Akimoto Kazuma

Akimoto Kazuma is a Soul Reaper from the Genseki Project, where he among other selected Soul Reapers are experimented and modified to fulfill their capabilities. His Genseki is an Aquamarine Gemstone. He has Huntington's Disease.

Appearance
He is a rather short boy of average build, donning a traditional Soul Reaper's garb with a white hood underneath. He eyes look always tense and wary. Despite his age, he looks rather young and boyish.

His old outfit outfit had no hood, but a white thin sleeveless coat that draped down as far as his knees. He found the jacket a hassle to replace since it's destruction and no longer plans to wear one.

For his Gigai, he llikes to wear graphic tees that pop out, whether it's bold text, scenic landscapes, or pop art. He'll sport a sleek and slim jacket or parka. Wears a watch and many wristbands. Wears comfy jeans that's easy for him to move around along with running shoes.

Personality
He had some identity crisis in the past where he adopted the personality of his twin brother, Juro Kazuma; however, he doesn't need to act this way anymore. Prior to The Hollowed Blue Arc, Akimoto's personality was like that of Juro's and wore a cheery smile on his face. He was depicted to be optimistic and carefree. He is also naive, where his lack of common sense and ethics got him in the receiving end of Kishoku's frustration. Nevertheless, Akimoto Kazuma still retains these positive characteristics after the Atonement Arc, but now keeps to himself. As of now, Akimoto is more expressive on his passive aggressiveness.

He is notoriously quiet at first and prefers not to talk because he knows how piercing his own opinions and language can be. He is rough and conniving at heart, and is easily irritated. He has no qualms about putting others at the spot, but he totally means well. He can be rather tactless and distant sometimes, but he just wants to share his enthusiasm and passion with everyone he sees. He is easily irritable and isn't against voicing his discomfort--sometimes. He has some difficulty to instantly empathize with other people and beats himself up of failing to understand them in a closer level. In truth, he is still a curious person and can act like a child-adult, especially with flourish and flair as he talks. Not that he won't admit it, but he tries to get closer with others-- in his own way; even if it means doing things to evoke certain reactions much to the chagrin of others.

Due to his poor stamina and illness, Akimoto finds battling to be troublesome, and he has certainly copped out of some fights to let his teammates handle the rest. He is not above overstating the pain of his injuries too, but he has stopped this due to the regret from his past. Before, Akimoto refused to help out a friend in need, using his own illness as an excuse, and he soon regretted his decision. Eventually, he learned to feel compassion and now considered his teammates as his own friends. As if to atone for his past decision, Akimoto feels a certain responsibility to help his friends in anyway that he can.

In battle, his focus increases tremendously as he studies his opponent's movements in order to catch them by surprise. Akimoto is also shown to be rather sadistic in battle, and if an opponent isn't beaten too quickly, he is willing to prolong the fight and cause as much pain to his target as much as possible.

When drunk, Akimoto becomes very bold to the point where he verbosely lets out his inner feelings with hostility and pride.

Background
As an infant, Akimoto had Huntington's Disease (unlike his brother).

Yearning for an outside life instead of being cared for in his house, Akimoto envied his twin brother, Juro, who was well enough to wander outside. Yet, he grew to detest him somewhat when Juro wasn't going about his way to enjoy his own freedom. Eventually, they managed to switch places to give Akimoto some opportunities to wander outside. It was then did he met Ren Iwasaki, who mistook him for Juro. The pair eventually became friends and they played often around District 79.

Some years later, Akimoto developed enough Spiritual Pressure to inhibit his symptoms, and that was when he was able to go outside without any assistance with Juro tagging along. The boys would visit Ren often outside her dangerous district and played together. Eventually, Akimoto and Juro were involved in multiple gambling schemes as they racked scores of money from shady organizations.

That all ended when Akimoto witnessed Ren being abused and tainted in her home in District 80 by the very people he's swindled. Using his condition as an excuse to not rescue her, Akimoto sat by and let it happened with anguish. Knowing this, Ren stayed and waited for the day for Akimoto to come back and earn the right to take back what he failed to do those small years ago.

