~Shinigami~
Name: Rekuzan Xero
Appearance:
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Xero is 6'00, 213lbs. He has brown eyes and auburn hair.
Age: 191
Race: Shinigami
Rank: 4th Seat
Spiritual Pressure Color: Oak-brown
Personality: Xero's defining characteristic is his loyalty. The gang-mentality that was birthed into him cemented this trait for life. He puts following orders before anything. He doesn't even question whether they are right or wrong - honestly, he is to groomed not to care. Xero is a man that doesn't know himself. When responsibility or authority calls, he can act and exist and even flourish above just about anyone, but when something requires his own opinion or views, he gets stuck, lost and confused at times. He has an aversion to doing his own thing, feeling it to be inappropriate typically, but at other times, just afraid to step out and be his own man. That's why his fighting stance emulates his captain's feral wolf posture and his hair mimic's that of the lieutenant. Xero find common ground with those who show great loyalty - even his sworn enemies of the Seireitei. On the other hand, he has little regard for those who go against orders, either in treachery, rebellion or cowardice, however he holds exception to those who refuse orders to abandon their post or abscond from their leader.
Xero is quick witted, patient and astute. It's a stretch to call him stoic, as he does get mad, happy, upset, depressed, embarrassed and such, but he expresses his emotions with his actions more than his facial expressions or words. Xero can reciprocate humorous banter, but will never be one to start it. When in battle, Xero's words are very matter of fact. He doesn't boast or gloat - when he is talking dismissively or with prejudice against his opponent, it's because he genuinely believes what he says to be true. Xero's humility and loyalty make him a very good side man. He instinctively knows to pay attention to the little details when in the presence of superiors tackling the elephant in the room. Though he is not a violent and abrasive man himself, Xero is happiest amongst those who give him no time to speak as he believes he doesn't and shouldn't have anything to say. Beneath all of that, however, is a noble man. He may not act upon it, but Xero constantly recognises opportunities for altruism, especially for those who are weak, helpless and relatively innocent. His training limits possibilities of people finding faults with him. He is so reserved about his own personality that he can easily make a sound board for other people to reflect their own interests and ideas off of, making him pragmatic and flexible to a variety of personalities.
History: Xero was born to a prostitute and a gang hooper. That's all he ever knew or was told about his beginnings. The prostitute didn't want a child interrupting her affairs, neither did she have any particular inkling as to whose child it was, but as a new venture within the gang that was pimping her, they instructed their whores to keep the children to term so that they can be used as part of the syndicate and trained within it from birth. "Rekuzan" was the name of the whorehouse he was born in and "Xero" was simply a play on words. The gang he was born from and birth into was named the "Zero Family", headed by a man who only ever went by the name "Shogun Zero". To state his claim on the bastards his men made frolicking with the prostitutes they owned, all their last names were entitles "Xero" to highlight that they belonged to him but did not deserve his actual name. All he was ever taught was the value of loyalty beyond all else. Not to question for oneself, not to think for oneself, but all that one does is for the boss.
He was valued, but nowhere near loved. He's value only extended as far as his usefulness. With his only goal in life being to have value to his boss, Xero put everything he had into doing so. He learned the ways of the sword. He trained tireless and religiously while those around him indulged and experienced the fruits of the business; money, power, women. It was inevitable that he would rise above the mire. His unquestioning loyalty and diligence won over his boss, who went from simply seeing value in Xero to genuinely having faith in him when he would go one step beyond his 'brothers' and 'sisters' to do as he was commanded. Xero became the Shogun's right hand man and inadvertently became a filter by which the shogun began to esteem the children he indoctrinated to become the perfect soldiers more than the scaliwags and delinquents who originally made up his crew. He consistently saw how Xero and his generation could accomplish things with an impeccable attitude that the 'free-thinking' members did not and suitably began esteeming them for their hard work in similar fashion to the way he esteemed Xero, which only made them more wiling to follow their childhood programming.
