Izari Kenshiko



Izari Kenshiko (躄剣歯虎, Kenshiko Izari; literally meaning "Crawling Tiger") is the recently appointed of the Fourth Division as well as the current holder of the  title, having acquired it directly from  after the latter defected from the  in search for his former lieutenant,. When Rikuri Ukitake was banished from the for conceiving the child of a mortal, it was Izari who ultimately became her successor, having passed his proficiency test at the hands of Byakuya Kuchiki, a feat that was deemed incredibly rare for a mere pawn of the.

Birthed within the "noble" house of the Kenshiko tribe, Izari very swiftly became the patron of the clan by following through with its ancient family tradition; indeed, he took the life of his father to gain command over the family, the previous head to the kin as well as the very man who instructed him of the principles of the blade. While overlooked as menial behavior by most others, it functions as a rite of passage, for if any one being is to be made worthy of declaring himself the head to the Kenshiko tribe, then he must display that very strength against the strongest threat they have to offer.

Appearance
There is a truly magnificent magical power that embodies the soul of a shinigami, for they live on for centuries, eons even, without the slightest physical alteration. This is in itself a testament of their strength, allowing them to maintain a fighting standard well past their glory days; likewise, the one fabled as Izari Kenshiko appears as a man quite possibly in his middle ages. He is a man bearing intricate design upon his visage, which is shamefully scorned by the dull expressions that so frequently curse him. Even so, beneath his boredom rests a chamber of beauty, one garnering a prominently shaped nose slitted with acute nostrils. Just beneath lie in wait a pair of lips, who have yet to yonder past the gracious festivity of what is the physical manifestation of romance; they have met only the hilt of his blade, deducing the necessity of such a trivial factor. Climbing upward through the steam follow in heaving paranoia a gleaming set of eyes, those who immediately cast judgement upon others, in the attempt of seeking a worthy opponent so as to fulfill this aforementioned boredom of his. It is in truth this very sensation that gradually determines the look upon his face, for if he were to come across a being he has himself deemed to be of interest, then no longer would his eyes droop, nor his lips sag.

Even in stature is he complex, garnering a body forged from the hell bent flames of war. Beneath his shinigami attire —where no woman has ever trespassed before— is an astounding physique made celebratory by the presence of a grueling array of muscle; so very compact within its dexterity, it most obviously serves a purpose beyond the concept of physical attraction, though would ultimately acquire such fame if it were to be exposed on any occasion. Like rifts in a mountain his shoulders spring to the sides, capitulating his thoracic argument like a trophy outside a display. Much like the latter, it is a truly detailed achievement, kept consistently polished through the shinigami art of training. From above oozes the dark blanket of his mane; likened to a demented field of mud who has been pitted into an endless battle against itself in regards to the path it should follow, it sprouts aimlessly from his cranial, spilling over all sides of his face. His ears, who are nothing more than mere obstacles like rocks would be to this pit of mud, are often times caught within this disaster, and forever sealed away, making them hardly visible. However, as there would exist a limitation to every phenomenon, a border that restricts, his hair fails to reach beyond the pockets of his nostrils; though allies from the same team have apparently made it across this field, for there is hair forming on the tip of his chin, riding a current upward to the specks of his jaw.

Paying homage to the ancient history composing the thirteen court guard squads, Izari can be seen sporting the talons of the shinigami; pieced together by a fabricated onyx black kimono, it clings to his flesh as a loose fit, much like an inflated balloon of the sorts. Acting as an additional layer, there is a vanilla white undergarment worn and aligned with his robe for further comfort. One could easily fall asleep within these robes, for they are truly so soft; beyond the presence of the secondary garment, Izari does not complicate himself with customizing his shinigami attire, most nearly because he could care less about it. Indeed, it is fitting that there exists a proper dress code for a member of the Gotei 13, for if it had been left up to Izari for choice, he may have not worn anything at all. Such weariness is most certainly at an extremist's capacity, though it all nurtures about the fact that he truly does not care for his physical appearance. Masking his physique and emphasizing his position is the traditional haori awarded to all who have attained the captain class; Izari in particular has elected to leave aside his sleeves, which fall beyond his wrists. The insignia of the Fourth Division is scraped across his backside, certifying him as the most prolific medic in all of Soul Society. Ultimately, there is a dark obi sash tied around his waistline, responsible for holding his zanpakutō in place, made complete with dark sandals over cream stockings as a choice of footwear.

