Minamoto, Tsuyoshi [PT, C1]

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

-Opening-

Discord Name: TheBlackVanguard

Password 1: Black Hole
Password 2: Moon Pray

Type: Kenpachi

Squad: Third Division Captain
Rank: 3


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Basic Information-

Name: Minamoto, Tsuyoshi
Aliases: Seireitei no Oni (Demon of Seireitei); Futekigō-taichou (Misfit Captain)

Age of Notable Death: 33
Soul Age*/Incarnation Age*/Age of Appearance: 838*/ 276* / 26
*Soul Age and Incarnation age represent the overall age of the soul (including recycling), and the age of the current human/spirit cycle, respectively. The most recent incarnation of Tsuyoshi died in 1746, but his soul’s first (and last) notable period as a human was from 1151-1184

Birthday: January 7th
Notable Deathday: February 19th, 1184

Blood Type: O-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Appearance-

Inspiration: Ookurikara from Touken Ranbu

Height/Weight: 6’3”; 231 lb

Physical Description: Tsuyoshi, by and large, can be considered a handsome man of above-average stature and physicality. He has a strong, angled jawline that creates the frame for the rest of his features. His hair is worn very naturally with little in the way of grooming outside of keeping it trimmed to about neck-level, allowing the dark auburn hair to fall down and around his face, occasionally covering his eyes. When he isn’t lounging around his personal quarters or barracks, or simply meandering around Soul Society, he wears his hair up in a ponytail in order to keep it out of his way during combat and other strenuous activity. Rarely, he can be seen tucking his hair back and behind his ears - for the most part he allows his hair to fall as it will, simply giving a shake of his head if he’s having difficulty seeing past it.

Dark green eyes serve as a contrast to his strongly sun-kissed complexion - a side effect of constantly being outdoors and training for the majority of his lengthy tenure within Soul Society. While his eyes themselves might be soft instead of striking in color, he does not shy away from making eye contact or allowing his eyes to lock onto an object of desire or interest, off-setting the otherwise soft glow that his eyes have in casual conversation. The rest of his facial features are well-set - an average sized nose with a small scar healed across his right nostril and traveling up the bridge of his nose. His mouth is neither thin-lipped or necessarily full, finding a healthy balance between the two. He can usually be seen with a mischievous or excited grin on his face. Rarely, he may take a scowl if he has been particularly agitated or in the presence of someone altogether disappointing and unpleasant to be around. He generally avoids excessive amounts of accessories on his head, preferring a single pair of studded earrings - one on each earlobe - and a silver chain seated around his neck with a small gemstone that was gifted to him by a prior partner.

Strong neck muscles connect to a healthy curvature of trapezius muscles, marred only by a jagged scar that travels vertically along the left side of his neck. Like many of his scars, this one is worn prominently and he makes no effort to cover it up. Broad shoulders anchor muscular arms to the rest of his torso, which is in, frankly, immaculate physical condition. He is neither ‘too lean’ nor ‘too bulky’, having focused entirely on a balance between the two, enabling his unique combination of astonishing speed and overwhelming strength. Much like his front, the muscles on his back are covered in a thin layer of adipose tissue, giving them a healthy muscular look and accenting the rest of his body. Likewise, the proportions of his lower extremities and the curvature of his muscles give a healthy accent to his overall physique. Were it not for the extreme amount of scarring underneath, he might be considered a nearly perfect physical specimen. Unfortunately, as it stands, Tsuyoshi is a warrior and injuries and scarring are simply a side effect of that kind of lifestyle.

While he once wore his scars prominently and completely naked, Tsuyoshi has taken to tattoos as a method of not only covering up the amount of scar tissue on his torso, but also to invoke certain aspects of his personality in the form of body art. His preferred style of tattoo is the Irezumi - traditional Japanese tattoo styles utilizing contrasting, notable colorings. On his right side, beginning half-way up his forearm, a series of darkly inked, black clouds hide the unmistakable scaling of a red dragon’s tail. The tail disappears around his forearm and traces its way through dark clouds around his elbow before expanding out and into the body and face of a red japanese-styled dragon. This combination of black and red continues onto his right chest wall, where prominent eyes and teeth from its open mouth encompass a series of body scarring and end just shy of his breastbone. Black and white colored storm-clouds with white lightning bolts finish off this right-sided piece.

On his left side, again starting half-way up his forearm are the same darkly inked clouds. This time, however, they hide equally dark ink from a black and blue dragon with alternating scales. This dragon’s tail wraps around his left arm several times and travels up and underneath his shoulder, giving the impression of a brightly blue colored dragon head peering out from white clouds (sans lightning) and looking slightly down at the red dragon on the opposite side. Around his flank, another red dragon lies amongst a field of japanese-styled flowers and grass, staring up from around his navel at the other two dragons to form a trifecta of reptilians across his torso.

Along his back, the ends of the dragons converge and become brightly colored scenery of various styles, including clouds, flowers, and other elements. In the center of this converging piece is a large Oni mask, complete with darkly inked horns and pointed teeth, staring angrily at whomever happens to be standing directly behind Tsuyoshi at the time. In the center of the mask is a large crack, as though the mask has been sliced into by a blade. In actuality, this crack is an initial cover-up of a large scar that crosses Tsuyoshi’s back. Altogether, the myriad of tattoos hide inside of them a number of old lacerations and other types of scarring which can be easily felt by anyone who drags their hands over his torso.

Tsuyoshi’s apparel does well to augment his physique and speaks directly to the more rebellious and informal aspects of his personality. Firstly, his training wear. For almost all training sessions he prefers to be shirtless, but will wear the upper half of a black Gi if requested, and he tends towards a pair of martial arts style pants as opposed to the traditional hakama. As a sign of his loyalty to his division, his squad insignia is stitched onto the left hip and left shoulder of his training outfit. His training wear is complemented by either a black or white waist tie, depending on his mood and what happens to be closest when he’s getting dressed. Regardless of whether he is training with weaponry, he uses this belt loop to hold his Zanpakuto inside of its sheath. If he is additionally training with weaponry, then he will affix his normal blade alongside it with a loop rather than wearing a clip.

In a casual setting, Tsuyoshi’s informal side shines through very prominently. When he isn’t required to dress formally in the appropriate uniform, he tends to wear baggier pants with thin fabric, providing him both comfort and mobility. Generally, these pants are either primarily black or white, depending on his mood and preference, and have either stylized kanji for various phrases (such as strength, victory, success, etc.) or clouds as accented designs. If he is in his personal quarters or speaking with close friends, he will prefer to be shirtless unless requested to wear something on the top.

If he’s requested to wear something, or if he’s out in a more public setting, he defers to a sleeveless, black Shihakusho top, tied to his lowers with a very thin belt. In both public and private, Tsuyoshi will wear his haori folded over once and wrapped around his left leg, with his squad insignia prominently facing his left side, albeit wrapped around his leg. When addressing his squad in a slightly more formal setting, but outside of the strict formalities of the Captain’s council, he wears a sleeved Shihakusho top with the insignia of Third Division stitched into the back, though he still leaves his haori wrapped around his leg, preferring to forego the added bulk in his upper half. When wearing his sleeved Shihakusho, he usually has the sleeves rolled or folded up past his elbows. In all instances, he keeps his Zanpakuto inside of its sheath, tied around his waist underneath his haori for ceremonial purposes.

If he is required to show up in a formal setting, he defers to the very traditional captain’s wear as demanded by Central 46 and the Captain-Commander. For these affairs, he wears a classic sleeved Shihakusho with a white waist tie, and his haori worn properly over his torso. While he prefers to wear his sleeves up in this case as well, he will lower them if requested.

Tsuyoshi avoids wearing gloves or anything else that might cover up his hands, calloused and hardened from centuries of close quarters combat. For footwear, he defers to either traditional footwear or martial arts flats, preferring to keep his footwear as light as possible in order to give him a more ‘natural’ feeling when engaged in combat and running across terrain.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

-Personality-

SPOILER: Click to show

{Dislikes}Hollow - Like many Shinigami, Tsuyoshi has mixed, but overall negative feelings about Hollow. Hollow are empty, hungry creatures to be pitied for their inability to truly cast aside the limitations of their creation, and to be loathed for the rampant destruction and malice they cause. Unmistakably, if he’s asked, Tsuyoshi believes that Hollow (and by extension, Arrancar) are not to be reasoned with or used for training - they are to be purified, without exception.

Hell Dwellers - There's a special circle of Hell reserved for some spirits and Tsuyoshi believes that they should have better security. Souls that have earned themselves a stay in Hell belong in Hell and no amount of silver words and coy tongue is going to convince Tsuyoshi otherwise. While Tsuyoshi is aware that his purpose is to purify Hell Dwellers, if asked, he would state that he would eradicate them entirely if given the opportunity, as final judgment for defying their eternal punishment.

Weakness - There is strength in spite of weakness and there is weakness that has overshadowed all other strengths. Tsuyoshi respects the former and despises the latter. People with weak spines and wavering senses of duty should not have a say in the machinations of others. It isn’t uncommon for Tsuyoshi to cut off and interrupt those he believes to be physically and mentally weaker than he is.

Weak Will - A weak will is to a person what a corrupt governing body is to a Kingdom - poison. Individuals with weak wills cannot hope to find their limitations because they do not have the resilience required to truly test them. There is no room for the weak willed in Tsuyoshi's way and he isn’t afraid to speak over and against them in his presence. He will very rarely allow them a voice if the opportunity presents itself.

Hesitation - Tsuyoshi is impatient - very impatient. While he can be convinced by his peers to wait for action, if there is no plan in place, Tsuyoshi is prone to acting independently, especially if there's a fight to be had. He believes that hesitancy and the inability to commit to an action is a sign of weakness, and that immediate action is better than no action at all.

Traitors - Tsuyoshi despises traitors. From the era before his first cycle to his current cycle in soul society, he despises and has despised traitors with his entire being. Any person who would raise a blade against someone that trusted them or collude against them deserves a slow, violent end.

Abandonment - Likewise, an organization that casts aside a loyal member due to circumstances beyond that person's control is held by poor, antiquated leadership with an inability to see the larger picture. Traitors and deserters get what they deserve, but those who are cast aside when they need their organization, their family, are victims of systemic failure.

Arrogance - There is confidence and there is arrogance. There are beings that have earned their place in the world and deserve every bragging right, and then there are those whose skills and abilities have never been tested. Arrogance is a pitiable offense, and Tsuyoshi is more than happy to rectify it for them.

Authority - The concept of authority without distinguishing action is a concept that Tsuyoshi fundamentally opposes. Giving someone your respect merely because of a rank that's been assigned to them is short sighted at best and fundamentally flawed at worst. Tsuyoshi is a natural rebel who is more likely to bend or break the rules than he is to follow them to the letter.

Elitism - Similarly, those who believe that they are better than others because of their birthright or some other untested accolade have their heads too high in the clouds to truly connect with their peers and subordinates. While Tsuyoshi originally believed that all Nobility suffered from this sense of elitism, time has taught him that it is simply most Nobility that suffers.

Complacency - Complacency and the belief that one can hit a plateau or truly achieve their potential is foolish and begets weak warriors and weak leaders. It is the duty of the strong to persist and pursue greater heights so that others may follow in their footsteps. Strong people who have stopped pursuing and pressing their limits are simply wasting their potential.

Incompetent Teachers - Those who cannot do, teach. That is the saying. Tsuyoshi believes that those who have never done so, have no business teaching others how to be the best that they can be. While retired warriors and practitioners make for incredible teachers, those who have simply stuck their nose into textbooks have no business teaching others how to succeed.

Arbitrary Rules and Regulations - Rules must have purpose - practical purpose, and no rule should be upheld merely because of tradition. Tsuyoshi believes that the practice of maintaining arbitrary regulations is an example of the antiquated privileged exerting their elitism over others.

Brown Nosers - Those who have to suck up to other, stronger people in order to obtain their end goal do so because they are not strong enough to achieve their goals otherwise. Tsuyoshi hates a kiss-ass and is quick to call them out.

Rank Monkeys - In accordance with his previous stance on authority, those who try to instill their will upon subordinates by pulling rank with no distinguishing action behind it have no business being in that position in the first place. Leaders stand in positions of authority because they either have commanded the respect of their subordinates, or are strong enough to enforce policies where necessary.

Complicated Weapons - There is no better weapon than your body. Tsuyoshi believes that wholeheartedly and has trained to push his physical being to its absolute limit if necessary. In the case that someone does need to rely on a weapon, there are few things more effective than a simple blade. Complicated Weapons leave more room for mistakes and opportunities for your opponent to capitalize on.

Combat at Range - Tsuyoshi is a close quarters combatant. While he holds no specific grudge against those that fight from a distance, he does believe that there is no replacement for a honed physique that can fight in close quarters.

Reliance on Kido - Tsuyoshi similarly has a respect for those who use Kido, but pities those who have to rely on it for combat.

Reliance on Release - Tsuyoshi has never truly understood the concept of relying on the power of a dedicated release in order to overcome your opponent. This likely stems from the fact that Tsuyoshi has never been able to commune with his Zanpakuto spirit, who likely has been screaming at him for most of his career.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Likes}Plus Souls - Tsuyoshi has a soft spot in his heart for plus souls both in and outside of Soul Society. Like most Shinigami, Tsuyoshi began as a plus soul inside of the Rukongai. He has an implicit empathy for their plight and will often strike out to mingle and socialize amidst the plus souls in the Rukon. He strongly believes that all plus souls have the potential to become great, and openly recommends that those plus souls looking to become stronger to work towards application to the Shinigami Academy.