Seeing the end of the road coming, the vice-boss of the gang staged a mutiny with other disgruntled gang members and a local rival gang who owned the territory and had concerns about how big and strong the Zero gang was getting all of a sudden. Little by little, the bigger gang began assassinating the Xeros to whittle their numbers, and even going as far as to kill their prostitutes and women to stop them giving birth to new soldiers, and frighten those who escaped from being attached to the Zero Familia. In a bid to protect the legacy he had built, Shogun Zero prepared his forces for a pre-emptive all out attack on the bigger gang to take the entire territory. Unfortunately, he remained unaware of the coup de-tat and was set up by the bigger gang and his traitors. The Shogun, his loyal 'free-thinkers' and his Xero were cornered off on the rival gang's base after finding out too late that they had been waiting for them. Seeing the end was near, the Shogun opened his mouth and with a loud voice gave a final order to all of his underlings that they were free and that they were to leave him and survive him. Unfortunately for the Shogun, the loyal 'free-thinkers' couldn't obey his message due to their emotions, and the Xero's couldn't obey due to their indoctrinated loyalty. His survival superseded anything. They fought bravely, valiantly against the much greater foe.
Xero was the only one of the Xero's to survive. He had been rescued by a higher up from the Zero gang when he had been given a mortal wound. The higher up himself was fatally wounded, and brought Xero to a doctor. Xero awoke while the higher up was on his death bed. The higher up accounted the battle, and how they hunted and killed all the remaining Zero members who fled. They were fortunate that the higher up had connections that got him well away from their district. He explained to Xero that as the last remaining members of their gang, he was now the acting head and Xero was the last person able to complete a mission. He instructed that Xero "hunt down and find the architect of the coup and kill him with his own bare hands. Not because I told you to - not because I
want you to, but because
you want to. Avenge yourself!"
Xero was troubled by this instruction and was unable to act upon it until after the higher up died and Xero had no one around to tell him what to do. In the silence of solace, Xero could hear a faint voice. He would have believed it to be his own if not for the distinct notion that it was a voice separate to him it didn't seem to actually say any words... at least not in a language Xero understood, but it seemed to be insisting he do as was instructed and hunt the architect down. He did so, scouring for information on the key traitor. His search lead him to Seireitei, where he found out that his target had joined the ranks of the shinigami. Xero followed in suit, starting in the academy and patiently building his skills to advance into the Gotei 13. Once there, he understood the target was yet again out of reach, seated within the Eleventh division. Xero walked in to the most pit of blood, battle, gore and glory that was division Eleven and finally found the man he was looking for - the acting 4th seat. Xero waited until he was strong enough to lawfully kill him under Division 11 rules - a direct, confrontational, battle to the death. Xero avenged his family and caught himself breathing a sigh of relief when the former 4th seat of the 11th division fell to his blade.
In that breath, Xero stopped to think and look around. Realising it had been over 50 years since his family had been assassinated, he was in the midst of the Seireitei as one of their shinigami and had just inadvertently become the next 4th seat of the 11th division. And he had no more motive, purpose or orders to follow. To avert a panic attack over the loss of self and decided to commit himself to the rules and orders of the Gotei 13 and continue as one of it's seated shinigami.
Other: (already mentioned)
Shinigami Skills:
Reiryoku (2/4)
Reiatsu (4/4)
Kido Power (0/4)
While Xero has average Reiatsu reserves, his patience and focus allow him to have great control over his pressure exertion. He is able to utilize this along side his Sword Mastery and Hand-to-hand prowess to 'flash' immense spiritual pressure in a brief moment, enabling him to taunt, or bait enemies on a large battlefield into thinking he has much more Reiryoku than he does, or to force a hesitation. It's a shame that he has such bad if not non-existent ability to use Kido.
Zanjutsu (4/4)
Offense (4/4)
Defense (3/4)
Physical Strength (2/4) - This only applies to the power and endurance of applying Zanjutsu. It indicates the power behind swings and thrusts made by one's weapon.
While strength for strength Xero has middling destructive power with his Zanpakuto, he
does sport very impressive control, even moreso considering his rank. It might take him a few more strikes than usual to carve up his enemies, but he has the skill to do so consistently.
Hakuda (3/4)
Offense (0/4)
Defense (4/4)
Physical Strength (0/4) - This only applies to the power and endurance of applying Hakuda. It indicates the power behind strikes and blows made by one's body.
Xero utilises body-based combat for defensive and evasive purposes. Rather than fight against his enemy with his own force, he utilises their strength and motion against them. Granted, this might not hurt them, but this turret-defence style stops him from getting hurt as well, giving him an opportunity to reach his sword. What's more, even with sword in hand, Xero has no problems mixing in his offensive sword-play with defensive martial-arts.
