only word that can truly capture the many aspects of Izo's chaotic personality. The average mind only occasionaly drifts into the past and future, remembering old memories or anticipating the future. Usually one can also control these thoughts and focuses on what's important or pressing in the present. This is simply not the case for Izo. One moment, he's taking a relaxing stroll through the Seireitei, the next moment he's reliving the death of one of his friends in horrifying detail. Or maybe he's stressing about a certain aspect of his future plans. What does he do when he catches a glimpse of Aoi or another loved one? He may begin worrying about possibly losing them for good, or he may reminisce about a fond time with them in the past; the point is, it is extremely difficult for Izo to keep his focus on the present. He spends the majority of his time in other time periods, unable to enjoy and feel the phenomena in front of him. Oddly enough, he notices this, but he can't seem to control the flow of his train of thought. There are only a few times in which he is continuously aware of the situation around him: during combat, during training sessions, when savoring the time he has with friends, meeting new people, and when he is inside of his Inner World.
Izo yearns to be as simple as he comes off to be to others; and in some ways, he is simple. Quiet and level-headed, Izo is a determined individual with the toughness and strength to back up his convictions. He is quite intelligent despite his brutish appearance, capable of understanding and discussing sophisticated topics on and off the battlefield. He strives to be as strong as he possibly can, and he even has a sizeable ego about him, deeming some things and people as unworthy of his time. He respects strong and responsible people like himself.
Overall, from an outsiders perspective, they can gather the aforementioned traits simply by observing him day- to- day. What they can't see is the manic, emotionally unsteady, doubtful side of Izo. They don't notice the extraordinary work ethic he exhibits privately that far exceeds anything they could imagine in order to achieve his goals; nor do they see the constant second guessing he endures or the regret he represses deep in his subconscious. It is not as though the observable traits aren't real, or a façade, there is simply a underlying layer of complexity that complicates things for Izo; he just refuses to let it show.
There is a tremendous amount of guilt pooled inside of Izo. Not only from actions in his past he's not proud of, but also of what he's willing to do to change the world. As stated before, Izo is willing to do whatever it takes to finish his goal to overthrow the Gotei. The reason this could be a problem is because the risk of this plan is unquantifiable. What will be needed to complete this plan is unknowable. What externalities will be created in the process is yet to be seen. The fact that he's ready and willing to accept any of these possibilities disgusts him to a certain degree. What if Aoi gets hurt? What if the residents of the Rukongai are negatively affected? He hopes none of these things will need to be answered, or that he can live with the aftermath if they do occur.
Fortunately, Izo does know how to have a good time. Despite popular belief, Izo actually possesses a sense of humor, though it often manifests as dry sarcasm that's followed by a straight face. He obviously enjoys his time with friends and he can find some amusement in interacting with others of different squads. Not all captains or officers embody the arrogance and supremacist attitudes that he despises, so he can certainly get along with others. He's also made quite a name for himself through his quick rise in the ranks and outstanding work ethic. He's kept his enmity for the institution hidden, so he could actually learn and create relationships with the officers of the Gotei 13.
All in All, Izo is a man struggling to find peace in between the many conflicting and overwhelming thoughts that reside in his head. He strives for great things, and while he has the motivation, strength, and drive to achieve them, he is tormented by the endless possibilities and risks that come along with those ambitions. His true feelings are hidden under his grim expressions, only coming forth when around ones he cares for. His life is dominated by outside forces that he can't control, yet he somehow finds joy amidst the chaos around him.
Dislikes:
1. Consistent/ Occasional incompetence- Failure on a personal level is something all people will experience and can relate to. However, failures that amount to the detriment and suffering of others is unacceptable. A couple of mistakes, maybe a few, alright; regular or semi- regular incompetence, absolutely unacceptable. Accepting a responsibility that requires others to rely on your constant attentiveness and punctuality is not something to be taken lightly.
2. An Excess of Relationships- Love, affection, and meaningful relationships are a blessing, and a curse. Although he cherishes the ones he has grown fond of, the burden of a plethora of loved ones he would feel obligated to protect would inevitably lead to an unnecessary loss.
3. An Excess of Stress- The trauma Izo has experienced throughout his life lingers in his head. Because of this, he has a sort of sensitivity to mental/ emotional stressors. If he cannot alleviate said stress, Izo becomes susceptible to either fits of uncontrollable rage or complete isolation.
4. Hunger- It is safe to say, Izo was not the most fortunate of children. His stature and economic standing left him looking for a meal most of time. Nowadays, he has made it a habit to get as much food as he needs in every sitting.
5. Sweets- Izo never tasted sweets until later on in his long life, so he never developed the common fondness for them that most people have.
6. The Gotei 13- A bit contradictory, isn't it? He believes there is a superiority complex among the members of the Gotei 13. The air of proudness and condescension that lingers in the Seireitei (in his opinion) disgusts him. Also, let's just say the...lackluster productiveness of the Gotei 13 is his biggest problem with them.
7. Silence- Silence only leaves Izo with his own thoughts. He doesn't like his own thoughts...
8. Karma- The concept of karma scares Izo; through the millennia he's lived through... lets just say he isn't proud of all the decisions he's made and if karma was real, he'd be in quite the predicament.
9. Obnoxiousness- Almost paradoxically, loud noises or belligerent folks annoy the hell out of Izo. He doesn't respect the big talkers either; the loud ones usually fall first.
10. The Afterlife- Even though he's made great use of his time after death, occasional, he wishes his soul would've simply disappeared so that his troubles would all go away. But, not only did he find his purpose, but he despises thinking that way.
Likes:
1. Loved Ones- For the very few Izo has let into his inner circle, he absolutely adores them and can't get enough of their presence. Everytime he gets to spend even a little time with those he loves, he wastes not even a fraction of a second relishing in the experience.
2. Wolves- Having a wolf as a companion in his past life, Izo grew to love the bonding with man's best friend.
3. Exercise- Keeping the mind and body occupied with some intense training is something that Izo not only enjoys, but has been accustomed to for centuries.
4. Hollows- Although most of them have a disdain for him and his kind, these lost souls have found a place in Izo's heart. Hearing their stories of how they got to where they are and what they've been through is one of his favorite things.
5. Fighting- Izo made it a ritual to learn from every physical encounter and has now found a consistent rush from it. He also secretly enjoys putting people in their place.
6. Hunting- Hanging with packs of wolves would obviously bring about its fair share of hunts. Izo has become quite good at it and it reminds him of his days as a human, hunting animals and even hunting alongside a wolf- like hollow.
7. Autumn- The falling of leaves in the breeze was one of the first beautiful scenes Izo witnessed as child. It left such a lasting mark that his zanpakuto's inner world has falling leaves as well.
8. Guitars- The simple strum of a guitar seems to soothe the ever-running thoughts in his mind. He made sure have one in his Captain Quarters to play in solitude.
9. Art- Due to the artistic habits of his zanpakuto spirit, Izo has grown accustomed to and fond of paintings and drawings of all qualities. Specifically, the ones drawn by his zanpakuto spirit have captured his admiration, so much so that he has attempted to recreate them in his own time (to no avail).
10. His Zanpakuto Spirit- His zanpakuto spirit is possibly the most important being/s in his life. Although he hates being alone with his thoughts, he's fine with it as long as it's with them.
Habits:
1. Wolf Brand- When reminiscing, deep into thought, or simply racked with stress, Izo will wince slightly and rub the brand on his neck. A vivid memory of pain, stress, and nostalgia, his branding ceremony frequently worms its way back into his mind when he has to find a distraction to escape to.
2. Reading Stories- In one of his own notebooks he keeps on his person, Izo has written down the various life stories of individuals he's met over the years from their perspective. While in meetings, walking around the Seireitei, and even talking, he will often take out his notebook and re-read one of the many memorable entries. It's often so immersing to him that he'll simply ignore his current surroundings in favor of his book.
3. Reliving Past- During his usual training sessions, unless he is specifically working on a certain technique, Izo will take this time to relive a key battle from his past, aiming to improve on his mistakes and experience different conclusion than he previously got. Of course, this would be from his perspective, but his memory is sharp and his bias is minimal.
4. Quick Eater- On a lighter note, when lunch time arrives, Izo is not one to dillydally. He is likely the first one to eat and first on to leave the dinner table, usually leading to people perceiving him as gluttonous (not that he minds much...)
5. Lasting Judgement- First impressions are paramount. Izo treats each first encounter as the true nature of someone's character. What he hates more than an unfavorable personality is shallowness. If one does not reveal their true character upon introduction, and instead resorts to the fake, meekly polite façade most people adhere to, he views them as cowardly or superficial.
6. Concealing His Identity- Outside of the Seireitei, Izo makes sure to hide his identity from the world. He puts his mask over his mouth, hood over his head, and cloak over his haori making sure no one knows him, or his Captaincy.
Flaws:
1. Stuck in the Past- Possibly his biggest weakness, Izo finds himself helplessly stuck in the past. The present and reality's current state is often fleeting for Izo; his mind usually prioritizes recalling the countless encounters of his past life rather than focusing on the universe before him. The only time the real world maintains a consistent grasp on his mind is when he's either in battle, spending time with the few people that interest him, or...
2. Stuck in the Future- Also in contention for his biggest weakness, Izo also worries constantly about the future. It may be safe to say Izo is inhabiting an infinite pool of uncertainty within his mind. With plans to forever alter reality itself running through his psyche, contemplation about the future relationships he may lose/gain, and even predictions of his own demise, Izo's brain finds it impossible to continually dwell in the present.
3. Judgmental- As alluded to before, Izo is quite critical of unfamiliar people. If one's first impression isn't satisfactory, or if you simply rub him the wrong way, he won't hesitate to ignore your presence entirely. Second chances are rare and would require a unique and meaningful repentance. Needless to say, betrayals are NOT tolerated.
