Nobody
Member
“There’s no limit to what we can learn. So, allow me to teach you fear.”
“The big secret to breaking the rules, is to make it look as though you’re following them!”
“Laziness is such an ugly word. I prefer selective participation.”
“The Opposite Of Boredom Is Not Pleasure, But Excitement. People Will Gladly Seek Out Any Kind Of Excitement, Even Pain.”
Itaku Ōhei (委託横柄) is the current Captain of the Fourth Division (四番隊, yonbantai; "Squad 4"), a former member of the Tenth Division (十番隊, jūbantai; “Squad 10”) in the Gotei 13. Since allegedly overcoming his Hollowfication enough to be able to function as a normal shinigami and control his newfound powers, and with Hachikō Goseikanjo's death he was elevated to the position of Captain and placed in the Fourth Division to rebuild it as the Seireitei's foremost Kaido expert as to date.
Name Translation:
(委託, “Consignment”) - (横柄, “Arrogance”)
Titles & Aliases:
Miracle Man (奇跡の人; “Kiseki no hito”, “Miracle Worker”), Itaku of the Strings (糸の委託; “Ito no Itaku”, “Itaku of the Threads”), Charmer (チャーマー, “Chāmā”), Silver-Tongued Devil (銀タン悪魔; “Gintan Akuma”)
Actual Age: 317
Apparent Age: 25
Birthday: October 31st
Origin: Plus
Race: Vizard
Gender: Male
Height: 182.88 cm (6’0”)
Weight: 65.77 kg (145 lbs)
Voices:
English Dub - David Kaye
Raw Japanese - Hideo Ishikawa
Allegiance:
Division:
Previous Division: Jūbantai (十番隊, “Tenth Division”)
Position: Captain
Base of Operations: Fourth Division Barracks; Coordinated Relief Station, Soul Society; Seireitei
With a slender build, and long locks of lavender more often than not tied in a ponytail, eyes with specks of emerald in them and dark complexion, aside from the man’s beauty one might perhaps be forgiven for mistaking the man as a member of the noble Shihōin Clan…forgiven by anyone other than the clan itself of course. At a glance it is clear to see that the man does not believe in conforming to the antiquated militaristic style of uniform belonging to the Gotei 13, making adjustments to ensure his own sense of identity and flare is not eclipsed by the tacky apparel he is forced to wear.
As of recent times, Itaku appears to wear the standard shihakusho, albeit now with a Captain's coat over it. His hair has also grown longer, while still tied into a ponytail a golden hair piece secures it in place. He has also added a pair of golden earrings to his ensemble.
With a look of nobility, his penchant for greeting others with a disarming smile and a playful, almost child-like laugh, Itaku’s friendly extroverted nature has earned him the hearts of many around him since his days in the Rukongai, to his tenure as an Academy student, leading into him becoming a full fledged shinigami. He is never in short supply of allies who would champion themselves for his cause against any who would besmirch his name. These people are labeled as fools for those who have earned some manner of tenure as Itaku’s comrades and peers. His instructors from the Shinōreijutsuin (真央霊術院, “Spiritual Arts Academy”) evaluated him to be brilliant, but lazy and unmotivated. It is an evaluation that holds some weight to it.
Although appearing friendly he is also Machiavellian in nature. Sly, cunning, opportunistic, the man seems to do nothing without gaining something in return be it short term or long term. Every smile, every favor, every kind word, brave or heroic act done intently with some ulterior motive in mind. It is this cunning that helped him survive in Sabitsura (錆面, "Rusted Face") in East Rukongai. His looks that made him not only look like a noble, but one from the esteemed Shihoin clan ensured that all he needed to do was acquire the proper clothing and others would naturally assume he was a member of the clan themselves. Not foolish enough to openly falsely proclaim himself to be a Shihoin, knowing the repercussions of such an act would end in his demise, instead he would withhold certain information and play off whatever assumptions others made, while never actually calling himself a noble. It is this same act that allowed him to essentially manipulate an honest but…foolish and gullible Shinigami that had been patrolling the Rukongai, into handing his Asauchi over to Itaku, an act that would ultimately cause the death of the soul who found himself killed while without his weapon, the killer still unknown.
