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Serisawa Ayane; 8th Division Captain
Topic Started: Aug 18 2014, 12:37 AM (69 Views)
Katashi

Shinigami

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Personal Information


Name: Serisawa Ayane
Age: 1884, Appears to be in her early 30s
Position and Rank: Eighth Division Captain
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Northern China
Height: 1.7 Meters
Weight: 57 Kilograms
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Black

Posted Image

General Appearance: Serisawa Ayane lives at the peak of physical fitness, possessing an athletic frame with well toned musculature and the lithe grace of an acrobat. Her body has been honed through centuries of combat, and she has never wavered in her pursuit of further improvement. By all appearances, this raven-haired, blue-eyed shinigami is a woman in the prime of her life.

An observation made all the more ironic, when one considers she may be the eldest shinigami that yet draws breath.

She prefers clothing that is light and does not impede movement, and she rarely wears dresses, or whatever the current “feminine” attire of the era tends to be. Over her time, she has worn many uniforms, though the one that most living shinigami will recall her wearing is that which she wore as a captain. While she wore the standard shihakusho – black kosode and hakama – combination, and the fully-sleeved variant of the white haori denoting her position as a senior captain, she replaced the traditional obi with a significantly more elaborate sash, from which several layers of long white cloth flowed down to below the knees around the sides and back of the legs, forming a half-cape.

Regardless of her uniform, she always wears wrapped-cloth bracers, resembling bandages, that extend the length of both of her arms from her wrists all the way to the top of her biceps. She never removes these outside of combat, and with good reason: underneath the wrappings on either arm are her Parataxi Aimatos (“Blood Array”), used to open the flow of reiryoku into the blood and the replenishment of life energy expended while casting Exoria Akatharto spells. Leaving these gateways open for an extended period is extremely dangerous, and the wrappings are specially designed to seal them.

Ayane also always wraps her chest and abdomen with sarashi, not out of some sense of fashion or comfort, but because she specializes in the use of shunko. As with all other practitioners of the dangerous kido technique, when she uses shunko, the clothing on her upper body is annihilated by the extreme reiatsu of the technique. While not particularly concerned with social conventions such as “modesty” in combat, the sarashi bindings obviously help to keep her breasts in place during the high-speed, high-energy maneuvers for which shunko is so feared. The bindings are additionally coated with a powerful coagulant agent to ensure any chest or abdomen woulds will clot quickly and lessen the chance of bleeding out – an important safety measure for one who so often manipulates her own blood in combat.

Personality: Ayane is typically reserved in social situations, and could be described as a “difficult person to get to know.” No one is really certain if this is intentional on her part or merely a subconscious quirk of her personality, but it is known that she's had comparatively few friends over her lifetime. In this respect, she fits the profile of an introvert, but little can be said for certain on the subject.

She has led armies in battle many times in the past, and all accounts describe her as a capable and charismatic leader, but also distant and unapproachable when not rallying troops. She does not seem quick to utilize humor, and when she speaks, she speaks directly.

There are a number of accounts on her unusual behavior in combat. As described by one writer, she fights with “a certain unattached serenity.” In all accounts describing her fighting style, a note is made that she fights without an emotion; or indeed, the appearance of caring at all. Even in instances where she'd been visibly upset or disturbed prior to entering a fight, as soon as she began, her distress vanished, replaced by a neutral, unreadable expression – or perhaps, more disturbingly – an unconcerned smile.

While she appears to be consistently cold and distant, there are no accounts of how she behaves around those few she considers to be friends. Little can be said on the matter, unless one were to manage to befriend the woman themselves. Given how particular she seems to be with people, the chances of that seem remote.

Abilities:

εξορία ακάθαρτο (Exoria Akatharto, “Impure Banishment”): Ayane is the last living practitioner of Exoria Akatharto, a much older and more powerful form of spellcasting than kido. Very few Shinigami are born in each generation that have the potential to learn this art, and Ayane was one of the last to master it. For many millennia, knowledge of the art, which dates back to before the founding of the Gotei Thirteen, was closely guarded and cultivated by the Order of Maji, which was extinguished in the War of Titans. Ayane is now the sole vanguard of these techniques and the knowledge of how to properly use them. And despite the auspicious company she keeps, she has yet to meet another with the potential to learn these techniques.

Exoria techniques are capable of easily bending and the fabric of space itself, altering reality and conjuring great powers into and out of existence. But reiryoku is an insufficient power source and medium for effecting change on such a scale; to manipulate reality on the same level as even a simple Exoria spell would require almost the entire reserves of an average captain to cast using their reiryoku. And under such an exhausting exertion of power, it is unlikely even the most skilled of captains would be able to control the spell.

Instead, an Exoria practitioner must use a much more powerful energy source. Each time they cast a spell, they sacrifice a portion of their own soul, the very life energy that makes them who they are. In this extent, every soul could potentially use an Exoria technique, but it would almost certainly kill them instantly; or at least, destroy the essence of who they are. This sacrificial component is why so few are able to actually use Exoria techniques successfully. Even so, successfully using an Exoria technique requires more than simple aptitude.

The Parataxi Aimatos was developed as a solution to these fundamental limitations. By opening channels to mix pure reiryoku into the blood, it was discovered that a shinigami's body could convert this reiryoku into the same energy that comprises the essence of the soul. If part of the soul was sacrificed, the body would attempt to fill the void. This energy would rush in to fill the gap and rebuild the depleted soul. The strain of sacrificing and rebuilding a soul was initially expected to be too much for any to bear. However, the soul proved much more resilient than previously thought. Even when almost completely depleted, as long as a sliver of a soul remains, one's soul can be recovered and completely reconstituted. It is almost as if the soul somehow knows how it is supposed to be. And with training and dedication, an Exoria Akatharto user could endure this process repeatedly with negligible long-term effects.

Therefore, casting an Exoria Akatharto spell via a Parataxi Aimatos proceeds thusly: First, using reiryoku infused blood, the caster inscribes the runes necessary to control the energy for the spell, and finalizes it with a finishing symbol indicating themselves as the sacrifice. The spell beings as soon as the finishing symbol has been inscribed, and the caster's soul is drained to be used as energy. Simultaneously, the blood and reiryoku conversion adds energy to the soul, rejuvenating it as it is being sacrificed. Once the requisite soul energy has been sacrificed into the inscription, the spell fires, initiating its effect on a target or area indicated by the caster.

The strain from casting spells in this manner is excessive, and only the strongest of shinigami can cope with it. Additionally, it takes several seconds after the successful casting of an Exoria spell for one's soul to be fully rejuvenated by the Parataxi Aimatos, leaving the caster weakened for an instant. It is, likewise, inadvisable to cast multiple spells in rapid succession, especially those that require significant power to use, as the caster may become exhausted under the incredible stress.


