Leone Orgoglio

Leone Orgoglio is an ex- who chose to leave the after being exposed to the, effectively putting himself in exile. Formerly a member of the and Lieutenant of the. Leone willingly went into exile for the greater "freedoms" of the World of the Living, having grown tired of the restrictive nature of the.

Appearance
Leone is "blessed" with an otherworldly attractiveness that is often described as "gorgeous" or "breath-taking" by those from the World of the Living and as "stunning" by inhabitants of the Soul Society. With his silvery-white locks, gentle almond shaped eyes that hold an icy blue almost gray color, sensuous and symmetrical features, and an athletically toned body it comes as no surprise that his attractiveness would be considered otherworldly. He stands at 6 feet even, a height that is neither overly tall nor too short and allows him to exist within the World of the Living without drawing attention to his size. Leone maintains a muscular build while remaining slim, a feat that is not easily achieved and one that perfectly fits his style of combat, allowing him to perform mid-air acrobatics and remain nimble while maintaining a sizable amount of power behind his strikes.

Leone seems to radiate a strong sense of confidence from his very person, carrying himself with such grace and pride that he would seem to both glide over the ground and impact those immediately around him with his presence. This air of confidence tends to quickly draw the eyes of those in the immediate area while their furtive glances are held by his good looks. Despite the apparent grace that he carries himself with he almost always appears to be jovial and relaxed, never really at odds with any situation. This carries over even into his motions, his movements seeming to simply come naturally to him, and his very presence, tending to have a calming effect on those around him. This air rarely breaks, even in battle, as he seems to genuinely enjoy himself during combat without seeming angry or forceful.

Leone chooses what he wears with great care believing that while there are more important things in the world, maintaining one's appearance allows you to keep yourself together as you maintain some sense of control. Strangely, no matter what he wears it seems to fit him perfectly as if it were tailored specifically for him. His taste seems to lean more towards the sophisticated as his favored outfit is composed of black silk pants, a red suit, a black silk dress shirt, a white silk tie, black dress-shoes, and his ever-present top hat. A strange accent, no matter what he is wearing he always has a different top-hat varying in some way whether it be style or color.

Personality
Leone is typically jovial and radiates charm, traits that can even be heard in his voice when he speaks; almost always having a charmingly cheery note in his voice which is only enhanced by the flawless English accent. In regards to others Leone is most often playful as he is found joking and smiling openly in a display of his warmhearted nature, his natural charm is seen in spades when conversing with others. Due to both his profession and his genuine enjoyment of "good conversation", Leone's social skills are as impeccable as his sense of style as he comes off as being at ease with any he is around. Leone is often openly flirtatious, remaining within the "respectful boundaries" but making it clear when his interest has been piqued. Despite this he does not enjoy "easy pursuits" and much rather play the classic game of cat and mouse, bantering back and forth to test the wit of anyone his eye has fallen on. As with the classic "English Gentleman" Leone maintains a strong sense of manners and behaves accordingly as he rarely loses his temper or displays negative emotions, yet this does have its limits. When driven past his "breaking point" his personality swings dramatically as he becomes cold and unfeeling, seemingly becoming an entirely new person. It should be noted however that he still maintains his composure, showing no display of a temper or anger he simply "shuts down" and is wholeheartedly driven to destroy the cause of his irritation.

Leone is highly intelligent and this can be seen in everything he does, from banter to strategy. That being said, he despises having to be in the company of "dull-witted creatures" and will either remove himself from the situation at the first opportunity or in the case of Hollows or opponents, remove the source of his irritation. This tends to show itself in spades when around headstrong or dense people, quickly growing irritated with the entire situation and typically vacating the immediate area.

Almost in spite of Leone's sharp intellect, immense spiritual energy, and the clear skill he possesses in battle he never surpassed the rank of lieutenant despite being able to hold his own against and often defeat captain level combatants; this is due to his utter lack of ambition in regards to "climbing the ladder". Preferring to relax and do as he pleases until needed, Leone was never the one to fight tooth-and-nail to gain any position. This was seen most clearly when he was preparing for his departure from the Soul Society, diligently laboring to bring his inventions to fruition and dropping everything whenever he was needed. While this trait, the ability to put aside one's own interests for the "greater good", is highly desirable in any of high ranking, it was Leone's genuine disinterest in the position that kept him from ascending to the rank of Captain.