4. Merciful- Some may call this a virtue, but in life or death situations, it may not be the smartest decision. Though not with all individuals, Izo will sometimes spare his foes at the end of a battle in order to hear their story. He'll ask them for their history, motivations, lovers, etc. If he finds it compelling, he may decide to let them go or... well, let's save that part for later.
5. Brutal- It seems as though some aspects of Izo's personality are in direct conflict with each other; Izo rarely ever gets the chance to investigate the various histories of his foes due to the brutality of the combat he partakes in. Often times foes are ripped in half by his blade or utterly disfigured before he even had time to think. If the goal is to learn about your enemies, this seems a bit counter-intuitive.
6. Emotional Instability- Many thoughts race through Izo's mind constantly, each one originating from a different experience, different time, different emotion, different issue. Due to the nature of these jumbled and often complex thoughts, it can become easily overwhelming for him. It causes him to go through mood swings that many people don't notice simply because he doesn't let anyone in. Through his stoic outer layer, cracks of anger, sadness, and a range of other negative emotions creep to the surface, bubbling up to a boil waiting to be released.
7. Narrowmindedness- Izo's plans for the very far away future. Ever since he learned of the intricacies of the Gotei 13, he's been concocting an intricate plan so large it threatens to the current way of life for billions of beings. Though his thoughts become scattered sometimes, Izo keeps a very focused mindset on his goals and what's to come. This leads him to develop tunnel vision and often miss most things not associated with his goal.
8. Risk it all Factor- A blessing and a curse, Izo is willing to sacrifice mind, body, and soul to complete his objectives. Whether it requires a limb, and loved one, or his sanity, whatever it takes to get the job done will be fulfilled. This is another frightening thought that plagues his mind throughout his days in the Seireitei.
Fears:
1. Losing it All- Continuing the paradoxical theme, Izo is terrified of what losing something or someone important will do to him. The inevitability of loss is something he has an extremely hard time coping with, despite the fact that, if and when a moment comes where sacrifices need to be made, he will not be one to shy from the call to action.
2. Failure- Though it sounds cliché, Izo is specifically afraid of failing his main objective...to destroy the Gotei 13 and the Seireitei. This is not some arbitrary fear of failure that everyone experiences, because the consequences of failing the set-up, execution, follow through, and conclusory tasks affects almost all of reality itself and all of the inhabitants with it. If he were to fail in his endeavors, especially in the execution of it and negatively affect all the individuals he sought to help, there's no way he could live with himself.
3. His Past- Demons from his past coming back to haunt him, or regrets reemerging from the dark recesses of his mind are things Izo prays doesn't happen to him. He already can't control his frequent mental dips into the past, so the things he keeps repressed in his subconscious he hoped will stay there forever.
4. Getting Caught- Izo's zanpakuto and zanpakuto spirit are a couple of the most important things he can think of. If his plan to betray the Gotei 13 is somehow found out, assuming he could escape with his life, his zanpakuto and the spirit would be destroyed, taking away an essential emotional anchor for him in the process.
5. Taking on the Gotei 13- Izo is no coward by any means, but taking on the might of possibly the entire Gotei 13 is a bit daunting. A natural adrenaline and tightness in his chest occurs every time he envisions the many battles he'll need to go through.
Goals:
1. The Destruction of the Seireitei- Obtaining the title of Captain was only a means to an end for Izo. Throughout his days as a human, he encountered an astounding amount of hollows in his hometown of Kyoto. If Karakura town is the hollow hotspot, Kyoto is a close second. He witnessed the countless slaughter of many of his neighbors and city residents, and even family members. Surrounded by so much spiritual energy, he was able to perceive them and eventually interact with them. Many of them only sought a meal, as he gained strength, he started to interact with them and learn of their struggles. He gained knowledge of hollow origin, Hueco Mundo, and even the Soul Society through these encounters. Eventually, he arrived at the conclusion that the many officers of the Gotei 13 were incapable of completing their task of protecting humanity and purifying hollows. Not only were countless deaths unaccounted for, but millions of beings continued to wallow in the suffering that was supposed to be alleviated by their supposed protectors, including hollows. He vowed to punish the incompetence that led to the anguish of millions by destroying the Seireitei and giving everyone the peace they were promised.
2. Reform- The creation of new souls and Hollows won't cease, even if Izo's plan comes to fruition. When that time comes, it is imperative that he have a plan to keep these people safe in his new system. Well, he does. Izo plans to enlist some souls mandatorily to join the new Seireitei and fight to keep humanity and the soul society safe. A curriculum or ideology of understanding would also be pushed, showing people that hollows are just lost souls, helplessly corrupted by their previous desires.
3. Marry Aoi Ito- One he has known since his childhood and all the to current day, Aoi Ito(NPC I will make later) has been one of the main sources of happiness for Izo and vice versa. He has planned on marrying her in his human days, but unfortunately, death caught up to him before he got the chance. Once his plan is seen through to the end, he plans on making the bond between them official (more on her in "History").
Alignment- Chaotic Good
Overall Personality- Complex may be the only word that can truly capture the many aspects of Izo's chaotic personality. The average mind only occasionaly drifts into the past and future, remembering old memories or anticipating the future. Usually one can also control these thoughts and focuses on what's important or pressing in the present. This is simply not the case for Izo. One moment, he's taking a relaxing stroll through the Seireitei, the next moment he's reliving the death of one of his friends in horrifying detail. Or maybe he's stressing about a certain aspect of his future plans. What does he do when he catches a glimpse of Aoi or another loved one? He may begin worrying about possibly losing them for good, or he may reminisce about a fond time with them in the past; the point is, it is extremely difficult for Izo to keep his focus on the present. He spends the majority of his time in other time periods, unable to enjoy and feel the phenomena in front of him. Oddly enough, he notices this, but he can't seem to control the flow of his train of thought. There are only a few times in which he is continuously aware of the situation around him: during combat, during training sessions, when savoring the time he has with friends, meeting new people, and when he is inside of his Inner World.
Izo yearns to be as simple as he comes off to be to others; and in some ways, he is simple. Quiet and level-headed, Izo is a determined individual with the toughness and strength to back up his convictions. He is quite intelligent despite his brutish appearance, capable of understanding and discussing sophisticated topics on and off the battlefield. He strives to be as strong as he possibly can, and he even has a sizeable ego about him, deeming some things and people as unworthy of his time. He respects strong and responsible people like himself.
Overall, from an outsiders perspective, they can gather the aforementioned traits simply by observing him day- to- day. What they can't see is the manic, emotionally unsteady, doubtful side of Izo. They don't notice the extraordinary work ethic he exhibits privately that far exceeds anything they could imagine in order to achieve his goals; nor do they see the constant second guessing he endures or the regret he represses deep in his subconscious. It is not as though the observable traits aren't real, or a façade, there is simply a underlying layer of complexity that complicates things for Izo; he just refuses to let it show.
There is a tremendous amount of guilt pooled inside of Izo. Not only from actions in his past he's not proud of, but also of what he's willing to do to change the world. As stated before, Izo is willing to do whatever it takes to finish his goal to overthrow the Gotei. The reason this could be a problem is because the risk of this plan is unquantifiable. What will be needed to complete this plan is unknowable. What externalities will be created in the process is yet to be seen. The fact that he's ready and willing to accept any of these possibilities disgusts him to a certain degree. What if Aoi gets hurt? What if the residents of the Rukongai are negatively affected? He hopes none of these things will need to be answered, or that he can live with the aftermath if they do occur.
Fortunately, Izo does know how to have a good time. Despite popular belief, Izo actually possesses a sense of humor, though it often manifests as dry sarcasm that's followed by a straight face. He obviously enjoys his time with friends and he can find some amusement in interacting with others of different squads. Not all captains or officers embody the arrogance and supremacist attitudes that he despises, so he can certainly get along with others. He's also made quite a name for himself through his quick rise in the ranks and outstanding work ethic. He's kept his enmity for the institution hidden, so he could actually learn and create relationships with the officers of the Gotei 13.
All in All, Izo is a man struggling to find peace in between the many conflicting and overwhelming thoughts that reside in his head. He strives for great things, and while he has the motivation, strength, and drive to achieve them, he is tormented by the endless possibilities and risks that come along with those ambitions. His true feelings are hidden under his grim expressions, only coming forth when around ones he cares for. His life is dominated by outside forces that he can't control, yet he somehow finds joy amidst the chaos around him.
Combat
Fighting style- Izo is not one to wait around or study his opponents. Of course, this doesn't mean he won't adjust based on the type of opponent he's facing; he simply takes the initiative and, unless the approach is obviously dangerous, charges head-first attempting to overwhelm his opponent with close up combat. He prides himself on the physical strength he has cultivated over his years of extreme training, so close, face to face combat is his forte. He seldom relies on any specific martial art, usually utilizing basic combat sense and his extraordinary strength to force through all of his opponents attacks and defenses. He mixes melee strikes and holds with fierce sword strikes with his zanpakuto.
His style of combat, regardless of what medium it comes through is violently brutal. Izo will take any measure to inflict as much damage, and carnage to his foes as possible. He does this for a few reasons: he does it to discourage his opponents, forcing them to second guess their own tactics, or even question why they're fighting him in the first place; he does it to wear down his opponents stamina and force them to either retreat or experience a worsened quality of performance; he does it to send a message to all that may think of challenging someone of his caliber; he does it in an attempt to hinder his opponents ability to even move or use their body after coming into contact with his onslaught; he does it because that's the only way he learned how and it's a reflection of the constant tension in his mind being released in physical form...etc.
His hand to hand combat is unlike any or most of his peers. His great strength, combined with his larger hands, allows him to have a nearly insurmountable advantage in fist fights. Also, without use of swords, most attacks an opponent may throw his way will cause him little to no damage anyways. His insistence on a close ranged fight almost incites one to pull out and use their sword or any weapon they can get their hands on, as only beings with strength comparable to his can even consider keeping their weapon holstered.