Abilities and Powers
Prodigy: From the dawn of his existence, Izari was blessed with an overarching constraint of power that immediately hailed him as a unique individual. Thereafter, he explored an incredible curio of wisdom, which, despite his age of adolescence, allowed him with the thinking capacity of a fully grown man. He progressed through his childhood at an alarming rate, accomplishing various assignments that would have taken any ordinary being an extended period of time in what was a mere matter of years, such harboring a zanpakutō and awakening the powers invested within it to gain access to its shikai form, when in comparison, many seated officers within the Gotei 13 were struggling to accomplish the very same thing. This was, quite appallingly, all attained even prior to his entrance into the Shin'ō Academy, which failed to educate him in any matter he wasn't already quite fond of, when the time of his acceptance finally came around. For this reason, he was immediately transferred to the Kidō Corps, where he was pitted to compete against prospects who were scouted to be around his level, only for them too to be left behind in the dust as he made another triumphant leap forwards. His frequent ascension was reputed as blasphemy by the likes of the Central 46, who contemplated his murder on several occasions out of the fear that Izari would soon grow out of control.

Immense Spiritual Power: Likened to an active volcano whose eruptive nature knows no bounds, Izari has nestled within him an oceanic plethora of spiritual power. Coursing through each of his veins, it was said to have rivaled that of a seated shinigami officer just upon his coming into the universe; now, with Izari having been transformed into a captain of the thirteen court guard squads, it is on an entirely separate level, to the point where mere fluctuations of it are enough to decimate the surrounding area, heaving quakes in the ground and ripples through the skies. Long term exposure to this potent reiatsu is enough to annihilate those within its presence, allowing Izari to emerge victorious in his battles without having to lift so much as a single finger. The pressure, at the very least, is suffocating, depriving his opponents of their senses all the while plunging their bodies into the ground and forcing them to kneel down before his might.

In a world polluted with deities of several differing classes, the only proven way to bound them in any one place was through the element of fear. By encompassing the energies stored within themselves, those select souls who would go on to be known as "shinigami" conquered the hearts of many, before settling within the able arms of the Gotei 13. It was a common display of the food chain, in which he who possesses more power than the other is clearly dictated the victor, without fault, and without further question. Through the act of no more than one's presence, reapers throughout history have tamed their grace, replenishing each and every one of their desires. The exertion of one's reiatsu tells an entire story within the period of an instant; much can be deciphered from such vigorous strength.

Ever since his arrival into the world, Izari exerted a tremendous surge of magical power. Those within his presence practically basked and bathed within the raw, untamed power Izari had possessed; from it, they perceived great potential. As he grew in age and strength, the dexterity of his spiritual pressure only grew all the more potent. It very quickly surpassed their own, which was absurd, seeing as though they were a great deal older than he; however, this only led to them accepting him as their next leader, and he addressed his next role as the heir to the accursed Kenshiko clan. Much like those who came before him, in the ways of an emperor who conquered the lands, Izari's mere presence was enough to force even his own comrades, who grew up beside him, to their knees. Without a choice, whether it was intentional or not, they bowed to the child, whose power exceeded their own.

Now within his middle ages, Izari has gained a degree of control over his phathomal inner powers. When invoked, it is introduced as a subtle aura, red in color. Almost as if it were a reflection of his personality, it feeds off of his pent up emotions and embodies his true motives. When happy, the energy flowing around him is calm, relaxed, almost soothing in nature. However, when angered, the red aura grows fierce, and crackles around him like the scorching hot flames of the dark abyss. It reveals an unprecedented murderous intent, one that invokes fear within the very hearts of those whom are caught within its able vicinity. It is essentially suffocating to bear, harassing people as if they were peasants before tearing their souls through their throats.

