I. Personal Information

First Name: Kouhei
Last Name: Akiyama (Translation: The Calm Autumn Mountain)
Alias(es): N/A
Gender: Male
Age: 325 (Appears 25)
Birthday: August 1st
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Reiryoku Colour: Blue

II. Gotei XIII Information

Division: 7th Division
Seat: Unseated

III. Appearance
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 198 lbs.
Hair: His hair is a dark mahogany brown. His hair is left relatively long in comparison to the style worn by most men. The brown waves of his hair are done in a sort of stylized mess. It’s the kind of bed head that looks as if it was done on purpose with some sort of gel, although Kouhei manages his without such products. Long bangs frame his face on either side. The hair is maintained and kept from going too long, always cut right before the nape of his neck.
Eyes: Violet
Tattoo/scars:
General Appearance: Kouhei is a tall man, standing at 6’2”, with a reasonably built body. For as far back as Kouhei can remember he has received warrior training in order to sculpt his body into the fighting machine that it is today. His muscles are not bulky, but tight and wiry. Training has given him muscles that would not be found on a bodybuilder, but rather a gymnast or track star. His body isn’t built so much for strength, it is truly built for stamina and speed and such is evident in the way he carries himself and how his muscles strain while he moves.

Perhaps Kouhei has been lucky, but the shinigami has managed to get through most of his career without being wounded so badly that he was left thoroughly scarred. Kouhei has really no other distinguishing marks or accessories that would set him out from the rest in his Division.

Kouhei does not stray much from the traditional garb of the shinigami. Since he has yet to reach captain status there is little that distinguishes him from the rest of his squad. His Shihakusho is of the traditional appearance. Kouhei wears the required white shitagi, black kosode, and black hakama. His hakama-himo does not match the regulated standard being lavender instead of the more traditional white. His servants also make sure that his clothes are all neatly pressed and without blemish when he goes out for the day. This shinigami has strayed from the normal garb of the shinigami in some key ways in order to make the outfit more his own. For starters he does not wear the tabi and waraji found on most shinigami. Kouhei prefers his tabi to be done in black. The lieutenant also wears a single musical note around his neck on a necklace. As well as a set of headphones attached to an mp3 clipped to his shitagi. The mp3 was designed by the Twelfth division based on the modern Earth version and works both on Earth and in Soul Society allowing Kouhei to listen to the latest music wherever he goes.

The faux bodies he uses when entering the human world generally wear comfortable clothing. Green and red are frequent color choices for his outfits and he really only sways from that when wearing blue jeans. For the most part though he particularly enjoys wearing hoodies or ratty t-shirts of bands he has listened to over the years. Shorts are also a common occurrence and are worn even when they are out of place, such as in winter. The total outfit fits well when he accompanies it with sneakers and a backwards hat. Another staple form of headwear that he prefers is the beanie which he wears firmly over his untamed hair. In his gigai Kouhei also fancies accessories. On his right earlobe is a piercing of a musical note. It is a stud and does not dangle from his ear. However, it is still very noticeable. Kouhei also prefers to wear expensive sunglasses. His favorites are top of the line HUD sunglasses. On the outside they just look like regular glasses coming in various styles from aviators to slim and sleek cubed lenses. However, the glasses have using digital imagery can creating images out of pixels that are both easy to see through for the wearer and easily visible by everyone else. Kouhei’s favorite images are that of the shinigami symbol placed on badges for temporary shinigami and the letters S.S. One look and it is clear that style isn’t exactly his strong point because even though he appears thirty he dresses as if he is in his teens.


IV. Personality

Personality: Kouhei’s personality revolves around a strict sense of duty. Since the day he was born he has had responsibilities hefted upon his shoulders. Outside of being a shinigami he has the responsibilities of being the next heir of the Akiyama family, a job that he has been groomed for since birth. On duty he has all the responsibilities of a shinigami. However, Kouhei does not begrudge his responsibilities, but rather embraces them with a sort of determined pride. He likes that others need to depend on him, that his family depends on him, it makes him stronger. There is no telling what sort of person Kouhei would have become if it weren’t for his responsibilities pushing him to become the amazing person he is today. His duty makes him the most hardworking person in the room and to those who earn it, one of the most loyal friends someone can have. His honor which springs from his sense of duty makes him honest and fair. The levels he pushes himself to attain to be worthy of his duty make him a pillar of strength to lean upon for those around him.