Equipment and Inventions
During his stay in the Soul Society Leone was an inventor of many useful items, although the arguably most useful of which he kept to himself.

Gigai: Much like, Leone experimented with the artificial bodies known as and has developed a single major variation:


 * Enhanced Gigai: Simply known by the halfhearted title "Enhanced Gigai" these artificial bodies were developed in order to allow a in the World of the Living to access their, albeit on a more limited scale, and therefore eliminating the need to use  to leave the body before combat. While the user's Reiryoku is not in use, the Gigai serves to conceal their  to the point of being nigh undetectable. Due to the body being able to make use of the user's Reiatsu, the user has greater ease in leaving the body without use of a Gikon although this may create issues in the World of the Living as the body suddenly appears to faint or drop dead. Initially Leone created a single Enhanced Gigai and kept it hidden for his own use upon leaving the Soul Society.

Supplemental Items: Leone has created a vast array of pills and equipment meant to give the user notable boosts in their natural abilities. When in use these items are extremely durable and as such are oft escape damage from even the most powerful of assaults due to the items themselves possessing a limited store of spiritual energy identical to that of the user and forming a disruptive barrier around themselves that breaks up any foreign energy to touch the barrier, this allows a knowledgeable user to use said items to disrupt their opponent's attack capabilities. It should be noted that he is willing to distribute these items if asked "politely".


 * Zefā: A selection of sandals and footwear that are meant to notably enhance the user's Hohō, while the effect is not extremely potent it is more than enough to push the user over the top when facing an opponent of equal speed and to make the user untouchable when facing an opponent of lesser speed. The pair used by Leone are identical to a pair of expensive dress shoes. Also available in a pill form, although unlike the actual Zefā the effect is temporary and does not create the disruptive barrier around the feet of the user.


 * Funka: A varied collection of gloves that greatly aid the user in terms of the speed of their blows by lowering air resistance around their hands in addition to simulating an increase in physical strength by allowing the user to manipulate the air around anything their hands come into direct contact with. The pair used by Leone are identical to a pair of white silk gloves. This is the only supplemental item created by Leone that is not available in pill form due to the desired effect being too intricate to achieve without the actual item itself.


 * Chikyū: A large collection of "trinkets" and accessories that increase the user's ability to withstand attacks by creating an invisible second skin similar to the used by the, this is arguably the most useful of any of the items created by Leone as the defensive potential of the second skin combines with the disruptive properties of the items to form a total defense that is extremely difficult to break through. The strength of the "second skin" is comparable to that used by the Espada and in some cases even stronger. The number of said accessories is directly proportional to the strength of the user's "second skin" but the same effect can be achieved by wearing "complete sets" of the accessories, thereby making it more useful to wear said "sets" as opposed to large numbers of trinkets. In Leone's case the accessories that he uses are two cuff links, his belt, and his tie; these form a "complete set" and provide a second skin slightly weaker than that of . Also available in a pill form, although unlike the actual Chikyū the effect is temporary and does not create the disruptive barrier in addition to the Hierro.

Powers and Abilities
Level-headed Tactician: Leone has shown himself to be calm and level headed in combat, allowing him to quickly process strategies in able to gain the upper-hand in battle against most opponents by adjusting and adapting his tactics to their specific strengths/weaknesses.

Highly Intelligent: Leone is a highly intelligent individual, able to quickly gauge his opponent within moments of encountering them. His "genius" lies in the fields of science and manipulating Spiritual Energy. Despite his immense intellect, Leone does not consider himself to be on the Genius Level of those such as by any stretch of the imagination.