With Asauchi in hand it made moving about easier, given the weapon at his side and his already impressive spiritual pressure there were some who perceived him to be a noble and others a vetted Shinigami. Some honey coated words here, some half-truths there, and the man could for the most part talk himself out of nearly any situation. Even when members of the Third Division happened across him, again the Silver-Tongued Devil maneuvered around their questioning and essentially manipulated them into recruiting him to the Shin’O Academy rather interrogating him further than they had perhaps planned to.
When graduating from the Academy, Itaku headed straight for Fourth Division, joining their ranks. While on the surface it seemed as though this was done due to not only his ability in the Demon Arts and impressive control over his Reiryoku, but an eagerness to help others and save lives. This is, of course, false. Itaku’s induction into the Division of Healers was yet another selfish act, one of self preservation. He joined to hone his ability in Kaidou as a means to ensure his own survival, that should he sustain injury when forced into battle, he could save his life through the healing arts he would learn and master. He proved to be brilliant in his role as a healer, but again…Itaku is a self serving soul. He never healed anyone for the sole sake of doing his job, always expecting something in return for his services rather he was explicit in his expectations or covert, using careful wordplay to coerce those he has aided or enamored with his playful demeanor in doing…favors for him or returning a favor to him, as he is not above dressing up deeds falling under the purview of his duty as a favor done on another’s behalf.
To date, there isn’t a single soul that has seen him being curt or cold to another person, always laughing, always smiling, always seemingly in control. A layman may believe the man to be above things such as anger, annoyance, and pettiness, they would again be incorrect. Rather openly showing his disapproval, Itaku is more prone to be passive in his retaliation or aggression. Withholding performing healing under the guise of being spiritually exhausted or, half-assing the healing altogether. Disguising insults and threats with flowery word play and false compliments. An inscrutable man, who almost never truly says what he means, leads one to question…is there anyone who could truly say they know him? Who can truly call themselves his friend, does the man even believe in friendship to begin with and most importantly of all…can he be trusted? The reasoning behind his eventual transfer from the Fourth Division to the Tenth Division remains unclear to this day to everyone, with the exceptions perhaps being the Captain of the Fourth Division and Itaku himself.
Since becoming not only a Vizard, but a Captain as well surprisingly not much has changed about the man. He remains warm and charming to the ignorant and appears to ignore ay whispers or gossip of him regarding what happened to him. Beneath the surface however he's become more irritable, finds himself putting forth more effort to wear the social mask he's created.
( Spirit Class 3 )
Itaku’s reserves of spiritual power are, frankly put, substantial. Despite his appearance, the man is not born of nobility. Born into the World of the Living it is also there where he met his end, systematically guided to the Rukongai in the Soul Society like any other living Soul not Soul Born, yet despite his lack of pedigree, the man was a spiritual beacon within the land of riff raff and low born. While the density of his spiritual power was not enough to naturally kill other surrounding souls, it was enough to cause them to feel discomfort whenever he was around, at least those spiritually inferior to himself. It wasn’t until members of the Third Division (三番隊, sanbantai; "Squad 3") happened upon the man during one of their routine patrols, that he was ultimately escorted back to the Seireitei where he was enrolled into Shinōreijutsuin (真央霊術院 , “Spiritual Arts Academy”) to help replenish the ranks of Soul Reapers.
It was immediately noticed when receiving rudimentary training, that the then boy was an exceptional find, moreso during the lessons regarding Kidō (鬼道, Demon/Spirit Way; Viz "Demon Arts"). After a handful of classes the simplest of spells required marginal control and even less spiritual power on his part to devastating effects. Low level Bakudō incapacitated his peers with minimal effort, while his Hadō were more than enough to destroy the target and surrounding area. Members of the Kidō Corps who covertly observed the young talent, calculated his Spirit Class (霊威, “Reii”) to be at least Rank 3. Being inducted into the Ranks of the Fourth Division and Tenth Division respectively, have only aided in the refinement and growth of his spiritual power. As a healer, he has aided a multitude of Souls from minor to critical injuries, and as a defender of Naruki City (albeit…a haphazard one…), prior to the days of relative peace, he’s found himself an unwilling participant in a number of death matches, to say the least. These things, along with his life in the Rukongai and as a Student in the academy have a single thing in common, one thing they share that was offered to the shinigami and that is, opportunity.