Years later, Akimoto posed as Juro again in the Soul Reaper academy before begin whisked away towards the 12th Division for experimentation. As a result, an Aquamarine gem (Genseki) was implanted on the nape of his neck. The gem (along with other users) allows him to instantly change into Gigai form without using a Mod Soul. It also allows him to communicate with others across a distance as long as they have a Genseki. However, as an experiment, the gem makes it so that he is closely monitored.

And that was the start of his immense guilt that's been with him throughout his experimentation as a subject of Project Genseki. Akimoto lived his days under intense training and modification along with the burden of regret that he has.

Soon after, Akimoto obtained Odoruningyō, who was fashioned by his guilt and regret. This made its appearance to largely resemble that of Ren's.

Lied Arc
After being released into the open with other fellow Soul Reapers used in the Genseki Project, Akimoto Kazuma meets his fellow teammates for the first time: Kishoku Hyakuhasu, Xavier Shinji, and Kazuki Mitzumi. The rest of the members find themselves into teams and are soon ushered into a room to try out their Soul Reaper uniforms and clothes for gigai.

Nemu briefs them with the Genseki functions. She then relays the each mission to the designated groups. Akimoto and co. then proceed out the Senkaimon and enter Berlin, where they must defeat hollows and perform konso as their first task.

Akimoto and X took on their respective hollows while Kishoku and Kazuki teamed up against a larger one. While sustaining some injuries, Akimoto managed to defeat his hollow, but was poisoned by its noxious gas. Nevertheless, he performed konso on the already fallen souls before lending his assistance to X who was now fighting a hydra-like hollow after defeating his first hollow.

Healing some of his own injuries, Akimoto manages to bind the hollow with Kuyō Shibari before succumbing to the effects of the poison. Feeble and blind, Akimoto left the rest for Xavier (X) to finish off.

After their mission, the group retired to an inn, designated for Soul Reapers, for the night. Realizing that the four of them could not pay the inn keeper their soul reaper currency, Kishoku suggests that they all find part-time jobs in the meantime. Akimoto and Kazuki hit the casino and came back with pockets filled.

Fully recovered after a few days, Kazuki jumpstarts a training exercise to utilize teamwork and formation between the four. Using AI Gigais, the four can then engage in light combat to test their synergy. As Akimoto gets into formation, he notices that the four AI Gigais were acting strangely, and were not acting as programmed. With synergy, each training dummy wore the soul reapers down but were eventually defeated and destroyed by the team's newfound teamwork. Akimoto and the rest departed from Berlin and back into Soul Society for the other members to rest from their wounds.

Worrying about his family, Akimoto heads for Rukongai, but suddenly gets his Zanpukutou stolen from a soul reaper garbed in white. Akimoto makes haste and pursues the thief, who happens to be a member of the Kido Corps. After engaging in a small Kido battle, the thief flees the scene before encasing Odoruningyō in a Kido barrier. Realizing that it was a box strengthened with Bakudo no. 81: Danku, Akimoto casts a poor imitation of Hado no. 90: Kurohitsugi to break the barrier. After retrieving his Zanpakutou, Akimoto wonders what the rest of his teammates are up to. Resuming his destination to Rukongai, Akimoto is stopped by a message from a Hell Butterfly.

Equipment

 * Genseki: Like the other Soul Reapers experimented during the Genseki Project, Akimoto Kazuma has it implanted on the nape of his neck. The Genseki stone allows him to communicate with any other members by pressing it. He can also be given instructions by Captain Kurotsuchi, Nemu, or even other researchers in the Genseki Project. When twisting, the Genseki stone allows one to change into his or her Gigai form. The Genseki also intercepts the transfer of wounds obtained during Jinzen to manifest in reality. This allows the researchers to experiment with Bankai and the Inner World.


 * Storage Ring: Given by one of the researchers, Akimoto can twist the gem on his ring to bring forth a small box that serves as a pocket dimension for storage.


 * Explosive Bands: Akimoto possesses numerous bands and straps in his white coat. He also wraps a couple of them on the sheathe of his Zanpakutou. Upon removal, the bands explode; however, the ones that he acquired are more sensitive, hence their activation upon contact with water. This prompted Akimoto to give up on wearing the white coat entirely.