However, Kouhei is more than just his sense of duty and his other characteristics have helped to round out the person he is. Of all the traits tied to Kouhei calm is perhaps the first that comes to everyone’s mind. Kouhei is calm at all times. Kouhei is calm in times of great jubilation, calm in times of great chaos, and calm in times of great sorrow. To some his calm can seem unnerving, but for those who fight beside him it is almost therapeutic. After all, when things are at their worst they can take heart in that Kouhei is calm and assessing the situation with a cool head to lead them out of this alive. Kouhei’s cool head allows him to avoid the pitfalls of being emotional in battle and assess any situation with a level head. He may not be a genius like some of the shinigami who work in the Twelfth Division, but his cool approach allows him to see a multitude of possibilities that more than make up for any lack of prodigy level intelligence. His calm demeanor takes on a sort of content attitude. To the rest of the world it looks as if he always has a lazy smile on his face no matter the situation.

Lastly Kouhei is extraordinarily compassionate. He treats everyone and anyone as if they were much more to him then they probably are. It is what allowed a member of a Greater Noble Family to connect with the citizens of the Rukongai despite the initial doubts of so many. He may kill a hollow because it is his duty, but it the compassion to set their souls free that truly drives his blade. Not all beings are perfect though and Kouhei is no different. He has one very peculiar quirk that sets him apart from his compatriots. For whatever reason Kouhei has a very big sweet tooth, it is rare to see him without some sort of candy. In fact his need for sweets goes so far that he will take a moment to enjoy a chocolate or a lollipop even if a situation called for a more serious approach such as a battle or meeting with the Captain.
Likes:

• Training: It was the staple of his youth and it is still a staple in his every day routine. Training is a duty and a privilege for Kouhei. It is something he does because he knows he still has so much more to do. If he can even become an ounce stronger than training has been worth the effort. To him every bead of sweat that drops from his brow is a tear that will not have to fall from someone he wishes to protect. This sort of enthusiasm keeps him motivated even when dedicating himself to a daily routine that might bore and exhaust others.
  
• Working to keep those in the Rukongai safe: For Kouhei this isn't simply a job because he is a member of the 7th Division or because he is the heir to the Akiyama household. He honestly believes in the people of the Rukongai and wishes to see them all live peacefully and happily. Every day he does whatever he can to ensure that civilians living in the Rukongai are content. Whether that is helping to reunite new spirits with loved ones or protecting others from bullies he will do whatever he can.
  
• Spending time honoring his family: Much of what Kouhei does is to ensure the honor is upheld with his family. He is perhaps his most harsh critic and it will not be until he has proven to himself that he is worthy that he will ever consider himself the heir to the Akiyama household.
  
• Listening to the latest music: Music was something that wasn't introduced to him until his first venture into the human world. Since then it has become one of his greatest hobbies. So much so that he has managed to fashion an MP3 with the help of the Twelfth Division.
  
• CANDY!: Kouhei has an unhealthy obsession with candy. No one knows how it came to be, but Kouhei absolutely adores candy. There are very few instances where Kouhei can be seen without some sort of sweet treat on his persons.

Dislikes:

• The harming of innocents: The role of the Shinigami may be to purify hollow and ascend Pluses still trapped on earth, but for Kouhei its primary objective is to protect the innocent. What could is their power if they cannot protect those who cannot protect themselves. Therefore he disdains seeing innocent people injured.
  
• Dishonoring Soul Society: As someone who prides himself on being honorable nothing infuriates him faster than dishonoring Soul Society. It is a place for the Plus to be given a second chance, a path of redemption for ex-hollows, and a great training grounds for future Shinigami. Nothing could be more honorable than Soul Society.
  
• Hollows: Kouhei views them as a perversion of the once innocent plus that they used to be. Whatever creature has taken residence within the spirit is no longer human in any sense of the word and their purification must be done swiftly.
  
• Others assuming he is a snob because of his lineage: Much judgment has been passed over the years due to his heritage. Unfortunately, for someone such as he it seems impossible to change these attitudes with simple words. Still like any normal person Kouhei resents being judged without first being given the chance to make an impression.