Opportunities to flex and expend his spiritual power in conflicts and scrimmages, opportunities to put his very soul on the line out on the battlefield. Yes, opportunity when coupled with time and his own natural talent, has helped to shape him into the spiritual weapon he is today. His Kidō having reached levels where they alone may alter the course of a battle, Binding Spells serving as nearly unbreakable fetters or insurmountable bulwarks, Destructive spells landing with such ferocity that even a veteran may question if perhaps the man has somehow gained knowledge of the taboo and cast some manner of Forbidden Spell, only to be left awestruck when discovering it to be a simple Shakkahō. It is this same power that serves to keep him going should his own stamina be depleted, that wards off damage where his natural defenses would fail him. This is power, power that is still growing.
After becoming a Vizard his already impressive reserves only increased further, granting him a deeper well of spiritual power, and a denser spiritual body.
Control — it is the cornerstone of who Itaku is as a person, a man, a Soul. He is not one to ever be confined or bound to a single person, place or organization…as ironic as that is given his current employ. Never one to be or even feel as if he is being controlled or manipulated by others, he has made it a habit to always maintain control of himself. Control of his thoughts, control of his emotions (even if it should ever appear otherwise), control of his movements, control of his Spiritual power. This self imposed discipline on himself only aided him when gaining further training with Kaidou during his tenure in the Fourth Division, as one’s control facilitated speedier and more efficient healing on their part.
What would take many of his colleagues minutes of arduous concentration and expenditure of their reiryoku, was resolved with a simple Kaidou imbued smack on the back from him. Where they spent hours of strenuous effort, he spent mere minutes, each time leaving him more bored than tired, if the man even could feel fatigue from such efficient but lackadaisical healing. He can exert, suppress, and project his reiryoku in the form of reiatsu just as easily as he breathes. Ever surgically methodical in the manipulation of his power - like threading a needle, he is precise in the amount of reiryoku he is using for any given task, never expending more than what is required of him. It is this control that leaves the impression in others that his reserves of spiritual power are much heftier than what is recorded in his official file, believing him to be some secret weapon being secretly groomed by members of the Central Forty Six. Such rumors are of course, entirely unfounded yet who could blame them when witnessing the Miracle Worker (奇跡の人, “Kiseki no hito”) in action?
Since his hollowfication, his control has become that much more important, forcing him to further sharpen and rehone his control to match. The slightest lapse in his spiritual defenses an exploitable gap for him to invade and take control. He is ever conscious about how much reiryoku he expends for any given task, the fear of overextending himself leading to his loss of self a very real thing, and a constant thought that gnaws at the back of his mind.
Reiatsu (霊圧, "Spiritual Pressure")
With his level of control, the reigns of his reiatsu never slips from his grasp, only ever exerted intentionally and thus felt when in the heat of battle, performing a rare but daunting task requiring his medical skills, or when “politely” informing someone they’ve annoyed him by saying or doing something they should not have. When exerted in such a manner one gets a glimpse of the true nature of the man, the leering eyes and the apparition of hands with finely tuned spiritual strands stretching from them to Itaku himself reveals the essence of who he is; a manipulator, though typically one perceives an array of threads as if his spiritual pressure itself is unraveling into many threads. Those inferior to him in spiritual strength, control or both or even caught unawares find themselves paralyzed, unable to act in that moment. Those privy to the man’s reputation in Kidō mistakenly believe perhaps he’s covertly cast Geki or maybe even Shibireyubi on them, for such is the strength that binds them. Those weak of will, mind and spirit find themselves overcome with fear as their bodies feel as though they were bound by wire and a garrote was coiled around their neck, asphyxiating them. At most times however, rather than using his reiatsu offensively or defensively, Itaku instead prefers to use it to supplement his Reikaku. Using his control over his own spiritual power he strips his reiatsu into thin threads of spiritual pressure impossible to see with the naked eye and nearly impossible to detect with even the most sensitive and sharpened Reikaku. It is in this manner that Itaku remains alert regarding nearly everything transpiring around him, these strips of spiritual pressure acting as feelers, feeding back information to Itaku regarding whatever comes into contact with them. Exerting or retracting his spiritual pressure when used in this manner serves to control the scope of what he is detecting while keeping his spiritual presence minimized.
