Hikari Maebure

Hikari Daikōki Maebure (前触れ光大弘毅, Great Noble Harbinger of Light) is one of the ancient Sōzōshin and a former. He is also known as "The Black Sun" (黒陽, Kurohi).

Appearance
Hikari is a tall, middle-aged man with a toned physique. He has long, unkempt jet black hair which reach his waist, with grey streaks on his temples. His eyes are bright yellow, glowing and piercing. The features of his face are sharp and firm, with prominent, high cheekbones and an aquiline nose.

There are two long scars on his face; they cross in an almost perpendicular manner just below his right eye. The horizontal one ends below the left eye, whereas the vertical one stops halfway through the right cheek.

Maebure wears a distinct variant of the typical Shihakushō, which notably sports inverted colours in comparison to the standard.

Personality
Maebure, as a member of an ancient noble Sōzōshin family, behaves with an air of dignity and gentleness. He is a collected person who does not easily become surprised or irritated, and he maintains a high level of composure no matter the situation. Moreover, he seems to be deeply concerned about his distant relative, Captain Haruka Mewokuramasu, and he appears to be genuinely desiring her to accept him as a member of her family.

Nonetheless, his good manners serve to conceal his true nature of an unrelenting, callous individual who does not hesitate to kill, unless he deems this unnecessary. Even when he commends somebody he either maintains a relatively condescending tone or words his praises in a peculiar, ambiguous manner, and he often verges on being arrogant. Furthemore, he becomes noticeably irritated when somebody interrupts him, and his signature calmness may slowly wear down after an extended period of high stress.

An incredibly ambitious and proud man, he also considers himself worthy of the 's throne. Whereas Yamamoto's defeat has not satisfied him, the ultimate power over Soul Society is the only thing which may bring him a sense of fulfilment.

History


The Sōzōshin were a powerful, near-human race of spiritual beings and the original Balancers. Long before the human-derived Shinigami began to appear, they had maintained the distribution of Souls between the dimensions.

However, they were always few and far between, and over time, due to countless wars and feuds, their number dwindled drastically. Hikari Maebure was born during that period to a high noble clan; he witnessed first-hand the peak of the Sōzōshin's golden age and the subsequent decline into near non-existence.

Some of the remaining Sōzōshin, the Royal Family amongst them, decided to train the Shinigami, so that the latter could eventually completely take over their duties. The others, however, were sorely embittered by their impending doom: too few of them remained to maintain the pureblood race, and unions with Shinigami merely prolonged the inevitable and diluted their lineage.

Hikari, the last head of his family, eventually decided to restore his kin's waning glory by force, usurping the leadership of the entire. Roughly 2,000 years ago he assembled his followers and a brief but intense war broke out. All Sōzōshin, both faithful and rogue, were mutually exterminated in the conflict. Nevertheless, Hikari had managed to survive despite being allegedly killed in the last battle by himself, and subsequently went into hiding, the last full blood member of his race.

The Spectre of the Past Arc
One summer evening, Hikari appears unexpectedly on the sky above as a shining sphere of light. Observed by multiple and citizens, he collides with  and easily pierces the barrier. Subsequently, he lands near Captain and Lieutenants  and Norio Nishimura. After politely greeting the former, he vanishes in the blink of an eye using.

During an informal meeting at Captain Haruka Mewokuramasu's Division's Barracks, it is revealed he is actually her great-grandfather.

The following morning he appears abruptly in the Tenth Division Barracks as Lieutenant Saburō Watanabe approaches Captain Katsurō Ueno to report that the intruder has not been found, to which he promptly denies. Both of the Shinigami are surprised to find that he has arrived nearby unnoticed.

Subsequently, he swiftly strikes down Watanabe and challenges Katsurō whilst casually incapacitating the Tenth Division troops with his overwhelming. Enraged at his adjutant's death, Ueno promptly activates Shikai and attacks. Nevertheless, Hikari proves too strong even without releasing his Zanpakutō, and he mercilessly pierces Katsurō's throat when the Captain attempts to use Bankai. Maebure mourns silently over him as he dies choking on his own blood.

Powers and Abilities
Because of his incredible experience, this is virtually a second nature to him. His technique is characterised by reliance on finesse and swift, fluent and economic movements which seem practically effortless.
 * : A technique which allows Hikari to strike dozens of times within a single second, thus ideally overpowering the opponent with a flurry of fairly strong cuts coming from ever-changing directions.