Powers and Abilities
This was shown in his offensive attacks against various training dummies and Hollows where ended the fight the moment he drew his blade. However, he has shown his prowess when outnumbered by Hollows. He swiftly dealt with each of them one by one as they keep on coming. When performing Jinzen and entering his Inner World, his illness is non-existent and allows him uitilize his Zanjutsu skills to his fullest capability. Despite his illness, the remote control he has over his Shikai allows him to display his swordplay across a distance via gestures and deliberate movements.

Weapons Expert: Akimoto's knowledge on weapon handling extends beyond that of the standard katana and is applicable to Odoruningyō's sessions. Quickly adapting to the transition between sessions is something that must be utilized to fully wield Odoruningyō to its highest potential. Despite this, Akimoto is still subject to symptoms of his illness.

Kido Expert:  Because of his modification and training in the Genseki Project, Akimoto is able to cast up to high-level Kido and Bakudo spells. While they are not as destructive (due to his average Spiritual Pressure), he is able to cast without name and incantation as far as the level 80 Hado spells and as far as the level 99 Bakudo spells as well. Akimoto can also weave out small barriers to plug his own open wounds in a fight. He is also able to chant the phrases by thought instead of speech, allowing him to amplify the spell and surprising an opponent. Despite this, what prevents him from identifying himself as a master in Kido is his own limited usage due to his rather low Spiritual Pressure. His higher level spells may even be equal in power to his mid-level spells because of that.

Keen Intellect: Akimoto has used innovative forms of his Kido spells along with his strategies to take down foes. He is able to plan out and take advantage of enemy attack patterns by feigning the strength of his own power in mid-battle. This was apparent in his escape back into Soul Society when he and other Genseki Project members were pursued by Quincies that were interested in their Genseki.

Shunpo Practitoner: He has been seen using Shunpo very frequently to close distances for his attacks. However, his speed cannot be reliable due to his illness. He reflects that he also cannot maintain high-speed combat for long, because it is easy for him to mess up and leave himself open to attack. When performing Jinzen, his illness is not expressed in his Inner World, so Akimoto is able to utilize Shunpo to his fullest capability.

Zanpakutou
Odoruningyō (Dancing Doll): A keen edged katana that is straighter than the most. Its guard has a what it looks like to be a puppet master's handle when controlling a marrionette.
 * Shikai: Release command is "Perform". The tsuba on his sword glows blue before splitting off and turning into an identical sword to the katana without a hand-guard.
 * Odoruningyō's abilities are knowns as Sessions. And any more considerable bonding will allow the user to learn more Sessions from her. Below shows the Sessions that Akimoto can perform or has seen when fighting Odoruningyō under Jinzo.


 * Intermission - The standard two blades of Odoruningyō. The user can animate them like a puppet in accordance to gestures, thoughts, or hand motions. Any damage to the diamond on any hand will prevent control with its respective blade. The user must use Intermission in between different Sessions. Any blade can teleport back into the user's hand.
 * 1st Session - Any one of the blades turns into a large blue-bladed chakram that resembles a puppeteer's handles. Kido Spells can be fired from the center of the rings; this extends the range and utility of Akimoto's spells. These chakrams are also remotely controlled and also lose control if the diamond in the palm is damaged. Akimoto can 'tag' another person by clasping hands. Now the person can perform one Kido spell through one of Akimoto's chakrams. Any chakram can teleport back into the user's hand.


 * 2nd Session (Witnessed yet unable to perform) - The blades are tossed upwards into the sky and rain down ten knives at the target. The opponent's Spirit Ribbons become tethered to the knives' handles, which prevents some degree of movement. The goal of 2nd Session is to attack with the knives while sealing the opponent's movement in the process, but Akimoto's lack of mastery over Hoho can make this rather difficult, especially with Huntington's Disease.


 * Last Session - One blade turns into a very large chakram that causes the user's Spirit Ribbons to condense and attach to it. The ring floats above the user's head, and it serves as a mechanism to suture lost limbs and prevent the body from falling apart.  After use, Odoruningyō reverts back into its sealed form and is unable to be released for some time.