Reiatsu Chikaku (霊圧知覚, "Spiritual Pressure Perception") or just Reikaku (霊覚, "Spiritual Sense") as it is commonly known and referred as, is an ability that needed little training and refinement as Itaku had been honing and utilizing it subconsciously since his days in the Rukongai. While some may perceive pillars of light, others Reiraku (霊絡, Spirit Coils; "Spirit Ribbons"), for Itaku Ōhei, he perceives a matrix of threads. For others, this array of intersecting wire-like threads seems…incomprehensible, impossible to determine what leads where or to what, not so for Itaku. He can trace the appropriate threads to their source of origin, and based on the motion or Reiyō (霊揺, “Spiritual Vibration”), determine one’s mood, state of mind, distance relative to himself, rather they are idle or in motion and the speed in which they are traveling, as well as the intensity behind their attacks. In places of dense reishi rather becoming a detriment, it becomes an aid to him as he then perceives the manner in which the spiritual threads from the environment are reacting around him to discern what is transpiring, where a potential enemy is coming or attacking from, or where a downed ally might be. While it seems a miraculous skill, for lack of a better word, to have and though Itaku is able to utilize it with relative ease it is not infallible. This is still a lot of information he is required to process and a strong enough opponent may be able to make reading the array of threads ineffective or force the shinigami to forego reading the threads himself, finding it to be more of a bother than its worth, especially given his fickle nature.
Hakuda (白打, White Hits; Viz "Hand-to-Hand Combat")
Itaku has never been a supporter of Hakuda, and one glance at him one may assume it is because he believes it to be primitive and barbaric, not befitting someone with his grace and appearance. This is a truth he allows others to believe, however his dislike towards Hand to Hand combat is for a single reason, it forces him into close quarter combat and thus at greater risk of harm. With Zanjutsu his weapon at least allows him to keep the enemy at a certain distance away from him, Kidō allowing him to further that gap, allowing him to evade, defend and better manipulate his opponent. While not a proponent for the Art of Hand to Hand combat, he has at least become studied enough to restrain those weaker than himself. Should Itaku ever be seen initiating a confrontation using Hakuda it is almost certainly some manner of trick or trap.
Known Techniques: None
Hohō (歩法, Step Method; Viz "Fast Movement")
Able to cover vast distances in a single step, each step nearly void of sound as they carry him from one point to another, Itaku finds the art of Hohō to be indispensable to him. During the course of his time as an agent of the Healing Corps (治癒衆, Chiyushū) of the Fourth Division, the speed in which they arrived to the injured was of the utmost priority, equal only of course to their task of doing everything within their power to save and preserve as many lives as possible. This required him to be able to cross the battlefield, while evading the enemy’s radar to reach those in the heart of conflict. At times, treating multiple people at once by exploiting the Speed Clone technique. This speaks not only to the man’s nimbleness, but also his control over his reiryoku as it moves under his control, serving to supplement the speed of his steps, while also being diverted towards those under his medical care with reserves to spare well after. In combat, the man is an utter nuisance, sticking to evasion or hit-and-run tactics, much to the annoyance of whoever finds themselves unfortunate enough to be his opponent. As a man who does nothing without cause or reason, Itaku continues to hone his shunpo to ensure that he is never without the ability to make a speedy retreat should the need arise, requiring him to be able to distance himself at a moment’s notice as far as he can and as quickly as he can.
Known Techniques: Shunpo l Senka l Speed Clones
Kidō (鬼道, Demon/Spirit Way; Viz "Demon Arts")
Out of all the arts of Zankensoki, Kidō is undoubtedly Itaku’s favorite. The ability to bring others to their knees with nary a word, to bind and rob the freedom of another with a single gesture, and to render an area to mere rubble with but a wave of his hand was certainly tantalizing to the man. With his intellect and the level of control he held over his spiritual power, Kidō became a rather smooth study for him. Itaku strips a spell down to its most basic component within his mind, then weaves it back together seeing how each part connects and the effect of tweaking, omitting or adding to it will have on the nature of the spell.