Motivations:

• Legacy: As the next heir of the Akiyama Clan, Kouhei has yet to obtain his birthright and in the eyes of many yet to even begin to earn it. However, Kouhei seeks to be more than just a competent head of this prestigious family. Kouhei wishes not only to lead his family with the strength and honor that it has been accustomed to, but to also expand on that. Truly great heads of the family have gone down in both Soul Society history and in the personal history of the family. Kouhei wishes to show those of his family and interested parties outside of the Akiyama that he will be the next head not because of his birth, but because he is the only man worthy of the position. He will fashion himself into a man worthy of the family name and then mold his family into a force worthy of leading Soul Society into the future.
  
  
• A New Era: Kouhei is still an unseated shinigami, one who has only just joined the divisions of the Gotei. However, he has loftier goals than just taking head of his family. Kouhei believes that the future of Soul Society will be a uncertain things while enemies no doubt amass outside the gates. Lives that he will never know of are irrevocably altered with every moment based on the decisions on people who outrank he. Kouhei understands completely that those in charge must toe the line when it comes to the demands of Central 46 and even beyond that there is a power greater. However, it does not make his job any less important or necessary for all. Kouhei wishes to grow in the rank of the Gotei and expand their protection and concerns outside the walls of Seireitei. Those humans with gifts that allow them to combat the hollow are no different from the pluses that live in the Rukongai. There are souls and humans who undoubtedly mistrust the shinigami. Although certain priorities will always be in effect Kouhei hopes to bridge the gap that divides them all. Kouhei does not just want to bring a new prosperous era to Seireitei, but also to the Rukongai, and to the human world. Kouhei wishes to set a new tone for every shinigami who comes after him.

Fears:

• Letting Down His Family: There is a lot of pressure on someone who is the head of the Akiyama family. He fears that his actions will in some way besmirch the honor of the Akiyama family. The family is the oldest and most honored among the royal families and Kouhei does fear that one day he will make a mistake that shall tear down all those years of standing and honor. Given his two positions there are many responsibilities hefted on his shoulders. He does not want to see either job suffer nor would he ever wish to make a choice between the two. Even if he already has the answer to that question in his mind it would hurt him all the same to make it.
  
  
• Hollowfication: Having seen some spirits become hollows and having heard very feint rumors of shinigami becoming hollows, Kouhei fears the fate happening to him. Although the shinigami is not afraid to die he does not wish to come back that way. It is perhaps his greatest fear that something along those lines will happen to him causing him to turn against friends and family in the mindless pursuit of his next meal.

V. Zanpakutō Spirit Information

Zanpakutō First Name: Banshii (Translation: Banshee)
Zanpakutō Last Name: N/A
Zanpakutō Element: N/A
Zanpakutō Type: Kido
Zanpakutō Personality: Unlike Kouhei, Banshii is very shy and quiet by nature. Because of the power of her vocal cords she prefers to communicate through body language. Her fragile body is also reflected in her movements. Every action is carefully done as if a wrong move could break a bone or pull a muscle. Occasionally she will also wheeze and cough as if simply existing was painful to her. However, Banshii is very protective of Kouhei. She sees herself as an almost motherly figure to him, much like the protective nature of some to certain families in folklore. Therefore, when she feels that Kouhei’s life is in danger she will break away from her shy shell and speak freely. Even her nature drastically changes as she comes to life with renewed energy pouring it forth into his weapon. As far as Kouhei is concerned Banshii is a very important partner to him and he values having her. There are still some secrets left within Banshii’s mind to unravel, but that is for another time.

Zanpakutō Appearance:

As the name indicates Banshii takes the form of the creature of Irish folklore. Her frail body is easily hidden under long white robes. Her skin is as pale and white as the very clothes she wears and seems to glow within the outfit. When Kouhei had first encountered her she had also worn a white hood, masking her features from him. Underneath the hood is a sickly looking woman with long white hair wearing a white dress that matches the rest of her form. Her eyes are a blood red and are a startling contrast from the rest of her appearance. She wears no shoes and her feet seem dirty from endlessly marching within the marsh even though her feet seem to levitate inches above the bog at all times. Her fingernails are cracked and worn as if she had been working with them all her life. Although young in appearance her possible beauty is marred by her sickly nature. The woman seems as if she could keel over at any minute.

VI. Inner world

Inner World Appearance:

Kouhei’s inner world is a combination of both Kouhei and Banshii. The world sets on a large Irish bog that goes almost as far as the eye can see in every direction. Just on the horizon one can make out the ocean and some cliffs. There are no trees here, the vegetation solely being the peat which sinks underneath one’s feet and threatens to soak their soles into the swamp water below. The sky is the clearest blue Kouhei has ever seen and its lighter shade serves as a beautiful contrast to the darker waters off the horizon.