παράταξη αίματος (Parátaxi Aímatos, “Blood Array”): The process of casting an Exoria spell is a constant balancing act between the energy leaving the soul to sacrifice for use in the spell, and the energy being added to the soul in order to replenish it. No method has been found to allow one to mentally or intuitively control the flow of reiryoku into their soul, and therefore, a series of eight “gateways” are opened in the practitioner’s arms during the Thysía Aímatos ritual (described below). The blood in these gateways will never clot, and if left unattended, an Exoria user would rapidly run out of reiryoku and bleed to death.

To prevent this, the gateways can be sealed with the use of a specially treated bandage. Each gateway can be opened individually by removing these bandages. By opening only one gateway, a small amount of reiryoku is siphoned away for use in spellcasting. Opening additional gateways increases the amount of reiryoku available for replenishing one's soul, allowing for the casting of more powerful spells. When all eight are opened, all of the user's reiryoku is diverted into the reaction. In this way, an Exoria user can access some incredibly powerful abilities well beyond those any normal shinigami could ever expect to use, but only for a brief moment – even Ayane's prodigious reserves would be depleted quickly if she were to open all eight gates.

To simplify the process of opening gates and casting spells, Exoria spells are separated into different “levels” based on how many gates are required to replenish the soul at the same rate it is being drained, up to eight. It is not possible to slow down the soul-draining process to allow one to cast higher level spells without an equal number of gates open; a soul's energy cannot exist for long outside of one before decaying back into reiryoku.


Θυσία αίματος (Thysía Aímatos, "Blood Sacrifice"): The key to casting Exoria Spells, Thysía Aímatos is a complex and extremely dangerous ritual that changes the very nature of how a shinigami's reiaryoku interacts with their body and soul. Anyone wishing to learn to use Exoria Akatharto must undergo this ritual to prepare their body for the strain and give them the tools they need to survive such dangerous and self-destructive spellcasting. Undergoing the ritual is an incredibly traumatic experience for the body, the soul, and the mind, and is quite often fatal. Thus, each prospective Exoria student is only allowed to attempt the ritual once they have reached their very peak as shinigami. Even so, most of these hopeful students fail, often with disastrous results.

The ritual operates on a deceptively simple principle. It was realized long ago that - while reiryoku is incredibly inefficient as fuel for Exoria spells when compared to the life energy of a soul - there is an equivalency between the two, and thus it is possible to convert one into the other. By mixing reiryoku directly into the bloodstream is massive quantities, reiryoku can be condensed into reishi and converted into life energy to replenish a soul that has been partially depleted by casting an Exoria spell.

The prime location to mix blood and reiryoku together is in the arms, as they hold a number of major arteries in addition to the two largest reiryoku conduits in the body - those that supply energy to both the zanpakuto and to the shinigami's hands themselves. This flow of energy is refined and easy to control, ready to be expelled from the body at any time, making it a perfect point to open a flow of reiryoku into the bloodstream.

The ritual, then, is performed by opening four holes along the length of either arm. This process is extremely painful, as the student must be conscious and fully aware – an anesthetic could dull the senses and disrupt the process. A powerful anti-coagulant spell is used on each opening to prevent the blood passing through each opening from ever clotting, and is to remain permanently active for the rest of the shinigami's life. This creates the Parataxi Aimatos, the key to surviving Exoria spellcasting.

Once these openings – colloquially referred to as “gateways,” or, occasionally, “chakras” – have been created, the real ordeal begins. The body of a shinigami was never meant to have blood and reiryoku flowing together, and the process of condensing reiryoku into reishi and further into the material and energy that makes up the shinigami's very soul is traumatic. Through a variety of spells, the body is made to further adapt to the changes, but the majority of these adaptations cannot be forced and must be allowed to take place as the shinigami's body begins the conversion process for the first time. This is the point where most students fail, either from lacking the mental fortitude to endure the changes or from physically being unable to handle strain and collapsing.

The strain is exerted on more than a physical level, however. A shinigami's spiritual and mental state is tied very closely with their body, and their soul is just as affected as their physical form. Shinigami that have successfully completed the ritual have described vivid hallucinations and visions, delirious outbursts, and symptoms resembling the onset of dementia during the procedure. The zanpakuto manifests these changes most visibly; the state of mind and physical requirements to manifest a zanpakuto spirit are nearly impossible after the completion of the ritual, and the altered flow of energy through the body make it impossible for a shinigami whom has undergone the ritual to ever use or achieve bankai.

This is not a simple hurdle to overcome; by changing the nature of the shinigami themselves, the ritual also changes the nature of their zanpakuto, to the point where the zanpakuto simply does not possess a bankai form. The “true” form of the zanpakuto is replaced by the shikai, which often changes completely after the completion of the ritual, incorporating elements from its former completed form. Thus, the shikai of Exoria users are typically measurably more powerful than those of their peers, but that is where their zanpakuto power peaks. It is but one of many sacrifices an Exoria practitioner must be prepared to make.

If the worst happens and a student collapses or is otherwise unable to continue, the ritual can be aborted and the gateways fused closed. If aborted early in the ritual, a failed student has a good chance to survive, but these odds deteriorate rapidly the longer a student has possessed the Parataxi Aimatos, to the point that, if fused shut after twenty-four hours of being created, the student will almost certainly die. With time to recover and a strict regimen of rehabilitation, a shinigami that has failed the ritual and survived may regain much of their former power as the original functions of their body reassert themselves. It is even possible for some to achieve or regain their bankai if the ritual is aborted early enough. However, some of the damage can never be reversed, and among all whom have ever undertaken the ritual, failed, and recovered, none has ever been able to retake the ritual again. The damage to their reiryoku conduits is irreversible, and reopening the gateways is always instantly fatal.

Ayane underwent this ritual nearly fifteen hundred years ago, and she long ago adjusted to all of the changes it brought with it. She also has the knowledge to perform it on others, and since the collapse of the Maji Order and near extinction of the Exoria Akatharto art, she has performed it on several students. None of them, however, were able to complete the ritual successfully.


Hakuda Mastery: Physical fitness is imperative for Exoria practitioners, to whom the many modifications done to their bodies can and will exact a heavy toll on their physical health. To this end, Ayane took up hakuda as a serious discipline even before she underwent the Thysia Aimatos ritual. In the following centuries, she refined her skills to an art, and she was once renowned as the most skilled unarmed fighter in the entire Gotei Thirteen. That said, she rarely fights unarmed in actual combat, preferring the use of her zanpakuto. Thus, her fighting style is an unusual fusion of zanjutsu and hakuda techniques, focusing on extremely rapid strikes and feints with both her blade and her limbs. For an unprepared opponent, such a bold and unexpected fighting style can be difficult to defend against.