His use of Eishōhaki (詠唱破棄, Incantation Abandonment; Viz "Destruction Chant") to expedite the execution of a Spell is second to none, defenses barely faltering in strength, blasts still capable of leveling a small town should he so will it. Like braiding thread, Itaku often makes use of Nijū Eishō (二重詠唱, Twofold Incantation; Viz "Double Destruction Chant") to not only cast multiple spells at once, but to also intertwine two spells into one altering the nature of the attack or defense, or potentially combining both offense and defense together. This is a feat he is more than capable of pulling off when foregoing the incantations of the separate spells altogether, as he weaves the spiritual threads comprising the two spells into one unique spell, bewildering those even slightly knowledgeable in the Demon Arts. Despite his willingness to forego an incantation altogether, he is not so ignorant as to underestimate their importance in the spellcraft. As a savant of deception and manipulation, the Silver-Tongued Devil is not above casting a spell without the incantation, allowing an opponent to gauge its strength, speed and power only to bolster it with Kōjutsu Eishō (後述詠唱, Spoken-After Incantation), allowing the sudden and unexpected explosion of strength and power to catch the enemy off guard.
Aside from the ability to conjure nigh unbreakable bonds or barriers, firing off an almost endless salvo of Shakkahō’s, and exploiting the speed clone technique to perform several separate spells at once — the feat the spellcaster is perhaps most fond of is his mastery of Mugon Eishō (無言詠唱, Silent Incantation; Viz “Voiceless Chant”). Able to cast a spell at its full strength while appearing to forego it altogether is a trick the man constantly makes use of. When chanting the incantations one is able to prepare themselves for the spell to come, or at least somewhat predict what kind of spell is being conjured up. With Mugon Eishō he removes their ability to prepare and as he has not divulged to others the nature of the technique it’s become the common belief that he is using Eishōhaki and the kidō cast this way by him never wane in strength.
As the current Captain of the Fourth Division, Itaku excells as one of the Division’s foremost practitioners of Healing Kidō (治療用鬼道, chiryōyō kidō; Viz "Healing Spiritual Arts"), if not its foremost.
Known Spells:
Sai l Hainawa l Seki l Geki l Hōrin l Kyokkō l Shitotsu Sansen l Tsuriboshi l Enkōsen l Rikujōkōrō l Hyapporankan l Sajō Sabaku l Tozanshō l Gochūtekkan l Kuyō Shibari l Dankū l Kin l Bankin l Hakufuku l Inemuri l Tanma Otoshi l Shibireyubi
Shō l Byakurai l Tsuzuri Raiden l Fushibi l Shakkahō l Ōkasen l Sōkatsui l Haien l Daichi Tenyō l Tenran l Raikōhō l Sōren Sōkatsui l Zangerin l Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō l Kurohitsugi l Senju Kōten Taihō l Mushikuidama l Kongōbaku l Gaki Rekkō l Hyōga Seiran l Jūgeki Byakurai (Kaizō Kidō) l
Noren Mekuri l Sentan Hakuja l Hanki
Where members of the Fourth Division dedicated long hours into honing their craft to save others, Itaku learned and mastered Kaidō to save himself, to ensure that should he sustain any injury, life threatening or otherwise, that his survival was assured. Deep lacerations and wounds sizzle as they close themselves up as if being stitched together, broken bones mend and set with all the ease of cracking one's knuckles. Perhaps the greatest testament of his ability is his Chōwa-ō Maku (調和王膜, Harmonic Royal Membrane; Viz 'Harmonious Membrane of the Monarch'). A master of both regular Kido and Healing Kido, Itaku is capable and, often times will combine his Kaido with some of the protective barriers from the Bakudo category and so forth, serving to both protect his patients while simultaneously healing their body and restoring their reiatsu.
Chōwa-ō Maku (調和王膜, Harmonic Royal Membrane; 'Harmonious Membrane of the Monarch')
The spell that earned Itaku’s name of the Miracle Man. It is a Kaidō spell that envelopes a target or targets in a teal colored membrane, those inside floating in suspension. Thin vein-like threads penetrate the flesh of those inside the membrane, using the targets’ own reiatsu and flesh to restore their body to their previous state. Should the injured’s reiatsu prove to be insufficient in aiding the threads in supplementing their treatment — the spell will siphon ambient surrounding reishi into the targets, the threads acting as a cannula, amplifying and converting the reishi to match the spiritual power of those within the membrane. When exiting the membrane the patients find that not only have their wounds all been healed, but their body is stronger, their reiatsu denser and sturdier, along with a slight increase in their overall reiryoku. The time needed inside the membrane appears to vary based upon the extent of one’s injuries and how much reiryoku left in their reserves at the time they enter.
