Yoake Hatsu

"It doesn't matter where I came from or what I've done to get where I am now. What matters is that I am strong. I am proud. I am the Lieutenant of the 8th Division and no one can ever tear me away from the place I call home."

Yoake Hatsu (ヤオケ•ハツ, Yoake Hatsu) is a fierce and wild Shinigami of the Soul Society and a former prostitute from the seventh district of Rukongai, Kyōkihari. Known for her strong will, tenacity and brute strength she worked her way through the ranks to earn her place as the Lieutenant of the 8th Division. Yoake made her way to after she was bought out of her contract by one of her clients, Eratsuchi Jusōno, the captain of the 11th Division who wished her to become his second in command and lover. However, through her time at the academy, finding that she had a natural knack for hand-to-hand combat and fighting with her zanpakuto, as well as the friendship she developed with another misfit, Hazumi Isei Migaku, Yoake eventually strayed from the path he had set for her.

After her graduation, Yoake joined the 8th Division with Hazumi, where they quickly became one of the most effective teams in the 8th Division, Hazumi as the brain and Yoake as the brawn. Her anger and might is well known, something that over the years has lead to her being deemed the Beast of the 8th Division (獣の八番隊, Kemono no Hachibantai), an insult that was hijacked by her division as a term of endearment.

Appearance
Yoake is quite the sight in the Soul Society, with her dark skin tone and vibrant choice in attire as opposed to the monotone color scheme most Shinigami don. Her dominant, upbeat personality also contributes to the energy she gives off, making it hard for this gargantuan to go unnoticed.

Her hair is thick and wild, colored like straw catching the light of a blazing sun. It is seemingly impossible to control and is often left down, where it falls to chin level. It is often noted to look similar to a lion's mane. She has eyes that are almond-shaped, with thick blonde lashes. They are an odd shade of olive green, a color that often led people to call her eyes muddy, though they often hold a spark of steadfast determination within.

Yoake's face mostly square, with a wide brow and chin, angled cheekbones, large eyes, and a flat slightly crooked nose, signifying that it has most likely been broken at least once. Her skin is dark like the rich soil of the earth, a shade that compliments her fair hair and eyes. No insults are capable of keeping this woman down, Yoake stands tall, reaching a height of 6'4, with broad shoulders and a build to root her to the earth like a tree. Her body is thick and muscular, from decades of combat, which contributes to a gargantuan, intimidating physical appearance for those who meet her. This isn't to say her body is not feminine as well, though she lacks curves, Yoake has a sizable bust as well as an aesthetically pleasing face that made her former profession fairly easy for her.

As previously stated, Yoake has a more vibrant sense of style. She is most commonly seen wearing a yellow robe with a red and white border, with wide, loose fitting sleeves, one or more usually pinned to her waist, over a black tube-style tank top. She also wears black pants and shoes and a red sash around her waist. Yoake often wears bandages on her forearms and hands, usually to cover injuries. Usually, she is seen wearing a red beaded necklace and scarlet tasseled earrings however in serious combat, they seem to disappear to limit places for foes to grab onto.

Relationships
Shishinzō:

8th Division:
 * Hazumi Isei Migaku:


 * Ren Watatsumi

11th Division:
 * Eratsuchi Jusōno


 * Yōkikae Hakubo:


 * Haru Kousen

Abilities
Practiced Aim: Yoake is well known for her throwing arm, a key facet of the usage of her Shikai, which allows her to throw Shishinzō with quick precise strikes to pin down her foes...

Incredible Will:

Highly Instinctive Combatant:

Shinigami Training
Kidō Practicioner: Yoake's usage of Kidō (鬼道, Demon/Spirit Way) is basic at best, learning only as much as she needed to to make it through school, however, she was not taught by a teacher. Instead, she learned through her close friend Hazumi Isei Migaku, who she begged to teach her at night so she could pass the classes required to graduate. It is known that she only knows Hadō, Bakudō, and Midō spells till level 30, and only proficiently uses a sparse amount of those spells, though what she does know, is quite powerful in its own right. Kidō is not Yoake's strong point and she avoids it like the plague in combat, indicating that she most likely does not hold a particular gift for effectively wielding her reiryoku in controlled amounts. In terms of Bakudō, she uses basic barriers and binding spells, the lower the level, the more skilled her capacity with it is. Her usage of Hadō is even further limited, showing that the few spells Yoake uses proficiently are those that are quite rudimentary, relying on the brute force of them to give her an edge. Out of all three forms of Kidō Yoake has been taught, it is shown that she prefers to use Midō, giving herself physical enhancements to fight. Her skill in Midō towers above that of Bakudō and Hadō, and she is even capable of triggering Midō spells without incantation. The only time Yoake has shown any interest in Kidō beyond her time at Shin'ō Academy, was when she desired to learn more tactically sound uses for her Shikai. Eventually, with the help of Hazumi, she began developing a set of attacks based on both Hadō and Bakudō spells known as the Nenshouin (燃焼印, lit. Burning Seals). This and Midō are the only forms of Kidō that Yoake is considered to have considerable skill in, though, she is unable to use it without her Shikai.
 * Bakudō (縛道, Way of Binding): Yoake has been taught all of the Bakudō spells through thirty, but it seems that she only uses a handful of Bakudō spells in combat. Most notably of those few are #1 Sai (塞, Block), a spell to bind one's arms behind their back while simultaneously forcing them to the ground, and #3 Seki (関, Barrier), which creates a barrier separating Yoake from her foe to defend against any of their mid-long range attacks. Although she only uses lower level spells, the strength of these spells is actually quite above what one might think, allowing Yoake to use them against nearly anything given that she uses an appropriate amount of reiatsu in return.