Immense Spiritual Energy: As the ex-Lieutenant of the 12th Division Leone possesses an enormous amount of finely controlled spiritual power, rapidly switching from nigh undetectable levels to monstrous amounts of energy at will. Despite his high levels of spiritual energy, Leone does not typically inspire fear in those around him. This is due to his Reiatsu having a highly calming effect on those in the immediate area, often leading to opponents making mistakes due to their bodies remaining in a calm state as opposed to the heightened, combat ready state of a typical opponent. His Reiatsu is light blue in color.

Master Swordsman: Befitting, even surpassing, his previous rank of Lieutenant Leone is a master in terms of Swordplay and has displayed the ability to defeat even captains with his skill after switching to his right hand, previously fighting on an even playing field while using his off-hand. Able to wield multiple swords without any apparent difficulty, Leone is able to play both sides of the field during combat; easily transitioning from offense to defense in an instant. Integrating his immense speed and use of Kotodama, Leone has been shown to be able to use 10 or even 20 blades efficiently in combat when necessary. His use of Kotodama allows him to wield massive numbers of blades, commanding them with his words opposed to literally wielding them. Despite this, he prefers to allow his opponent the initiative in order to gauge their skill and formulate a strategy specific to that opponent. During combat Leone most often redirects his opponent's attacks, taking the momentum behind the blow and using it to create momentary openings in his opponent's guard which most often proves fatal.

Expert Kidō Practitioner: Leone is proficient in regards to Kidō, able to use Kidō into the 60s without incantation and well into the 80s with incantations. Despite his apparent skill in this field Leone typically refrains from using what he refers to as "Traditional Kidō", the title he stamps on almost all Kidō since his creation of Kotodama as if labeling the practice as drastically inferior to his own.

Expert Hakuda Practitioner: Leone is highly proficient in the field of Hakuda, able to easily hold his own against all but masters in the field. His skill in Hakuda grants him with immense control over his body, a skill that is highly useful in all fields of combat.

Hohō Master: Leone is nearly unmatched in terms of Hohō, able to move great distances in the minimal amount of steps without displaying any hint of fatigue or mussing his clothing. This gives the impression of Leone having teleported as opposed to making use of high-speed movement, simply appearing in his destination without any change in appearance.

Kotodama: Leone's alternative to the "Traditional Kidō", Kotodama, is the ability to call/conjure anything with a word tied to the intended object/concept. Leone has dedicated the vast majority of his time in the World of the Living to developing and refining this technique to the point of being near flawless, this technique is also the basis behind his "Magician Act". The applications of this art are nearly limitless and range from the formation of powerful barriers to deadly fields of blades to increases in one's physical prowess, if a word has been tied to it then it lies within the scope of this ability. Due to everything stemming from words, details can become invaluable when one wishes to can a specific result; adding a single word can lead to an entirely different result. That being said, the utterance of adjectives aren't always a necessity as Leone can form an image in his mind while using a single word to achieve roughly the same result although the use of adjectives tends to be much more reliable in addition to being able to achieve things that can't necessarily be conjured with an image such as poisons or certain abilities. As the sole practitioner of this technique, Leone is able to easily take most opponents by surprise as he can launch a full-fledged assault while remaining motionless. This technique is not without its limits as Leone is only able to conjure things that he has a word for, however this word is not limited to any specific language nor is it limited to actual words. Once an association has been formed between the "word" and the intended object/concept, Leone is able to use it at will.

Zanpakutō
Tejina (手品,"Sleight of Hand" or "Magic"): When sealed Tejina takes the form of a Katana that differs almost entirely from the norm; the blade itself is light-blue and is slightly more curved and elongated than the standard Katana, the guard bears the shape of a rose that has yet to bloom with four petals opened to form the physical guard and is white in color, the hilt is white with four large diamonds traveling vertically along each side, and the sheath is a slightly darker blue than that of the blade. Unlike other Shinigami, Leone's Zanpakutō is almost never worn on his immediate person. Rather, he uses his Kotodama to call it when needed, appearing to pull it from his top hat.

Leone's control over Tejina is such that he has been shown to use some of it's Bankai techniques while in Shikai, albeit in a less controlled and overall weaker form.