Shunpo (Flash Step):
When Hohou is inadequate, the shinigami may rely on a much more powerful form of Hohou. Shunpo is widely regarded as the most expedient way to travel anywhere, and when used by a light-footed captain or vice captain, Movements at this speed are very difficult to catch or read by the unskilled, and to most it would seem that the user simply vanished before reappearing before them. Shunpo is widely reputed, but it comes with a marginal price. The amount of energy required to execute shunpo is several times that of hohou, so careless use of this would merely lead to exhaustion


Utsusemi (Molting Cicada): Utsusemi has long been legendary in the shinigami circles, and for the fact that the ability required one to match Hermes' in a run (so the legend said) it is widely regarded as impossible. The more realistic and reasonable shinigami realize otherwise, and when Utsusemi is mentioned, only a laugh is heard. Utsusemi propels the user at such intense pace that the eyes of a normal shinigami simply cannot follow. Appearing from one instance to another and leaving what appears to be a solid replica, Utsusemi is an ability used solely for one purpose; and that purpose is a quick fatal blow against a stronger opponent. The primary reason for this is the sheer amount of energy needed to propel oneself at that speed, and the technique has been known to injure shinigami who use it carelessly.


Hanki (Reverse Demon):
Hanki is the answer and irrefutable counter to Shunko. It operates on much the same principle of Hakuda and its subsequent abilities, but Hanki requires a degree of control that only the most adept kidou users can manage. The difficulty of the technique is not in manipulating the energy, but rather matching it to the opponent's and negating it. Once this has been achieved, the user can essentially cancel out any kidou based attack...that is if the user is within arm's length of the caster. Close range is essential for this ability, and at that close range it may well be impossible to negate fired kidou.


Special Ability: 真紅春光 (Shinku Shunko, “Crimson Flash Cry”): The original version of Shunko, first fomulated by Ayane over a millennia ago. Its original intent was to address the inherent weakness many Exoria practitioners face in close combat, and to increase the versatility of Exoria spells. It operates on the same principles as its current, kido-based incarnation. Reiatsu is surged through and over the arms and erupts from the shoulders and upper back, increasing the shinigami's energy output several times over. And like its cousin, its primary function is to be used in conjunction with hakuda strikes, greatly increasing the speed and power of each and every movement its user undertakes.

Unlike its younger incarnation, however, Shinku Shunko does not mold the released reiatsu into a form of kido. Instead, blood from the opened Parataxi Aimatos is expelled, mixing with the reiryoku as it is being expelled as reiatsu, and the pressure of the technique compresses the two together. In effect, activating Shinku Shunko initiates a soul-conversion reaction outside the body. This has little effect on the actual power of the technique, and in this state, the close-combat capabilities of the kido-based incarnation of Shunko is actually superior than Shinku Shunko, as it directly molds the expelled reiatsu into an offensive hado form.

But Shinku Shunko serves an additional purpose. By activating a reiryoku to soul-conversion outside of the body, Shinku Shunko alters the way that Exoria spells are cast. Rather than releasing the energy of a spell outwards towards a specific target, the energy of a cast spell flows around the caster's body, surrounding them like a cloak. In this way, a caster using Shinku Shunko literally wears the spells they cast, gaining the benefits of the spell effects directly on their own body. Shinku Shunko is the ultimate close-combat style for an Exoria caster, turning their weaknesses into their greatest strengths.

Because it utilizes Parataxi Aimatos, Shinku Shunko is similar to an Exoria spell in requirements; The Parataxi Aimatos must be open, and it is effectively a level four spell, requiring four gates open to be used properly. However, it does not require any runes. Though it does not become more powerful as more gates are opened, it does not change the number of gates required to cast spells of various levels, and thus it is often used with more gates open than those required to simply maintain the technique.

Incidentally, this technique was originally simply called “Shunko,” and shared its name with the kido-based adaptation that Cornelia later developed. The increasing prevalence of users of the kido-based version, along with the general decline of Exoria Akatharto amongst the shinigami, led Ayane to modify the technique's name, adding “Shinku” to “Shunko,” a reference to the color one's reiatsu takes on when expelled with Parataxi Aimatos open.

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Exoria Akatharto Techniques


Exoria Akatharto spells are organized based on the power – in terms of energy derived from sacrificing souls – required to cast them. This typically, though not universally corresponds with the overall “strength” of the technique, although because the effects of the individual techniques vary widely, it is not always possible to make a one-to-one comparison between various spells. This classification has been further abstracted to correspond with the Parataxi Aimatos, and spells are thus divided into levels from one to eight. Each level corresponds with the number of Parataxi gateways that must be open to cast the spell, thus, a user gains access to level six spells only after opening six gates.

Exoria spells operate on different rules than the ones kido techniques are bound to. Indeed, the rules upon which Exoria spells are beholden to are in fact the key to their effectiveness. In essence, each Exoria spell must create a completely new set of rules for the universe to follow when it is active. Creating new systems that are both stable and do not require excessive levels of power to cast is the greatest challenge facing any shinigami desiring to craft a new spell, and it is considered a worthy pursuit for a Maji to dedicate their entire life and career to the development of even a single new spell.

It is for these reasons that Exoria spells operate in ways that may seem arbitrary or unintuitive. Several well known, universal rules for Exoria spells help to explain such behavior:

- Any pocket dimension created through Exoria spells must be directly linked to the dimension from which it is cast, and energy must be able to flow between the two. It is thus impossible to create a pocket dimension without an exit back into the dimension from which it originates, and the exit cannot obstruct the free flow of energy. There is also a universal limit to the speed at which a pocket dimension can be collapsed. These principles make it largely impossible to create a perfect prison spell, or a spell that can kill any opponent by trapping them in a pocket dimension and then immediately destroying it.

- It is impossible to directly and exclusively target an individual or group with an Exoria spell; everything within its area of effect is affected by it equally, although the effects can differ based on the physical characteristics of the those within the field. Note that this does not preclude the creation of a spell that, for example, has an area of effect constrained to a projectile, and then expelling that projectile at a specific target. It does preclude such a projectile based spell from only affecting the target the caster had in mind, however.

Technique List:

Name: Blood Transcription
Level: 0
Runes Used: Not applicable.
Behavior: Not truly an Exoria Akatharto technique, Blood Transcription allows the user to control the flow of blood expelled by their Parataxi gateways by controlling the reiryoku infused with it. This allows the user to transcribe runes in the air before them or on any surface they may choose, though the control does not extend to instantly forming the blood into the runes – the strokes must still be made with a stylus or the user's finger. This technique does not sacrifice souls or strictly require the use of the Parataxi Aimatos, and is more akin to a kido spell. That said, without the gates open, there is no reiryoku-infused blood to manipulate, so this spell is effectively limited in its use to when the gateways are opened.
Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Unchanged.