Humans - Tsuyoshi respects humans and their capacity for innovation and struggle. While many humans simply go about their lives completely unaware of the spirits around him, Tsuyoshi finds that those who see spirits and seek to improve themselves spiritually tend to be impressive individuals in their own right. While he does not believe that a human could ever reach the same potential as a Shinigami, he acknowledges and respects their struggle to reach their potential and to match the powerful spirits around them.

Quincy - Similar to the rest of humanity, Tsuyoshi acknowledges and respects the struggle of Quincy. To see a race of Humans develop their own culture and camaraderie in the face of overwhelming odds in the spiritual world is refreshing and inspiring. While Tsuyoshi disagrees with their preferred method of combat and likewise believes that Quincy can never truly match the power of the Shinigami, he is willing to stand alongside them and fight with those who stand to protect others and improve themselves in the process.

Strength - Tsuyoshi holds the value of strength in incredibly high esteem. Physical and mental strength are attributes to constantly strive for and separate legendary greats from the mediocre and below average. While Tsuyoshi is aware that there are limits to what some spirits can attain, he will openly encourage and commend feats of fortitude and strength and will naturally gravitate to surrounding himself with these individuals.

Determination - Tsuyoshi believes in struggle. In order to truly reach your limitations and your potential, Tsuyoshi believes that you must be willing to stand against an obstacle that is truly outside of your capacity and have the determination to improve and stretch yourself to the point that you either overcome it, or break. Tsuyoshi would rather die a determined warrior’s death than be snuffed out like a wavering flame in a windstorm.

Ambition - Tsuyoshi respects those with ambition. Whether this ambition is to improve themselves in a formal rank, or to informally improve who they are as people, Tsuyoshi believes that ambition and determination are the true antagonists to the poison that is complacency. There are always new heights to strive for and there are always new levels of power to reach towards. Anyone who believes they have truly reached their potential and refuses to constantly press their limitations is simply wasting the talents they have been given. There is always more to room and there is always room to grow.

Sacrifice - Tsuyoshi recognizes and respects the concept of sacrifice for something that you believe in. Whether that is sacrifice for a greater good, for a larger cause, or for a close ally, friend, lover, or elsewise, Tsuyoshi believes that it takes a great deal of strength to put your life on the line in order to ensure the continuation of another idea or entity. While some sacrifices are misguided, he acknowledges that they exist and respects their attempts all the same.

Light Clothing - The young Shinigami cannot stand heavy or bulky clothing. While he may wear slightly baggier clothing, he demands that his clothing be as light as possible in order to interfere as little as possible with his capabilities. To this point, Tsuyoshi rarely wears his haori over his shoulders in order to ensure that it is out of his way during combat, preferring to fold it over and wear it banded around his left leg as an extension of his legwear. If possible, he prefers to be shirtless as he believes it gives him the maximum amount of mobility.

The Outdoors - Tsuyoshi is nearly constantly outdoors and in the sunlight. He thrives outside and hates to be in cramped areas. He generally gravitates to outdoor training sessions and can often be found walking his squad grounds in the middle of the day, settling indoors only for the night-time to rest. To Tsuyoshi, a wilderness outing holds far more benefit than any type of indoor activity.

Spicy Foods - Simply put, Tsuyoshi likes spicy foods because of the burn. He’s not necessarily a masochist, but there’s something about the dull fire inside of his mouth when he’s eating that makes him feel just slightly more alive.

Sweet Wines and Hard Liquors - Tsuyoshi is a drinker - not a particularly heavy drinker, but a drinker all the same. He might keep his alcohol intake moderate and keep it to carousing, but he prefers sweet wines to dry wines and enjoys drinking harder liquors straight.

Close Quarters Combat - Tsuyoshi, for obvious reasons, has a clear preference for close quarters combat. There’s something very personal and intimate about fighting an opponent in close quarters, and he feels that he is most alive and most attuned with himself and his opponent in closer quarters.

Hand-To-Hand Combat - Likewise, Tsuyoshi prefers the hand-to-hand styles of Hakuda to using a weapon. While he can appreciate the visceral feel of a blade carving through an opponent, he would rather feel their bones buckle and break under the weight of his hands and feet.

Worthy Opponents - Tsuyoshi holds a very unique respect for any combatant that can hold their own against him and force him to unleash his full power. As a point, Tsuyoshi rarely utilizes his full abilities when they aren’t warranted and appreciates any fighter that allows him the opportunity to flex his true abilities on the battlefield.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Flaws}Empathy for the Abandoned - Tsuyoshi has a unique empathy for those who have been abandoned in their time of need. The most notable of these instances lies, for instance, in the case of many of the Visored. While he harbors a unique disdain for Shinigami that actively seek out Hollow abilities and believes them to be traitors to Soul Society, he holds a large amount of empathy and sympathy for those who suffer from a Hollow ailment and are branded as traitors against Soul Society despite their loyalty to Seireitei. Tsuyoshi has been known to let those marked for execution conveniently escape him, though he has never been directly accused of allowing traitors and criminals to escape purposefully.

Come Back When You’re Older, Kid - Excluding malevolent spirits, such as Hollow, Arrancar, and Hell-Dwelling spirits, Tsuyoshi will often beat a weaker opponent to the point that the fear of mortality has been put into them, but will then not finish them. In Tsuyoshi’s mind, combatants who do not need to be purified per his duties provide the opportunity for better combat challenges in the future. Combatants who prove to be a true challenge for Tsuyoshi are not given this treatment, and he is far more likely to go for a killing blow against a powerful opponent.

Quick to Anger - Tsuyoshi, depending on the context, is incredibly quick to anger. The wrong word or action at the wrong time can sour Tsuyoshi’s mood entirely, and excessive taunting can throw him into a rage in combat. While this has improved over the centuries, Tsuyoshi is still prone to being coaxed into deadly situations because of his temper and has been known to be destructive when frustrated or angered on the home front.

Blood- and Battlethirsty - Tsuyoshi loves combat. When he isn’t training with his peers or coaching his subordinates in the arts of close quarters combat and Hakuda, he often can be found picking fights or jumping to go on expeditions where potentially powerful threats can be found. His penchant for combat and warfare can often lead him into unfavorable scenarios and has, in the past, been known to put others in danger. This has improved over the centuries, but is still very prevalent.

Until He Breaks - Tsuyoshi has a very, very hard time accepting his own limitations and constantly pushes them when given the opportunity. While he understands the purpose of a tactical withdrawal, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise for Tsuyoshi to stay long past his usefulness in a combat situation and fight until his body has literally begun to break at the seams if a combat scenario is important enough. While he does his best to pace himself in combat and utilize his full power only when necessary, this aspect of his personality might very well be his undoing.

Reckless - The other aspect of his personality that might be his undoing is his recklessness and his impatience. Over the centuries, he has learned the value of waiting before acting, but his body is geared for action and engagement. Though he can be convinced to wait for an opportune moment, he is equally likely to strike out on his own and into danger without the proper supervision. This behavior has been known to get others wounded or killed in the past and, while it has improved, is still very prevalent.

Inexperienced Leader - Tsuyoshi is, frankly, a very new Captain. While others have held their position for years, decades, and sometimes centuries, Tsuyoshi has only been a captain for a portion of the current year. As such, his capacity for leadership and his understanding of what makes a good leader from a bad leader boils down to his natural capacities. More refined leadership skills are currently beyond him and something he needs to actively work on.

Short-Sighted - Tsuyoshi is a man of action, not of grand schemes and gestures. He has a difficult time seeing past the short term and, while he is capable of immediate battle analysis at an elevated level, he frequently misses the forest in favor of the trees. Without the appropriate tempering and supervision, Tsuyoshi is likely to miss larger schemes and may be prone to being caught up in the machinations of others without realizing it.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Habits}Shirts Are a Nuisance - Tsuyoshi, when possible, prefers to be shirtless. While he will accommodate the requests of others and adheres to formalities in situations that call for it, Tsuyoshi hates wearing shirts.

Dodge This! - In training, Tsuyoshi often tailors his physical training of his subordinates and of others to their level. In training, he will often callout ‘Block’ or ‘Dodge’ depending on what he has tailored his attacks to in order to help develop combat instincts in his subordinates or when training, as well as helping his allies recognize his movements so that they can provide a better challenge in training. This habit spills out when fighting opponents who are weaker than he is in an attempt to ‘help’ them acclimate to his movements so that he isn’t completely bored in an engagement.

Ehh? - When addressed, Tsuyoshi is prone to the very unrefined and crude response of ‘Ehh?’ instead of a true answer. This is a habit from his childhood and younger years as a Shinigami and is unlikely to be broken any time soon.

Clicking His Tongue - When excited or in thought, Tsuyoshi will often click his tongue three times. This is a habit from his years in the Rukongai.

Fits of Laughter - Tsuyoshi has been known to burst out into fits of laughter at the promise of a worthy opponent or a promising fight. Likewise, he has these same outbursts when someone poses that he might be defeated by someone in genuine combat or that he might die on the battlefield, as well as any other ‘impossibility’. He considers worries such as these to be fruitless and signs of weakness. While he has his own fears, death is not one of them.

Talking To Himself - Tsuyoshi has difficulties keeping his inner monologue, well, inner. In thought, he will often talk to himself in order to sort out his thoughts, allowing others to eavesdrop on sometimes illogical or irrational conversations as he sorts out his thoughts aloud.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Fears}Forgotten Legacy - Tsuyoshi's greatest fear is that he will one day be forgotten in the history of Seireitei' and that his name will be lost amidst the annals of Time. He strives to become the strongest Shinigami that Seireitei has ever, and will ever see, and he intends to leave greatness in his wake. The concept of being injured to the point of incapability (as opposed to outright being killed) or being killed in a way other than a glorious combat is a concept that unnerves him.

Sanbantai Crumbles - Tsuyoshi is afraid of failing in his new role as Third Division Captain and allowing the squad to fall into further disarray. While his goal is to restore Third Squad to its former glory amidst the Gotei 13, he is aware that his inexperience and circumstance could very easily make it even more of a shadow of his former self. He strives constantly to do the best that he can for his squad, given his appointment by the Central Chambers and the Captain-Commander to the position.

Fall of Soul Society - Tsuyoshi stands for the integrity of Soul Society - both the Rukongai and Seireitei. One of his deep-seated fears is the idea that the Soul Society might be invaded and destroyed, leaving him with no purpose and no motivation. While Tsuyoshi has his own ambitions, he is aware that those ambitions are tied closely with Soul Society and has not given enough forethought into what he would do in a worst case scenario.

Loss of a Loved One - Tsuyoshi has lost two adopted families and his only committed partner in his time as part of the Gotei 13. While he has been in a myriad of short-lived relationships in the last half-century, he actively avoids the concept of a committed, monogamous relationship in order to guard himself from more rage and heartache. While these things have served to make him who he is today, he would rather not have such a dramatic shock to his psyche again in this lifetime.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Goals}Strongest - Tsuyoshi strives to one day be considered the strongest Shinigami Captain in the Gotei 13 and a force that cannot be matched.

Fastest - Tsuyoshi also strives to one day be considered the fastest Shinigami Captain in the Gotei 13.

Victory Over Zero Division - Tsuyoshi strives to one day defeat every Corps member of Zero Division in single combat.

Long Live the King - He also strives to defeat the King of Hueco Mundo and Las Noches.

Hell's Bane - Further, he strives to defeat the strongest that Hell has to offer.

Glory of Sanbantai - Tsuyoshi believes that the curse of Third Division is simply a case of poor leadership and captains who were otherwise too weak to lead the squad. He strives to repopulate Third Division's highest seated positions and to bring it the same glory as some of the other most respected divisions in the Gotei 13.

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Overall Personality: Centuries of life and death have carved out a tempered, yet rebellious demeanor in Tsuyoshi's soul, and the most recent couple of centuries have proven not only to dampen some of Tsuyoshi's arrogance and pride, but to highlight his core values and allow more positive qualities to shine through what used to be a hurricane of ambition and recklessness.

The first of Tsuyoshi's core values is Loyalty. Loyalty to a cause, loyalty to one's friends, to family, to lovers, to one's own values: these are some individual examples, but by no means are they an exhaustive list. Since prior to his death and well into his third cycle, Tsuyoshi's soul has naturally gravitated towards his loyalty to those he believes are deserving of it. To breach one's contract, spoken or unspoken, with another entity is to betray not only them, but yourself, and to prove that you cannot be trusted. Traitors are not taken lightly and are often subjected to a cruel (and usually terminal) confrontation with the young captain. Expanding upon that point, he harbors a lot of respect and will often go out of his way to help those who have been betrayed or left to rot by their own organization or family, going so far as to privately empathize with the cause of the Visored, feral beast clan, and the Rogues of Soul Society, provided that their loyalty and love still lies with Soul Society. Though he has yet to be accused, Tsuyoshi has, perhaps, been too lenient when given the opportunity to eliminate those more commonly seen as traitors to be executed on sight due to circumstances outside of their control.

