Shinrei Kurosaki

Shinrei Kurosaki (心霊黒崎), known occasionally by the alias Ries Nohr (リースも), is the son of Kenji Hiroshi and Eri Kurosaki, though Kenji was initially unaware of his existence because Eri disappeared without telling Kenji she was pregnant. He is the eldest of Kenji's six children and counts Arisa, Kentaro, Hotaru, Akira and Kay as his siblings. Through his father he is a member of the noble Shiba clan and through his mother he is a distant relative of a  lineage. Shinrei himself is not a Quincy however and instead counts himself as a Visored; one of the few who have crossed over into the realm of their  and gained. Shinrei owes his status to a joint experiment carried out by Bansui Amatsuki and Kagura, and only the unexpected intervention of Kenji prevented Shinrei succumbing to Soul Suicide.

From Part II onward Shinrei serves as a supporting character in the series who is often seen in the company of Kenji, and in many ways replaces Kazuma Nishiki as Kenji's protege. As a core member of the Ryū Guard he fought throughout the First Spiritual War against Averian's premier Battle Doll, often at the forefront right alongside his father and Van Satonaka. When his father and Van successfully employed an archaic and highly dangerous ritual to fuse their bodies into a single entity referred to as Shiba Satonaka, it was Shinrei who fought Averian one-on-one to buy the duo the time they needed to execute it. Per the beginning of Part III Shinrei remained a supporting character whose sheer strength rivalled that of Kenji and Kusaka, with many believing that he would one day enter into a league all his own. Despite this he did not help in the battles against the returned Averian or Arturo Plateado, instead acting as a cheek on the growing power of the criminal Kikkashō organisation.

Just before the advent of The Collapse and the beginning of Part IV, Shinrei was tasked by his father to keep an eye on Garrett Sheppard and Tiffany Henderson, as the latter possessed the same as Shinrei himself, whilst the former was the son of a former Shinigami Captain whom the Kikkashō had begun to show interest in recruiting. It was Shinrei, acting under the persona of Ries and inhabiting a specialised, who prevented The Collapse utterly destroying Grat, though he lost his memories as a result and believed himself to be Ries. He subsequently joined Garrett and his friends in safeguarding the surrounding area from spiritual threats, whilst also developing a fierce rivalry with Garrett.

Appearance
Shinrei, in the guise of Ries, utilized a specially-made with an appearance different to his natural look. Ries is a wiry young man with long silver-coloured hair he usually keeps tied up in a tight ponytail, and sports a black tribal-like tattoo on his right cheek. He is partial towards loose-fitting jackets and padded trousers, complimented by a silver chain necklace and chain belt. When training Ries dons a personalized white-coloured ' that echoes the style worn by Aaron and Garrett Sheppard, which sports a heavier cotton jacket and reinforced trousers similar to the ' worn in. His true appearance however is slightly different; he does not sport long hair, nor does he sport a facial tattoo. In his spirit form Shinrei foregoes traditional Shinigami attire in favour of a pair of black trousers and stout leather boots, with his upper body exposed to the elements. His shoulders, lower back, and right arm are adorned in tribal tattoos with a loose Celtic-themed motif, and he sports piercings on his left ear. In terms of facial structure his Soul form differs enough from his Gigai appearance that even Kentaro and Sanada failed to recognize that Ries was, in fact, Shinrei. The Gigai is noted to appear older and more mature, whilst Shinrei's Soul form looks younger by comparison.

Personality
Shinrei is a dedicated, trustworthy and loyal young man; traits he inherited from his father Kenji; for he is almost always seen at Kenji's side. Like his father he is well respected and is possessing of a do-or-die attitude that often gets him into trouble and into life-threatening situations, though his bravery is without question. When time was needed so Kenji and Van could prepare themselves for the Fusion Technique it was Shinrei who fought Averian to give them the time they needed; almost at the cost of his own life.