Name: Pandora's Box
Level: 1
Runes Used: 2
Behavior: A deceptively simple and surprisingly versatile spell, this technique was developed long ago. Pandora's Box, put simply, conjures a small metal lockbox, small enough to comfortably fit in the palm of one's hand, connected to which is a minor pocket dimension. Attempting to put an object into Pandora's Box opens a portal to that dimension, where the object is actually stored. Time does not pass in this dimension until the box is opened again, allowing for the perfect preservation of whatever is inside.

The true power of this technique comes from the variety of things that can be stored. Everything from physical objects to energy in nearly any form – including active kido techniques – can be placed inside such a box. The box is limited in what it can store, however, by size: anything too large or dense – for example, a person, or a very large and powerful kido technique – would cause the pocket dimension to slowly decay, deteriorating whatever is inside, even though time inside does not pass in the same sense as it does in our reality. Also, any other reality-warping techniques, including all Exoria spells, cannot be placed inside the box. Thus, an industrious practitioner could not, for example, place a Phoenix technique in the box, store it until later, and then open it to use the spell without having the five required gates open. Pandora's Boxes can, however, store up to 1000 transcribed Exoria runes, allowing for spells that would otherwise require lengthy preparation to be cast very quickly.

There is a limit to how many boxes can be tied to a single individual. Too many, and all of the pocket dimensions will slowly decay. Ayane can safely maintain four at any given time.
Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Unchanged.


Name: Blessing of Sia
Level: 2
Runes Used: 4
Behavior: Invoking the powers of the mythological Egyptian God of Perception, the user gains the ability to obscure themselves under a cloak of invisibility. The strength and area of affect of this ability can be altered by changing the first three runes of the spell's sequence. It can be focused entirely upon the caster's location, in which case it completely obscures their reiatsu and renders them totally invisible unless they move out of the area of effect. Alternatively, it can be cast over an area the size of a room, completely hiding the reiatsu of those inside but not altering their appearances. It can even be extended over an area the size of a city block, strongly dampening the reiatsu of those within it, but not fully hiding it.

All of these variants are static in their effects, and anyone within the area of effect will still be able to sense and/or see anyone else inside it as they would normally. Only one version moves with the caster, and completely obscures their reiatsu but does not hide them from view. Note that anyone expending extremely high levels of reiatsu will not be hidden by this technique – it would be impossible to hide, for example, a fight between two captain-level opponents.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Incapable of hiding anyone expelling the level of reiatsu on the order of Shunko for long, this technique completely hides the user's reiatsu and renders them invisible for exactly 1.2 seconds, just enough to create an opening for an attack. This version is not broken on contact with the enemy or when using any other technique, it is flawless for the 1.2 seconds it is active.


Name: Great Deluge
Level: 3
Runes Used: 5
Behavior: The user conjures a massive wave of water that sweeps over the battlefield much like the mythical earth-wide flood. The water summoned by this technique is strong enough to neutralize fire techniques with power less than that of a level 40 hado, unless they specifically have a resistance to water or cannot be put out by normal means. The force of the initial wave is also significant, on the level of a level 75 hado, and the area of effect is truly massive. Waves of a width greater than 200 meters have been summoned using this technique before. This technique is often employed to sweep away large numbers of weaker enemies, and is feared for its ability to disrupt entire armies. It can be dodged simply enough by jumping over the top of the wave.
Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Unchanged


Name: Smite
Level: 3
Runes Used: 4
Behavior: Summoning the legendary lightning of figures such as Thor, Zeus, and Jupiter, the caster conjures a spear of lightning in their hand. In comparison to many Exoria techniques, Smite is very simple. The user throws the spear at a target, and when it strikes, it discharges many thousands of watts of electricity, equivalent to approximately a level 75 kido spell. It also has the innate ability to pierce or weaken barriers, and can pierce through anything up to the equivalent of a level 45 bakudo spell, and proportionally weaken barriers above that level.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Rather than conjuring a heavenly lightning bolt, the caster's hands, arms, and anything they're holding are coated in electrical energy. This increases the innate power of their strikes by a small amount, and also makes their strikes more effective against barriers and defenses.


Name: Summon Kusanagi
Level: 4
Runes Used: 6
Behavior: Summons the legendary Zanpakuto Kusanagi in its shikai form. The only direct space-time manipulation this spell actually uses is to recreate Kusanagi and temporarily bind it to the spellcaster, everything else operates according to the normal rules that all shinigami zanpakuto are bound to, with a few exceptions: Kusanagi is available only in its shikai form, and its bond to the user is temporary and expires after only ten minutes, after which it disappears.

Kusanagi takes the physical form of a straight sword of approximately 1 meter in length, visually similar to a Chinese jian. Kusanagi has inherent dominance over the wind, and can manipulate the air around the caster. With each swing, the sword gathers the air around it into a deadly blade of wind, enhancing the striking power of the blade as well as its length. This allows the blade to pierce through typical reiatsu-based defenses like hierro and bulwark with comparative ease.

Kusanagi's wind is also the natural bane of fire, and the sword is able to use its fabled abilities to dampen the energy of those fire techniques with power greater than a level 50 hado, and neutralize and take control of those below that level, turning weaker fire techniques back towards their masters.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Kusanagi's wind manipulation is enhanced when used with Shinku Shunko, even if Shinku Shunko was cast after Kusanagi was drawn. With Shunko active, Kusanagi can also manipulate the reiatsu the technique is expending outwards, surging it around each strike as it would the wind. This effectively increases the striking range of Shunko by several meters.


Name: Phoenix
Level: 5
Runes Used: 15
Behavior: The user summons the legendary firebird, Phoenix, which flies towards the indicated target position at high speed, purifying any soul it touches until it reaches its destination and explodes in a fireball five meters in diameter. The purification effect is unique amongst all spells of the shinigami, operating like a shinigami's konso but on a massive scale. Phoenix affects different species in different ways. To shinigami, the phoenix's fire will rejuvenate their body, purifying away impurities and injuries. It is even possible for Phoenix to resuscitate the recently deceased, though it can not have been more than fifteen minutes since their death and their body must be largely intact – a wound as grievous as a decapitation cannot be repaired by phoenix.

To humans, Phoenix has no effect whatsoever, unless the human soul has been removed from the body, in which case it is purified and sent to the Soul Society.

The most interesting effect of Phoenix is only displayed when used against hollows, however. The true power of Phoenix is the purification of souls. To hollows, composed of one or many souls corrupted by hunger, it is anathema. Low level hollows will be completely annihilated by Phoenix, their soul or souls purified and sent to the afterlife. Higher level hollows, particularly Adjuchas class-Menos and all Arrancar, are much more resistant to the technique, to whom it will merely sap strength on a similar level as being struck by a level 75 hado spell.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: The reiatsu cloak that surrounds the user of Shunko is imbued with the Phoenix's purifying fire, enhancing all Shunko strikes with the effects listed above, though each strike is only a tenth as potent as a strike from the normal version of Phoenix. Because the entire cloak of reiatsu being expelled is affected by this, the Phoenix effects also operate passively on anyone within a few meters of the Shunko user – Hollows will find it more difficult to maintain their form in the user's presence, while any Shinigami within arms length will feel more vital. The passive effects are much weaker than their normal versions, and a higher level hollow might feel no effect at all, no matter how close it got to the Shunko user.