His second core value is that of Strength, both personal and as part of a larger group. He believes that strength, both physical and mental, determine your limitations in life and that provided ones mental strength and ability to push through adversity have been honed and refined, an individual can accomplish anything that they set their mind to. This value does not come with the immediate disdain for those viewed as 'weak'. Provided that the effort is there and that the desire to survive and thrive persists, while weakness should be pitied, it should not necessarily determine one's status. He openly acknowledges that some paths of strength may lead to physical weakness and praises those who maintain the mental strength required to persist.

His third and final core value is ambition. Tsuyoshi has never been one to be particularly complacent, and while his ambition may not be to strive for the highest and greatest of ranks, he actively challenges himself to improve and seeks out new threats and dangers as they appear. He holds hatred and loathing in his heart for those who become complacent and comfortable with their current lot in life and will go out of his way to foster and help those who wish to excel and strive for the impossibility of perfection. This ambition serves as Tsuyoshi's primary motivation for his change in squad and the vehicle of his success so far.

At his simplest, Tsuyoshi is a natural misfit and rebel. In accordance with his upbringing in the Rukongai, he has never been someone who strictly adheres to policy and procedure and has knowingly turned a blind eye to those that forgo it, provided that some end result is achieved regardless. He openly talks down to members of the Nobility and believes that birthright and ranking have no place in determining someone's value to Seireitei. In this way, Tsuyoshi believes that all Shinigami who transfer into his squad must prove themselves worthy of the place that they would like to step into and the shoes they want to fill. He can be prone to rash and reckless decision making, he has a known problem with impatience, and he struggles with the concept of waiting until the time is right.

Additionally, he has a love for more hedonistic things in life - he shows more social interest in attractive spirits, prefers wines and liquors to more traditional sake, and has been known to occasionally throw the boisterous social gathering both on his Squad grounds and inside of the Rukongai. It is rare for Tsuyoshi to find himself in a monogamous, committed relationship and he prefers to enjoy life as it comes to him than overly plan and meticulously comb over every detail presented to him.

Fortunately for his bid for Captaincy, some of Tsuyoshi's personality traits have been tempered, though not removed entirely. Though Tsuyoshi has never had a natural knack for leadership (and has openly spoke out against the concept of being a captain on more than one occasion), he has forced himself to recognize that his new role in Seireitei comes with a position of elevated importance - that his squad members look up to him to lead by example and through action. He has taken this knowledge to heart and will often be the first on and last off of the battlefield when a dangerous foe presents itself. He takes time to personally train members of his own division and actively attempts to introduce and incorporate new Shinigami as they join.

He has also learned different styles of commanding his authority, using a combination of commanding respect through action and demanding it through force when the time comes. Though he still has the occasional outburst where he focuses primarily on intimidating others to do his wishes, he understands the importance of convincing his squadmates and comrades that he is worthy of their respect, and likewise finds himself willing to fall in line with those that have earned his respect both on and off the battlefield.

As a recent Captain appointment, Tsuyoshi has taken to gearing his squad to a certain population: those who feel that they are struggling to belong in other divisions and are looking for a division not only where they can prove themselves, but where they can find others they can learn to mesh with, even if only due to circumstance. To him, his Squad is considered a representation of his family, for better or worse: three squad is only as strong as its weakest member, only as impactful as it is cohesive, and any action from a member of squad three is representative of the squad as a whole. While Tsuyoshi takes a laid back approach to his leadership, he is quick to make sure that his subordinates remain in the lines he's set for them and to ensure that their actions don't reflect poorly on the rest of the squad.

In the chance that his subordinates do violate the laws of Seireitei and Soul Society, Tsuyoshi will almost always request to handle the situation in-house first, unless an act is so unforgivable that the individual must be executed or exiled. He understands the right of other Captains to discipline his squad members should they fall out of line, but his demeanor makes him quick to retaliate in this case, which can prove damaging to intersquad relations.

Finally, when regarding the criticism of his peers, his stance is a simple one: if he doesn't respect them enough to take advice from them, then their criticism is as impactful as a fork is when trying to eat soup. Tsuyoshi isn't afraid to speak out against Nobility, structure, or policy when the occasion calls for it and will fight to the death to defend his subordinates and their place in Seireitei.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

-Powers-

Fighting Style: Tsuyoshi's fighting style, like his personality, has become significantly more refined over the last several decades, but at its core it remains simple in concept and relentlessly brutal in practice. Overall, Tsuyoshi specializes in close quarters combat. In almost every engagement where he has one available, he will use a spirit sword to begin combat. Though his Zanjutsu skills themselves are nothing exceptional, his dramatic abundance of speed and strength compared to most foes makes him a terrifying and awesome close quarters combatant. His swordsmanship is limited to a very common series of slashes and thrusts and he prefers the very visceral nature of Japanese-styled, bladed weaponry, though he can improvise in a pinch.

In combination with his martial prowess, Tsuyoshi boasts a fundamental and almost unnatural affinity for using his Reiatsu organically in order to augment his physical capabilities. While this presents itself in generalized physical- and body-based techniques, it also presents itself in his mastery of the art of Hoho. Unlike the majority of Shinigami, Tsuyoshi has specialized in the art of step techniques and they form a core component of his combat abilities. By taking advantage of opportunities that present themselves for fractions of a second, Tsuyoshi can halt and create momentum on a whim,, and then capitalize on that momentum with lethal and brutal efficiency.

The vast majority of beings (that can even stand in the presence of his spiritual pressure) that go up against Tsuyoshi will only ever experience these two skillsets - rudimentary Zanjutsu and basic Hoho. Further, it's unlikely they will ever be subjected to the full extent of Tsuyoshi's abilities unless they are, unexpectedly, able to pressure Tsuyoshi into a corner, or pose to be a pivotal obstacle that serves to stall Tsuyoshi from a critical objective. For the most part, unless his opponent is Hell-Dwelling, a Hollow, or an Arrancar, Tsuyoshi will allow a short number of exchanges in order to prove his superiority to an inferior opponent and encourage them to accept defeat and step away from certain death, ensuring them that their efforts are better served towards getting stronger than towards a suicidal effort to stand toe to toe against him.

Outside of some exceptions, Tsuyoshi sticks almost exclusively to his abilities in swordsmanship against these opponents, taking advantage of the harrowing difference in his abilities against his opponent's in order to subjugate them through relentless and unwavering force. Outside of training, Tsuyoshi takes no joy or interest in these fights, and it shows in his movements. It isn't unreasonable or unexpected for Tsuyoshi to suffer an injury unexpectedly due to underestimating his opponent, but those situations almost always end in the immediate, summary eradication of whoever has dealt that blow. In the case that a weaker foe is able to harm the Shinigami Captain, and even temporarily overpower him by taking advantage of his weaknesses, Tsuyoshi relies on extremely rudimentary step techniques to augment his abilities and even out the tide of combat.

Then, there are those exceptions. When a weaker threat is put before Tsuyoshi and he doesn't have the time to spare in fighting them, or when Tsuyoshi is matched against a more 'evil' entity, then Tsuyoshi will almost always, within the first couple of exchanges of combat, use more of his power for a very brief period with the intention of ending conflict as quickly as possible. While this energy expenditure is rarely, if ever, close to his full power, it is still considered significantly overkill in the vast majority of cases. These instances are approached completely unapologetically and simply as part of his duty as a Shinigami. It’s common for him to openly state that he isn’t enjoying himself or that he wishes his opponent was at least a little bit stronger.

There are a small number of spiritual entities that can not only go toe-to-toe with Tsuyoshi, but can even surpass his physical limitations, forcing him to use the full extent of his power. When facing these opponents, aspects of Tsuyoshi's old combat habits tend to display more prominently. Notably, Tsuyoshi prefers an extended warmup phase to combat which almost always involves using exclusively his spirit sword and increasingly more complex forms of Hoho as he focuses on loosening up his muscles, building his own motivation for combat, and testing his opponent's limits. Usually, this warm up phase and phase of testing his opponent's limits transition seamlessly until he is faced either with overwhelming force or he feels that he has seen the extent of his opponent's abilities.

Once his limitations, or his opponents limitations have been reached, Tsuyoshi's opponents are faced with a far more dangerous opponent and a far more lethal set of abilities. Over the course of Tsuyoshi's career as a Shinigami, his lack of a significant Zanpakuto to bond with has led him to focus his martial prowess into his body. While this presented itself as a very unrefined and rough edged brawler style of combat in his less experienced years, he has learned not only to refine his fighting style into Hakuda, but he has taken the principles of Hakuda and honed them to mastery. This, combined with Tsuyoshi's true capabilities in Hoho and his obscene physical capabilities is enough to overpower most opponents.

His particular brand of Hakuda is best described as efficient, brutal to the point of cruelty, and excessively lethal. In pitched combat, Tsuyoshi will focus first on disabling his opponent's ability to move and defend themselves before transitioning to removing their ability to fight. Methods of mobility (usually their legs) or vital organs focused on stamina (such as the heart and lungs) are the initial focus in combat. Carefully applied force is focused on the rib cage and, when possible, the lower extremities in order to cripple his opponent's evasive abilities, forcing combat to remain in close quarters where Tsuyoshi is at his most dangerous.

Next, he turns his attention to his opponent's arms or other offensive limbs, dismantling and shattering joints and bones in order to cripple his opponent's ability to defend themselves. It is not uncommon for Tsuyoshi to successfully disarm or, well, disarm an opponent and then continue to put excessive amounts of force on the connecting shoulder and hip joints in order to completely disable and immobilize them.

Once his opponent has been effectively crippled, their fate is generally left to a few key factors: the opponent's arrogance and whether or not they've taunted Tsuyoshi over the course of combat, the opponent's continued struggles for survival, and the overall threat posed to his squadmates or allies for keeping that opponent alive.

In the case that the opponent has taunted or carried themselves particularly arrogantly in combat, death is not swift. It comes in damaging, debilitating waves of strikes that have been known to leave individuals completely unrecognizable. In the case that the opponent has seemingly lost all will to live or defend themselves and are unable to even tap into the last vestiges of their desire to survive, they are given a merciful killing. In the case that opponents pose a potential large-scale threat to the overall well-being of Tsuyoshi's friends, squadmates, or the Gotei 13, then they will be eradicated, usually quickly (though not always painlessly) from existence for the good of Soul Society.

Outside of all of these cases, save for when he is faced with Hell-Dwelling or combatants of Hollow origin, Tsuyoshi will generally leave them alive - holding onto the last strings of life to see if they will persist and survive to face him again in combat, or if they will die in his absence and succumb to a loss of willpower.

The longer a fight goes on, the more likely it is that an opponent will see Tsuyoshi's true, fearsome strength. While most opponents see Tsuyoshi in an elevated arena, it is still exceedingly rare for him to fully unleash his abilities due to the toll of such incredible exertion for any extended period of time. Given the chance and the appropriate stimulus (usually in the form of a stronger or a taunting opponent), Tsuyoshi will engage in combat until his body has reached its literal limit and his very being is creaking and struggling at the seams. Relentless speed with devastating strength is used to overpower, defeat, and, most often, absolutely obliterate his opponents.

In addition to his extensive Hakuda training, many of Tsuyoshi's most advanced step techniques are reserved for opponents that he believes even deserve to truly be faced against them. This list is incredibly small and usually beings that have been defeated and (impressively) survived Tsuyoshi's onslaught are removed from it.

Zanpakutou:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Pre-Retirement}Tsuyoshi, like all Shinigami, has a Zanpakuto. Unlike all Shinigami, Tsuyoshi’s Zanpakuto is purely for ceremonial purposes. While there is likely a Zanpakuto spirit somewhere inside of his blade, Tsuyoshi has no way of hearing them. During the earlier years of his career, he may have heard what could only be considered the equivalent of raw screaming from his Zanpakuto spirit attempting to communicate with him to some degree, but ultimately this sound, too, was lost to Tsuyoshi by the time he achieved a seated rank within the Third Division. His Zanpakuto takes the form of a 76cm Tachi and is unremarkable in almost all senses of the word. The blade itself is thin, fairly brittle and prone to chipping and wear, the hilt is covered in worn, violet wrappings whose color looks as though it has faded over the course of several centuries, and the hilt and guard are poorly set against each other, resulting in a very unstable and altogether unpleasant experience when attempting to wield it. Like most tachi worn in a bygone era, Tsuyoshi, when he is carrying his Zanpakuto, suspends his Tachi across his lower back with the blade angled downwards, inside of its sheath. Around the same time that Tsuyoshi earned his first seat within Eleventh Squad, he sheathed his Zanpakuto and never once attempted to use it for combat ever again, convincing himself that releases were beyond him and, as such, a crutch to be relied on when his own body could be honed instead.

Since being away to both train and reflect on himself and his position within Seireitei, Tsuyoshi's Zanpakuto has taken an increasingly large role in his life and his combat prowess, despite the fact that he has still not learned its name or made any tangible connection with it. The once brittle and long-neglected blade has since at least been taken care of by Tsuyoshi, provided with polish and given a proper sheath to rest in. The 76cm Tachi still looks relatively unremarkable when compared to any other shinigami's Zanpakuto, but the blade - while chipped - sports a new level of polish that betrays his efforts to better maintain it. The thin, folded steel glimmers in certain lights and the hilt its attached to seems to have been re-wrapped with brighter and more saturated silk, dyed violet and intertwined with white silk. The hilt and the guard have been reset, and the blade itself looks serviceable. He no longer wears it along his back and instead wears it on his left hip in conjunction with his other combat-ready blade. It is still exceedingly rare that he uses his Zanpakuto in combat, but he seems to take more pride in its appearance and its refinement if nothing else. He refers to it as a weapon and a tool instead of a ceremonial relic that he feels obligated to wear with him.