To threaten Kenji or Ino is to threaten Shinrei himself. He is highly devoted to the man and woman who raised him and extends those same feelings to his half-brothers and sister, particularly Kay. It is no exaggeration to say that those who harm either of his siblings are destined to die if Shinrei happens to be in the immediate vicinity; he even once attempted to strike at Naishō Kawahiru. His trust is hard to win but once won he'll back your corner with every fibre of his being, which was demonstrated when, sixteen years after Averian's death, a doppelgänger of Kenji appeared. Shinrei was one of a very select group of people who weren't fooled by the imposter; an indication of both his loyalty and trust, not to mention his powers of observation.

Of his siblings Shinrei gets on the best with Kentaro, whom he trains with regularly, and Kay, whom he dotes on and spoils considerably. Neither was aware that he had survived The Collapse however and because of his amnesia he was likewise not aware of the dangerous predicament they found themselves in. Of his uncles and aunt he tends to associate with Meian more strongly than Rosuto or Kireina, leading to an understanding between the two that Kenji doesn't even share with him. His hobbies include star-gazing and skiing, and his favourite dish happens to be prawns on a bed of salad. Shinrei's strongest bond is with his younger sister Kay. It was thoughts of her that drove him to repulse The Collapse over Grat.

To aid in his mission to protect Garrett Sheppard and Tiffany Henderson from the Kikkashō, Shinrei fashioned himself a new persona, with Ries as his adopted name. He portrayed himself as a confident and competitive fighter, albeit he retained a polite and respectful air. After defeating Randy Jones in the Beatdown, which saw Randy in bad shape with a neck injury, Ries immediately offered his services to heal him and succeeded in doing so. He soon integrated himself into Garrett's core group of friends and notably left the Beatdown with them when Garrett suggested they catch a movie instead. He and Garrett soon developed something of a rivalry, which was far more fierce than the one Garrett shared with Randy. When he came to Randy and Lloyd's rescue a week later he told both not to give up, whilst at the same time goading the encircling into a futile charge against him. It is difficult to determine whether or not Shinrei feigns interest in certain things to better blend in as Ries, though some things are genuine traits and not fabrications. Its true that his taste-buds have been deadened due to his mother's obsession with garlic as a cooking ingredient. He's also passionate about formula one racing.

Following the Second Battle of Grat, which saw Shinrei stand against the outpouring of energy caused by The Collapse to protect his new friends, he genuinely lost his long-term memories, essentially becoming "Ries". Only Tiffany Henderson suspected who he really was and when she told this to Kentaro she was instructed to help Shinrei remember, if only so he could tell Kay that her beloved older brother wasn't actually dead, though she did not mention this to the rest of her friends. With no past to call on aside from the recent weeks he spent with Garrett and his friends, Shinrei's personality diverged greatly and, ironically, he came to exhibit a number of his father's bad habits; chief amongst them gambling. In addition he became cocky and confrontational and often goaded Garrett into a fight, though the pair demonstrated remarkable synergy when they did actually work together.

History
Shinrei was born the son of Kenji Hiroshi and Eri Kurosaki, though he was abandoned by Eri to protect him from those who pursued her, and was captured as a result. Shinrei grew up in the unaware of his parentage and without a name. Despite his mother's actions he was soon captured as well, though by who remained a mystery. He was subjected to experimentation involving and let loose on the Soul Society, where destiny intervened. His father Kenji, who was unknowing of the relationship, encountered his son wrecking havoc, and proceeded to transport him back to Horiwari, where Kenji successfully treated him. Once there Kenji discovered Shinrei's parentage and resolved to look after the child; naming him Shinrei. Shinrei became a member of the Ryū Order and began to shadow his father.

Despite his youth Shinrei's potential was deemed by Maki Zhijun to be boundless, and was subsequently trained by Kenji, Kusaka and Maki. He was already approaching the power Kenji himself possessed when the First Spiritual War began, and fought alongside his father, Sanada Shirono, Kaimen Kazuki and Van Satonaka in some of the harshest conflicts of the war. In one battle he personally held off Averian in a one-on-one battle to allow his father and Van to fuse, resulting in the Arrancar's temporary defeat.