Within the bog are various creatures moving about without a care in the world. Animals like frogs, snakes, and many various insects all mill about the bog at all times completely oblivious of Banshii and Kouhei when he enters his Inner World. The other startling feature of this world is the total lack of sound. Kouhei’s love of animals has probably contributed to the world’s population. However, there is no mistaking the complete silence for a trait brought on by the Banshii. Her shyness and own pension for silence has spread to the rest of Kouhei’s Inner world. Therefore, while inside it Kouhei cannot hear the waves crashing, the insects flying, or even the occasional breeze as it slaps against the peat. This quiet makes the Banshii’s voice all the more powerful and more difficult to handle when he first learning to speak with his spirit.

At times during the life of any long lived shinigami one might enter their inner world during a time of turmoil. When one is going through stress, doubt, and fear it affects their inner world greatly. When Kouhei is going through such a turbulent time his inner world is no different. In fact that whole world is flipped upside down. Kouhei would enter his world like he normally does, but instead of standing safely on the peat he immediately falls forward sinking into the murky swamp below. Kouhei will then be standing on where the water meets the surface with his body unable to breach the liquid barrier into the open air now below him. When looking down he can see the peat, the open sky, and even the animals that are unable to breach the water in this altered state of the inner world. Everything and everyone on the surface side of the inner world moves and goes on as they always did, completely unaffected by the chaos. Only Kouhei remains trapped within the water, above him now a vast and empty water too dark to see more than a few inches before his face and much deeper then physically possible. Given the Inner World’s reality in Kouhei’s mind not only does being trapped in the water provide a very real possibility of drowning, but Banshii’s wail is exponentially amplified by the body of water they are present in. Banshii also seems unaffected and does not drown or even have her speech hindered by being submerged.

VII. Zanpakutō Sealed form

Zanpakutō Appearance: In its sealed state his zanpakutou is unique in appearance almost as if even from its very creation it knew that it would need to represent a powerful family. The blade length is average for a katana, roughly 70 cm long. The blade itself is elegant in design the metal having seemingly been folded over and over again for maximum cutting potential. It is clear that even in its sealed state the blade is a dangerous weapon. The blade itself has also been altered so that the hamon, the wavy line along the edge of the weapon signifying its sharpness, has a unique design to it. The hamon is in the shape of a traditional Japanese dragon its body having no wings just a snake like form that that slithers along his blade. At the tip of the blade the mouth of the dragon closes over a unique flower, the symbol of the Akiyama Clan.

The rest of his zanpakutou although not as intricate as the blade itself is just as ornately done. The guard being a small flower shaped disc with four small diamonds cut into the disc made of gold. The hilt is done in bronze colored silk with a gold piece at the end. In fact some of the silk is indeed bronze having been refined down to just wiring and woven into the strands themselves. The bronze silk is woven around the hilt to expose the gold as small diamonds, mimicking the guard. The sheath matches the hilt by taking on a bronze color and has been made out of wood. Although the wood has never been tested it is believed that the wood would match some of the rare and very old trees found on the Akiyama Compound. The final piece to Kouhei’s sealed zanpakutou and perhaps the most unorthodox piece, that is of a small flute tethered to the end of the hilt by a small chain of rings. Its relevance to Kouhei would not be discovered until he had unlocked Shikai and further Bankai.

VIII. History

History: The Early Years

Unlike most souls who come to Soul Society Kouhei did not die and come to Soul Society as a Plus. Kouhei is someone born of Soul Society, a member of a Greater Family. Born into the Akiyama household Kouhei’s early years in Soul Society differed greatly then most Souls who were forced to learn to live new lives in the Rukongai. Unlike most children who find their way to the Rukongai Kouhei was raised by his actual birth parents. With two loving parents to watch over him from the moment of his birth he was gifted with gentle early years in Soul Society. The first of three children, two would follow his own birth in the years to come, Kouhei was given the best of everything. From a very young age it was instilled in him the responsibilities that he would be forced to undertake in the future. As the eldest family member it would be his duty to ascend as the leader of the Akiyama family when his grandfather passed the mantle on to him. Traditionally his father would have taken the role, but when it was established that Kouhei was blessed with reiatsu and his father was not the honor passed down to grandchild.