Zanpakuto Spirit True Name: Ryuurei Kouhei (Flowing Queen)
Zanpakuto Spirit Neglected Name: Yukuefumei Kouhei (Missing Queen)

All Shinigami are born with an Inner Spirit which manifests stronger and stronger as they train with their Asauchi. Tsuyoshi is no exception. For many, one of the common stepping stones to power include learning your Zanpakuto Spirit’s true name, thus unlocking their form as Shikai and, occasionally, altering their sealed appearance slightly. Shinigami who are unable to achieve this state are usually considered to be particularly average, or even below average, and often will never hold a higher ranked position outside of the lower seats of their squad. Tsuyoshi is different in that he has never learned, or attempted to learn his Zanpakuto spirit’s name. Further, he has never once heard his Zanpakuto spirit save for some very rare unintelligible sounds that were suppressed and forgotten during his earlier years as a Shinigami. As a Shinigami that relies entirely on his spiritual energy and his physical ability, Tsuyoshi has never (and possibly will never) spoken directly to his Zanpakuto Spirit. This does not, however, mean that she doesn’t exist.

Early in her development, she was known as Ryuurei Kouhei, the Flowing Queen. Due to centuries of neglect, however, she identifies by a different name and has since lost a great deal of herself to the maddening effects of persistent, unending solitude. Similarly, her appearance and the appearance of Tsuyoshi’s Inner World have become disjointed, twisted, and are altogether hostile. While Tsuyoshi is unable to communicate with his Zanpakuto Spirit (now referred to as Yukuefumei Kouhei, the Missing Queen), those with particularly high energy sensory or the prerequisite techniques are capable of communicating with her and, possibly, entering Tsuyoshi’s Inner World. What they find there, however, has no direct connection to Tsuyoshi, and it shows.

In both her true and neglected form, Ryuurei Kouhei stands at a very lofty six feet and one inch tall, standing just underneath Tsuyoshi’s native height. Her eyes are golden, and her hair is a very warm chestnut color that extends nearly down to her waist when straight, and seems to flow in whatever direction it pleases when she moves. Her body is heavily toned and very athletic and sits on a frame that wears it incredibly well, offering her movements a type of ethereal grace that could never be replicated without use of some type of technique or power. Her form is, for most intents and purposes, weightless. She moves throughout her environment as though she has no quantifiable mass and seems to affect the physical entities around her at her whim, either passing cleanly through them or impacting upon them entirely on her own decision. As she moves throughout her space, her body seems to exist in several places, or times, at once. Her movements are echoed by visages of herself that move in similar, but not consistent fashions. This gives her the effect of moving within what look to be afterimages of herself when, in reality, her nature makes it extraordinarily difficult to follow her true form. Individuals with 300 Senses or Instinct can either directly follow her or intuit her position based on her movements, but anyone without these levels of senses struggles considerably in keeping up with exactly where she’s going and what her finer movements are.

In her true form, she is dressed in a modified suit of Samurai Armor colored in various purples, blacks, and golds. This suit of armor leaves a significant portion of her body seemingly exposed, including her thighs, her upper arms (past the crook of her elbow), and a good portion of the top half of her chest. She wears what seem to be three blades on her right hip, arranged at various angles. It is unclear if all three of these blades exist at the same time, or if they exist because of her nature, as when she draws one, it often visually looks as though she’s drawing all three of them and, while they seem to be different at first, they are all visually identical. Extending from an elongated hilt wrapped in purple silk and adorned with gold accents, the blade itself is slightly shorter than a traditional Odachi, coming in at about 87cm. It looks to be of exceptional make and quality and, while it has a single edge, the blade looks both correct-side down, and inverted. In effect, it is a double-edged blade that visually looks like it has a single, curved edge. Careful examination (if it were possible) would reveal that it is not the edge of the blade that changes, but the grip of Kouhei that changes. There are a series of kanji inscribed along the blade’s edge that translate to ‘Whisper, Violet Wind’.

Truly, Kouhei is a generally light-hearted spirit. While she is prone to outbursts of anger and associated tantrums, she is generally supportive and playful. She enjoys puzzles and riddles, and tends to speak in a cryptic pacing when possible, though when pressured she will pout and revert her course of speech to be more direct. Her movements are extremely light and her manner of conducting herself is curious and inquisitive - intrigued by the world around her and confident enough to tackle anything in her way should it prove to be any kind of obstacle or problem. Her favorite games to play, when allowed, are tag, and she utilizes a lot of puns in her speech. She’s a mischievous trickster if left unchecked, and uses games of intellect in order to test her Shinigami.

In her neglected form, Kouhei’s appearance is significantly more worn overall. Her features, previously soft and light-hearted, have been marred with gaunt cheeks, dark bags under her eyes, and a loss of sheen in her hair. What was once an uplifting sense of majesty is now a haunting melancholy which reflects the state of her being over the course of multiple centuries of effective silence, frustration, and misery. The gold accents are faded to the point of a rose gold at their best and a stark white at their worst, particularly in the wrappings of the blade, which is almost completely white and violet. The blade itself is no longer a shining, pristine silvery steel with violet engravings, and is instead a dark obsidian steel. In this state, the inscriptions alongside the blade read ‘Scream, Cursed Wind’.

Unlike in her True Form, Kouhei’s neglected personality is significantly malformed due to just over two and a half centuries of suffering through pain and psychological stressors without any type of support or an ability to cope other than to suffer in abject silence. Attempts to communicate with and assist Tsuyoshi have met with enough failure that her overall demeanor has suffered dramatically, turning her extremely cold, malevolent, and altogether murderous. On her own, she is often screaming absently into the darkness that is her Inner World, defending herself from the horrific visages that haunt Tsuyoshi’s Inner World whenever he fights unrestrained. She speaks almost exclusively in cryptic tongue, and when she is direct it is almost always to let whomever has addressed her, or whomever she is addressing, know that she is going to kill them. It has been so long that she has had no response from Tsuyoshi that she has long since forgotten what she would even say to him were he to finally speak with her.

Inner World True Name: Soyokaze no Shima (Island of Whispering Wind)
Inner World Neglected Name: Kanashi-gena Kaze no Shima (Island of Sorrowful Wind)

The True appearance of Tsuyoshi’s Inner World, and thus Kouhei’s home, is a single terrain mass surrounded by a vast, endless expanse of fog. When entered, the fog merely redirects you to a random place in Tsuyoshi’s Inner World. While the area itself is large, it is not infinite, and it is centered around a single willow tree, which Kouhei usually can be found underneath. Different features come and go on the island - the terrain morphs and shifts to create varying degrees of elevation and a warm golden glow basks the entire area. While a welcome land, it is disorienting to those who have never traveled there and it can be difficult to tell where the fog is going to spit you out once you’ve entered it. The only individuals that have complete control over Tsuyoshi’s Inner World are Kouhei and, were he to ever obtain Bankai, Tsuyoshi. Due to Tsuyoshi’s complete disconnect from his Zanpakuto Spirit, however, this is not the current form of his Inner World. Traditionally, there are no astounding or unexpected findings beyond the fog and there is no effect on Tsuyoshi’s Inner World when he is fighting at full strength. At some point during his tenure as a Shinigami, however, this changed dramatically.

The Neglected appearance of Tsuyoshi’s Inner World directly reflects the psychological damage dealt to his Zanpakuto spirit by centuries of neglect. The glow that washes over the Island is no longer warm, inviting, and golden. Instead, it is a harsh, black expanse overhead that is colored by a haunting, violet and white glow that peeks through the fog like an unwelcome visitor prying open the door to someone’s home. It is pervasive and seems to sap at the very psyche of an unfortunate visitor. The island itself is completely flat and the Willow Tree at its center is plagued by some type of unknown disease, causing uneven bark growth and giving it the image that its branches are crawling with some unknown substance. Walking too far away from the Willow Tree, visitors run into a single obsidian wall that seems to go on without end.

Careful examination of the wall shows kanji that glow with a dull violet glow. Unlike a normal wall with continuity, Kouhei has complete control over where on the wall visitors can see and read, though once an individual has started reading, the continuity is consistent and they can read for a significant period of time provided they maintain eye contact and do not blink. Once they lose eye contact with the wall, Kouhei is able to shift their perspective and the wall’s position at a whim. Initial writings on the wall show ordered, structured thoughts that almost seem to be a list of things that Kouhei intends to berate Tsuyoshi about, which likely grew as the years went on.

Over time, however, the writings become more and more disorganized and incoherent, hastily scratched or carved into the stone with what seems to be a blade’s edge and devolving into repeating phrases such as ‘Why can’t he hear me?’ ‘Why won’t he listen?’ ‘I hate him.’ ‘I want to kill him.’ and ‘Why can’t I die?’, among others. In this, the wall serves to be an open journal depicting the gradual, but terrifying contortion of Tsuyoshi’s Zanpakuto Spirit.

The fog on the Island in this state is not merely disorienting, it is suffocating and all-consuming. The only individual capable of control and mastery over the Inner World in this state is Kouhei, but this does not mean that Tsuyoshi doesn’t have an effect on it. When Tsuyoshi is fighting unrestrained, the atmosphere surrounding the Inner World becomes particularly thick, and the invasive fog twists and contorts into personifications of ghosts, demons, and other unnatural creatures that openly attack and threaten Kouhei and anyone else present. These constant assaults, while ultimately unable to overwhelm and eliminate Kouhei while Tsuyoshi is alive, play a large part in the damage to her psyche and have turned her sanctuary into a realm of constant hostility and turmoil.

Overall Ability Theme: Malevolence, Demonic Psychosis
Overall Ability: As a Kenpachi, Tsuyoshi has little control over his own spiritual pressure outside of his natural affinity for using his spiritual energy to augment his own physical abilities. Because of this, when Tsuyoshi isn’t actively holding himself back, and especially when he’s been egged on, challenged, or is otherwise overly inspired into combat, his spiritual pressure leaks out of his body erratically, like a faucet with far too much pressure behind it, despite being turned all the way open. For combatants with their own abundance of spiritual energy, experience in fighting stronger opponents, or particular tenacity for combat, there is often little to no effect outside of the sheer impressiveness of his spiritual reservoir and its output. For individuals who don’t fit that criteria or are simply too weak to overcome Tsuyoshi’s massive spiritual presence, however, simply being in the same vicinity as him when he isn’t holding back can be disorienting, debilitating, and downright lethal.

When unleashed, Tsuyoshi’s spiritual aura takes the form of an ethereal blue and violet glow. The sheer density of it gives it an almost black tinge, not entirely unlike a Hollow or Vaizard, despite it being distinctly a Shinigami’s spiritual pressure. Depending on exactly how charged his spiritual energy is, Tsuyoshi’s spiritual aura can take a variety of spiritual forms. In the exceedingly rare occasion that Tsuyoshi is mostly unfocused, but his abilities have been unleashed, the volatile spiritual aura tends towards no shape or form, instead engulfing him almost like flames - centered around his body, but ultimately erratic with no discernable shape. If he is moderately motivated or focused on his opponent, his aura becomes almost haunting - vague facsimiles and shapes can be seen inside of his spiritual pressure and, at range, it can almost seem as though spirits are emanating from his person.

In the case that Tsuyoshi is completely focused or engaged in the battle (or in the unfortunate case that he has become completely enraged), his spiritual aura takes the shape of a demonic skeletal head, with Tsuyoshi at its center. The more charged his energy is, the more distinct the shape, to a point. If Tsuyoshi has been completely enraged for longer than one or two posts, the skeletal shape itself begins to deform and become distorted, as though the fabric of reality around him has begun to shift and warp due to the sheer output from spiritual energy around his body. Because of this faucet-like effect, Tsuyoshi exerts gravitational pressure (following gravitational pressure rules) automatically against all entities, friend or foe currently in the area of combat around him. This can make simply being in the same combat arena as Tsuyoshi a daunting and potentially lethal state of being.

This, however, is not the extent of his spiritual aura. The true nature of his aura is the way that it interferes with an individual’s ability to maintain their grip on reality and their semblance of self in a 50m radius, centered on Tsuyoshi himself. Tsuyoshi, due to being oblivious to his own spiritual pressure’s effects, is largely unaffected. Combatants within two classes (I.E. Class 3 or higher if Tsuyoshi is Class 1) of Tsuyoshi who have a Reiatsu Strength greater than Tsuyoshi’s are completely unaffected. Individuals that have less Reiatsu Strength than Tsuyoshi or are greater than two classes away from Tsuyoshi, however, are subject to a variety of sensory and mental ailments centered by the terrible force that he outputs passively when he is fully unleashed.

