Kyebaek Tae

"I refuse, Yamamoto Shigekuni. Never will I accept living as your second. With every single breath you take, it is as if you are insulting my very pride! Stepping on the pride of the Hakaishin. This, I promise you. Perhaps my departure now may seem to be a permanent one, but I shall return... as I will come back to claim what is mine, and you will be cut down inch... by pathetic inch."

- Kyebaek speaking to Yamamoto, at the end of their final battle.


 * "A soul that keeps burning, as a sky descends." - Seireitou-shishō

Kyebaek Tae (계백태 (階伯泰), Keibeiku Tai) is a powerful Hakaishin of legendary status that had served as a warlord general under the King of Souls during the olden days of Soul Society. He is said to exist within a transcendent realm of power, causing entire civilizations to shiver in fear when his name is uttered. There are even stories that tell of Kyebaek's countless confrontations against the sword demon, Shigekuni Yamamoto, due to the refusal to work under the latter as a sort of officer. He was also the teacher of Sōsuke Aizen at one time. Not much is known about his current activity, but he has been reported to have resurfaced following the campaign of destruction brought forth by the Vandenreich. It is known that he is accompanied by two Togabito retainers, namely Koemune and Togoro, while subsequently serving as the leader of the Demonscales.

Appearance
Kyebaek is depicted as quite a handsome adult male with long, albeit spikey, black hair that extends down past his waist. His eyes are dark red, which have been repeatedly compared to the eyes of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and has a very soft complexion to the point that some people have often called him bishōnen. However, they are proven wrong when he reveals a gruff facial expression that contradicts that claim. He is shown to wear simplistic black clothing underneath red armor modeled after that of Samurai combat armor. It appears that it is not just for show as it has protected Kyebaek from life-threatening attacks in the past.

Personality
It has been said that Kyebaek is a very strange person. In most cases, he comes off as a very serious individual. Stern and unbending in his beliefs, Kyebaek is a man that is willing to fight tooth and nail for principles that he deems important, even if they seem trivial to others. He wastes no time in moving forward and accomplishing a feat if it means it will get him closer to succeeding in any particular goal of his. Remarkably, however, he has absolutely no moral compass. If it means killing one or two thousand innocent civilians to further his plans, he will not even spare a shrug in response; as if it were a natural thing to do. Yamamoto had often called Kyebaek the "perfect warrior", in that he never allowed arrogance to cloud his judgment but also never allowed emotion to overpower logic and reasoning. Despite this, however, the middle aged Captain-Commander noted that Kyebaek was also far too dangerous to be left unchecked, often requesting Yachiru Unohana to keep tabs on his movements.

In his younger years, it was shown that Kyebaek had a desire to keep things peaceful and to maintain balance, no matter what the cost; despite his Hakaishin heritage. However, witnessing the events of the Shinigami murdering the Quincy in needless bloodshed, Kyebaek had come to the realization that peace and balance were products only of conquest. Only when one man stands at the top of everything can there truly be any form of peace, which has led to Kyebaek's eventual defection from his position and his concordant plans to rebel against the Soul Society. This obsession with peace soon became bastardized into a mere pursuit for strength and absolute power.

Kyebaek attributed his desire for fighting and power due to the pride he felt as a Hakaishin and as the only surviving member of the Tae Clan. Despite not having a moral code of ethics, Kyebaek does respect the warrior code of battle due solely to his pride, refusing to accept the help of anybody no matter the situation. If he should engage in any form of heroic act, it would be solely due out of self-interest. It is suggested that the only reason he agreed to become a general under the Soul King was to await an opportunity to seize his mystical powers. He has often noted his disgust of the current roster of Gotei 13 Captains, calling them all "wannabe-warrior disgraces" that lack any real pride, and even going as far as to say the Gotei 13 died along with Yamamoto, subsequently stating that Shunsui Kyōraku was not worthy of bearing the title of Captain-Commander. It is due to this pride, however, that Kyebaek's true goals are not something so shallow that they involve conquest nor something along the lines of vengeance. He stated that his only plans are to become stronger than his current self.