Kouhei’s childhood is one of privilege and hard work. As he grew older he might not have under gone the same hardships of orphans in the Rukongai, but he did earn all that was given to him. Kouhei was given the best instructors in Soul Society, the best tutors, the best training, the best equipment. However, for every boon he received he was expected to repay these gifts by utilizing them to their upmost capacity. Hours were spent ensuring that his training was not being wasted, that his knowledge of Seireitei was astounding, and that the equipment he was given was used so frequently that they had to be changed out consistently or risk being worn out and broken from overuse. He was given more than most in the Rukongai could ever dream of, but he never once took it for granted and under the Akiyama guidance he was sculpted into a great warrior.


It is unfair to say that his youth completely revolved around duty and training. Although much of his time was spent expanding his mind, body, and spirit it would make him a poor family head if he did not live up to their beliefs. The Akiyama family who had helped build the Rukongai had tried to maintain a strong relationship with their less fortunate counterparts and Kouhei was made sure to understand this at a young age. Although for fear of the dangers outside the family’s walls Kouhei was kept cloistered for much his youth he still managed to experience friendship and good times with other children around his age. Particularly the children of servants who worked for the family were allowed to come visit their parents during the work day and play with young Kouhei. Although there were some in the family who openly protested to this intermingling in the end Kouhei’s grandfather, the head of the Akiyama family, allowed the children to play together. It was through these children that Kouhei gained his sense of compassion. Had it not been for these friends he made he might have come to despise the Rukongai and think its denizens were beneath him.

Academy Days

153 years after being born into the Akiyama family he was finally deemed worthy to enter the Academy and begin his official training as a shinigami. There were some in the family that felt he could have been better with a few years longer in the care of tutors to all, but insure that he would enter the Academy with all the knowledge the school could ever hope to offer any way. However, those in a position to make the decisions felt it was necessary that some lessons needed to be learned on Academy grounds so that Kouhei could build a healthy relationship with the shinigami he would be fighting alongside in the years to come. Kouhei who had felt he was ready for some time now was all too eager to agree with those backing him and signed up for the entrance exams on the very same day that they gave him permission to seek entry into the Academy.

Given his extraordinary training as a youth it was not surprising that Kouhei was immediately accepted into the Academy and placed into one of the higher ranked classes. Even had he not shown amazing capabilities in the entrance exams his connections to his family would have no doubt pushed for an immediate acceptance. Kouhei’s foray into the Academy was the first time he learned just how naïve he truly was. Much of his interactions with the outside world had been through children, innocent in their designs for Kouhei. However, out in the real world he finally dealt with adults who did not always approach Kouhei with the same innocent reasons the children had. It was during his time in the Academy that he learned not all people were who they pretended to be. The future shinigami would also learn here that the Akiyama name held much weight and there would be those who would befriend him just to attach themselves to that weight. Kouhei experienced a wide array of people who treated him differently because of his family. He encountered both teachers who despised him and those who attempted to suck up to him. Even Kouhei’s fellow students had ulterior motives at times. The first year was rough for Kouhei being forced to adapt and learn to deal with these kinds of people, but in time Kouhei learned to spot them and separate his friends from the pretenders.

After that first year Kouhei began to truly find his groove in the Academy. He held excellent marks in both Kinjutsu and Kido Arts, but what he truly excelled at was spiritual training. He held high scores in the other two classes, but it was in his spiritual training that he truly became the top of his class. Although it wouldn’t be until after he was officially assigned a division that he would discover the name of his zanpakuto it became very clear early on that held a close bond with his zanpakuto. To his instructors it was obvious that only one last hurdle was keeping him from discovering his blade’s name, but once that last hurdle was accomplished Kouhei would go on to create a very strong bond with his zanpakuto. Perhaps a connection that would not be possible by any ordinary shinigami.

7th Division

Kouhei would be a student of the Academy for just 4 years before he would be deemed worthy of graduating. The graduation ceremony was no different than any other and despite having fairly good grades Kouhei was not head of his class or anything. However, upon his graduation he was immediately inducted into the 7th Division. At the time there was some speculation on just why Kouhei was inducted to that division. Given his grades and his all-around skills it wouldn’t have been strange to find a home in any of the divisions. Kouhei to this day simply believes it was a matter of fate, but there are those who are more cynical then he who believe the Akiyama family pulled some strings to ensure that their heir would find his way to the division that would oversee the care of the Rukongai. The Akiyama family has yet to come out and deny these claims and given their more mysterious nature at times there is no telling if they will ever confirm or deny them.