All individuals unfortunate enough to be negatively affected by Tsuyoshi’s spiritual pressure find, primarily, that it is difficult to maintain their sense of bearing within Tsuyoshi’s aura. While directions do not directly reverse, it is very common for individuals to feel ‘off-balance’ or ‘uncentered’ by his presence, suffering vertigo of varying degrees and making it difficult to concentrate on any task at hand. All individuals with a Battle Focus or Strength of Will of 1 or higher are unaffected by this.

Further, the closer an entity is to Tsuyoshi, the more debilitating the effects. Within 35m of Tsuyoshi, it is exceedingly common for all beings to suffer visual and auditory hallucinations that dramatically worsen the closer they are to him. At the furthest distance, they may only hear whispers or see things from the corner of their eyes, while at its closest, a combatant may view Tsuyoshi as an actual demon, traditionally with black sclera, red eyes, a number of bodily malformations and disfigurations and any other variety of horrifying and terrifying attributes that tend to be unique to the individual’s fears. This can cause hesitation, a general sense of fear or terror, and can significantly impair an opponents’ ability to focus on their abilities. All individuals with a Battle Focus or Strength of Will of 2 or higher, or an Illusion Resistance or Lack of Fear of 1 or higher are unaffected.

Within 15m of Tsuyoshi, an individual’s sense of reality, space, and time begin to dramatically warp. Their ability to keep track of the passage of time, including anticipating the travel speed of techniques and abilities, the speed of Tsuyoshi’s movements, and their own positions of space is significantly hampered, making it extremely difficult not only to focus on fine reiatsu control, but also to aim attacks, defend against attacks, or even keep track of where they are relative to Tsuyoshi and their terrain. All individuals with an Illusion Resistance, Battle Focus or Strength of Will of 3 or higher, or a Lack of Fear of 2 or higher, are unaffected. Individuals with an Instincts stat of 300 or higher are able to fight mostly unhindered, though their body must be running mostly on autopilot (I.E. They must throw away the majority of their conscious, predictive thought and fight relying on their senses and instinct to the best of their ability.) A light or dark aura of 100 can mitigate, but not completely remove these effects.

Within 5m of Tsuyoshi, individuals begin to lose the sense of the world around them, as Tsuyoshi’s spiritual aura demands their full attention. In addition to the previous effects, which are near their optimal debilitating strength at this range, individuals find their peripheral senses completely encompassed by a violet tempest of what look and sound like screeching, demonic entities. This effect is directly due to the density and resonant energy of Tsuyoshi’s spiritual pressure. As a result of this, they lose their ability to see beyond Tsuyoshi and must either disengage or focus entirely on their opponent. This ability preys on the opponent’s adrenaline and fear response as the mind and body enter a survival state. Individuals who do not have the required Reiatsu Strength to defend themselves against these effects may still mitigate them depending on their skills. Individuals with a Strength of Will of 4 or a Lack of Fear of 3 or higher are able to maintain themselves and fight at their full capacity, though they are still unable to focus on peripheral information. With an instincts stat of 300 or higher, their body may automatically respond to threats outside of the listed range provided they are relying primarily on instinct and reaction to fight. A light or dark aura of 100 can mitigate the fear and panic aspect of this aura, but does not restore their peripheral senses.

In this way, Tsuyoshi becomes a literal terror to fight against up close - he demands the full attention and focus of his opponents and the very concept of fighting him in close range is enough to unnerve most opponents, even if they are able to resist the overall effects of his spiritual pressure. This aspect of his spiritual aura has earned him the alias ‘Seireitei no Oni’ or the Demon of Seireitei. Combined with his natural bloodlust and penchant for close range combat, fighting Tsuyoshi, while no easy feat in and of itself, becomes an absolutely harrowing and nearly traumatizing experience for all but the most stalwart of opponents.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Shunpo (Mastered)}Technique Name: Shunpo (Flash Steps)
Class: 7

Technique Type: Kidō
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: A movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The focal point that determines the basis of this technique is speed. As speed is the main point of the technique, the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Shunpo can move. Those of little skill in the technique or those who haven't used it for an extended amount of time would obviously be out of practice, causing those individuals to be considerably slower. This requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become tired more easily in a shorter amount of time. A single step magnifies speed for that step by ten times. Shunpo uses fifty Reiatsu per step. This one is automatically learned in the academy. All Shinigami know this when created. This technique does not take up a technique slot.

How to use technique: Focus of Reishi around the feet area and launch off into a single blurring step. It is not unlike teleportation in appearance, but it is simply extremely fast movement. It is often used to gain an edge in a single moment of combat or to dodge incoming attacks.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Advanced Air Ground (Proficient)}Technique Name: Advanced Air Ground
Class: 7

Technique Type: Spiritual Technique

Technique Description and Effects: This is a technique designed especially for breakdancing and parkour, utilizing a more advanced version of air ground. While in a terrain where air ground exists, the user can create more complex surfaces like air walls, air ceilings, air ledges and even an air push. This allows the user to perform handstands and windmills on air as if it were normal ground or even stand upside-down on air as if gravity were reversed. The air push makes the air ground very elastic so that the user can jump higher. It allows for slight movement even when restrained by a Bakudō.

For a cost of twenty-five Reiatsu, the user will be able to momentarily cast an "air ground" on areas such as in Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, allowing the user to "double jump" or cast Shunpo in mid-air. If this technique is mastered, the user will be able to create air grounds that last for as long as a single post. This can be used in creative ways to improve acrobatics and visual impressiveness.

Drawback: No drawback.
Created By: Shiki Kanzaki
Reserved: No

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Senka (Mastered)}Technique Name: Senka (Flash Blossom)
Class: 5

Technique Type: Kidō
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: A special Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponents back. Directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu" (First Soul Chain) and "Hakusui" (Second Soul Chain) in one strike. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are. It costs 100 Reiatsu per use. To use this particular brand of Shunpo, the user must train to learn it. It is treated as a Class 5 technique. Senka is an 11x increase in Speed.

How to use technique: Focus of Reishi around the feet area and launch off into a single blurring step. It is not unlike teleportation in appearance, but it is simply extremely fast movement. It is often used to gain an edge in a single moment of combat or to dodge incoming attacks.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Shunpo Eichi (Mastered)}Technique Name: Shunpo Eichi
Class: 4

Technique Type: Kidō
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: The "exploding Shunpo" technique. This allows the user, for a cost of 150 Reiatsu, to initiate a Shunpo. This Shunpo releases far more power, so anywhere within a meter of the user will be hit with an explosive shockwave equivalent to the user's physical Strength when the Shunpo is used.

How to use technique: Stated above.

Drawback: Stamina drain. Reiatsu cost. Can only be used twice per post.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Shinkirou (Mastered)}Technique Name: Shinkirou (Mirage)
Class: 3

Technique Type: Hohō
Usable By: Shinigami, Beast-Clan
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: Shinkirou is an unusual technique because instead of going from A to B, the user goes from A to A. Essentially, it is referred to as something akin to a “double step” in which the user steps in any direction and back into the original position. Visually, this barely creates a flicker, hardly noticeable below 200 Senses. The whole technique lasts for no more than three seconds. Similar to Utsusemi, it provides an afterimage coupled with a movement ability that allows the user to evade an attack while providing the illusion that they are hit with it. However, this technique allows the user to return to the spot, creating an effect that makes viewers think that the attack passed through the user. When used properly, one can follow up immediately after an attack that “goes through them” and catch an opponent off-guard. The step speed for this technique is 15x for each step, and it can be used up to twice per post.

How to use technique: Focus Reiatsu, then launch in any direction. Upon landing, launch back in the same manner, all within three seconds of movement.

Technique Drawbacks: Cost. This technique also requires that the user has a 3 in Hohō or Hakuda and has 400 or higher Speed after Type. This is also a tiring technique, draining stamina faster than normal steps through extra movement.

Made By: Z-Wolf
Reserved?: No

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Utsusemi (Mastered)}Technique Name: Way of Omnitsu: Utsusemi (Cicada)
Class: 2

Technique Type: Kidō
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: It allows for a movement at great speed, leaving an afterimage behind. The afterimage may even appear to have taken damage. Uses 500 Reiatsu per step. This one is referred to as a Class 2 technique, and must be trained. It is used as a 25x increase for one step, but requires the user to have at least a 3 in Hohō or Hakuda. Can only be used once per post.

How to use technique: Focus Reishi around the feet area and launch off into a single blurring step. It is not unlike teleportation in appearance, but it is simply extremely fast movement. Often used to gain an edge in a single moment of combat or to dodge incoming attacks.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Hakuda Defense: Do (Mastered)}Technique Name: [Hakuda Defense: Do]
Class: [3]

Technique Type: [Other]
Technique Element: [N/A]

Technique Description and Effects: It directly applies a palm to the perfectly correct spot in an incoming melee attack. This can be on an underside or at the very edge of a weapon, but it must hit the spot where the force is most vulnerable. The force immediately ceases, and the attack stops moving. It's good for making openings.

How to use technique: Stated above.

Drawback: It's a physical attack. No drawback.

Made by: [Sozen]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Denden (Mastered)}Technique Name: [Denden]
Class: [4]

Technique Type: [Hakuda]
Technique Element: [None]

Technique Description and Effects: This basic Hakuda technique requires an open palm to the enemy's chest. This technique causes reiatsu and raw force to jet from the user's attacking arm when it hits. This blasts the enemy back exactly thirty meters. Momentum suddenly stops after 30 meters, forcing the enemy to an awkward, jetting stop. This results in their being offbalance.

How to use technique: Stated above.

Drawback: None. Enemy can resist technique if physical strength is double or more the user's.

Made by: [Admin] ]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Daikotsu (Mastered)}Technique Name: Daikotsu
Class: 2

Technique Type: Hakuda
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: Shigekuni, the 33rd Captain Commander, had two well known impact techniques. Ikotsu and Sokotsu. They were both renowned as ridiculously powerful impact techniques. Unfortunately, he was the last known user of them both. These techniques have been lost in time. However, luckily, his friends and others of the time knew similar impact techniques.

Daikotsu is a personal invention of Kenpachi Shingai, who was never able to match Shigekuni in physical strength. Because of the strength deficit, Shigekuni was never able to teach Ikotsu or Sokotsu to Shingai. This resulted in the creation of the impact technique Daikotsu.

Daikotsu causes the user to vibrate their body at great speed. When this happens, the user actually gains the ability to go through defenses. The vibrations of the body allow the user to phase through even an enemy's blocking arms or sword. This can be done with sword or other weapon strikes as well, causing the weapon to vibrate through other weapons. This cannot vibrate through reiatsu based defenses, but can vibrate through physical structures, the equivalent of physical manifestation, and the enemy's body.

The possibilities are limitless. When this vibrates through an enemy, the user can suddenly stop vibrating, and thus have their arms impaled into an enemy. But the most applicable hit attack is that when this vibrating punch hits something, it adds the user's speed force into account. Therefore, the user's speed stat is thrown on top of the user's strength stat for the punch. This sends powerful force through the opponent's body. This does not bypass Hierro or cutback, but it is a lethal attack that can kill just about any properly hit enemy in one hit.

The end result of the technique is usually that their body is left vibrating as the force ruptures and obliterates the majority of their internal organs. The vibrations will shatter nearly all of the bones in their body, and more likely a large hole will erupt into the torso. The body will soon fall apart and be destroyed.

How to use technique: This is a very specialized technique. It requires a base speed of 1000 to work, and it also requires a 3 in Hakuda. It requires a minimum strength stat of 300 as well. To boot, if one wants to use this with a weapon, it requires at least 2 in that weapon's use. It requires a minimum physical age of 20. One must at least be in their prime to attempt this technique.

Drawback: It can tax stamina, sure, but really its drawback is a strain on the heart. The healthy heart may be able to use it several times, but less healthy specimens will find great pains in its use. The vibrations on the body consistently strain muscles and cause great damage to the heart if overused.

