Igai Tekigō

"Need I comment on the last Shinigami who led us? His promises were like a puddle of vomit and most people, myself included, were like dogs who loved the flavor. We, the Espada, have played lapdog to Shinigami too long! Explain to me why we need a Shinigami ruler, when Hollow are, by their very nature, ruthless and calculating; not willing to bend knee to anyone? None of you can sit here saying you wouldn't kill the one beside you for greater strength, or to improve your own chances of success. And who are we to question that nature? Tis the way we were born, ladies and gentlemen of the Espada; so why not do what every Arrancar and Hollow by extension desires? And what do they desire, I hear you asking? That is simple, my friends. The freedom to life and feed without these so called Shinigami killing us at every turn. Aizen was a cancer, slowly killing us all. I attempted to remove him, but back then my words feel on deaf ears because you were transfixed by his power, the promises he made which never bore fruit. How did betrayal taste, back then? I imagine it was far from pleasant. Ladies and gentlemen, we are Espada - the strongest of our race. Why should we - being who we are - follow anyone not of our own race? Only Arrancar can cater for Arrancar. Only Arrancar have the strength to safeguard our Hollow, which are hunted indiscriminately everyday by the ones who would try and lead us! The answer is simple. We, as a race, shall never bend knee again."

- Igai Tekigō to his fellow Espada.

Igai Tekigō (以外適合, Tekigō Igai, Japanese for Non Conformity), is the Sexta Espada, well known for his outspoken views and hatred for. A powerful self-made Arrancar whose unique ability to assimilate Hollow-related powers have allowed him to grow stronger as time progresses, despite starting out rather weak. His one and only is Yuiitsu Kisoku. Among the Espada, he is famous for his skills in Jōhyō and Kusarigama-jutsu, which happens to be his main weapon specializations among his peers.

Once a member of 's, being a mere at the time, Igai was forced into hiding after an unsuccessful coup d'état, which failed in its mission to overthrow Aizen as the supreme leader and reinstate  as King of. He failed because of a lack of support on his part, mainly among the Espada of that generation, with other Números and Fracción making up the majority of his rebel force.

Appearance
Igai is a relatively tall man, with a noticeably muscular and well endowed physique thats a little at odds with his calm reasoning and charismatic nature. He is in possession of lightly-colored brown eyes, of which have been described as weighty and quite penetrating, not to mention persuasive. When still a member of Aizen's Espada, the Números and Fracción of that time noted the implied quality of his eyes, stating "with a mere gaze he could inspire feelings of courage and hope, making others see things from his perspective". His silver hair is neatly parted at the fringe, with two spiked strands on top that appear like horns, which to Igai's annoyance will not flatten, much to Yuiitsu's endless joy. His features are usually matched to the situation and depend largely on current events. For example, in battle, he usually wears a scowl. When conversing about his goals of a Hollow and Arrancar race free of Shinigami leadership he is noted to have a happy and hopeful expression, though his mannerisms darken when the subject turns to the indiscriminate act of Shinigami killing Hollow and Arrancar for no other reason than they devour souls for nourishment.

His clothing is also quite different from what has come to be expected of Arrancar within the Espada leadership. Instead of the all-white garb often seen, Igai breaks all notion of conformity and prefers wearing clothing that makes him feel comfortable. His usual garb consists mainly of a purple top, short-sleeved, with tattered ends at the sleeves end, with a protective shoulder guard covering his right shoulder and bicep; the straps going round his arm and beneath his armpit. His trousers are the same purple coloration, with two belts worn around his waist, the lower of which partly overlaps with the upper at the back, though not at the front; with the loose part of the upper belt being threaded down through the second, which proceeds to hang loosely. Strapped over his right shoulder lies an average broadsword with the handle sticking over his shoulder, the sheath held at an angle for ease of drawing. He is also known to carry his katana's sheath threaded through his two belts in the traditional manner. On his forearms are also several bandages for warmth and to conceal his many coils of wire. His hands are covered with gloves of the same purple coloration as his clothing, which are fingerless.

Personality
Igai, at odds with his arguably intimidating appearance, is actually quite a calm and charismatic individual, with a knack for telling people what they wish to hear and identifying scapegoats on which to direct the target of his words upon; an example being Sōsuke Aizen's leadership of the Arrancar and how big of a sham it had been when he, after using the Hollow and Arrancar to meet his ends, the Espada included, turned on them; resulting mostly in their collective deaths and defeat at the hands of the Shinigami. He is a calm and calculating man, strategist and warrior; who firmly believes that one man can change the world, whether it be from the shadows or through public action, exhibited through his failed coup d'état to try and overthrow Aizen. He is very adept at putting forth his own views and getting others to identify with his point of view, often with the result of them warming to his ideals; usually adopting them as their own in due course.

Not only is he a natural orator who can sway others with his words, his eyes have been noted to have a similar quality, as the former generation of Números and Fracción state "with a mere gaze he could inspire feelings of courage and hope, making others see things from his perspective"; showcasing his impressive charisma and inspiring air even without the use of words. He seems to be well aware of these traits though, and is more than willing to label himself as the catalyst and foundation stone, summed up in his own words to an unnamed Arrancar shortly following his admittance into the Espada: "I don't believe in conformity. The cynic says, "One man can't do anything". I say, "Only one man can do anything". People followed me in the coup, not through fear, but because I inspired them. I gave them hope. I gave them reason for being. I gave them a purpose to aspire to. That was the work of one man. My work. And I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." This makes him come across as arrogant, though this is only half true. He beliefs in his own abilities, knows the limits of each and isn't above stepping aside when he knows he cannot win.