Shinrei seemingly drew on his own real-life experiences when crafting himself the Ries persona. A year prior to this event Shinrei, like Hawke Kori, was involved in a number of unsanctioned fighting events in the, though he avoided meeting Hawke's friends. At a street-fighting event he encountered Lloyd and defeated him with swift ease. When Shinrei appeared later as Ries he claimed that he could only remember the week previously, which was around the time that Kenji and Kusaka gave him the mission to safeguard Garrett Sheppard and Tiffany Henderson from the Kikkashō. Shinrei did not recognize Lloyd when he integrated himself into Garrett's group, suggesting his claims of amnesia to be genuine; though, in truth, he merely used it to his advantage.

Shinrei would befriend Rōjin, with the two being described as thick-as-thieves. The relationship soured however when Shinrei learned that Rōjin was in-league with Kagura; one of the men responsible for Shinrei's. The two fought with Shinrei seemingly killing Rōjin.

Synopsis

 * Main article -- Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Part II

 * Main article -- Bleach: War of the Worlds Part I.

Prelude to War arc

 * Coincidental Meetings
 * Meeting of Swordmasters: Kenji vs. Sanada
 * Glimmer of Hope

Making a Stand arc

 * Inquiry into Madness

Final Clash arc

 * Fate Plays its Hand: Meeting of Rivals
 * Liberation Saga

Part III

 * Main article -- Bleach: War of the Worlds Part II.

Impostor arc

 * Kenji gone Mad?
 * Plotting a War
 * Resolve

Second Coming of Averian arc

 * Return of the Legend
 * A Day in the Human World
 * Two Become One: Fury Unleashed!

Blank period

 * Tiffany's Flashback

Part IV

 * Main article -- Bleach: Cataclysm.

Investigating Grat arc

 * Day 14: Learning the Truth (mentioned only)
 * Day 20: The Beatdown Part II
 * Day 20: The Beatdown Part III
 * Day 21: New Perspectives
 * Day 28: Grat Runs Red
 * Day 29: Deserved Rest

Peri-Collapse Events

 * Second Battle of Grat: Prelude
 * Into the Fire: Tiffany's Resolve (mentioned)
 * Into the Fire: Shinrei's Sacrifice
 * Second Battle of Grat: Aftermath

Rising arc

 * Back to Normality? (mentioned only)
 * The Resolve to Fight (mentioned only)
 * Garrett's Vengeance (mentioned only)
 * Birth of the Grat cell
 * Clash over Grat
 * Visit from the Slayer

Equipment

 * Gigai: Shinrei's Gigai, which is essential to his Ries persona, was specially crafted by Kenji and Kusaka so that Shinrei could befriend Garrett and company without arousing the suspicion of the Kikkashō, or Tiffany who had met him previously. Whilst it mimics the body of a Human perfectly, the Gigai has been enhanced so that Shinrei does not need to reveal his Shinigami form to protect himself or others (though he can remove himself from it effortlessly). The Gigai allows him to use some measure of his spiritual abilities, including limited access to his Shikai, without revealing his true form. Following The Collapse, which saw Shinrei genuinely lose his memories, he embraced the Ries persona, with him forgetting that he exists in a fake body.

Powers and Abilities
He was also capable of expending his reiatsu as a potent shock-wave during his battle with Randy, breaking the larger man's grip. Even in his Gigai he was fit to hold a slight edge over Rōjin; a Captain-class individual. Despite his amnesia Ries was fit to unconsciously access the greater reserves of his power, especially during battles with Garrett.

Lightning Manipulation: Ries is capable of producing vast quantities of lightning and electricity from his body, achieved through his enhanced Gigai accessing his Shikai. His mastery of this particular skill is notably high; he can produce intense shocks to attack his opponents, shield himself or others with a shield of lightning, or as a means of augmenting his own synapses to augment his physical abilities. He has demonstrated the ability to electrically charge his hands to create makeshift blades with an edge sharp enough to cut the limbs off several Soulless and casually punch through skin.