The way he fights usually consists of gentle, but fast and unpredictable kicks, punches and sallies whose main purpose is to throw the enemy off-balance or to incapacitate them in an instant.
 * Kazaguruma (風車, "Windmill"): Maebure throws his body and rotates backward in mid-air about horizontal axis, using the considerable momentum to deliver a powerful kick to the adversary's jaw whilst rapidly raising his legs.

Enhanced Strength: Despite his unassuming physique, Maebure possesses a degree of physical strength well beyond average Shinigami level. He is capable of effortlessly slicing high-ranking enemies and a defensive Shikai technique of a Captain with his sealed sword. Even though he does not use it actively in combat, he is more than capable of blocking and parrying attacks which rely on brute force.

Immense Combat Experience: Because he is one of the ancient Sōzōshin, Maebure has participated in countless wars and battles, gaining incredible amount of combat experience in a matter of thousands of years. Consequently, he is able to readily analyse both his adversaries and their powers, as he has seen a myriad of them already, so he may nearly instantly determine appropriate countermeasures.

Consequently, even the spells he casts without an incantation or even number possess ample power. For instance, he is capable of binding two Captains with a high-level Bakudō simultaneously only to subsequently empower the spell with a spoken-after incantation, or of non-verbally erecting Bakudō #81, durable enough to warrant two strikes of Yamamoto's Taimatsu in order to be destroyed.
 * Secret Kidō: Due to Kidō being one of Maebure's favourite ways of combat next to Zanjutsu he has not only mastered a vast majority of the well-known spells, but also invented a number of his own. Some of them have been simplified and included with the standard ones, whereas a small amount remains secret and known only to him. These unique spells possess peculiar qualities which render them particularly unpredictable and dangerous assets in his considerable arsenal.
 * Heuleum (흐름, "Flow"): Kidō-like meditating technique, it lets Hikari recover used-up spiritual energy at a significantly increased rate and slightly enhances the natural healing factor. Nevertheless, it takes a few seconds to activate and cannot be maintained in combat.

He is able to outmanoeuvre a Captain-level opponent to the point the latter cannot even discern his movements. Most frequently he utilises that speed to avoid fast attacks, sometimes even point-blank ones.
 * Clones: By utilising Shunpo to its heighest extent, Hikari may create numerous flickering afterimage copies of himself in order to confuse the enemy.

He can casually incapacitate regular Shinigami with his mere presence and briefly overwhelm even a Captain, but he otherwise keeps his power virtually undetectable most of the time.