Due the size of his sword, Izo knows that any attempt to block his attacks will likely result in injury or increased stamina use. This leads to foes often attempting to dodge his attacks, assuming that the speed of his body and blade have been hindered by his tall stature and oversized blade. Unfortunately for these foes, Izo has maintained a decent amount of speed by building up a ton of muscle, allowing to not only move at sufficiently high speeds, but wield his sword about as fast as any Shinigami would wield theirs. When using his sword, Izo likes to invade the opponents space and aim for two specific areas; their important, must-protect areas (neck, stomach, head, knees) and their hands/wrists. He aims for their important body parts to force them to block, causing them to either weaken their grip, damage their sword, or break their guard resulting in serious damage and possibly a kill (also, he can use any off balance movements caused by the impact to toss them around and get in favorable positions whilst they attempt to reposition themselves). He aims for their hands and/or wrists in an attempt to disarm them or further weaken their grip. After all, a man without his sword might as well be a dead man.
His favorite fights are ones against people like himself, full of strength and power, and ones who love to use their speed. For opponents like himself, he likes to uses their momentum against them, countering each attempted blow with one of his own. Sometimes he even goes toe to toe with them, a battle of egos clashing through fists to see who is indeed stronger. For people who find it "smart" to either avoid his attacks with fast movements, or assault him with quick blows, he finds even more enjoyment. For the former strategy, he'll often play up his stereotypical slower speed and move at a sluggish pace, lulling his opponent into a sense of security in their speed. Once they stop moving at their top speed and adjust to the slower one, he'll switch gears and move top speed, often using all his strength or shunpo to catch up to them and get a hold of them. If successful, he'll severely damage their body, particularly their legs, to permanently slow them and fight them normally after that. For the latter strategy, he'll often resort to tanking most of the inevitably weaker attacks and find an opportunity to subject them to the same treatment people with the former strategy got; or he'll simply tank the attacks and wait for them to tucker themselves out. This is, of course, when he isn't using his shikai. In his shikai, it becomes much more difficult for long range tactics to work, due to the darkness encompassing the area. This allows him much easier access to his typical close up brawl, giving Izo more opportunities to close the distance. (Side note, Izo often uses shunpo to close the distance on his opponents if needed.)
When it comes to battles involving reiatsu, this is where things get interesting. Although he's no slouch when it come to reiatsu based attacks, they are not his strong suit. He mainly uses them for making up for his lack of long ranged attacks, and even though they are decently strong due to him being a captain, he's never really surprised if it doesn't go his way. Rarely does he use any reiatsu based abilities affecting his physical strength, due to his already impressive power. He resorts to either long ranged, projectile or beam based attacks that can either be used by him to chase a passive opponent, or attacks that can be active while he attacks from up close, making him dangerous from all areas of the battlefield. In Izo's bankai, though the techniques require lots of reiatsu, he has access to ranged abilities that help him cover all angles of the battlefield. While Tenzai Shinzengumi covers close to mid range attacks (like the blasts of force that can be created through swinging his sword), techniques like Summoned Bala cover a long range. Abilities like Wild Soul also let him cover a great portion of the battlefield and increase his aggression with the help of a wolf.
Speaking of range and regarding his sword, he actually controls a good amount of space on the battlefield. Excluding the massive size of his zanpakuto, with enough strength, he can cause shockwaves of force from simply swinging his weapon, offering him another tool for controlling the style of battle. Izo practically cuts off most close- to mid range options for his opponents, requiring them to rely on strong spiritual strength, or strong kido to continue to fight effectively. Izo also has a lot of endurance, able to attack, defend, and dodge consistently with reduced strain on his body despite his massive frame. This in turn weakens the potency of a long ranged strategy for most fighters.
Zanpakuto Spirit Appearance- There are two beings that symbolize two parts of Izo's resolve, and make up his zanpakuto spirit. The first is a woman named Ayoko. Residing comfortably in a small, living room sized building, Ayoko stands at a short 4'9' and has long, silky black hair stopping at the small of her back. She dons a black and white kimono with black clogs accompanying it. She possesses a traditionally attractive face and only wears natural makeup. She's very caring and polite, her voice sweet and light as a feather. She has a very calm disposition, often relaxing in her room, praying, or painting. Her room is very bare bones, only containing the various paintings she's made, and standard katana and a tea set. She represents Izo's happier side and the tranquility that could exist within him.
This is sharply contrasted by the feral, highly aggressive Okami. Similar in size, if not a bit larger than Ayoka herself, Okami is an all black, 9 inch clawed wolf with golden eyes. All throughout the forests of Izo's inner world, Okami snarls and howls about, antagonizing any and all things while it wanders. This wolf embodies the chaos and aggression infecting Izo's psyche, likely caused by his difficult past. It often comes into contact with Ayoko, sparking many violent scuffles that have accumulated over time. This is evidenced by the many scars that both of them have developed; Ayoko's kimono is now ripped in places and her arms and neck have scratch marks and scars in them, while Okami's fur is disheveled and dirty, with open wounds and laceration galore.
Inner World- Izo's inner world can be described vaguely in two words: Conflict (conceptually and physically) and Darkness. His inner world is quite simple to lay out. With a giant circular island as its base, in the very center of it lies a floating sphere of spiritual energy and reiatsu- Izo's soul. It hovers motionless, exuding a white essence that scatters across the island. Attached to his soul are an immeasurable number of chains leading out into the distance. Surrounding the pedestal is a small grassy plain that extends into a seemingly endless forest. Evidently thousands of acres long, a forest of pitch black trees takes up most of the space on the island. These trees rise infinitely with no top in sight. Hanging and falling off of the trees are millions of white leaves floating in the breeze. On the outskirts of the black forest resides Ayoko’s small home on the island edge. Finally, encompassing the already enormous forest is a boundless sea of hollows. This includes regular hollows, Gillians, and even some adjunchas (will be explained later). The chains attached to the floating soul in the center island all connect to the numerous hollows aimlessly wandering and conversing with themselves. Even the forest is home to some lumbering hollows that have climbed out of the sea and explored the land. These hollow do not wallow in their eternal misery like they do in the real world; inside his world, their personalities are only slightly influenced by the ambitions and psyche of Izo, allowing them to focus on themselves and the present rather than their previous sins and regrets. The chains mentioned earlier also connect to his zanpakuto spirit/s. Above all of this sits a black moon that casts the perpetual night that the creatures reside in.
Zanpakuto:
Zanpakuto Overall Ability- Izo's zanpakuto is essentially able to materialize or bring about the environment, entities, and phenomena of his inner world. He uses these anomalies to assist him in battle; shrouding his movements in the darkness he is so accustomed to, summoning beings to fight alongside him, even releasing his spirit itself and the many hollows into reality. He does this through the link between the inner world/ his soul and his zanpakuto via his use of reiatsu and the chains that physically connect themselves to the various beings in his world. During the transformations from his sealed, to Shikai, to Bankai stages, the linkage between his inner world increases, allowing for a greater and more tangible transferal of objects, beings, and phenomena into actual matter.
This is an ability that Izo had worked on and trained to create for years. Even so, because of the heavy toll this takes on his body and mental and spiritual effort needed to do it, the amount of reiatsu required to use this ability and create the linkage increases with every stage. Once an entity or object from the inner world is transferred into the real one, it does not need to be maintained with additional reiatsu because has now materialized into actual matter subject to all laws of physics that all other matter is. However, because the surrogate for these phenomenon is his zanpakuto Tenzai Shinzen in Shikai/Bankai form, when returned back to its sealed state, all anomalies not fully formed and created/released by his bankai will disappear and return to his inner world.
Sealed State- In its sealed state, Tenzai Shinzen is an impressive, 7ft Odachi with an almost archaic appearance. Its blade is ever so lightly curved and is much, much thicker than a typical Odachi. Its hilt is about 9 inches long and the blade is separated into three approximately equal sections from the base of the blade upwards. Each section is divided by slight notches that allow the blade to seemingly collapse into itself, capping it's height at the 7 feet. Aside from its impressive size, it is rather unremarkable aesthetically, looking rather old and beat up. This is all in compassed by a long black sheath that rests on Izo's back. A faint, swirling black mist also engulfs the sword and sheath entirely.
Shikai Appearance- Upon uttering its release command, or simply willing it to do so, the faint black mist engulfing the sword will darken and a burst of reiatsu will explode through the dividers of the three sections of the sword. Casting away the sheathe, Tenzai Shinzen's true length is revealed. Now with a black opal as a pommel in a curved black leather grip, the size of the sword extends to an astounding 13 ft long. No longer hidden by the now dissipating black mist, the blade has a sleek, shiny appearance, looking as if it had just recently been created not too long ago. In the middle of the blade, countless names of people Izo cherishes are engraved deep within.
Shikai Overall Ability- In its Shikai form, Tenzai Shinzen is tasked with beginning the transfer of Izo's inner world into reality. To start, it must begin taking things from the inner world and placing them in the real world while finding some use in battle. Regarding transfer, without the chains that are attached to physical entities, Tenzai Shinzen can only transfer things that aren't connected to his soul via the chains. This essentially only includes non sentient beings and the environment inside his inner world. This environment can give a certain benefit to Izo when fighting his foes, as he has created a technique that he has mastered specifically to complete this task. Thus, the actual things being transferred have a restricted amount of influence on the battle itself, as the connection between reality and his inner world has not been completed, and is still weak. Any anomaly created in this form is not sufficiently linked and does not have enough reiatsu connecting them to the human world; thus, upon returning to its sealed state, anomalies created in the shikai form will dissipate and return to the inner world.
Bankai Appearance- When Izo summons his bankai, Tenzai Shinzengumi goes through another change. Extending from the blade, the black chains described in his inner world coil and wrap around the grip and guard of the sword, encircling Izo's hand and any excess chain floats in mid-air around the base of the blade. The white essence that resonated from his soul in the inner world also surrounds the blade and makes the many names engraved inside of it glow a bright white. Most impotantly, on the flat side of the blade now exists a small, circular portal leading into the inner world that his chains extend out of.