Life in the 7th Division took some getting used to for Kouhei. He had already experienced dealing with others in the Academy, but this was different. Not only was he dealing with comrades, he would be fighting next to in life or death situations, but he was also dealing with citizens of the Rukongai. In the Rukongai he met poor citizens who hated him for his standing in Soul Society while he met others who seemed to look up to him as some sort of great protector. For those who looked up to him it became a great motivator to live up to those expectations and for those who despised him he felt himself moved to try and change their minds. These people were not like the students at the Academy. Those citizens who showed anger only lashed out because their own lives deserved better than the lot they had been given. Kouhei had always been taught that the people of the Rukongai needed the help of the Akiyama, but it wasn’t until his first patrol out into the Rukongai that the shinigami truly understood what his family had meant. From that point on Kouhei put the Rukongai before much in his life striving to help bring some of the poorer districts out of poverty and always on the lookout for someone needing a helping hand.

IX. Other

RP sample:
Possible Scenario Where in Banshii’s name is revealed:
Kouhei’s body shivered part in anticipation and part in fear. Today he and a small squad of recruits alongside their lieutenant would enter the human world on a mission to eradicate a very virile hollow. Kouhei had visited the human world before back when he was in the academy, but since being assigned a division he had yet to receive a mission that required such. Kouhei wasn’t exactly sure why they had hesitated this long; others who had been assigned at the same time had gone before him. Perhaps it was because Kouhei had yet to learn the name of his zanpakutou. As an Akiyama so much was expected of him. Some within the division even believed that he had already achieved Shikai and was just selfishly keeping it a secret until the best possible moment to release it and look good. It was a petty thought and Kouhei did his best to wipe such thoughts from his mind as he prepared himself for the task at hand.

His lieutenant waited for the recruits to quiet down and when they seemed ready he thrust his blade forward opening the senkaimon. The trip into the human world was uneventful with jigokucho easily leading them to the destination they had planned on arriving at. Kouhei held on to the hilt of his blade cautiously as he stepped onto yellow grass, which wilt and crumbled underneath his feet. The group had arrived deep within a forest, but visibility was not an issue here. The trees surrounding them for as far as the eye could see were white as ash and held no life. There was no doubt that the hollow had been here, his presence had corrupted this place and sucked the life out of it. The group would spend a moment to gather themselves and then set out at once. Their lieutenant would use a device to help them track and kill the creature.

By the time they realized they didn’t need the tracker it was too late. The hollow’s scream was as terrifying as the reaitsu behind it. He appeared in the midst of them a great black monster with a white mask and a hole in the center of its chest. Its mask was like a bad joke on the sun, its shape certainly similar, but its paleness matching the moon above them in the night sky. Two of his comrades were not fast enough to escape the hollow’s first assault. One smashed against a nearby tree as the other shinigami fell underneath a giant webbed foot. The remaining four recruits, Kouhei, and their lieutenant fanned out around the hollow. The lieutenant yelled orders to them, but in all the excitement Kouhei simply could not register them. He had gone deaf to the world and moved as if he were in slow motion while the rest of the world continued on without him.

Kouhei could do nothing as two more recruits fell suddenly before his eyes. It was an ambush! Two more hollows had joined the previous, each dispatching a shinigami as they arrived. There were just three of them left and with Kouhei in his current condition it might as well have been just two. It seemed that the lieutenant now saw that fear struck Kouhei down because he no longer barked orders at him. Instead he called his blade forth and rushed ahead. He moved with the sort of determination Kouhei could not believe was possible given the circumstances. Despite the odds, despite the danger, he leaped forward dispatching a hollow even as one moved in from behind and caught him unaware. He flew across the ground arising slowly, injured. As the hollow moved in with the finishing blow the last recruit moved in narrowly deflecting the strike with his zanpakutou. How? The lieutenant was one thing, but he was just a recruit like Kouhei? How could he not be struck down with fear also?

