Hikaru Maebure

Hikaru Daikōki Maebure (前触れ輝大弘毅, "Great Noble Harbinger of Light") is an Exalted Ashin, originally an ancient Sōzōshin, and a Sorcerer of the Coven.

He is also known as "The Black Sun" (黒陽, Kurohi).

Appearance
Hikaru is a very tall man outwardly in his early 40s. As a result of his strenuous training, he is lean and possesses an excellently toned physique. His overall stature is very proportional and imposing, a testament of his ancient Sōzōshin heritage. However, this noble visage reveals innate malice upon closer inspection, with an elusive firmness of features that is more intimidating than dignified.

His jet black hair with prominent grey highlights is long, styled in a ponytail. The irides of his eyes are intense, sometimes gleaming scarlet in colour, and his pupils are somewhat slit-like in shape. Embedded in pitch black sclerae they evoke the image of lone stars suspended within an endless darkness. He has got a medium complexion. In general, the features of his face are handsome, but solemn and sharp, with prominent high cheekbones and an aquiline nose. Markedly, there are two long scars intersecting his countenance that cross in an almost perpendicular manner just below his right eye. The horizontal one terminates below the left eye, whereas the vertical one reaches all the way down to the right side of his lips and up to his superciliary ridge, splitting the eyebrow.

Usually, he dons an ornate, trailing kimono not unlike an elegant variant of the modern Shinigami Shihakushō. Nevertheless, the colour scheme is notably inverted, with white ' and ' but black ' and '. In addition, he wears standard . The hems of his robes are adorned with black lines that contain elaborate sun motifs. Last, but not least, there is a prominent black crest displayed on his back, the symbol of his late family.

Personality
First and foremost, Hikaru is an aristocrat. As the last remaining member of an ancient noble Sōzōshin family, he frequently behaves with an air of solemnity and pride that could be expected from a person of such high position. Eloquent and august, his disposition is more like that of a character from a play rather than an actual person. A notable property that ties in with the less aristocratic aspects of his personality. Incredibly arrogant, with a penchant for histrionics and snide remarks, he is rather abrasive to interact with in spite of his ostensible politeness. Aside from the illustrious Shijin, whom he regards with genuine respect, there are few if any individuals that are safe from his scathing comments and general condescension in attitude. Even his peers or supposed superiors display flaws to be mocked ruthlessly depending on his mood.

Moreover, he is a remarkably devious and cunning person skilfull at subtle manipulation. He readily exploits others to further his own agendas, whether they are the enemy, a neutral party or even an alleged ally. He is extraordinarily driven an an ambitious man no doubt, master of the long game. Sure enough, he shares the beliefs and vision of the Coven. Like any other mage that is a full-fledged member of this enigmatic, powerful organisation, he intends to assert magical dominance over the whole world. Cults, agents, assassins, everyone might play a role in furthering this plan. An intricate plan not of his own making yet one he is deeply involved in. So deeply, in fact, that sometimes he considers it to be his own. After all, he is so close to the top of the hierarchy that the peak seems to be well within his reach, should he dare to extend his arm toward it...

Nevertheless, Hikaru is also a warrior. Never destined to fulfil the role of a diplomat or handle political matters owing to his belligerent nature, he prefers actions over words. In his own, part callous, part disdainful way he enjoys the thrill of combat. The ability to devise and deploy complex plans that entangle the enemy within a web of distinct possibilites they are unable to analyse or even perceive in time to escape with their lives. The ability to exert his awesome power, unleash the semi-divine might that he wields in force to eradicate any and all opposition. He torments the enemy with an occasional sneer or snicker, patronising remarks and effortlessness with which he thwarts their plans and crushes their techniques, time and again. Malicious and scornful, he is also the master of a backhanded compliment.

Another aspect that partly defines his personality is his heritage as a Sōzōshin. In a way, he might be considered a fallen angel. Once a veritable hero, a Balancer of Souls with profound understanding of harmony and balance. Now, disillusioned, jaded, yet still determined to fulfil his duty as a guardian destined to shape the world suitable for the puny mortals. In a way, that is. For while the essence of his purpose does not change his approach has gradually veered toward the extreme, necessary evil and radical solutions included. To him, the world is deeply flawed, splintered, chock-full of unpredictable, uncontrollable phenomena that cause significant danger. The alleged guardians of balance, the Shinigami, incompetent, passive fools that struggle to keep a sinking ship afloat by pouring out the water with buckets - instead of fixing the ship. Hikaru is still a noble Sōzōshin at heart, one that shall not stop in his quest to fix the world no matter the cost. Preferably, with himself at the ship's helm.

Notably, he has a penchant for varios kinds of "countdowns" during combat. Hikaru habitually progresses through meticulously calculated increments of power in a very orderly, gradual manner instead of obliterating his opponents with a single spell. Another prominent quirk of his is the tendency to make one-word qualitative remarks, such as exclaiming "magnificent" or "splendid" whenever something goes well, or saying "intriguing" when something piques his curiosity. As a result of his age, he habitually refers to others as "children" or derivatives thereof which, given that few entities still in existence are older than him, happens rather frequently.