First-aid: Ries is capable of employing a form of spiritual-based healing that causes his palms to glow with a greenish light. His expertise enabled him to quickly mend the neck injury Ries inflicted upon Randy during their match. He can further combine his first-aid skills with his lightning manipulation to rapidly heal others, which was revealed to be a sub-branch of Kidō.

Hand-to-Hand Expertise: Ries was capable of quickly defeating Randy with a speedy hybrid style of martial arts, as well as Lloyd a year previously, despite restraining himself. Ries, like Garrett and Tiffany, is a mixed martial artist. His main styles involve boxing and taekwondo. After the Beatdown he became one of Garrett's primary sparring partners due to the fact their abilities where more-or-less evenly matched. When Ries fights particularly strong opponents, or feels threatened, his skills seemingly improve as he unconsciously recalls his old fighting abilities. In Garrett's own words Ries may have forgotten, but his body remembers how to fight.

Enhanced Speed: Ries was able to avoid Randy's power-focused attacks in the latter stages of their fight without even using high-speed movement techniques. His speed is shown to be more than a match for Garrett.


 * Enhanced Māipō: Lloyd revealed Ries to be a practitioner of Māipō; a form of high-speed movement utilizing one's internal flow of reiryoku to produce continuous movement, and was fit to overwhelm Randy with his speed. His mastery was sufficient to arrive at the scene in order to aid Randy and Lloyd; this was notable considering that he was far enough away at the time that Lloyd did not think it possible. Ries utilizes a form of Shunpo-enhanced Māipō.


 * Hikarakuyō (飛花落葉, "Blossoms Fall and Leaves Scatter"): a Shunpo technique which is usually exclusively utilized by . Ries is capable of creating a number of persistent after-images that are capable of not only following and mimicking his own movements, but branching off to attack numerous targets.

Enhanced Strength: Ries possessed enough strength to snap Randy's neck with a single kick. He later demonstrated the needed strength to casually throw a charging Hollow over his shoulder. His strength was enough to casually plunge his hand into the stomach of a Kikkashō agent.

Former powers and Abilities
Due to his amnesia Ries does not actually know he inhabits a Gigai and is, in actuality, a Visored. As such he currently cannot consciously access his Shinigami powers.

Just prior to The Collapse the mere exertion of his reiatsu was enough to destroy countless Hollow, and frighten the likes of Garrett and Tiffany (both of whom failed to register the presence as Ries). Kusaka also stated that Shinrei should be contacted to protect Garrett and Tiffany from the Kikkashō; this infers that his strength is significant. He proved to be the only individual with sufficient power to counteract The Collapse. By flinging everything he had at the destructive out-pour of energy over Grat, he was fit to successfully repulse it; albeit at the cost of his memories. This puts Shinrei's unrestrained power at a level higher than Kenji and Kusaka, as neither could actually stop The Collapse, despite their best attempts.

Stealth Mastery: Although he was abyssmal in the beggining on account of his reiatsu being uncontrolled, Shinrei eventually gained a reputation for sneaking up on people undetected both visually and spiritually. Averian later admitted that Shinrei was the sole member of the Ryū Order who was capable of spying on him without being detected. He later claimed that he owed his considerable skills to Rōjin.

Zanjutsu Grandmastery: Even as a child Shinrei was a remarkable swordsman. He was capable of contending with Averian long enough to buy time for Kenji and Van to use the Fusion Technique. He was also fit to completely dominate Ichihara Kōhai in their brief battle, someone who is himself a master swordsman. His superior skills enabled him to effortlessly clash with Rōjin; to the point he pointed out that he could have killed Rōjin "six-times over by now".

Kidō: Shinrei is a practitioner of Van and his father's Nigendō style, which he used to stabilize Lloyd and Randy Jones. He is capable of employing Kidō with impressive power even whilst inside his Gigai. His sheer strength, coupled with his Bankai, enabled him to repulse the destructive force of The Collapse over Grat.