Name: Tower of Babel
Level: 6
Runes Used: 32
Behavior: A massive spire is created at the target area, reminiscent of the legendary tower built by humans as a bridge to the heavens. The spire is composed entirely of sekki-sekki, making it nearly impervious to reiryoku-based attacks, and is extremely difficult to break with physical strikes either. Additionally, because sekki-sekki dampens and absorbs reiatsu, hohou and shunpo cannot be used within it – someone inside cannot simply fly to the top. The tower has an interior staircase that leads to the highest floor, which is the only exit, though its massive size means a climb could take many minutes. The top floor is completely enclosed, but contains a gigantic gong in the center which, when rung, will cause the entire tower to collapse into dust. However, the effect of the technique is not ended when the tower collapses.

Anyone inside the tower when it collapses will have their speech scrambled into gibberish for several minutes (five posts), hampering communication and the use of any verbal-based incantations, for kido for example. While this technique makes an effective binding art for entrapping an opponent to gain time, the tower can also be used as a defensive technique if cast directly on the caster, protecting them with the sekki-sekki walls. This does carry risk, however; the caster must still ring the gong to leave the tower, causing it to collapse and scrambling their own speech in the process.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Unchanged


Name: Hand of God
Level: 7
Runes Used: 707
Behavior: Few spells have such an ostentatious name as “Hand of God.” The spell was given that name for very good reason. While most Exoria techniques focus on either the creation and manipulation of matter and energy, or the creation of simple pocket dimensions capable of unleashing a variety of effects, Hand of God's sole purpose is to manipulate the space-time of the user's own dimension.

This is an especially perilous effect, even for a master of Exoria Akatharto. While other spells alter space and time, they do so within a very specific set of equations expressed in the runes that define the spell. Hand of God places that discretion directly at the hands of whoever casts it. One single misstep—one single slip of concentration—could spell disaster, both for the caster and for everyone else in the vicinity. As a result, despite only being a level 7 technique, the rune sequence for Hand of God and all information regarding its use was restricted to the Maji Grandmaster and his trusted subordinates only.

The typical use for Hand of God (and indeed, to anyone not otherwise informed, the only use), is to directly open a portal between two points of space. This is similar to the techniques used to open gargantua and senkaimon, with the key difference being the user has much finer control over their target destination. Additionally, and unlike the other techniques, Hand of God can open a wormhole between two points in space in the same reality. These portals cannot be maintained for long, especially ones that reach across dimensions.

It was this use that inspired Luthien Tinuviel and Triel Devir to develop the dual kido spells Temporal Suspension and Spatial Transposition. While they were successful in replicating many of the effects, kido-based spells that manipulate time and space are naturally much less efficient, and even when used by a grandmaster of the art, the kido spell is much less stable.

But the true range of applications of Hand of God far exceeds merely the creation of wormholes and portals. Notably, it can be used to alter the shape of space-time in a wide area, decreasing or increasing the distance from one point to another. This can be used to allow the quick traversal past an obstacle without the hassle of creating and maintaining a portal, or, by elongating space-time at an oblique angle to an incoming object or attack, subtly alter its direction.

The true extent of the power granted by Hand of God is still a mystery. Using the technique in a manner that has not been previously and extensively tested has almost always proven fatal in the past, which led to the technique being restricted in the first place. Most especially, the direct offensive aspects of the technique—altering the shape of space-time around a person in many ways at once to literally pull them apart, for example—are mostly unknown, and most tests to that end have ended up going out of control and killing the caster. Even the most foolhardy Exoria practitioner would not dare to attempt such a thing, even if their life was in imminent danger. The Hand of God is not to be applied carelessly.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Against the direct orders of the Maji grandmaster, Ayane developed a unique version of Hand of God that was stable enough to be used with Shinku Shunko. In order to accomplish this, the area of effect of the spell when cast with Shinku Shunko is greatly scaled down, and the user is only able to alter space-time within fifteen meters of themselves. When cast, the user is able to freely shape this nearby space to their own design. The ability can be used to compress the space in front of the user and increase it behind them, allowing them to, in conjunction with normal shunpo, propel themselves at incredible speeds. They can also compress the space in front of them while attacking to greatly increase their reach, or expand it to decrease the enemy's. And by selectively expanding and contracting space, they can subtly influence the trajectory of objects and attacks approaching them.

However, even on this scale, manipulating space is not instantaneous, although the delay is very short. This is the technique's great weakness, the incredible speed, surely enough to dodge almost any attack, cannot be achieved immediately, at a thought. Unlike shunpo, and other speed techniques, it cannot be used as a reactionary defense, unless the opponent or attack is much slower. Offensively, it is still incredibly lethal, but it provides little boost to defense. Additionally, the manipulation of space-time disrupts the formation of afterimages, making other speed-based defensive techniques like Utsusemi useless while the ability is active.

Above all of this, the technique is still incredibly dangerous. Even without actively manipulating space-time, it puts incredible strain on the user's body, and actively manipulating it further amplifies this. By Ayane's own estimation, if she used this technique for longer than three minutes, it would prove absolutely lethal. Using it for even a few seconds is enough to inflict wounds that would take days to heal. It is a battle finisher, without a doubt, and if Ayane cannot end the fight before she runs out of time, defeat is almost certain.


Name: Labyrinth of Knossos
Level: 8
Runes Used: 2067
Behavior: Undeniably the most powerful Exoria Akatharto spell to ever be codified, and one of the only spells that requires the use of all eight gateways at once. Labyrinth is everything at once; a binding spell, an offensive spell, and a diversion combined. Labyrinth of Knossos creates a pocket dimension – a labyrinth – trapping anyone within five meters the spot where it is targeted inside. The labyrinth is sprawling and massive, and nigh impossible to navigate. But those trapped inside must continue moving, as the pocket dimension beings to collapse immediately, and is completely destroyed after thirty minutes, destroying anyone left inside. Even should someone trapped inside reach the exit, it is guarded by a great mythological beast – a Minotaur.

Though its form is generally that of the horned beast, the Minotaur is shaped by the power and fears of those trapped within the labyrinth, and thus does not possess a static level of power or skill or series of abilities. Its strength reacts to the strength of those inside the pocket dimension. For anyone inside, the Minotaur is not easily conquered, regardless of their skill level. But conversely, conquering the Minotaur is never outside the reach of those trapped inside. It is as much a test of worthiness as it is a trap.