Kokonotsu Inu (九つ犬, 'Nine Dogs'; VIZ. "Nine Hounds")
Nine wooden pillars erect from the ground, each standing about twelve feet high and three feet wide to surround the given area in which the spell was cast’. Atop each pillar lies a singular, green flame flickering vibrantly in a circle around the caster. Seven of the dog-shaped pillars are said to represent the chakras, whilst the remaining two represent the physical body and soul. The Nine Dogs have been described by Itaku as a “self-manufactured death sentence”, the ultimate sacrifice in exchange for limited immortality. While within the confines of the spell, each flame represents life itself; should the user be struck down, a flame will be extinguished and the caster will find themselves restored of their vitality. With the final flame acting as the final chance. The spell is primarily used as an avenue to buy as much time as possible, at the cost of one’s life. Considering, regardless of if the user is actually killed or not, the flames themselves will burn out in time as well, leaving them condemned to the fate of death the moment they choose to use the spell at all. Itaku understands that should anyone know of this spell’s existence, it will undoubtedly be considered forbidden. However, he has no problem with this–knowing that if he were to use it, he won’t be alive to face the consequences of going against the laws.
Zanjutsu (斬術, Swordsmanship; Viz "Art of the Sword")
When finessing the Asauchi off of the Shinigami those centuries ago he found it prudent to familiarize himself with it at least somewhat to sell the persona of being a Noble. He made sure to become acquainted with the length of the blade, weight of the sword when being held, and the weight each time he swung it, how it cut through the air and how it felt to cut into something. He swung the sword tens of times, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times. Over and over, again and again cleaning up the technique until he had the appearance of at least an unseated Shinigami officer. Attending the academy built off this basic foundation. A methodical swordsman, Itaku does not haphazardly swing his sword, always choosing to wait and observe — testing his opponent’s Maai (間合い) before ever actually initiating an attack.
When he does choose to swing his sword it streaks through the air like a lightning bolt, cleaving cleanly through flesh, bone, and sinew. Able to accurately gauge the distance between himself and whoever or whatever he aims to cut to ensure that just the tip of his blade knicks what he is targeting unless choosing to bisect it completely. As half of a fight is psychological, this has led him to having a tendency to apply pressure against his opponent by targeting their fingers gripping their own respective weapon, or their wrists, joints, tendons instead of attempting to kill them outright from the start. After learning Jinzen (刃禅, Sword Meditation; Viz "Sword Zen"), communing with his Zanpakuto and acquiring Shikai his prowess in Zanjutsu only increased, training with and learning to master the powers of his blade.
Known Techniques:
Deadly Darts l Ryōdan l Hitotsume: Nadegiri l Suikawari l Senmaioroshi l
Gigai (義骸, Faux Body) | Medical Pack l Denreishinki (伝令神機, Divine Messenger Machine; Viz "Soul Pager") | Kikanshinki (記換神機, “Account-Replacing Spirit Device”; Viz "Celestial Text Messenger") | Zajiku
(弦理論, “String Theory”)
Itaku’s Zanpakutō (斬魄刀, Soul-Cutter Sword; Viz "Soul Slayer") takes the form of a standard katana. With its golden tsuba, purple ito and fuchsia-colored sheath it is as beautiful as it is simple.
A petty vindictive woman in the words of Itaku. Genriron takes the form of a pale woman garbed in an almost lavender color kimono accented by deep purple lining, held together by an obi of the same color. Her auburn kissed hair covers much of her face, stretching well behind her — beneath the silk-like locks rests a single eye within the center of her face. The woman is never without the dark colored biwa, the large golden bachi pick constantly plucking away at the glowing strings, playing her haunting melody. Genriron appears quiet and meek, yet not unlike her master, there is more to her than meets the eye. Like plucking the strings of her biwa, she rather enjoys tugging at her master’s strings as well, constantly attempting to goad him into one act or another. Itaku despises speaking to her as, despite his poker face and ability to hide his thoughts and heart from others, Genriron can perfectly read him. She sees through his lies, always calling him out on them whenever he attempts to deceive her, never ceasing playing her song as he continues waging the pointless battle of words against her. As if to add insult to injury, she speaks as though she were a prophetess, predicting what Itaku will do or say next with the utmost accuracy. Genriron never smiles or laughs, nor does she ever show signs of anger, sadness or disappointment in Itaku’s actions making it impossible for him to get a read on her.