Made by: Kenpachi Shingai

Items

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spiritual Steel Uchigatana, C1}Name: Spiritual Steel Uchigatana
Description: A rather basic weapon, this katana has a blade about twenty-eight inches in length, and is curved at the end. It is made to be wielded either one- and two-handed with ease.
Type of Item: Weapon
Class: 1
Item Power (IP): 750
Offense Type: Physical
Durability: 1500
Bonuses: None
Drawbacks: None
Costs: 9000

Tsuyoshi's Uchigatana is a 28in. slightly curved Japanese blade that he primarily wields one-handed. While there is nothing astonishingly impressive about the blade itself, the hilt and guard are fashioned much like a Zanpakuto might be. It sports an oval guard that is securely fastened between the hilt and the blade, and the hilt itself is slightly longer than normal, though Tsuyoshi almost exclusively handles it directly underneath the cross-guard. The hilt is wrapped in a series of interlacing black and white wraps and dangles approximately two inches from the end.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spiritual Steel Scabbard, C1}Name: Spiritual Steel Scabbard
Description: Made to be paired with a specific bladed weapon, this scabbard is customized to fit the weapon perfectly and allow it to be drawn with ease. Additionally, the scabbard itself is made of a stronger spiritual steel to protect its weapon while sheathed, making it incredibly sturdy and even able to be wielded as an improvised, albeit weaker, weapon.
Type of Item: Weapon
Class: 1
Item Power (IP): 375
Offense Type: Physical
Durability: 2,250
Bonuses: This item must be purchased at the same time as another item from the bladed weapons category. It is identical in shape and size to the weapon's blade, and can be wielded as a weapon in itself thanks to its durable structure.
Drawbacks: Due to being a sheath, this weapon cannot cut or pierce an opponent, only deal blunt damage. Additionally, it will only hold the weapon that it was made for.
Costs: 9000

The scabbard for Tsuyoshi's Uchigatana is built specifically for the blade itself and is fashioned in a much older Japanese style than modern swords are. It is constructed to be clipped and worn at the waist, and the scabbard itself is fairly ornate with depictions of dragons and clouds along the front and the back. At the base of the scabbard, closest to the Uchigatana's cross-guard, is the clan insignia for the Minamoto clan, circa 1100 AD.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

-History-

Birthplace: South Rukongai, District 71
Current Residence: Soul Society, Seireitei, Squad 3 Barracks

SPOILER: Click to show

{Minamoto no Tsuyoshi, the Left Hand of the Minamoto}Minamoto no Yoshinaka - Yoshinaka was a notable member of the Minamoto Clan responsible for leading Minamoto forces in the battle of Kurikara, which served as a major victory and turning point for the Genpei War. Tsuyoshi served under Yoshinaka as part of a show of goodwill between Yoshinaka and his cousin, Yoritomo. Tsuyoshi was a member of the Samurai caste who led the ambushing charge against Taira forces, forcing the route of the Taira Clan at the Battle of Kurikara. Yoshinaka later went on to attempt to betray Yoritomo by attacking him and the regent Emperor in Kyoto. While his initial assault was successful, he was eventually run down and killed at the second Battle of Uji. This battle served as Tsuyoshi’s final battle in the Genpei War and Kamakura was his final resting place.

Minamoto no Yoritomo - Yoritomo was the rightful heir and head of the Minamoto Clan during the Genpei War, and was responsible for leading his forces against the Taira Clan for control of Japan. As a direct result of the Genpei War, he established the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate and went on to pave the way for the Minamoto Clan to control Japan until 1226, while creating a legacy that lasted until 1333. As four years Tsuyoshi’s senior, Yoritomo served as a role model and close friend for Tsuyoshi throughout the course of their adulthood. Tsuyoshi, acting in good faith on Yoritomo’s request, was eventually betrayed by Minamoto no Yoshinaka and succumbed to injuries sustained during the siege on Hojuji Palace. Tsuyoshi’s involvement allowed for Yoritomo’s half brother, Yoshitsune, to pursue and defeat Minamoto no Yoshinaka, ending the clan disputes over control for Kyoto and, later, the Shogunate.

///

Minamoto no Tsuyoshi (January 7th 1151 - February 19th 1184) was a military Samurai of the Minamoto Clan of Japan during the late Heian period. He was born as the second son of Minamoto no Ryuujin. Tsuyoshi’s childhood during the Heian period was relatively unremarkable, living as the second son of a distant branch of the Minamoto family. In his early and late adolescence, Tsuyoshi’s father moved their family closer to the region now known as the Kanagawa Prefecture, which allowed for Tsuyoshi to grow alongside Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who served as the heir and half-brother to the heir of the Minamoto Clan. The bonds created at this early stage of life later proved to be crucial to Tsuyoshi’s conviction in the Minamoto Clan efforts during the Genpei War. As a skilled swordsman and combatant in his own right, Tsuyoshi found himself quickly elevated to the head of small contingents of Minamoto forces during initial skirmishes between the Minamoto, Taira and Fujiwara Clans. By the time the Genpei War had begun, Tsuyoshi had secured a name for himself as a member of the Samurai caste.

During the Genpei War, Tsuyoshi worked very closely together with Yoritomo, serving as a loyal retainer to his cousin and was responsible for allowing Yoritomo to escape several lost battles, including the Battle of Ishibashiyama, when Minamoto forces were ruthlessly attacked in the middle of the night by Taira forces. Tsuyoshi was responsible for the rapid organization and retaliation of a defensive force during the night strike, but were inevitably pushed back as his men were sent to rout by Oba Kagechika. Though he was able to defeat several notable samurai of the Taira Clan, Tsuyoshi ordered the tactical retreat of his remaining forces and regroup with Yoritomo’s fleeing troops into the Hakone mountains. While the battle was considered a grave loss for Minamoto forces, the survival of Yoritomo and his closest retainers eventually led Yoritomo to a series of counterattacks against Taira forces that closed the Genpei War.

In 1183, Tsuyoshi was sent as a token of goodwill in exchange for Yoshinaka sending his son to Yoritomo as a hostage in order to seal an agreement to work together and unite against the Taira Clan. Under Yoshinaka’s lead as military commander, Tsuyoshi participated in the Battle of Kurikara. Faced against much larger opposition, the stratagems of Yoshinaka and the battle prowess of Tsuyoshi, along with many other Samurai, allowed them to crush Taira forces when they were outnumbered six to one. This battle sent the Taira Clan into a rout that Yoshinaka pursued, later defeating the Taira Clan in several skirmishes and one field battle that allowed them to march directly to Kyoto and secure Emperor Go-Shirakawa.

In 1184, Yoshinaka betrayed Minamoto no Yoritomo and kidnapped the Emperor, setting the palace to blaze. Tsuyoshi again found himself in the midst of rallying an immediate and largely unprepared defensive effort against Yoshinaka’s forces during the Siege of Hojuji Palace. As a result of Tsuyoshi’s efforts, Yoshinaka was stalled long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Yoshitsune and his brother Noriyori, eventually resulting in Yoshinaka’s rout and subsequent defeat at the Battle of Awazu, securing Yoritomo’s eventual succession as Minamoto Clan Head and first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate. Unfortunately, during the Siege, Tsuyoshi suffered from a series of injuries following outnumbered combat and was later worsened by burns sustained during the arson of the palace. Despite best medical efforts, Tsuyoshi succumbed to these injuries later the same day and was transported to Kamakura on Yoritomo’s request, where he was buried in honor of his attempts to halt Yoshinaka’s betrayal.

SPOILER: Click to show

{A Blood Moon Rises, Death of a Family, Birth of a Kenpachi}Akechi Emiko - Shortly after Tsuyoshi’s appearance in the Rukongai, he was adopted by Akechi Emiko. Emiko served as Tsuyoshi’s adoptive parent until her death approximately fifteen years after Tsuyoshi’s arrival to the Rukongai.

Satsuro Hajime - At thirty-two years Tsuyoshi’s senior and the eldest of Emiko’s adopted children, Haijme did his best to defend his family when they came under harassment from a gang led by Fujiwara Keiichi. Unfortunately, due to his lack of significant combat experience and spiritual energy, Hajime was defeated and summarily executed in front of his mother and siblings.

Akechi Hiroko - At thirteen years Tsuyoshi’s senior, Hiroko served as a gentler role model for Tsuyoshi as he was growing up, helping their mother to teach him the basics of cooking, wound dressing, and calligraphy. Though he lost these skills over time, the bond between the two of them was unmistakable. Hiroko was murdered at the hands of a gang led by Fujiwara Keiichi along with Satsuro Hajime and their mother Akechi Emiko.

Fujiwara Keiichi - Fujiwara Keiichi was the leader of a gang that circulated between Districts #71 through #80 in the Southern Rukongai. Notorious for harassing and extorting plus souls in these districts, Keiichi was eventually contested by Tsuyoshi’s older brother, Hajime. As a result of this offense, he murdered Hajime, Hiroko, and Emiko. Tsuyoshi was spared only because of Keiichi’s poor ability to sense spiritual energy and Tsuyoshi’s decision to hide himself within furniture in his home. Later, Keiichi was slaughtered along with the other members of his gang by Tsuyoshi, leading the plus soul down a bloody existence until he was later approached by the Gotei 13.

///

Tsuyoshi’s soul cycle was fairly unremarkable over the course of the next several centuries. Following his third death as a human in the Living World and his konso shortly thereafter, Tsuyoshi was whisked away to the outer districts of the Southern Rukongai. For the first decade and a half of Tsuyoshi’s existence, he was exposed to the extremely rough and brutal living standards of the outer Rukongai districts. Surrounded by violence and a general disregard for the well-being of others, Tsuyoshi developed a hardened edge during this time period. This initial time period helped cultivate the core values that Tsuyoshi lives by and, after a catalyst several years down the line, eventually started him on a bloody path that led him to the Ivory Towers of Seireitei.

Approximately fifteen years after his arrival to the Rukongai, Tsuyoshi was adopted by Akechi Emiko, who served as his mother for the next twenty years of his existence in the Rukongai. His siblings, Satsuro Hajime and Akechi Hiroko helped cultivate a sense of loyalty, trust, and family in Tsuyoshi. Their efforts softened the initial hard edge that was crafted by the Rukongai, and inevitably led to the disastrous shock to his psyche after their death. Inevitably, his family was approached by one of the many gangs that prowled the outer districts of the Rukongai. Led by Fujiwara Keiichi, his family was harrassed and extorted for a little over a year, until Satsuro Hajime attempted to stand against their affronts. Unfortunately, Hajime did not have the required ability or spiritual energy required to defeat the gang members at the time that they came by and he and his family were summarily tortured and executed at their hand, a fate that Tsuyoshi avoided only at the instruction of his mother to hide in their old, broken furniture out of sight.

This event and Tsuyoshi’s survival set into motion a series of events that led to many, many deaths in the Rukongai. Unable to withstand the emotional trauma of losing the family that held him so closely over his initial years in the Rukongai, Tsuyoshi made a point to train and improve his skills by picking fights with other ruffians in the outer districts. Over this period, his spiritual energy began to dramatically grow, dramatically increasing his physical attributes and allowing him to confront Fujiwara Keiichi’s gang in their hideout in District #76. The ensuing battle was a short and bloody one. Tsuyoshi, who had a clear upper hand against any individual member of the gang, left a bloody and horrific scene in their gang hideout, summarily torturing and decapitating Keiichi in a fit of revenge-fueled rage. While Tsuyoshi eventually came to control his emotions, the young spirit continued to wreak low degrees of havoc throughout the Southern Rukongai’s most outer districts, securing resources for himself and leaving a trail of blood and corpses in his wake where spirits dared to defy him.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Existence Threatened, A Shinigami’s Mercy}Tachibana Kichiro - Tachibana Kichiro, an Unseated Shinigami in Tenth Division, was the first shinigami that Tsuyoshi ever met in the Rukongai. Horrified, yet impressed by Tsuyoshi’s ruthlessness and his spiritual capabilities, Kichiro defeated Tsuyoshi in close quarters combat and bound the spirit using a low level Kido in District #53 of the Southern Rukongai. Seeing the spirit’s potential, he offered Tsuyoshi the opportunity to accompany him to the Shinigami Academy instead of taking his life. Tsuyoshi, with no other option, accepted.

Fuha Kyo - Fuha Kyo, an older Shinigami in charge of instructing Shinigami Hopefuls in the art of Hakuda while at the academy, was the first to recognize Tsuyoshi’s talent in the art of Hakuda and his natural affinity for physical combat. Through many further sparring sessions, Kyo was eventually able to reason that the root cause of Tsuyoshi’s inability to form his own Zanpakuto stemmed from the raw and unbridled spiritual pressure inside of his being. On Kyo’s recommendation, Tsuyoshi was inducted into Squad 11, until the mentorship of Tachibana Madoka, the older brother of Tachibana Kichiro.

///

Tsuyoshi’s path led him to District #53 in the Southern Rukongai. Over the course of the previous decade following his family’s murder, Tsuyoshi spent his time extorting from others and living a fairly well-off life as far as the distant Rukongai districts were considered at the expense of others’ well-being. Repeated fights with gangs scattered throughout the Rukongai helped to foster his raw talent and unleash the affinity that Tsuyoshi had for combat. As the overall challenge of difficult living in the Rukongai began to diminish, Tsuyoshi took a slow and steady approach towards the middle districts of the Rukongai. Developing a name for himself led to a combination of fear and awe. Unfortunately, and more importantly, it attracted the attention of the Shinigami - namely a Shinigami by the name of Tachibana Kichiro, who was an unseated Shinigami of 10th Squad at the time.

The skirmish between Tsuyoshi was one that surprised the trained Shinigami, but ultimately Tsuyoshi’s unrefined and crude methods of combat were overshadowed by the practiced skills of Kichiro and he was summarily bound using a combination of Zanjutsu techniques and eventually bakudo. At the mercy of his opponent, Tsuyoshi was taken by surprise when he was offered a choice other than accepting his death for attacking a Shinigami. Due to the raw spiritual energy that Tsuyoshi held inside of him and the foundational skills he developed in the Rukongai, Kichiro offered him the chance to come with him to the Shinigami Academy, feeling that his particular abilities would serve better in the ranks of the Gotei 13 than they would being eliminated at the time. With little in the way of other options, Tsuyoshi agreed and accompanied Kichiro through the Rukongai to the gates of Seireitei.