History
For the better part of the last few millennia Hikaru has been patiently implementing a complex, multi-stage plan that aligns mostly - yet not exactly - with that of the Coven's as a whole. Ascending to the status of a demigod of outstanding combat prowess, obtaining a powerful artefact, establishing a network of agents across the realms to the point of recruting the Kidō Corps to the Coven's, or his, cause, all important steps in preparation for the final act.

Equipment
Asauchi (浅打, "Shallow Hit"): After about six thousand years of extensive usage Hikaru has ultimately outgrown the need for a Zanpakutō and melded with the spirit that used to dwell within. Thus, he has been left with an empty sword, an asauchi, that he continues to wield for several reasons. The sword remains his sole possession after he lost everything dear to him long ago, serves as a keepsake and a memoir of his most trusted companion. Ever the swordsmanship enthusiast, he also enjoys wielding the sword in battle, still capable of clashing with full-fledged Zanpakutō and other spiritual weapons. But there is a pragmatic cause for this as well. For with the profound power of Gainendō, Maebure is capable of exploiting the malleable template in his hands and bestow the sword with conceptual abilities as he temporarily creates, and chooses between, a selection of mock-Shikai. By default, the asauchi appears as a  with an octagonal tsuba and an ivory hilt, with a tassel of the same colour attached to the pommel. Nevertheless, it might adopt an altered form when empowered with Gainendō.
 * Mugen Senzai (無限潜在, "Limitless Potential"): It is said that asauchi are in fact the ultimate Zanpakutō, because they have the potential to become anything. While no separate spirit occupies Hikaru's sword anymore, it remains a spiritual weapon bonded with him. A blank canvas. And with the ability to tap into whatever concept he wishes, Maebure may temporarily imprint the weapon with any single special ability he wishes. The chikarago of Gainendō serves as the release command that shall dictate the function of the fake Shikai from that point onward. In consequence, the asauchi can be wreathed in torrential flames, turned into solid ice or energised with crackling electricity, cast potent gusts of wind or waves of pressurised water with every swing, among many, many others. For all intents and purposes, the asauchi does become a Shikai for a period of time, and one with the power of a conceptual ability at that. The sword might be used to either channel said ability directly, or to cast empowered spells of the matching category. Needless to say, in spite of not achieving the magnitude of a Bankai this is an extremely powerful weapon owing to its astounding versatility. Whatever effect he wishes to achieve or an enemy weakness to exploit, Hikaru is capable of moulding the weapon accordingly to assist him. Nevertheless, while the asauchi does boast the potential to become anything, it can be any single thing at a time only, and to change the state is to cleanse the former and impart another concept later on.

Kinpaku Yoroi (金箔鎧, "Gilded "): An ornate set of light plate armour in Hikaru's possession ever since his days as a valiant Balancer of Souls. Forged from the same metal that Asauchi are made of, tempered with the heat of the Sun and enchanted with arcane wards, Kinpaku Yoroi is a magnificent artefact truly appropriate for the warrior mage. The set offers full body protection without hindering his movements, complete with a helmet that resembles a diadem. Ivory in colour, it boasts a distinct golden sheen and ebony black rims. Upon closer inspection the brims are revealed to be an intricate arrangement of magical runes. In addition, the set of armour comes with a white cape adorned with the black crest of Maebure's family. Masterfully crafted as well as reinforced with potent magic Kinpaku Yoroi offers not only considerable protection but also a minor enhancement of combat performance, channeling Hikaru's energies in a manner similar to an actual Asauchi. As such, it provides a reasonable stand-in for Chūseishisei when he wishes to participate actively in combat, or another layer of defence when he deploys the ward and focuses upon the employment of Kidō. Not seen donning the armour in recent memory, the set remains on display within his private chambers. Waiting until the time comes to participate in another pivotal battle.

 (王印, "King's Seal"): The Ōin is a potent artefact which belongs to the Royal Family. This arcane device grants masterful dimensional control to the being who wields it, provided the entity has cut it with power at least equal to a Bankai. Once those requirements are met, the wielder may employ the artefact to manipulate space, teleport and locally control time. Thought lost in the turmoil surrounding the momentous events of the, the artefact has been collected in secret by Hikaru himself. The item remains stored safely in an enchanted box hidden within his personal chambers. One can scarcely imagine what a being of his power and, more importantly, ambitions might achieve with such a potent device at his disposal. Only time can tell.

Trivia

 * According to his creator, Hikaru would be voiced by, the Japanese voice actor of the Arrancar . In English, he would be voiced by , the voice actor of from .
 * His battle theme is Blue Gender OST - Tactics.
 * In Japanese, he would refer to himself with 私 (watakushi) pronoun, which is a sophisticated and polite, but also old-fashioned word. Normally, he speaks in a very manner, albeit often with sarcastic or condenscending overtones.
 * According to User:Njalm2, Hikaru Maebure's Price Level is 132,800, well within the Yonkō-class.