Shiki Shirono


 * Never judge a book by its cover... You might regret it. - Kenji-Taichō.

Shiki Shirono (志木 白野, Shiki Whitefield), known more commonly by his title of "Whitefield Killer", is a member of the Shirono Family, making him a relative of Sanada Shirono. An international criminal wanted in several spiritual realms for crimes relating to murder, theft and bribery - most of which on his own family members. He is also a Reikon Kyuuban, having been turned by Gengetsu some time in the past, as well as one of the more well known members of the controversial criminal organization Eaglescream; being its co-founder. He has a rather noticeable fear of one Sanada Shirono, his reason for creating and remaining amongst the Eaglescream.

Appearance
Shiki has the appearance of a young man in his late teenage years, perhaps early twenties. Quite tall of height and lean of build, Shiki isn't what you would consider a hardened criminal based on outward appearances. He has short-cut black hair and striking red eyes. His bangs hang on either side of his head, framing it, while also shadowing his features somewhat. His fringe furthers this trend, which hangs just between his eyes. Due to being a Reikon Kyuuban, Shiki also has sharpened canines which are clearly visible whenever he smiles.

In terms of attire, Shiki wears clothing completely unlike that of a Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls), the only shared trait being the near all black coloration. Beneath a short-sleeved, black leather overcoat Shiki commonly wears a shirt of a slightly lighter black shade with two Christian crosses worn around his neck, one slightly smaller than the other. Ironic, considering many deem him a vampire because of his racial standing. A brown-colored steel-studded leather belt serves to keep his trousers up, which are also black leather. From his belt he secures his sealed zanpakutō, the string being threaded through a belt loop on the left-hand-side. In terms of footwear, Shiki prefers brown boots with a steel-capped toe for added protection.

Personality
A quiet man by nature, Shiki rarely converses with anyone outside his Eaglescream comrades and even then he keeps conversation to a minimum. Distant and somewhat of a recluse, Shiki would be happy if no one spoke to him the entire day, nor would he care if someone decided not to. This stems from teenage trauma, as Shiki was stabbed by a crucifix when on patrol in the Human world around a remote village in a time of war. Half buried due to a bombing, he was trapped amongst the rubble for three days, his spiritual energy and Kidō skills the one thing keeping him alive. This event corroded his mind and brought forth the current persona Shiki so commonly demonstrates.

He was also, following the incident, bullied and admonished by the younger generation amongst his family; boys and girls who'd once been his friends. The elders weren't much better and mostly ignored Shiki's attempts to garner some form of relationship with them. His mistreatment at their hands furthered his spiral into madness, which eventually came back to bite the Shirono Family: Shiki slaughtered them almost to the man, children including, leaving only three left with any Shinigami potential.

When off-duty, Shiki enjoys keeping his hands busy. He can't stand to have them still. He constantly assembles and dissembles an old wrist watch over and over again just to keep himself busy. He even turns his skills towards other devices on occasion, such as computers, mechanical tools and others still. This trait is evident even in battle, as he constantly tries to "dissemble" his target by cutting their legs and arms, then finishing with the head.

In terms of fears Shiki has but two: Sanada finding him and Kenji Hiroshi. The former comes from Sanada being a member of the Shirono family who has sworn to one day get vengeance for the deaths Shiki caused. The latter is because Kenji vowed to make Shiki's death slow and painful should Sanada fail in his attempt. Shiki understands that both men are stronger than he is by a fair margin.

History

 * Main Article - Shirono Massacre Events Page.

Shiki, when still a mere, lived in the with the remainder of his family. An oddity even then, Shiki was constantly bullied by the younger generation and mostly ignored by the older, which resulted in fierce feelings of hatred, isolation and outright fury. A storm was brewing within the young Shinigami, one he wouldn't long battle before it swept him, and his family, into oblivion.

Shiki, on an expedition to the to hunt a rouge by the name of Gengetsu - then a young man himself and only coming to terms with his gifts - eventually tracked down and fought the Reikon Kyuuban. Noticing the latter's powers, Shiki struck a deal with Gengetsu - in exchange for him walking away unharmed as though he had never actually been found, Shiki would gain the powers of the Reikon Kyuuban.