It appears that Kyebaek does have a tendency to hold grudges, most of which could be extremely aimless to most other people. Most noticeably, he bears an intense hatred for Yhwach for being the one to have killed Yamamoto, as Kyebaek himself declared he would return to make the latter bow to him. As a result, Kyebaek swears to make Yhwach pay for stealing that honor away from him. Additionally, he appears to despise Seireitou Kawahiru for constantly showing himself to be a superior fighter; although this seems to have bypassed hatred and now resides as a form of rivalry.

Despite his serious and prideful nature, he is prone to making sarcastic comments during particular situations. He is not above insulting an opponent for making mistakes or even putting down an ally if they somehow interfered with Kyebaek's planning. Subsequently, he is known to crack jokes, albeit with a sense of dryness and darkness. Kyebaek is more than willing to uncharacteristically shout in anger if something truly has gone against his initial expectations, but can quickly regain his sense of unyielding composure without a wasted moment, meaning it is very difficult to secure a window of opportunity against Kyebaek during a battle in which he can be caught off-guard.

Powers & Abilities
Immense Spiritual Power: Without a doubt, Kyebaek has shown himself to possess almost limitless reserves of spiritual energy within his being. He was said to be only a small tier below that of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, to the point that even the founding Gotei 13 Captains were unable to distinguish which of the two had the greater level of power, due mostly in part to the fact that the two had never battled close enough side-by-side to allow for a proper comparison. Despite that, Kyebaek's power was still regarded as incredible. In the recent times, he has grown much stronger, making it a likely presumption that his power has well surpassed the sword demon Yamamoto; even in the latter's prime, when he stood at his most powerful. It is described as monstrous by most and that whenever opponents are thrust into battle with him, they express a profound fear in regards to the sheer might of his energy; claiming that they can feel their mentalities slowly slipping away as their bodies waste away under the massive strain of his reiatsu. While this has never actually occurred in battle, Kyebaek has shown a technique in releasing his reiatsu to a point that normal Hollow are unable to maintain their existence and fade away under the pressure. During his time as a warlord general, Kyebaek often warned his subordinates and even Yamamoto's men to keep their distance from him so they would not gamble losing control over their state of being. The color of his spiritual power is shown to be dark purple but can also take a black color during specific circumstances.
 * Effect-Laced Reiatsu: It appears that Kyebaek can quite effortlessly lace subtle Kidō spells into the exertion of his reiatsu, meaning that he can slowly slip through an opponent's frontal defense and inflict them with a number of effects, such as making them lose consciousness (through the use of Inemuri), paralyzing their central nervous system after long periods of exposure (through the use of Geki), slowly poison their body by miniscule amounts so that the body will not be capable of detecting the poisonous traces, allowing for the eventual collective effect of their body succumbing to the potent poison (through the use of Shimoku), and far more devastating effects depending on what spell, or what combination of spells, are layered into the reiatsu. However, in ties to his preference of using fire-type techniques, Kyebaek makes common use of a very subtle use of Haien, laced into his spiritual pressure that causes the temperature in the environment around himself and his opponents to slowly rise. Most opponents relate the experience to the effects felt by witnesses to the release of Zanka no Tachi, in that they feel their bodies drying up and losing liquid. In many cases, against weaker opponents, he can even cause them to eventually pass out due to the overexposure to intensive heat.