Such is a power that exists for an unparalleled purpose, one that strives for red lit massacre, and the destruction of the world at large. When Izari has succumbed to his inner demon, that is when his power is at its very peak. In such a state of mind, his reiatsu takes the shape of flames, burning all to ashes. Being of his spiritual will power, it in itself becomes a weapon at his disposal, of which he can take advantage of to strike his foes from a distance. The very heavens themselves cry out in horror as the skies are forced to part ways, opening for gleams of glitter from the blazing sun. The heavens themselves tremble in fear under such might, begging for mercy and forgiveness.

From the very beginning of his life and throughout his early childhood, he displayed prodigal talent in the way of the sword; more than just raw talent, it seemed as though the boy possessed a natural affinity towards blades of all kinds, with their usage somehow being apparent to him straight from his origins. Many prophesied that Izari learned to wield a katana even before he learned to crawl; this fable in itself is not the slightest bit farfetched, as it was through the disciplinary means of his forefathers that he saw a rigid training regime from the very second his soul drew breath. While most newborn children are cradled and held within the arms of their mother, it is said that a weapon was instead placed within the hands of this demon baby, paying homage to the ancient traditions of the Kenshiko tribe, which they have practiced since the founding of their clan.

Birthed into a family infamous for their horrid bloodlust and cannibalistic means of survival, it was not only an expectation for Izari to master the ways of the sword, but also a sin for him not to devote his life to the art. Abiding to the ancient prayers of his ancestors, Izari saw training under the guidance of his father —the 15th head of the Kenshiko clan. From early morning to late in the night, the child honed his skills in various fields of swordsmanship, until his very essence of life betrayed him, forcing him to his knees and into an unconscious state he referred to as his time of rest. When his body collapsed under the pressures of such rigorous combat, Izari resorted to using his own bones as weapons, so as not to burden the name of his family. For a very long time, he believed his skin color to be red, as his body was always tainted with blood for the most part; it wasn't until it began to rain during one of his exercises and he watched as the blood was cleansed that he had any true knowledge of his own structure. This was also factored into the sense that he devoted much of his time to honing the sword; there was no time to waste on anything but training, and most certainly not to look in a mirror and admire oneself.

Even amongst the insurmountable expectations of his kin, Izari emerged as a genius. The bond he now possesses between himself and each of his katana is likened to that of siblings. In fact, it has become a running gag for Izari to openly acknowledge his blade as his one and only partner, and by extension, his soul mate. He understands the concept of swordplay so well that he is able to decipher the arsenal of his opponent simply by witnessing the most subtle of movements. This is due to him having experienced essentially every bit of stance a swordsman can display with their weapon, and the fact that he himself has replicated such gestures to the point where each and every one of the muscles in his body have memorized them completely. While judging reiatsu is said to be one of the most difficult feats a single shinigami can accomplish, still yet, Izari's concentration goes beyond the norm.

Attributed to his frequent exposure to them, it almost seems as though Izari is able to speak to swords. While it is an absurd logic, it is not through the means of verbal communication, but rather a telepathic link he has gained through being within the presence of them for so very long. While no sword is a living specimen of any kind, meaning it does not truly possess emotions of any kind; nor can it harness its own ideals of any sorts, it is through the justifications of the instrument itself that Izari comes upon his own conclusions. For instance, when one wagers their blade against another, there is a distinct noise that is summoned, triggered by the fabrications of the rugged meta clashing against one another; reading these sounds, Izari determines the sword prowess of his enemy, and how experienced they truly are. Additionally, he is able to read the patterns and over all sensation a sword gives off by matching against it, or the behavior that is exhibited by his opponent.