 * Hadō (破道, Way of Destruction): Much like Bakudō, Yoake only learned the basic Hadō spells she needed to graduate and is only skilled enough with two to use effectively in combat. It seems she is capable of using #1 Shō (衝, Thrust) with enough force to send multiple enemies flying backward at once and even cracked Hazumi's ribs when she was under the influence of mind control. The other spell she has been known to use effectively is #5 Kashi (仮死, Asphyxiation), which allows Yoake to remove the air from one's lungs until they are either incapacitated or dead. She is capable of performing this on multiple targets at once, the known cap being fourteen Shinigami soldiers.


 * Midō (身道, Way of Body): Out of all of the Kidō Yaoke has been taught, her preference lies in Midō as she was easily enthused by the fact that she could modify aspects of her body for combat purposes. In alignment with her usage of other forms of Kidō, Yoake only uses the basics, however, her usage of them is quite skilled. With spells #1 Kuteigen (苦低減, Pain Reduction), #2, Sokudo (速度, Velocity), #3 Ryoku (力, Power), #4 Suyuimu (須臾諱む, Instant Avoidance), Yoake is capable of enhancing her endurance, speed, power, and reaction timing by up to two times what it previously way, capable of using these spells individually or stacking them on top of each other for an overall boost in physical capabilities. Her favorite technique, one quite befitting of her, is #8 Enjōhōdan (炎砲弾, Flaming Shell), a spell which enhances all of her attributes by 1.5 while simultaneously coating her body in a layer of fire that burns at a temperature of 1,571°F to any around her, however, it leaves her own body untouched. It is easily deemed one of Yoake's signature techniques.

In fact, three months into her stay at Shin'ō Academy, Yoake was taking private combat lessons as she had surpassed the requirement for all grade levels. After seven months at Shin'ō Academy, Yoake was capable of fighting on par with all of the academy's Hakuda Instructors and had a 54% win ratio. Her prodigal skill in hand-to-hand combat stems from her background before she became a Soul. Unknown to Yoake herself, on earth, she was training to become a professional fighter before her death which means, although she cannot remember it, Yoake had a pre-existing background in hand-to-hand combat. Her fighting style is most likely based on, as Yoake has been shown to use her fists, elbows, knees, shin, feet and head to fight using a mixture of grappling and striking techniques...



Shinigami Physiology


Monstrous Strength: An attribute seemingly standard to this woman, Yoake is well known for her incredible strength and her unawareness of it. She seems to casually destroy objects and her surrounding by accidentally exerting more force than needed, and has even been seen to send her partner Hazumi flying after a joking shove or punch. It is one of this woman's greatest factors that allows her to take on foes like she does through physical combat and jamming her small Zanpakutō and Shinkai with great force into Hollows. Her strikes are capable of bashing through substances like wood and bone, even capable of shattering stone and concrete through the use of her Reiatsu. It is believed that she is capable of lifting and throwing up to five times her weight, aka 970 lbs. This strength is effortless, coming to her naturally though honed into a power weapon and the key to the brutality and pure force she possesses. In fact, it is so legendary that soldiers from most divisions have attempted to spar with her at one point, most of them finding themselves defeated by the power behind a simple swing.

Ample Speed:

Average Agility:

Superb Reflexes:

Incredible Endurance:

Phenomenal Durability:

Zanpakutō
Shishinzō (獅子心臓, lit. Lionheart) is Yoake's Zanpakutō, which takes a dormant form as a. Its blade is short, slightly curved and one-sided, reaching a length of 6.4 inches and seems to be made of steel. The cross-guard is circular and in a bronze shade, while the handle itself is short, wrapped two overlapping layers of garnet and rust colored cloth. Yoake often uses Shishinzō's sealed form in combat, particularly in close-quarters combat when her enemy is fighting with a blade, seeing as Shishinzō's true form is unsuited to blocking/defending against other weapons.
 * : To change Shinshinzō out of his dormant shape, Yoake runs her hand along the blade while speaking the command "Unleash your roar!" (あなたの轟音を解き放つ, Anata no Gōon o Tokihanatsu)...


 * Shikai Special Ability: Shishinzō possesses an elemental ability known as Yūreika (幽霊火, lit. Phantom Flames) that allow her to transfer the effect of rapid invisible combustion onto foes through techniques using her Shikai... It is known that there is some telekinetic capacity between Yaoke and her Shikai as she is capable of bringing them back to her person after she has thrown or placed them... Most of the time these flames truly are invisible, but when Yaoke is unleashing Shishinzō's full capabilities, it is noted with a low burning red flame.
 * Nesshou (熱傷, lit. Burn), signature technique that combusts targets on contact until they burn to ash.
 * Tsume (爪, lit. Claws):
 * Nenshouin (燃焼印, lit. Burning Seals)




 * Koganēn no Shishinzō (黄金炎の獅子心臓, lit. Golden Blaze of the Lionheart)