Kouhei still could do nothing; he could barely breathe at the moment. Yet the recruit’s valiant actions allowed the lieutenant to move in. He jumped forward using the recruit’s shoulder as a stepping stone to soar high enough to slash the beast across his mask and dispatch him. They had won! They had done something incredible while Kouhei stood frozen, a coward. The lieutenant smiled proudly at the other recruit while that man leaped up and down excited over his accomplishment. Then there was blood. They had all forgotten about the original hollow. The creature had used the commotion to step back into Hueco Mundo and had now appeared as their guards were down. The lieutenant fell first, blood pouring from a wound along his chest. The recruit was not instantly dropped, but instead was snatched by the hollow. The man’s body quivered under the strength of the hollow threatening to give out at any moment.

Kouhei was visibly shaking now. His eyes and the recruit’s met in this horrible moment that Kouhei could not bear. Kouhei then moved for the first time whispering, “Help me…” Suddenly Kouhei was no longer standing within a dying forest, but now inside his Inner World. He had visited only twice before and only in his dreams. His feet stood atop the swamp water, not sinking into its murky depths. The woman in white stood before him, as she had before. Her hood disguised her appearance and once more she said nothing, did nothing. His zanpakutou’s spirit simply stood there, waiting. The past times Kouhei had let her be silent, waited for her to be ready to speak. However, that was no longer an option. He walked closer to her speaking in a voice that boomed in the silent world, “Please you must help me. My friends are dying. Please, give me your name.” Still the woman said nothing, did nothing. Kouhei took another step forward and asked again, “Please, your name.” Once more she was a statue to him. Kouhei could no longer take it; he refused to let fear stop him. Fear of the hollow, fear of disappointing his family, fear of whatever the hell this zanpakutou spirit might do if he didn’t play Mr. Nice Guy with her. He yelled at the top of his lungs, “God damn it give me your name!!!”

With whatever was holding him back now gone his call was answered. The woman threw back her hood revealing a frail female with white hair. Tears were falling from her face though Kouhei could not tell if it was tears of joy or sorrow. Without hesitation she opened her mouth to speak; only a name didn’t come out. Kouhei fell to his knees his ears already beginning to bleed. The woman was screaming, no she was wailing. It was a horrible sound one that could pierce the heavens and made the hollow’s seem like a baby’s tantrum. Kouhei could do nothing, but cover his ears and scream in hellish pain against the noise. The pitch was so terrible in this silent world and not even his own voice was audible underneath its weight. Kouhei closed his eyes expecting the end when he heard it… The faintest sound, but he could have sworn it was something besides the terrible wailing. He focused with all his might, pushed every ounce of pain down, and there it was, “Banshii”.

Kouhei was now in the real world once more, not a second had passed. He moved without thinking, on instinct. His hand ran freely against his blade as he shouted aloud, “Kanashimi ni Nakisakebu, Banshii! (Translation: Wail in Sorrow Banshee!)” A scream ripped out of the blade attracting the hollow’s attention long enough for the recruit to wiggle out of his grip and fall badly wounded to the ground. Kouhei charged forth his Shikai glinting in the moonlight, the two prongs humming with the desire to kill the hollow. The beast reached forward with its left claw and was met by Banshii her shriek spilling forth as blade met skin and caused the prongs to vibrate. Kouhei pressed forward causing another shriek and another shriek, as he assaulted the hollow with a rage he did not know he had pent up till this moment. Finally a collision against its forearm caused the hollow to hesitate, to stutter in pain. Kouhei took the advantage his blade coming down across its mask, cracking it underneath its weight. Kouhei used the downward slashes’ momentum which was halted by the hollow’s mask to flip forward above the hollow’s neck. He positioned the blade downward and let go of the hilt. Kicking both his feet downward they collided with the bottom of the prongs sending him and the sword down hard against the hollow’s neck severing from its body under the sharp edges within the inside of the prongs themselves.

As the hollow dispersed Banshii returned to its sealed state. Kouhei looked up at the devastation his fear had helped reap. None were dead, but all were on the brink. Kouhei called for immediate help as he raced against the clock to keep the others alive long enough for aid to arrive. The hollow were dead, but this mission was far from successful and Kouhei had certainly failed. Perhaps in time his comrades would forgive his cowardice. For however long it took them it would certainly take him longer still to forgive himself. This would never happen again, he promised himself that.

Face claim: Akiyama Kouhei Zanpakuto Leader Commission

Family Information:

Reiryoku Colour: Lavender

This should be blue. You can buy a colour change from Mayuri's shop in the future as a cosmetic change.

Likes and dislikes need to be 100 words each, sir.

Changes made.