These traits have labelled Igai as a man who, in his own admission, doesn't conform to anything. He holds the view that "when all think alike, then no one is thinking". His lack of conformity to anything is ultimately seen in his sense of dress and actions, as he rarely agrees with the collective whole; usually being the one to offer a different method of doing things or an additional point to a discussion. This attitude, as well as his past rebellious streak, make him a subject of much monitoring within the Espada, as well as a rallying point for others with similar ideals. Former Séptima Espada, Zenmetsu, has stated that he wouldn't be surprised if Igai knew of every plot to overthrow or attempt to gain power that was going on within the walls of, with Saigai, Zenmetsu's former Fracción stating that Igai is a dangerous man and potentially dangerous future element should he ever turn his impressive charisma and intelligence to ruling , implying that even Averian, as smart and strategic as the tyrant is, would be no match for Igai's cunning and leadership ability and be trounced in every way except raw power.

In addition to his fearsome reputation, brought further through his open defiance of Aizen and by his survival of said defiance, Igai has a side to his personality that he rarely shows to others, the sole exception being his Fracción, Yuiitsu. With her, he acts like a lovable uncle, often with a joking nature and attitude. Whenever others are present though, his previous charismatic air prevails immediately, with Yuiitsu playing along to ensure the behavior remains concealed.

Synopsis

 * Main Article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Equipment
Broadsword:

Coils of Wire:

Powers and Abilities
Master Orator: Igai's ability to speak in public settings, outline his thoughts and feelings, as well as getting others to warm to his way of thinking is truly masterful. This skill very nearly resulted in a successful coup d'état to overthrow and reinstate  as King of, the one thing leading to its failure being the then Espada's reluctance to go against Aizen's fearsome power, as well as the.

Power Assimilation: A power which has been called a weaker version of Averian's Shōhisharei, Igai can assimilate the powers of any Hollow-like entity he has killed or finds dead, such as fellow Arrancar and Hollow, and Excavado. He does not, however, assimilate memories or the deceased wielders expertise in said skill, meaning whichever abilities he does gain as a result of this ability are subject to training in order to gain mastery over them, just like any other skill.

As a result of this, Igai is easily labelled as a captain-level individual, with his spiritual pressure being described as the "differences between heaven and earth" when compared to the Números and Fracción beneath him.





Even in his unreleased state, he is able to keep up with the likes of Kusaka Kori and Kireina Shiba effortlessly, even with Kusaka's usage of Shunkō. Without the Shunkō enhancement, Igai was fit to completely overwhelm Kusaka in regards of speed during their first meeting. Even when a mere Números, Igai's skill in Sonído was impressive, allowing him to flee before Aizen could order his capture following the failure of his coup d'état.

Zanpakutō
Escisión (Spanish for Rift; 亀裂, Kiretsu in Japanese) is the name of Igai's zanpakutō, which is sealed in the form of a rope-javelin he usually coils around his right arm for use as a long-range projectile, in a style dubbed Jōhyō. The rope, despite appearances, is extremely difficult to cut and even should it be cut in battle, all Igai needs to do is exert his spiritual energy to repair it.



Resurrección: Segunda Etapa: Not yet Achieved.

Weapon Specializations
Jōhyō:

Kusarigama Master:

Assimilated Powers
Akatsuki Karitori (暁刈り取り, Japanese for Dawn Reaper) A zanpakutō that Igai gained after defeating a Shinigami who had succumbed to his Inner Hollow and was devoured, resulting in the original zanpakutō spirit of Akatsuki Karitori being overcome also, creating a more Hollowfied zanpakutō. This allowed Igai to assimilate the powers of Akatsuki Karitori into his arsenal, due to its hollowfied influence. He has had the weapon shortly after becoming an Arrancar some 600 hundred years previously and had it in his possession when he attempted his coup d'état to overthrow Aizen. The one downside is that this weapon cannot unlock its Bankai state, only its Shikai powers.

Akatsuki Karitori takes the appearance of an average katana, the one which Igai threads through his two belts in the traditional manner. Its of average length, with a bandage-clad hilt, silver-colored guard shaped like a circle and an equally silver blade. The guard extends about an inch onto the blade proper, with the hilt having enough space for both hands comfortably.

Its appearance also remains the same.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Akatsuki Karitori gives Igai the ability to bend and manipulate light for various effects, such as using accumulated light as a catalyst to attack his enemies, blind his enemies to create an opening; assume a state of invisibility and for defensive purposes.

Acidic Touch: Gained by killing an unnamed Excavado in the past, Igai has shown himself fit to burn a target with mere touch, the severity of which is intensified the longer he remains in physical contact with the target. Given enough time he can burn flesh and bone away to nothingness, with the same being true for a zanpakutō. He can also control the output of this particular ability so he can chose when to activate it and when to keep it inactive.

Following his successful flight following his failed coup d'état, Igai was able to kill a pursuing Arrancar who had kept the ability instead of discarding it. Assimilating the skill for himself once again, Igai is fit to heal whole body parts; such as limbs, excepting his head and inner organs; though it does require large amounts of spiritual energy to perform.

Quotes

 * (To an unnamed Arrancar) "I don't believe in conformity. The cynic says, "One man can't do anything". I say, "Only one man can do anything". People followed me in the coup, not through fear, but because I inspired them. I gave them hope. I gave them reason for being. I gave them a purpose to aspire to. That was the work of one man. My work. And I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."

Behind the Scenes
The author intends Igai to be a break in the norm of the usual Arrancar character, in that he is very much a charismatic individual and not your average "out to destroy Soul Society" archetype that have mostly appeared in Arrancar or antagonist characters.