Great Strength: Judging solely on his lean appearance, one would think Kyebaek has no more physical strength than that of a standard Captain-class Shinigami. However, they would soon be proven wrong, as Kyebaek possesses a degree of strength unmatched by those who had also reached the status of Captain during his time. How did this occur, a witness observing Kyebaek in combat may question. And the answer is rather simple. Conditioning; though not through the conventional method. Kyebaek had conditioned each and every one of his muscles through internal pressurized Kidō spells that he had constantly tortured himself with, slowly allowing him to gain strength without becoming bulky and subsequently losing speed, which led to an impressive balance of muscles within his body that allow for feats of strength that would surprise even the strongest Shinigami of the modern age. With a single finger, he can contend with even blade-wielding opponents and even go as far as to dominate them completely through sheer force. Kyebaek comments, however, that using brute force is something he prefers to avoid, as it is "far too unsightly".

Advanced Hakuda Master
Despite his preferences in Kidō, Kyebaek is known to be an incredible master of Hakuka combat. While it is known his "elegance" that make him a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, it is the culmination of his physical strength, immense speed, and overall "perfect" knowledge of energy flow and circulation that justifies his level of ability.

Prowess in Hand-to-Hand Combat: Kyebaek is incredibly skilled in Hakuda combat, demonstrating a control over his own abilities and his body that is well beyond the standards of even Captain-class warriors. He utilizes techniques of incredible precision, with no wasted movement whatsoever, allowing for the total domination of an opponent until they are rendered incapable of fighting any further or are ultimately killed from the damage they would receive. On his own, Kyebaek was able to charge right through the Seireitei's streets, engaging in hyper-speed combat with every single opponent that dared to cross his path. In less than twenty minutes, he had completely wiped out the entire Seventh Division, save for its Captain. Even lieutenants find themselves utterly outmatched against Kyebaek's powerful attacks. In an almost similar massacre, the Onmitsukidō's ranks find themselves completely at the mercy of Kyebaek's technique, with even their great Commander falling to Kyebaek's knees after just a couple well-aimed strikes. Even the infamous Shunkō, when used by Yoruichi Shihōin, proved to be futile against him. In terms of style, Kyebaek comments that he has no true Hakuda style, having mastered a medley of different martial arts to accumulate his vast prowess. Kyebaek remarked that his Hakuda style is the very nature of hard-type martial arts themselves, serving as a parallel to Kyebaek's philosophy that a true warrior fights to overpower his opponent with sheer power and might. The idea behind Kyebaek's fighting style is not simply to bash an opponent until they are subdued, but rather his combat style is modeled after the idea of annihilation, seeking any and all means to crush an opponent(s), even if it should mean the deaths of innocents around them. In some ways, many Captains compared this mentality to that of Yamamoto's own method of fighting. Only when the opponent lacks the capability to continue fighting are they actually defeated, even if it means they must succumb to death through Kyebaek's hand or even if it means his allies must suffer the price.

Advanced Kidō Master
Held in high regard by all Shinigami that have come before and after his time, Kyebaek is known as the esteemed expert in all things Kidō. He is known to have been a prodigy of the magical arts from the moment he was born, subconsciously and without awareness preforming feats on those around him that could only be explained with the logic used by that of magic itself.

Defensive Spells: Despite being a primarily exclusive offensive warrior, Kyebaek is a master of Kidō defense. Aptly named Bakudō, the "way of binding", Kyebaek is capable of forming powerful shields and barriers that will enable him to protect himself during any form of damage that may be inflicted upon his person by an opponent. With a flick of his fingers or even with a change in his overbearing glare, he can completely change the shape and density of his Bakudō, among other attributes. Most noticeably, Kyebaek finds himself creating ribcage-like defensive spells to surround his being, and will even infuse other Kidō effects into the original design in order to boost its effectiveness. These can be summoned without the need for an incantation in most cases, and can even be concealed by a Kyokko to give off the false impression that the defensive spell's effects have ended, which will allow for Kyebaek to draw in an opponent's attack, only to defend against it and deliver a finishing blow. Having taught Sōsuke Aizen how to use long-standing spells that allow for continuous protection, like Millón Escudo, Kyebaek prides himself a master of such techniques. He can layer multiple protection charms onto various areas of his body to provide a nearly unstoppable line of defense that will make it impossible for an opponent to even land a single blood-drawing strike before Kyebaek is able to overwhelm them with his prowess and eventually defeat/kill them. Kyebaek can seal spell effects into particular locations through simply tapping the desired spot, allowing for them to be triggered and activated when the predetermined conditions decided by Kyebaek have been met or when he himself wills the Bakudō to come into effect.