In a contest of swordsmanship, the primary focal point centered about the wake of victory lies within the internal concept of balance; for without a stable foundation, the entire construction is said to be eligible for an untimely demise. Izari has revealed himself adept in not only orchestrating the fundamentals of swordplay, but moreover, the ability to adjust in the midst of battle. Every ounce of his being is essentially an extension of his own blade, or in a more detailed context, it is quite literally a suited weapon all on its own accord. This most nearly translates to the sheer control Izari has over these inanimate weapons of mass destruction. There is no place on his body where he cannot hold a sword; this was meant to keep him within the heat of competition even had he somehow lost control of his arms, for whatever reason. In between the folds of his arms and thighs; in his mouth; with his toes; and even by balancing the sword on the tip of his tongue, Izari is able to utilize his swords.

It is a very important matter to detain that the strength Izari draws forth is not immediately from his tool of choice, but rather, stems from his own resilience. This means, that as far as he is concerned, any and all weapons within his grasp are meant only to be as powerful as a wielder; in retrospective, even if he were to be met by a godly weapon of mass destruction, he would be able to emerge victorious simply through the supplemented use of a writing utensil, if their powers were to be so vastly different. It matters not what sort of weapon the man utilizes to wreck havoc; that much would be a let down of the ages, and if that were to be the case, he would have been better off taming his own fists to battle, rather than relying on the tools made popular by his ancestors. While he, like all other humans encompassing the globe, has his own preferences, it does not make him any less accomplished to use a single blade, rather than experiment with all other sorts.

A gifted swordsman unlike any other, Izari is fond of several different types of swordplay, making him very unpredictable in battle. He can quite literally shift his mechanics in the midst of an assault, often times leaving his opponent in a trance, discerning their ensuing hypothesis. He relies on this factor only to alter the perception of his enemies, however, and more or less to prevent himself from being easily foreseeable. Being so well rounded, he is known to be able to shift from a variety of stances in a short period of time. Beginning from a very subtle and otherwise gentle approach, he can swiftly alter his style to accommodate for a much more explosive and reckless form within the blink of an eye. This change of gears can create several openings for Izari, whose opponent had likely adjusted to the tempo of his initial attack.

With his refined sense of power, there appears to be no clear limit as to what Izari is able to cut with his zanpakutō. From his days as a child, he has been seen slashing through solid concrete without much effort, and without breaking a single tear of sweat. He has long since proved his superiority over all types of metals, beginning with iron, which in his case, is likened to no more than a sheet of paper. There is no clear hesitation evident even when pitted against an ornament of the steel caliber for Izari, who plunges through it as if it were a bar of butter. He is shown to be able to cover a large distance with a single strike, leveling whole mountains and even entire forests with a single strike. The only real element that had proven itself to be a difficult concept to grasp, and an otherwise challenge to overcome, were diamonds. Heralded as a jewel of the highest order, it possess a natural line of defense so grand that in the past, it had even managed to scrape Izari's katana; however, this no longer appears to be the case, as by exerting more power through his blade, he is able to rip through the element.

Zanpakutō
Kōtei no Yajū (皇帝野獣, King of Beasts): Kōtei no Yajū is the name of Izari's Zanpakutō. Overall, it takes the form of a traditional nodachi —the most common type of Japanese katana. Its hilt is wrapped in a white obi sash turned red, initially belonging to Izari's father, which had been worn around his waist alongside the rest of his Shinigami attire until his death at the hands of his own son. It is a tradition of the Kenshiko tribe to honor the death of the last family head by preserving their sash in such a manner, which serves the dual function of also granting the victor of the duel command over the entire clan. There is also a rhombus like pattern spanning the rest of the hilt, leading up to a pommel made of pure gold. The hand guard —also referred to as the tsuba— takes the form of a flat plate just above the hilt, which has its two faces covered in intricate decorations, and possesses a mildly rounded, elongated shape with four points curving inwards, meant to represent a four-leaf clover. The sheath of the sword is blue in color with various spirals running down its length.