The limitations of the Labyrinth are significant. It has one of the longest rune sequences ever devised, requiring the inscription of over two thousand runes to cast, requiring either a long set-up and foreknowledge of the battlefield, or the use of Pandora's Box to contain pre-inscribed runes until they can be used.

Beyond that, casting any spell that requires all eight gates is inherently dangerous, and can often exhaust the caster after only one cast. Still, all of the risks involved pale compared to the utter power of Labyrinth, if used correctly.

Behavior Cast From Shinku Shunko: Cannot be cast from Shinku Shunko
Edited by Katashi, Aug 18 2014, 12:38 AM.
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Katashi

~~~~~~
Zanpakuto
Sealed


Zanpakuto Name: 実在の拒否 (Jitsuzai no Kyohi, “Denial of Reality”)

Sealed Appearance: When sealed, Jitsuzai no Kyohi appears to be a simple odachi with few adornments or unique features. The tsuba is a simple circular shape and the hilt is wrapped in common blue eel skin. For odachi and nodachi blades, Jitsuzai no Kyohi is on the smaller side, with a blade length on the range of some 110 centimeters, and a total length of only 138 centimeters. Still, the size and heft of the blade completely belies its true purpose and form, and despite taking a shape often considered unwieldy, Ayane wields the blade exclusively with one hand, and is extremely adept in its usage. Many have remarked, upon seeing the woman in combat with her sword, that it seems almost weightless in her grip.

Spirit Appearance: No living shinigami has ever seen the true form of Jitsuzai no Kyohi's spirit. Ayane has not had the ability to materialize it for millennia, and even if she did still possess the power to do so, it is unlikely she would. The woman has no interest in showing off and her preference towards privacy is well known amongst the shinigami.

Spirit Personality: As with its appearance, the personality and mannerisms of Jitsuzai no Kyohi is largely unknown. Ayane has been known to occasionally lament her zanpakuto's “stubborn and uncompromising nature,” but little is known beyond her off-hand comments.

Shikai

Release Prompt: Empty Sky, Moonless Night; Jitsuzai no Kyohi!

Shikai Appearance: Upon release, Jitsuzai no Kyohi's massive form is reduced, shrinking and straightening until the blade resembles a traditional Chinese jian. The weapon is elegant in its simplicity. With a blade length of 75 centimeters and an overall length just over one meter, the weapon lacks the complex adornments common amongst shikai releases.

Shikai Abilities: Jitsuzai no Kyohi is unusual for a zanpakuto. It does not possess any great inherent offensive power, nor does it grant any defensive boon to the wielder. Indeed, Jitsuzai no Kyohi's only two inherent abilities, at first glance, may seem both indirect and benign. But in their application, their combined effect can be dangerously potent.

Jitsuzai no Kyohi is a zanpakuto that possess the power to manipulate space, and the power to manipulate energy. This duality manifests in the blade's two forms, each capable of dominance over one of the two domains, space or energy. These two forms, two “modes,” can be switched between very quickly, but only if the blade is neither in motion, nor in contact with any solid matter. Altering the form mid-swing is impossible.

Moon (Energy Manipulation) – Jitsuzai no Kyohi's blade fades, darkening and becoming transparent, almost like a shadow given physical form. In this state, Jitsuzai no Kyohi absorbs any reiryoku it comes into contact with, drawing the captured energy into its empty blade. While it will slowly absorb the ambient energy around it, it will also capture energy from reiryoku-based attacks that it comes into contact with, such as kido. It can even gather energy by striking an opponent or their zanapkuto directly. And in its ethereal, other-worldly state, it cannot be impeded by any barrier, of any kind. Even the strongest zanpakuto cannot impede the progress of its blade. There is one simple downside to this, however:

In this state, the blade cannot cut, or deal any damage of any kind. Indeed, it cannot interact with physical objects in any way. Thus, not only can it not deal damage, it also cannot block attacks. The only defensive virtue of this form is that it can siphon energy from incoming energy attacks, weakening them, though it can only absorb energy fast enough to fully neutralize extremely weak attacks or extremely slow ones.

To someone fighting against Jitsuzai no Kyohi, the blade's absorption effects are clearly noticeable. However, they are rarely debilitating – even being cleanly bisected by the ethereal blade would only drain a small percentage of one's overall reiryoku.

As energy is gathered into the void, the blade begins to glow, losing its shadowy quality and taking on the color and appearance of the reiryoku of the person from which it was absorbed. The more energy, the brighter the blade. Eventually, when the void is filled, the blade flares up, glowing brightly like a beacon of reiryoku. In this state, the blade can use its only offensive ability available the Void form.


  • Apex - All of the energy stored in Jitsuzai no Kyohi's blade is released at once in a massive tidal force of concernatrated reryoku, powerful enough to rival a hado spell in the 90s.


Sky (Spatial Manipulation) – Jitsuzai no Kyohi appears normal in this state, with a physical blade that can strike and defend as any zanpakuto can. All of Sky's are fueled by energy captured by Void. Additionally, as with Void, the blade will glow brightly with the color of the energy that has been captured by Void. Sky does not utilize any aspects of Exoria Akatharto to manipulate space, only reiryoku. To that end, its effects are more limited in scope, but still potent.


  • Void - A void is opened between two points in space, connecting them directly. This can be used to alter the direction of an attack or to confuse an opponent. To open the Void, the wielder must “cut” two openings into space with Jitsuzai no Kyohi's blade. These cuts can be differentiated from normal attacks because the blade will glow brightly while the cut is made.

    The size of each void is dependent only on how wide the cut that opened it was. However, moving objects or energy through the void comes with a cost, and passing through the void drains energy captured by Moon. As such, the ability for Void to defend a user by moving attacks out of the way or to redirect attacks towards an opponent is limited by how much energy has already been absorbed, and the more powerful the attack that enters the void, the more energy is used to pass it through to the other side.
  • Nova – A portion of the energy captured by Moon is released along the length of the blade in a burst, greatly increasing the physical power of a strike for an instant. Visually, the released energy increases the luminance of the blade, creating a very brief, very bright flash of light. Each use of this ability depletes energy captured by Moon, limiting the number of times it can be used without recharging with Moon. For the blade at maximum charge, this could be used four times before completely depleting the blade.



~~~~~~
History


What can be said to adequately summarize the life experience of one of nearly two millennia in age? One who has outlived countless human kingdoms, nations, and empires. Indeed, the birth of Serisawa Ayane predates the formation of the modern Gotei Thirteen by centuries. Any such treatment of the subject can contained herein could only but scratch the surface. It is beyond doubt that, were she ever to compose them, Serisawa's memoirs would be extensive enough to fill many volumes.

With that in mind, what follows will be able to serve the reader merely as a brief, introductory overview of the life of this woman.