Tteooleuneun Taeyang (떠오르는태양, "Rising Sun"): In its sealed form the Zanpakutō appears as a katana with an octagonal tsuba and an ivory hilt, with a tassel of the same colour attached to the pommel. The Zanpakutō's spirit assumes the form of a winged humanoid entity with uniformly shining, seemingly immaterial body.
 * Shikai: The release command is "Rise, and Banish the Shadows" (上昇、および影を追放, Jōshō, Oyobi Kage o Tsuihō). Maebure lifts the sword upright, then the blade disappears in a flash of light. Subsequently, he swiftly swings his hand down to the side, and a beam of pulsating Reishi of burnt orange colour emerges in the place of the missing blade. Hikari's eyes begin glowing with the same hue. In this state he can stand his ground against an average Shinigami Captain using Bankai.
 * Senkō (閃光, "Flash"): Maebure raises his Zanpakutō upright and blinds the enemy with a sudden flash of bedazzling light emitted from the blade. The effect stays for an extended period of time.
 * Maboroshi (幻, "Phantom"): By bending light, Hikari may create visual illusions in order to ambush, confuse or lure his enemies into a trap. This is the ability which has allowed him to survive "being killed" by Yamamoto.
 * Kōkōtaru Byōtō (煌々たる病棟, "Gleaming Ward"): Defensive technique which creates a dome of hard light around the user. The barrier is more durable than a named Bakudō #39,.
 * Nikkō Taihō (日光大砲, "Sunlight Cannon"): A powerful beam of radiant energy shot from the tip of the Zanpakutō, it works in a manner similar to.
 * Saebyeog: Taeyang Gwangseon (새벽:태양 광선, "Dawn: Sunrays"): An area-of-effect attack which consists of a barrage of multiple bright energy bullets which rain down upon the foe. Each projectile causes a small explosion upon impact.
 * Achim: Sinseonghan Gidung (아침:신성한 기둥, "Morning: Heavenly Pillar"): Maebure swings his Zanpakutō upward, and then points it at the enemy. Subsequently, a devastating blast of orange energy strikes them directly from above, causing a large explosion in its wake.
 * Bankai: Jeonche Taeyang (전체태양, "Full Sun"): Hikari holds the Zanpakutō two-handed in front of his chest and raises it vertically. Subsequently, a column of orange light strikes him from above and the transformation occurs. A white, spreading cape with golden adornments appears over the elegant robe which had replaced his Shihakushō, and he gains a golden diadem as well. The Zanpakutō itself starts shining very intensely. Bankai increases his power level tenfold when compared to Shikai. Due to the immense amount of time Maebure has spent on training his Bankai he has perfected it completely, and as such he wields it extremely efficiently and with no visible effort, requiring little to no energy to maintain the form.
 * Enhanced Shikai Abilities: Hikari may utilise most of his Shikai techniques whilst in Bankai, except the ones involving the "parts of a day" motif. Their power is increased comparably to the overall difference in strength between the two released states.
 * Meiankyōkaisen (明暗境界線, "Light and Dark Boundary"): Maebure holds the Zanpakutō with both of his hands and points it to the side. Subsequently, he swings it rapidly in a broad slash as its blade expands momentarily, briefly becoming a pillar of destructive light which vaporises everything in its path.
 * Jeong-o: Taeyang Peulleeo (정오:태양플레어, "Noon: Sun Storm"): An omnidirectional attack which consists of an outburst of destructive spiritual energy in the form of multiple markedly strong beams. Hikari swings his Zanpakutō in a circular motion and points it downward. Then, a sphere of light encases him momentarily before the barrage of energy beams burst forth winding upward and later bending toward the opponents . The rays follow their targets independently and cause considerable explosions upon eventually hitting them.
 * Sinsaeng Jeongsu: Chosinseong (초신성, "Supernova"): Maebure triggers the transformation with the command "Commence, Rebirth of Pureness" (시작, 신생 정수; Sijag, Sinsaeng Jeongsu). Afterward, he stabs his heart with the Zanpakutō, prompting a sudden release of devastating spiritual power which emits blinding light and a constant gust of wind. Subsequently, he emerges from the tempest donning an ornate golden armour over an elegant white robe, his body restored to its prime. Additionally, he gains a pair of spreading orange wings and five black lines appear at even intervals in his glowing irises. The Zanpakutō itself is fused to his right hand in the form of a gleaming broadsword’s blade . Rather than being a further "release", this technique consists of fusing with the Zanpakutō's spirit, thus gaining an even greater power than Bankai.
 * Power Augmentation: By merging with his Zanpakutō spirit Hikari increases his spiritual power reserves exponentially, so much that regular Shinigami are no longer able to recognise it as such . In that state he can engage two Bankai-wielding Captains simultaneously with little apparent effort.
 * Complete Zanpakutō Mastery: Because the Zanpakutō spirit fuses with Maebure, the latter has free access to all of its techniques. In addition, Hikari no longer requires to utter names of the techniques in order to ensure their full attack power.
 * Cheonjeong: Sinseong (천정:신성, "Zenith: Nova"): Hikari's ultimate technique, it consists of summoning an initially miniscule sphere of energy at the tip of his Zanpakutō. The technique is then launched toward the sky. It stops at a high altitude, where it then expands in several stages until becoming truly enormous, its low-pitched hum causing the earth to vibrate perceptibly . The attack is launched by Hikari swinging his Zanpakutō in the direction of his opponent, and the resulting explosion is of colossal proportions.

Trivia

 * Silver-Haired Seireitou is the creator of the original concept of the Sōzōshin. Hikari and his race in LordGalvatron's fictional universe are based on that concept, but significantly altered to suit the latter's preferences.
 * According to his creator, Hikari would be voiced by, the Japanese voice actor of the Arrancar.
 * His battle theme is Tekkaman OST - Drifting in Vacuum.
 * In Japanese, he would refer to himself with 私 (watakushi) pronoun, which is a sophisticated and polite, but also old-fashioned word.
 * "Hikari" is actually a feminine Japanese name.

The Dark War Arc

 * Dark War: Culmination (Indirect mention only)

The Spectre of the Past Arc

 * Spectre of the Past: Dawn
 * Spectre of the Past: Morning
 * Spectre of the Past: Noon
 * Spectre of the Past: Zenith

Collaborations

 * Opposition against the Shiroyasha