Despite the prefix to its name, the spirit of the sword is actually female, making Izari one of the few male Shinigami to possess a Zanpakutō of the opposite gender. According to Izari, Kōtei no Yajū is quite moody, requiring much of his attention during the day, while also refusing to release her true power against opponents whom she herself does not deem worthy. She appears to him as a mature woman adorned within a ceremonial kimono, with long blue hair and pale white skin. She also sleeps for extended periods of time, often requiring Izari to fight in battles without the use of his Shikai until after she awakens.
 * : As with all other Zanpakutō, Kōtei no Yajū requires a command in order for Izari to gain access to its Shikai; the sword is released through the prayer, "Bask in Eternal Glory" (緩和中限りない精華, kana naka kagirinai seika), whereby it reveals itself in being a Kidō-Type Zanpakutō. During the incantation, Izari will generally raise Kōtei no Yajū above his head to signify its ascent into the heavens. Thereafter, the blade is consumed by a bright flash, before revealing Izari's transformed Zanpakutō. In its Shikai state, the katana evolves and lengthens considerably, resembling a long-sword. The blade is overtaken by a much darker persona; running the length of the sword, it is split between what appears to be two variations of metal, with a makeshift handle nestled into the blade itself protruding from one side. Furthermore, beside the now spherical cross-guard is a portion of the sword that extends outward in the shape of a rectangle. The hilt of the blade remains the same for the most part, growing slightly darker in coloration. The sword curves in various directions on its way to the peak of the blade, where it is met by one final additional curl. Izari likens Kōtei no Yajū to the talon of a lion while in Shikai. Much to the surprise of many at the time, Izari ventured upon his Shikai even prior to his acceptance into the Shin'ō Academy, approximately an entire century earlier than the average Shinigami.

Shikai Special Ability: Possessing a truly terrifying power, it was for this reason that the Central 46 had grown to fright over Izari's ensuing development, having even contemplated his demise on numerous instances. With his Shikai ability, Izari is able to freely manipulate three-dimensional space to his content, which includes both the generation and depletion of the aforementioned idea. Much like a shooting-guard in basketball would perform a series of dribble moves to effectively create enough space between he and his defender for an efficient chance at shooting the ball, Izari is competent enough to accomplish the very same luxury, albeit instantaneously, and with significantly less effort, doing so without so much as the flicker of his hand. This is more properly looked towards as creating and consuming distance between two different points of a spatial location; were he to be confronted by an enemy charging straight towards him, Izari would simply create more and more space between himself and the incoming opponent, so as to fixate the latter into an endless loop, making himself unreachable. This is true even for projectile-based attacks, as they too would have to cover a distance in order to strike him, meaning they too must venture into Izari's territory. Because of the nature of this ability, Izari has claimed himself to be invincible, with an absolute defense at his fingertips.

Likewise, any preexisting space can also be depleted; this most nearly means that Izari can cover the distance between he and his opponent instantly, allowing him to come within close quarters for a sneak attack of his own in the hope of catching his opponent off-guard, as there is no real way of estimating where he will appear next. This feature is likened to a form of teleportation, though relies on the given amount of space Izari chooses to manipulate. Furthermore, Izari is able to reciprocate gravitational energy either by increasing the spatial pressure of a given space or simply by forging a greater supply of space; much like an invisible wall, it will form generally above his opponent, crushing him or her into the ground with tremendous force within the blink of an eye. This is often times used to constrict opponents, preventing them from moving due to the intensity of the space upon them. It can also be deployed as a shield or barrier of the sorts, by intercepting attacks that were intended for Izari. By encasing himself within this invisible barrier from all sides, as any mime would, Izari is even capable of escaping techniques that would target an entire area by negating himself from the equation.


 * : Not Yet Revealed.

Trivia

 * Izari is the second Fourth Division captain to bear the name of Kenpachi, with the first being.
 * All images appearing on this page are drawn by the author, User:DazzlingEmerald.