Bankai Overall Ability- Because of the addition of chains extending onto and connecting to his sword, Izo can now summon the sentient and physical beings that reside inside his inner world to assist him. This includes the various hollows roaming about the sea and forest, Okami, and even Ayoko. These beings cannot necessarily materialize out of the blue on their own volition; they must be called upon to do specific tasks and can be called in fragmented forms, such as an arm or mouth of a hollow forming to shoot a cero and things of that nature. Unique to this form, any anomaly transferred in this form, now with enough reiatsu, is linked to the upmost degree and is now completely materialized in the real world. Unless called back by Izo himself, if fully released into the real world, each anomaly will remain in the real world (subject to any and all rules other matter is subject to i.e laws of physics, etc), regardless of the status of his zanpakuto. Only one technique he is developing is capable of releasing these beings in full form into the real world, and it comes with a major sacrifice (detailed in technique section).
Release Names and Phrases-
Shikai- Tenzai Shinzen-"Unveil a Black Moon, Tenzai Shinzen!"
Bankai- Tenzai Shinzengumi- "Drag their Souls into My Abyss, Tenzai Shinzengumi!"
Shikai Techniques-
Worlds Intertwined: Black Eclipse
Class: 4
Cost: 100 Reiatsu+ 50 per post in use
Description: By using this technique, Izo summons the black moon from his inner world to cast it's silhouette upon the immediate battlefield. The moon appear above the battlefield along with two of the tall, black trees with white leaves constantly falling off of them, flowing in the breeze. Aside from the leaves cascading down, the moon, trees, and general transferred environment are stagnant and do not move after being cast. Upon activation, the moon's silhouette will cast a dome shaped, night-like environment about 75 ft in diameter. This dome encompasses everything inside it in this night-like environment, appearing to be encompassing the world itself. Due to his attire, this ability provides Izo with much more covert movements, making each action 75% less detectable.
Drawbacks: There are many drawbacks to this ability. Firstly, because of the taxing nature of his shikai's overall ability (and subsequently this technique), each post requires 50 more reiatsu to keep his Shikai form and this technique active. Secondly, this technique does not conceal the movements of loghter colored items (like his blade or the leaves falling), only concealing their appearance by 10%. This allows the opponent to see track these movements more easily, even going as far as tracking the movement of the leaves due to the fast movements Izo would be making. Third, the dome encompassing the battlefield can't move, and its effect will be ineffective outside of the dome, if the opponent happens to move out of the affected zone, they will be able to see all things like normal and realize the effects drawbacks, likely not returning to the area; Izo will attempt to fight inside the dome and continuously bate them closer to the center of it because of this. Lastly, this ability is purely physical, not affecting ones aptitude for detecting reiatsu. Foes with 50 energy sensory can perceive actions at only 65% reduced detectability (since they can sense Izo's reiatsu) (with every increase of 50 points in ES reducing the effectiveness by 10%. 100 in Es =55%, 200 in ES= 45%. etc.)
Bankai Techniques:
Worlds Intertwined: Chains of Torment
Class: 2
Cost: 150 Reiatsu + 75 per post in use
Description: Using the newly acquired chains coiled around his bankai, Izo can control these chains to perform two specific functions (one being used for combat and one not); First, he can extend the chains and use them to slam, crush, and batter his opponents. These chains are quite heavy and slam with the force of about 475 RS(reiatsu strength) and move at about 600 speed. Secondly, he can use, and has, used these chains to grab and drag the body and soul of his defeated, or killed (or consenting) enemies into his inner world, subjecting them to the effects of it described in the "Inner World" part at the bottom of the section.
Drawbacks: Aside from the cost, Izo cannot manipulate the Chains of Torment while moving at normal speed. He must slow to a walking speed to move the chains at the aforementioned speed (to move at normal speed again he'd have to retract the chains). Furthermore, to drag the enemies into, he must be motionless while doing so and the enemies must be unconscious, unable to move at all, or dead (anything less and an escape is easy) (also must retract chains to move at full speed again).
Worlds Intertwined: Summoned Cero
Class: 2
Cost: 400 Reiatsu
Description: Upon activation, Izo will slam Tenzai Shinzengumi into the ground with half of the blade sticking out of the ground. The sword will rumble and the portal will expand a bit and temporarily release the head of a gillian to shoot a massive cero from its mouth towards the direction the portal is facing (700 RS). It will fire once and return through the portal, allowing Izo to pick up his sword again if he wishes. This attack scales off of Izo's RS and is the same class as the release.
Drawbacks: Like all cero, it must charge to be used, so this technique is quite slow to use and takes about 12 seconds to plant the sword, summon the gillian head through the portal, charge, and fire the cero. Because of this, Izo will attempt to distract and fight the opponent during this time so they will be in range the blast. Also, Izo is susceptible to being hit/harmed by the blast, just like his opponent which requires him to devise a way to move out of the way of the cero once its ready without alerting his foe. If there is no Gillian in Izo's inner world, this technique cannot be used. Lastly, the ability is static, so it will not track the opponent.
Worlds Intertwined: Summoned Bala
Class: 2
Cost: 300 Reiatsu + 100 per blast
Description: When activated, the chains attached to Tenzai Shinzengumi will extend and drill into the ground, essentially holding the sword in the air. The portal will expand and summon the head and torso of 3 smaller hollows. These hollows will shoot bala at the opponent at the initial cost of 300 reiatsu (each hollow will shoot one initially), and Izo can choose to spend more reiatsu to have them shoot more (100 reiatsu more per blast, one head will shoot one, then the next head will shoot the next, etc.) Each individual blast from a hollow head hits with 400 RS. These hollows will track the opponent unlike Summoned Cero. Once Izo is satisfied, the hollows will return to the inner world, the portal will shrink, and the chains will shorten and drop the sword back down to the ground. This attack scales off of Izo's RS and is the same class as the release.
Drawbacks: Again, Izo is susceptible to getting hit by the bala. Additionally, Izo must wait an even longer for his sword to return to him because the hollows must return and the sword "unhook" from the ground. This technique is also reiatsu-hungry, only being effective with multiple shots like a turret.
Worlds Intertwined: Wild Soul
Class: 2
Cost: 600 Reiatsu
Description: Simply put, through the portal of his zanpakuto, the chains will enter the portal and bring out one of the two spirits that make up his zanpakuto spirit, Okami. Okami fight alongside and assist Izo in battle, moving at a speed of 800 and attacks with 650 strength. Izo can still use his sword while the Okami is summoned, because unlike the previous summonings, Okami is fully formed and has completely exited the inner world. Izo can send Okami back into the inner world, requiring the chains to grab and pull Okami back into the inner world (takes 15 seconds to do so).
Drawbacks: Although Okami fights alongside Izo, it cannot be controlled or made to do specific tasks. Aside from the cost, Okami can be harmed and even killed by the opponent. In the event that this happens, this will not only damage Izo's zanpakuto, but Izo himself as well. Upon the possible death of Okami, the damage dealt will be equivalent to multiple strong clashes against his sword (damaging the blade and increasing the chance of it breaking) and taking a blast of a reiatsu based attack approx. 600 RS in total.
Worlds Intertwined: Legion of the Damned
Class: 2
Cost: 800 Reiatsu + the destruction of his zanpakuto
Description: This is Izo's strongest and final technique. Upon activation, Izo will plant his sword in the ground, and the portal on the flat side of the blade will expand, engulfing the entire sword. Tenzai Shinzengumi will begin to shake and crack, and finally shatter, the portal now expanding to 20 ft in diameter. When this happens, every entity residing in his inner world will be summoned and brought into the real world permanently. Every hollow (20 in total), Gillian (20 in total), and Adjuchas (10 in total), and even his zanpakuto spirits will be released. Aside from his zanpakuto spirits, all entities will attack individuals they would've normally attacked in their past lives as hollows (i.e, if released into the Seireitei, they will attack all officers excluding Izo, and attack civilians in the Rukongai). (To acquire more, Izo will have to use threads and adventures to capture more hollows/entities.)
Drawbacks: This attack destroys his zanpakuto upon activation. All entities (aside from his zanpakuto spirits) have their own free will and cannot be controlled, capable of harming even Izo's allies.
Fighting style- Izo is not one to wait around or study his opponents. Of course, this doesn't mean he won't adjust based on the type of opponent he's facing; he simply takes the initiative and, unless the approach is obviously dangerous, charges head-first attempting to overwhelm his opponent with close up combat. He prides himself on the physical strength he has cultivated over his years of extreme training, so close, face to face combat is his forte. He seldom relies on any specific martial art, usually utilizing basic combat sense and his extraordinary strength to force through all of his opponents attacks and defenses. He mixes melee strikes and holds with fierce sword strikes with his zanpakuto.
His style of combat, regardless of what medium it comes through is violently brutal. Izo will take any measure to inflict as much damage, and carnage to his foes as possible. He does this for a few reasons: he does it to discourage his opponents, forcing them to second guess their own tactics, or even question why they're fighting him in the first place; he does it to wear down his opponents stamina and force them to either retreat or experience a worsened quality of performance; he does it to send a message to all that may think of challenging someone of his caliber; he does it in an attempt to hinder his opponents ability to even move or use their body after coming into contact with his onslaught; he does it because that's the only way he learned how and it's a reflection of the constant tension in his mind being released in physical form...etc.
His hand to hand combat is unlike any or most of his peers. His great strength, combined with his larger hands, allows him to have a nearly insurmountable advantage in fist fights. Also, without use of swords, most attacks an opponent may throw his way will cause him little to no damage anyways. His insistence on a close ranged fight almost incites one to pull out and use their sword or any weapon they can get their hands on, as only beings with strength comparable to his can even consider keeping their weapon holstered.