Ascertaining the nature of the early life of Serisawa Ayane, as with many historical figures of the period, is difficult. Many documents were lost during the War of the Titans, and the search for biographical data is further frustrated by the fact that Serisawa was certainly not originally nobility. It is known, from the few interviews she's given to biographers about the period, that she was born Zhu, a human, in the living world, somewhere in the northern regions of what is now called by humans the state of China. The date commonly offered – and indeed, the one Serisawa herself gives – for her birth is the year 132 CE. It is known further that she lived well into adulthood before dying, although the exact nature of her death and indeed any of the actions she took in her human life are unclear, and she has not been forthcoming about the details.

There are no documents attesting to her early life in the Soul Society. She is known to have possessed some latent spiritual energy and joined the Shinigami within the first century of her death, where she served with some distinction. The next clearly datable event occurred in the year 322 CE, when she was scouted out and admitted into the Order of Maji. This is not unusual for gifted Shinigami of the lower social classes of this period. The Order of Maji was considered a necessary and prestigious organization, but not one that was desirable for the education of those of noble blood; the perilous nature of the arts and knowledge they were charged with imparting – particularly the Exoria Akatharto spells, of which Zhu was recruited for – were considered too dangerous to risk the children of nobility on, and so the Maji were composed almost exclusively of members of the lower classes. It was seen as a means of social mobility for those who were not born noble; anyone who could survive and thrive in such an environment was considered worthy of standing with the nobility.

And by all accounts, Zhu did thrive. Studying under the masters, she is described in the surviving accounts of her teachers as being both eager and adept in her studies, being equally skilled at both theory and practice. Little else specific survives from this period, unfortunately, but it can be assumed that she was instructed as her peers were. Those candidates for Exoria were trained to the peak of their abilities as a Shinigami, in all relevant subjects that existed at that time. Spiritual control, physical prowess, agility and dexterity, and Zanpakuto mastery were all required for a Maji to be allowed to attempt the Thysia Aimatos ritual – the Blood Sacrifice that would allow them to control and utilize Exoria Akatharto.

Zhu underwent this ritual in the winter of 549, after over two hundred years of such instruction. This was sooner than normal for a Maji student, but not exceptionally unusual. In any case, she survived the ritual and completed it successfully, graduating into the Order as a Maji proper, and earning her station as nobility. What followed was typical for a new graduate: decades of physical therapy followed by further instruction into the practical application of the Exoria techniques she'd only been able to study until that point.

Sometime during this period of recovery and instruction she grew close to one of her instructors, an Exoria Master known as Zyris. According to some sources, they had in fact become lovers, but the exact nature and extent of their relationship is hotly debated even today.

In the year 689, Zhu achieved the rank and title of Exoria Master, and had found her way into the inner Circle of the Maji, equal in all respects to her former teacher, Zyris. In the following centuries, she would act as a close confidant and advisor to the Maji Grandmaster.

It was during this proceeding period that Zhu initiated one of the profound relationships that would shape history to come. She befriended a young Shinigami noblewoman, Cornelia van de Muuir. It is from de Muuir's writings that we receive most of our first-hand accounts of Zhu's actions during this period. For herself, de Muuir refers to Zhu has her mentor, and often, as her “dearest companion.” In the decades that followed, Zhu would support de Muuir's rise through the ranks of knighthood, and in turn, de Muuir used her own considerable power to further Zhu and the Maji's position amongst the nobility.

By the ninth century CE, the rifts that had been forming for the past millennia between the nobility and the lower classes, and between the Alexandrians and the Shinigami had become far too deep to ever repair. Rebellious forces openly flocked to the banner of Tyrimmas, a promising and idealistic young knight, who, despite his Alexandrian heritage, nonetheless commanded the loyalty of many amongst both the upper and lower classes. It is perhaps for her role in the ensuing conflict – more than any other singular event – that Zhu, now Serisawa Ayane, is so well known.

The Order of Maji, while not openly endorsing either side, was clearly ideologically aligned against the Alexandrian ruling elite and therefore, most of the noble families that would follow. De Muuir described the atmosphere just prior to the outbreak of hostilities:

“As I entered the temple, the lively chatter and conversation within hushed. The teachers and masters averted their gaze and hurried away from the hall, while the students who did not follow gazed on with an equal mixture of scorn and bemusement. Despite knowing me as a friend, the Maji seemed balanced on a razor's edge, jumping at every shadow as if it were intent to strike at them. The presence of anyone of noble blood, no matter how loyal they had proven in the past, seemed an affront to them. This treatment was far from unfounded; many former friends of the Maji had abandoned them as tensions continued to rise. Without a doubt, they thought it was only a matter of time before I, too, betrayed their trust.”

The Maji's paranoia would prove all too well-founded. In March of 840 CE, betrayed by spies within their own ranks, they were wiped out in the opening move of the conflict that would become known as the War of the Titans. The Alexandrian nobility besieged their temples, using knowledge obtained from these spies to quickly overcome their defenses, and slaughtered them before they could mobilize. Few Exoria practitioners escaped, Zhu and Zyris being the only two masters to survive the slaughter, both by virtue of being away from the temples at the time.

While the attack neutralized perhaps the most salient threat to the loyalist factions, the suddenness and brutality of it ignited a swell of popular support for the rebels, and many commoner and noble alike fled the cities to serve Zhu and Zyris, who found themselves thrust into the position of leading what remained of the Maji order as well as all those sympathetic to their plight. The two, along with Cornelia van de Muuir, became symbols of the rebellion's moral superiority over the loyalists, and they quickly allied themselves with Tyrimmas.

Like many of the leaders of the rebellion, Zhu gained renown on the battlefield both as a combatant and a leader. But while her many battles and victories could be the subject of many volumes, she is perhaps most renowned for thwarting an assassination attempt late in the war that almost succeeding in killing Tyrimmas and the majority of the rebel leadership. By this point, the loyalist armies were on the defensive, losing ground with every battle, but the rebel armies had also paid the price with heavy attrition and faltering morale. Most contemporary historians agree that, had the assassination plot been successful, the rebel armies would have almost certainly collapsed, and been defeated outright.

The details of the plot and Zhu's exact actions in thwarting it are not well understood. Even de Muuir, typically so thorough in her recounting, is silent on this point, aside from asserting that it was Zhu who was responsible for foiling the attempt. Nonetheless, the assassination attempt was not completely unsuccessful. Several rebel generals, including Zyris, were killed during that night. Zyris' death in particular seems to have shaken Zhu more than anything up until that point. De Muuir recalls Zhu's state after the funeral:

“As she left the tent where his body lay, my mentor turned to me. Her face was ashen, and her hands trembled visibly. She took great pains to remain in private for the rest of the evening, and the entire following day, and allowed none to see her, lest the tears she shed cause the men's morale to falter. At dawn on the second say, she emerged, her confident, steel countenance restored once more. But for those who knew he closely, we could all see that something had changed, and that she would never be the same again.