Hohō Mastery: Shinrei's speed in his Shinigami body allowed him to keep pace with and react to the attacks of Averian. He was likewise capable of completely outpacing Ichihara, where he also demonstrated the speed required to employ tag-team attacks with his father. His mastery of the technique enabled him to perfectly blend his Shunpo movements with those of Māipō whilst in his Gigai. He later demonstrated complete mastery of the technique; he was notably fit to completely outpace someone of Rōjin's superb skill.

Zanpakutō
Raikōisan (雷光 遺産, Lightning Inheritance). Shinrei, in the same manner as Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Sōjirō Kusaka, wields the same Zanpakutō as Tiffany Henderson. His Zanpakutō takes the form of a nodachi with grey-coloured hilt wrapping and a square-shaped guard missing its four corners.


 * : Unknown.


 * : Raiden (雷電, Thunder and Lightning). Shinrei's Bankai produces an immediate effect on the weather, producing powerful storms over the entirety of Grat. The spiritual power of Raiden is so massive that Lloyd -- a highly sensitive to reiatsu -- remarked that Shinrei's power didn't even feel like reiatsu.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Shinrei's Bankai allows him to deftly control the storm it summons. He can target individuals with lethal precision; a single bolt of lightning possesses the destructive power to kill Captain-class Shinigami with one strike. With its power Shinrei brought the Second Battle of Grat to a sudden halt and secured victory against the Kikkashō-backed-Imawashī invaders in one master-stroke.

Behind the Scenes

 * Shinrei's appearance is drawn from three different sources. The first and second are from Samurai Deeper Kyo, and are used to indicate his growth. The first, Sasuke Sarutobi, is used to depict Shinrei in his youth -- measured as Part II and III in-story. The second, Akira, is used for his post-Collapse appearances, which constitutes Part IV and is supposed to depict Shinrei as a young man. Finally his Gigai appearance is based on Shō Kano from Kenichi, which is more of a teenage appearance. A series of other images, mostly of silver-haired or white-haired anime or manga characters, where also used; chief amongst them his primary Shinigami appearance.


 * Ries is the first character to appear in the Investigating Grat arc who did not originally make an appearance in the author's earlier and now-defunct storyline regarding Garrett and his friends. He was made specifically as a rival character of sorts to Garrett, replacing Aaron in the role, whilst providing a back-story for an already established character to survive The Collapse.


 * Day 28: Grat Runs Red revealed that Ries was, in fact, Shinrei. This fact was foreshadowed in an earlier chapter, Day 14: Learning the Truth, where Kusaka requested that Shinrei be placed on-standby to aid Garrett and his friends should they need help. The letters in Ries Nohr was also taken from letters making up Shinrei Hiroshi.


 * Shinrei's status as Garrett's rival was also the reason for Shinrei suffering genuine amnesia following The Collapse. In terms of raw power and skill Shinrei would trounce Garrett hands down without breaking a sweat, so the decision was made to impair Shinrei through memory-loss to even the playing field. This enabled the two to progress together at a close-to-even pace.


 * Shinrei was originally a very different character. Whilst his back-story remains relatively unchanged, even with the 2015 retcon that took place in Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi), his character underwent significant changes all the same. He essentially adopted a role akin to that of Tōshirō Hitsugaya and the Visored, in that he was the focal point that tied the author's universe with that of the canon Bleach manga. In this case he ties Garrett Sheppard and his friends more closely to the characters established throughout Parts I, II and III.


 * In Part II, which saw Shinrei introduced to the storyline, it was revealed that he wielded the same Zanpakutō as Kenji, which was Aoi Inazuma. As was the case with Kenji, this Zanpakutō was in actuality a nickname, which hid the full extent of his Zanpakutō's power. Tiffany Henderson was then revealed to utilize the same Zanpakutō as Shinrei in a manner similar to both Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Sōjirō Kusaka wielding Hyōrinmaru. Shinrei, Kenji and Tiffany all utilize lightning as their predominant means of attack and defence.