Itaku’s inner world manifests in the form of a vast fortress-like space. The world is a labyrinth of countless rooms, corridors, and stairs, with Genriron sitting at the very center of the world, the sound of her Biwa constantly heard throughout the world inside every single room. Itaku never arrives in the world near Genriron as he is forced to maneuver his way through until he finds her. The problem with this is, the world is constantly in flux, the rooms, stairs and corridors ever shifting as they are manipulated by the sound of the biwa. This ensures that every visit into his inner world is a challenge — ever forced into wandering almost aimlessly until his journey brings him to the spirit awaiting his arrival.
“Weave, Genriron”
The release of Itaku’s blade is accompanied by a sound, the strumming of a lute as the weapon transforms. The blade widening and extending, becoming double edged and black in color, the rounded golden kashira becoming squared. At first these appear to be the only changes, that is until one catches the faint sight of thin wisps of purple flickering in and out of visibility. What these “wisps” are in reality, a singular Spiritual Thread (霊糸, Reito). The thread’s exact length is unknown and is difficult to see with the naked eye or accurately sense with Reikaku, and just as difficult to cut, tear or sever. When using his hollow powers the thread shifts from purple to red.
According to Itaku, his shikai is a melee type zan. He is able to use the almost invisible thread to swing the weapon to extend the range of where he can attack and how he can attack, as well as use the thread to wrap around an opponent to bind them or strangle them should he be so inclined. However, Itaku is an unreliable narrator, his words never to be trusted, and with good cause. While it is true the weapon can be used in such a manner to say that is its sole purpose and use would be quite the lie. It isn’t until one witnesses their cero, kido or blast of reiryoku dwindling in size before vanishing altogether does one gain a portion of the truth. Genriron holds the power to unravel whatever she touches, as if pulling at a loose thread as it begins unraveling at the seams until it collapses altogether and ceases to be. While one may believe this effect to take place with anything the blade cuts, the truth is the power stems not from the blade…but the thread. When one learns of this they begin focusing their attention on his hands, watching how he manipulates the thread to predict its trajectory to avoid it, unaware that due to the composition of the thread….Itaku does not need to physically manipulate it himself. The ability appears limited to reishi composed constructs, such as objects in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, Cero, Kido and the like. One may naturally assume this means the power translates to reishi composed bodies as well such as shinigami, hollow and arrancar — they would be incorrect to believe so. Genriron cannot unravel living sentient beings…not physically at least. Instead, she unravels their minds. Immediate memories slip from them, forgetting what attack they were going to use, that they were even going to attack to begin with, to defend or dodge or who they’re even facing and why. The more one's mind unravels, the further they descend into madness until they become uncertain about who they are and what is even real.
When unraveling something reishi composed, once the unraveling begins it continues until either the target disappears or, if in the case of a reishi composed attack, makes impact. Unlike with reishi, one’s mind does not continuously unravel over time, demanding Itaku attack them with the thread should he wish to pull further on their mental strands.
( 弦理論世界織工, Lit. “String Theory World Weaver”)
When activating his Bankai Itaku's sword appears to unravel completely, slipping from his fingers. Concurrently, something new ravels into his hand, a strange helix shaped sword seemingly composed entirely of lavender colored thread. This of course is not the only thing that has changed, as the new weapon weaves itself into his hand, a thick chord weaves itself nigh instantly over Itaku's wrist and that of his opponent's, binding the two together while a glowing net of spiritual power weaves itself around the two and anyone else in proximity of the Bankai's release completely. The scope of this net like territory is never consistent, seemingly different each and every time the Bankai is used.