Favorite Kidō: Kyebaek has a great handle over almost all spells that are among the known and the unknown, but like a true Master, he chooses only a particular few spells that he has deemed his "favorite". According to Kyebaek, like that of a martial artist that any single one of their techniques can be used in a hundred different ways, he expresses that Kidō spells each have completely limitless degrees of capability that must be invoked in order to truly fight with one's full might. Kyebaek is acclaimed to utilize flame-type spells above all others the most, due to his own preference for their destructive potential.
 * Haien: Among Kyebaek's most favorite spells to use in combat, Hadō #54: Haien (廃炎, "Abolishing Flames") is most definitely one of his most commonly employed techniques. The spell originally takes the form of a purple sphere of compressed flames that, when thrown toward a target, causes said target to be vaporized. Thus, the true danger of Haien is not in its power but rather the heat it generates that allows for the target to be disintegrated, leaving naught but a trace behind. Being a master of this particular spell, Kyebaek can effortlessly change the shape and "thickness" of Haien, allowing him to form quite a number of items, such as fiery spears. For healing purposes, Kyebaek has been known to cauterize his battle-dealt injuries using a minuscule Haien through his fingers. However, in most fights, Kyebaek chooses to instead let loose the Haien in widespread waves of incredibly hot lavender flames. While they appear to be thrown completely without regard, Kyebaek is still in full control of the path the wild flames take, allowing him to fight with the Haien spell much like the Captain of the Sixth Division, Byakuya Kuchiki, fights with his own Zanpakutō. Kyebaek will cross his arms across his chest, merely watching as he mentally commands the lavender flames to ensnare the opponent until they are rendered to unidentifiable ashes. Likewise, while it is nearly unbeatable as an offensive technique, Kyebaek can also allow some embers of the spell to surround his body, infused with a ribcage-shaped Bakudō that allows for an invincible defense while his offensive Haien continues its consistent assault against the opponent(s). Kyebaek had theorized that Haien is actually at the center of all flame-type spells, in that depending on its intensity and degree of control and manipulation, its abilities and form completely differ from its base state. Subsequently, it is stated by Kyebaek that Haien has multiple forms, which can easily mimic other spells like Sōkatsui; in fact, Kyebaek once claimed that Sōkatsui was created in order to weaken the Haien's original power, so it could be used without causing unwanted side effects on the environment and/or unintentionally harming allies if an inexperienced user were to use the spell. In changing the heat of the spell, Haien can assume a more orange-yellow color, like that of normal fire, though its power is severely weakened due to this. However, even so, Kyebaek retains a great might over even a weakened Haien, allowing him to defeat even considerably powerful opponents with repeated attacks. Depending on how its intensity is changed, the color of Haien will also change in direct consequence. Invoking the true power of Haien causes the color to turn white, as white fire is when the flames have reached their highest logical temperature. This effect occurs only when Kyebaek chooses to use Haien's incantation, which will allow for him to draw upon the spell's complete power. Once unleashed onto a target, the heat is so intense, it can even vaporize the soul of the victim, meaning that they will be unable to reincarnate and instead, will be completely and utterly destroyed. Due to Kyebaek's lack of morals, he is more than willing to unleash a full-powered Haien upon an opponent, but often refuses due to claiming that such a feat is not worth his time, as Kyebaek very rarely will confront an enemy that he holds in high regard, combat-wise. However, that being said, he seeks to empower the Haien even further.

Behind the Scenes
His character was greatly inspired by Vegeta from the anime and manga series, Dragon Ball Z.