 * Tejina's release command is "Revelation" (啓示, "Keiji"). When in Shikai the colors of the diamond pattern on the hilt invert and the rose that makes up the guard goes into full bloom, shifting to deep red. The blade no longer retains its previous light blue color, instead bearing a dark crimson coloration making it nearly impossible to distinguish blood from the actual blade. While in this state Leone no longer wields Tejina with his off-hand, shifting to his right hand and causing the strength and fluidity of his strikes to increase dramatically.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Tejina further supplements Leone's mastery of Kotodama, notably increasing his abilities as he is now able to easily conjure things which have no physical embodiment, such as heat, in addition to creating illusionary trails both behind and in front of Tejina when swung, making it increasingly difficult to track the blade during combat. This ability alone is able to bring about the downfall of skilled opponents, rendering it nearly impossible to know where the next strike is truly coming from until it's too late. Leone has demonstrated the ability to alter the number of illusions created from swing to swing, preventing an opponent from gauging the strikes based on any possible patterns.


 * Maboroshi (幻, Phantom): The most advanced technique available to Leone during Tejina's Shikai state, Maboroshi manipulates the light in the immediate area to impose a simple illusion upon the senses of the opponent. This technique creates an illusion that replicates his body exactly, making it seem as though he remained still while in truth he delivers a quick but shallow strike to the opponent. This attack is considered nigh unavoidable due to both the illusion and the speed of the strike. The true strength of this technique is shown when multiple strikes are strung together into a ferocious barrage of blows, raining down slashes on the opponent at high speeds while their mind tells them that Leone never moved.


 * Tejina Daidan'en (手品大団円, "Magical Finale"): This technique is essentially Tejina's Shikai on a grand scale. To activate it Leone holds his sword directly out in front of him, as if pointing with the blade, and turns his wrist counterclockwise. After its activation there is no effect whatsoever until the opponent or any object that is in direct contact with them comes into contact with Tejina. Within seconds a blanketing darkness swamps the victim's senses robbing them of sight and dulling their remaining senses to the point of them becoming more of a hindrance than an aid, this effect includes the ability to sense spiritual pressure. Their mind instantly proceeds to work against them, attempting to compensate for the lack of sensory information by producing its own and therefore creating illusions that the mind believes are real. This technique is negated after Tejina comes into direct contact with their body three times after activation, instantly flooding their mind with previously lacking sensory information as a result rendering them paralyzed as their mind is forced to cope with the sudden change from nearly 0% sensory input to 100%. The following cut reinstates the technique, forming a vicious cycle that has the potential to inflict severe mental damage upon an opponent by rapidly stripping their body of its senses before giving them back in an instant.


 * Bankai Special Ablity: Leone's Bankai has several additional techniques and beneficial effects.


 * Limited Regeneration: By making use of the illusions on its user, Tejina is able to fool Leone's body into believing that it never received any damage causing the wound itself to fade and heal. This effect is not instant nor is it all-powerful, while this technique maintains the ability to reduce gashes to mere scratches it can not reverse instantly fatal blows. The wound must be able to be noticed by Leone for it to be reversed, that being said grievous wounds such as severed limbs are at the upper capabilities of this technique and will merely be kept from bleeding in the short term, taking several hours to completely heal and reform the limb in question. This technique serves to dramatically reduce the wound received from a blow, completely healing some and merely lessening others. When in use steam will seem to rise from the open wound followed by the wound itself disappearing seconds later.


 * Tejinaji Sokkin (手品師側近, Magician's Aide): Upon activating his Bankai, Leone is able to create multiple illusions of himself that all behave independently of each other and as such the flaw in mirror copies is avoided. Unlike his other techniques, these Illusions are extremely lifelike and the opponent is able to physically strike them and the Illusions are able to physically strike the opponent, albeit at a much lower force than that of Leone himself and as such these are mostly used as distractions. These Illusions will bleed when dealt a blow and each is identical to Leone at the time of creation.


 * Enhanced Kotodama: Leone's Kotodama is further enhanced upon activation of his Bankai, enabling him to affect things such as the weather and the terrain with a single word.

Behind the Scenes

 * Leone was originally planned to be the author's only character, that idea has currently been blown to smithereens.