Locked inside the massive net in a cage match, the chord further locks Itaku with his opponent. The chord connecting them however, does more than bind them to one another. Retreating from the enemy causes that individual to begin unraveling. The rate at which they unravel dependent on how fast and how far they distance themselves from their respective opponent. This ability is not isolated to Itaku's enemy as he is also bound by the same rules, should he retreat he too will begin to unravel. Closing the distance will as one may expect, cause the unraveled sections to weave back together. What further restricts them is the net cage that surrounds them. The openings in the nets are inviting, large enough for a person to easily pass through. This may cause one to try and escape through these openings, believing if they leave the cage they have freed themselves from the effects of the Bankai, or conversely an ally be it Itaku's or his opponent's may try to enter into the cage from the outside to offer their aid. This is a mistake. Passing through the opening of the cage causes the person to completely unravel once they pass through, effectively killing them.
With such restrictions being equally imposed on both Itaku and his opponent, allies and enemies alike, things appear to be on a completely equal setting for all parties involved. While this is partially true, it is also a deception on his part, for the match is anything but fair. When swinging his thread composed 'sword' he is able to distort the world inside the cage. Buildings, atmosphere and so on twists, stretches, warps and contorts, growing distorted without ever actually harming the person or objects in question, everything rebounding back into its rightfully place after being pulled. It is likened to pulling on fabric, the reality inside the cage rippling and being manipulated like a piece of cloth and everyone and everything within a design on a piece of tapestry. This allows him to shift attacks away from him, or briefly altering his opponent's path of travel. Further still, is the reason behind the inconsistency of the cage's scope in terms of size. Itaku is able to alter the cage's shape and size, expanding or closing the gaps, pulling in one side, stretching and contorting the cage in such a way as to catch one unaware, pulling in a portion to try and force the opponent through the gap and thus unraveling them.
In terms of attacking, the physically woven sword he wields, while it lacks the ability to cut, it can bludgeon and impale his enemies. He is also able to unbraid the sword to alter the method in which he can attack with it before reweaving it back to its standard form.
With the presence of his inner hollow, Itaku has seen Genriron in a slightly different light, finding her less aggravating than his demented mirrored self. Like Itaku, he is constantly smiling and jovial, however where the two differ, is that the Hollow's smiles his unsettling chipper disposition is genuine. Even as he is smashing his host through walls, attempting to strangle him with Genriron's thread or slash and impale him with the blade he does so with a smile and laugh, almost mockingly so. It is clear he perceives himself to be the better version of the two, uninhibited by useless thoughts and pretenses, the façade that Itaku constantly maintains. He is free, unbound and ruthlessly efficient in everything that he does. The battle between he and Itaku took quite some time, nearly a month as the two fought relentlessly for control over the body, the fight ending in Itaku's favor, albeit barely. With his victory, the Inner Hollow has been sealed and quarantined in a specific room within the ever shifting inner world.
His mask is a menacing one, adorned with a total of nine spikes, four on either side of the mask with the last one protruding from the top of the skull. Red marks, almost forming a heart decorate the front of the mask along with red markings around both eyes. When donning the mask he rakes his fingers down his face. When returning to himself he claimed he had successfully suppressed his inner hollow and is even able to call upon and maintain his hollow powers for five minutes. Unsurprisingly, this is untrue. At best he can maintain the mask for a minute, at worst half that time. Itaku has remarked to himself how heavy the mask feels.
As a Vizard, Itaku has access to a Hollow's Cero. His Cero is red in color and seems to be charged and fired from the tip of his sword. The scope of the attack and its destructive power is incredible, comparable to a full incantation Destructive spell in the eighties. Itaku holds the potential of maintaining the Cero along his blade's tip and even its edge, greatly increasing the destructive power behind his sword strikes. Rather he is currently capable of doing so remains to be seen.
When donning his mask all of his abilities and shinigami powers are greatly augmented, supplemented by his hollow powers. His physical strength and durability increase, his Shunpo propels him into leagues of Masters, while the strength of his Kido, spells belonging to a master amplified by many folds. When foregoing his incantations, the power boost is significant enough that the power of the spell is equivalent to its original strength. This means that should he actually use the incantation, the power of the spell is furthered beyond what it should naturally be capable of.
Likes: Sweets, Control, Music, Art
Dislikes: Authority, Being manipulated,
Favorite Foods: Dumplings, Shrimp, Sushi, Anything Spicy
Hobbies: People Watching, Socializing, Cross Stitching
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