Due the size of his sword, Izo knows that any attempt to block his attacks will likely result in injury or increased stamina use. This leads to foes often attempting to dodge his attacks, assuming that the speed of his body and blade have been hindered by his tall stature and oversized blade. Unfortunately for these foes, Izo has maintained a decent amount of speed by building up a ton of muscle, allowing to not only move at sufficiently high speeds, but wield his sword about as fast as any Shinigami would wield theirs. When using his sword, Izo likes to invade the opponents space and aim for two specific areas; their important, must-protect areas (neck, stomach, head, knees) and their hands/wrists. He aims for their important body parts to force them to block, causing them to either weaken their grip, damage their sword, or break their guard resulting in serious damage and possibly a kill (also, he can use any off balance movements caused by the impact to toss them around and get in favorable positions whilst they attempt to reposition themselves). He aims for their hands and/or wrists in an attempt to disarm them or further weaken their grip. After all, a man without his sword might as well be a dead man.
His favorite fights are ones against people like himself, full of strength and power, and ones who love to use their speed. For opponents like himself, he likes to uses their momentum against them, countering each attempted blow with one of his own. Sometimes he even goes toe to toe with them, a battle of egos clashing through fists to see who is indeed stronger. For people who find it "smart" to either avoid his attacks with fast movements, or assault him with quick blows, he finds even more enjoyment. For the former strategy, he'll often play up his stereotypical slower speed and move at a sluggish pace, lulling his opponent into a sense of security in their speed. Once they stop moving at their top speed and adjust to the slower one, he'll switch gears and move top speed, often using all his strength or shunpo to catch up to them and get a hold of them. If successful, he'll severely damage their body, particularly their legs, to permanently slow them and fight them normally after that. For the latter strategy, he'll often resort to tanking most of the inevitably weaker attacks and find an opportunity to subject them to the same treatment people with the former strategy got; or he'll simply tank the attacks and wait for them to tucker themselves out. This is, of course, when he isn't using his shikai. In his shikai, it becomes much more difficult for long range tactics to work, due to the darkness encompassing the area. This allows him much easier access to his typical close up brawl, giving Izo more opportunities to close the distance. (Side note, Izo often uses shunpo to close the distance on his opponents if needed.)
When it comes to battles involving reiatsu, this is where things get interesting. Although he's no slouch when it come to reiatsu based attacks, they are not his strong suit. He mainly uses them for making up for his lack of long ranged attacks, and even though they are decently strong due to him being a captain, he's never really surprised if it doesn't go his way. Rarely does he use any reiatsu based abilities affecting his physical strength, due to his already impressive power. He resorts to either long ranged, projectile or beam based attacks that can either be used by him to chase a passive opponent, or attacks that can be active while he attacks from up close, making him dangerous from all areas of the battlefield. In Izo's bankai, though the techniques require lots of reiatsu, he has access to ranged abilities that help him cover all angles of the battlefield. While Tenzai Shinzengumi covers close to mid range attacks (like the blasts of force that can be created through swinging his sword), techniques like Summoned Bala cover a long range. Abilities like Wild Soul also let him cover a great portion of the battlefield and increase his aggression with the help of a wolf.
Speaking of range and regarding his sword, he actually controls a good amount of space on the battlefield. Excluding the massive size of his zanpakuto, with enough strength, he can cause shockwaves of force from simply swinging his weapon, offering him another tool for controlling the style of battle. Izo practically cuts off most close- to mid range options for his opponents, requiring them to rely on strong spiritual strength, or strong kido to continue to fight effectively. Izo also has a lot of endurance, able to attack, defend, and dodge consistently with reduced strain on his body despite his massive frame. This in turn weakens the potency of a long ranged strategy for most fighters.
Zanpakuto Spirit Appearance- There are two beings that symbolize two parts of Izo's resolve, and make up his zanpakuto spirit. The first is a woman named Ayoko. Residing comfortably in a small, living room sized building, Ayoko stands at a short 4'9' and has long, silky black hair stopping at the small of her back. She dons a black and white kimono with black clogs accompanying it. She possesses a traditionally attractive face and only wears natural makeup. She's very caring and polite, her voice sweet and light as a feather. She has a very calm disposition, often relaxing in her room, praying, or painting. Her room is very bare bones, only containing the various paintings she's made, and standard katana and a tea set. She represents Izo's happier side and the tranquility that could exist within him.
This is sharply contrasted by the feral, highly aggressive Okami. Similar in size, if not a bit larger than Ayoka herself, Okami is an all black, 9 inch clawed wolf with golden eyes. All throughout the forests of Izo's inner world, Okami snarls and howls about, antagonizing any and all things while it wanders. This wolf embodies the chaos and aggression infecting Izo's psyche, likely caused by his difficult past. It often comes into contact with Ayoko, sparking many violent scuffles that have accumulated over time. This is evidenced by the many scars that both of them have developed; Ayoko's kimono is now ripped in places and her arms and neck have scratch marks and scars in them, while Okami's fur is disheveled and dirty, with open wounds and laceration galore.
Inner World- Izo's inner world can be described vaguely in two words: Conflict (conceptually and physically) and Darkness. His inner world is quite simple to lay out. With a giant circular island as its base, in the very center of it lies a floating sphere of spiritual energy and reiatsu- Izo's soul. It hovers motionless, exuding a white essence that scatters across the island. Attached to his soul are an immeasurable number of chains leading out into the distance. Surrounding the pedestal is a small grassy plain that extends into a seemingly endless forest. Evidently thousands of acres long, a forest of pitch black trees takes up most of the space on the island. These trees rise infinitely with no top in sight. Hanging and falling off of the trees are millions of white leaves floating in the breeze. On the outskirts of the black forest resides Ayoko’s small home on the island edge. Finally, encompassing the already enormous forest is a boundless sea of hollows. This includes regular hollows, Gillians, and even some adjunchas (will be explained later). The chains attached to the floating soul in the center island all connect to the numerous hollows aimlessly wandering and conversing with themselves. Even the forest is home to some lumbering hollows that have climbed out of the sea and explored the land. These hollow do not wallow in their eternal misery like they do in the real world; inside his world, their personalities are only slightly influenced by the ambitions and psyche of Izo, allowing them to focus on themselves and the present rather than their previous sins and regrets. The chains mentioned earlier also connect to his zanpakuto spirit/s. Above all of this sits a black moon that casts the perpetual night that the creatures reside in.
Zanpakuto:
Zanpakuto Overall Ability- Izo's zanpakuto is essentially able to materialize or bring about the environment, entities, and phenomena of his inner world. He uses these anomalies to assist him in battle; shrouding his movements in the darkness he is so accustomed to, summoning beings to fight alongside him, even releasing his spirit itself and the many hollows into reality. He does this through the link between the inner world/ his soul and his zanpakuto via his use of reiatsu and the chains that physically connect themselves to the various beings in his world. During the transformations from his sealed, to Shikai, to Bankai stages, the linkage between his inner world increases, allowing for a greater and more tangible transferal of objects, beings, and phenomena into actual matter.
This is an ability that Izo had worked on and trained to create for years. Even so, because of the heavy toll this takes on his body and mental and spiritual effort needed to do it, the amount of reiatsu required to use this ability and create the linkage increases with every stage. Once an entity or object from the inner world is transferred into the real one, it does not need to be maintained with additional reiatsu because has now materialized into actual matter subject to all laws of physics that all other matter is. However, because the surrogate for these phenomenon is his zanpakuto Tenzai Shinzen in Shikai/Bankai form, when returned back to its sealed state, all anomalies not fully formed and created/released by his bankai will disappear and return to his inner world.
Sealed State- In its sealed state, Tenzai Shinzen is an impressive, 7ft Odachi with an almost archaic appearance. Its blade is ever so lightly curved and is much, much thicker than a typical Odachi. Its hilt is about 9 inches long and the blade is separated into three approximately equal sections from the base of the blade upwards. Each section is divided by slight notches that allow the blade to seemingly collapse into itself, capping it's height at the 7 feet. Aside from its impressive size, it is rather unremarkable aesthetically, looking rather old and beat up. This is all in compassed by a long black sheath that rests on Izo's back. A faint, swirling black mist also engulfs the sword and sheath entirely.
Shikai Appearance- Upon uttering its release command, or simply willing it to do so, the faint black mist engulfing the sword will darken and a burst of reiatsu will explode through the dividers of the three sections of the sword. Casting away the sheathe, Tenzai Shinzen's true length is revealed. Now with a black opal as a pommel in a curved black leather grip, the size of the sword extends to an astounding 13 ft long. No longer hidden by the now dissipating black mist, the blade has a sleek, shiny appearance, looking as if it had just recently been created not too long ago. In the middle of the blade, countless names of people Izo cherishes are engraved deep within.
Shikai Overall Ability- In its Shikai form, Tenzai Shinzen is tasked with beginning the transfer of Izo's inner world into reality. To start, it must begin taking things from the inner world and placing them in the real world while finding some use in battle. Regarding transfer, without the chains that are attached to physical entities, Tenzai Shinzen can only transfer things that aren't connected to his soul via the chains. This essentially only includes non sentient beings and the environment inside his inner world. This environment can give a certain benefit to Izo when fighting his foes, as he has created a technique that he has mastered specifically to complete this task. Thus, the actual things being transferred have a restricted amount of influence on the battle itself, as the connection between reality and his inner world has not been completed, and is still weak. Any anomaly created in this form is not sufficiently linked and does not have enough reiatsu connecting them to the human world; thus, upon returning to its sealed state, anomalies created in the shikai form will dissipate and return to the inner world.
Bankai Appearance- When Izo summons his bankai, Tenzai Shinzengumi goes through another change. Extending from the blade, the black chains described in his inner world coil and wrap around the grip and guard of the sword, encircling Izo's hand and any excess chain floats in mid-air around the base of the blade. The white essence that resonated from his soul in the inner world also surrounds the blade and makes the many names engraved inside of it glow a bright white. Most impotantly, on the flat side of the blade now exists a small, circular portal leading into the inner world that his chains extend out of.