His time at the academy consisted of a cycle of disappointments in reiatsu manipulation and control and overwhelming success when it came to physical aspects of Shinigami combat and fitness. Underneath the tutelage of Fuha Kyo, an instructor in both Hakuda and Zanjutsu at the academy, Tsuyoshi was eventually recommended for induction into 11th Squad. Despite the fragile nature of his Zanpakuto as a result of his inability to properly form and bond with one, Tsuyoshi had dramatically surpassed all expectations when it came to close quarters combat both unarmed and with other forms of weaponry. Kyo recognized Tsuyoshi’s potential and, while he could not recommend the young spirit to any other squad, felt that 11th Squad’s physical nature would be the best place for him. The seated officer in charge of recruitment at the time agreed and eventually graduated Tsuyoshi into 11th Squad once he showed an adequate understanding of the laws and regulations of the Gotei 13.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Comrades in Arms, Left For Glory}Tachibana Koji - Tachibana Koji, older brother to Tachibana Kichiro, was the 20th Seat of 11th Squad at the time of Tsuyoshi’s induction into 11th Squad. Tsuyoshi was assigned to Koji’s detachment for the purposes of mentorship and training, but eventually greatly surpassed Koji in raw strength and speed, as well as skill in close quarters combat. Koji held no grudges against Tsuyoshi during the course of their work together and recommended to the 11th Squad Vice Captain at the time that Tsuyoshi be promoted to a higher seat than him due to the rapid progression in his combat prowess.

Sugano Masami - Sugano Masami was the 13th Seat of 11th Squad at the time that Tsuyoshi held the 16th Seat position. Initially his rival, Masami served as Tsuyoshi’s consistent sparring partner and sexual interest for the better part of his tenure. While the two never formed a true committed relationship, Tsuyoshi and Masami had a closer bond than most of the Shinigami that Tsuyoshi served with, and she frequently dissuaded Tsuyoshi from leaving 11th Squad in favor of either 3rd or 10th Squad. Eventually, to her dismay, Tsuyoshi left for 3rd Squad as a result of feelings of stagnation and that he could find better challenges elsewhere.

Kuwabara Orochi - During Tsuyoshi’s time in 11th Squad, Tsuyoshi formed a rivalry with Kuwabara Orochi. While the two of them started at roughly the same time, Tsuyoshi’s progression through the ranks happened significantly faster than Orochi’s. The two formed a questionable, but healthy rivalry that persisted up until Tsuyoshi’s transfer to 3rd Squad.

///

Tsuyoshi took to 11th Squad exactly how Kyo believed he would. Faced with an overbearing number of other Shinigami capable in physical combat, Tsuyoshi enjoyed constant challenge which served to propel his growth in ways that most of the Gotei 13 had not seen in centuries. Shortly after his graduation he was assigned to the squad of Tachibana Koji. Koji, who was already aware of Tsuyoshi’s existence through his younger brother, Kichiro, was skeptical of Tsuyoshi’s accolades until his formal mentorship and training within the squad began. Tsuyoshi was noted to have a distinct lack of motivation and interest in learning the finer arts of Zanjutsu, but his Hakuda progressed at a rate that quickly surpassed his peers. Despite the skepticism of his peers and the discouragement of some of the higher seated members in the Division, Tsuyoshi continued to press his limits as an Unseated Officer until Koji had no choice but to recommend to his superiors that Tsuyoshi be considered for field assignments and receive a small detachment to train, along with a promotion to one of the lower seats in the Squad.

Tsuyoshi’s first promotion came to 18th Seat, two seats above Koji, which the older Shinigami accepted gracefully. While Koji held a good deal more experience than Tsuyoshi did, the younger Shinigami defeated him repeatedly in sparring sessions and continued to show an abnormal growth speed when it came to refining his speed and strength through the arts of Hoho and Hakuda. Koji was among the first Shinigami to congratulate Tsuyoshi on his promotion and did his best to help teach the younger Shinigami some of the rudimentary facets of leadership within 11th Squad. Tsuyoshi, however, suffered from varying degrees of arrogance and pride as a result of his early promotion. While these lessons helped form the foundation of Tsuyoshi’s leadership skills, they fell on mostly deaf ears at the time that they were given. Nevertheless, Tsuyoshi continued to excel and dominate within the lower seats of 11th Squad, successfully leading small detachments of Shinigami against a variety of lower-ranked foes, with Tsuyoshi leading combat more often than not.

Tsuyoshi’s rise through the ranks did not go unnoticed. Several higher seated members in 11th Squad sought to either align themselves with this newcomer, or sought ways to break him back down to size. Among the former was a young Shinigami by the name of Sugano Masami. What began as a rivalry between the two of them quickly developed into an on-again/off-again relationship that would persist over the next several decades. Among the latter was a strict rivalry between himself and a Shinigami by the name of Kuwabara Orochi. While neither Masami nor Orochi had the raw power to match Tsuyoshi’s abilities, they found themselves striving in different ways to match his rise, eventually leading to the three of them forming a core set of seated members between 5th and 9th Seat in 11th Squad for several years. Eventually, Tsuyoshi’s rise in 11th Squad would plateau at the rank of 5th Seat and, despite his best efforts, he found his motivation and desire to remain in the squad waning.

Desiring more in the way of action and the opportunity to face stronger opponents before others could get to them, Tsuyoshi set his eyes on 3rd Squad. For some time, he was convinced to remain in the squad by Masami, who frequently encouraged him to push on to challenge the 3rd and 4th seats in 11th Squad. Eventually, this encouragement fell onto deaf ears and Tsuyoshi put in for an official transfer from 11th Squad to 3rd Squad. Leaving certain ties with 11th Squad behind, his tenure there is largely forgotten in favor of his very long career in 3rd Squad, mostly due to the stepping stone it served in regards to his position today.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Idle Hands Find Purpose, a Kenpachi’s Heart}Tsuchiyama Umeko - Tsuchiyama Umeko was the 5th Seat of 3rd Squad at the time of Tsuyoshi’s transfer and initially presented skeptical and dismissive of the upstart Shinigami after he transferred into her squad. Over the course of the next several decades, Tsuyoshi and Umeko formed a deep, romantic bond that persisted well past Tsuyoshi’s first century as a Shinigami. Umeko served as a very potent grounding force for many of Tsuyoshi’s more over-the-top personality traits and was a pivotal factor in making Tsuyoshi appropriate for Seated positions within his new squad. Umeko was murdered by RipperClaw during a surprise attack, for which Tsuyoshi was present.

Date Yuriko - Date Yuriko served as the Vice Captain of 3rd Squad at the time of Tsuyoshi’s transfer and maintained that rank until her death against a Hollow named RipperClaw after his Vasto Lorde evolution. Yuriko is a battle hardened warrior who prides herself on her strict demeanor and her training methodologies. Frequently, she berated and disciplined Tsuyoshi in attempts to reign in his recklessness and form him into a mature officer that could one day replace her in 3rd Squad. Yuriko chastised Tsuyoshi following his defeat and loss of multiple close comrades at the hands of RipperClaw, and later consoled and encouraged him through his training periods thereafter. She was murdered at the hands of RipperClaw during a frontal assault in an attempt to eliminate the Vasto Lorde.

RipperClaw - RipperClaw is a Hollow first encountered at the Adjuchas evolution stage by Minamoto Tsuyoshi, Tsuchiyama Umeko, and a small detachment of Shinigami responding to a crisis in the living world. During combat, RipperClaw was able to goad Tsuyoshi out of formation with his comrades and subsequently take advantage using his unique abilities to get the upper hand on the Shinigami, resulting in the deaths of several Shinigami ranked Seats 5 through 14, before escaping with grave injuries suffered from Tsuyoshi and Umeko’s conjoined counterattack. He returned later as a Vasto Lorde and once again threatened the Living Realm in an attempt to draw out Tsuyoshi, who he considered to be a necessary meal in order to propel him to a level of strength where he could break his Hollow mask. Following the murder of Date Yuriko, RipperClaw was overpowered by a fully unleashed Tsuyoshi and consequentially purified.

///

With nearly a century passing since his initial induction into 11th Squad, Tsuyoshi transitioned from his original squad into the 3rd Squad, a squad known at one point for its use of heavy firepower to eliminate threats, and at another point for its early response to potential threats to Soul Society. The latter is what drew Tsuyoshi to the Squad and it was the spark that he needed for his growth to resume and continue. While transitioning from the authority of 5th Seat in 11th Squad to 20th Seat in 3rd Squad left him somewhat disoriented in terms of the change of responsibilities and the new reassignment of responsibility, his new position allowed him to work very closely with a number of Shinigami in 3rd Squad during his early years. The most important to his development was a Shinigami by the name of Tsuchiyama Umeko, an experienced Shinigami with a mastery over her Shikai that held the position of 5th Seat. Initially, interactions between the two of them were forgivingly described as ‘shaky at best’ and ‘downright deconstructive’ at worst. Umeko’s formal and authoritative personality proved to be directly at odds with Tsuyoshi’s far more laid back and reckless personality when it came to the state of affairs.

Over time, however, these disagreements led to a bond forming between the two of them. Heated arguments became moments of swallowed pride and reluctant understanding. Eventually, Umeko and Tsuyoshi found themselves romantically involved and this bond would continue over the course of the next several decades, with the two of them growing extremely close and sharing a number of mannerisms and personality traits. For Umeko, Tsuyoshi’s spontaneous and active nature led to a stronger sense of commitment and less hesitation when it came to making the correct decisions at the correct time. His zeal and motivation for growth also sparked a new drive to better herself which allowed her to rise through the ranks from 5th Seat to 3rd Seat by the time Tsuyoshi had earned his own higher Seat in the Division. For Tsuyoshi, this meant that Umeko’s tempered demeanor was able to take some of his more aggressively negative traits - his recklessness, his bloodthirst, his lack of regard for his squadmates, and most of all, his impatience - and turn them closer to strengths. Recklessness and bloodthirstiness became a healthy love for combat and courageous charges into the front lines in ways that rarely threatened the lives of his comrades.

Overall, the two of them served as extremely beneficial parts of each others’ lives. This bond, while strong, eventually proved to be absolutely devastating to Tsuyoshi, much like the loss of his family in his earlier life. During an outing in the Living Realm, Tsuyoshi worked underneath Umeko in search of a new Hollow threat that presented itself - an adjuchas-class threat that was causing havoc in the easternmost parts of China. While first contact with the Hollow went relatively smoothly, Tsuyoshi’s personality flaws served only to be a devastating and glaring weakness in the cohesiveness and combat strength of his team. Tsuyoshi, goaded by the hollow now known as RipperClaw, was responsible for diving into a fierce combat that left his comrades undefended. Thanks to RipperClaw’s ingenuity and Tsuyoshi’s temperament, their encounter would end with the deaths of Umeko and several Shinigami. Following RipperClaw’s eventual retreat, Tsuyoshi and the remainder of his team retreated back to Seireitei, shaken, demoralized, and gravely injured.

During his lengthy recovery period, Tsuyoshi had a number of interactions with the sitting Vice Captain, Date Yuriko. Yuriko’s combination of consolation and strict beration in accordance with his actions helped Tsuyoshi realize the mistakes that he made during the encounter, as well as come to terms with the fact that his actions directly caused the death of his partner of the last many decades. Under Yuriko, as the replacement 3rd Seat for their Division, Tsuyoshi began training to fill the shoes that Umeko left behind when it came to leading the Squad in the field. His skills in leadership improved and his cognizance of the people around him would eventually rise until he formed a number of family-strength bonds with his squadmates in spite of his glaring errors in his past. Tsuyoshi rose to the occasion and his combat prowess and leadership capabilities nearly flourished under her tutelage. This training proved to be absolutely crucial when RipperClaw returned several decades later.

SPOILER: Click to show

{The Captain’s Haori, Through Steel and Sorrow}Tsuyoshi’s second, and final, major encounter with the Hollow led him against a Vasto Lorde level threat. RipperClaw, who had taken the time to continue its evolution, had once again risen in the Living Realm. This time, however, it arrived with a number of other strong Hollow which demanded an immediate response from 3rd Squad while 11th Squad began coordinating their own reinforcement effort. Not to be outdone, Tsuyoshi took to the Living Realm immediately as part of a detachment led by Date Yuriko. Yuriko, who had only heard reports of this Hollow, worked to lead her detachment with surprising results, overcoming and establishing a favorable position very shortly after their arrival, but before RipperClaw’s actual participation in combat. Unlike RipperClaw, Tsuyoshi had participated from the beginning, overestimating his endurance and stamina, but ensuring that the remaining members of his Squad were able to fight alongside him.

Through their combined efforts, Yuriko’s team was able to eliminate RipperClaw, albeit with casualties. Several Shinigami lost their lives and Yuriko herself would succumb to her wounds later that week, unable to be healed due to a unique type of poison used by RipperClaw to eliminate his opponents. Tsuyoshi, familiar with the shock and awe of losing his comrades by this point, promised to Yuriko that he would continue to work on his leadership abilities in order to help 3rd Squad rise back to the occasion that it was called to. True to his word, Tsuyoshi took up, along with a couple of other higher seated officers, the main recruitment efforts for 3rd Squad. Additionally, Tsuyoshi made a point to participate actively in the training of not only the lower officers in the Division, but also the Unseated officers, making certain to introduce and incorporate newer members into the Division such that they never felt ‘left out’ and could fight alongside their comrades as family.