Overjoyed at this exciting prospect, Shiki returned to his home in the Seireitei and immediately began plotting his revenge on those who had spitted him. Caught up in his bloodlust, Shiki instead massacred almost his entire family, leaving only a bare handful alive - and only three with any Shinigami potential, among them Sanada Shirono.

Shiki would go into hiding, avoiding Soul Society's search. He later resurfaced and joined with Teruo Yūdai, forming the Eaglescream Alliance in order to surround himself with strong allies as a defensive measure to prolong his life and help ward off attempts, especially from Sanada, attacking him.

Synopsis

 * See main article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Part II

 * The Leaders, Face to Face (Mentioned Only)

Powers and Abilities
He is classed as a captain-level combatant, at least in terms of the spiritual and is more than a match for the other members of the Eaglescream, including its current leader, Teruo. Before the massacre of his family, he was held as the second-strongest of the entire Shirono line, being bested solely by Sanada.

Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: While the full extent of his swordsmanship has yet to be seen, Shiki is fit to attack incredibly quickly thanks to his masterful speed; which makes his swordplay all the more devastating for those not fit to keep up with him. He is also privy to certain swordsmanship techniques and was fit to massacre almost his entire family in a single night; those who survived describing him as a "true terror with a blade".


 * Fifusu: Hasshin (フィフス:発疹, "The Fifth: Eruption"): a technique where the user makes a deep slash across an opponents mid-rift, packed with their spiritual energy, which possesses extreme cutting power. This spiritual energy acts to part the opponents, making Hierro and other hardened skin techniques, such as the Custode, all but useless against it. Seconds following the initial strike, blood erupts from the wound, hence the name.


 * Daihachi: Hien (第八:ひえん, "The Eighth: Swallow in Flight"): a technique where the user makes a single vertical slash at extremely fast speeds at an opponents back, which includes two extreme feats of ''Shunpo - one to take them behind the foe and another to retreat. Should the foe be in possession of wings, or other growth on their backs, they are usually cut clean off.

Hakuda Expert: Shiki is a capable bare-handed fighter, showing himself capable of rendering several criminals within Kōhai Tochi unconscious without using his zanpakutō.

Ketsueki Butoukai Master: As a powerful Reikon Kyuuban, Shiki has access to their version of high-speed movement; preferring it over the more traditional used by. His skill in the use of Ketsueki Butoukai has been honed to a masters level, allowing him to move and strike in short amounts of time which ultimately aids his other skills. Even after only receiving his powers, Shiki was fit to use Ketsueki Butoukai at the level required to catch several Shinigami by surprise, hinting at an instinctual predisposition to the art.

Zanpakutō
Kanashimu (悲しむ, Griever). Like his master, Kanashimu is a loner in many respects, rarely taking the time to speak with Shiki unless, of course, the matter is urgent. A male spirit personified by his distant nature, Kanashimu is sealed in the form of a long-bladed nodachi, allowing Shiki to strike at greater distance with greater ease; which he argues fits perfectly with Kanashimu's own nature. This does however make it more difficult when the opponent happens to close the distance sufficiently, for then its length becomes his greatest weakness. His hilt is wrapped in red and pink bandages, the darkest of which mimic the coloration of blood, while the guard, shaped in an average circle, is a shade of reflective black steel.


 * : Kanashimu is released through the phrase "Alone in the Gloom, I'll Howl at the Moon", again referencing the blades loner attitude, as well as Shiki's by extension, as both are lone wolves. To release Shiki holds Kanashimu in a reverse-gripped hold, point to the floor, hilt raised slightly above his head so the first few inches of the blade are parallel with his eyes, which begin to glow fiercely with a purplish hue. A purple-colored hue then rises from the blades tip which encompasses the entire area, starting with the area immediately surrounding Shiki. This creates a shroud which eventually reduces visibility to absolute zero.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Shiki refers to Kanashimu's power as the power to create a World of Gloom (グルームの世界, Gurūmu no Sekai). His ability robs people of their sense of sight, reducing visibility to absolute zero; makes it incredibly difficult to sense even the slightest trickle of spiritual energy when inside and forces those afflicted to fight by means other than their eyes. Not even Kidō, superior spiritual power or fierce winds can expel the encircling shroud, nor can it be breached from the outside, or those within detected by sensory techniques. The only way out is to pass through it from where it originally ensnared you to the exit, or for Shiki to seal the effect. In addition, the World of Gloom separates out allies, while the oppressive feel of the power causes feelings of isolation and desperation to sink in, though this is not always the case. To top off its frightening power, Shiki moves amongst the shroud like a wraith in the shadows; striking swiftly, ruthlessly and without mercy for man, woman or child without, it would seem, succumbing to the downsides. Sanada Shirono has even speculated that Shiki can enter the shroud at will, though this remains mere speculation. It was this ability more so than any other that allowed Shiki to so effortlessly massacre almost all of his family in the space of a single night.