Bankai Overall Ability- Because of the addition of chains extending onto and connecting to his sword, Izo can now summon the sentient and physical beings that reside inside his inner world to assist him. This includes the various hollows roaming about the sea and forest, Okami, and even Ayoko. These beings cannot necessarily materialize out of the blue on their own volition; they must be called upon to do specific tasks and can be called in fragmented forms, such as an arm or mouth of a hollow forming to shoot a cero and things of that nature. Unique to this form, any anomaly transferred in this form, now with enough reiatsu, is linked to the upmost degree and is now completely materialized in the real world. Unless called back by Izo himself, if fully released into the real world, each anomaly will remain in the real world (subject to any and all rules other matter is subject to i.e laws of physics, etc), regardless of the status of his zanpakuto. Only one technique he is developing is capable of releasing these beings in full form into the real world, and it comes with a major sacrifice (detailed in technique section).
Release Names and Phrases-
Shikai- Tenzai Shinzen-"Unveil a Black Moon, Tenzai Shinzen!"
Bankai- Tenzai Shinzengumi- "Drag their Souls into My Abyss, Tenzai Shinzengumi!"
{Important Note for All Techniques involving the Use and Summoning of Entities in Izo's Inner World}
Here is a list of the stats of all entities that can/will be summoned and used in the following abilities. These stats only pertain to how well they will fare when fully summoned in reality:
Hollows:
Class 7
Strength: 100
Speed: 100
RS: 200
SP: 80
Instinct: 10
Senses:10
Energy Sensory: 20
Gillian
Class: 5
Strength:150
Speed: 250
RS: 400
SP:50
Instinct:25
Senses:50
Energy Sensory:0
Adjuchas
Class: 4
Strength: 200
Speed: 400
RS: 500
SP: 75
Instinct: 25
Senses: 0
Energy Sensory: 0
Ayoko: Attacks with 500 strength/ 700 speed
Here is a list of the stats of all entities that can/will be summoned and used in the following abilities. These stats only pertain to how well they will fare when fully summoned in reality:
Hollows:
Class 7
Strength: 100
Speed: 100
RS: 200
SP: 80
Instinct: 10
Senses:10
Energy Sensory: 20
Gillian
Class: 5
Strength:150
Speed: 250
RS: 400
SP:50
Instinct:25
Senses:50
Energy Sensory:0
Adjuchas
Class: 4
Strength: 200
Speed: 400
RS: 500
SP: 75
Instinct: 25
Senses: 0
Energy Sensory: 0
Ayoko: Attacks with 500 strength/ 700 speed
Shikai Techniques-
Worlds Intertwined: Black Eclipse
Class: 4
Cost: 100 Reiatsu+ 50 per post in use
Description: By using this technique, Izo summons the black moon from his inner world to cast it's silhouette upon the immediate battlefield. The moon appear above the battlefield along with two of the tall, black trees with white leaves constantly falling off of them, flowing in the breeze. Aside from the leaves cascading down, the moon, trees, and general transferred environment are stagnant and do not move after being cast. Upon activation, the moon's silhouette will cast a dome shaped, night-like environment about 75 ft in diameter. This dome encompasses everything inside it in this night-like environment, appearing to be encompassing the world itself. Due to his attire, this ability provides Izo with much more covert movements, making each action 75% less detectable.
Drawbacks: There are many drawbacks to this ability. Firstly, because of the taxing nature of his shikai's overall ability (and subsequently this technique), each post requires 50 more reiatsu to keep his Shikai form and this technique active. Secondly, this technique does not conceal the movements of loghter colored items (like his blade or the leaves falling), only concealing their appearance by 10%. This allows the opponent to see track these movements more easily, even going as far as tracking the movement of the leaves due to the fast movements Izo would be making. Third, the dome encompassing the battlefield can't move, and its effect will be ineffective outside of the dome, if the opponent happens to move out of the affected zone, they will be able to see all things like normal and realize the effects drawbacks, likely not returning to the area; Izo will attempt to fight inside the dome and continuously bate them closer to the center of it because of this. Lastly, this ability is purely physical, not affecting ones aptitude for detecting reiatsu. Foes with 50 energy sensory can perceive actions at only 65% reduced detectability (since they can sense Izo's reiatsu) (with every increase of 50 points in ES reducing the effectiveness by 10%. 100 in Es =55%, 200 in ES= 45%. etc.)
Bankai Techniques:
Worlds Intertwined: Chains of Torment
Class: 2
Cost: 150 Reiatsu + 75 per post in use
Description: Using the newly acquired chains coiled around his bankai, Izo can control these chains to perform two specific functions (one being used for combat and one not); First, he can extend the chains and use them to slam, crush, and batter his opponents. These chains are quite heavy and slam with the force of about 475 RS(reiatsu strength) and move at about 600 speed. Secondly, he can use, and has, used these chains to grab and drag the body and soul of his defeated, or killed (or consenting) enemies into his inner world, subjecting them to the effects of it described in the "Inner World" part at the bottom of the section.
Drawbacks: Aside from the cost, Izo cannot manipulate the Chains of Torment while moving at normal speed. He must slow to a walking speed to move the chains at the aforementioned speed (to move at normal speed again he'd have to retract the chains). Furthermore, to drag the enemies into, he must be motionless while doing so and the enemies must be unconscious, unable to move at all, or dead (anything less and an escape is easy) (also must retract chains to move at full speed again).
Worlds Intertwined: Summoned Cero
Class: 2
Cost: 400 Reiatsu
Description: Upon activation, Izo will slam Tenzai Shinzengumi into the ground with half of the blade sticking out of the ground. The sword will rumble and the portal will expand a bit and temporarily release the head of a gillian to shoot a massive cero from its mouth towards the direction the portal is facing (700 RS). It will fire once and return through the portal, allowing Izo to pick up his sword again if he wishes. This attack scales off of Izo's RS and is the same class as the release.
Drawbacks: Like all cero, it must charge to be used, so this technique is quite slow to use and takes about 12 seconds to plant the sword, summon the gillian head through the portal, charge, and fire the cero. Because of this, Izo will attempt to distract and fight the opponent during this time so they will be in range the blast. Also, Izo is susceptible to being hit/harmed by the blast, just like his opponent which requires him to devise a way to move out of the way of the cero once its ready without alerting his foe. If there is no Gillian in Izo's inner world, this technique cannot be used. Lastly, the ability is static, so it will not track the opponent.
Worlds Intertwined: Summoned Bala
Class: 2
Cost: 300 Reiatsu + 100 per blast
Description: When activated, the chains attached to Tenzai Shinzengumi will extend and drill into the ground, essentially holding the sword in the air. The portal will expand and summon the head and torso of 3 smaller hollows. These hollows will shoot bala at the opponent at the initial cost of 300 reiatsu (each hollow will shoot one initially), and Izo can choose to spend more reiatsu to have them shoot more (100 reiatsu more per blast, one head will shoot one, then the next head will shoot the next, etc.) Each individual blast from a hollow head hits with 400 RS. These hollows will track the opponent unlike Summoned Cero. Once Izo is satisfied, the hollows will return to the inner world, the portal will shrink, and the chains will shorten and drop the sword back down to the ground. This attack scales off of Izo's RS and is the same class as the release.
Drawbacks: Again, Izo is susceptible to getting hit by the bala. Additionally, Izo must wait an even longer for his sword to return to him because the hollows must return and the sword "unhook" from the ground. This technique is also reiatsu-hungry, only being effective with multiple shots like a turret.
Worlds Intertwined: Wild Soul
Class: 2
Cost: 600 Reiatsu
Description: Simply put, through the portal of his zanpakuto, the chains will enter the portal and bring out one of the two spirits that make up his zanpakuto spirit, Okami. Okami fight alongside and assist Izo in battle, moving at a speed of 800 and attacks with 650 strength. Izo can still use his sword while the Okami is summoned, because unlike the previous summonings, Okami is fully formed and has completely exited the inner world. Izo can send Okami back into the inner world, requiring the chains to grab and pull Okami back into the inner world (takes 15 seconds to do so).
Drawbacks: Although Okami fights alongside Izo, it cannot be controlled or made to do specific tasks. Aside from the cost, Okami can be harmed and even killed by the opponent. In the event that this happens, this will not only damage Izo's zanpakuto, but Izo himself as well. Upon the possible death of Okami, the damage dealt will be equivalent to multiple strong clashes against his sword (damaging the blade and increasing the chance of it breaking) and taking a blast of a reiatsu based attack approx. 600 RS in total.
Worlds Intertwined: Legion of the Damned
Class: 2
Cost: 800 Reiatsu + the destruction of his zanpakuto
Description: This is Izo's strongest and final technique. Upon activation, Izo will plant his sword in the ground, and the portal on the flat side of the blade will expand, engulfing the entire sword. Tenzai Shinzengumi will begin to shake and crack, and finally shatter, the portal now expanding to 20 ft in diameter. When this happens, every entity residing in his inner world will be summoned and brought into the real world permanently. Every hollow (20 in total), Gillian (20 in total), and Adjuchas (10 in total), and even his zanpakuto spirits will be released. Aside from his zanpakuto spirits, all entities will attack individuals they would've normally attacked in their past lives as hollows (i.e, if released into the Seireitei, they will attack all officers excluding Izo, and attack civilians in the Rukongai). (To acquire more, Izo will have to use threads and adventures to capture more hollows/entities.)
Drawbacks: This attack destroys his zanpakuto upon activation. All entities (aside from his zanpakuto spirits) have their own free will and cannot be controlled, capable of harming even Izo's allies.
Background
Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan
Current Residence: 3rd Squad Barracks
Memorable Figures: Aoi Ito, Yuno Genzoku, Jin Genzoku, Ushida Kenjiro
History:
{Chapter 1: Childhood}
Izo was born into one of the many poor families in Kyoto Japan in 922. His father was a caring, determined, yet narrow-minded farmer, attempting to drag his family out of their destitute condition by cultivating rice fields and controlling them like the Richer families did back in this time period. His mother was a traditional housewife, trying to help care for Izo on her own while her husband tended to the production of rice. This became quite hard for her as Izo grew up, due to his uncontrollable growth spurts at a young age.