 * Bankai:  Not yet achieved

Juro Kazuma
Although he does not show it, Akimoto cares for his younger twin brother deeply and confides in him with all his hopes, dreams, and worries for the future. He finds his brother's deadpan, cheery, and airy attitude to life to be very very annoying, but believes that everyone finds those traits to be attractive. Akimoto 'switches' personalities with his brother often so that Akimoto can go outside as a child, despite having HD. Juro was also Akimoto's partner in gambling during their childhood years.

Renai Iwasaki
It was through Akimoto's act of posing as Juro did he first meet Ren. Finding her to be an odd girl, Akimoto was somewhat fascinated by her behavior. Like Juro, Akimoto puts his trust into Ren very well. He always enjoyed her stories of the World of the Living and the numerous texts written in the human realm. It was she, that got Akimoto interested in the human world in the first place. He is also very protective of Ren, and harbors the guilt of neglecting her in the past that led to her eventual abuse and rape. The two reconciled a few weeks after Akimoto's release from the Genseki training. In atonement for his past decisions, Akimoto gladly lives his life accordingly for her sake.

Kishoku Hyakuhasu
Kishoku is one of the first fellow Genseki 'experiments' that he's encountered, and he was easily captivated by her strong will-- something that Akimoto lacks and is something that made him guilty over the span of many years. To Akimoto, Kishoku is a close friend and comrade that also knows direct knowledge of the human world, since she was born in the World of the Living. He has encouraged her over own issues of self-doubt by pointing out that she is in fact a lot stronger than she thinks she is. They remain close friends even since Akimoto's 'personality change.' Kishoku is now one of the few people that he's comfortable to open up too with his true persona. Kishoku's happy side reminds him of Ren's.

Xavier Shinji
X is a fellow teammate of Akimoto's, and along with Kishoku, is one of the first colleagues he met. Akimoto looks up to X's wisdom and respects X's achievements. Like Kishoku, X was born in the human world, and is also subject to curious questioning by Akimoto. The two has saved each other numerous times in battle, and this has formed a strong camaraderie between the two of them. He finds the older-looking man to be very reliable.

Kazuki Mitzumi
Although Kazuki's stay with the initial group lasted less than two weeks, Akimoto has formed a considerable and friendly bond with Kazuki. He gladly accepted and understood Kazuki intuitively, and even had him confide in Akimoto. He saw Kazuki as an equal and a friend that is willing to put up with his brooding.

Shinme Shokubutsu
His encounter with this new teammate left Akimoto with a very sour expression that he was afraid that Shinme would eventually bring out his true personality. Nevertheless, he understands the meanings behind her mischievous acts and respects her somewhat. But he still puts his guard up for 'women like her.' He also mentally notes that Shinme's mischievousness is also reminiscent of Ren's, but is a lot more harder to deal with. Putting up with Shinme costs Akimoto some energy. Despite his annoyance, he isn't above of showing compassion towards her.

Nobunao Kosaka
Akimoto was initially intimidated by the older man, but grew comfortable with his presence due to him 'attempting' to keep Shinme's attention away. They have not talked much at all outside of work, but Akimoto finds Nobunao's relationship with Shinme somewhat interesting.

Trivia

 * Loves tea and milkshakes.
 * Does not like dried vegetables.
 * According to Reversereality, Akimoto's theme song is If I Sit Still, Maybe I'll Get Out of Here by This Town Needs Guns.
 * Akimoto has a sexual fetish for long hair much to his annoyance.
 * The two kanji for Akimoto, Aki(秋) and Moto (元) mean 'autumn' and 'origin' respectively. Kazuma (カズマ)translates to 'True Harmony'.

Quotes
(To Juro Kazuma about Mayuri Kurotuschi) ''"He gave me purpose!" Akimoto tried to retort in Mayuri's defense, "What can a person with my illness do in Rukongai?! Why isn't it wrong to have a purpose! I just want to feel what it's like to be....'' human."

(Angrily to Kishoku) "You're doing it again. Why do you do things that you just cannot do? Doing something as reckless as that will endanger not only us but yourself as well! That part of you really ticks me off!"

(To Odoruningyō about Ren) "...N-no..! How can I do something like that! It's too late for me to face her... Just leave me be."

(To Renai Iwasaki about romance) "But it still has nothing to do with me. I don't get why romance got to do with that when I could still exist unintentionally as an accident or something."