Over the course of the next couple of decades, Tsuyoshi’s unmistakable strength and his newfound leadership abilities, as well as the efforts and strides made to improve 3rd Squad, were noticed not only by the Captain-Commander, but notably by Central 46. Lacking a Captain for the 3rd Squad for some time, the Central Council spotted an opportunity to promote Tsuyoshi to continue his leadership efforts with the same authority as any other Captain of the Gotei 13, officially recognizing his strength and sending a notice of appointment to the Captain-Commander. With his approval, Tsuyoshi found himself in the position of Captain of 3rd Squad, a position that he would never have imagined achieving in 11th Squad.

While Tsuyoshi remains a relatively new Captain, his combat prowess is unmistakable and his growing leadership abilities cannot be ignored. Over the last several months, recruitment into 3rd Squad has nearly doubled and, while there are few Shinigami that have qualified for the higher ranks in the Division, Tsuyoshi has done well in bolstering their foundation. With time, hopefully the young Captain will prove to be invaluable to Seireitei and will lead the 3rd Squad back to its former seats of glory, in spite of rumors of curses and misfortune hanging over the squad like a dark cloud.

[Kitai Yoru]

Alright, I'll be your first grader for your app. And my goodness it is an impressive app.

Personality Section: Yeah, you meet the requirements and then some. Good work.

History: I don't see anything too outlandish here that would need correcting in terms of site history, so that's a good job from me.

Items: As long as you deduct the cost of the items from your starting Ryo once approved, I'm good with you taking them from the get go.

Kenpachi Ability: I thought I was going to have more of an issue with this than I actually did, but given all the skill drawbacks, I only have an issue with the Five Meter variant. Should you not have a higher RS stat than a Kenpachi, a 4 in Strength of Will, or a 3 in Lack of Fear, you lose fine reiatsu control, 'as well as the ability to focus on charging or incanting techniques inside of the listed range'. I cannot in good conscience approve this portion of your ability, especially on a Kenpachi. Remove that portion of your ability, and I'll give you 1/2.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Changelog
11/23/24 - Updated and revised, Inner World/Spirit information added to main application, Zanpakuto appearance upgraded after ruling that Kenpachi can have powerless Zanpakuto that they can fight with by virtue of them being Shinigami and Asauchi being part of their standard equipment.

[Kitai Yoru]

1/2

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Edited to correct the IP of the scabbard

[Col Arana]

I had a lot of fun reading through this. Your cliff notes in your History were a great idea.

Honestly, I don't see any issues with the approval. However, for Rank 4 I'm going to say that Tsuyoshi will have to earn that onsite, as for Captains in particular, their onsite exploits are accounted for when determining if they qualify for Rank 4.

That aside, 2/2.

Tsuyoshi is approved at Class 1 with 1400 SP, 14,000 CTP, 30,000 Ryo and 15 Skillpoints. Once you've distributed them I'll move him to approved characters.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Ryo: 12,000
Items: Class 1 Spirit Uchigatana
Class 1 Spirit Scabbard

Stat: Before Type (After Type)
Strength: 400 (1,375)
Speed: 350 (1,237)
Reiatsu Strength: 50 (50)
Spiritual Pressure: 250 (700)
Senses: 150
Instinct: 150
Energy Sensory: 100
Healing Expertise: 0
SP: 1400/1400

Light Aura: 35
Dark Aura: 65

Skills
Hoho: 3
Hakuda: 3
Japanese Blades: 1

Battle Analysis: 1
Battle Focus: 1

Lack Of Fear: 1
Strength of Will: 2
Bleeding Tolerance: 1
Pain Tolerance: 2

SkP: 15/15, 0 Banked

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Character Name: Tsuyoshi Minamoto

Zanpakuto Spirit True Name: Ryuurei Kouhei (Flowing Queen)
Zanpakuto Spirit Neglected Name: Yukuefumei Kouhei (Missing Queen)

All Shinigami are born with an Inner Spirit which manifests stronger and stronger as they train with their Asauchi. Tsuyoshi is no exception. For many, one of the common stepping stones to power include learning your Zanpakuto Spirit’s true name, thus unlocking their form as Shikai and, occasionally, altering their sealed appearance slightly. Shinigami who are unable to achieve this state are usually considered to be particularly average, or even below average, and often will never hold a higher ranked position outside of the lower seats of their squad. Tsuyoshi is different in that he has never learned, or attempted to learn his Zanpakuto spirit’s name. Further, he has never once heard his Zanpakuto spirit save for some very rare unintelligible sounds that were suppressed and forgotten during his earlier years as a Shinigami. As a Shinigami that relies entirely on his spiritual energy and his physical ability, Tsuyoshi has never (and possibly will never) spoken directly to his Zanpakuto Spirit. This does not, however, mean that she doesn’t exist.

Early in her development, she was known as Ryuurei Kouhei, the Flowing Queen. Due to centuries of neglect, however, she identifies by a different name and has since lost a great deal of herself to the maddening effects of persistent, unending solitude. Similarly, her appearance and the appearance of Tsuyoshi’s Inner World have become disjointed, twisted, and are altogether hostile. While Tsuyoshi is unable to communicate with his Zanpakuto Spirit (now referred to as Yukuefumei Kouhei, the Missing Queen), those with particularly high energy sensory or the prerequisite techniques are capable of communicating with her and, possibly, entering Tsuyoshi’s Inner World. What they find there, however, has no direct connection to Tsuyoshi, and it shows.

In both her true and neglected form, Ryuurei Kouhei stands at a very lofty six feet and one inch tall, standing just underneath Tsuyoshi’s native height. Her eyes are golden, and her hair is a very warm chestnut color that extends nearly down to her waist when straight, and seems to flow in whatever direction it pleases when she moves. Her body is heavily toned and very athletic and sits on a frame that wears it incredibly well, offering her movements a type of ethereal grace that could never be replicated without use of some type of technique or power. Her form is, for most intents and purposes, weightless. She moves throughout her environment as though she has no quantifiable mass and seems to affect the physical entities around her at her whim, either passing cleanly through them or impacting upon them entirely on her own decision. As she moves throughout her space, her body seems to exist in several places, or times, at once. Her movements are echoed by visages of herself that move in similar, but not consistent fashions. This gives her the effect of moving within what look to be afterimages of herself when, in reality, her nature makes it extraordinarily difficult to follow her true form. Individuals with 300 Senses or Instinct can either directly follow her or intuit her position based on her movements, but anyone without these levels of senses struggles considerably in keeping up with exactly where she’s going and what her finer movements are.

In her true form, she is dressed in a modified suit of Samurai Armor colored in various purples, blacks, and golds. This suit of armor leaves a significant portion of her body seemingly exposed, including her thighs, her upper arms (past the crook of her elbow), and a good portion of the top half of her chest. She wears what seem to be three blades on her right hip, arranged at various angles. It is unclear if all three of these blades exist at the same time, or if they exist because of her nature, as when she draws one, it often visually looks as though she’s drawing all three of them and, while they seem to be different at first, they are all visually identical. Extending from an elongated hilt wrapped in purple silk and adorned with gold accents, the blade itself is slightly shorter than a traditional Odachi, coming in at about 87cm. It looks to be of exceptional make and quality and, while it has a single edge, the blade looks both correct-side down, and inverted. In effect, it is a double-edged blade that visually looks like it has a single, curved edge. Careful examination (if it were possible) would reveal that it is not the edge of the blade that changes, but the grip of Kouhei that changes. There are a series of kanji inscribed along the blade’s edge that translate to ‘Whisper, Violet Wind’.

Truly, Kouhei is a generally light-hearted spirit. While she is prone to outbursts of anger and associated tantrums, she is generally supportive and playful. She enjoys puzzles and riddles, and tends to speak in a cryptic pacing when possible, though when pressured she will pout and revert her course of speech to be more direct. Her movements are extremely light and her manner of conducting herself is curious and inquisitive - intrigued by the world around her and confident enough to tackle anything in her way should it prove to be any kind of obstacle or problem. Her favorite games to play, when allowed, are tag, and she utilizes a lot of puns in her speech. She’s a mischievous trickster if left unchecked, and uses games of intellect in order to test her Shinigami.

In her neglected form, Kouhei’s appearance is significantly more worn overall. Her features, previously soft and light-hearted, have been marred with gaunt cheeks, dark bags under her eyes, and a loss of sheen in her hair. What was once an uplifting sense of majesty is now a haunting melancholy which reflects the state of her being over the course of multiple centuries of effective silence, frustration, and misery. The gold accents are faded to the point of a rose gold at their best and a stark white at their worst, particularly in the wrappings of the blade, which is almost completely white and violet. The blade itself is no longer a shining, pristine silvery steel with violet engravings, and is instead a dark obsidian steel. In this state, the inscriptions alongside the blade read ‘Scream, Cursed Wind’.

Unlike in her True Form, Kouhei’s neglected personality is significantly malformed due to just over two and a half centuries of suffering through pain and psychological stressors without any type of support or an ability to cope other than to suffer in abject silence. Attempts to communicate with and assist Tsuyoshi have met with enough failure that her overall demeanor has suffered dramatically, turning her extremely cold, malevolent, and altogether murderous. On her own, she is often screaming absently into the darkness that is her Inner World, defending herself from the horrific visages that haunt Tsuyoshi’s Inner World whenever he fights unrestrained. She speaks almost exclusively in cryptic tongue, and when she is direct it is almost always to let whomever has addressed her, or whomever she is addressing, know that she is going to kill them. It has been so long that she has had no response from Tsuyoshi that she has long since forgotten what she would even say to him were he to finally speak with her.

Inner World True Name: Soyokaze no Shima (Island of Whispering Wind)
Inner World Neglected Name: Kanashi-gena Kaze no Shima (Island of Sorrowful Wind)

The True appearance of Tsuyoshi’s Inner World, and thus Kouhei’s home, is a single terrain mass surrounded by a vast, endless expanse of fog. When entered, the fog merely redirects you to a random place in Tsuyoshi’s Inner World. While the area itself is large, it is not infinite, and it is centered around a single willow tree, which Kouhei usually can be found underneath. Different features come and go on the island - the terrain morphs and shifts to create varying degrees of elevation and a warm golden glow basks the entire area. While a welcome land, it is disorienting to those who have never traveled there and it can be difficult to tell where the fog is going to spit you out once you’ve entered it. The only individuals that have complete control over Tsuyoshi’s Inner World are Kouhei and, were he to ever obtain Bankai, Tsuyoshi. Due to Tsuyoshi’s complete disconnect from his Zanpakuto Spirit, however, this is not the current form of his Inner World. Traditionally, there are no astounding or unexpected findings beyond the fog and there is no effect on Tsuyoshi’s Inner World when he is fighting at full strength. At some point during his tenure as a Shinigami, however, this changed dramatically.

The Neglected appearance of Tsuyoshi’s Inner World directly reflects the psychological damage dealt to his Zanpakuto spirit by centuries of neglect. The glow that washes over the Island is no longer warm, inviting, and golden. Instead, it is a harsh, black expanse overhead that is colored by a haunting, violet and white glow that peeks through the fog like an unwelcome visitor prying open the door to someone’s home. It is pervasive and seems to sap at the very psyche of an unfortunate visitor. The island itself is completely flat and the Willow Tree at its center is plagued by some type of unknown disease, causing uneven bark growth and giving it the image that its branches are crawling with some unknown substance. Walking too far away from the Willow Tree, visitors run into a single obsidian wall that seems to go on without end.

Careful examination of the wall shows kanji that glow with a dull violet glow. Unlike a normal wall with continuity, Kouhei has complete control over where on the wall visitors can see and read, though once an individual has started reading, the continuity is consistent and they can read for a significant period of time provided they maintain eye contact and do not blink. Once they lose eye contact with the wall, Kouhei is able to shift their perspective and the wall’s position at a whim. Initial writings on the wall show ordered, structured thoughts that almost seem to be a list of things that Kouhei intends to berate Tsuyoshi about, which likely grew as the years went on.

Over time, however, the writings become more and more disorganized and incoherent, hastily scratched or carved into the stone with what seems to be a blade’s edge and devolving into repeating phrases such as ‘Why can’t he hear me?’ ‘Why won’t he listen?’ ‘I hate him.’ ‘I want to kill him.’ and ‘Why can’t I die?’, among others. In this, the wall serves to be an open journal depicting the gradual, but terrifying contortion of Tsuyoshi’s Zanpakuto Spirit.

The fog on the Island in this state is not merely disorienting, it is suffocating and all-consuming. The only individual capable of control and mastery over the Inner World in this state is Kouhei, but this does not mean that Tsuyoshi doesn’t have an effect on it. When Tsuyoshi is fighting unrestrained, the atmosphere surrounding the Inner World becomes particularly thick, and the invasive fog twists and contorts into personifications of ghosts, demons, and other unnatural creatures that openly attack and threaten Kouhei and anyone else present. These constant assaults, while ultimately unable to overwhelm and eliminate Kouhei while Tsuyoshi is alive, play a large part in the damage to her psyche and have turned her sanctuary into a realm of constant hostility and turmoil.




What kind of update: Profile Update - Zanpakuto Spirit added for high ES and techniques that allow communication with someone else's Zanpakuto Spirit, or invasion of their Inner World. This is NOT a power update, and offers Tsuyoshi no tangible benefits. This is for roleplay purposes only, and may be used in the far future as the foundation for character development.

The reason that this wasn't completed when I did his profile originally was exclusively because it was unnecessary for the character to function and I did not have any ideas for what I wanted his Zanpakuto Spirit to be at the time.