There was never enough food around for everyone, and by the time he was 5 years old, he was already 5 foot 6 in, taller than his father. Izo would often travel to the other houses in search for things he could do outside of helping his father at such a young age. He couldn't attend the schools started by the imperial families, so in his search for fun and friends, he met two other kids that ended up clicking with him: A bright and cheery young girl with curly black hair named Aoi Ito, and an orange haired comedian with arrogant tendencies named Ushida Kenjiro.
These three made quite the amusing team, spending their days finding fun adventures to go on in the forests near their houses. When Izo wasn't working on the field with his father, he was hanging out with them all day. They all noticed something quite odd though as time passed by. Every once in a while, there would be a rumble shaking the nearby neighborhood and houses, and one of their neighbors would have disappeared, leaving the families involved heartbroken. This phenomena started happening so much that the parents of the three children started ordering them to stay inside before sunset. When Izo turned 8, however, things got more personal. Because of the approaching winter, Izo and his father were working on the rice fields speedily.
The autumn leaves were tumbling down gracefully, the wind gently gliding them along their way; it was serene. Unfortunately, during their work day, they felt the familiar rumbling of danger. This time, Izo could see the source of the danger; It was a hollow (although, he didn't know what exactly it was at the time). The hollow snickered and approached his father, letting out a screech so loud he thought his ears would burst. Izo yelled and ran to save his father, but it was too late. Though his father could feel the tremors, he could see the threat, and was devoured by the beast whole. Izo's mother rushed outside to find her son attempting to attack the beast, and tried to help him calm down. He ordered her to get back in the house, and the beast took advantage of the distraction, picking Izo up.
As his young life flashed before his eyes, he heard a loud, "Hey you ugly freak, over here!" Izo looked to find Ushida and Aoi side by side; they could see the beast as well. The beast turned to look at the children, inviting Izo to break free of its grasp and start running. As the kids rushed to his aid and began to flee, Izo was about to take his mother with them, but it was too late; she was already in its clutches, completely unaware of the date she was about to meet. He screamed, "NOOOO," but it was no use, turning away as her screams suddenly ceased. As they ran to Aoi's home and saw her parents outside with a confused look, the kids practically shoved them inside and hid in wait. Hours passed and it seemed the creature was gone. That was Izo's first real encounter with hollows. These traumatic events continued until the age of 10, when Izo, now 6 foot 2 in, along with Aoi and Ushida decided to do something about these creatures.
Izo was born into one of the many poor families in Kyoto Japan in 922. His father was a caring, determined, yet narrow-minded farmer, attempting to drag his family out of their destitute condition by cultivating rice fields and controlling them like the Richer families did back in this time period. His mother was a traditional housewife, trying to help care for Izo on her own while her husband tended to the production of rice. This became quite hard for her as Izo grew up, due to his uncontrollable growth spurts at a young age.
There was never enough food around for everyone, and by the time he was 5 years old, he was already 5 foot 6 in, taller than his father. Izo would often travel to the other houses in search for things he could do outside of helping his father at such a young age. He couldn't attend the schools started by the imperial families, so in his search for fun and friends, he met two other kids that ended up clicking with him: A bright and cheery young girl with curly black hair named Aoi Ito, and an orange haired comedian with arrogant tendencies named Ushida Kenjiro.
These three made quite the amusing team, spending their days finding fun adventures to go on in the forests near their houses. When Izo wasn't working on the field with his father, he was hanging out with them all day. They all noticed something quite odd though as time passed by. Every once in a while, there would be a rumble shaking the nearby neighborhood and houses, and one of their neighbors would have disappeared, leaving the families involved heartbroken. This phenomena started happening so much that the parents of the three children started ordering them to stay inside before sunset. When Izo turned 8, however, things got more personal. Because of the approaching winter, Izo and his father were working on the rice fields speedily.
The autumn leaves were tumbling down gracefully, the wind gently gliding them along their way; it was serene. Unfortunately, during their work day, they felt the familiar rumbling of danger. This time, Izo could see the source of the danger; It was a hollow (although, he didn't know what exactly it was at the time). The hollow snickered and approached his father, letting out a screech so loud he thought his ears would burst. Izo yelled and ran to save his father, but it was too late. Though his father could feel the tremors, he could see the threat, and was devoured by the beast whole. Izo's mother rushed outside to find her son attempting to attack the beast, and tried to help him calm down. He ordered her to get back in the house, and the beast took advantage of the distraction, picking Izo up.
As his young life flashed before his eyes, he heard a loud, "Hey you ugly freak, over here!" Izo looked to find Ushida and Aoi side by side; they could see the beast as well. The beast turned to look at the children, inviting Izo to break free of its grasp and start running. As the kids rushed to his aid and began to flee, Izo was about to take his mother with them, but it was too late; she was already in its clutches, completely unaware of the date she was about to meet. He screamed, "NOOOO," but it was no use, turning away as her screams suddenly ceased. As they ran to Aoi's home and saw her parents outside with a confused look, the kids practically shoved them inside and hid in wait. Hours passed and it seemed the creature was gone. That was Izo's first real encounter with hollows. These traumatic events continued until the age of 10, when Izo, now 6 foot 2 in, along with Aoi and Ushida decided to do something about these creatures.
{Chapter Two: The Inception of Hunt and Newfound Sympathies}
When Izo was ten, Aoi was 9, and Ushida was 11, the trio decided to create their own group called Hunt, dedicated to finding and fighting these horrid beasts. After all, they were the only ones in their city that could even see them as far as they knew. With the plan ready to go, all that was left was for them to train. And train they did; though they left the most work to Izo due to his superior stature and strength, each member trained their bodies and minds in preparation to fight the monsters. Aoi and Ushida would mainly be tasked with finding, tracking and leading the hollows to Izo, who was the only one strong enough to take one down or even damage them. Once they all turned 14, the time was upon them. With satchels of water and any food they could scrounge up on their own, they frequently left home for hours, sometimes days at a time to search for the beasts.
Finally, the first one had arrived. Aoi and Ushida tracked its movements and launched their plan, calling the creature and luring it in the forest. When it took the bait and entered, the kids were nowhere to be seen. All that was seen was a now 7ft Goliath, charging at it with full speed, utterly pummeling the lost soul. It worked, the plan was a success! They all cheered and mocked the beast as it fled from the strangely powerful boy. But it didn't stop there; Hunt continued to chase these beasts they learned to be hollows for years. Throughout their adventures, they found an unusual set of companions to keep them company; a pack of Japanese wolves. A small pack, about 4 in total, took a liking to Izo and the gang, eventually assimilating the three hunters into their wild family. Growing accustomed to the increased presence of reiatsu, the wolves became able to see and fight the hollows alongside the group. The group would often sleep, play, and hunt with the wolves for food out in the wilderness.
Later on, something odd started to happen though. The more accustomed Izo and the gang got with these hollows, the less hatred they started to feel towards them. The turning point was when they were all approximately 16-17 years old. The group had been fighting hollows for a while now, but this was the first time a real threat had occurred. While Izo was waiting for the typical call to action after the bait, he instead heard a scream in the distance and ran to investigate. He looked to see a large hollow, Ushida lying bloodied and unconscious, the wolves slaughtered and Aoi caught in its gangly grasp. Izo's mind raced, seeing flashbacks of his parents and neighbors… he snapped. Before the hollow could blink, Izo was on top of it, battering it senseless.
As he stood over it's beaten body, Izo yelled, "Why?! Why do you things keep doing this?! What's your purpose??" The hollow paused and chuckled, leaving him with a message before fleeing; "Quiet boy. You are nothing but a fake Shinigami. You would never understand the reasons for my existence…" As the creature left and his comrades recovered, Izo was left baffled by the hollow's statement. After telling Aoi and Ushida about the message, they all agreed to start learning more about the creatures they were battling, aside from their battle capabilities. For the next few years, the teens learned more, concluding that the hollows were tormented souls needing to be cleansed by their counterparts, the shinigami. But this wasn't being done, causing an overflow of hollows to reside in the human world and Rukongai. They developed a sympathy for the beasts, and Izo even started learning about individual hollows on his own, conversing with those he could talk down, writing their stories in his own book.
When Izo was ten, Aoi was 9, and Ushida was 11, the trio decided to create their own group called Hunt, dedicated to finding and fighting these horrid beasts. After all, they were the only ones in their city that could even see them as far as they knew. With the plan ready to go, all that was left was for them to train. And train they did; though they left the most work to Izo due to his superior stature and strength, each member trained their bodies and minds in preparation to fight the monsters. Aoi and Ushida would mainly be tasked with finding, tracking and leading the hollows to Izo, who was the only one strong enough to take one down or even damage them. Once they all turned 14, the time was upon them. With satchels of water and any food they could scrounge up on their own, they frequently left home for hours, sometimes days at a time to search for the beasts.
Finally, the first one had arrived. Aoi and Ushida tracked its movements and launched their plan, calling the creature and luring it in the forest. When it took the bait and entered, the kids were nowhere to be seen. All that was seen was a now 7ft Goliath, charging at it with full speed, utterly pummeling the lost soul. It worked, the plan was a success! They all cheered and mocked the beast as it fled from the strangely powerful boy. But it didn't stop there; Hunt continued to chase these beasts they learned to be hollows for years. Throughout their adventures, they found an unusual set of companions to keep them company; a pack of Japanese wolves. A small pack, about 4 in total, took a liking to Izo and the gang, eventually assimilating the three hunters into their wild family. Growing accustomed to the increased presence of reiatsu, the wolves became able to see and fight the hollows alongside the group. The group would often sleep, play, and hunt with the wolves for food out in the wilderness.