Kido (0/4)
Intelligence (0/4)
Knowledge (2/4)
Xero has pretty much no talent for the practice of Kido, and essentially only learned enough to grasp how Ki can be used as a utility in battle away from one's physical body or sword. Essentially, it allows Xero to be mindful of allies and enemies using Kido so he can strategise around it effectively.
[b]
Hoho[b] (0/4)
Mobility(4/4)
Xero doesn't have use of the "flash step", it being too advanced a technique for his young career as a shinigami, however he is naturally very fast. This plays in well to his sword-based fighting style, meaning he can move at a high speed without fishing in his Reiryuko reserves, but also means he can't exceed to faster speeds
with the use of it either.
~Zanpakuto~
Name: Legion (pronounced "Leh-Jee-Onn")
Type: Ki-Manipulation/Ki-Distortion
Spirit Appearance:
Legion's spirit appearance is symbolic of Xero's own emptiness and forced monotony. He has no particular voice or face, no matter how illuminated; he will always appear as a silhouette.
Inner World:
Xero's inner world reflects his mind-state. There is nothing for miles barring a singular motorway light with street lights that stretches on for eternity, symbolising that Xero has given no thoughts for anything other than what has been laid out before him, nonetheless, he has so much capacity to go off-road and think, explore and build.
Sealed Appearance:
Shikai Release Command: Empty, Legion
Shikai Appearance: Same as sealed.
Yes, lol - exactly the same.
Shikai Skills:
1.
"Tamashī Hasai" [Soul Crusher] - Xero will slash across his target in a dash. The attack doesn't injure the target physically. Rather than any blood splatter, the splatter will be in the colour of their spiritual pressure colour, which will also fade less than a full second after being successfuly struck. The target will feel no actually
pain from the attack, even if they feel the force, the coldness of the blade or the invasion of the edge in their body. This attack doesn't not harm the physical body, but literally cuts into the spiritual power of the target, dispelling a chunk of it into the air. The enemy will not register that this reiryoku is gone. Unless they have some prior or external knowledge of this attack they will not be able to sense that he is bleeding them of reiryoku. (attack reiatsu directly - no pain, no register)
2.
"Seishin Shifuto" [Spirit Shift] - Xero will stab the target in the heart, the head and then the heart once again in three consecutive passing lunges. The pokes distort what the mind feels as pain and what the 'heart' feels as fatigue. In the mind, the user will register lost reiryoku as if it were physical pain. The amount of pain they feel will depend on how empty (as a percentage of their total when full) they are of reiryoku. Additionally, the moment this skill is successfully used, the target will be 'caught up' by this phantom pain for the lost percentage of reiryoku in a single instant, similar to feeling all the strikes from an actual fight all at once. That moment can cause the target to flinch as well as raise hesitation as they use their spiritual energy as they will (for a time) feel as if they are in pain. While this skill is in effect, it is possible for the target to passout or faint from the phantom pain of energy loss without actually being hurt.
3.
Iemo-pi [EMP] - Xero will launch a spirit wave attack. If it hits a being with spiritual energy, their next use of spiritual energy will backfire. If it hits a spiritual being, the next reiryoku attack from their bodies or skill will either hurt them if it's intended to attack someone else or hamper them if it was supposed to support them by the same extent they expected it to work for them. If it hits a zanpakuto or other 'item' of spiritual energy, then the next reiryoku attack using or channelling through that item will backfire in the same way.
4.
"Kiai-katta" [Spritual Pressure Cutter] - Xero makes a revolving cut, able to cut into reiryku-based attacks as if they were tangible objects. Whether elements, waves or even vibrations, Xero can physically cut them or stop them with his zanpakuto. If he uses the back or flat of his blade, he can parry or deflect them rather than cut them.
5.
"Seishin no Uta" [Song of The Spirit Ki] - Xer will stab the target with his zanpakuto and then while holding the hilt with one hand, the other hand will grip the biceps of the sword wielding arm. Xero will dispel an equal amount of reiatsu from both he and the stabbed target. Naturally he can't dispel more than he or the opponent has left.
Bankai Appearance: NYA
Bankai Skills: NYA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