Perhaps in acknowledgment of this, some time later she confided in me that 'the 'Zhu' that [she] was had died that night,' and she would no longer be known by that name. It was at that moment that the woman known as Serisawa Ayane first spoke to me.”


By summer of the year 842, the last of the loyalist forces had surrendered. The rebels were victorious. But the conflict was not yet over, as the question of who would rule the new order became the topic of considerable debate. While Tyrimmas had originally commanded the loyalty of the nobles and commoners alike, over the course of the conflict, many among the lower classes had gravitated to Serisawa, the most prominent of the few surviving non-noble generals. As rumors about the plans Tyrimmas had for new order spread amongst the armies, age old conflicts of class and wealth resurfaced, driving a wedge between the once united armies. De Muuir offers a first-hand account of the events that followed:

“For a time, it seemed as if the victory we had fought so hard for would crumble just as we grasped it. As tensions mounted between the nobility and the lower classes, the army split in two across a river. On our side, nearly all of the foot soldiers and most of the lowborn officers had gathered, while on the far side, Tyrimmas held the vast majority of the knights. Of the other ten generals, four joined our camp, while the remaining six went to Tyrimmas. It was impossible the calm the tensions between the two armies, despite the leadership of both sides urging patience. Fighting broke out each day as small numbers of troops from either side would attempt to ford the river and charge the opposing camp, only to be turned back by suppressing fire. It was not at all clear which side would win if the two armies were to break into an outright melee.

Ayane confided in me that she had no desire to lead the new Shinigami order. But the troops would not hear any such protests. 'If we are to have a king,' the would cry, 'then it must be one of us.' It seemed as if a new war was all but inevitable, whether any of us wanted one or not.

Finally, on the fifth day, a meeting was arranged between Tyrimmas, Ayane, and myself. There, we agreed on a compromise: We would restructure the Shinigami into thirteen divisions, one for each of the revolutionary generals. To appease the knights and noble families, I was put forth as captain of the First Division, as supreme commander, the 'Soutaicho.' In order to protect the interests of the lower classes, Ayane would lead the Eighth Division, which would have unrestricted authority over the internal affairs of all divisions, an indirect check against the First Division and the nobles from ever acquiring too much power. Tyrimmas was most unhappy with this turn of events, desiring leadership for himself, but Ayane, sensing the man's great hunger for power, was unwilling to accept him as leader, and the other generals in his camp were satisfied in my ability to protect their interest. Under pressure from both sides, Tyrimmas eventually agreed. It was in this way that we founded the Gotei Thirteen.

In addition, Tyrimmas and the other noble captains agreed to further concessions from the nobility to address the concerns of the lower classes. Slavery and serfdom were heavily restricted, and property rights for freemen and citizens were greatly expanded. We returned in the evening and presented the compromise to the troops. Both sides were satisfied, and the armies were finally able to disband.”


Following the war and the foundation of the Gotei Thirteen, Serisawa retired to a comparatively private life, running the eighth division as its first captain and avoiding public functions whenever possible. The uneasy truce between the lowborn and nobility cooled to become a lasting peace, both sides satisfied in the victories they had won.

The following several centuries of Serisawa's life are unremarkable compared to the ones preceding it. Notably during this period, she took on a new student, Katsu Katashi, who quickly became her lieutenant. As with de Muuir and Zyris, the two grew close, but the extent of their relationship was not clear at the time.

Tyrimmas, however, did not content himself with his new position, and still coveted the power of the Soutaicho. In secret, and using methods that are still not understood to this day, he and the four other captains who still supported him found a way to alter their bodies' physical makeup to greatly increase their own power. Violently announcing their intentions in 1102 and calling themselves the “Vizard,” they brought their new-found powers to bear against the whole of the Gotei Thirteen, and nearly toppled it in Tyrimmas' bid for rulership. Ultimately however, the combined efforts of de Muuir and Serisawa, along with the remaining loyal captains, thwarted Tyrimmas, managing to wound him. He and his compatriots, perhaps realizing they could not hold the entire Soul Society on their own, chose to retreat into exile, escaping, as de Muuir reports, by “ascending into portals they opened through the sky itself.” What became of them afterward is unknown, as no trace of them has been found since.

With peace once again restored to the Soul Society, Serisawa resumed her life of seclusion, until 1376, when she suddenly disappeared without a trace. She left no indication of where she had gone or what had transpired, and not even her closest friends, Katsu and de Muuir, seemed to have any idea what had happened. After a series of exhaustive searches lasting several decades, she was finally declared dead by the Central 46, and Katsu Katashi was promoted to the now vacant seat of Captain of the Eighth Division. However, no official funeral was ever held, and both de Muuir and Katsu seemed convinced she still lived.

De Muuir seems to have been devastated by this, and her attitude shifted radically. Over the next five hundred years, her popularity plummeted, and she garnered a ruthless reputation. Though she retained the full support of the Central 46, most of the captains had grown resentful, and clamored for new leadership. Katsu remained one of her few supporters, until a series of brutal experiments on shinigami officers, officially sanctioned by de Muuir, came to light. Combined with the recent and suspicious death of the captain of the eleventh division, a wedge had finally been driven between Serisawa's two surviving pupils.

Driven to action, Katsu moved against de Muuir, challenging her to the ancient rite of succession in open session before hundreds of witnesses. In the ensuing clash, Katsu emerged victorious, instantly elevating himself to de Muuir's former office.

It was shortly thereafter that Serisawa once again emerged into history, as that night, she appeared before the new soutaicho, much to his reported astonishment. As this occurred behind closed doors, it is impossible to know exactly what happened next, but shinigami across the seireitei report sensing surges of spiritual energy from the soutaicho's tower. It is believed, then, that Serisawa engaged Katsu in combat, and he was once again victorious, for the next morning they emerged from the tower and Serisawa officially recognized him as the new soutaicho.

There is furious debate, even today, as to what exactly happened to Serisawa, and why she disappeared for over five hundred years. A common argument popular amongst the contemporary historians of the time is that she learned of the extent de Muuir's experiments, and, unable or unwilling to bring herself to challenge her pupil, she fled, and only returned once de Muuir had been defeated by another. A significantly less popular, but perhaps more compelling scenario, is that she was complicit in de Muuir's activities. This argument purports that she fled the Soul Society not out of fear, but so that she might better support her de Muuir's efforts outside of the confines of the Gotei. She returned to the Seireitei only to defend her student, and it was only after Katashi defeated her as well that she finally submitted.

In either case, whatever rift existed between Katsu and Serisawa seems to have been mended. Only a few years after her return, the two were wed in a grand ceremony. Serisawa has now taken up her former post as Captain of the Eighth Division, and by all reports, continues to support her husband's leadership, as she once had for de Muuir.
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