Later on, something odd started to happen though. The more accustomed Izo and the gang got with these hollows, the less hatred they started to feel towards them. The turning point was when they were all approximately 16-17 years old. The group had been fighting hollows for a while now, but this was the first time a real threat had occurred. While Izo was waiting for the typical call to action after the bait, he instead heard a scream in the distance and ran to investigate. He looked to see a large hollow, Ushida lying bloodied and unconscious, the wolves slaughtered and Aoi caught in its gangly grasp. Izo's mind raced, seeing flashbacks of his parents and neighbors… he snapped. Before the hollow could blink, Izo was on top of it, battering it senseless.
As he stood over it's beaten body, Izo yelled, "Why?! Why do you things keep doing this?! What's your purpose??" The hollow paused and chuckled, leaving him with a message before fleeing; "Quiet boy. You are nothing but a fake Shinigami. You would never understand the reasons for my existence…" As the creature left and his comrades recovered, Izo was left baffled by the hollow's statement. After telling Aoi and Ushida about the message, they all agreed to start learning more about the creatures they were battling, aside from their battle capabilities. For the next few years, the teens learned more, concluding that the hollows were tormented souls needing to be cleansed by their counterparts, the shinigami. But this wasn't being done, causing an overflow of hollows to reside in the human world and Rukongai. They developed a sympathy for the beasts, and Izo even started learning about individual hollows on his own, conversing with those he could talk down, writing their stories in his own book.
{Chapter 3: The Search for Shinigami and the Death of Hunt}
Once the teens were no longer teens anymore and were 20 and up, they started to become more and more interested with the shinigami and their apparent inadequacy. Instead of searching for hollows, Hunt became a group focused on learning about the soul society and how the shinigami were failing to do their job. Aoi and Ushida said their goodbyes to their parents and traveled the country with Izo, searching for shinigami actively purging hollows. Finally, one day, they found the group in question( or at least one of them). They came across a village in turmoil, loud screams and destruction galore. Upon further investigation, they found a shinigami in black haori fighting a hollow.
The young looking man was struggling, so before he even realized it, Izo swooped in and subdued the hollow. Obviously surprised, the officer thanked the now 8ft man, and raised his hand for a handshake. This was followed by a swift punch to the face, shocking the already tired man. "Don't you see what you've done,' Izo snarled, 'this village is RUINED because you couldn't handle a petty hollow like that! What good are you doing at all?!" The shinigami blinked in confusion; was this an actual human berating him for fighting a hollow. The man glanced over at the hollow, now surrounded by Aoi and Ushida speaking to it as they usually would. The man had seen enough. He sheathed his sword and cursed Izo, fleeing back to wherever he came from.
Izo was livid; how could an entire organization tasked with protecting the human race fail so miserably. After speaking to the hollow and regrouping with his friends, Izo had made up his mind. He would hunt down any shinigami he saw in the human world, giving them a taste of the terror all the humans feel when confronted with the hollows. Aoi and Ushida were reluctant at first, but after insisting this be the goal of Hunt, Izo convinced them to accompany him in his vengeful chase. Over the next 9 years, Izo and the others would witness carnage of all different varieties; ruined cities, bloody scenes following a hollow attack, and even some caused by Izo hunting various shinigami down.
This all ended a few days after Izo's 30th birthday. While traveling to a nearby village to rest, the gang encountered a pair of shinigami (one y'all and stocky, one shorter and skinny) in their way. It was getting late and the group was in no shape to quarrel with a couple no name captains. "Move out of the way," Izo grumbled as he and the others attempted to push through the pair. The tall shinigami placed his hand on Izo's chest and grumbled back, "We've been hearing about you, big guy." Apparently, some of the shinigami that escaped Izo's wrath told their higher-ups about a group of troublesome humans. Izo leered into the man's eyes and shoved him away as Ushida began to laugh; "Trust me friends, you wouldn't want to cause trouble with us. Not right now. Allow us to simply go on our way, and maybe we'll give you the time of day when-".
The soliloquy stopped mid way. Izo turned to see the skinny shinigami's sword impaled through Ushida's stomach. These weren't no name officers, these were lieutenants. Aoi gasped and charged at the slender Man while Izo attacked the tall one. It was a mistake. The muscular man easily waved off Izo's attacks and sliced him clean open multiple times. As he fell to the ground, he winced as he saw Aoi meeting the same fate as Ushida. A wash of guilt came over his mind as he realized he had gotten them into his own vendetta, and as his eyes closed, his heart stopped, Aoi's arm reaching towards him in the darkness.
Once the teens were no longer teens anymore and were 20 and up, they started to become more and more interested with the shinigami and their apparent inadequacy. Instead of searching for hollows, Hunt became a group focused on learning about the soul society and how the shinigami were failing to do their job. Aoi and Ushida said their goodbyes to their parents and traveled the country with Izo, searching for shinigami actively purging hollows. Finally, one day, they found the group in question( or at least one of them). They came across a village in turmoil, loud screams and destruction galore. Upon further investigation, they found a shinigami in black haori fighting a hollow.
The young looking man was struggling, so before he even realized it, Izo swooped in and subdued the hollow. Obviously surprised, the officer thanked the now 8ft man, and raised his hand for a handshake. This was followed by a swift punch to the face, shocking the already tired man. "Don't you see what you've done,' Izo snarled, 'this village is RUINED because you couldn't handle a petty hollow like that! What good are you doing at all?!" The shinigami blinked in confusion; was this an actual human berating him for fighting a hollow. The man glanced over at the hollow, now surrounded by Aoi and Ushida speaking to it as they usually would. The man had seen enough. He sheathed his sword and cursed Izo, fleeing back to wherever he came from.
Izo was livid; how could an entire organization tasked with protecting the human race fail so miserably. After speaking to the hollow and regrouping with his friends, Izo had made up his mind. He would hunt down any shinigami he saw in the human world, giving them a taste of the terror all the humans feel when confronted with the hollows. Aoi and Ushida were reluctant at first, but after insisting this be the goal of Hunt, Izo convinced them to accompany him in his vengeful chase. Over the next 9 years, Izo and the others would witness carnage of all different varieties; ruined cities, bloody scenes following a hollow attack, and even some caused by Izo hunting various shinigami down.
This all ended a few days after Izo's 30th birthday. While traveling to a nearby village to rest, the gang encountered a pair of shinigami (one y'all and stocky, one shorter and skinny) in their way. It was getting late and the group was in no shape to quarrel with a couple no name captains. "Move out of the way," Izo grumbled as he and the others attempted to push through the pair. The tall shinigami placed his hand on Izo's chest and grumbled back, "We've been hearing about you, big guy." Apparently, some of the shinigami that escaped Izo's wrath told their higher-ups about a group of troublesome humans. Izo leered into the man's eyes and shoved him away as Ushida began to laugh; "Trust me friends, you wouldn't want to cause trouble with us. Not right now. Allow us to simply go on our way, and maybe we'll give you the time of day when-".
The soliloquy stopped mid way. Izo turned to see the skinny shinigami's sword impaled through Ushida's stomach. These weren't no name officers, these were lieutenants. Aoi gasped and charged at the slender Man while Izo attacked the tall one. It was a mistake. The muscular man easily waved off Izo's attacks and sliced him clean open multiple times. As he fell to the ground, he winced as he saw Aoi meeting the same fate as Ushida. A wash of guilt came over his mind as he realized he had gotten them into his own vendetta, and as his eyes closed, his heart stopped, Aoi's arm reaching towards him in the darkness.
{Final Chapter: Afterlife, Old Friends, and New Plans}
Izo's life after death has been an stressful one at that. Upon arriving in the soul society, he immediately found himself bunkered down in his own abode, unable to cope with the guilt in his mind as he struggled to get accustomed to his new life in the Rukongai. All that he knew to do was train his woes away, resorting to an intense physical regimen to distract himself (to no avail). However, one day, he found his resolve and decided to get back at the Gotei for all that they did. And what better way to do that, than from the inside; Izo spent the next few centuries training for the and studying in hopes to join and graduate from the Shinigami Academy. He honed his body and knowledge, learning about the intricacies of the Seireitei as well as gaining power.
Once he was accepted and subsequently graduated from the Shinigami Academy, he miraculously found his old buddies Aoi and Ushida who were on track to do the same thing as him. He apologized for all of the things he did to them and what he put them through, and all three vowed to become officers of the Gotei 13 and get their revenge. Izo wasted no time rising the ranks, making a name for himself while keeping his disdain for the entire organization under wraps. As well as learning techniques and abilities, he learned the identities, habits, customs, and tendencies of his fellow officers and captains residing in the Seireitei. Now, with his semi-recently acquired bankai and Captaincy, he plans to destroy and reform the Gotei 13 and bring peace to every being in every realm, the peace that he believes they are not getting currently.
Izo's life after death has been an stressful one at that. Upon arriving in the soul society, he immediately found himself bunkered down in his own abode, unable to cope with the guilt in his mind as he struggled to get accustomed to his new life in the Rukongai. All that he knew to do was train his woes away, resorting to an intense physical regimen to distract himself (to no avail). However, one day, he found his resolve and decided to get back at the Gotei for all that they did. And what better way to do that, than from the inside; Izo spent the next few centuries training for the and studying in hopes to join and graduate from the Shinigami Academy. He honed his body and knowledge, learning about the intricacies of the Seireitei as well as gaining power.
Once he was accepted and subsequently graduated from the Shinigami Academy, he miraculously found his old buddies Aoi and Ushida who were on track to do the same thing as him. He apologized for all of the things he did to them and what he put them through, and all three vowed to become officers of the Gotei 13 and get their revenge. Izo wasted no time rising the ranks, making a name for himself while keeping his disdain for the entire organization under wraps. As well as learning techniques and abilities, he learned the identities, habits, customs, and tendencies of his fellow officers and captains residing in the Seireitei. Now, with his semi-recently acquired bankai and Captaincy, he plans to destroy and reform the Gotei 13 and bring peace to every being in every realm, the peace that he believes they are not getting currently.
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