 * : Not yet Achieved.

Reikon Kyuuban Status
As a Reikon Kyuuban, turned by Gengetsu prior to his families massacre, Shiki has access to various racial abilities unique to that race. He wished for the abilities, not fully understanding them, and struck a deal with Gengetsu to that effect; granting him the gifts he now uses so regularly to crush friend and foe alike.


 * Reikon Kyuuban Special Abilities: The abilities of the Reikon Kyuuban revolve mainly around their ability to suck blood from their victims, which is why Shiki is often mistaken for a vampire or even a by those not in the know. Of course he does nothing to discredit these onerous claims, feeling it helps him blend in more by hiding what he truly is. The abilities he gains access to are:


 * Bat Transformation: Merely through conscious thought, Shiki can take the form of a bat. This is achieved through lessening the level of spiritual power to a fraction of what it normally is, resulting in a smaller form; the factor usually being 5-10% of what Shiki is capable of exuding. When in this form he is nigh on impossible to follow because of his small size. When used Shiki cannot use any spiritual or physical techniques, though he cannot be sensed either, making it ideal for covert operations or intelligence gathering. He can also, albeit with greater effort on his part, increase the output to near 30%, increasing the size and strength of this form should the need arise. He does so rarely however, finding the smaller size easier handled as well as more useful to his needs. He also cannot seperate out into any more than two bats, such is his reluctance to use or even train this skills.


 * Tamashī Enka (タマシエンカ Soul Swallowing): a basic Reikon Kyuuban technique. By using his canines to bite his target around the neck area like a traditional vampire, Shiki can proceed to suck the soul clean out of the individual through use of Chinoke (血の気 Blood Drain), another basic Reikon Kyuuban technique. However, Chinoke can also be used to blood like a traditional vampire might. He can then use this extra blood for various additional effects, in part due to his own inventiveness.


 * Kyūketsuki Ga Satsuei (吸血鬼が撮影 Vampire Shot): a technique which condenses the absorbed blood into a beam-shape which is then packed with Shiki's own spiritual energy. By using the absorbed blood in place of his own, Shiki can completely bypass the instant exhaustion usually felt after the techniques use. He can also use it in the traditional, exhausting manner.


 * Munashii Wangetsu (ボイドクレセント Void Crescent): one of Shiki's more favored Reikon Kyuuban abilities. Munashii Wangetsu allows him to hide within the shadow of an individual without the latter being aware, making it ideal for sudden surprise attacks.

Kyūketsuki Sutēji
The Kyūketsuki Sutēji ( 吸血鬼ステージ, Vampire Stage) is something all Reikon Kyuuban have, regardless of their circumstance. The ability is essentially an inherit transformation technique designed to augment spiritual and physical power and, in the case of Shiki, offer an as-of-yet unexplained special power to help tip the scales of battle to his favor.


 * Kyūketsuki Sutēji: Not yet Revealed.


 * Kyūketsuki Sutēji Special Ability: Not yet Revealed.

Behind the Scenes

 * Shiki's zanpakutō, Kanashimu, is a deliberate shout-out to popular Final Fantasy protagonist, Squall Leonhart and his iconic symbol - Griever. The name, as well as lone-wolf characteristic of Squall, helped create the above character's personality traits; while the path I took one of my other characters - Shigeru Yūdai - helped provide a basis with a dark history that constantly effects the character in past, present and future encounters.